Game Review ( Cold Storage Map - Halo 3 - 360 )

Cold Storage was released today (7-7-8) for free from Bungie. But, it's not REALLY free unless you have the Heroic and Legendary map packs. Speaking of that, the Legendary Map Pack has gotten a price change. Instead of being 800 MSP, it's now 600.

I never played the original version of this map in Halo 1, so I can't do a comparison, but I can tell you that Cold Storage is not that great of a map. It is best for FFA fans ( I'm not one ) as opposed to players that prefer teams. Cold Storage is a pretty small map, with teleporters everywhere. The map includes a battle rifle, plasma rifle, sniper, shotgun, and the like in standard slayer mode. Cold Storage is a pretty decent map, overall. If you were thinking about getting the Legendary Map Pack, now is the time to do it. Heroic, Legendary and Cold Storage - 7 maps - for only 600 MSP if you're just getting them right now. One hell of a deal. Cold Storage isn't a bad map, but it isn't a good map - I can see why Bungie remade this map and made it free.

3.75/5

Game Review ( Legendary Map Pack - 360 )

These maps came out quite awhile ago, and I planned on waiting until they were free, but after hearing they won't be free ( at least for awhile ) I got them just today.

Avalanche: 4.25/5 Huge map, with man cannons to make it seem less small and help you travel, but - meh. There are vehicles at the spawns on this map, but - it's just not that great. Cool design, but too big, and not the most epic of battles. Avalanche isn't bad, but I thought it'd be a lot better than it actually is.

Black Out: 4.75/5 A remake of the classic Lock Out from Halo 2 - yeah, I bet you didn't know that. Black Out is a great map for Team Slayer as well as Team SWAT. Great map, and is actually better than the original map - wow.

Ghost Town: 4.5/5 A map many people thought would be terrible before the pack came out, but surprised most, including me. Ghost Town is a fantastic map. It's asymmetrical, ( If you don't know what that means get the hell out. ) and it just has a great look to it. It's medium size, and fun to play on. A lot of fun - great for most game modes.

For $10, you get these pretty damn good maps, a 3-month subscription to Bungie Pro ( Meh. If you don't know what that is, it doesn't matter. ) and the ability to finally play Team SWAT whenever you want. I must warn you, though, Team SWAT doesn't play the same was as in Halo 2 - it seems harder... for whatever reason... still, you can't really go wrong. I'd say buy it.

4.5/5

Drink Review ( Mountain Dew:Revolution )

Smell: 4/5 Smells a lot like Baja Blast from Taco Bell - not only smells like it, but... well you'll find out.

Color: 3.75/5 Almost looks like Baja Blast from Taco Bell, too. Really, Baja Blast just is a little more greenish.

Taste: 4.5/5 If you like Baja Blast, you'll way more than likely really love Revolution. Tastes almost identical, especially the aftertaste, but that isn't a bad thing - I think Baja Blast should quit being exclusive to Taco Bell and be sold in cans. Anyway, it's good - better than Super Nova, but not better than Voltage - looks like Voltage will win, and apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks so.

Drink Review ( Mountain Dew:Super Nova )

Smell: 4/5 Meh. Like Voltage, not much to smell... smells like normal Mountain Dew with a little bit of strawberry-melon in it.

Color: 3.75/5 A light pink color. Looks lame... it'd be better if it were a deep pink or neon.

Taste: 4.25/5 Not bad, but not fantastic. People say it tastes like garbage ( the aftertaste especially ) but I don't know what they're drinking. Super Nova is supposed to be strawberry-melon flavored, and it is just that. ( But I can't really taste the melon. ) Quite good, but nothing like Voltage.

Drink Review ( Mountain Dew:Voltage )

Smell: 4/5 Doesn't have that strong of a smell, much like the other "DEWmocracy" Mountain Dews. Faintly smells like the flavor, raspberry, but not much.

Color: 3.75/5 I'll likely give all three a 3.75/5 - all of them are faded colors. Voltage is a faded blue color.

Taste: 5/5 Most importantly, Voltage is very distinctive and probably the best dew of the three. Very strong raspberry flavor, with what almost has a cotton candy after taste or something... either way, definitely the best of the three.

Game Review ( Rock Band DLC 6/17 - 360 )

I probably won't bother reviewing DLC previous to this, but I'll review what comes out in the future - or try to.

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Hammerhead: 4.25/5 Great song to listen to, not amazing on guitar - actually pretty easy, but difficult on drums. I beat it after a few tries, and it is one unique and fun chart, but it's not spectacular. I'd say it's worth downloading, though.

Rock 'N' Roll Dream: 4.25/5 Only a buck, and it's worth it. Not a hard song by any means on drums or guitar ( Although the second solo is a bit tricky ) but it's well worth purchasing. The drums are an easy 100% on Expert, but just a lot of fun, and it's a great song, too.

Afterlife: 4.5/5 The one with the "impossible solo". Afterlife is quite challenging to the average Expert player on guitar - does that make sense? The solo will give many people fits if they don't know when to use their Overdrive. Most decent Expert players will probably average anywhere between 40-60% on this solo - so you had better have Overdrive. On drums, the quickquickquick double bass isn't troubled, but a lot of it is. Great song.

Critical Acclaim: 4.5/5 I really disliked this song at first, but it's amazing on guitar especially. The song is quite easy to FC if you can get the solo down, which is NOTHING compared to Afterlife's. The drums are also fun. Both A7X songs are worth downloading whether your a guitar or drum player. And, if you play both, it's even more of a better value.

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This weeks DLC gets a 4.5/5

Game Review ( FrontLines: Fuel of War - 360 )

Graphics: 4.75/5 Honestly, amazing. They didn't look too great in the demo for whatever reason, but the in-game graphics and the cutscenes are some of the best on the 360. The most unbelievable part is that there is virtually no lag offline. There are a few hiccups, but it's quite rare. Online though is a bit of a different story. While the game usually runs well, certain rooms and certain maps have some lag issues.

Sound: 4.5/5 Almost up to par with Call of Duty 4, but not quite. The vehicles and explosions sound great, even better than Bad Company.

Control: 4.75/5 The game controls arcade-like in a way, and the helicopters and vehicles for the most part control very well. The on-foot controls may take a bit of time because certain buttons are different than that of Call of Duty 4, but you should get it.

Fun: 4.5/5 The single player to me is probably the best part. The multiplayer is okay, but there are some seriously forgettable maps, not many people play the game online, and there are lag problems. FrontLines should definitely be rented just for the single player experience. And for you achievement whores, the game boasts some moderately easy achievements.

Game Review ( Battlefield: Bad Company DEMO - 360 )

Graphics: 4/5 Look good, very good, actually, but the frame rate just about ruins it. The demo is nearly unplayable, I'll tell you straight up. If the frame rate held up like it probably should, the game would be fantastic looking.

Sound: 4.25/5 Above average - the guns explosions and tanks are all great. Not as good as Call of Duty, but that's hard to stack up to.

Control: 3.75/5 Pretty much turned me off. The on-foot controls are quite simple, the tank controls are a little bizarre and take SOME getting used to, and I frankly think the helicopters are impossible to control. It will take me quite a bit of practice to get the flying down.

Fun: 4/5 This game has potential - the demo is quite fun, there are FSU environments, ( You should know what that means by now... ) and the game has a pretty nice atmosphere. This could give SOCOM: Confrontation a run for its money - some how - when it comes out for the PS3 later this year, but the framerate is ridiculous, and something needs to be done for this game to stand a chance as an elite FPS on the 360.

4/5

Game Review ( NASCAR '09 DEMO - 360 )

Graphics: 4.25/5 The game runs great, the cars and lighting are phenomenal, but the crashes are just lame... there are no flips, no fires, no realistic awesome smashes. The tracks look okay, and everything else is just meh. Not bad for a NASCAR game, though.

Sound: 3.5/5 No music during gameplay, and there are only a few songs on the tracklist. All you really here the whole game is the car accelerating and your pit crew telling you what's up.

Control: 4.5/5 Absolutely worlds better than the virtually NASCAR '08 from last year. You can actually drive with the stock controller - hurrah! Takes some getting used to, but you'll get it.

Fun: 4/5 What can I say, left turn, straight away, left turn... it is what it is - NASCAR, and it will likely appeal only to fans, but I must say, juding by the demo, it'll be a pretty good game.

Game Review ( Grand Theft Auto IV - 360 )

Graphics: 5/5 At first glance, the game looks pretty unimpressive, but quickly, the game grows on you and you'll appreciate it much more. The character models are good, the body movements are fantastic, the Ragdoll Body physics are great, the city is fantastic, there is little framerate drop even in online play, and the game looks absolutely stunning from a helicopter when you fly over the city. Grand Theft Auto IV may not look like the best 360 game straight up, but when you consider how much is put into this game, it really does look good.

Sound: 5/5 Easy 5/5, and one of the best sounding games ever. Radio stations and TV stations and characters with great dialogue for the most part. The game sounds great, of course. I can't think of one sound flaw in this game. The voiceovers don't impress everyone, but I think they are done quite well.

Control: 4.75/5 Very confusing when you first boot up the game, but quite easy to get down after a little while of playing. Many people have the car's new "realistic" controls. I actually like it better because, well, it's more realistic. It is frustrating at times, but it's not hard to get used to. The helicopters on the other hand, that's another story. They control well unless you're going fast - good luck landing one of those things. The new cover system and fighting system are pretty good, but not great. The cover system is actully somewhat useless, especially in online play, since players know where you are, and the fighting system is also flawed online because sometimes, although seldomly, headshots don't register.

Fun: 5/5 Are you surprised by the score? Of course not. The critics really gave this game what it deserves. GTAIV is definitely one of the best games of all-time. Sim-like gameplay, plus a great story, plus phenomenal multiplayer equals one great game. Although the game seems, and almost is, perfect, there are of course flaws. One thing for instance is the lack of being able to play co-op, which is a real downer. Still, the several different game modes will keep you occupied for months - or even years to come. If you are trying to find a reason to dislike this game, good luck, because just about anywhere you look, you will find greatness.

5/5

Game Review ( Mario Kart Wii - Wii )

Graphics: 4/5 From afar, the game looks pretty good. When up close, though, the character models are not very good, and actually look worse than the GameCube version. This game does look good for the most part though, and the fact that the framerate seems to drop very little, and there are 12 racers on the track this time around, is impressive.

Sound: 3.75/5 Tracks are the same for the retro tracks, which is nice to see, and of course new for the new tracks. People say the music is annoying - not really. The thing that really is annoying are the voiceovers. Every few seconds you will hear your character and all the others wailing out. It gets old in minutes. Most characters don't sound at all like they did in previous games. What's with Donkey Kong sounding like Scooby Doo?

Control: 4.5/5 Why people dislike the Wii Wheel, I'll never know, but I think it's great. It took a Grand Prix play to get used to it, and now I don't think I'd ever go use a GameCube controller for this game. There are other ways to play: Wii controller on the side ( Same thing as using the Wii Wheel ) , Wii+Nunchuck, Classic Controller, and GameCube controller. I only give this a 4.5 because there are times when I turn right or left on the Wii controller, but the character on screen goes the opposite way. Doesn't happen often, but it happens sometimes. Really though, the Wii Wheel is great.

Fun: 4.5/5 Mario Kart Wii may very well be the best game in the series despite a LOT of flaws. Tedious loops of character grunts, so-so graphics, unbelievably cheap A.I., and a lack of some really great retro tracks are just a few things that bug me about this game. There is online play, obviously, and it is fun, but not as fun as most people say it is. I definitely recommend getting this game simply because there are so few games as fun as this one on the Wii. This is arguably the Wii's best games available now - it certainly gives Super Smash Bros. Brawl a run for its money.

4.5/5

Game Review ( Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - DS )

Graphics: 4.5/5 CoD4 for the DS looks surprisingly good, and it suffers very little frame rate drops. There are also a lot of different and cool looking environments in the game. The character models look even better. One of the better looking DS games to date.

Sound: 4.25/5 People say it sounds great, I think it sound good. The guns sound good, but not like their real life counterparts, and the voice overs don't sound too great at all.

Control: 4.5/5 Along with Metroid Prime Hunters, this is the best and easiest to control shooters on the DS. This is how they should all be. You should be able to quickly learn these controls. They are effective and work well, although there are a few minor problems, like sprinting in to walls and the like because of the DS's D-pad. Other than that, well done.

Fun: 3.75/5 Sadly, CoD4 for the DS is worthy of nothing more than a rental - unless you have a few friends that have the game as well. The fact is, the single player is the only thing to this game unless you have friends to play with. After you're done with the campaign, there is no real reason to come back. The campaign is indeed fun, but it won't last forever. The single player has a similar story to the one in the 360 and PS3 versions of the game, but the experience is much different, as are the levels. This game could very well have been the best shooter on the DS if it had Wi-Fi, but sadly, it doesn't, leaving this shooter just another that falls short of being dubbed a gem.

3.75/5

Game Review ( Mario Party DS - DS )

Graphics: 4.5/5 They look very solid for a DS game, and certainly better than the N64 versions of the game. No drop in frame rate, and it overall looks very good.

Sound: 3.75/5 Grainy sounding Mario, Luigi, DK, Peach, Yoshi etc. = annoying. The game doesn't sound fantastic, it's just pretty average. Past games sounded better.

Control: 4/5 Obviously, Mario Party is known for its mini-games. On the DS, the microphone and touch screen are put into use, of course. Most games are exactly the same that involve the microphone, and some with the touch screen are the same too, just with different skins, but they are still enjoyable. The other minigames are played with the control pad.

Fun: 3.5/5 Mario Party DS is lacking a few things - Wi-Fi, more playable maps, and more characters, but it's a decent game. The minigames are quite fun, even though some are almost the same. Mario Party DS really doesn't feel like its own game, and just a minigame itself. I wouldn't recommend buying this game simply because it is lacking some things games on the N64 did have. Another problem I have with this game is its story mode. While it could be a nice addition, the story is lame and predictable, and if you fail in the story mode, you have to redo a whole 10 turn or more game. I would recommend this game if you are going on a road trip with (a) friend(s), because it's fun in groups, only playing a few games at a time, and can be played with one copy of the game.

3.5/5

Game Review ( Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack - 360 )

Released today is the much anticipated Variety Map Pack (VMP) the first, and possibly, the last map pack for the game. It features the maps Creek, China Town, Killhouse, and Broadcast. ( Killhouse can only be played in Free-for-All and Team Tactical, sadly. )

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Creek: 4.5/5 I really wanted to play this map, and it doesn't disappoint. While there are a lot of frustrating snipers, the map is well covered in weeds and trees to make it somewhat difficult to snipe. There is a hill, a broken down barn house, and a cool little cave you can walk into. Creek isn't the best map in the pack, but it is a lot of fun.

China Town: 4.75/5 "Most of the Call of Duty 4 maps are built from the ground up" - this isn't one of them. You'll notice right away, if you played Call of Duty 2, this looks just like Carentan, France from Call of Duty 2. Not a bad thing - it was one of the best maps - but it is VERY similar. The only difference is that it looks a lot prettier and, well, it's in China apparently. One of, if not the best, map of the four. Great for all modes of play.

Broadcast: 5/5 My favorite map of the four, definitely. Broadcast is quite similar to the "Charlie Don't Surf" mission of single player, and it's amazing to play online. It's inside the TV station, as well as outside. It doesn't look completely like the single player version, but different enough to see the difference. Everything about this map is great with a few problems - airstrikes and helicopters are only really about 20% effective, since about 80% of the map is indoors.

Killhouse: 4/5 I finally played Killhouse. I played it in a 2-on-3 private match, and I must say, it's really not that bad. It's a small map with an almost entirely open roof for good use of airstrikes and helicopters. It's definitely not as good as the others, but it is pretty fun.

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The VMP just comes down to this: $12.50 for one NEW map. Why do I saw this? It costs $12.50 for 1000 Microsoft Points through Xbox LIVE, Broadcast is essentially a map from single player with some subtle differences and new rooms, China Town is Carentan France from Call of Duty 2 with a new slap of skin on it, and Killhouse will probably get played by quite a few in actual game modes. Still, this is one of the best ways someone can spend ten bucks. You get three great maps that are probably better than any of the ones included in the game. ( Hah. Probably only saying that because I've played the on-disc maps so many times. ) Still, VMP adds a quartet of tasty maps that will only add to Call of Duty 4's seemingly endless online playability.

4.75/5

[5 for value. I make no sense.]

Game Review ( Burnout Paradise - 360 )

Graphics: 4.5/5 Good, but not amazing. The frame rate holds up, and I suppose the graphics are more impressive just given that. Also, there aren't any load times while driving around the huge city, unless you start a race or the sort.

Sound: 5/5 A decent soundtrack, but the real thing here that sounds great are the cars, yet again. A car going 200mph hearing opposing cars whip by sounds amazing yet again. Burnout always has great sound, anyway. No surprise here.

Control: 4.5/5 As with most next-gen racers, you use the triggers to drive. It's comfortable, and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, some things are just pointless. The ability to do stunts in this game such as barrel rolls and flat spins is quite lame.

Fun: 4.25/5 Everything is well above average in Paradise, but it just isn't as fun as previous games. The online play is set up the best by far, but the city just isn't as fun to drive around in as one would think, and there are little things about the game that will get on your nerves. ( Ex. Fail a race? Better drive back to the starting line. ) Still, Burnout Paradise is the first REAL Burnout next-gen game for the 360. Well worth a look for any racing fan.

4.25/5

Game Review ( 3/25 Rock Band DLC - 360 )

Half a week past release, and I'm sure you know by now, the Boston pack is up on Xbox LIVE! ( And more recently, PSN. ) My review. I'll try to make it as short as possible.

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Hitch a Ride: 4.5/5 I never heard of this Boston song before it was made DLC. ( Wasn't the biggest Boston fan. ) And didn't like it the first time I heard it, but it's a great song. It has a fantastic guitar solo, and the drums are fun, too. ( You'll be hearing that a lot. 5 of the 6 songs have relatively similar drumming charts. )

More Than a Feeling: 4.5/5 Another re-release, and a great one. MTaF was of course in Guitar Hero 1, and I'm glad to see it in Rock Band. A very easy but fun song on guitar, and of course, drums. I have heard it a lot over the years though and that's why it gets a 4.5. It'

Peace of Mind: 4.5/5 One of the harder drum songs in the pack, especially if you have a broken set. Yet another great song, by the way, on drums or guitar. Getting sick of hearing it? You'll hear it a few more times.

Rock and Roll Band: 4.75/5 Probably my favorite song of the six. Just really, really catchy lyrically, and the drums and guitar are, get this - fun. This song to me is quite underrated.

Smokin': 4.25/5 Of course, one of Boston's most popular songs, and it's here. Why rated lower than the others? First, I'm not the biggest fan of this song. Second, while I don't really care much, you play the organ during the "guitar solo". It's fun, it's challenging, but it's awkward. Also, the drums aren't too great on this song, although they are probably the most difficult.

Something About You: 4.5/5 As far as the song goes, I probably like it the least of the six, but it's very fun to play. (Surprised?) Fun on guitar and drums, and like other Boston songs, will have you singing along.

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Even though I'm sure you already have, BUY the Boston Pack. It is very well worth it. For $10 you get some of the best Boston songs, and virtually their entire debut album. By-far the best DLC to date - but I do have to say, and I'm not the only one to think this I'm sure, several of these songs sound quite similar to eachother.

4.75/5 ( Not really the average score, but as far as value, it's definitely worth $10.)

A Serious Review Drought

I haven't been posting many reviews recently, mostly because I've been playing games like Halo 2, ( Yes, 2. ) Rock Band, and Call of Duty 4. However, I should be reviewing some more in the near future. Those games include:

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (360)
Burnout Paradise (360)

A few older games, I know, but get over it. I'll probably start getting some DS games to review, too.

[47]

DVD Review ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Volume 4 )

Volume 4 is part 2 of the third season. ( Volume 5 is the final part. )

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The Ninja Sword of Nowhere: 4/5 Krang sends Shredder back to earth to get what he believes is an alien metal. The turtles buy the sword that Shredder is trying to get, and he tries to hunt them down.

20,000 Leaks Under the Sea: 4/5 Shredder tries to flood the sewers to kill the turtles, but he floods the entire city. The turtles attempt to get the water back into the ocean.

[*]Take Me to Your Leader: 4.5/5 The world goes into a deep freeze due to Krang's draining of the sun's energy. The turtles, without Leonardo, who believes he's not fit to be a leader, try to stop Shredder and Krang.

Four Musketurtles: 3.75/5 Leonardo believes he's a musketeer, and the other turtles with him try to prevent Shredder from getting a new founded gem that could power the Technodrome.

[*]Turtles, Turtles Everywhere: 4.5/5 Shredder has automated garbage trucks steal all of the turtles in the city. The TMNT try to get the automated garbage truck main robot to attack Shredder.

[*]Cowabunga Shredhead: 5/5 Shredder uses a duplicator to make holograms of the turtles. Rocksteady and Bebop mess up the program, turning Shredder's personality into Michelangelo's. The turtles mess with "Shredder"'s mind my saying Shredder and Michelangelo to play mind-tricks on him to confuse him, and ultimately, help them out.

[*]Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers: 4.5/5 Shredder tries to get his hands on new alien equipment after he finds out Rocksteady was captured my an alien spaceship. Meanwhile, Donatello gets sucked up by it too. Rocksteady and Donatello temporarily work together, but then are enemies once again. The aliens tell Donatello of a toy that must be dug back up from earth or it will be the end of the world.

Camera Bugged: 4/5 An alien from the planet of Polaris has a camera that eliminates whatever it captures on camera. Shredder and Krang get this camera, and intend to use it to eliminate the turtles.

Green with Jealousy: 4.75/5 Krang created a vile full of love potion that has all the turtles but Donatello in love with Irma. Donatello tries his best to reverse the spell.

Return of the Fly: 4/5 Baxter returns as his fly-self and decides to get revenge on both the turtles and Shredder.

Casey Jones: "Outlaw Hero": 4.25/5 The turtles meet Casey Jones, a law fighter that tries to keep law breakers in check. He soon takes the turtles side.

Mutagen Monster: 4.25/5 The turtles work to stop a mutated bull from wreaking too much havoc on the city.

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TMNT Volume 4 is a very solid section of the third season, but not nearly good as the previous. Many of the episodes are really average. Still, you gotta get this to be one step further in completing your TMNT collection on DVD.

4.25/5

Game Review ( SEGA Superstars Tennis - 360 )

Graphics: 4.5/5 Really looks good. Vibrant colors and drastically different looking stages. It's a shame the framerate drops like it does in ( If you can find a game ) multiplayer on LIVE.

Sound: 4.25/5 Same tedious grunts by characters such as AiAi will make others in the next room over think you're watching Asian porn. The music is pretty good, but reused on a few stages. Not bad, though.

Control: 3.75/5 Just way too simple as well as complicated - believe it. Hit X and A in different combinations to get off a different shot, and press LT or RT when you want to go into "Superstar Mode", where you hit balls differently than you would without it.

Fun: 3.5/5 Looks great, sounds good, but lacks the key ingredient for a good game - fun. Very few play this game on LIVE, and the single player is tedious as hell. The challenge mode is the same over and over again with a new skin slapped on the activity you need to complete. SEGA Superstars Tennis is well worth a rental, but certainly not a purchase.

3.5/5

Game Review ( 3/18 Rock Band DLC - 360 )

Blinded By Fear: 4.5/5 Fun song on guitar - impossible on Expert Drums. If you haven't seen the chart, look it up on YouTube.

D.O.A.: 4.5/5 The easiest song of the three all-around. Not terribly difficult at all on Expert drums, and the guitar isn't bad, either. Pretty good song, too.

Thrasher: 4.25/5 I like the song itself the least of the three, but it's still another challenge on guitar and drums - especially guitar. The constant strumming will have you sore in about 30-45 seconds.

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Even though I really didn't think I'd get this pack, I did - and no regrets. The songs are a challenge, and pretty good too, if you like the genre. I recommend getting for the challenge - or at least get one of them.

4.5/5