FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8--Welcome to Big Game Hunters, GameSpot's biweekly buyers' guide for bargain-seeking game players and collectors. With games getting more expensive and pricey new game systems coming out, it pays to be thrifty these days. So this here's where we'll tip you off to games that recently got marked down in price at Best Buy (GameSpot's premiere commerce partner) or other retailers. Look for notes from GameSpot's editors about some of the better deals, and leave a comment below if you know of any local bargains or special offers that other game players might be interested in.
Please note: The prices listed below were verified by GameSpot to be accurate and were marked down within two weeks of the above-listed date, but pricing and availability may change without notice at any time. As a result, some of the prices listed on this page may become obsolete.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC)
OLD PRICE: $49.99
NEW PRICE: $39.99 (-20%)
Review Excerpt: "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is simply one of the best role-playing games ever made."
Score: 9.3 Buy Game
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Condemned: Criminal Origins (X360)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "This first-person action game hits you like a sledgehammer with its astounding, stunningly creepy presentation, but it sacrifices opportunities for more shocks and surprises by settling for repetition."
Score: 8.0 Buy Game
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World of Warcraft (PC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "Here is the online role-playing game you should play, no matter who you are."
Score: 9.5 Buy Game
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Call of Duty 2 (PC)
OLD PRICE: $37.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-21%)
Review Excerpt: "If you liked the original Call of Duty, then you're sure to enjoy the sequel, which stays true to the strengths of its predecessor."
Score: 8.8 Buy Game
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Star Wars: Empire at War (PC)
OLD PRICE: $49.99
NEW PRICE: $24.99 (-50%)
Review Excerpt: "Star Wars fans finally get to play a strategy game worthy of the license."
Score: 8.7 Buy Game
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Dead or Alive 4 (X360)
OLD PRICE: $59.99
NEW PRICE: $39.99 (-33%)
Review Excerpt: "Tecmo's long-running fighting game series hits the Xbox 360 with its best installment to date, complete with plenty of complex and interesting characters, outstandingly good visuals, and great online play."
Score: 8.8 Buy Game
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Burnout Legends (PSP)
OLD PRICE: $29.99
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-33%)
Review Excerpt: "Burnout Legends is the best racer the PSP has to offer, and any PSP owner should definitely check it out."
Score: 9.0 Buy Game
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Rome: Total War Gold Edition (PC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Rome: Total War Gold Edition includes both the original Rome: Total War and the Barbarian Invasion expansion pack. Buy Game
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Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators (PC)
OLD PRICE: $29.99
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-33%)
Review Excerpt: "It has its flaws, but Space Rangers 2 remains a crazy, inspired, over-the-top, and addictive blend of gameplay."
Score: 8.1 Buy Game
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Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (PC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "Anchored by a wonderful cast of characters, the very well-crafted sci-fi story in Dreamfall will leave you anxiously wanting more."
Score: 8.1 Buy Game
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Naruto: Clash of Ninja (GC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-50%)
Review Excerpt: "Fans will appreciate the good-looking characters and hard-hitting attacks, but Clash of Ninja is an experience cut short by a pervasive lack of depth."
Score: 6.3 Buy Game
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Mall Tycoon 3 (PC)
OLD PRICE: $19.99
NEW PRICE: $9.99 (-50%)
The tycooning of malls continues in Mall Tycoon 3. Buy Game
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Luxor (PC)
OLD PRICE: $19.99
NEW PRICE: $9.99 (-50%)
Luxor is a ball-shooting arcade puzzle game that features power ups and an Egyptian theme. Buy Game
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Bejeweled 2 Deluxe (PC)
OLD PRICE: $19.99
NEW PRICE: $14.99 (-25%)
This is the sequel to the wildly popular puzzle game, Bejeweled. This version features new pieces, 3D effects, as well as updated music and sound effects. Buy Game
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Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa (PC)
OLD PRICE: $19.99
NEW PRICE: $9.99 (-50%)
Combining features of tycoon and puzzle games, Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa also includes a feature called "Be the Animal", which lets you hunt, fly, or flee with any creature. Buy Game
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City Life (PC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "City Life combines the fun of a city-building game with the challenge of a financial simulation, though it requires patience and perseverance to master."
Score: 7.8 Buy Game
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CivCity: Rome (PC)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "CivCity: Rome could have been a classic, but it wound up just another city builder."
Score: 6.6 Buy Game
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Neverwinter Nights: Diamond (PC)
OLD PRICE: $28.49
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-30%)
NWN Diamond contains the original Neverwinter Nights, as well as all three expansion packs: Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark, and Kingmaker. Buy Game
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Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (PSP)
OLD PRICE: $29.99
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-33%)
Review Excerpt: "Though Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a competent portable beat-'em-up, it's not the best value the PSP has to offer."
Score: 6.9 Buy Game
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American Conquest: Divided Nation (PC)
OLD PRICE: $28.49
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-30%)
In the next installment in the American Conquest series, you can delve into the early events of American history. American Conquest: Divided Nation is a real-time strategy game that lets you play as a Civil War general, a Texas militia leader, or a pirate captain. Buy Game
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (PS2)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $29.99 (-25%)
Review Excerpt: "The Legend of Jack Sparrow is a pretty standard hack-and-slash action game that doesn't deliver on much of the stumblingly bombastic charm of its title character."
Score: 6.2 Buy Game
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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (DS)
OLD PRICE: $34.99
NEW PRICE: $24.99 (-29%)
Review Excerpt: "Though Dead Man's Chest is largely competent, the sword fighting is too repetitive and the minigames are too few and too bland to get anyone particularly excited. "
Score: 5.9 Buy Game
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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (GBA)
OLD PRICE: $29.99
NEW PRICE: $19.99 (-33%)
Review Excerpt: "Intriguing nautical elements aren't enough to distract from a criminally short running time and rote 2D platforming elements."
Score: 6.7 Buy Game
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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PSP)
OLD PRICE: $39.99
NEW PRICE: $24.99 (-38%)
Review Excerpt: "The spirit of the source material is there in the presentation, and the multiplayer is a pleasant surprise, but the single-player experience is too stiflingly repetitive to ignore."
Score: 6.6 Buy Game
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Think any of these are a real steal? Got any tips on other bargains online or in your local area that you'd like to share with other GameSpot visitors? Leave a comment and spread the word!