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Super Fun & Addictive!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: June 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I found "Tradewinds Legends" through Big Fish Games - which offers 60 minutes of free play time for this game. And I have to say that I was hooked from the time my first ship set sail!

This game has 2 modes of play, "Story Mode" & "Free Trade Mode". In "story mode", after choosing the character you want to play (each with different abilities, traits, backgrounds, & personalities), you begin completing tasks for the different sultans of each port & increasing your wealth through the buying & selling of various products in the ports. In order to do this you have to buy low & sell high, build a fleet of strong ships, & protect yourself & other's through battling the pirates who invade, pillage, & steal in these waters.

In "Free Trade Mode" the only difference is that you don't complete the tasks of the sultans - everything else is the same.

After victoriously battling your way to the top for the first time, you're given the option to create your own character by choosing their name, gender, class, nationality, career, & picture from the options given.

I have to agree with previous reviewers in that the graphics are simplistic - but it really doesn't negatively impact how fun "Tradewinds" is to play. And, on top of being fun to play, it's a great way for kids to learn the value of money, and the impact of such things as: how interest works both in the saving & borrowing of money, as well as the concept of finding the best value for the items you want to buy.

Overall, this is a great game for adults & kids alike! Not only is it fun, but it can also teach the value of a dollar. Because of this, it's also a great game for parents & children to play together!

Ray Harryhausen would be proud!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Man what a blast "Tradewinds Legends" is! It's refreshing to find a game that is simple to play, affordable, yet is still deep in strategy and tactics and full of adventure to boot. Sure,"Tradewinds Legends" is a simplistic...but let me tell you I've played way more complicated simulations of this genre that were no fun at all. (I remember one game that required massive button crunching just to fire one salvo.) Ok, the graphics interface is simplistic, but I still love the artwork and the characters. In fact "Tradewinds Legends" really reminds me a lot of the classic "Uncharted Waters" series on Nintendo. The game is a combination of Sinbad the Sailor meets Horatio Nelson, and it works. Battles are short, intense and actually do require some careful planning to win. And the game really does give you the feeling of being a merchant/privateer/pirate in the Arabian seas...albeit with a heavy dose of the Arabian Nights thrown in. This game is a wonderful way to get an imaginative kid who's bored introduced to some obscure parts of world history, and teach him/her economics in the bargin! In fact, even my wife started playing it with me, (she stood over my shoulder and advised on which ships to equip my fleet with.) I really loved the addition of Chinese pirates (my expertise for the past decade or so has been Oriental Warfare.) It was awesome to equip a "War Junk" fleet and use it effectively. The design your own character feature is fun too (I plan to design my own version of Cheng I Sao and use her in future battles.) And, let me tell you, adults will have just as much fun. Hey, remember Ray Harryhausen's awesome Sinbad movies? Well...now you can live it, and do it with a game that is actually quite simple to learn, yet pretty complex to master. So, if you're someone who wants "accurate" simulations of sailing warfare, this game isn't for you, HOWEVER if you're an adult who also wants to have fun, but is sick of (or intimitaded by) extremely complex sailing warfare/piracy/exploration games, take heart, "Tradewinds Legends" is tailor made for you...(and your family too.)

fun, adictive, and keeps your eye on profit too

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Okay, I only played the DEMO, but it was acutally the time Demo a full version with only 60 minutes. Other than a few areas locked, it is the solid idea of what this game actually is. You buy, sell, and negotiate for a few tasks from the rulers of a given kingdom. Your ships deliver goods and fight battles. Your chosen character determines which kingdom you are on good terms with and negotiations, ect. It also determines dialgue. I like the merchant, Nandi's slap-stick humor and Rianna's determininton for instance. There is no voice dialogue. The pirate attacks are a bit bland and the transit across the waters is a bit dull but the trade is the key to enjoyment. A great skil builder for the young and a great challenge for anyone who enjoys trading games(Tradewinds). It is a bit like "Oregon Trail" on the open seas. Not a flashy graphic action game but a skill builder. If you are thinking "Pirates!" forget it! This is mostly about goods and management, don't expect by looking at this box art to go in for action or swashbuckling. Very lite but very lighthearted fun too! I'm getting it and TW2 for my mom who was a tutor for gifted children in public schools who played "Snooper Troops" and "Oregon Trail" and others of old and loves these sort of planning brainiac games.

Buy, sell, travel and make a fortune!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game for my [...] year old boy. He liked it a lot more than I expected. He made a fortune selling and buying spices, tea, wine etc... and best of all he got to destroy pirates ships by building his own powerful armada. So why 4 stars and not 5? I just think the graphics could be improved. Other than that: it's a great game.

A pirate game everyone will love

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Tradewinds Legends is a hoot! The finer storyline details change in conjunction with the character you choose to play, but the general tasks and dialogue are hilarious. If you have trouble building up your fleet for those bigger sea battles, I would suggest doing a lot of trading...you can amass a small fortune in no time if you buy and sell wisely. And if you can get past the adventure with Mrs. Leona Owens (you'll understand when you get there), it's smooth sailing...no pun intended.

One of my favorites

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is a lot of fun. It has awesome graphics and you don't have to like the usual pirate game to like this one.
As you complete the missions, you are rewarded with maps that will take you to new places (sort of like completing levels). I tried the free version first and really liked it and this one is much much better than that. I highly recommend it.

Entertaining and GREAT fun for all ages

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I also have only played the demo/download version -- I would love to buy this version BUT ... does it work on Vista ?? It seems it doesn't from what I read in the product guide ??

But if it runs on your system, I highly recommend it. Requires strategy on your part, but everyone in the family will enjoy this one. It's got to be one of the best, if not the best, PC games ever available.

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