Now I'm all for realism in gaming but I think those nice people behind the new Nintendo Wii console have gone a little too far...
Isn't the whole idea of computer games about putting you in a fictitious world where you lounge around (preferably on a sofa) and immerse yourself in the experience?
Not that I'm also adverse to the idea of exercise, but I think the included five-game Wii Sports package is pushing things a little to far.
Announcing that "it's time to show off those silky sports moves" Nintendo aim to get you on your feet and - using the revolutionary motion sensitive controller - have you mincing around at home pretending to actually be in the game.
Okay, credit where it is due. Nice idea. But sorry, no.
Playing tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing, all in the comfort of your own living room... my neighbours - not to mention anyone walking past the front window - will think I'm a certified fruitloop.
In an official press statement the Wii developers state: "Each of the sports utilises the Wii Remote to the full.
"In Tennis, Golf, Bowling and Baseball, the controller is used just as a player would use a tennis racket, golf club, bowling ball, baseball or baseball bat in real life.
"With amazing realism, the slightest movement has an affect on the ball, enabling players to dictate the speed of the ball, curve and direction with the movement of their hand.
"For example in Tennis, the game registers forehands, backhands, volleys, lobs, slices, spin and power depending on how fast the user swings and at what angle.
"In golf, the harder the players swing the further the ball will go."
That's all very well but imagine if you're reaching down to claim the last potato chip when, whoops, missed the putt on the last course and you've subsequently lost the game.
Ten out of ten for the idea but I'm not sold.
This sort of thing might be a winner in the States (okay it actually IS with 600,000 consoles sold in the first eight days attracting veteran and new gamers) but I can't see it rivalling the empires built by Sony or Microsoft.
COMPETITION
EVER fancied feeling like Tom Cruise in Top Gun?
Well here's your chance.
Now, we can't exactly offer you a place in the next big budget blockbuster... but we can offer you a copy of flight simulation game Pilot Academy.
Oh, and a whole bunch of extra goodies.
In fact, we've got four copies of the Sony PSP game to giveaway plus a fighter pilot helmet and a custom model plane worth £100.
A commercial, private and military flight simulation, Pilot Academy offers both single-player missions, challenges and multi-player aerial combat and delivers the most authoritative simulation ever seen on a handheld.
All readers/viewers have to do to win a copy is answer this simple question: Which famous 1980s film launched the career of Tom Cruise?
a). Top Dog;
b). Top Cat; or
c). Top Gun.
Email your entries to tnichols@eveningherald.co.uk, putting Pilot Academy Competition in the subject box.
Please also include your daytime telephone number.
Closing date for entries is Monday December 11.
Only one entry per household is permitted. The editor's decision is final, and the first correct entry chosen will win the prize as stated. No correspondence will be entered into. The Evening Herald accepts no responsibility for any damage or injury caused by competition prizes. Any inquiries should be directed to the manufacturer or retailer. Employees of Westcountry Publications and their families are ineligible to enter. The promoters are Barrington Harvey, and you are advised to retain this information.
In the meantime why not try your hand at some of these:
Title: Cricket 07
Platform: Sony PS2
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: With its fully licensed squads, groundbreaking Century Stick control system and more natural camera perspective, Cricket 07 will bring players the most immersive gameplay experience to date.
Thanks to the groundbreaking EA Sports Century Stick control system, batting has become more intuitive, responsive and rewarding than ever.
For the first time in a cricket game, players can enjoy full control over foot choice, shot, direction, power and timing, all governed through the use of both analogue sticks.
A back or front foot stroke is selected with the left stick, and then shot timing and direction are judged with the right stick.
Power is determined by how far the stick is moved a slight tap can nudge the ball for a quick single or a firm push can send the ball fizzing away to the boundary.
Allied to new cameras that deliver a more natural behind-the-stumps batting perspective and a wider view of the field, cricket has never been so easily accessible.
With embellished gameplay, a wealth of tournaments, genuine equipment and authoritative new commentary from Mark Nicholas and Richie Benaud, you won't experience cricket this authentic without donning whites and walking down the pavilion steps yourself.
Title: Tony Hawk's Project 8
Platform: Xbox 360
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: Rebuilt from the ground up for Sony and Microsoft consoles, Tony Hawk's Project 8 immerses players in the definitive skateboarding experience using ultra realistic graphics, enhanced physics, and extremely responsive controls that simulate the feeling of skating with every trick and bail.
The game challenges players to experience the intensity and pressure of skating against some of the world?s top pros in true to life competitions as they aim to become the No.1 skater.
With an entirely new gameplay engine, the trick-based gameplay features amazing, detailed character animations that react realistically on and off their boards, a new physics system, an innovative bail mode, and the ability to move ramps and rails throughout the city.
The experience is so real, you don?t just skate it... you feel it.
Title: Lemmings
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: Controlling an army of lemmings, the aim is to get as many of these cute characters as you can from the entrance point to the exit point of a level within a time limit.
Easy to learn, difficult to master; Lemmings is a test of strategy and fast thinking as you make 'on the spot' life or death decisions for your band of trusting little creatures.
Use the unique skills of your Lemmings team to overcome the hazards ahead: the bomber explodes at will, the floater can survive high falls and the basher digs horizontally just when you need it.
The climber is at hand for those tricky mountain ranges, the blocker creates an obstacle in the path ahead and the builder is there to construct walkways for his friends.
Stretch your strategies across 100 plus levels as you lead your lemmings across an immense variety of challenging backdrops.
The levels are arranged into five striking themes, each with its own unique visual flavour.
So, whether it's going underground into the sewers or marching through fields and forests, the lemmings always have new terrain to explore.
Packed with a host of new features, Lemmings offers for the first time a level editor allowing players to produce their own levels and save them to the memory card on the PSP.
Using the inbuilt wireless technology on the PSP, players can upload these levels to an exclusive Lemmings online community.
Share your unique levels with other users or download their new levels directly to your PSP - the opportunities are endless.
Perfect for a gaming snack or a marathon meal, Lemmings on the PSP is engaging and addictive; be proud to follow the crowd with Lemmings.
Title: Killzone Liberation
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: In Killzone Liberation, two months after the events of Killzone, most of southern Vekta is still under Helghast control.
The rules of war have been cast aside with the Helghast General, Metrac, employing brutal measures in order to seize the initiative and strengthen his position further. Returning as Templar, players will be sent on a mission to undertake a covert operation to save hostages captured by Metrac, while ISA troops continue the fight for liberty.
Vehicles - Killzone Liberation also allows players to drive vehicles including tanks and hovercrafts to help defeat the powerful and intelligent enemy.
Challenge Games - Players can compete in challenge games to sharpen their skills and earn new abilities.
Multiplayer Functionality - The multiplayer functionality in Killzone Liberation takes full advantage of the wireless capabilities of the PSP hardware, with two distinct styles of gameplay.
Gameshare Mode - Killzone Liberation features gameshare mode where players can share demo levels of the game with other PSP system owners.
Tuesday 28 November 2006
Wednesday 15 November 2006
November 15
So firstly, does anyone have £900 spare that they could donate to the 'Buy Tristan A PS3 Fund?'
Didn't think so... The question is falling on deaf ears all around, with even my girlfriend ignoring my plea.
But I know I'm not the only one.
Sony's brand spanking new uber console the PlayStation 3 went on official sale last Saturday. Great, I initially thought. Sadly my ears initially failed to pick up that they were going on sale in Japan. Oh, and there were only 100,000 being sold on that day. Boo... Sold out within hours.
Oh well, it won't be long until they're released in the UK I thought. Sadly spring's release date slipped a little, and then slipped a little further... and now we're facing a UK release date of March - next spring.
So, by my calculations I should be getting one in time for Christmas next year. (If Sony stay true to their word and ship six million PS3 machines worldwide by the end of March next year).
But wait, 400,000 are being made available for the US release on Friday.
Er... but hang on... that's only 500,000 in total when 105 million PS2 units have been sold world-wide by March 31, 2006. Do I stand a chance? I think not.
So what to do? I thought, why not try and snap one up on an online auction house?
Sadly again, I wasn't the only one who came up with that idea. Within minutes of them going on sale in Japan, many of them appeared on Ebay for three to four times the original asking price.
I feel like a seaside donkey with a rather large carrot being waved in front of my face. So what's the big deal about the PS3 I hear non-tech heads scream!
Well, powered by the new 'Cell' computer chip and supported by the next-generation video format - Blu-ray disc - the console delivers nearly movie-like graphics and a sense of reality in gaming. It also has a 60-gigabyte hard drive.
Huh? I hear them ask again... It rocks! Period. I have to admit the PlayStation is my favourite console on the market. It's simplistic features make it my choice of gaming snack.
But having seen what's coming up it seems we - living in a gamers' world - are soon to be spoiled for choice.
In an unprecedented move, Sony slashed the price for the cheaper PS3 model in Japan ahead of its launch in a bid to win market share, in the face of intense competition with Japanese rival Nintendo's Wii console and US software maker Microsoft's Xbox 360. Wii goes on sale on Sunday in the US and December 2 in Japan. Xbox 360 has had a year start.
So, let battle commence.
Title: Pilot Academy
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: Pilot Academy, a commercial, private and military flight simulation offers both single-player missions, challenges and multi-player aerial combat and delivers the most authoritative simulation ever seen on a handheld.
The game is built upon staggering technology and realism and features detailed landscapes from 30,000ft down to landing.
With three regions to explore, each around 64km square, this handheld flight sim packs significantly more than its home console counterparts.
Beginning with a selection of training exercises to familiarise yourself with the controls, the game then moves straight into a series of increasingly challenging missions.
Boasting a wide range of aircraft from all generations, Pilot Academy gives you the opportunity to fly the Boeing 747, Spitfire, F-117 Nighthawk, A-10A Thunderbolt II plus an F-14 Tomcat amongst many others.
Four eras of combat plane are represented from World War I through World War II and The Cold War to modern-day combat each with their own challenges.
Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team
Platform: Nintendo DS
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: For the first time ever, the player is a Pokemon, speaking and interacting with other characters in a world populated only by Pokemon!
One day you awaken to find that he or she has been turned into a Pokemon.
The land is being ravaged by natural disasters so the player decides to form a rescue team with a partner Pok?mon.
Players can interact with many different Pok?mon on various missions while trying to uncover their true purpose and destiny.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue is an engrossing story of adventure, redemption and, most of all, friendship.
Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
Platform: Game Boy Advance
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: You wake up one day, turned into a Pokemon... Get the feeling of deja vu?
The Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions are both essentially the same, except with different varieties and numbers of Pokemon in each.
The DS does have a couple of extra options though, as well as a superior and easy to use touch screen interface.
Title: Call of Duty 3
Platform: Xbox 360
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: Ding ding round three.
Those lads at Activision haven't wasted any time in issuing the third installment in the series ? and who can blame them?
With superior sales and superb gameplay almost guaranteed with each release, this title is the creme de la creme of war fighting games.
Focused on the Normandy breakout and the liberation of France, Call of Duty 3, this games tests the Xbox graphics to the very limit ? not to mention the sounds.
Call of Duty 3 delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat.
Didn't think so... The question is falling on deaf ears all around, with even my girlfriend ignoring my plea.
But I know I'm not the only one.
Sony's brand spanking new uber console the PlayStation 3 went on official sale last Saturday. Great, I initially thought. Sadly my ears initially failed to pick up that they were going on sale in Japan. Oh, and there were only 100,000 being sold on that day. Boo... Sold out within hours.
Oh well, it won't be long until they're released in the UK I thought. Sadly spring's release date slipped a little, and then slipped a little further... and now we're facing a UK release date of March - next spring.
So, by my calculations I should be getting one in time for Christmas next year. (If Sony stay true to their word and ship six million PS3 machines worldwide by the end of March next year).
But wait, 400,000 are being made available for the US release on Friday.
Er... but hang on... that's only 500,000 in total when 105 million PS2 units have been sold world-wide by March 31, 2006. Do I stand a chance? I think not.
So what to do? I thought, why not try and snap one up on an online auction house?
Sadly again, I wasn't the only one who came up with that idea. Within minutes of them going on sale in Japan, many of them appeared on Ebay for three to four times the original asking price.
I feel like a seaside donkey with a rather large carrot being waved in front of my face. So what's the big deal about the PS3 I hear non-tech heads scream!
Well, powered by the new 'Cell' computer chip and supported by the next-generation video format - Blu-ray disc - the console delivers nearly movie-like graphics and a sense of reality in gaming. It also has a 60-gigabyte hard drive.
Huh? I hear them ask again... It rocks! Period. I have to admit the PlayStation is my favourite console on the market. It's simplistic features make it my choice of gaming snack.
But having seen what's coming up it seems we - living in a gamers' world - are soon to be spoiled for choice.
In an unprecedented move, Sony slashed the price for the cheaper PS3 model in Japan ahead of its launch in a bid to win market share, in the face of intense competition with Japanese rival Nintendo's Wii console and US software maker Microsoft's Xbox 360. Wii goes on sale on Sunday in the US and December 2 in Japan. Xbox 360 has had a year start.
So, let battle commence.
Title: Pilot Academy
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: Pilot Academy, a commercial, private and military flight simulation offers both single-player missions, challenges and multi-player aerial combat and delivers the most authoritative simulation ever seen on a handheld.
The game is built upon staggering technology and realism and features detailed landscapes from 30,000ft down to landing.
With three regions to explore, each around 64km square, this handheld flight sim packs significantly more than its home console counterparts.
Beginning with a selection of training exercises to familiarise yourself with the controls, the game then moves straight into a series of increasingly challenging missions.
Boasting a wide range of aircraft from all generations, Pilot Academy gives you the opportunity to fly the Boeing 747, Spitfire, F-117 Nighthawk, A-10A Thunderbolt II plus an F-14 Tomcat amongst many others.
Four eras of combat plane are represented from World War I through World War II and The Cold War to modern-day combat each with their own challenges.
Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team
Platform: Nintendo DS
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: For the first time ever, the player is a Pokemon, speaking and interacting with other characters in a world populated only by Pokemon!
One day you awaken to find that he or she has been turned into a Pokemon.
The land is being ravaged by natural disasters so the player decides to form a rescue team with a partner Pok?mon.
Players can interact with many different Pok?mon on various missions while trying to uncover their true purpose and destiny.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue is an engrossing story of adventure, redemption and, most of all, friendship.
Title: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
Platform: Game Boy Advance
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: You wake up one day, turned into a Pokemon... Get the feeling of deja vu?
The Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions are both essentially the same, except with different varieties and numbers of Pokemon in each.
The DS does have a couple of extra options though, as well as a superior and easy to use touch screen interface.
Title: Call of Duty 3
Platform: Xbox 360
RRP: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: Ding ding round three.
Those lads at Activision haven't wasted any time in issuing the third installment in the series ? and who can blame them?
With superior sales and superb gameplay almost guaranteed with each release, this title is the creme de la creme of war fighting games.
Focused on the Normandy breakout and the liberation of France, Call of Duty 3, this games tests the Xbox graphics to the very limit ? not to mention the sounds.
Call of Duty 3 delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat.
Thursday 9 November 2006
November 9
Earlier this week I found myself in a foreign land where people talk in numbers, and of lines and houses.
No, I wasn't in a chartered surveyors office... that strange new world was that of Gala Bingo in the city centre.
Now, you might find it slightly weird that a gaming and computer technology blog should feature this sort of subject, but when was the last time you visited a bingo hall? My how things have changed since the jaw-droppingly dull annual Christmas event down at the local village hall.
Shock horror... Bingo has reached into the 21st century - big time. Huge colourful hi-tech advertising boards, television screens littered around and play and claim stands that make cute buzzy gameshow noises as they swallow your money and beam that amount to a total amount on one of the giant screens - this really is the future. Um, for bingo players that is.
Not only that, but at one point in the evening - with regular players excitedly muttering under their breaths knowing what was coming - we beamed live to Sheffield, and other bingo halls across the country, for an audio UK-wide link up national Link Game.
"Are you not excited by all this," my supposed better half asked of me within seconds of me grasping a bingo marker ready to play.
"Hmmm", I replied. "Excited, no... amazed, yes."
Anyways, the whole experience got me to thinking. The whole system could one day be fully computer operated.
I mean, do you really need a human caller to read out numbers that are generated by a machine? (I mean come on, how much computer programming would be needed to install a drone voice similar to that of bingo callers nationwide?)
Also, how long could it be before game manufacturers come up with a Bingo World console or PC title? Imagine addicts taking their sim card into a Post Office or bank to top up their credit to allow them to play (in the same way that mobile phone users top up their calling credit).
Then they could simply take their card back to the Post Office or Bank to claim their winnings should they prove to be lucky.
I suppose if you go that far I guess slot machine gamblers could also be targeted in the future in the same way.
If you ask me I'd say these people's numbers are up... Game On!
In the meantime before the introduction of Bingo World (maybe I should copyright that?!), why not try your hand at some of these:
Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Platform: PS2
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: Rarely do you find a product that deserves six different releases. (Jaws, ok... three was enough wasn't it?) But those boys at Konami deserve every bit of credit possible for reinventing this title over and over again. PES6 holds no bars. It is AWESOME. The series just keeps getting better and better.
This time round the movements and reactions of players have been finely tweaked to allow for individuality so the players can carry out trademark moves (such as that of Rooney, Beckham and Ronaldo). Other less known players also have their tricks.
Headers and volleys have also been vastly improved to allow for truly spectacular goals.
The gameplay now is truly realistic with the emphasis on being user-friendly.
There can only be one winner, and once again the crown must go to PES over Fifa for best footie game.
Title: Crash Boom Bang
Platform: Nintendo DS
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: Life's a Party--Crash it! Crash Boom Bang! is the ultimate 'action party game'. Roll the dice and dive into one of 40 uniquely-zany multi-player games as you communicate, taunt and ally with other players.
Chat or distract your friends by sending texts with a new message system through wireless gameplay. Play as your favourite character as you advance through an adventurous game board, action-packed with tons of mini-games and party fun.
Crash and his friends embark on a worldwide race in the quest for its multi-million dollar prize. Having hidden intentions of finding an ancient lost city and its famed Super Big Power Stone, the sponsor of the race, Viscount Devil, plans on using the race contestants to find it.
The map of the race's checkpoints is based on the Viscount's ancient map. However, Dr. Neo Cortex, another invitee to the race, realises what the Viscount is planning and in his own quest for world domination, starts his own plan to steal the map during the race.
The only people that stand in his path are Crash and his friends.
Title: Space Invaders Evolution
Platform: PSP
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: Space Invaders Evolution encapsulates the Evolution ethos by taking the original concept into entirely new ground with its Future Mode. Here, the basic concept of Taito's iconic shooter is transposed, mutated and evolved into an entirely new game.
By combining furious shooting action with multiple viewpoints and incorporating rhythm action elements to add an unexpected edge to the gameplay, Space Invaders Evolution marks a genuine evolution of the game design into a new concept only possible on modern hardware. The basic premise of repelling an invasion remains the same, only this time the battle is fought in space with the player controlling a mobile cannon moving along an orbital path.
The main objective is subtly different as levels are completed by destroying an elusive mothership, rather than simply clearing the screen of enemies.
The catch is that this crucially important vessel can only be harmed by executing special attacks fuelled by items harvested from destroying waves of invaders that it constantly seeds.
Title: Guild Wars: Nightfall
Platform: PC
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: When a corrupt ruler summons the power of an outcast god, it will take a band of heroes to save Elona from the creeping darkness infecting the land.
In this third campaign in the award-winning Guild Wars universe, Guild Wars Nightfall is an intimate, heroic experience that will enrapture new and existing players alike. Every Hero has a unique tale to tell.
Player actions will result in dramatic consequences. Your party becomes an extension of your character.
This is Guild Wars like you've never seen before. This game is SERIOUSLY addictive.
No, I wasn't in a chartered surveyors office... that strange new world was that of Gala Bingo in the city centre.
Now, you might find it slightly weird that a gaming and computer technology blog should feature this sort of subject, but when was the last time you visited a bingo hall? My how things have changed since the jaw-droppingly dull annual Christmas event down at the local village hall.
Shock horror... Bingo has reached into the 21st century - big time. Huge colourful hi-tech advertising boards, television screens littered around and play and claim stands that make cute buzzy gameshow noises as they swallow your money and beam that amount to a total amount on one of the giant screens - this really is the future. Um, for bingo players that is.
Not only that, but at one point in the evening - with regular players excitedly muttering under their breaths knowing what was coming - we beamed live to Sheffield, and other bingo halls across the country, for an audio UK-wide link up national Link Game.
"Are you not excited by all this," my supposed better half asked of me within seconds of me grasping a bingo marker ready to play.
"Hmmm", I replied. "Excited, no... amazed, yes."
Anyways, the whole experience got me to thinking. The whole system could one day be fully computer operated.
I mean, do you really need a human caller to read out numbers that are generated by a machine? (I mean come on, how much computer programming would be needed to install a drone voice similar to that of bingo callers nationwide?)
Also, how long could it be before game manufacturers come up with a Bingo World console or PC title? Imagine addicts taking their sim card into a Post Office or bank to top up their credit to allow them to play (in the same way that mobile phone users top up their calling credit).
Then they could simply take their card back to the Post Office or Bank to claim their winnings should they prove to be lucky.
I suppose if you go that far I guess slot machine gamblers could also be targeted in the future in the same way.
If you ask me I'd say these people's numbers are up... Game On!
In the meantime before the introduction of Bingo World (maybe I should copyright that?!), why not try your hand at some of these:
Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Platform: PS2
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: Rarely do you find a product that deserves six different releases. (Jaws, ok... three was enough wasn't it?) But those boys at Konami deserve every bit of credit possible for reinventing this title over and over again. PES6 holds no bars. It is AWESOME. The series just keeps getting better and better.
This time round the movements and reactions of players have been finely tweaked to allow for individuality so the players can carry out trademark moves (such as that of Rooney, Beckham and Ronaldo). Other less known players also have their tricks.
Headers and volleys have also been vastly improved to allow for truly spectacular goals.
The gameplay now is truly realistic with the emphasis on being user-friendly.
There can only be one winner, and once again the crown must go to PES over Fifa for best footie game.
Title: Crash Boom Bang
Platform: Nintendo DS
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: Life's a Party--Crash it! Crash Boom Bang! is the ultimate 'action party game'. Roll the dice and dive into one of 40 uniquely-zany multi-player games as you communicate, taunt and ally with other players.
Chat or distract your friends by sending texts with a new message system through wireless gameplay. Play as your favourite character as you advance through an adventurous game board, action-packed with tons of mini-games and party fun.
Crash and his friends embark on a worldwide race in the quest for its multi-million dollar prize. Having hidden intentions of finding an ancient lost city and its famed Super Big Power Stone, the sponsor of the race, Viscount Devil, plans on using the race contestants to find it.
The map of the race's checkpoints is based on the Viscount's ancient map. However, Dr. Neo Cortex, another invitee to the race, realises what the Viscount is planning and in his own quest for world domination, starts his own plan to steal the map during the race.
The only people that stand in his path are Crash and his friends.
Title: Space Invaders Evolution
Platform: PSP
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Review: Space Invaders Evolution encapsulates the Evolution ethos by taking the original concept into entirely new ground with its Future Mode. Here, the basic concept of Taito's iconic shooter is transposed, mutated and evolved into an entirely new game.
By combining furious shooting action with multiple viewpoints and incorporating rhythm action elements to add an unexpected edge to the gameplay, Space Invaders Evolution marks a genuine evolution of the game design into a new concept only possible on modern hardware. The basic premise of repelling an invasion remains the same, only this time the battle is fought in space with the player controlling a mobile cannon moving along an orbital path.
The main objective is subtly different as levels are completed by destroying an elusive mothership, rather than simply clearing the screen of enemies.
The catch is that this crucially important vessel can only be harmed by executing special attacks fuelled by items harvested from destroying waves of invaders that it constantly seeds.
Title: Guild Wars: Nightfall
Platform: PC
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: When a corrupt ruler summons the power of an outcast god, it will take a band of heroes to save Elona from the creeping darkness infecting the land.
In this third campaign in the award-winning Guild Wars universe, Guild Wars Nightfall is an intimate, heroic experience that will enrapture new and existing players alike. Every Hero has a unique tale to tell.
Player actions will result in dramatic consequences. Your party becomes an extension of your character.
This is Guild Wars like you've never seen before. This game is SERIOUSLY addictive.
Monday 6 November 2006
November 6
Imagine a time when instead of someone burying their head in a text book, they will be encouraged to play Sim City to learn about architecture and city planning.
Or instead of students studying sport science textbooks, they are told to play Pro Evolution Soccer.
Imagine still instead of a person sitting GCSE and degree exams, evidence of them defeating the ‘boss’ at the end of a computer game would warrant a pass grade.
Welcome to the future – according to some of the countries top academics.
It may sound outlandish, but there is an increasing consensus that computer games
should be taken seriously as both learning and assessment tools.
‘Unlimited Learning: The role of computer and video games within the learning landscape’ (released by the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association and the Department for Education and Skills) explores the benefits of using computer games as a teaching tool, and aims to provide a resource for teachers and educationalists, games developers and publishers.
Leading academic, Henry Jenkins of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has recently described computer games as being the ‘most powerful learning technology of our age’.
Now, to a 28-year-old self-confessed console junkie the very thought of computer games being used as a means to learning conjures up all manner of thoughts.
Do I now have proof that all those years spent tip-tapping away on keyboard, joysticks and joypads were actually time well spent?
Did I actually learn valuable life lessons from perfecting my running and jumping techniques of Daley Thompson’s decathlon?
Were large parts of my mis-spent youth actually well-spent?!
You know once upon a time in the Nichols’ house the sound of mum screaming at me to ‘stop playing games and get on with your homework’ would be an all too common occurrence, as her voice echoed around the neighbourhood.
To think that one day soon mothers across the country will be screaming at their kids to ‘stop playing outside with your friends and come inside and play your computer games’ is just plain weird to me.
I mean, are these researchers saying that the next Wayne Rooney could be discovered as a direct result of a kid being addicted to the FIFA franchise?
Or stranger still, could the next secret agent be bred from being force-fed Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell game?
Hmmm, the mind boggles.
One thing’s for sure is that I learned a whole new set of tricks and combos from finger-bashing my way through the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series.
Alright, tapping away on a joypad is nothing compared to actually getting out there and trying the tricks on an actual skateboard, but the information to actually achieve the feat is processed into your brain as a direct result of playing games.
One thing I do know (having played Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith to until my fingers bled) is that I would make a pretty nifty Jedi knight should the opportunity ever arise.
Very early on in my life I also learnt a lot about anger management – thanks largely to the infamous Spectrum 128K computer.
Remember the annoying dial-up sound when you loaded a game that lasted for exactly 99 per cent of the load sequence before it stopped without warning and crashed?
I remember vividly my eager child eyes glazing over in a red rage and my small hands pummelling the grey Spectrum keyboard. (In fact the rage is filling up inside me now just thinking about it… Grrr…)
When the games did load they weren’t great – visually or anything else. The very early titles boasted a few colours and basic game play (although considered advanced for the time – circa 1982).
It was the game play – and not the graphical quality – which certainly kept me entertained for hours on end.
Looking back now games such as Crazy Golf and Snooker taught me about distance, power and patience which anyone will argue are good things to know at an early age.
Anyways, looking back I can honestly say that computers, and computer games especially, have taught me any number of skills over the years.
Aside from the ‘game’ games that have been available over the years there have always been ‘educational learning games’ on the market.
You know, titles such as ‘Teach Yourself Spanish’, or ‘Learn Hebrew on-line’.
These prove that there have been learning titles for many years, though it is a first for the Government to actually recognise and announce that computer games may yet help to generate the next Enstein.
Given the fact that over the past 20 years, the UK’s computer and video game industry has grown into a multi-million pound business, with experts claiming that nearly 60 per cent of six to 65-year-old Britons playing games every year, it is hard to believe that the Government has not done more recently to join the revolution.
Anyhow, here we are now with Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE – launching the report – calling for debate about games assisting learning.
In the 66-page Government-adopted report, the document states: “In an educational context, play is regarded as an important part of the development of knowledge.
“Computer games take this further by situating formal or informal learners in complex circumstances which may be relevant to the lesson plan but are beyond those available in daily life.”
Game on!
So, this week’s homework is to go out and play these newly-released titles:
Title: FIFA 07
Platform: PS2
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: So, one of the few good things about saying goodbye to the summer…? Why it’s the release of the latest FIFA series – FIFA 07.
Boasting improved gameplay, an enhanced manager mode and lots of other funky bits and pieces, EA Sports really have upped the stakes in the bid to be crowned No. 1 football game over those nice chaps at Konami (responsible for the ever-popular Pro Evolution Soccer series).
So what’s new? Well, the answer is simple – just about everything.
FIFA 07 has been given a massive stadium-sized revamp which sees a new look but also a huge Peter Crouch-sized improvement in the way it plays. Examples are the way the crowd reacts to your performance and the way players jostle and collide realistically in-game, and a vastly improved manager section which sees you take control of everything that football has to offer.
The bottom line is that FIFA has got very serious in its bid to out-perform Pro Evolution Soccer.
Title: Scarface: The World is Yours (All)
Platform: XBox
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: You have to admit that most major films that make it to the smaller screen game world are hardly worth the entrance fee.
But, add Grand Theft Auto-style graphics and gameplay and you’re onto a winner.
Scarface: The World is Yours (All) does exactly that, resulting in a gangster-filled, gun happy world of extreme gaming.
The game puts you in the shoes of Tony Montana and lets you have your way with the city of Miami. An array of savage weaponry, an addictive storyline and truly excellent graphics makes for a blood-thirsty blinder of a game.
Title: Mercury Meltdown
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5.
Review: Guiding a shimmering blob of liquid metal through a crazy cartoon world full of tricky traps and devious devices may not sound like everyone’s idea of a fun game.
But, give it five minutes and even the most easily-distracted of individuals will find it hard to put this down. This game is addictive, fun and visually splendid.
With more than 160 levels and the option to download more level content, it is well worth the money.
Title: Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Platform: PS2
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 5/5.
Review: No-one will argue that the Metal Gear Solid series has taken gaming to new levels with enhanced graphics and stunning game experience leaving gamers hungry for more each and every time.
So here’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – the new improved version of every Metal Gear Solid title.
The title boasts a massively enhanced version of Hideo Kojima's acclaimed Snake Eater adventure, a 3D camera system that allows players to view the action from virtually any angle, a 'Demo Theatre', wherein players can watch specific sequences from the game's renowned cut-scenes and a full online version of the game up to 8 players at once.
Subsistence also features pixel-perfect copies of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 so anyone new to the game can feel rest assured that this is THE title to buy rather than buying the older games individually.
If the above points aren’t enough the title also features a full CGI Metal Gear Solid 3 movie with a running time of three-and-a-half hours.
Phew, buy it!
Or instead of students studying sport science textbooks, they are told to play Pro Evolution Soccer.
Imagine still instead of a person sitting GCSE and degree exams, evidence of them defeating the ‘boss’ at the end of a computer game would warrant a pass grade.
Welcome to the future – according to some of the countries top academics.
It may sound outlandish, but there is an increasing consensus that computer games
should be taken seriously as both learning and assessment tools.
‘Unlimited Learning: The role of computer and video games within the learning landscape’ (released by the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association and the Department for Education and Skills) explores the benefits of using computer games as a teaching tool, and aims to provide a resource for teachers and educationalists, games developers and publishers.
Leading academic, Henry Jenkins of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has recently described computer games as being the ‘most powerful learning technology of our age’.
Now, to a 28-year-old self-confessed console junkie the very thought of computer games being used as a means to learning conjures up all manner of thoughts.
Do I now have proof that all those years spent tip-tapping away on keyboard, joysticks and joypads were actually time well spent?
Did I actually learn valuable life lessons from perfecting my running and jumping techniques of Daley Thompson’s decathlon?
Were large parts of my mis-spent youth actually well-spent?!
You know once upon a time in the Nichols’ house the sound of mum screaming at me to ‘stop playing games and get on with your homework’ would be an all too common occurrence, as her voice echoed around the neighbourhood.
To think that one day soon mothers across the country will be screaming at their kids to ‘stop playing outside with your friends and come inside and play your computer games’ is just plain weird to me.
I mean, are these researchers saying that the next Wayne Rooney could be discovered as a direct result of a kid being addicted to the FIFA franchise?
Or stranger still, could the next secret agent be bred from being force-fed Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell game?
Hmmm, the mind boggles.
One thing’s for sure is that I learned a whole new set of tricks and combos from finger-bashing my way through the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series.
Alright, tapping away on a joypad is nothing compared to actually getting out there and trying the tricks on an actual skateboard, but the information to actually achieve the feat is processed into your brain as a direct result of playing games.
One thing I do know (having played Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith to until my fingers bled) is that I would make a pretty nifty Jedi knight should the opportunity ever arise.
Very early on in my life I also learnt a lot about anger management – thanks largely to the infamous Spectrum 128K computer.
Remember the annoying dial-up sound when you loaded a game that lasted for exactly 99 per cent of the load sequence before it stopped without warning and crashed?
I remember vividly my eager child eyes glazing over in a red rage and my small hands pummelling the grey Spectrum keyboard. (In fact the rage is filling up inside me now just thinking about it… Grrr…)
When the games did load they weren’t great – visually or anything else. The very early titles boasted a few colours and basic game play (although considered advanced for the time – circa 1982).
It was the game play – and not the graphical quality – which certainly kept me entertained for hours on end.
Looking back now games such as Crazy Golf and Snooker taught me about distance, power and patience which anyone will argue are good things to know at an early age.
Anyways, looking back I can honestly say that computers, and computer games especially, have taught me any number of skills over the years.
Aside from the ‘game’ games that have been available over the years there have always been ‘educational learning games’ on the market.
You know, titles such as ‘Teach Yourself Spanish’, or ‘Learn Hebrew on-line’.
These prove that there have been learning titles for many years, though it is a first for the Government to actually recognise and announce that computer games may yet help to generate the next Enstein.
Given the fact that over the past 20 years, the UK’s computer and video game industry has grown into a multi-million pound business, with experts claiming that nearly 60 per cent of six to 65-year-old Britons playing games every year, it is hard to believe that the Government has not done more recently to join the revolution.
Anyhow, here we are now with Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE – launching the report – calling for debate about games assisting learning.
In the 66-page Government-adopted report, the document states: “In an educational context, play is regarded as an important part of the development of knowledge.
“Computer games take this further by situating formal or informal learners in complex circumstances which may be relevant to the lesson plan but are beyond those available in daily life.”
Game on!
So, this week’s homework is to go out and play these newly-released titles:
Title: FIFA 07
Platform: PS2
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
Review: So, one of the few good things about saying goodbye to the summer…? Why it’s the release of the latest FIFA series – FIFA 07.
Boasting improved gameplay, an enhanced manager mode and lots of other funky bits and pieces, EA Sports really have upped the stakes in the bid to be crowned No. 1 football game over those nice chaps at Konami (responsible for the ever-popular Pro Evolution Soccer series).
So what’s new? Well, the answer is simple – just about everything.
FIFA 07 has been given a massive stadium-sized revamp which sees a new look but also a huge Peter Crouch-sized improvement in the way it plays. Examples are the way the crowd reacts to your performance and the way players jostle and collide realistically in-game, and a vastly improved manager section which sees you take control of everything that football has to offer.
The bottom line is that FIFA has got very serious in its bid to out-perform Pro Evolution Soccer.
Title: Scarface: The World is Yours (All)
Platform: XBox
RRP: £39.99
Hit count: 5/5
Review: You have to admit that most major films that make it to the smaller screen game world are hardly worth the entrance fee.
But, add Grand Theft Auto-style graphics and gameplay and you’re onto a winner.
Scarface: The World is Yours (All) does exactly that, resulting in a gangster-filled, gun happy world of extreme gaming.
The game puts you in the shoes of Tony Montana and lets you have your way with the city of Miami. An array of savage weaponry, an addictive storyline and truly excellent graphics makes for a blood-thirsty blinder of a game.
Title: Mercury Meltdown
Platform: Sony PSP
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5.
Review: Guiding a shimmering blob of liquid metal through a crazy cartoon world full of tricky traps and devious devices may not sound like everyone’s idea of a fun game.
But, give it five minutes and even the most easily-distracted of individuals will find it hard to put this down. This game is addictive, fun and visually splendid.
With more than 160 levels and the option to download more level content, it is well worth the money.
Title: Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Platform: PS2
RRP: £34.99
Hit count: 5/5.
Review: No-one will argue that the Metal Gear Solid series has taken gaming to new levels with enhanced graphics and stunning game experience leaving gamers hungry for more each and every time.
So here’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – the new improved version of every Metal Gear Solid title.
The title boasts a massively enhanced version of Hideo Kojima's acclaimed Snake Eater adventure, a 3D camera system that allows players to view the action from virtually any angle, a 'Demo Theatre', wherein players can watch specific sequences from the game's renowned cut-scenes and a full online version of the game up to 8 players at once.
Subsistence also features pixel-perfect copies of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 so anyone new to the game can feel rest assured that this is THE title to buy rather than buying the older games individually.
If the above points aren’t enough the title also features a full CGI Metal Gear Solid 3 movie with a running time of three-and-a-half hours.
Phew, buy it!
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