Doesn't time fly - especially when you're playing the likes of Unchartered 2 and Call of Duty?
Before you know it, it's Christmas. And the countdown officially begins tomorrow.
Credit crunch or not if you're in the know, there are ways around spending a fortune on pressies.
And the home of bargains is the internet.
While I do my best to shop locally and support local businesses, there comes a time when my budget outweighs my conscience.
I've been buying odd bits and pieces online for a number of years now and I have to say, I've never been let down.
Like anything you hear horror stories about some woman who ordered a tin of dog food and it ended up being sent to China giftwrapped, but I have to say I've been pretty lucky.
Nothing has ever gone missing, and the items have been as they were described.
So my main ports of call are:
For CDs, DVDs, Blu Ray, and Games: www.play.com or www.cdwow.com.
Both sites offer free delivery and most items are up to half price compared to high street stores.
They also have a wide variety of stock and usually despatch items within a couple of days.
Amazon's website (www.amazon.co.uk) has a huge array of, well... everything it seems. From hair driers to books, headphones to wireless headsets, it has it all. Postage and packaging can mount up but it wins hand down on pricing.
If you're looking for a specfic item it's also worth visiting www.kelkoo.co.uk which, in essence, is a price comparison site.
You type in the exact title of the item and it searches automatically for the cheapest. Once it's found the cheapest of gives you the option of visiting the store direct to buy it.
You can use the website for most things.
Ebay is also a valuable tool when it comes to Christmas shopping. One man's junk... another man's treasure. You can pick up some real deals for pennies. Just remember to look at their rating first for peace of mind.
If the thought of spending money on someone else is too much right now, at the very least visit the websites to firm up your Christmas wishlist.
Here's a few ideas:
Title: New Super Mario Bros Wii
Platform: Wii
Genre: Platform
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 5/5
Just when you think that Nintendo can’t come up with anything to trump the Mario achievements of recent times, another classic console gaming experience is thrown into the mix.
Seriously, you could own only Mario titles for Wii and still be completely satisfied with your console purchase.
Here we hark back to the good old days of side-scrolling platforming – the world that 3D forgot. But what a world this is.
Transformed technologically from the amazing 2D Mario adventures of 20 years ago, NSMB Wii is everything you could ever wish for in a title from the franchise: personality, innovation, excitement – and an inimitable feeling of pure love that’s been poured into the production of this game from start to finish.
The co-operative experience is up there on a par with any other co-op title in any genre, and it’s just not worth picking at faults when a game is this good.
Nostalgia realised in glorious 21st-century technology, NSMB Wii is a title that gamers of every age and experience level must add to their collection.
Title: NBA 2K10
Platform: PSP
Genre: Basketball
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 5/5
The NBA 2K series has been an enduring one, and this year’s releases on the big consoles certainly slam-dunked the competition and re-established its reputation as king of the ballers.
The translation to PSP doesn’t always run so smoothly, however, and this port of an earlier PS2 version onto the small screen results in mixed success.
Graphically, the players animate extremely well, but the overall feeling is that an extra bit of polish could have been applied before release to bring it bang up to date with what this handheld system can offer nowadays.
What plays like a dream on PS3 actually turns into something of an average arcade outing on PSP, as the turbo feature allows you to speed up and down the court for the whole game without tiring any of your players out, negating the majority of tactical elements to the game.
Overall, it’s a fair first outing for the series on PSP, but gamers will rightly expect much more from the franchise when NBA 2K11 comes around.
Title: The Sims 3: World Adventures
Platform: PC/Mac
Genre: People simulation
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
Who wouldn’t get bored without the opportunity to explore far-flung countries, being stuck in a suburban environment for all their days?
Take that a stage further for your virtual population, and the tedium must surely be setting in for players and characters alike. But not anymore! Now you can take your Sims on exciting journeys to famous real-world inspired destinations all around the globe.
Checking out the landmarks is fun, but it’s the additional skills you can develop that really add another dimension to the whole Sims experience here, from mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, to exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt.
Exploring the three core new cities is a real treat, with countless challenges, rewards and relics to amuse you, and bringing some of these items back to your original Sims 3 home is a really nice touch – proper souvenirs!
All in all, this is a real breath of fresh air for the series, and certainly the way forward for extending the franchise’s life in years to come. Just don’t forget your passport!
Title: Assassin’s Creed 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action Adventure
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Altair’s amazing adventure in the first Assassin’s Creed gave gamers a rare journey where they were completely sucked in for a rollercoaster ride combining history, brutality, high-technology and a sprinkling of supernatural activity.
A fine recipe for a game, and one that has been tinkered with to great effect in the sequel. As new hero Ezio, you’re invited to explore a vast open-world environment on a quest for vengeance against the rival ruling families of Italy.
The sheer class and style of the original oozes from every pore second time around, while the character development, greater variety of missions and weaponry ensure that fans of the first game will see a real progression.
With graphics as jaw-dropping as ever and the kind of twisting tale more akin to the movie screen, Assassin’s Creed 2 is a sure-fire winner.
Title: LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 3/5
When you pick up a LEGO title, you know what you’re going to get. And in this case, that’s a good thing.
The blocky characters have managed to carve themselves a tidy little niche, nestling somewhere between platforming adventures, movie tie-ins and kids titles, yet still delivering a unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humour that ensures the appeal isn’t strictly limited to the youngsters. And Indy’s second LEGO-inspired adventure is no different.
As a standalone single-player game, it’s got the same thrills, spills and puzzle solving you’d expect. But the addition of a level creation mode, where you can build your own environments brick by brick, really adds another dimension to the experience.
Of course, turning the movie turkey that was the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull into something worthwhile is a challenge in itself, but here the LEGO franchise has belatedly saved Indy’s bacon.
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
2. Assassin’s Creed 2
3. New Super Mario Bros Wii
4. Wii Sports Resort
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. FIFA 10
7. Left 4 Dead 2
8. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
9. Forza Motorsport 3
10. LEGO Batman: The Videogame
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd.
Monday 30 November 2009
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Call of controversy
As the dust settles after one of the biggest storms of recent times, it’s time to reflect.
Now I’m not talking about last weekend’s horrendous weather.I
’m talking about the social, moral and political storm that was created by the year’s – sorry, no the era’s – most anticipated game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
It seems nowadays that the perfect way to promote a game is to cause some degree of controversy.
I mean, what’s so wrong with including a scene where Russian hitmen walk through a busy airport killing women and children alike without a care in the world?
Everything it seems.
The impact of that particular level sent shockwaves across the world – and boosted sales to unprecedented levels.
I heard some gossip the other day that the first-person shooter game has grossed more in two weeks than several of the biggest film releases of the year.
To exemplify things I have to admit that even I was shocked at the particular scene. And that’s the first time that has ever happened.
When I started playing it (having never played any game in the series before), I thought it was pretty good, good graphics, pretty good gameplay and really not quite worth the hype surrounding it.
But then that airport level came along and I began to understand why the game had generated so much publicity.
I found myself sitting there, unable to operate the controller because I found it, well... a tad wrong.
Games like Grand Theft Auto are violent as hell and deserve their 18 certificate and warnings.
But the difference is that the GTA series is very obviously a cartoon land. Okay the design and realism is great, but it’s clearly not real.
The problem with Call of Duty is that it is created to be as real as possible.
Having been to Afghanistan twice in my other roles on The Herald I was shocked to see the realism of an Afghan-style level.
The look of the place and even the sounds were near-on perfect and threw me back into those days I experienced last year.
So Call of Duty’s designers are trying to make it as real as possible. And you can’t blame them for doing that.
It’s just that... well, there is a certain point when it could be classed as going ‘too far’.
Usually my thoughts are quite liberal on matters like this. But I have to say I think they have over-stepped the mark in a bid to gain some headlines.
I mean does playing it make me want to go find a gun and shoot someone? No, it doesn’t.Would it have that affect on a child or an easily influenced person?I don’t think it would.
But there has got to be a certain level of correctness, and when you’re creating something which is supposed to be as ‘real’ as possible, there has to be line in the sand.
From the developers point of view they will agree that controversy is worthy of risk.
And ultimately when that risk makes $310million in just 24 hours through sales in the UK and the US making it the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment, it pays off.
Whatever happened to the carefree games like Dizzy on the Spectrum?!
Here's the Call of Duty review and a few others, judge for yourselves!
Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £54.99
Hit count: 5/5
Busting through the £50 price tag in recessionary times is a bold move, and one that has been greeted with a few rumbles of discontent.
But for any gamer with half a brain and a love for first-person shooters, you’ll find out pretty quickly that Modern Warfare 2 more than justifies its payment.
Who wouldn’t part with that amount of cash for the privilege of being thrust into the most visceral, jaw-dropping single-player experience you’ve ever been involved in?
And the multiplayer mode will have gamers coming back for more, years after the launch hype has died down.
Polished to perfection in nearly every respect, it’s a gripping, living, breathing work of video-game art.
And £55 for a masterpiece ain’t that bad.
Title: Ghostbusters
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 4/5
Yet another movie to morph onto console systems, Ghostbusters: The Video Game presents an all-new storyline for gamers to get their teeth into, once again putting you in charge of that motley crew of paranormal pest controllers.
Not only does this title deliver in terms of humour, and superb voice-acting from almost all of the original stars, it also has the kind of gameplay mechanics that you’d wish for when faced with the prospect of grappling with a ghost above a trap and lowering it down to complete the capture.
It’s pretty much everything fans could have hoped for in terms of an authentic recreation of a much-loved film, and it’s a great example of how movie tie-in titles don’t always have to be tosh.
Title: Singstar: Take That
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
While it’s all very well trawling pretty swiftly through the back-catalogues of 1980s artists who found their way onto Singstar, the real pleasure is to be had in bellowing at the tracks that you really know and love.
Everyone, whether they admit it or not, has a favourite Take That track or two.
And this disc is a cracking compilation of tunes from the fab five (who then became four), from Babe and Back For Good, through to Could It Be Magic and the more recent hits since reforming, such as Patience, Rule The World and Greatest Day.
A whopping 25 tunes for under £20 is a superb deal, and fans of the band should add this to their karaoke collection now!
Title: Women’s Murder Club: Games Of Passion
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 2/5
Stepping into the investigative shoes of Women’s Murder Club members Lindsay, Claire and Cindy, you’re asked to investigate a string of seemingly unrelated murders as they unfold.
Beautiful women go missing and turn up dead around every corner, and the clues point to the least likely of suspects.
All this plays out through a mixture of object finding in different environments, interspersed with some pretty basic mini-games, such as sliding puzzles or memory games.
While the prospect of a new story from James Patterson may tempt fans of the books to try out this digital experience, it’s not really worth it.
Far too easy and rarely engaging, your time would be better spent reading your favourite paperback once again.
Title: Cooking Mama 3: Shop And Chop
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Cookery
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Mama’s back, having traded in the trowel for the truffle in Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop!
The stylus becomes the ultimate cooking utensil as players chop, grate, slice, stir, spread, sprinkle, roll and more through 200-plus mini-games.
But perhaps the main addition this time around is the shopping mini-games, which take you out of the kitchen to buy the ingredients before you get home and start showing off your stylus skills.
As with the previous two games, Shop And Chop looks as cute as ever, plays just as well and, while not really moving the series on as much as it could, the extra features keep things fresh and new for hardcore fans of virtual vegetable chopping.
So sharpen up your stylus and get your shopping bag ready, you’ve got cooking to do!
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Wii Fit Plus
2. FIFA 10
3. Wii Sports Resort
4. Football Manager 2010
5. Dragon Age: Origins
6. Forza Motorsport 3
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. Grand Theft Auto Episodes – Liberty City
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
10. Tekken 6
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Now I’m not talking about last weekend’s horrendous weather.I
’m talking about the social, moral and political storm that was created by the year’s – sorry, no the era’s – most anticipated game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
It seems nowadays that the perfect way to promote a game is to cause some degree of controversy.
I mean, what’s so wrong with including a scene where Russian hitmen walk through a busy airport killing women and children alike without a care in the world?
Everything it seems.
The impact of that particular level sent shockwaves across the world – and boosted sales to unprecedented levels.
I heard some gossip the other day that the first-person shooter game has grossed more in two weeks than several of the biggest film releases of the year.
To exemplify things I have to admit that even I was shocked at the particular scene. And that’s the first time that has ever happened.
When I started playing it (having never played any game in the series before), I thought it was pretty good, good graphics, pretty good gameplay and really not quite worth the hype surrounding it.
But then that airport level came along and I began to understand why the game had generated so much publicity.
I found myself sitting there, unable to operate the controller because I found it, well... a tad wrong.
Games like Grand Theft Auto are violent as hell and deserve their 18 certificate and warnings.
But the difference is that the GTA series is very obviously a cartoon land. Okay the design and realism is great, but it’s clearly not real.
The problem with Call of Duty is that it is created to be as real as possible.
Having been to Afghanistan twice in my other roles on The Herald I was shocked to see the realism of an Afghan-style level.
The look of the place and even the sounds were near-on perfect and threw me back into those days I experienced last year.
So Call of Duty’s designers are trying to make it as real as possible. And you can’t blame them for doing that.
It’s just that... well, there is a certain point when it could be classed as going ‘too far’.
Usually my thoughts are quite liberal on matters like this. But I have to say I think they have over-stepped the mark in a bid to gain some headlines.
I mean does playing it make me want to go find a gun and shoot someone? No, it doesn’t.Would it have that affect on a child or an easily influenced person?I don’t think it would.
But there has got to be a certain level of correctness, and when you’re creating something which is supposed to be as ‘real’ as possible, there has to be line in the sand.
From the developers point of view they will agree that controversy is worthy of risk.
And ultimately when that risk makes $310million in just 24 hours through sales in the UK and the US making it the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment, it pays off.
Whatever happened to the carefree games like Dizzy on the Spectrum?!
Here's the Call of Duty review and a few others, judge for yourselves!
Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £54.99
Hit count: 5/5
Busting through the £50 price tag in recessionary times is a bold move, and one that has been greeted with a few rumbles of discontent.
But for any gamer with half a brain and a love for first-person shooters, you’ll find out pretty quickly that Modern Warfare 2 more than justifies its payment.
Who wouldn’t part with that amount of cash for the privilege of being thrust into the most visceral, jaw-dropping single-player experience you’ve ever been involved in?
And the multiplayer mode will have gamers coming back for more, years after the launch hype has died down.
Polished to perfection in nearly every respect, it’s a gripping, living, breathing work of video-game art.
And £55 for a masterpiece ain’t that bad.
Title: Ghostbusters
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 4/5
Yet another movie to morph onto console systems, Ghostbusters: The Video Game presents an all-new storyline for gamers to get their teeth into, once again putting you in charge of that motley crew of paranormal pest controllers.
Not only does this title deliver in terms of humour, and superb voice-acting from almost all of the original stars, it also has the kind of gameplay mechanics that you’d wish for when faced with the prospect of grappling with a ghost above a trap and lowering it down to complete the capture.
It’s pretty much everything fans could have hoped for in terms of an authentic recreation of a much-loved film, and it’s a great example of how movie tie-in titles don’t always have to be tosh.
Title: Singstar: Take That
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
While it’s all very well trawling pretty swiftly through the back-catalogues of 1980s artists who found their way onto Singstar, the real pleasure is to be had in bellowing at the tracks that you really know and love.
Everyone, whether they admit it or not, has a favourite Take That track or two.
And this disc is a cracking compilation of tunes from the fab five (who then became four), from Babe and Back For Good, through to Could It Be Magic and the more recent hits since reforming, such as Patience, Rule The World and Greatest Day.
A whopping 25 tunes for under £20 is a superb deal, and fans of the band should add this to their karaoke collection now!
Title: Women’s Murder Club: Games Of Passion
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 2/5
Stepping into the investigative shoes of Women’s Murder Club members Lindsay, Claire and Cindy, you’re asked to investigate a string of seemingly unrelated murders as they unfold.
Beautiful women go missing and turn up dead around every corner, and the clues point to the least likely of suspects.
All this plays out through a mixture of object finding in different environments, interspersed with some pretty basic mini-games, such as sliding puzzles or memory games.
While the prospect of a new story from James Patterson may tempt fans of the books to try out this digital experience, it’s not really worth it.
Far too easy and rarely engaging, your time would be better spent reading your favourite paperback once again.
Title: Cooking Mama 3: Shop And Chop
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Cookery
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Mama’s back, having traded in the trowel for the truffle in Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop!
The stylus becomes the ultimate cooking utensil as players chop, grate, slice, stir, spread, sprinkle, roll and more through 200-plus mini-games.
But perhaps the main addition this time around is the shopping mini-games, which take you out of the kitchen to buy the ingredients before you get home and start showing off your stylus skills.
As with the previous two games, Shop And Chop looks as cute as ever, plays just as well and, while not really moving the series on as much as it could, the extra features keep things fresh and new for hardcore fans of virtual vegetable chopping.
So sharpen up your stylus and get your shopping bag ready, you’ve got cooking to do!
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Wii Fit Plus
2. FIFA 10
3. Wii Sports Resort
4. Football Manager 2010
5. Dragon Age: Origins
6. Forza Motorsport 3
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. Grand Theft Auto Episodes – Liberty City
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
10. Tekken 6
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Friday 6 November 2009
Dispelling the winter blues
I don't know about anyone else but I've been feeling thoroughly depressed of late.
The clocks changing and the dark days, the horrible blustery rain-in-your-ear weather, the countdown to Christmas, ya dee ya, it's all a bit pants isn't it?
The only winter warmers have been the release of Unchartered 2 and PES 2010 which have gone down a storm with gamers across the country.
So in a bid to kick start my mood I've been looking into holidays - and big fat ones at that.
Shopping for a holiday is not like it used to be.
While some people might still prefer to pop into a local branch of Thomas Cook, I believe the best deals can be found by shopping online.
While I do try to shop in city and town centres as much as possible to support local business, there comes a time (in economic meltdown) when needs must. And if I can find something say, 30 per cent cheaper, it's got to be a winner.
There are plenty of websites which deal with flights alone (such as airline websites), while there are countless others which deal with package holidays (including flights, hotels, hire cars, tours etc.)
Like anything it is best to get in there early to get the best deal but, nine times out of ten, web prices are cheaper than those on the high street.
A good starting point is expedia's website which offers cheap city breaks, beach breaks, ski holidays, budget deals and even Christmas deals.
I've used the site quite a few times to book flights, and flights and hotels and it's been fairly reliable.
One aspect which is particularly good is that the website allows customers to rate their hotel stay so you can form a good picture of what is to come.
You can even use your Nectar points to get money off.
Most people will have now heard of the budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair, both of which offer seriously good deals on flights throughout the year.
If you're quick enough it is possible to bag a return flight for a few pence to many of Europe's top destinations. It's well worth checking out their websites every few weeks for the best deals.
Another useful website is lastminute.com which does exactly what it says on the tin.
One of my favourite travel websites for gaining inspiration has got to be Lonely Planet's.
It offers features on spectacular places which you normally wouldn't consider and information and advice on getting there and having the best time.
It also has a handy trip planner feature which guides you through your itinerary.
While I admit I have never used it, I'm reliably told that Teletext offers as good - if not better - deals online.
If none of the above help, why not simply tap 'cheap' or 'budget holiday' and 'deals' into Google's search engine and see what comes up. There's sure to be enough inspiration in there somewhere to help shed some light on the looming winter blues.
If that's not enough, for now why not check out the latest games releases?
Title: Band Hero Bundle
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £149.99
Hit count: 5/5
If you’re struggling to think of a fun, interactive present for all the family to enjoy this festive season, relax – you’ve found it.
Gone are the days when a 48-hour Monopoly marathon was considered the best way to spend Christmas and Boxing Day.
Now, for a pretty tidy £150 you get a band in a box, quite literally. Packed with guitar, drum kit, microphone and a bursting list of 60-plus tracks, it’s another brilliant addition to the Hero series. You use familiar controls and interfaces to allow gamers to jump straight in, while the presentation has been polished in almost every area.
Whether you’re a Lily Allen fan, a David Bowie groupie or you swoon at the sight of Taylor Swift, there’s something for everyone. And gaming together as a group in the living room feels as fun as it would up on-stage.
Roll over board games, the real festive fun has arrived.
Title: Wii Fit Plus
Platform: Wii
Genre: Fitness
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Pre-empting the millions of people who’ll be huffing and puffing in January after a week of ludicrous excess over Christmas, Nintendo has already come up with the remedy for those podgy guts and chubby cheeks – the next instalment in the Wii Fit series.
Picking up where the introduction of the balance board left off, Wii Fit Plus succeeds in moving the series on because it offers a much more tailored experience, allowing you to build your own routine.
The main new addition, however, is the bundle of 15 or so mini-games, and these really bring you a hi-energy workout with some serious fun.
From skateboarding to snowball fighting, many of them make brilliant use of the peripherals at your disposal, although there are a few duffers in there too.
All in all, an excellent, good-value upgrade to the series, and one well worth considering.
Title: Borderlands
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter/RPG
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 4/5
Tossed into a strange world with quests to complete and a crazy array of enemies to encounter, you could be forgiven for thinking that Borderlands is just like any other action/adventure title.
But, as you’ll soon discover within a couple of hours, behind the trigger-happy first-person-based action lies a deeply statistical and customisable engine, which may prove to be a bit of a ’marmite moment’ for many gamers.
While the bloodthirsty, brutal action itself and stylised cel-shaded graphics really make the game stand out in its genre, the need for careful attention when levelling up and upgrading your arsenal may prove to be something of a turn-off for the more casual gamer.
But sticking with this will reward you with a really engrossing experience, combining challenging enemies, brilliant weapons and a wicked sense of humour to great effect.
Title: Shaun The Sheep: Off His Head
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Is it too early to be talking about stocking-fillers? Not if you look at the mince pies and mulled wine on supermarket shelves right now.
So, for all Aardman fans, it’s an exciting prospect to dive into episodes of Shaun The Sheep and recreate the fun and unique silent-movie humour – this could be nice little extra to wrap up on Christmas Eve. With the Farmer all set for a big date, his toupee has gone missing.
It’s up to you to explore the areas based on the series - the field, the barn, the Farmer’s house and the circus tent – calling on Bitzer The Dog to help you out when the Naughty Pigs are up to their dirty tricks.
Offering three modes including regular story, mini-game and colouring book options, this is a decent little action/adventure package for the kids that should keep them entertained for a few hours – and hopefully give parents a lie-in on Christmas morning.
Title: Marvel Super Hero Squad
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 2/5
After the success of the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance sequel, it’s perhaps surprising to see another game in the comic-based franchise come out so soon on Wii.
Perhaps it’s the desire to strip the series back to basics to appeal to the youngest audience possible.
With slightly more cutesy characters and more simplified controls, Super Hero Squad certainly does that, but to the detriment of the game overall.
This becomes little more than an exercise in button mashing through your mission against Dr Doom’s Lethal Legion of villains.
While you can mix and match up most of your favourite characters, this is really only a cosmetic sprinkling of enjoyment, as the gameplay itself is so repetitive that you’re more likely to find yourself counting how many times you bash the A button than actually caring what you’re doing on-screen and what’s coming next.
A real shame for such an otherwise credible franchise.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Football Manager 2010
2. Wii Fit Plus
3. FIFA 10
4. Forza Motorsport 3
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
6. Grand Theft Auto Episodes: Liberty City
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. Tekken 6
9. Borderlands
10. Wii Sports Resort
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
The clocks changing and the dark days, the horrible blustery rain-in-your-ear weather, the countdown to Christmas, ya dee ya, it's all a bit pants isn't it?
The only winter warmers have been the release of Unchartered 2 and PES 2010 which have gone down a storm with gamers across the country.
So in a bid to kick start my mood I've been looking into holidays - and big fat ones at that.
Shopping for a holiday is not like it used to be.
While some people might still prefer to pop into a local branch of Thomas Cook, I believe the best deals can be found by shopping online.
While I do try to shop in city and town centres as much as possible to support local business, there comes a time (in economic meltdown) when needs must. And if I can find something say, 30 per cent cheaper, it's got to be a winner.
There are plenty of websites which deal with flights alone (such as airline websites), while there are countless others which deal with package holidays (including flights, hotels, hire cars, tours etc.)
Like anything it is best to get in there early to get the best deal but, nine times out of ten, web prices are cheaper than those on the high street.
A good starting point is expedia's website which offers cheap city breaks, beach breaks, ski holidays, budget deals and even Christmas deals.
I've used the site quite a few times to book flights, and flights and hotels and it's been fairly reliable.
One aspect which is particularly good is that the website allows customers to rate their hotel stay so you can form a good picture of what is to come.
You can even use your Nectar points to get money off.
Most people will have now heard of the budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair, both of which offer seriously good deals on flights throughout the year.
If you're quick enough it is possible to bag a return flight for a few pence to many of Europe's top destinations. It's well worth checking out their websites every few weeks for the best deals.
Another useful website is lastminute.com which does exactly what it says on the tin.
One of my favourite travel websites for gaining inspiration has got to be Lonely Planet's.
It offers features on spectacular places which you normally wouldn't consider and information and advice on getting there and having the best time.
It also has a handy trip planner feature which guides you through your itinerary.
While I admit I have never used it, I'm reliably told that Teletext offers as good - if not better - deals online.
If none of the above help, why not simply tap 'cheap' or 'budget holiday' and 'deals' into Google's search engine and see what comes up. There's sure to be enough inspiration in there somewhere to help shed some light on the looming winter blues.
If that's not enough, for now why not check out the latest games releases?
Title: Band Hero Bundle
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £149.99
Hit count: 5/5
If you’re struggling to think of a fun, interactive present for all the family to enjoy this festive season, relax – you’ve found it.
Gone are the days when a 48-hour Monopoly marathon was considered the best way to spend Christmas and Boxing Day.
Now, for a pretty tidy £150 you get a band in a box, quite literally. Packed with guitar, drum kit, microphone and a bursting list of 60-plus tracks, it’s another brilliant addition to the Hero series. You use familiar controls and interfaces to allow gamers to jump straight in, while the presentation has been polished in almost every area.
Whether you’re a Lily Allen fan, a David Bowie groupie or you swoon at the sight of Taylor Swift, there’s something for everyone. And gaming together as a group in the living room feels as fun as it would up on-stage.
Roll over board games, the real festive fun has arrived.
Title: Wii Fit Plus
Platform: Wii
Genre: Fitness
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Pre-empting the millions of people who’ll be huffing and puffing in January after a week of ludicrous excess over Christmas, Nintendo has already come up with the remedy for those podgy guts and chubby cheeks – the next instalment in the Wii Fit series.
Picking up where the introduction of the balance board left off, Wii Fit Plus succeeds in moving the series on because it offers a much more tailored experience, allowing you to build your own routine.
The main new addition, however, is the bundle of 15 or so mini-games, and these really bring you a hi-energy workout with some serious fun.
From skateboarding to snowball fighting, many of them make brilliant use of the peripherals at your disposal, although there are a few duffers in there too.
All in all, an excellent, good-value upgrade to the series, and one well worth considering.
Title: Borderlands
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter/RPG
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 4/5
Tossed into a strange world with quests to complete and a crazy array of enemies to encounter, you could be forgiven for thinking that Borderlands is just like any other action/adventure title.
But, as you’ll soon discover within a couple of hours, behind the trigger-happy first-person-based action lies a deeply statistical and customisable engine, which may prove to be a bit of a ’marmite moment’ for many gamers.
While the bloodthirsty, brutal action itself and stylised cel-shaded graphics really make the game stand out in its genre, the need for careful attention when levelling up and upgrading your arsenal may prove to be something of a turn-off for the more casual gamer.
But sticking with this will reward you with a really engrossing experience, combining challenging enemies, brilliant weapons and a wicked sense of humour to great effect.
Title: Shaun The Sheep: Off His Head
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Is it too early to be talking about stocking-fillers? Not if you look at the mince pies and mulled wine on supermarket shelves right now.
So, for all Aardman fans, it’s an exciting prospect to dive into episodes of Shaun The Sheep and recreate the fun and unique silent-movie humour – this could be nice little extra to wrap up on Christmas Eve. With the Farmer all set for a big date, his toupee has gone missing.
It’s up to you to explore the areas based on the series - the field, the barn, the Farmer’s house and the circus tent – calling on Bitzer The Dog to help you out when the Naughty Pigs are up to their dirty tricks.
Offering three modes including regular story, mini-game and colouring book options, this is a decent little action/adventure package for the kids that should keep them entertained for a few hours – and hopefully give parents a lie-in on Christmas morning.
Title: Marvel Super Hero Squad
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 2/5
After the success of the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance sequel, it’s perhaps surprising to see another game in the comic-based franchise come out so soon on Wii.
Perhaps it’s the desire to strip the series back to basics to appeal to the youngest audience possible.
With slightly more cutesy characters and more simplified controls, Super Hero Squad certainly does that, but to the detriment of the game overall.
This becomes little more than an exercise in button mashing through your mission against Dr Doom’s Lethal Legion of villains.
While you can mix and match up most of your favourite characters, this is really only a cosmetic sprinkling of enjoyment, as the gameplay itself is so repetitive that you’re more likely to find yourself counting how many times you bash the A button than actually caring what you’re doing on-screen and what’s coming next.
A real shame for such an otherwise credible franchise.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Football Manager 2010
2. Wii Fit Plus
3. FIFA 10
4. Forza Motorsport 3
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
6. Grand Theft Auto Episodes: Liberty City
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. Tekken 6
9. Borderlands
10. Wii Sports Resort
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
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