January sales

So there you have it... did you blink and miss it?
I nearly did. Christmas... talked about and trumped up for six months beforehand, and then cast away like yesterday's news come January 1.
However if you are like me and enjoy a bargain the best bit about the post Christmas blues is the excitement of buying a new bit of kit.
And this year's January sales seem to be the best in living memory.
Credit crunch? WHAT credit crunch?! It seems that every electrical retailer in the land is thrusting its wares on us at a fraction of the price.
A few days ago I - like every other being on the planet - took a step into PC World to look at buying a lap top.
It was like hell on earth. But, on reflection, it seemed to restore some sense of mankind in me.
Due to the sheer number of customers - and the seemingly few members of staff - the customers began talking to one another giving each other guidance on picking up a lap top.
It was surreal really, but nice. You had a collation of knowledge. Teachers, students, OAPs etc etc all coming together to help each other out.
Within 15 minutes or so I walked out of the store more knowledgable than ever - AND without a lap top.
Best bet I thought... shop online.
So yes, given the numbers in PC World I've determined there are literally hundreds of people in Plymouth who are after a lap top.
My advice... try visiting the likes of PC World online, or indeed buy direct from Dell, HP or Apple.
Buying a lap top has got to be one of the most confusing things ever.
It's almost like these people make up specifications just to throw us off the sent.
And I'm not going to lie to you. I still haven't got one. It's like pin the tail on the donkey... I reckon eventually I'll open up a brochure or webpage, close my eyes and point.
So here's what I've learnt which may well help you:
The higher the number of Megahertz (MHZ) the faster the processor should be.
The bigger the hard drive capacity the more you can store (i.e. pictures, video, music etc).
Processor Type: This is a toughie and I can't quite work it out. However feel rest assured a 'Duo' processor is better than a 'Dual' processor and it should run faster allowing you to operate more programmes at once.
A wireless connection allows you to connect to an existing wireless network such as in a office or a wireless hot spot. It is essential if you want to use your lap top - and indeed the web - around the house (you will need a router).
The more USB connections the lap top has the more equipment you can connect to your computer, for example... a modem, printer, scanner or digital camera.
AND Windows Vista's premium home package runs faster than the basic version (apparently).
There, that should help you out.
I'm still looking. Oh, worth mentioning also that Apple Macs might look pretty but be prepared... if you've used a PC all your life, the programmes will be COMPLETELY different to what you are used to. And they're a few more quid too.

Anyway, as we all shake ourselves back into action after the Christmas and New Year festivities, there are a few releases you may have overlooked towards the end of last year that deserve your attention.
What about Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, an offroad racing tour de force on PS3, or Disaster: Day of Crisis, packed with blockbusting action on Wii.
Left 4 Dead is an excellent shooter on Xbox 360 and Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip puts the Wii's balance board to great use, while 100 Classic Book Collection gives DS owners enough reading material to last until next Christmas.


Title: Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

Platform: PS3

Genre: Racing

Price: £39.99

Hit count: 4/5

A luscious island paradise might seem suitable for a relaxing holiday, but it also makes an ideal venue for offroad racing, and the follow-up to the hugely successful MotorStorm trades the desert for golden beaches and verdant jungles that are as dangerous as they are beautiful.
It’s that beauty that really stands out in Pacific Rift, even if the game set-up is pretty familiar to the first outing.
But it all works like a well-oiled machine, whether you’re risking it all on a dangerous short cut or slugging it out with your rivals on the well-worn routes around a whopping 16 new courses.
Split-screen multiplayer is a welcome addition to the bundle, and this should be one PS3-exclusive that gamers ensure has a parking spot reserved in their collection.


Title: Disaster: Day of Crisis

Platform: Wii

Genre: Action

Price: £34.99

Hit count: 3/5

Survival is the primary objective in Disaster, as you’re forced to endure nature’s most devastating catastrophes in a devastatingly short period of time.
As an unprecedented wave of natural disasters pummels the United States, a rogue Special Forces unit has also taken advantage of the chaos and seized a nuclear weapon, leaving you as Ray, a former member of an elite rescue task force, to sort it all out.
And it’s a pretty rip-roaring ride. Starting with a volcanic eruption and crossing 23 stages you’ll take in all manner of incredible disasters in shooter levels, driving, and good old-fashioned third-person adventuring.
Like any big-budget blockbuster film, it’s not perfect (although the soundtrack is fantastic) but that won’t leave you any less satisfied from a few hours on this rollercoaster of a game.



Title: Left 4 Dead

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: First Person Shooter

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5

Just knowing that Left 4 Dead comes from the same developers as the incredible Half-Life titles will set the bar of anticipation to a pretty lofty level.
As a zombie-infested co-operative shooter, this game manages to meet all expectations, remaining superbly polished in terms of presentation and control, as well as the concept itself, which drops you into a play area not only crawling with zombies but also four hulking great boss bad guys – Tank, Witch, Smokers and Boomer.
If you’re playing solo, the computer can take care of your three companions well enough, but when you go online for human multiplayer help this game really comes into its own, providing a unique multiplayer experience that needs you to take teamwork to the next level. If you want to survive, that is.



Title: Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip

Platform: Wii

Genre: Racing

Price: £34.99

Hit count: 4/5

Wii Fit opened up a whole new range of possibilities on Wii, aside from just keeping yourself trim.
From a gaming perspective, interactivity stepped up a notch, and has now turned snowboarding from a sedentary simulation into a full-blown physical challenge.
The good news is that the balance board responds beautifully to your every move and once you master the basic controls you’ll be slaloming across the piste in no time.
You will need to use the Wii remote too to carry out different tricks, but this doesn’t detract from what is a good looking, intuitive title that brings a new dimension to the Shaun White series.



Title: 100 Classic Book Collection

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: Reading

Price: £19.99

Hit count: 4/5

Fancy transforming your Nintendo DS into a fully portable library? Well, for just under £20 you can have access to 100 classic novels from some of the world’s best known and best loved authors – all on one diddy cartridge.
Whether you fancy a spot of drama, mystery, fantasy, romance, tragedy or comedy, it’s all here.
Join Gulliver on his travels, go Around the World In Eighty Days, sleuth with Sherlock Holmes or disappear 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
The story synopsis mode details the story and themes of each title, without giving away any of the twists and turns of the plot if you’re unsure what to get stuck into, while navigation from page to page is a piece of cake, with adjustable text sizes too.
An interesting new chapter from Nintendo begins...

In the charts this week, FIFA 09 jumped back to top spot, reclaiming it from Call of Duty: World of War. Guitar Hero: World Tour climbed three places from seven to four, while Far Cry 2 re-entered the top 10, leaping four places from 11 to seven.

GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1.FIFA 09

2.Call Of Duty: World At War

3.Need For Speed: Undercover

4.Guitar Hero: World Tour

5.Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

6.Wii Play

7.Far Cry 2

8.Mario Kart Wii

9.Quantum of Solace

10.Sonic Unleashed

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd