SO no sooner have we all bought HD televisions, we’re now being told the ‘new’ generation of sets are now outdated.
Yep 3D TV is here, well almost.
I’m sorry but at the moment when I think of the 3D revolution, I think of being conned out of money.
I mean, Avatar in 3D. Man that was cool, and you really felt like you were part of something new and hip.But then on my second outing to the cinema to see Clash of The Titans I came away feeling ripped off.
It later transpired that 3D bits had been added to the main battle scenes afterwards because its producers were impressed with how much money Avatar grossed.I can’t help but feel that I will be as disappointed, if not more, by spending £2,000+ on a new 3D TV.
My parents have just signed up to Sky for the HD version and to be honest the picture is amazing.But I seem to be one of many who believe we should already have that sort of clarity on any TV for the money we pay in the TV licence.
To date the main broadcasters (i.e. BBC and Sky) have been heavily flirting with the idea of 3D TV channels and there has been a football match or two on the latter (which for the record wasn’t THAT impressive, with the crowd shots being more spectacular than the football itself).
And Samsung have just launched the first of its new 3D sets.
It is a step into the future.
When it fully comes online in a couple of years time, it will no doubt be worth investing in.
You will probably be able to buy a TV for about £800 then and even the cheapest set should boast some quality.But until then I remain unconvinced.
Another toy for the fat cats to play with.
Oh, and I bet in the future when you’re sat in your front room watching your 3D TV, if listen really carefully you might well here those fat cats laughing at how stupid you look in your 3D glasses.
Anyway, for the time being spend what money you aren’t saving (for a 3D TV) and buy one of these:
Title: Super Street Fighter IV
Platform: PS3
Genre: Fighting
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 5/5
Just when you thought this legendary series had done it all, the follow-up to Street Fighter IV further redefines the fighting game genre with classic 2D Street Fighter action, a host of new and returning characters, more advanced online gameplay, new ultra combos and much more.
It has instant appeal, throwing you quickly into fast and furious fighting action, while also providing the opportunity for more serious gaming scrappers to refine their fighting style, discover new ways to chain combos and improve their overall skills.
Long-term fans of the franchise will simply see this as yet another first-rate release that allows them to indulge themselves once again in what must be the finest fighter of all time.
Also, newcomers will wonder why they’ve being missing out on so much fun for so long. It’s well priced and a superb way to spend hours on your PS3, so buy it now!
Title: Football Manager 2010
Platform: iPhone
Genre: Football Management
Price: £6.99
Hit count: 4/5
Known for draining hours, days and months from many adults’ lives, the Football Manager series has always retained that ’just one more game’ appeal.
This means that deciding to install it on your PC or console has to be a carefully-considered lifestyle choice!
Pared down and polished up for the slickest on-the-go gadget around, Football Manager 2010 is a brilliant ’lite’ version of the full desktop experience, but don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s been over-simplified.
The player search database is still huge and nearly a dozen leagues are available for managers. Understandably, things such as the 3D match engine have been retrofitted with more basic top-down animations, but this never feels like a step backwards.
Some fiddly fingerwork is required in team selection, but for those with dainty digits, this will herald an extremely exciting launch for the portable gaming world.
Title: God Of War: Collection
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 5/5
In a way, it’s a little harsh to bring out the early two incarnations of the God Of War series so close to the monstrous impact that the third and final episode has made on PS3.
But giving people the opportunity to fully appreciate how far the series has come is one action experience that no serious gamer should turn their noses up at.
Graphically, they struggle to keep pace with the likes of Uncharted 2, but they’re still both a dream to play – eclipsing many of the early, and some recent, big next-gen releases.
The HD graphical upgrade has certainly worked its magic, making the early adventures of Kratos all the more engaging.
Each half of this incredible bundle represents a serious piece of gaming history and you’d be mad not to add them to your collection – even if you played through the PS2 versions first time around.
Title: Splinter Cell: Conviction
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count 5/5
Sam Fisher’s previous forays into the world of stealth have been supremely successful, so it’s a pretty bold move to adapt the gameplay formula for the next episode in the series.
But Splinter Cell: Conviction proves to be a masterful progression for the series, restructuring the stealth aspects to turn Fisher from a silent shadow lurker into a ruthless hunter.
Intuitive controls allow you to improvise with the environment around you and react on the fly to any changing enemy situations.
You can create diversions, execute dozens of close-combat takedowns with adrenaline-pumping accuracy and make the most of new high-tech gadgets to stay one step ahead of your pursuers.
While the single-player story may be a little short, the additional modes provide admirable replay value and ensure that Conviction raises the bar for all action stealth titles that follow.
Title: Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £34.99
Hit count 5/5
Liberty City dropped the jaws of sandbox gamers long ago when Grand Theft Auto IV first hit the streets.
Now, this duo of expansion packs finally brings the fresh perspective on life in the city to PS3 gamers.
Whether you’re unearthing the seedy underbelly of Liberty City bursting to the seams with guns, glitz and grime through The Ballad Of Gay Tony or joining Johnny Klebitz and his biker crew in a vicious turf war with rival gangs in The Lost And The Damned, this additional content brings the overall GTA IV experience close to perfection. New missions, side missions, characters, weapons, multiplayer modes, TV, internet and radio content all add to the rich tapestry of life in this virtuoso virtual world.
A few hours with both of these episodes and you’ll realise you’d have been happy to pay double. GTA is still the daddy.
GAME CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
2. Just Dance
3. Grand Theft Auto – Episodes From Liberty City
4. Wii Fit Plus
5. Monster Hunter Tri
6. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
7. Wii Sports Resort
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
9. Just Cause 2
10. Pokemon SoulSilver
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Friday, 30 April 2010
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Stranger than fiction?
EVERYONE loves a good conspiracy theory right? Well this week I’ve been sticking my head into the real X-Files.
Last month the Ministry of Defence released its UFO files onto the National Archives website (http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/).
The files contain a wide range of UFO-related documents covering the years 1994 to 2000.
They offer the viewer to find out more about close encounters, strange illnesses, flying ‘Toblerones’ and unidentified objects tracked on radar.
Files range in size from 2MB to about 195MB and contain an absolute shedload of information.
Sifting through the pages is actually quite eerie as the files contain letters to and from the Government denying reports.
In one report it states: “It is clear from the reports we receive that there are many strange things to be seen in the sky.
“However, we believe that explanations could be found for most of them.”
Freaky huh?
Random seems to be the theme of this week for me as I’ve been looking at some seriously ‘left at the traffic lights’ sort of stuff.
Like for instance a little search engine site which tells you which song was number one on the day you were born.(www.everyhit.com/dates).
There’s also a strange ‘statastic’ website which tells you heaps of random facts you’ll never really need to know.
Saying that though it is quite fascinating to look at a figure – increasing every single second – relating to births in the world at that one time.
The nifty web page also has stats on how much oil is being pumped around the world at any one time, how many people have died of malaria this year (morbid I know), and the amount of forest the earth is losing every single second.
Check it out at www.poodwaddle.com/clocks2.htm.
Here are the latest game releases and games chart:
Title: God of War III
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
With so much emphasis placed on multiplayer gaming experiences online, it’s sometimes nice to settle down with a single-player only title and think: "This is just for me to enjoy."
And God of War III is about as good a gaming gift you could give yourself right now.
As its first and probably final outing on the PS3, this is an all-action mythological encounter that combines as equally engaging a storyline as the first title with the ramped-up combat prowess of the sequel.
Bundle in the PS3’s beefy graphics capability and you have one of the punchiest packages around.
Epic boss battles, clever puzzles for you to ponder on, and the kind of over-the-top gore and brutality you’d expect from this fantasy world, all add up to one gaming experience you wouldn’t want to share with anyone, even if there was an online option!
Title: Metro 2033
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Bleak is not the word. Set in the shattered subway of a post-apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is another one of those stories where the fate of mankind rests in your hands.
After 20 years spent underground, with human civilization in a new Dark Age, you must now venture beyond the Metro Station-City limits, from the forgotten catacombs beneath to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions could save the world – or what’s left of it.
But what a wonderful, atmospheric world to explore, putting this shooter up there with the likes of Bioshock and Half-Life 2.
In fact, it’s probably better than Bioshock 2, simply because this is a unique world that will make your jaw drop – we’d already seen Rapture once before.
Yes, the shooter action itself could have done with another wee bit of polish, don’t let that stop you immersing yourself in yet another incredible shooter to land on the 360.
Title: Superstar V8 Racing – Next Challenge
Platform: PS3
Genre: Racing
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 3/5
Hmmmm, there’s been a glut of outstanding racing titles in recent years, and carving your way up into pole position within the genre is not easy.
And with Gran Turismo 5 on the horizon, staying there will be even harder. Here, Superstar V8 Racing – Next Challenge sets its target audience squarely at the more serious racing gamer.
If you’re expecting to pick this up and screech away with the reckless abandon of DiRT 2 or the Need For Speed series, you might be a little disappointed.
However, if you’re prepared to tweak your suspension, master the racing lines and devote the time this title requires, you’ll unearth a racer that handles supremely well and looks pretty darn good, too.
Computer opponents love to take you on with aggressive AI and the online mode is perfectly playable as well.
All in all, Next Challenge may never reach the peak of the podium, but it’s a solid challenger.
Title: How To Train Your Dragon
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
It’s one of the hot new films doing the rounds for families right now, and when the kids return from the cinema desperate for a pet dragon of their own, pulling out this disc could prove a winning move.
Set after the film, you take the role of either lead character Hiccup or Astrid, exploring the island of Berk and preparing your dragon for battle.
A host of well-considered mini-games act as the training material for your dragon. Once trained, you send your dragon into battle tournaments, where kid-friendly combat controls do a cracking job. The level of dragon customisation is pretty impressive, too.
Also, the full cast lend their vocal talents to this 360 production – making it a really seamless continuation from the big screen, and one most little dragon lovers will be crying out for this Easter.
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Just Cause 2
2. Pokemon SoulSilver
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
4. Pokemon HeartGold
5. Just Dance
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. God Of War III
8. Final Fantasy XIII
9. Wii Sports Resort
10. Wii Fit Plus
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
ends
Last month the Ministry of Defence released its UFO files onto the National Archives website (http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/).
The files contain a wide range of UFO-related documents covering the years 1994 to 2000.
They offer the viewer to find out more about close encounters, strange illnesses, flying ‘Toblerones’ and unidentified objects tracked on radar.
Files range in size from 2MB to about 195MB and contain an absolute shedload of information.
Sifting through the pages is actually quite eerie as the files contain letters to and from the Government denying reports.
In one report it states: “It is clear from the reports we receive that there are many strange things to be seen in the sky.
“However, we believe that explanations could be found for most of them.”
Freaky huh?
Random seems to be the theme of this week for me as I’ve been looking at some seriously ‘left at the traffic lights’ sort of stuff.
Like for instance a little search engine site which tells you which song was number one on the day you were born.(www.everyhit.com/dates).
There’s also a strange ‘statastic’ website which tells you heaps of random facts you’ll never really need to know.
Saying that though it is quite fascinating to look at a figure – increasing every single second – relating to births in the world at that one time.
The nifty web page also has stats on how much oil is being pumped around the world at any one time, how many people have died of malaria this year (morbid I know), and the amount of forest the earth is losing every single second.
Check it out at www.poodwaddle.com/clocks2.htm.
Here are the latest game releases and games chart:
Title: God of War III
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
With so much emphasis placed on multiplayer gaming experiences online, it’s sometimes nice to settle down with a single-player only title and think: "This is just for me to enjoy."
And God of War III is about as good a gaming gift you could give yourself right now.
As its first and probably final outing on the PS3, this is an all-action mythological encounter that combines as equally engaging a storyline as the first title with the ramped-up combat prowess of the sequel.
Bundle in the PS3’s beefy graphics capability and you have one of the punchiest packages around.
Epic boss battles, clever puzzles for you to ponder on, and the kind of over-the-top gore and brutality you’d expect from this fantasy world, all add up to one gaming experience you wouldn’t want to share with anyone, even if there was an online option!
Title: Metro 2033
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Bleak is not the word. Set in the shattered subway of a post-apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is another one of those stories where the fate of mankind rests in your hands.
After 20 years spent underground, with human civilization in a new Dark Age, you must now venture beyond the Metro Station-City limits, from the forgotten catacombs beneath to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions could save the world – or what’s left of it.
But what a wonderful, atmospheric world to explore, putting this shooter up there with the likes of Bioshock and Half-Life 2.
In fact, it’s probably better than Bioshock 2, simply because this is a unique world that will make your jaw drop – we’d already seen Rapture once before.
Yes, the shooter action itself could have done with another wee bit of polish, don’t let that stop you immersing yourself in yet another incredible shooter to land on the 360.
Title: Superstar V8 Racing – Next Challenge
Platform: PS3
Genre: Racing
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 3/5
Hmmmm, there’s been a glut of outstanding racing titles in recent years, and carving your way up into pole position within the genre is not easy.
And with Gran Turismo 5 on the horizon, staying there will be even harder. Here, Superstar V8 Racing – Next Challenge sets its target audience squarely at the more serious racing gamer.
If you’re expecting to pick this up and screech away with the reckless abandon of DiRT 2 or the Need For Speed series, you might be a little disappointed.
However, if you’re prepared to tweak your suspension, master the racing lines and devote the time this title requires, you’ll unearth a racer that handles supremely well and looks pretty darn good, too.
Computer opponents love to take you on with aggressive AI and the online mode is perfectly playable as well.
All in all, Next Challenge may never reach the peak of the podium, but it’s a solid challenger.
Title: How To Train Your Dragon
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
It’s one of the hot new films doing the rounds for families right now, and when the kids return from the cinema desperate for a pet dragon of their own, pulling out this disc could prove a winning move.
Set after the film, you take the role of either lead character Hiccup or Astrid, exploring the island of Berk and preparing your dragon for battle.
A host of well-considered mini-games act as the training material for your dragon. Once trained, you send your dragon into battle tournaments, where kid-friendly combat controls do a cracking job. The level of dragon customisation is pretty impressive, too.
Also, the full cast lend their vocal talents to this 360 production – making it a really seamless continuation from the big screen, and one most little dragon lovers will be crying out for this Easter.
GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Just Cause 2
2. Pokemon SoulSilver
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
4. Pokemon HeartGold
5. Just Dance
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. God Of War III
8. Final Fantasy XIII
9. Wii Sports Resort
10. Wii Fit Plus
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
ends
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Google maps out its street plan
WONDERED why someone was outside your house recently taking pictures?
Well you don’t need to use Google’s search engine to find out why.
Google has just announced an extension to its Google Street View feature which will cover more than 95 per cent of UK roads.
From today, 360-degree pictures from Penzance to the Shetland islands will go online, encompassing nearly a quarter of a million miles of British roads.
Google’s Street View service has been available in 25 cities since last March, but the increased coverage makes an additional 210,000 miles of detailed mapping public.
Tomorrow’s launch means the UK will catch up with other European countries - such as Spain, France, and Italy – which already boast nationwide coverage.
Street View images are captured by Google’s car, fitted with a special panoramic camera on its roof.
Pedestrianised areas were shot with Google’s tricycle, including Stonehenge and the banks of Loch Ness.
Despite featuring images visible only from public roads, Street View has attracted critics who believe the detailed street-level information could be exploited by criminals.
And rightly so. While you can’t (yet...) zoom right in towards the front door of every property in the country, who’s to say it will stop now.
Google has taken some steps to preserve anonymity.Its technology automatically blurs number plates and faces and users can ask for their homes or cars to be removed.
But will everyone in the UK be checking the latest feature to check? I think not.
In the words of Fred Astaire: “There may be trouble ahead...”
Here's the latest game reviews:
Title: Alice In Wonderland
Platform: Wii
Genre: Adventure
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
A 3D big-screen outing, and Tim Burton directing one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time – it has been quite a renaissance for Alice In Wonderland in 2010.
And the video game is another welcome addition to the bundle as Lewis Carroll’s much-loved characters bring another dimension to what would otherwise be your run-of-the-mill action adventure title.
Hopping between characters such as the White Rabbit and the March Hare is as easy as pie.
Each boasts a range of magical powers, such as rewinding time and telekinesis, to help you solve various surreal puzzles in a range of ingenious and cleverly designed Wonderland levels.
Countless collectables, unlockable extra talents and, at its heart, a darn good storyline, with some familiar voices lending their acting prowess to proceedings, Alice is one amazing family adventure you won’t want to miss on Wii.
Title: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Epic shooters don’t come any bigger than another recent release with a 2 at the end of it, so Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has got a pretty hefty challenge to make a name for itself so soon after probably the best FPS we’ve ever seen – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
And, it does a remarkably good job.
An engaging, if a little short, single-player campaign serves as the perfect entree to where the real action’s at – online.
While you may be afforded a little time to gape and coo at the truly stunning environments and vistas you’ll encounter on your single-player run-through, you’d better be on your toes when you team up.
It’s brilliant large-scale battling at its best, with vehicles coming into play, as well as the creation of mini-strike forces tasked with specific objectives that all feed into your side’s masterplan.
And, with the fully destructible environments creating all sorts of opportunities for mayhem masterminds, Bad Company 2 actually provides good, tactical company to its Modern Warfare competitor.
Title: Final Fantasy XIII
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
OK, if you’re already a big Final Fantasy fan, it won’t really matter what you read in this review, you’ll have already pre-ordered it and be rubbing your hands at the prospect of hour upon hour of new Japanese role-playing action.
For everyone else, what do you need to know?
Well, in FF13, you’ll embark on an epic journey through the cityworld of Cocoon and the outerworld of Pulse, mixing fantasy weaponry and the might of magic to progress, and finally face, your destiny.
It’s all played out in classic over the top J-RPG style, with truly stunning production values – the graphics, sound and storyline all reach epic proportions, and it’s a captivating single-player experience.
Whether you’ll go back for another bash after completion is another matter, but it’s still a must-buy title for anyone with an RPG obsession.
Title: Yakuza 3
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Modern-day Japan once again proves to be an engrossing backdrop to the next cinematic chapter in this well-received gaming saga, which continues to offer players an authentic, gritty and often violent story to absorb themselves in.
The city you explore lives and breathes as much as any sandbox title you might have seen since GTA IV, such as the ever-changing menus at street restaurants - it’s attention to detail to the nth degree.
At its core, though, is an extremely enjoyable and adult story that once again proves that the line between cinematic experiences and gaming experiences is too fine to see anymore.
It’s easy to be distracted by one of the 100-plus side-missions, or the fantastic mini-games from Mahjong, but when you return to the main game, it’s still as impressive as ever.
This game proves that exploration and combat in a thriving, detailed environment remains a potent recipe for gaming success.
Title: The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Platform: Wii
Genre: Aerial combat
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Anyone who’s a fan of the Ace Combat series should be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of getting the Wiimote and nunchuk in their hands for another dose of flight fun and frolics from the team who brought you those great air combat experiences.
Taking inspiration from five manga novels, Innocent Aces is fab, sending you out on a variety of missions to bomb targets or take part in some monumental dogfights with enemy planes.
Control-wise, the traditional method may give you a touch more finesse, but using the nunchuk is so much more realistic, if a little harder to master. Graphically, it’s a bit below par, but this shouldn’t put you off taking your place in the cockpit for Japanese anime aerial action.
Title: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
The Resident Evil series has rarely disappointed, so the prospect of a fifth outing on next-generation consoles unsurprisingly sparked excited twitching in the thumbs of gamers ready to engross themselves in the next biohazard threat - this time in Africa.
Here, the latest bioterrorism threat is literally transforming the people and animals of the city into mindless, maddened creatures and, joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, you can bring Chris some much-needed assistance, by using a revolutionary new two-player co-op mode of gameplay.
Gone are some of the creepy spine-tingling jump-out-of-your seat moments that lingered in the darkness of the early versions – they are replaced by a greater emphasis on the action.
However, there are still more than enough thrills and spills to keep the franchise going strong, and you shouldn’t miss out on this African adventure, which also includes access to eight new characters for play in the game’s Mercenary mode, as part of its gold edition bundle.
Title: Sonic Classic Collection
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Still one of the best-loved video game characters to ever be created, it’s time to dip into Sonic’s archives in this classic collection which allows fans both old and new to speed through the much-loved zones of the four original Mega Drive adventures.
They’ve been optimised to take full advantage of the Nintendo DS system, and feature a new ’save anywhere’ capability, which means you don’t need to glue yourself to your DS for hours on end to get through certain levels.
Extras video and collectable pictures add the obligatory additional content to the cartridge, while the games themselves still play pretty well, save for a spot of screen squashing here and there to emulate SEGA Genesis visuals.
Hours of fun for new and old blue hedgehog fans alike.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
2. Just Dance
3. Aliens Vs Predator
4. Heavy Rain
5. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
8. Wii Sports Resort
9. FIFA 10
10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
ends
Well you don’t need to use Google’s search engine to find out why.
Google has just announced an extension to its Google Street View feature which will cover more than 95 per cent of UK roads.
From today, 360-degree pictures from Penzance to the Shetland islands will go online, encompassing nearly a quarter of a million miles of British roads.
Google’s Street View service has been available in 25 cities since last March, but the increased coverage makes an additional 210,000 miles of detailed mapping public.
Tomorrow’s launch means the UK will catch up with other European countries - such as Spain, France, and Italy – which already boast nationwide coverage.
Street View images are captured by Google’s car, fitted with a special panoramic camera on its roof.
Pedestrianised areas were shot with Google’s tricycle, including Stonehenge and the banks of Loch Ness.
Despite featuring images visible only from public roads, Street View has attracted critics who believe the detailed street-level information could be exploited by criminals.
And rightly so. While you can’t (yet...) zoom right in towards the front door of every property in the country, who’s to say it will stop now.
Google has taken some steps to preserve anonymity.Its technology automatically blurs number plates and faces and users can ask for their homes or cars to be removed.
But will everyone in the UK be checking the latest feature to check? I think not.
In the words of Fred Astaire: “There may be trouble ahead...”
Here's the latest game reviews:
Title: Alice In Wonderland
Platform: Wii
Genre: Adventure
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
A 3D big-screen outing, and Tim Burton directing one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time – it has been quite a renaissance for Alice In Wonderland in 2010.
And the video game is another welcome addition to the bundle as Lewis Carroll’s much-loved characters bring another dimension to what would otherwise be your run-of-the-mill action adventure title.
Hopping between characters such as the White Rabbit and the March Hare is as easy as pie.
Each boasts a range of magical powers, such as rewinding time and telekinesis, to help you solve various surreal puzzles in a range of ingenious and cleverly designed Wonderland levels.
Countless collectables, unlockable extra talents and, at its heart, a darn good storyline, with some familiar voices lending their acting prowess to proceedings, Alice is one amazing family adventure you won’t want to miss on Wii.
Title: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Epic shooters don’t come any bigger than another recent release with a 2 at the end of it, so Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has got a pretty hefty challenge to make a name for itself so soon after probably the best FPS we’ve ever seen – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
And, it does a remarkably good job.
An engaging, if a little short, single-player campaign serves as the perfect entree to where the real action’s at – online.
While you may be afforded a little time to gape and coo at the truly stunning environments and vistas you’ll encounter on your single-player run-through, you’d better be on your toes when you team up.
It’s brilliant large-scale battling at its best, with vehicles coming into play, as well as the creation of mini-strike forces tasked with specific objectives that all feed into your side’s masterplan.
And, with the fully destructible environments creating all sorts of opportunities for mayhem masterminds, Bad Company 2 actually provides good, tactical company to its Modern Warfare competitor.
Title: Final Fantasy XIII
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
OK, if you’re already a big Final Fantasy fan, it won’t really matter what you read in this review, you’ll have already pre-ordered it and be rubbing your hands at the prospect of hour upon hour of new Japanese role-playing action.
For everyone else, what do you need to know?
Well, in FF13, you’ll embark on an epic journey through the cityworld of Cocoon and the outerworld of Pulse, mixing fantasy weaponry and the might of magic to progress, and finally face, your destiny.
It’s all played out in classic over the top J-RPG style, with truly stunning production values – the graphics, sound and storyline all reach epic proportions, and it’s a captivating single-player experience.
Whether you’ll go back for another bash after completion is another matter, but it’s still a must-buy title for anyone with an RPG obsession.
Title: Yakuza 3
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Modern-day Japan once again proves to be an engrossing backdrop to the next cinematic chapter in this well-received gaming saga, which continues to offer players an authentic, gritty and often violent story to absorb themselves in.
The city you explore lives and breathes as much as any sandbox title you might have seen since GTA IV, such as the ever-changing menus at street restaurants - it’s attention to detail to the nth degree.
At its core, though, is an extremely enjoyable and adult story that once again proves that the line between cinematic experiences and gaming experiences is too fine to see anymore.
It’s easy to be distracted by one of the 100-plus side-missions, or the fantastic mini-games from Mahjong, but when you return to the main game, it’s still as impressive as ever.
This game proves that exploration and combat in a thriving, detailed environment remains a potent recipe for gaming success.
Title: The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Platform: Wii
Genre: Aerial combat
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Anyone who’s a fan of the Ace Combat series should be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of getting the Wiimote and nunchuk in their hands for another dose of flight fun and frolics from the team who brought you those great air combat experiences.
Taking inspiration from five manga novels, Innocent Aces is fab, sending you out on a variety of missions to bomb targets or take part in some monumental dogfights with enemy planes.
Control-wise, the traditional method may give you a touch more finesse, but using the nunchuk is so much more realistic, if a little harder to master. Graphically, it’s a bit below par, but this shouldn’t put you off taking your place in the cockpit for Japanese anime aerial action.
Title: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
The Resident Evil series has rarely disappointed, so the prospect of a fifth outing on next-generation consoles unsurprisingly sparked excited twitching in the thumbs of gamers ready to engross themselves in the next biohazard threat - this time in Africa.
Here, the latest bioterrorism threat is literally transforming the people and animals of the city into mindless, maddened creatures and, joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, you can bring Chris some much-needed assistance, by using a revolutionary new two-player co-op mode of gameplay.
Gone are some of the creepy spine-tingling jump-out-of-your seat moments that lingered in the darkness of the early versions – they are replaced by a greater emphasis on the action.
However, there are still more than enough thrills and spills to keep the franchise going strong, and you shouldn’t miss out on this African adventure, which also includes access to eight new characters for play in the game’s Mercenary mode, as part of its gold edition bundle.
Title: Sonic Classic Collection
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 3/5
Still one of the best-loved video game characters to ever be created, it’s time to dip into Sonic’s archives in this classic collection which allows fans both old and new to speed through the much-loved zones of the four original Mega Drive adventures.
They’ve been optimised to take full advantage of the Nintendo DS system, and feature a new ’save anywhere’ capability, which means you don’t need to glue yourself to your DS for hours on end to get through certain levels.
Extras video and collectable pictures add the obligatory additional content to the cartridge, while the games themselves still play pretty well, save for a spot of screen squashing here and there to emulate SEGA Genesis visuals.
Hours of fun for new and old blue hedgehog fans alike.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
2. Just Dance
3. Aliens Vs Predator
4. Heavy Rain
5. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
8. Wii Sports Resort
9. FIFA 10
10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
ends
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Returning to a time without consoles
Something very strange happened last night. Within seconds I was taken back to a forgotten time... a time when I went to primary school, had a silly haircut and enjoyed playing sports on the moors with other kids my age.
This was also a time when my household didn't have a games console or the like.
Last night Sony's PlayStation Network decided it didn't want to work anymore. Along with the thousands - if not millions - of gamers across the world, I was suddenly lost. I didn't know what to do.
In the last couple of years I have given up on watching TV because it's just pants (with the exception of Horizon and strangely Masterchef if only to see that bald dude keep the spoon in his mouth for an obscene amount of time), I don't really play a lot of sport and I'm not a big drinker.
I quite happily see my girlfriend, but other than that I like to immerse myself in something other-worldly.
The way I see it I spend all day every day talking and communicating, so the last thing I want to do is talk some more. This is my release and my down time.
So last night, when that joy was taken away from me like someone blowing out a candle, I struggled to cope.
All of a sudden I began to suggest alternative things to get stuck in to - like reading a book or doing the hoovering.
Jeez, my existence is questionable.
So thankfully today that technical problem has been fixed.
The bug hit at midnight on Sunday as the clock in the "fat" model of the console tried to recognise 2010 as a leap year.
Fans saw the console’s date reset to January 1 2000 and were unable to connect to the online gaming system PlayStation Network.
Sony had urged owners of the model to stop using the machine as it could result in errors in some functions or the loss of data.
The problem did not affect the newer slim PS3 model.
Patrick Seybold, spokesman for Sony, said on the PlayStation blog: "We are aware that the internal clock functionality in the PS3 units other than the slim model recognised the year 2010 as a leap year.
"Having the internal clock date change from February 29 to March 1 – both GMT - we have verified that the symptoms are now resolved and that users are able to use their PS3 normally."
In the hope that the problem doesn't resurface, why not try these latest releases?
Title: Heavy Rain
Platform: PS3
Genre: Adventure
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
If Heavy Rain is likely to teach you two things about video games, they will be: 1) Games have come an incredibly long way from the days of Space Invaders and Pac Man; and 2) We’re entering a strange territory in this world, where the boundaries between video game and movie are truly being transcended.
Heavy Rain is an outstanding, adult adventure, which puts you in control of the four protagonists on the tail of a serial murderer called the Origami Killer. Why is it so amazing?
It makes you genuinely care, for one, and graphically the facial animations of the characters are so lifelike you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a film.
This is a stunning looking game, which serves to only ramp up the immersion further as you make your way through a story that will twist and turn according to your own decisions, and provide almost everyone who plays it with a unique experience they won’t forget for a long, long time.
Title: Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Racing
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
There’s no doubt that Mario Kart in its various guises on successive systems has been celebrating atop the cartoon racer podium for many years now.
Now, there’s a serious challenger on 360 and PS3 to rival Nintendo’s diddy racing dominance, as you enter the frantic battle to the chequered flag with Sonic and friends, speeding around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the familiar universes of Sonic and SEGA.
All the tricks, twists and turns are there, in the shape of custom-built vehicles for different characters, secret shortcuts, swift handling and specific All Star moves – such as Super Sonic, Banana Blitz and Tails Tornado – that allows a quick way for you to get back into the race!
There’s no doubt this is a worthy adversary to Mario, and certainly the best kart racer you can buy on either of these systems, but in the grand scheme of things, the plumbers remain in pole position.
Title: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Platform: Wii
Genre: Survival Horror
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
The Silent Hill series has been around for more than a decade, so now is probably a good time to go back to its roots, and at the same time, ’re-imagine’ the world that we were first introduced to all those years ago with a car crash on the outskirts of a strange town.
The first thing to note here is the superb Wii gameplay mechanics that feel as natural as they are effective.
Point the remote around the screen and you have your flashlight, independent of your character movement with the nunchuk. You can also take mobile phone calls through the speaker of your Wiimote too – it may look stupid, but it feels so right. And you’ll need these devices, as there are no weapons to help you through this eerie, adult story, which serves only to heighten the feeling of helplessness.
That’s only to the credit of the writers, who provide a nightmarish succession of psychologically disturbing scenarios that will thrill and chill in equal measure. The series, it seems, is in safe hands.
Title: Way of the Samurai 3
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
A cracking prospect – take the role of a samurai and choose your own path, blazing a trail of honour, loyalty and respect or one of villainy, corruption and greed. In a series best known for its high level of freedom and play style, fans won’t be disappointed here, as the slick sword-fighting combat system combines superbly with the open world exploration akin to the Grand Theft Auto series.
Wrapped around all this is a storyline that will take you down many different paths, with 15 different endings, giving the decisions you make during the game even more significance. Yes, the graphics could do with a bit more polish here and there, and some of the menu navigation aspects are a little frustrating, but overall, this visit to Japan’s Sengoku period is one well worth making. An excellent adventure all round.
Title: Lips: Party Classics
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Music
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 4/5
Lips is the real deal for karaoke-style gaming on the 360, with wireless microphones allowing you to not only prove that you’re a Leona Lewis or Dizzee Rascal in the making, but also groove to the tunes without getting yourself all tangled up.
There’s no doubt you’ll get in a spin over the staggering collection of tracks on this Party Classics disc, as around 40 tunes span genres and generations to ensure there’s more than enough to cater for all music tastes.
From The Righteous Brothers to Right Said Fred, Nancy Sinatra to New Order, the whole family can get involved, as Xbox 360 controllers double up as a variety of percussion accompaniments, too, rather than you just sitting there watching the tune pass by.
It’s a nice touch that adds to the party experience and overall, this is a fab development of the Lips series.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Aliens Vs Predator
2. Just Dance
3. BioShock 2
4. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
5. FIFA 10
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
7. Wii Sports Resort
8. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
9. Wii Fit Plus
10. Army of Two: The 40th Day
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
This was also a time when my household didn't have a games console or the like.
Last night Sony's PlayStation Network decided it didn't want to work anymore. Along with the thousands - if not millions - of gamers across the world, I was suddenly lost. I didn't know what to do.
In the last couple of years I have given up on watching TV because it's just pants (with the exception of Horizon and strangely Masterchef if only to see that bald dude keep the spoon in his mouth for an obscene amount of time), I don't really play a lot of sport and I'm not a big drinker.
I quite happily see my girlfriend, but other than that I like to immerse myself in something other-worldly.
The way I see it I spend all day every day talking and communicating, so the last thing I want to do is talk some more. This is my release and my down time.
So last night, when that joy was taken away from me like someone blowing out a candle, I struggled to cope.
All of a sudden I began to suggest alternative things to get stuck in to - like reading a book or doing the hoovering.
Jeez, my existence is questionable.
So thankfully today that technical problem has been fixed.
The bug hit at midnight on Sunday as the clock in the "fat" model of the console tried to recognise 2010 as a leap year.
Fans saw the console’s date reset to January 1 2000 and were unable to connect to the online gaming system PlayStation Network.
Sony had urged owners of the model to stop using the machine as it could result in errors in some functions or the loss of data.
The problem did not affect the newer slim PS3 model.
Patrick Seybold, spokesman for Sony, said on the PlayStation blog: "We are aware that the internal clock functionality in the PS3 units other than the slim model recognised the year 2010 as a leap year.
"Having the internal clock date change from February 29 to March 1 – both GMT - we have verified that the symptoms are now resolved and that users are able to use their PS3 normally."
In the hope that the problem doesn't resurface, why not try these latest releases?
Title: Heavy Rain
Platform: PS3
Genre: Adventure
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
If Heavy Rain is likely to teach you two things about video games, they will be: 1) Games have come an incredibly long way from the days of Space Invaders and Pac Man; and 2) We’re entering a strange territory in this world, where the boundaries between video game and movie are truly being transcended.
Heavy Rain is an outstanding, adult adventure, which puts you in control of the four protagonists on the tail of a serial murderer called the Origami Killer. Why is it so amazing?
It makes you genuinely care, for one, and graphically the facial animations of the characters are so lifelike you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a film.
This is a stunning looking game, which serves to only ramp up the immersion further as you make your way through a story that will twist and turn according to your own decisions, and provide almost everyone who plays it with a unique experience they won’t forget for a long, long time.
Title: Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Racing
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
There’s no doubt that Mario Kart in its various guises on successive systems has been celebrating atop the cartoon racer podium for many years now.
Now, there’s a serious challenger on 360 and PS3 to rival Nintendo’s diddy racing dominance, as you enter the frantic battle to the chequered flag with Sonic and friends, speeding around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the familiar universes of Sonic and SEGA.
All the tricks, twists and turns are there, in the shape of custom-built vehicles for different characters, secret shortcuts, swift handling and specific All Star moves – such as Super Sonic, Banana Blitz and Tails Tornado – that allows a quick way for you to get back into the race!
There’s no doubt this is a worthy adversary to Mario, and certainly the best kart racer you can buy on either of these systems, but in the grand scheme of things, the plumbers remain in pole position.
Title: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Platform: Wii
Genre: Survival Horror
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
The Silent Hill series has been around for more than a decade, so now is probably a good time to go back to its roots, and at the same time, ’re-imagine’ the world that we were first introduced to all those years ago with a car crash on the outskirts of a strange town.
The first thing to note here is the superb Wii gameplay mechanics that feel as natural as they are effective.
Point the remote around the screen and you have your flashlight, independent of your character movement with the nunchuk. You can also take mobile phone calls through the speaker of your Wiimote too – it may look stupid, but it feels so right. And you’ll need these devices, as there are no weapons to help you through this eerie, adult story, which serves only to heighten the feeling of helplessness.
That’s only to the credit of the writers, who provide a nightmarish succession of psychologically disturbing scenarios that will thrill and chill in equal measure. The series, it seems, is in safe hands.
Title: Way of the Samurai 3
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 4/5
A cracking prospect – take the role of a samurai and choose your own path, blazing a trail of honour, loyalty and respect or one of villainy, corruption and greed. In a series best known for its high level of freedom and play style, fans won’t be disappointed here, as the slick sword-fighting combat system combines superbly with the open world exploration akin to the Grand Theft Auto series.
Wrapped around all this is a storyline that will take you down many different paths, with 15 different endings, giving the decisions you make during the game even more significance. Yes, the graphics could do with a bit more polish here and there, and some of the menu navigation aspects are a little frustrating, but overall, this visit to Japan’s Sengoku period is one well worth making. An excellent adventure all round.
Title: Lips: Party Classics
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Music
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 4/5
Lips is the real deal for karaoke-style gaming on the 360, with wireless microphones allowing you to not only prove that you’re a Leona Lewis or Dizzee Rascal in the making, but also groove to the tunes without getting yourself all tangled up.
There’s no doubt you’ll get in a spin over the staggering collection of tracks on this Party Classics disc, as around 40 tunes span genres and generations to ensure there’s more than enough to cater for all music tastes.
From The Righteous Brothers to Right Said Fred, Nancy Sinatra to New Order, the whole family can get involved, as Xbox 360 controllers double up as a variety of percussion accompaniments, too, rather than you just sitting there watching the tune pass by.
It’s a nice touch that adds to the party experience and overall, this is a fab development of the Lips series.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Aliens Vs Predator
2. Just Dance
3. BioShock 2
4. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
5. FIFA 10
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
7. Wii Sports Resort
8. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
9. Wii Fit Plus
10. Army of Two: The 40th Day
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Apps are the Apple of my eye
APPSOLUTELY blown away. That’s how I find myself today.
You see a short while ago I bit the bullet and converted.I became one of those people that other people love to hate.
You know the ones... the type of person who talks of nothing else except, yep their iPhone.
I pledged to friends that I would never take one on, but then in a moment I cracked.
Maybe it was the nice big touch screen or maybe it was the possibility of meeting other geek-minded like.
I now admit care-free, it was the app-factor.
You see, I love it. I want to know how Chelsea got on and I’m in the middle of nowhere – click click click and I’ve got the Sky Sports app.
I want to tune my guitar to drop ‘D’ – click click click bingo!
I want to know what that annoyingly catchy tune is on the shop sound system – click click click boom – download Shazam.
I do, truly and honestly, love it.
Apple boast there is now an ‘app’ (or application) for anything. And I’m beginning to agree.
I was in a pub having lunch earlier today and I overheard a conversation where a chap mentioned there was now a ‘hand-warmer’ app.
Naturally my response was “no way”. But sure enough within a few seconds of searching the App Store, there it is – an app that lets you turn your phone into something probably resembling a small nuclear device to warm your hands.
And if I thought THAT was weird, imagine my surprise at these other weird apps that I’ve discovered.
You can download a ‘virtual zippo lighter’... I guess, for all those virtual cigarettes I’ve been meaning to smoke...?
There is an iVibe app for um, well, turning your iPhone into a sex toy.
And there is an app called ‘hang time’ which allows you to measure how far your iPhone has fallen (with any luck into your hand) after you’ve thrown it into the air. (Point being... er?)
Joking aside there are literally tens of thousands of really useful apps.
When I was away on holiday I used a currency converter app which automatically updates the rates.
I also downloaded a battery app which tells me – to the second – how long my battery life will last.
And of course there’s a new Planet Rock app which allows you to listen to rock music (with or without headphones) forever.
Some apps can be quite pricey but generally I go for the free ones which are just as good.
So there you have it. I’m an iFreak.
Now if only there was an iMoney app which paid me cash for talking useless gibberish...
Here are the latest games reviews and charts:
Title: Aliens Vs Predator
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Many gamers would insist that these creatures should be consigned to film and gaming history, so as not to tarnish the reputations they’ve built up in both genres.
However, you can’t help but feel a ripple of excitement at being able to once again dive into the unique world where colonial Marines, aliens and predators go toe-to-toe in this tense, horror shooter.
While the developers unashamedly delve into the past for material to furnish the single player campaigns, this merely provides more stand-out moments to savour than rehashed old soundbites to reel off.
Control-wise, a host of character-specific weapons keep things feeling fresh, whichever campaign you’re progressing, but overall, this doesn’t feel quite as cutting edge as today’s leading shooters.
However, that’s a minor gripe – this is a blockbuster shooter in every sense of the word.
Title: BioShock 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: First person shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past.
Two years after the release of the original game, it's a trip that almost every gamer has probably considered booking their first holiday of the year for.
The fallen city looks just as incredible as before, as you assume the role of the very first Big Daddy, and the game still plays out like no other first person shooter on the market.
The plasmid upgrades return with a vengeance, providing a multiplayer experience that will live long in the memory - Capture the Sister replacing Capture the Flag just about says it all!
It may not be quite the sensational step forward many were hoping for, but it's still an essential purchase.
Title: Guitar Hero Van Halen
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Take a well-worn, popular formula, bring a legendary rock band into that world, and you have a bona fide recipe for success.
This time round, you have 25 classic Van Halen tracks, three signature Eddie Van Halen guitar solos, and 19 hand-picked guest acts to contend with, played out in eight original venues specifically designed for this version of the game.
With tracks ranging from the high-energy Jump to the legendary guitar solo Eruption, Guitar Hero yet again extols the virtues of being easy to play and difficult to master.
Playing as one of the four members of Van Halen, or as your own personalised superstar with Rock Star Creator, you could be driven to distraction as your superstar parties on stage.
With the option to rock out with up to four players locally or battle other bands with up to eight players, it’s another hefty musical challenge all round.
Pricey, but you know it makes sense.
Title: Family Party: Winter Fun
Platform: Wii
Genre: Mini-games
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Bearing in mind the disruption and general discontent created by this year’s series of snow flurrys around the UK, why anyone would want to subject themselves to more wintry activities is beyond comprehension.
Surely, we should be all clamouring for summer sports now?
Well, if you have that kind of masochistic streak, then this bundle of three dozen sub-zero mini-games is more than likely to warm your cockles.
Bobsledding, figure skating, ski-jumping and many more crank up the competitive atmosphere around the family, with the usual dozen or so cutesy characters to choose from.
With a host of new challenges, character outfits and medals to unlock, this will prove to be a pretty decent investment at under 20 quid, if you’re looking for some inoffensive, entertaining sporting frolics.
Title: TNA Impact! Cross The Line
Platform: PSP
Genre: Wrestling
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 2/5
More meaty wrestling action is on the horizon, as 25 of your favourite wrestlers from AJ Styles to Tomko, Chris Sabin to Sharkboy come to the PSP’s small screen.
One look at the graphics combined with excellent in-game commentary suggest this is going to be one brawler you can’t afford to miss.
Throw in the usual wild-card items into battle, such as fridge doors, road barriers, chairs and TVs, and you’d think that there’s even more fun to be had. Sadly, this is not the case.
Where the smooth, cohesive gameplay of Smackdown makes grappling pure pleasure, Cross The Line comes across as its awkward cousin, creating more frustration than free-flowing combos.
Yes, it’s a really good-looking game for this system, but scratch beneath this surface and you have an unpolished beat ’em up not worth working up a sweat over.
Title: Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Replace Harry Potter’s wand and spells for Percy Jackson’s ’son-of-Poseidon’ special abilities, and you’ll probably get a sense for what this series of books is setting out to achieve, with author Rick Riordan having a serious stab at becoming the next JK Rowling.
With such a monstrous book and movie marketing plan comes the game of the film, in this instance a fairly tepid RPG adventure, where you pit your team against the outlandish foes and bestiary of the Percy Jackson universe.
A decent upgrade and customisation system keeps interest levels bubbling up as you unlock new abilities for all characters under your command, and exploring the Riordan’s world on the dual screen will undoubtedly appeal to those young adults sucked into this fictional mythological world.
However, when all’s said and done, it’s not a patch on Potter, or the RPG gaming company it keeps.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. BioShock 2
2. Just Dance
3. FIFA 10
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
7. Wii Fit Plus
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Dante’s Inferno
10. Bayonetta
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
You see a short while ago I bit the bullet and converted.I became one of those people that other people love to hate.
You know the ones... the type of person who talks of nothing else except, yep their iPhone.
I pledged to friends that I would never take one on, but then in a moment I cracked.
Maybe it was the nice big touch screen or maybe it was the possibility of meeting other geek-minded like.
I now admit care-free, it was the app-factor.
You see, I love it. I want to know how Chelsea got on and I’m in the middle of nowhere – click click click and I’ve got the Sky Sports app.
I want to tune my guitar to drop ‘D’ – click click click bingo!
I want to know what that annoyingly catchy tune is on the shop sound system – click click click boom – download Shazam.
I do, truly and honestly, love it.
Apple boast there is now an ‘app’ (or application) for anything. And I’m beginning to agree.
I was in a pub having lunch earlier today and I overheard a conversation where a chap mentioned there was now a ‘hand-warmer’ app.
Naturally my response was “no way”. But sure enough within a few seconds of searching the App Store, there it is – an app that lets you turn your phone into something probably resembling a small nuclear device to warm your hands.
And if I thought THAT was weird, imagine my surprise at these other weird apps that I’ve discovered.
You can download a ‘virtual zippo lighter’... I guess, for all those virtual cigarettes I’ve been meaning to smoke...?
There is an iVibe app for um, well, turning your iPhone into a sex toy.
And there is an app called ‘hang time’ which allows you to measure how far your iPhone has fallen (with any luck into your hand) after you’ve thrown it into the air. (Point being... er?)
Joking aside there are literally tens of thousands of really useful apps.
When I was away on holiday I used a currency converter app which automatically updates the rates.
I also downloaded a battery app which tells me – to the second – how long my battery life will last.
And of course there’s a new Planet Rock app which allows you to listen to rock music (with or without headphones) forever.
Some apps can be quite pricey but generally I go for the free ones which are just as good.
So there you have it. I’m an iFreak.
Now if only there was an iMoney app which paid me cash for talking useless gibberish...
Here are the latest games reviews and charts:
Title: Aliens Vs Predator
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Many gamers would insist that these creatures should be consigned to film and gaming history, so as not to tarnish the reputations they’ve built up in both genres.
However, you can’t help but feel a ripple of excitement at being able to once again dive into the unique world where colonial Marines, aliens and predators go toe-to-toe in this tense, horror shooter.
While the developers unashamedly delve into the past for material to furnish the single player campaigns, this merely provides more stand-out moments to savour than rehashed old soundbites to reel off.
Control-wise, a host of character-specific weapons keep things feeling fresh, whichever campaign you’re progressing, but overall, this doesn’t feel quite as cutting edge as today’s leading shooters.
However, that’s a minor gripe – this is a blockbuster shooter in every sense of the word.
Title: BioShock 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: First person shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past.
Two years after the release of the original game, it's a trip that almost every gamer has probably considered booking their first holiday of the year for.
The fallen city looks just as incredible as before, as you assume the role of the very first Big Daddy, and the game still plays out like no other first person shooter on the market.
The plasmid upgrades return with a vengeance, providing a multiplayer experience that will live long in the memory - Capture the Sister replacing Capture the Flag just about says it all!
It may not be quite the sensational step forward many were hoping for, but it's still an essential purchase.
Title: Guitar Hero Van Halen
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Take a well-worn, popular formula, bring a legendary rock band into that world, and you have a bona fide recipe for success.
This time round, you have 25 classic Van Halen tracks, three signature Eddie Van Halen guitar solos, and 19 hand-picked guest acts to contend with, played out in eight original venues specifically designed for this version of the game.
With tracks ranging from the high-energy Jump to the legendary guitar solo Eruption, Guitar Hero yet again extols the virtues of being easy to play and difficult to master.
Playing as one of the four members of Van Halen, or as your own personalised superstar with Rock Star Creator, you could be driven to distraction as your superstar parties on stage.
With the option to rock out with up to four players locally or battle other bands with up to eight players, it’s another hefty musical challenge all round.
Pricey, but you know it makes sense.
Title: Family Party: Winter Fun
Platform: Wii
Genre: Mini-games
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Bearing in mind the disruption and general discontent created by this year’s series of snow flurrys around the UK, why anyone would want to subject themselves to more wintry activities is beyond comprehension.
Surely, we should be all clamouring for summer sports now?
Well, if you have that kind of masochistic streak, then this bundle of three dozen sub-zero mini-games is more than likely to warm your cockles.
Bobsledding, figure skating, ski-jumping and many more crank up the competitive atmosphere around the family, with the usual dozen or so cutesy characters to choose from.
With a host of new challenges, character outfits and medals to unlock, this will prove to be a pretty decent investment at under 20 quid, if you’re looking for some inoffensive, entertaining sporting frolics.
Title: TNA Impact! Cross The Line
Platform: PSP
Genre: Wrestling
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 2/5
More meaty wrestling action is on the horizon, as 25 of your favourite wrestlers from AJ Styles to Tomko, Chris Sabin to Sharkboy come to the PSP’s small screen.
One look at the graphics combined with excellent in-game commentary suggest this is going to be one brawler you can’t afford to miss.
Throw in the usual wild-card items into battle, such as fridge doors, road barriers, chairs and TVs, and you’d think that there’s even more fun to be had. Sadly, this is not the case.
Where the smooth, cohesive gameplay of Smackdown makes grappling pure pleasure, Cross The Line comes across as its awkward cousin, creating more frustration than free-flowing combos.
Yes, it’s a really good-looking game for this system, but scratch beneath this surface and you have an unpolished beat ’em up not worth working up a sweat over.
Title: Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Replace Harry Potter’s wand and spells for Percy Jackson’s ’son-of-Poseidon’ special abilities, and you’ll probably get a sense for what this series of books is setting out to achieve, with author Rick Riordan having a serious stab at becoming the next JK Rowling.
With such a monstrous book and movie marketing plan comes the game of the film, in this instance a fairly tepid RPG adventure, where you pit your team against the outlandish foes and bestiary of the Percy Jackson universe.
A decent upgrade and customisation system keeps interest levels bubbling up as you unlock new abilities for all characters under your command, and exploring the Riordan’s world on the dual screen will undoubtedly appeal to those young adults sucked into this fictional mythological world.
However, when all’s said and done, it’s not a patch on Potter, or the RPG gaming company it keeps.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. BioShock 2
2. Just Dance
3. FIFA 10
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
7. Wii Fit Plus
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Dante’s Inferno
10. Bayonetta
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Monday, 14 December 2009
Sale of the century! Well... decade
ROCK memorabilia goes under the online hammer this week offering those with a few quid the chance to scoop a piece of history.
Coldplay - who hail partly from Exeter - are staging an auction on eBay from 5pm, Thursday (Dec 17th) to 5pm Thursday December 31 in aid of a charity called Kids Company.
The 'End of Decade Clearout Sale' will feature various instruments, clothing, equipment, posters and other bits and bobs - many of which will be signed by the band.
Those bits and bobs which aren't signed will come with a certificate of authenticity.
In a bid to raise awareness of the sale the band have released this humourous video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrbkyASaKsg.
While the idea is a fab one and I completely appreciate the band's generosity, it leaves you wishing you had bucket loads of money to spare on buying a few bits of kit.
I mean, wouldn't it be fab to own Chris Martin's guitar signed by the band?! A definite party talking point methinks.
Anyone got a few grand going spare?
For more info on the sale visit Coldplay's official website.
So equally - if not more - exciting (and cheaper) is the news that those nice people at Lucas Arts and Activision are bringing out Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II next year.
The game promises to be a must for any fan of the films.
The first game rocked and gave gamers a true feel of actually being in one of the movies and unleashing hell using a light saber.
In the last couple of weeks I've also been mastering - and getting completed narked off at - Uncharted II.
Great game, but once again the online multiplayer feature appears to be flawed.
I simply can't tell you how annoying it is to be 'fined' $160,000 for 'leaving' an online death match game without the deathmatch finishing first.
While I can understand that it is annoying for other gamers, surely the fine should only be in place IF you actually leave on purpose.
I've had to reboot my entire system four times because it keeps glitching out and crashing. Grr.
What's more annoying is that I've actually gone to email Naughty Dog (the game's developers) direct, and I've had a message back saying that they're "unable to receieve your comment at this time".
So what's the use of having a customer feedback form?!
Yours frustratingly
Tristan.
Here's some reviews of the latest games:
Title: Tony Hawk Ride (with skateboard controller)
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Skateboarding
Price: £99.99
Hit count: 4/5
In the past 12 months or so we’ve had balance boards, drum kits and even DJ turntables, and just when you thought the console peripheral world couldn’t get any more densely populated – along comes a skateboard for you to ride in your living room.
Tackling Tony Hawk’s latest title is not as daunting as you might think. Running your foot past a side-sensor on the board will have you pushing off on-screen, while tipping the back end up will perform an olly.
More complex tricks can be completed with a combination of different balancing positions and by using your hands to activate the other board sensors, as you navigate the virtual skate world to carry out a dazzling array of skate challenges.
There’s no doubt this controller will be used further in years to come, but its first outing doesn’t come without a glitch or two. However, as an innovative concept to drive the skateboarding genre forward into 2010, this is an outstanding achievement.
Title: Avatar
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Avatar the film has understandably generated a whole heap of hype, with director James Cameron at the helm and a blockbusting budget to showcase the latest CGI effects technology.
Box-office success is a given.
This kind of success on the big screen so rarely translates to the console world, but in this case, your trip deep into the heart of Pandora, an alien planet that is beyond imagination, actually translates into an entertaining third-person shooter outing.
You find yourself thrust into a fight for the heart of a planet and the fate of a civilisation.
The mix of native Na’vi weapons and a hardcore human arsenal makes for interesting combat elements, and the graphics provide a strong recreation of this virtual world.
Sadly, some serious camera flaws and wooden voice-acting stop this from being a real standout movie tie-in, but there’s more than enough here to warrant fans of the film picking this up for the Christmas period.
Title: Wheelspin
Platform: Wii
Genre: Racing
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
If raw speed sets your racing heart pumping, Archer Maclean’s Wheelspin is likely to float your boat.
Offering eight-player, split-screen capability, it’s the perfect way to gather your crew around a telly and battle it out for futuristic four-wheeled supremacy – particularly in the battle mode, where you can blow your opponents to smithereens in a ring-fenced environment.
It doesn’t offer the overall polish of the likes of Mario Kart, and the option to control your vehicle with the D-pad or the nunchuk would have been much appreciated as frustration levels can rise as you shoot off the track into oblivion for the 10th time.
But that’s the challenge, and it makes success all the sweeter as you finally manage hum around the various tracks to claim first prize.
The racing world could do with a couple more party-style multiplayer titles and, while Wheelspin doesn’t hit the mark across the board, there’s enough to suggest that a sequel could be worth earmarking for the future.
Title: Medieval Games.
Platform: Wii
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Just when I thought the Wii controller couldn't be used for anything else along comes Medieval Games.
I mean, sword fighting and jousting?! Awesome.
Saying that Medieval Games doesn't really reinvent the wheel but it is admittedly a lot of fun.
It has a budget-friendly price and it's graphics are cute and cartoon-like. It's the sort of game which would sit perfectly in a younger sister's stocking this Christmas.
The story mode looks good with a pop-up-book style and the mini games are fun.
Okay it won't win game of the year by any stretch of the imagination, but it will keep the kids quiet for a few days this Christmas.
Title: Yoga
Platform: Wii
Genre: Fitness
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Focusing on the balance board, one of the core successes of the Wii Fit series, Yoga sets about slowing your day down, allowing your body to relax and teaching you the finer points of this philosophical fitness activity.
Model Anja Rubik and a 3D-animated Yoga guru guide you through the most important parts of the game and offer helpful information on individual exercises, as well as encouraging you to take steps to improve your own state of wellbeing.
While you’re unlikely to let a Wii game act as a life coach, it’s delivered in a minimally patronising way and successfully complements the range of exercises and customised workout plans.
Feedback on your progress through the balance-board sensors works well, and overall this is an enjoyable exploration into the yoga world for those who would rather focus on this element alone, rather than using it either side of hula-hooping and squat thrusts.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
2. FIFA 10
3. Assassin’s Creed 2
4. New Super Mario Bros Wii
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
9. Forza Motorsport 3
10. Mario Kart Wii
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Coldplay - who hail partly from Exeter - are staging an auction on eBay from 5pm, Thursday (Dec 17th) to 5pm Thursday December 31 in aid of a charity called Kids Company.
The 'End of Decade Clearout Sale' will feature various instruments, clothing, equipment, posters and other bits and bobs - many of which will be signed by the band.
Those bits and bobs which aren't signed will come with a certificate of authenticity.
In a bid to raise awareness of the sale the band have released this humourous video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrbkyASaKsg.
While the idea is a fab one and I completely appreciate the band's generosity, it leaves you wishing you had bucket loads of money to spare on buying a few bits of kit.
I mean, wouldn't it be fab to own Chris Martin's guitar signed by the band?! A definite party talking point methinks.
Anyone got a few grand going spare?
For more info on the sale visit Coldplay's official website.
So equally - if not more - exciting (and cheaper) is the news that those nice people at Lucas Arts and Activision are bringing out Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II next year.
The game promises to be a must for any fan of the films.
The first game rocked and gave gamers a true feel of actually being in one of the movies and unleashing hell using a light saber.
In the last couple of weeks I've also been mastering - and getting completed narked off at - Uncharted II.
Great game, but once again the online multiplayer feature appears to be flawed.
I simply can't tell you how annoying it is to be 'fined' $160,000 for 'leaving' an online death match game without the deathmatch finishing first.
While I can understand that it is annoying for other gamers, surely the fine should only be in place IF you actually leave on purpose.
I've had to reboot my entire system four times because it keeps glitching out and crashing. Grr.
What's more annoying is that I've actually gone to email Naughty Dog (the game's developers) direct, and I've had a message back saying that they're "unable to receieve your comment at this time".
So what's the use of having a customer feedback form?!
Yours frustratingly
Tristan.
Here's some reviews of the latest games:
Title: Tony Hawk Ride (with skateboard controller)
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Skateboarding
Price: £99.99
Hit count: 4/5
In the past 12 months or so we’ve had balance boards, drum kits and even DJ turntables, and just when you thought the console peripheral world couldn’t get any more densely populated – along comes a skateboard for you to ride in your living room.
Tackling Tony Hawk’s latest title is not as daunting as you might think. Running your foot past a side-sensor on the board will have you pushing off on-screen, while tipping the back end up will perform an olly.
More complex tricks can be completed with a combination of different balancing positions and by using your hands to activate the other board sensors, as you navigate the virtual skate world to carry out a dazzling array of skate challenges.
There’s no doubt this controller will be used further in years to come, but its first outing doesn’t come without a glitch or two. However, as an innovative concept to drive the skateboarding genre forward into 2010, this is an outstanding achievement.
Title: Avatar
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Avatar the film has understandably generated a whole heap of hype, with director James Cameron at the helm and a blockbusting budget to showcase the latest CGI effects technology.
Box-office success is a given.
This kind of success on the big screen so rarely translates to the console world, but in this case, your trip deep into the heart of Pandora, an alien planet that is beyond imagination, actually translates into an entertaining third-person shooter outing.
You find yourself thrust into a fight for the heart of a planet and the fate of a civilisation.
The mix of native Na’vi weapons and a hardcore human arsenal makes for interesting combat elements, and the graphics provide a strong recreation of this virtual world.
Sadly, some serious camera flaws and wooden voice-acting stop this from being a real standout movie tie-in, but there’s more than enough here to warrant fans of the film picking this up for the Christmas period.
Title: Wheelspin
Platform: Wii
Genre: Racing
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
If raw speed sets your racing heart pumping, Archer Maclean’s Wheelspin is likely to float your boat.
Offering eight-player, split-screen capability, it’s the perfect way to gather your crew around a telly and battle it out for futuristic four-wheeled supremacy – particularly in the battle mode, where you can blow your opponents to smithereens in a ring-fenced environment.
It doesn’t offer the overall polish of the likes of Mario Kart, and the option to control your vehicle with the D-pad or the nunchuk would have been much appreciated as frustration levels can rise as you shoot off the track into oblivion for the 10th time.
But that’s the challenge, and it makes success all the sweeter as you finally manage hum around the various tracks to claim first prize.
The racing world could do with a couple more party-style multiplayer titles and, while Wheelspin doesn’t hit the mark across the board, there’s enough to suggest that a sequel could be worth earmarking for the future.
Title: Medieval Games.
Platform: Wii
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Just when I thought the Wii controller couldn't be used for anything else along comes Medieval Games.
I mean, sword fighting and jousting?! Awesome.
Saying that Medieval Games doesn't really reinvent the wheel but it is admittedly a lot of fun.
It has a budget-friendly price and it's graphics are cute and cartoon-like. It's the sort of game which would sit perfectly in a younger sister's stocking this Christmas.
The story mode looks good with a pop-up-book style and the mini games are fun.
Okay it won't win game of the year by any stretch of the imagination, but it will keep the kids quiet for a few days this Christmas.
Title: Yoga
Platform: Wii
Genre: Fitness
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Focusing on the balance board, one of the core successes of the Wii Fit series, Yoga sets about slowing your day down, allowing your body to relax and teaching you the finer points of this philosophical fitness activity.
Model Anja Rubik and a 3D-animated Yoga guru guide you through the most important parts of the game and offer helpful information on individual exercises, as well as encouraging you to take steps to improve your own state of wellbeing.
While you’re unlikely to let a Wii game act as a life coach, it’s delivered in a minimally patronising way and successfully complements the range of exercises and customised workout plans.
Feedback on your progress through the balance-board sensors works well, and overall this is an enjoyable exploration into the yoga world for those who would rather focus on this element alone, rather than using it either side of hula-hooping and squat thrusts.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
2. FIFA 10
3. Assassin’s Creed 2
4. New Super Mario Bros Wii
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
8. LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
9. Forza Motorsport 3
10. Mario Kart Wii
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
Monday, 30 November 2009
Christmas gift tips for the e-saver
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)