Noby Noby Boy

PS3/PSN, £3.19
Playfully perplexing
After Teika Takahashi's demo of the work-in-progress Noby Noby Boy at Gamecity in 2007, 2 things were clear – no one really knew what to expect of the final game, and neither did its creator. Over a year on, it's finally out and it's still in a world of its own.
Making his name through the lovable and quirky roll-em-up series, Katamari Damacy, Keita's design is instantly recognisable, mixing simplistic shapes with cute characterisation. Noby Noby Boy continues this tradition, perhaps simplifying things even further.
The game itself is simpler too, if you can call it a game. Actually, it's probably more complex... no, wait... er. Noby Noby Boy is truly an enigma. There is no game in the traditional sense. Just Noby Noby Boy and a square of land, populated by a random selection of architecture, trees and inhabitants. What you do with all that is up to you. There are no real goals (beyond PS3 trophy hunting). You just play, for fun.
To play, you control the stretchy protagonist with both analogue sticks, one for the head, one for the rear. Each can move independently of each other and if they move in opposite directions, Noby Noby Boy stretches and stretches and stretches into a multi-coloured mess of elastic.
He can eat things, and poop them out if he wishes. He can bounce and fly with careful control and the local inhabitants can hitch rides on his back. Beyond this there at first seems little else but the game is full of secrets waiting to be discovered.
It's also definitely a game of its time – there's Youtube support for direct uploading of recorded play sessions. There's also, at its core, a kind of massively multiplayer online co-operative element.
You see, there's this Girl too. She's much bigger than Noby Noby Boy and is trying to reach out to the stars. Every stretch Noby Noby Boy makes gets added to her length, and that's every stretch by every player round the world. She's reached the moon, unlocking new places to visit. Next stop Mars!
8/10

Killzone 2

Platform: PS3
In the danger zone
As hypetrains go, Killzone 2's has been one of the biggest – rolling at full pace ever since that first misleading target-render shown at E3 years ago. Achieving the graphical fidelity of that footage was optimistic yet Guerilla has come close to matching it, giving the PS3 something to be proud of.
Fans of grey/brown graphics will be right at home as the PS3 spends every inch of its fibre rendering rust, metal and pooling blood with high definition gusto. Dust floats in the filtered sunlight and smoke flows and ebbs over bombed out steel skeletons while mushroom clouds bloom in the distance. It's this attention to detail that sets Killzone 2 apart from its peers, yet at the same time the picture it paints is one we've seen many times before.
Movement and animation also define Killzone 2, with the spectacle of reeling Helghast reactions to your bullets as impressive as the blood stains they leave behind. Characters move with an impressive weight behind them too, as evidenced by the initially clunky controls as the task of balancing the Dualshock's deadzone with a heavily armoured marine's momentum settles down.
Falling somewhere between Gears of War and Call of Duty 4, Killzone 2's standard FPS fare is mixed in with a workable cover mechanic, while gunplay is brutal, with top class AI that actively flanks and out-maneuvres you.
The story however is forgettable and humourless, the characters risable and the dialogue cliched. The lack of imagination is also evident in the generic weaponry, not helped by the one gun limit, and levels quickly become a repetitive cycle of hide/shoot/run.
Any quibles evaporate online though. Without a story to bother with and an unlocking class/perks system that marries CoD4 with Team Fortress 2, it quickly becomes clear that Killzone 2 works best in multiplayer.
The cover mechanic has been removed – upping the tempo of matches, and each game can uniquely be split over a number of objectives, constantly switching between variants, keeping things fresh throughoughout. With excellent clan support, a deep class system and 32 player games, Killzone 2 makes up for its unimaginative single player in spades, no doubt keeping the locomotive going for some time to come.
8/10

Peggle Dual Shot

Nintendo DS
Casual dress
Many claims about the addictive qualities of video games have been made in the past, with numerous studies proving and debunking such accusations of pixel junkies on a regular basis.
It’s funny then, that despite core gamers’ almost religious devotion to the medium, the most casual of games is also known as one of the most addictive.
Say hello to Peggle, the game that administers doses, one bouncing metal ball at a time.
A massive hit on the PC, and lately everything from Xbox Live to the iPhone and your new iToaster in between, Peggle: Dual Shot translates the strangely satisfying world of balls and pegs to the DS’ touchscreen with minimal fuss.
Falling somewhere between Pachinko (a kind of vertical Japanese pinball machine) and Arkanoid (bat and ball versus wall), Peggle requires you to clear the screen of orange pegs by firing a ball from the top and hoping your chosen trajectory bounces it off as many pegs as possible.
At the bottom of the screen, a kind of flat bucket moves left to right, returning your ball if it happens to catch it.
Beyond that simple conceit, you have a limited amount of balls and varying colours of pegs that act as power-ups and score-boosts.
The rest is mainly down to luck, and a mastery at predicting trajectories. From there in, everything else is a blur of metal balls, unicorns and neon stars, with a variety of gameplay modes such as Quickplay and Career bolstered by multiplayer options.
To catch Peggle’s bug takes a certain kind of person – where others can be pulled in by its ‘just one more go’ hook, I only find myself doing the same with Street Fighter IV’s new Championship mode.
Still, there is something remarkably satisfying about deleting a massive chain of pegs in one go... whether that can lead to addiction is still up for discussion.
8/10

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (18)

Nintendo DS
Verdict: Robbing on the run
If there’s one series people love to vilify it’s Grand Theft Auto. Granted that the game’s central conceit lies within behaving badly, naysayers’ focus often overlooks the artistic merits of the game. To see it born afresh on the Nintendo DS must be a shock, and a victory for mature gamers everywhere.
Rockstar have taken a risk and created a game for grown-ups on a console typified as ‘for kids’, simultaneously delivering a story of Triads and tribulation, packed full of innovative gameplay and wit, while pushing the DS’ humble hardware to new heights.
Set in the same Liberty City (minus one island) as GTA IV, the series is reborn through a new isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of the PS1 original, and seen through the eyes of Huang Lee, a playboy Triad hunting his father’s murderer.
Incredibly, the entire city is as explorable as ever, with the usual variety of missions and car jacking fun of its bigger brothers.
This time it’s all supplemented by snappy microgames, that introduce non-intrusive touchscreen elements to a variety of activities, and make car jacking just that little more tense when you’re on the run from the cops.
The amount of detail in GTA:CW is impressive too, with radio stations left relatively intact and witty comic book style stills necessarily replacing cut-scenes.
Rockstar have also made fantastic use of the dual/touch screen setup, allowing for instant GPS navigation through quick stylus taps, linking mission co-ordinates and dealers to the minimap with ease.
To survive in the city, money needs to be made, and can be made quickly through the buying and selling of illicit substances.
Playing off against a city of dealers, and introducing a new side quest to the series that fits beautifully into the DS’ quick-fix ethos, Rockstar have introduced a killer feature. Whether it fits into the DS’ image is another thing entirely.
9/10

Blue Dragon Plus

Nintendo DS
Entry level strategy
The original Blue Dragon on the Xbox 360 was as traditional as RPGs get. Turn based, random battles were the meat of the game, accompanied by an epic story and most notably – gorgeous art direction from Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama.
While the gameplay may not have wowed people, its production was spot on. Blue Dragon Plus takes the series out of its comfort zone, translating the turn based action into a touch screen controlled, real time strategy.
Of course this is no Warcraft style RTS, but the new blend of genres pioneered by the likes of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, where the player guides characters on screen with simple taps of the stylus, combined with automatic attacks and directed special abilities.
Picking up one year after the events of the 360 game, civilisation is once again threatened by old enemies and new mysteries, taking place in the strange cube worlds at the planet’s core.
The story of phantom shadows and machines with souls picks up quickly, settling into a nice pace that’ll keep fans of the series happy, while speedily crafting a new tale for the inclusion of new players.
The FMV cut scenes are particularly lovely too, making good use of both screens simultaneously while linking back to the style of the 360 original.
The core game however, while being fairly solidly built, has its flaws that rest more in the style of this RTS than in this particular execution.
Eschewing the ponderous, more strategic gameplay of the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, Blue Dragon Plus can at times become an overwhelming game, despite its simplicity and initial accessibility. Controlling 16 characters at once, in real time, can require a little too much of the player, effectively negating strategy for hasty tactics.
This is at least balanced by the generous amount of healing items your team is given, but at the cost of concise action and real strategy, where time should have been employed.
7/10

Resident Evil 5 (18)

Xbox 360, also PS3.
Lets slay together
Everybody (apart from the odd girlfriend) loves to shoot zombies, and they’re experiencing quite the renaissance at the moment, heralded by Left 4 Dead’s ground breaking co-op action. Freed from the boundaries of moral recompense, they provide nothing more than icky target fodder and a blank canvas unto which writers can ascribe any reflections of society they choose.
Resident Evil 5 has no zombies in it though. Like its stylistic precursor, it chooses to launch sentient infected upon you, clever enough to ride motorbikes, fire crossbows and carry an amusingly plentiful supply of ammo and gold in true videogaming fashion.
Of course, beset by monsters and blood crazed humans that are gestating mind controlling parasites, the only option is to shoot first and kick them when they’re down. Choosing to stick to the formula of Resident Evil 4, the emphasis is on action, sharp shooting and crowd management.
RE5 sticks so closely to the formula of 4 though that you could be forgiven to thinking you’re playing the same game. Sure, the location has moved to Africa and it’s all shiny with its HD gore and Saharan dust clouds but the AI and character animations are identical.
Controls too haven’t moved on, much to the despise of many a gamer screaming in frustration at the downloadable demo. RE4 reinvented the series and was remarkably fresh at the time. Now, in the age of Gears of War and Uncharted, the controls feel clunky and dated.
Once you’re over the shock of the old though, the game settles into a good rhythm, providing plenty of entertaining hours avoiding madmen with chainsaws and dogs with heads that split open to reveal tentacles with teeth.
To talk of Left 4 Dead is more apt than just the zombie-ish brotherhood too, as RE5 reveals its series innovation – co-op play. Plug in an extra controller or go online and a friend can take control of Shiva, an ever present AI partner to the lead character, transforming RE5 from a shiny rehash into something glorious where team work becomes the new raison d’être of a series that was only ever multiplayer when friends solved puzzles together.
7/10

The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga

Wii, also PS2 and PSP
Five’s a crowd
The King of Fighters series was birthed on SNK’s legendary Neo Geo MVS hardware, born of its older sibling fighters Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. As a highly proficient fighter it’s been in long running competition with Street Fighter, borrowing from and tweaking its rival’s moveset, and differentiating itself by adding tag team battles, removing medium strength buttons and adding more complexity to its special moves.
Spanning over a decade of updates, The King of Fighters has gone on to be an extremely popular fighter, perhaps, ironically, peaking in the Capcom vs SNK series. Most would argue that KoF ‘98 has that mantle, which serves to dominate this collection, punctuating the evolution of the fighter from curious runt to top player.
Those not familiar with the series will probably find more joy and accessibility within the new Street Fighter IV (or the Hi-Def KoF XII out this year), the rest of us with dim memories of smokey arcades and quickly disappearing silvers will know what to expect – classic tag-team 2D brawling with a unique art style, complex moves and ridiculously hard bosses.
The Orochi Saga is a collection that charts the back story of the early KoF games, ending in KoF ‘97, with ‘98 included as a bonus, non story-based slugfest.
‘94 introduced the world to KoF’s tag team battling, ‘95 introduced more characters and allowed for editable teams while ‘96 and ‘97 moved further away from Street Fighter with advanced play options and rolling dodges.
Admittedly, once you’ve tried each iteration for nostalgia’s sake, there’s no going back from KoF ‘98, which brings the series to a refined, balanced and feature rich high point, including all previous (and canonically dead) characters, and a whole ton of smackdown fun.
The code does a capable job of emulating the arcade classics, with smooth gameplay and responsive inputs added to with a challenge mode and various controller options. Ultimately, this needs to be played with an arcade stick but the Classic Controller will suit all but the most hard-core gamer fine, or perhaps the Mario Kart Wheel if you’re so inclined.
7/10

SNK Classics Vol.1

Wii, also PS2 and PSP
Rose tinted gaming
There was a time in the days of old, when SNK were kings, touting an outrageously expensive console that equaled the power of arcade machines, and indeed sat inside many of them. These days, affordable super powered home consoles have driven the arcade scene into the ground, leaving those communal centres full of dire gambling machines and ghosts of a glorious past, dancing out their last days on a DDR machine.
SNK franchises of old, live on though, with King of Fighters and Metal Slug still going strong. For those of you too young, or with faded memories, here’s SNK Classics Vol.1 to jog your synapses, compressing a generous selection of about 16 games on one reasonably priced disk.
The selection on offer is an odd bunch of mixed quality, ranging from the mighty Metal Slug to the rather forgettable Sengoku. The genres on offer mainly populate one on one fighters and scrolling street brawlers (as was popular in the early 90’s), with a light mixture of sports, shooters and platformers, thrown in for good measure.
King of Fighters ’94 is a classic, and the first game in the series to pool characters from Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury. Those two are included too, as is the decidedly average World Heroes and the mighty introduction to Samurai Showdown – a weapons based beat-em-up that has aged especially well.
Other memorable titles include the platform shooter Magician Lord, the Godzilla style wrestling game King of Monsters, and the side-scrolling shooter Last Resort.
Aside from those well-known games there’s also a smattering of quirky gems like the comedic Top Hunter and entertaining Shock Troopers.
Arcade Classics Vol.1 is by no means a definitive SNK collection and many of these have popped up on the Wii’s virtual console or been released as part of series compilations. For anyone looking for a slice of fun, affordable, 2-player nostalgia, and not too bothered about playing every iteration of beat-em-up X, you really can’t go wrong.
7/10

Metal Slug 7

Nintendo DS
Shoot first, question originality later
Metal Slug is a series that needs little introduction, and if it does, then the words 'chaotic', 'comedic', 'over-the-top' and 'shooter', certainly suffice. It's a bastion from the past, when games were constructed out of squares and 2D gaming was king. It's also an immensely playable series, taking twitch gaming to its greatest heights of hilarity and filling screens with enormous, mechanical beasts.
Now we're in the future, Metal Slug sits in the palm of your hands and still remains a delight, despite its ageing appearance and recycled gameplay.
Choosing from a selection of six series stalwarts of differing abilities like Marco and Tarma, Metal Slug 7 pulls no surprises, with the score mulitplayer and weapon switching from Metal Slug 6 still in too. The inclusion of a level select at the start is a welcome addition though, allowing for some nice, bite sized sessions that are all important on a portable machine.
The diminutive screen however is a thorn in its side, considering the hectic action and one hit deaths that were tough on a big telly. The lack of two player action will be a real disappointment to fans too but on the bright side, there's less bullets flying around (and probably less slow-down).
The richly detailed backgrounds and sprites remain in force, with SNK Playmore's distinctive style of expressive and amusing animation still working a treat. It's just a shame that, apart from the bosses and occasional new enemy, everything appears to have been recycled from previous games.
Little has changed in the world of Metal Slug – the same old sprites are used, the same old action ensues but despite this lack of imagination or innovation, it's still a blast to play.
Considering the current renaissance that 2D gaming is going through with the likes of Street Fighter IV demonstrating how an old series can be given a new breath of life, I have high hopes for the future of Metal Slug because it is, and always will be, entertaining. Just how many times you're willing to replay what is essentially the same game is a different matter entirely.
7/10

Street Fighter IV

Xbox 360, also PS3
Perfect!
There are few games as potent and influential as Street Fighter II; few games with such a history; few games with such a following; few games as mimicked; and few games with such defining gameplay that it's irrevocably ingrained on a generation of gamers' psyche, only to be unlocked by the familiar cry of HADOKEN!
Few series' are as iconic, as recognisable, as readily slipped back into as Street Fighter, yet for eight long years we've seen little of it. Third Strike may still dominate tournament play and the Vs series' have kept certain characters fresh in our minds yet few would have thought Street Fighter IV was even a possibility a couple of years ago, and few could have predicted how glorious and triumphant its return would be.
Sticking to its 2D roots, SFIV is a classic fighter, reborn with exaggerated 3D visuals, replacing the pixelated sprites with a distinctive art style that at once pays homage to the past while revitalising the fighter with stunning, comedic animation, and thick stylistic brush strokes of ink.
Gameplay is the same as it has ever been, with familiar moves and combos made easier by under-the-hood changes to input times, while additions such as the Revenge Meter (for a high powered comeback attack) and Focus Attack (for tactical parrying and combo launching) at once seek to level the playing field for beginners, while creating a new layer of depth for old masters.
Alongside the the quirky new challengers and the standard Arcade mode that sees each character's run bookended by some impenetrable animated sequences, the console version comes rammed with unlockable characters, hardcore challenges and an in-depth trial mode to teach the basic bread and butter techniques to those new to the series, or just plain rusty.
As well as solid online play there's the unique feature that allows online strangers to challenge you during a single player session (like being in an arcade!), while minute details such as the ability to change individual character voices to their pre-dubbed, Japanese original, show how much thought has gone into the whole package.
These additions, alongside the obvious love that has gone into crafting it, have ensured that Street Fighter IV feels at once completely fresh, yet altogether familiar. Easy to pick up, difficult to master, the return of Ryu and co heralds a new age for the 2D brawler. Welcome back old friend.
10/10

Toribash

Mac, also PC
An art of fighting
In light of Street Fighter IV's imminent arrival and the expected regeneration of the Beat-em-up genre, i've been playing a free online fighting game that is so radically different that it really demands its own sub-genre. Say hello to the award winning Toribash, pioneer of the 'kinda turn based, sorta realtime strategy beat-em-up' genre,.
If you think the average fighting game is a tad too inclusive with its frame counting combos and complex super moves, then prepare to be perplexed to find that even raising a fist is a minor ordeal.
Set in a minimalist virtual space, Toribash places you and one other online player into a white expanse, asking you to defeat each other, either by accumulating points through hits or by causing the other player to make contact with the floor first.
To make these hits the player has to manipulate the circular joints on their avatar's body, assigning the likes of knees, wrists and shoulders to either extend, relax, constrict or hold.
Both players take their moves simultaneously, with a paused window of time allowing for the manipulation of limbs, while a repeating ghost highlights what your selection will do.
The basics are simple enough but the actual translation of joint control into a martial art is far more complex – those skilled at the game are able to render limbs and execute ninja flips, effectively creating their own style of martial arts, whereas a beginner may struggle to merely kick.
It sounds complicated (and it is), but it's also particularly satisfying to finally pull off a successful attack, and the constantly pausing gameplay means its as ponderous and relaxing as a game of chess.
Split between martial arts such as Akido and Judo, a selection of servers allow for beginners and experienced players to find their equals, with accumulating wins contributing towards new belts.
Toribash is a wonderfully simple, yet devilishly complex game that while sparse on appearances and awkward in its mastery, can prove to be quite an addictive way to while away those lunch breaks at work. Download it for free from www.toribash.com.
7/10

World of Goo

Downloadable for Mac, also PC and Wii
Sublime slime
Amongst all the big budget AAA titles to fall upon us at Christmas, there was one that shone like a beacon, calling out to all who appreciate something a little different. Costing a fraction of the Hollywood budgets of modern games and made by only two people (2D Boy), it's fitting that it was also one of the most creative on show.
Garnering all sorts of awards, World of Goo began life in the Experimental Gameplay Project as Tower of Goo, with the proof of concept giving life to the wondrous child i've been playing lately.
To call it a physics based puzzle/construction game would do it a great disservice as such a dry description leaves out so much of what makes this game a joy to play. Filled to the brim with great character, design, music and a general over indulgence in imagination and wit, World of Goo is a puzzle game that's as delicious to play as the balls of Goo themselves.
Building constructions out of Goo is the name of the game, with the general goal of reaching a pipe for the Goo to be sucked up by. Such similarities between levels end there though as each is magnificently different in approach and task, using the laws of physics to delightful extremes.
From constructing a floating platform in the stomach of a creature to using friction and weight to build up through its throat, The World of Goo takes great pleasure in creating environments and puzzles that are primed with innovative puzzling and surreal comedy.
Each ball of Goo that runs along your impromptu construction can be picked up and placed, creating a new strand for your tower or bridge (or whatever you may be building). Different Goo comes with different abilities such as increased friction or weight, each allowing for the wildly varying demands of each level.
With such genius on display and a bizarre, self-referential plot about the Goo discovering they're in a video game, you owe it to yourself (and 2D Boy) to buy this now.
9/10

Wipeout HD

Platform: PS3
Razor sharp racing
With the coincidental demise of The Designers Republic last week, WipEout HD has been burning my retinas lately with its polarised and purified vision of futuristic anti-grav racing.
Essentially a compilation of the previous two games on the PSP, WipEout HD picks the best tracks and re-renders then into a sublime and beautiful looking next-gen racer, available to download over the PSN network. Running at 60fps at 1080p, it's a HD TV owners dream, and at a price around £10 it's a must for any PS3 owner with even the vaguest interest in racing.
Those unfamiliar with the series can expect a series of futuristic race tracks, looping and bending their way to ridiculous extremes as your AG craft speeds through at insane speeds, dodging mines and firing missiles at other racers.
Races are split over standard modes such as time trial and tournament, unlocking new ships and colours along the way, but the real gem is Zone mode.
Replacing the rich cityscape and track textures for classic, virtual reality style vectors, Zone mode is a visual explosion of sharp lines and laser edges where the aim is to survive for as long as possible. Speed accelerates gradually through each 10 second zone and shifting colours and textures blend until the world becomes a hyperkinetic, kaleidoscopic, digital dream.
The tDR style design is still evident too, as the iconic racing team logos such as Feisar and AG Systems bring back hazy memories of late 90's post-club sessions round the PS1 as the ground breaking 3D graphics fused with the sounds of real bands like Orbital and Prodigy.
WipEout HD's music is still spot-on, with driving electro and drum n' bass from the likes of Noisia and Stanton Warriors coaxing you along through the gleaming cityscapes, while the ability to rip tunes to the hard drive and create your own custom soundtrack is a welcome feature for those with more guitar based tastes.
WipEout HD might not be the fully fledged update people have been waiting for, but with the polish and perfection on show, along with the never ending draw of online racing and Zone mode, it's hardly a bitter pill to swallow.
9/10

Loco Roco 2

PSP
What a beautiful world
For a portable console aimed towards an older market and touting a bazillion multimedia functions, Loco Roco was a surprising but entirely welcome hit in 2006 that introduced lashings of originality, character and cuteness to a rather generic catalogue. I bought a PSP for it and the sequel has shaken some dust. Filled with the same pastel hued characters and landscapes, Loco Roco 2 builds upon the first game by adding far more variety to proceedings, without ever losing site of the original vision. There's more to collect, more to explore and more to do as you tilt and flick the surreal landscapes, bouncing and rolling the lovable, eternally singing Loco Rocos. If ever there was a cure for depression, this is it, as the grin stapled to my face is testament to why it should be prescribed on the NHS. Pure, digitised joy.
9/10

Animal Crossing: Lets go to the City

Nintendo Wii
Playing it safe
In these times of economic crisis it's good to get away from it all. Traditionally, cinema takings increase as economies plummet and the game industry is optimistic about its fortunes in these troublesome days. Escaping to the saccharine world of Animal Crossing may be a relaxing way to spend time, just be prepared to take on another mortgage.
There's an overwhelming sense of deja-vu booting up Lets go to the city for the first time – despite its shiny new graphics, trips to the city and Wii-Speak voice chat, it's essentially the same game that consumed your life before. From the initial errands for Tom Nook, to picking fruit to pay your mortgage, and the endless, obsessive, furniture collecting and fossil digging past-times – it has all been done before.
For those new to the series though, it's the definitive version of a cherished game that makes great use of the Wii's features and delivers an irresistibly cute world that can become as much of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. From drawing constellations and designing t-shirts, to having online Wii-Speak conversations with your friends as you indulge in bug catching competitions, Lets go to the city may not offer much new but it still has that undeniable spark that can suck you right in. Just be thankful Tom Nook's loans are interest free.
7/10