Spore Creature Creator

On Apple Mac, also PC
Playing God
When Charles Darwin formulated the theory of evolution in The Origin of the Species, I doubt very much he ever imagined something as fantastical to come from his work as Spore. Allowing you to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism right through to an intergalactic civilisation, Spore essentially allows you to play God (or nature depending on your persuasion).
Spore however isn't out until September. This is Spore Creature Creator, which is the tool that allows you to design the creatures that will appear in your (and everyone elses) final game. And in that short sentence it's pretty much summed up.
However, what that sentence fails to mention is the depth at which it can work and, contrastingly, the ease at which it can be done. Anyone who's played around with some 3D design software will tell you it's no easy thing, yet here, Will Wright and his team of uber-geeks have made it simple enough for a child to master without sacrificing anything.
Allowing you to shape bodies as you please with the ease of a few clicks, and place eyes, ears, wings, mandibles… and all sorts of bizarre limbs, the only limit is your imagination. You can also choose skin type, pattern and colours, creating it exactly how you please.
Once it's looking out-of-this-world, you can start capturing videos of it in motion (and upload them directly to your YouTube account) then save it to the online Sporepedia where it'll join the other 1 million+ user created creatures.
Once Spore finally arrives you can use your creatures in the game, and along their journey to greatness, you'll encounter all manner of strange creatures, created by other people like you from around the world, plucked randomly from the Sporepedia.
The cherry on the cake is that the £5 the Creature Creator costs will de deducted from the price of the full game. So as well as being a hugely enjoyable, supremely addictive way for all ages to get their imagination working, it's an absolute bargain to boot.
Right, time to make a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
10/10

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

On Xbox 360, also PS3
Balls of fun.
I first encountered the action packed Dragon Ball Z series in the long forgotten days of 1990, hidden in the back of a friend’s Chinese newspaper, freshly imported by his parents. I couldn’t read the strip, yet I could read the action, and this speaks volumes the series. Never a manga or anime to concentrate too much on plot or narrative, Dragon Ball Z is mainly about super-powered humans, aliens and cyborgs having a scrap.
Translating this action to a videogame was always an inevitability and has been going on since the days of the NES. Burst Limit is the latest in this long line of scrappers and by far the best looking yet as it debuts on next-gen (now-gen?) machines.
Seen in Hi-Definition, the game is a feast for the eyes, mixing razor-sharp 2D animation with a 3D twist. The cartoon always looked great with Akira Toriyama’s character art coming to life, the 360 makes it look even better.
Gameplay doesn’t stray too far from the template of recent years with the action on firmly 2.5D territory, although after the recent waggle implemented Wii iteration it feels decidedly straightlaced. That’s no bad thing though because the Wii’s quirky motion controls meant there was a steep learning curve. Burst Limit on the other hand is a lot simpler and easier to grasp, to its benefit or detriment, depending on tastes and age.
Rather than opting for complex Virtua Fighter style special moves, most of Burst Limit’s attacks can be utilised with a simple button press combined with a direction or charge over time. Comprised of quick attack, strong attack and chi attack, it's easy to mix up combos between simple punches to huge fireballs. While basic, this does allow for players to concentrate on the hectic anime action and mastering the important dodge attacks and teleportation moves which ultimately decide the fate of the battle.
Unfortunately they've removed the ability to fly freely, making it more traditional than the series deserves but depite that and the rhythm stopping ease of cut-scene-tastic super attacks, it still remains a blast to play.
There’s also an extensive story mode (required to unlock many of the characters for multiplayer) but those unfamiliar with the world conquering DBZ may find it all a bit confusing because Burst Limit is fan service at its greatest. The core gameplay however is still enjoyable as a flashy beat-em-up and absolutely stunning to look at too, with the added bonus of online play allowing you to go Super Saiyan against anyone in the world.
7.5/10

The World Ends With You

On Nintendo DS
Anime innovation
With a name like that, the DS’ latest quirk-fest certainly grabs your attention, and if it doesn’t then the gameplay and presentation will certainly do it.
Set in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, The World Ends With You is aimed at a particular type of Japanese kid (as it essentially stars them) but thankfully the action translates well enough despite what age or nationality you may be.
The premise is fairly simple – Neku (moody, spikey haired brat) has found himself trapped in a game hosted by the malevolent Reapers. The game is populated by complex rules and tasks, puzzles and combat in which he must complete before the timer burnt into his hand runs out. If he fails he faces erasure.
Thankfully he’s not the only reluctant player – there are plenty more kids fighting for survival, many of which can be teamed up with for dual screen combat. With Neku controlled by the stylus on the bottom screen (where you touch, he moves), your partner is controlled with the d-pad on the top screen (rhythm action style). Initially this is a difficult concept to grasp – controlling two characters at once on different screens with different controls is no typical feat but it soon clicks into place after a short struggle against the difficulty curve.
The emphasis is mainly on Neku though and using a selection of psychically powered pins, Neku can eradicate the enemies known as Noise with differing uses of stylus strokes commanding the psychic attacks. With 300 upgradable pins to collect, the game’s considerable depth should be quite apparent, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The game is rammed with tiny innovations such as using the DS’ internal clock to rack up experience points when the game is off or detecting other DS WiFi signals in your area to gain benefits. It’s things like these that make titles stand out and this one has them in spades.
Melding many disparate parts of traditional RPGs together, The World Ends With You singularly refreshes the genre, blowing away the cobwebs of the past with many innovations, all the while looking and sounding like a quality anime, albeit one that requires some patience to fully reap rewards.
8/10

Miicrosoft Avatars?

Yup, that's one crappy title pun but what the hell, it's my first wii-ism, reckon everyone's entitled to one in their life. Any more and Bowser himself will cast you into a fiery pit. The reason for such tabloid-esque copywriting is that it looks like MS are gonna be introducing Mii style avatars to the 360. As long as they don't charge for them it's a great idea that'll thankfully replace the lame-ass gamer pictures. Hopefully the option to keep using your own photo will remain though – more personalisation is always better than less. Of course, fully expect microtransactions to go into overdrive as licensed costumes no doubt start showing up to tie into games and films. As long as you can actually give your animated avatar a decent beard i'll be happy. My Mii's five o' clock shadow just doesn't cut it.

The mobile wasteland

After 30 minutes of struggling to convince someone the other side of the planet that i don't want a new mobile phone, it occurred to me that i'd probably lose all my games if i succumbed to the harassment. I've yet to play a truly great mobile game and can't stand the second rate controls offered by these radioactive speakboxes, yet to lose my progress on any number of quick fix bus journey games would suck. I can't imagine the files are that transferable so if i upgraded should i demand compensation for the lost games that cost me money? I still lament the loss of my old snake hiscore you see...

Update: 3G, my mobile phone provider have called me everday since I asked to be switched to pay-as-you-go. They don't seem to get the message – I don't want to sign up to another 18 months chained to them and some substandard handset they palm off on me. Especially not when you can play Monkey Ball on the new iPhone!

Father's Day in Middle-earth?

In an oddly cool promotion, Codemasters Online are inviting fathers across the UK to celebrate the day virtually. What better than to sit back in your slippers with a pipe full of Shires weed and go Orc slaying with your son?

Taking place on June 15th, Codemasters Online will be running a series of in-game Father’s Day events designed to celebrate this special occasion including father and sons fishing contests, music and fireworks as well as ad hoc competitions and challenges taking place throughout the day. Fathers are invited to attend these events with their sons and daughters and take part in the online festivities with the thousands of other players in Middle-earth.

Sounds like a blast, but I can't see my dad wanting to join the online revolution, despite the fact that he was a mean Slippery Sid player back in the Speccy days. Click here for a free trial download, could be the thing to bring you closer to your kids.

Nude technology

Oh. My. God. This is a work of genius. I had a bash at remixing Radiohead's Nude, didn't come anywhere close to this level of awesomeness... Oh look, a Spectrum, this qualifies as gaming related then.


Big Ideas (Don't get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

Boxhead: The Zombie Wars

On your internet browser.
Total Carnage!
What with redecorating, living out of suitcases and my consoles all sat sulking in the corner waiting to be unpacked, i've struggled to squeeze in a new game this week, despite some cracking new titles on the DS. Thankfully the solace of the lunch break has allowed me to get my quick fix online at work, cruising the browser based gaming ghettos looking for some quality fun.
Amidst all the puzzle clones I discovered a claret coloured gem that throws you into an apocalyptic survival of the fittest, mixing classic Smash TV style gameplay with the current zombie love renaissance – Boxhead: The Zombie Wars.
Zombie Wars essentially drops you into a big open space then releases wave after unrelenting wave of differing zombies at you. Kinda like Rambo meets Night of the Living Dead. All you have are your wits, your adrenaline and a continually expanding arsenal of weapons.
From the basic pistol, to the exploding barrel, Zombie Wars kits you up just enough to continually scrape through by the skin of your teeth, surrounded by ever coalescing pools of red as your weapons of choice upgrade themselves automatically and new weapon drops appear sporadically on the map.
There is of course a degree of strategy involved too – barrels can be used to fence off areas, then exploded with a single pistol shot, taking out dozens of the undead. There are also barricades, automated gun turrets and mines to name but a few. The question is, can you actually muster the time to set up such traps when hundreds of brain eaters are bearing down on you? Barely.
Along with the generic plodding zombie, only made scary by sheer numbers, Zombie Wars resurrects 28 Days Later style Runner zombies as well as mummies, vampires and the odd, red horned, fire breathing demon too.
You may be in the middle of a park but it's far far from a walk, even on intermediate. The continual crushing pressure of the zombie force means every second counts, every decision matters and every shotgun shell is timed to perfection, particularly if you're chasing combos and highscores on the world leaderboard table.
As the perfect solution to a tough morning at work, Boxhead: The Zombie Wars ticks the right boxes. Boss annoying you? Shoot zombies. Nuff said, and much safer than actually assaulting him.
8/10

PSPope

While perusing my phone's photos i chanced upon this old beauty - taken in Berlin last year, it was part of a whole host of gaming related graffiti, none of which bore any semblance of the ill advised ad campaign sony was gettin bad press for in America. Lovely city, great graffiti.

Mario Kart Wii

On Nintendo Wii
A world challenger
Alongside delights such as Bomberman, Halo and Guitar Hero, Mario Kart has been the mainstay of any self respecting multiplayer party, it's legend sealed with the first iteration on the SNES.
To compare Mario Kart Wii to the original is a fools errand though – the changes to the series over the years have wrought it into a very different beast, this time including motorbikes, stunts and online play.
Of course there are many similarities – Mario and co race round zany tracks, firing red shells and dropping bananas in a bid to be first past the finish line. In the olden days it was all about the racing line, these days it's more about luck.
With 12 racers now involved, item usage has increased with new additions like POW Blocks that spin-out opponents, causing races to become even more chaotic and spectacular than before, for better or for worse.
Bearing many similarities to the excellent DS game, Mario Kart Wii's new tracks are a carnival of obstacles, speed boosts and jump pads. With a flick of the Wiimote after a jump, your plucky racer can pull an aerial stunt which rewards with a speed boost. Motorbikes can also do speed boosting wheelies while karts get bigger drift boosts, keeping things balanced and different enough to warrant.
With motion sensing the Wii's 'thing', Mario Kart proudly promotes it with a free Wii Wheel to strap your controller into. The motion sensing is surprisingly accurate but ultimately doesn't beat the analogue stick for that sense of control.
Supporting up to four friends racing on one telly, the real difference between this and the original is online play. Racing with up to 11 other Mii faced people from around the world, games are chaotic and fun, and, impressively, can even be raced splitscreen with a friend.
Hoping to level the playing field between experienced players and it's new market, Nintendo have unfortunately robbed the game of much skill. Thankfully Time Trial challenges and exchangeable Ghost Data hold some addictive respite for those concerned with speed, for the rest of us it's an enjoyable riot of shocks and surprises with friends and strangers. Against its cruel AI though is a different story...
7/10