interrupt.decrement

Noby Noby Boy

2009-05-20T03:14:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-05-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T03:08:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-05-20T03:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T03:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-26T01:40:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T01:36:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T01:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T01:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T03:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T03:23:00.000-08:00

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

Guitar Hero: World Tour

2009-02-04T03:15:00.000-08:00

PS3, also Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii
Rocking all over
Having recently become the first game in history to surpass $1 billion in sales, Guitar Hero III has done all right considering it was Neversoft's first faltering stab at the genre. Recently challenged by the originators of the series through Rock Band, they've responded in kind by adding drums and a mic to the mix. So, surely it should be Band Heroes now?
Things are essentially the same as ever, but with new music, a virtual recording studio and vastly more entertaining multiplayer. The new instruments are top notch too, with a bigger guitar allowing for a touch sensitive strip on the neck for fast finger work and the drums are particularly sturdy and responsive, with 3 large pads and 2 raised ones rounded off with a kick pedal.
The mic works in the same way as games like Singstar and everything manages to cram into one screen reasonably, with the score/star power meter unfortunately squished into a corner during 4 player sessions.
The translation of songs to gameplay has been handled better this time round too, with music from the likes of Modest Mouse, Beastie Boys, Interpol and Nirvana logically synced to the inputs required on the instruments. They're all master tracks too and the inclusion of Jimi Hendrix is a master stroke complemented by a music selection that generally seems better this time round.
And if none of those tracks are to your taste there's downloadable content for the online, with the dual CD/Guitar Hero launch of Metallica's latest album proving how potent a force this rhythm game business has become.
The presentation may not be to everyone's taste and the in-depth avatar/instrument editors mildly pointless, but the Recording Studio could prove to be its unique killer app.
With some basic sequencing software and nicely modelled instrument and amp sounds, it allows you to create your own music and upload to GHTunes to share with the world. Controls can be a bit fiddly but perseverance and a never ending stream of downloadable home-made music could keep the amp on fire long after purchase. Or at least allow me to give birth to Electro Hero.
8/10

Gears of War 2

2009-02-04T03:06:00.000-08:00

Xbox 360
Gore-geous
Welcome to 2009 people, please bear with us while we play catch up on the insane onslaught of Christmas titles – while January is traditionally a barren period for game releases I for one still have plenty to review. First up is the gorgeously violent Gears of War 2, which may just help beat the new year blues with an abundance of scarlet soaked chainsaw bayonets.
The first game defined the 360 so Gears 2 has a lot to live up to, and while it takes the approach of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’, it delivers far more on every level.
With the Light Mass Bomb not doing nearly as much damage as hoped, the war with the Locust is still underway and the Gears have to mount a last offensive to prevent their capital city from being mysteriously sunken into the ground.
Incredibly, the visuals are even better this time round, with the ‘destroyed beauty’ reaping the benefits of a wider colour palette (it’s not all greys and browns this time), massive set pieces and a variety of environments that take in underground caves, ruined cities, mountain vistas and moist worm guts.
The same robust cover based gameplay is back, and plays just like you remember, with a few tweaks, new weapons and the ability to use fallen enemies as ‘meat shields’ (a particularly great way to rub someone’s nose in it during multiplayer games).
Alongside a campaign that’s far more cinematic, varied and involving than the previous game, Epic have spruced up the multiplayer, introducing (initially shaky) matchmaking to proceedings and plenty of new game types and maps (including a few old fan favourites).
There’s also Horde mode, which at first sounds like a slapped on feature, proves to be one of the most compelling multiplayer games around. Allowing up to five friends to team up, Horde mode sticks you into any of the multiplayer maps and tasks you with surviving wave after wave of Locust for as long as you can. Like Left 4 Dead, it’s an exercise in team work and communication, combined with the never ending, score chasing, arcade thrill of Space Invaders. Genius.
9/10

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

2008-12-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Xbox 360, also PS3
Fighting perfection
Ah, there's nothing quite like the opening chords of the trashy lo-bit guitar signalling Street Fighter II's attract mode to get the memory glands flowing. A youth spent in the refuges of the local arcade, pumping coins into Ryu's roundhouses or trading blows on the SNES version with a group of school friends are memories forever ingrained, easily unlocked by the shrill cry of Chun Li or the looped roar of Blanka. With Street Fighter IV arriving in February there's plenty more future memories to be made and to ease old fighters and new challengers into the game, Capcom have released a remake with one of the silliest titles around.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a lovingly crafted slice of history that allows you to go back in time with the rose tints intact. Reworking the excellent Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Capcom have employed Udon comics to completely redraw the game, transforming the pixelated sprites into Hi-Res comic book graphics.
Gameplay has been tweaked slightly, making some moves easier to pull off, and characters have been further balanced, to the point that Akuma is now tournament legal. Music too has been revamped, with the OC ReMix website handling the job with enough skill and sensitivity for it to feel fresh yet essentially the same.
While the graphics, music and movesets have been polished, HD Remix still uses the same amount of frames for animation, meaning that although the action is authentic, it doesn't move quite as smoothly as its HD visuals would initially suggest.
Still, with robust online play a massive draw, alongside fans demand for authenticity and accurate frame counts, it's as perfect as it could possibly be without physically wrenching you through the spacetime continuum back to 1994.
Some may balk at the slightly higher than normal price tag (1200 ms points instead of the usual 800) but when the definitive version of a legendary game comes with lag-free online play and gorgeous hand-drawn graphics for about a tenner, you really can't complain.
It's also the perfect way to relive old memories and dust off those quarter circles in preparation for February's modern onslaught.
9/10

Top 5 games of 2009?

2008-12-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
The true kings of fighting are back, with a canonical sequel to Super Street Fighter II and some stunning new 3D animation that mixes thick brush strokes with cartoon violence to great effect.

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Halo returns without Master Chief in this highly anticipated expansion pack, introducing a new hero, stealthier gunplay, new multiplayer maps and a fresh perspective on the fall of New Mombasa told through flashbacks.

Res Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Resident Evil debuts on modern consoles to stunning graphical effect, taking the action to Africa and introducing online co-op gameplay to the series, and rather awesomely – zombies on motorbikes.

Alan Wake (Xbox 360)
The team behind Max Payne have endured some troubled development but Alan Wake’s nightmarish story of insomnia looks to be on track for an impressively moody debut in this intriguing psychological thriller about a horror novelist who’s latest book is becoming reality.

Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer (PS3)
Quantic Dream hopefully deliver on the promises of ‘The Casting’ tech demo, and create a unique, emotionally engaging film noir thriller where death finally has some weight and your actions write the story.

Top 5 games of 2008

2008-12-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

Little Big Planet
Sony’s innovative title may not be setting the charts on fire but those lucky enough to have it know that its rich mixture of multiplayer platforming and DIY level creation deserves to be in every PS3 in the land.

Fable II
Bugs and over-hype aside, Fable II finally delivers on the promises of the first game, presenting an immensely enjoyable adventure packed full of personality, moral dilemmas and public displays of farting.

Grand Theft Auto IV

A maturer perspective, darkly comic narrative and rich characterisation showed that there’s more to this sandbox series than hot coffee and car jacking.

Left 4 Dead
Surviving the zombie apocalypse has never been so much fun as co-op gameplay achieves new heady heights in this unparalleled shooter.

Braid
Using a mixture of metaphorical time-bending puzzles and emotionally charged narrative, Braid’s beauty and genius level design sees it closer to art than artful.

Little Big Planet

2008-12-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

PS3
A ball of fun
There's a scene in Michel Gondry's 'Science of Sleep' where Gael García Bernal breaks into a neighbours flat, takes a hand crafted stuffed horse, dissects it and fills it with a variety of cogs, rods and dreams. When he returns it, the stuffed horse becomes alive, galloping with a stop-motion shuffle to his friend's delight. It's also the perfect analogy for Little Big Planet.
LBP is Sony's innovative platformer/game creator that aims to turn a world of dreamers into creators, hopefully launching a platform for new gaming experiences for years to come.
Using virtual combinations of cardboard, glue, elastic, springs and a multitude of other materials and devices, Media Molecule have hand-crafted a platformer in the ilk of traditional 2D Mario Bros games. The world however is a living, breathing mixture of fabrics, stitching and clunking mechanics, held together by tactile smoke and mirrors where string replaces strings of code and everything is held together by a forgiving physics engine and a smidgen of luck.
Introducing Sony's new mascot, Sackboy, LBP's charm is easily translated through his likeable, knitted face. With a customisable likeness and the opportunity for up to 4 friends to play together locally or online, LBP is an instant joy to play, packed full of imagination and wit.
That imagination however, has crafted a finite number of levels, yet LBP has the power to last for much longer, its true hook being the Create Mode.
Giving you (and your friends) the same tools the developers used to create the game, LBP opens up a world of creative possibilities, where you can make pretty much anything you can think of.
This is no ordinary, techy level editor though. It's more akin to painting, where your brush can leave solid stone instead of paint and your sticky hands leave a hodge-podge trail of kooky creatures, impossible machines and home-made puzzles.
Such depth comes at a price though as it's DIY logic takes some grasping to begin with, and the scale can be overwhelming. The dulcet tones of Stephen Fry guiding you through it is always enough to make you carry on, upload to the internet and share your imagination with the world, one dream at a time.
10/10

Left 4 Dead

2008-12-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Xbox 360, also PC
Ready your boomstick
Zombies are great – they let you shoot-to-kill with no moral recompense, are comedic yet horrific, and always offer up plenty of potential for social commentary (aren't we the real zombies?). Left 4 Dead dispenses with the socio/political semantics, and delivers four playable movies of old school, zombie slaying horror.
Sticking you and up to 3 friends in a series of zombie based blockbusters, Left 4 Dead is a co-op dream come true, where team work and improvised tactics are the only way to stay alive through each intentionally cliched environment.
Gameplay is relatively simple – survive wave after unpredictable wave of zombies as you battle towards each level's grand-finale to be rescued. There are a limited amount of weapons to choose from, a limited amount of health packs and an unlimited amount of screaming terror.
Depth is created through strategy such as weapon choices and player placements when the hordes descend. A constant eye on other players is also required to ensure they survive so you can too. Doing it alone is not an option. Thankfully, Valve's stellar credentials in audio/visual communication mean it's always clear where your friends are and if they've floored by a mob or super zombie.
Mixed in with the shambling, sprinting infected are these super zombies, a selection of 5 freaks with enhanced abilities running ruin to your carefully laid plans.
Tanks are huge lumbering beasts able to bat you down in an instant, Boomers spew zombie attracting vomit at you, Hunters are leaping nightmares, Smokers are snaring wierdies with a tongue from hell and then there's the sobbing Witch. Don't startle the witch.
With 4 expansive levels, it still sounds like a minimal package considering its online focus, yet Left 4 Dead provides hour after hour of addictive, startling fun, thanks to the excellent AI Director who changes the way each level plays, ensuring a different experience every time.
Versus mode (where you can be the super zombies) and the upcoming downloadable content (first up – the mall from the Dawn of the Dead remake) give Left 4 Dead further life, ensuring the panicked, selfless, tense, chaotic, shared horror continues apace with mucus soaked glee.
9/10

Fallout 3 (18)

2008-12-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

360, also PS3 and PC
Mad Max meets the Jetsons
So, i'm walking through the wastes of DC, heart of the capital wasteland. A vast nothingness surrounds me, just dust and rubble, empty shells of buildings offering little shelter to wastelanders. Empty bottles of Nuca-Cola litter the floor amid long-burnt-out husks of flying cadillacs, posters for kid's cereals flapping in the strong nuclear breeze, buoyed by the sound of happy-go-lucky 1940's popular music.
Like Oblivion before it, Fallout 3 attempts to create a vast, believable world, using small scale details to populate the
free-roaming adventure. What Oblivion achieved was technically great, but ultimately fell short. Fallout 3 ups the technical ante, while narrowing its focus into a more determined adventure, to mostly great
affect.
Comparisons to Oblivion are obvious and expected, as are the claims that it's 'Oblivion with guns'. That claim is correct, but it is also much more. The amount of detail thrown into the wilderness is stunning, swapping the green rolling hills and castles for dense rubble and towns built from scrap metal. Obviously its not a pretty sight, but it is a sight to behold.
All this wasn't meant for your eyes though. As a Vault dweller, you were born in the safety of a nuclear bunker, instilled with the traditional values of a retro-futuristic yesteryear. Your dad's unexpected departure leading you out into the blinding sunlight for the first time, your doorway to a new, harsh world of freedom.
Looking and playing like a first person shooter, Fallout 3 is an RPG at heart, replete with skill upgrades, chat trees and inventory management. RPG-like, pausing combat is an option too, allowing you to target at your leisure, rewarded with slo-mo cinematics and lots of blood. In times of paniced gun fights it's an indispensable and strategic tool, but it's always enjoyable to do the work yourself when you can.
As a 'post apocalyptic simulator', Fallout 3 does a startling job, but is ultimately a divisive game. Some could find the prospect of walking through a decimated grey/brown landscape for hours on end rather boring... some might argue those moments of quietness add to the tension. Whether or not Billie Holiday's 'Crazy He Calls Me' defeats that tension is a moot point.
8/10

Ninja Town

2008-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Nintendo DS
Honor, stealth & cookies above all else...
I've used this column before to highlight the hard time ninjas get – It's tough work being a super assassin and the pay isn't good. This time however, the Ninjas are getting hassled on their home turf, and most likely at the weekend too. There's no rest for the wicked ninjutsu skills it would seem, and it just isn't fair.
Brought to you by the people behind Shawnimals (purveyors of fine plushies and toys), Ninja Town is in its most basic sense, a re-creation of the classic Tower Defence game.
Originally seen as a Warcraft III mod, and recently, addictively, as a kajillion flash games like Desktop Tower Defense and also Pixel Junk: Monsters on the PS3, the idea is to destroy wave after wave of oppressive enemies wandering through your base/town/table, by building towers that can shoot, or in this case, houses that generate ninjas. Stopping the enemy from reaching the exit point is goal to the game. How it is done, is where your own strategies come into play.
Translating the Tower Defense genre to a cute, pastel coloured world of ninjas obsessed by cookies works a charm, infusing the gameplay with far more character than is usual for the abstract strategy genre.
Differing towers are replaced by differing ninjas – some are strong, some can shoot, some can freeze, all have different cookie costs. Managing these costs, and the network of upgradable houses throughout the town is key to surviving, especially when the enemies become more capable of fighting back.
The DS' touchscreen works a treat for games of this ilk, ensuring quick and intuitive controls, and there are unique DS style powers like being able to blow into the microphone to knock enemies back, in the guise of an overseeing Master Ninja.
Admittedly, the game starts off at quite a sedentary pace, probably aimed at easing in those new to the genre, but its worth sticking with as the gameplay gets more rewarding (unfortunately not through real cookies) and those ninjas could really do with some help for a change.
7.5/10

Fable II

2008-11-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Xbox 360
Legendary
From surviving a nuclear wasteland in Fallout 3 to sacrificing yourself for love in Shadow of the Colossus, there are many facets of escapism and expression within video games. Committing bigamy, farting until you accidentally follow-through, and becoming a renowned Lute player are just a few you can add to that repertoire, by way of the sublimely cheeky Fable II.
At its heart, Fable II is an RPG – an adventure game full of dungeons, magic and derogatory Scottish gargoyles, yet beneath the trolls and swords exterior lies a complex, accessible game that reacts to your every action, be it good, bad or somewhere in between.
The original Fable did a similar thing but it was a world of black and white – concise and clear actions of good or evil. It was also a failure in many ways, an overly ambitious title that still remained entertaining despite its flaws.
Fable II is by no means a perfect game but this time round it delivers on all those original broken promises, crafting a living, breathing world that is visibly sculpted by your actions. It is also a world of greys, where sometimes there isn't a right or wrong choice, where sacrifices have to be made for the greater good at personal cost.
From your humble beginnings as an orphaned street urchin to famous monster slayer, your adventures earn you reputation throughout the land. People become to admire or fear you, and as you interact with them, you can charm them or scare them, entertain them or disgust them.
You can also woo them, marry them, have children, become a property magnate, a champion, a villain, a thief and a beggar. The world is your oyster and it and your character's ever changing appearance are distinct representations of your own behaviour.
Throughout the game, one thing is a constant, and one thing is an undisputed success – your best friend, a dog. With you from childhood, your companion not only mimics your actions through appearance and behaviour, he also guides you and fights for you, providing a constant emotional link that ultimately ties you to Fable II's powerful conclusion.
9/10

GameCity Three

2008-10-31T04:50:00.001-07:00

Oct 30th - Nov 1st
Three day pass £50, single day pass £20, some stuff free.
Like the third colossus slamming its massive stone mace into the ground, GameCity arrives back in Nottingham with a bang. Cannilly tied in with international dress-up-like-a-monster night, you could liken it to more of an 'it's alive!', with the content crammed into the three days ranging from the corporate to the musical to the bizarre, making a patchwork Frankenstein's monster of a festival. Of course, this is its draw, and part of its experiment – to discover what a video game festival can be.
Requiring an all day pass for most of the events, GameCity errs on the side of insular but while the 'game geeks' have plenty to be happy with there are also freebies going on around the city to attract the unsuspecting gamer and joe public. So what exactly is going on?
Thursday sees Sony's Eye Toy team showing their new work with the under used PS3 Eye, David Braben (the man behind the seminal Elite and the lovely Lost Winds) spills some magic beans on game design and Splash Damage tell us how they made the transition from mod makers to creators of the sci-fi Battlefield-a-like Quake Wars.
There's also the world premier of Amanita Design's new game Machinarium, a beautifully hand drawn gem continuing in the same fashion of their Samorost. David Jaffe (God of War) is also on hand via live webcast or you could just head down to Market Square all afternoon for a Sports Day that includes a world record attempt, big screen gaming and most likely Wii Sports with lots of embarrassing flailing.
Once the evening draws in, One Life Left bring their excellent and vaguely video games related radio show to Nottingham. Unfortunately they aren't attempting to break the world record for longest radio show as originally planned, although considering they can barely hold it together for an hour, perhaps that's a blessing in disguise.
Halloween hits Friday and GameCity respond in kind. As the undead march upon Market Square, Martin Hollis and David Doak talk about their platform defining Golden Eye, Harmonix recount how they revolutionised the music industry through Guitar Hero and Rock Band, (hopefully through a mix of karaoke and powerpoint), and Stephen Cakebread goes all neon wireframe on us, charting the evolution of twitch shooter Geometry Wars.
Back on the ghost train, a magician demonstrates how video games charm us, cyberpsychologists discuss the portrayal of evil in videogames (growing horns and kicking your dog), while Oddworld's Lorne Lanning hot desks some questions and Traveller's Tales (Lego games) return fresh from Gotham City.
With Market Square's eaterys best advised to serve all manner of brain based hors d' oeuvre, a world record attempt (i detect a theme) is also going down, involving 1000 zombies and some Micheal Jackson inspired dancing. Make-up artists will also be on hand if you're sans costume or uninfected, while dancers can help you if you've lost your groove, or aren't trapped in the 1980's.
The zombie-geddon leads up to an evening of music supplied by the ghoullishly good Jonathan Coulton (he behind the 'Still Alive' Portal song) and Harmonix. There's also the amusing prospect of a Resident Evil speed-run-tag-team-marathon and a 'rather special live gaming event', whatever that may be – a Left 4 Dead preview would be quite fitting methinks.
Easing you into your Saturday hangover and new found hunger for cerebral snacking, Brian Baglow takes you back into the top-down past of GTA while Media Molecule deliver their BAFTA keynote on making the charmingly genius Little Big Planet. Considering its reviews and the DIY nature of the game, expect the most entertainment a keynote should legally be allowed to give.
There's also the launch of the 'Save The Videogame' campaign (part of the new National Video Game archive), and if that sounds like too much cataloguing, Tom Armitage will be sharing curry with anyone interested in how things will look when gamers rule the world, followed up an evening of fun in the shape of the Guardian Gamesblog's Pub Quiz and some Commodore 64 style music provided by Press Play On Tape and Powerplay.
Throughout Saturday, Market Square is host to record breaking of a virtual type via Guiness Book of Records: The Videogame (in further news: a snake eats its tail and a grandfather finds his paradox). Virtual records will be broken and prizes will be given. If score chasing isn't your thing then you can head over to Waterstone's gallery where industry insiders are fielding questions on how to start a career in gaming, and how you can make the next blockbusting genre definer, or shovelware pap.
If nothing throughout those three days tickles your mouse finger then there's always the indiecade at Malt Cross, an arcade full of home-made treats, running throughout the festival. Last year saw it demoing the Xbox Live Arcade smash hit Braid, who knows what indie treats may lie in store next week.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

2008-10-10T04:23:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360.
The sweet life.
Gardens – respite of the city dweller, haunt of the horticulturist and playpen of Monty Mole. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with a spot of green (as opposed to a slab of rusty concrete and some mutant pigeons), then i'm sure you'll appreciate the work that goes into tending to such an urban paradise. Me, i've got some hassle free decking and not a lawn mower in sight. As much as I love to relax in a garden (a pox upon thee for ever saying chillax), I hate gardening. Perhaps i'm work shy (150+ hours of grinding in Final Fantasy VII would say not), more likely it just doesn't tick my box. Which is odd then, as Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise does just that.
Essentially a day-glo, Pokemon-a-like garden simulator that sees you cultivating plants, raising Pinata and shipping them off to parties round the world, Viva Pinata replaces animals with multicoloured papier mache-alikes, blood with candy and Charlie Dimmock with some very strange people. Or at least, stranger.
The first in the series was quite a leap for the 360. Stereotypically home to hyper violent 'shooter-them-up murder simulators', its arrival was a splash of contrast aimed at sucking in new gamers to Microsoft's fold. And it did all right. But there were things missing that the new candy addicts demanded, such as online play. And here they are, wrapped up in a sequel that's more redux yet seven shades closer to perfection.
Fine tuning the experience, Trouble in Paradise takes the core ideas (gardening, collecting Pinata) and runs with them, streamlining the interface and introducing co-op and online play, plenty more Pinata and a whole host of features to customise your garden with like themed object packs.
It also feels more directed – with challenges to complete and goals to meet, you'll never get lost in the freeform gardening and with an extra person thrown into the mix, the experience has proven to be even richer than before.
Admittedly, despite all the new bells and whistles, there's not a whole lot of progression on show. But to fans of the original, all the changes are welcome and worth losing yourself to the addictive, simple yet deep gameplay again, proving that there's more to the 360 than guns and foul mouthed teens. Unlike your own garden perhaps...
8/10

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

2008-10-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360, and everything else, ever.
The Force, tethered.
Aiming to blow your mind with the power of the Force™, The Force Unleashed is the latest chapter in the merchandising juggernaut/contemporary mythology know as Star Wars. Bridging the gap between the sucky prequels and the original beauts, it tells the tale of Darth Vader's secret apprentice and his initial mission to rid the universe of the remaining Jedi.
Pitched as an 'awesome' take on the Force, the emphasis is on over-the-top powers that sees the young Sith make all the Jedi in the films look a tad lame while at the same time ramping everything else in the Star Wars universe up to 11.
Playing like a cross between Ninja Gaiden and Psi-Ops, The Force Unleashed is all about getting creative with your Light Sabre and your telekinetic and electric super powers. Combining stunning graphics and audio with some incredible physics and animation systems, it's a spectacle to behold, particularly when you're chucking panicking Stormtroopers around with your Force Grip.
When it works, it works really well, nailing that '30 seconds of fun' gameplay hook that made Halo so great. When it doesn't, it's a painful and tedious experience hampered by the Force Grip's awful auto-targetting, an unwieldy camera and dispiriting 'balancing' features such as Force resistant shielding that ultimately render you only slightly unleashed.
Boss fights too are a lesson in frustration, highlighting how weak the Light Sabre combat is by forcing you to defeat them cinematically through sequences that require the player to mimic on-screen button prompts instead of skilled sword play. The opportunity to destroy a Star Destroyer with your mind should have been one of gaming's greatest moments. Instead it's enough to turn you to the Dark Side thanks to some shocking design.
Considering the convoluted plots of Phantom Menace etc, it's particularly refreshing to admit that while the gameplay can be lacking, The Force Unleashed is at least a good yarn that for once lives up to its heritage. Supported by some excellent voice acting and well rounded characters, it's classic stuff with twists and turns at every step and probably the main reason you'll fight on through to its revelatory end.
7/10

Too Human

2008-09-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360
To err is human
10 years since conception, and apparently 4 years in the making, Too Human’s release feels like it has been a long time coming. Its development has been a fairly public one too, with troubled previews and internet squabbles thankfully all behind us. Now that it’s here, does it live up to its promise of epic tales and multiplayer rpg combat?
Essentially, Too Human is a traditional dungeon brawler – a game of frenetic real time action with an rpg backbone. Clearing room after room of enemies while tweaking stats, unlocking abilities and pimping equipment is the main time sink of the game, with online multiplayer available to spice things up.
Too Human’s twists on this however are in controls and theme. Taking cues from twin stick shooters like Geometry Wars, the left stick handles movement while the right stick handles directional melee attacks (with the addition of triggers for guns). All you do is point the right stick in the direction of a robotic beastie and Baldur, the cybernetically enhanced god, does the rest.
Moves are context sensitive, depending on the distance of enemies or whether you hold or tap the stick, and although it initially feels wrong due to an instinctive urge to use the stick for camera control, once grasped, it’s a particularly satisfying and strategic system that provides a surprisingly welcome respite to button bashing.
Steeped in Norse mythology, Too Human is essentially a sci-fi rewrite of that rich but underused folklore that features the well known gods Thor, Odin and Loki. Reinterpreting gods as cybernetically enhanced humans, and monsters (goblins, trolls etc) as malevolent robots, Too Human’s greatest success is a thematic one, with plenty more to offer in games to come.
Despite these successes however, it’s let down by a lack of polish. Extra time could have ironed out the bugs, sorted the graceless camera, fixed the twitchy targeting, and removed the pointless cyberspace sections that make opening a door that little bit more tedious.
Add to that the lack of drop-in multiplayer and you have a game that strives for much but doesn’t quite deliver, and in doing so, isn’t quite as legendary as its source material.
7/10

Braid

2008-08-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360 Live Arcade
Timeless
Time can be a funny thing. Invisible, intangible, it flows like a river with many currents, pulling us along towards our ultimate game of chess. I used to think it didn’t exist until Einstein’s theory of relativity set me right and showed it also travels at different speeds (head up a mountain with an atomic clock if you don’t believe it). Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid, understand’s this all too well, too.
Like a melancholic Mario Bros, Braid is a platform game with one big twist and dozens of subtle turns.
Added to the usual running/jumping/bouncing on foes action is the ability to rewind time. With a simple button push you can erase your mistakes and try again. Of course that’s pretty handy when you miss-time a jump but what this really allows for is a distinctly genius game of puzzling in search of pieces of jigsaw and a lost princess.
Each world employs different twists on time – there are objects impervious to your rewinding powers, there’s a ring that if dropped can slow time within its spherical influence and there’s a land where even walking left and right changes the direction of time. And with these variations come differing puzzles of mind-melting magnitudes, continually challenging your concept of the 4th dimension, often dumbfoundingly (that’s impossible!), always satisfyingly (so that’s how you do it!).
The art direction is superb too, repainting the simple landscapes of Mario et al with impressionist brushstrokes, underpinned by the melancholia of a beautiful soundtrack, all continually playing and rewinding at the touch of a button as you continue to piece together the story that holds it all together.
At first the story is a secondary concern (platformers aren’t noted for their narrative merits), but as you progress, a sadness dawns as the tale is revealed. Through completed jigsaws and pages of text, we find that Braid’s time manipulation is merely a metaphor for the protagonist’s journey to unmake mistakes, rewrite memories and somehow get the girl back.
10/10

Geometry Wars 2

2008-08-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360 Live Arcade, 800MS Points
Dangerous maths
With the recent revelation of a Jeff Bridges enabled Tron 2 film in the works, it's coincidental timing that Geometry Wars 2 makes its debut on the 360. Featuring a similarly stark black background/acid neon vector combination as Tron's unique style, Geometry Wars 2 is the true sequel to one of the 360's biggest Arcade hits.
Asking for en extra 200 MS Points for the pleasure, Geometry Wars 2 is as a sequel should be – bigger, better and face meltingly badder. Using ideas created in Galaxies and Waves, Geo Wars 2 introduces new hooks to the HD generation, creating an even more chaotic, seat-of-the-pants, oh-gawd-my-eyes-are-burning, twitch-gaming ride.
The initial twist resides within Geoms, tiny green blobs that get left behind by the dead. Collect these blobs and your score multiplies. Simple, yet that means instead of running from danger, you now have the impetus to head straight for it, diving into the eye of the storm in search of greater high scores or foolhardy death.
As well as the standard Evolved and Waves modes, variety exists in new modes like Pacifism, Deadline and Sequence, each with their own tasty neon hook, each with their own addictive pace and style. Pacifism disables your weapons, leaving you to trigger explosions and stay safe. Sequence is a series of levels with set patterns, each as devilishly punishing as the last. Deadline gives you a set time limit, infinite lives and minutes of hell to make your score.
Multiplayer is welcome here too, with up to four players supported for competitive or co-op games. Unfortunately online play is missing but with the speed and accuracy required by the game, a millisecond of lag would be enough to ruin it.
To keep you playing beyond the initial thrill of the eye watering fix, Geo Wars 2 uses online high scores, clearly designed to show how you compare to your friends. That one more go is usually fuelled by a competitive urge to beat them, and of course yourself, until your eyes can take no more of the beautiful, bright neon delights, and you get on your light bike back to reality.
9/10

Soul Calibur IV

2008-08-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360, also PS3
Stylish swordplay
Ever since I traded in my Super Nintendo for a Playstation and got my grubby student hands on a copy of Soul Blade, i've been hooked to the stylish sword fighting series. Over the years countless hours have been spent locked in duels with friends, trading parry after parry until a hole is found and my nun-chuk swings one last whisper to victory.
With Soul Calibur IV actually being the fifth in the series there's been plenty of tweaking, yet much still remains the same – two fighters trade weapon blows in an arena until one is defeated. The series defining 8-way run is still present and plenty of the arenas still retain their trademark wall-less edges, allowing for swift, tactical (or lucky) victories with a boot off the edge.
Plenty of new features can be found too such as the Critical Finish which allows for a devastating finishing move when armour is destroyed, yet thankfully requires such precise timing it doesn't break the game.
While not quite on a par with Virtua Fighter 5's demanding combos or Street Fighter III's tournament status, Soul Calibur IV is still an extremely well built fighter with nary a glitch or imbalanced character (barring Ivy's recently discovered infinite combo) and as always is an absolute blast to play for beginner or pro.
Arcade and story modes are brief affairs, with the real single player meat found in the Tower of Souls, a series of gruelling challenges to test your mettle and custom characters.
Unlocking new armour as you progress through the tower, the emphasis on this mode is character creation where you can design your own fighter, picking the right combination of stat heavy clothes in an RPG-esque strategic first for the genre.
The real draw for character creation though is taking the fruits of your imagination online and battling other self-made heros – beating someone with your gyrating pink pirate is an all new kind of humiliation.
While much has been made of the character creation and online play, most people will have their attention caught by guest characters Yoda and Darth Vader, which alongside the stunning visuals and the fluid, accessible and addictive gameplay, makes for an eye catching brand of fighter indeed.
9/10

Homebrew

2008-08-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Nintendo DS
Home made treats
With my 360 currently en route to Microsoft's great fixing factory in the sky, the solution to Summer's gaming drought has been snatched from beneath my blue tacked arcade stick. Soul Calibur IV received a right bashing at the weekend but it was that and the fizzy Geometry Wars 2 that hammered the nails in my Xbox's coffin. In light of such disaster i'm turning to the plucky DS and it's rich homebrew scene for inspiration. Also, Paul's on holiday so i'm double stuck.
As mentioned in last week's review of the Korg DS-10, there are few publishers who have tapped into the DS' real potential, with most content to serve up tweeny shovelware until the landfills are over brimming and we all live on the moon.
To run homebrew on your DS you need a special card that fits into the game slot. The R4 is one such device, and coupled with a memory stick, allows you to run home-made software downloaded legally from the internet (as well as turn it into a multimedia device for movie and music playback).
Obviously, the DS is a gaming device first and foremost and the homebrew scene has offered up its fair share of delights. Compared to big budget games though, there's an obvious difference in quality and size. However, titles such as AmplituDS, Tetra Master and Still Alive all shine in their own way.
AmplituDS is a clone of the PS1 game Amplitude (that eventually spawned Guitar Hero), which mixes psychedelic graphics with music based rhythm gaming. For a home coded game it's impressive, with the bonus being that you can create your own levels and use your own music.
Tetra Master is inspired by the card game found in Final Fantasy IX (another PS1 game) and faithfully recreates the addictive card battling gameplay with more suitable touch screen controls.
Still Alive is by far my favourite though. Based on the awesome game Portal, it's a 2D interpretation of a thoroughly 3D game, that requires you to solve puzzles by using space (and mind) bending technology. The transition to 2D works surprisingly well and even though controls can be a little fiddly, it retains all the cake filled charm of its step brother.
As well as games there are plenty of applications out there too. Filling the gaps in the DS' software library are a multitude of organiser, music and painting programmes. Colours! is another favourite of mine, which turns the DS into a canvas with unrivalled effect. The touch screen allows for a decent degree of pressure sensitivity and coupled with an assortment of brushes and transparencies, allows for a surprising degree of flexibility. The fact that you can transfer your paintings to a computer over WiFi is very nice indeed.
Music is where the DS is really benefitting from the homebrew scene though. From toy keyboards to fully fledged sequencers, coders have run riot, excited by the DS' touch screen, microphone and WiFi capabilities.
DSMIDI is a good first stop. It's PC/Mac software which allows the DS to communicate with your computer over WiFi. With that fundamental cog in place you can start to have fun. Using Kaos DS, you can turn your DS' touchscreen into a MIDI controller, playing with effects in software such as Ableton Live. Protein [DS] is fun little app that allows you to 'scratch' samples as if you were a vinyl genius. Mic recording and MIDI support open up more possibilities too.
Nitro Tracker is a more serious affair, allowing you to sequence, edit and record samples. It's a decent song making tool and for those into loop based music it hits the sweet spot. The touchscreen makes things quick and easy to use too, with drawable envelopes and the now standard MIDI present.
For me though, the real treat is Glitch DS. Turning pixels into partially randomised music may not sound particularly thrilling but when you base a sequencer around cellular automation (also known as the Game of Life), amazing things can happen. Sounding not too dissimilar to awkward electronica boffins Autechre, Glitch DS sequences up to six samples at once, asking you to draw a 'seed' on the touch screen, which then mutates, triggering your sounds semi-randomly. With various parameters to control, save states and MIDI syncing, Glitch quickly becomes a very powerful tool, suitable for live improvisation where every performance is different to the last. If you ever see someone making a racket with a DS, you'll know how, but not why.
Right, back to 'proper' games next week, I promise.

Korg DS-10

2008-08-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

Nintendo DS
Electro commuting
There are plenty of home-made audio applications on the DS at the moment (more on them next week) but strangely it's taken some time for a proper company to get round to unlocking the DS' unique sonic capabilities (barring short sighted attempts in Jam Sessions and Gunpei DS). Thankfully it's the mighty Korg who've finally done so.
Korg's DS-10 is based on the tasty MS-10 analogue synthesiser, a patchable beast from the late seventies, favoured in modern times by bands such as Autechre and the Chemical Brothers. Squeezing it onto the DS in virtual form, Korg have managed to retain most of its functions, adding some modern touches to proceedings.
Featuring two patchable dual oscillator synths (replete with virtual cables), a four part patchable drum machine, a six track/16 step sequencer, real time touch screen sound control, WiFi capabilities and a bunch of effects, the DS-10 is a concise yet powerful tool.
The sound quality is impressive too, considering the DS' nature, and the initial worry that 2 synths wouldn't be enough for serious composition is helped by the sheer amount of flexibility generated by the Kaos Pad style manipulation of sounds and the analogue knob tweaking. The fact that you can sync up to 4 DS' together over WiFi (and swap sounds) means plenty more can actually be at your disposal for lone composing or jamming with friends.
After using portable sequencers such as LSDJ and Nanoloop 2, the DS's touchscreen interface is a breath of fresh air, as is the intuitive software. Anyone with basic knowledge of synths and sequencers will feel at home right away, with beginners sure to grasp the basic logic behind everything quickly, and quick to make some good noise.
Unfortunately the limit of 16 patterns can quickly fill up (tough luck prog rockers) and the fact that it doesn't support midi syncing with computers is expected but disappointing (no doubt the plucky homebrew scene will sort that anyway).
For any budding electronic musicians out there, this is an excellent way to get started and will astound even the pros with it's surprising capabilities and lovely acid squibbles.

Quake Wars

2008-07-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 and PC.
Clone Wars
Spawned from the daddies of the FPS genre (id), Quake has always been a title synonymous with innovation and fast paced, purist gameplay. Quake III Arena took the series to it's streamlined conclusion, ditching plot for people in one of gaming's greatest online shooters (and coming to a web browser near you soon). Quake Wars attempts to expand on that ideal, switching the twitch gaming deathmatches for massive battles, team work and grittier graphics.
Originally a PC game, Quake Wars has been ported to consoles, bringing its sci-fi take on the Battlefield series to the comfort of the living room sofa. Aside from the branding you've basically got an online FPS that sticks to the formula of differing soldier classes, massive battlefields and vehicular combat.
The difference is in the technology at your disposal and the objectives on the map, be you the plucky human marines or Borg-a-like Strogg. Humans have the usual array of guns, with each class having different tastes in lead poisoning and a varying array of skills such as snipers complementing their camping skills with radar dishes. The Strogg are a tad more interesting with their alien technologies, jet packs and taste in body modification.
As with any Battlefield clone, learning the different classes is key to success, particularly with Quake Wars' multiple objectives. Introducing a twist to the epic battles, each map has different goals such as building a bridge or destroying a reactor, with the opposing team stalling these objectives at all costs. Once complete a new goal kicks in and the focus of the game moves forward. This brings a fresh angle to the usual node capturing of Battlefield, and with each map offering different goals there's plenty of variety on offer.
All of this sounds good of course but Quake Wars struggles to really gel together on the 360. The Benny Hill-ish run speeds sit at odds with the realism and the art direction is devoid of any imagination, or colour.
The one vital flaw however is the fact that only two months after its release there are very few people playing it online. For an online-centric game that's a killer indictment and a real shame considering its many charms.
7/10

E3 2008 roundup.

2008-07-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

With the dust settling in Los Angeles' Convention Centre and the lone fan-boys are left routing through the bins for collectable trash, it's time to look at what the big three had to say at this years Media & Business summit.
First up was Microsoft with some tasty games on the 360 – Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Fallout 3 and Resident Evil 5 all wowed. They also announced a redesign of the 360's dashboard, replacing it with an Apple-esque system and introducing Mii-like avatars. There's also family friendly stuff such as an online gameshow with real prizes, a B-Movie creator and an online party mode that allows groups of friends to play games and watch films together. With nothing from the Halo bods, MS made up for it with the bombshell that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the 360.

8/10
Nintendo's show was about making people smile (unintentionally), or being bored to tears with sales figures. Thankfully, Animal Crossing: City Folk was debuted with voice chat support. A new Wii Sports title was shown, utilising a controller add-on for increased sensitivity, while Shaun White Snowboarding showed off great use of the Wii Fit Balance Board (which means you can dust yours off again). After teasers that the Mario and Zelda teams were hard at work, the show stealer came from Wii Music – a game that lets friends jam together without the need for plastic guitars (or skill), relying on mimicry more than anything else.

6/10
Lastly, Sony's conference began with an epic Resistance 2 trailer before settling into some Little Big Planet inspired statistics. Disappointingly, Home barely received a mention. A new video download service was announced though (joining the 360), with the bonus of being able to watch them on your PSP too. A bigger hard drive is to be bundled with the PS3 (instead of a price cut) and a brief teaser from God of War 3 revealed nothing apart from a 2010 release. Notably Loco Roco 2 and DC Universe Online also got mentions, with news of a 256 player online shooter called MAG spicing things up at the end, despite the prospect of being tea-bagged by 128 people in a row.

7/10

Ninja Gaiden II

2008-07-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

On Xbox 360
Gloriously, bloody, hard.
Ninja Gaiden is akin to beating your head against a brick wall – with enough determination something's got to give, be it an insanely hard boss or your skull against stone. The original was a triumph of heady, fluid combat that made you feel like you could slice through anything, yet punished with such heavy odds, that only the persistent, patient or foolish could make it to the end. I was persistent, I'm always foolish.
Ninja Gaiden II continues in very much the same trend, yet under the cowl things have changed. Combat has been re-jigged with an emphasis on even more violence and the ability to slice limbs off your opponents, followed up by a scarlet drenched finishing move. There's also the Ultimate Technique that allows you to decimate opponents (after charging the attack), then chain further UT attacks by sucking in the energy of fallen foes.
Alongside tweaked move-sets and new weapons, these 2 additions re-write the way Ninja Gaiden is played. If an enemy loses a limb he becomes more desperate, often to kamikaze-like extremes, so the strategy of finishing off the limbless first is a priority. Senseless button mashing won't get you far either, with careful and considered timing key to success.
Making sure you have the time and space to charge an Ultimate Attack is also important. It's also difficult, considering the rate at which enemies fly at you, fire at you and slice at you, but timed well can turn the tide of a one sided battle.
The original wasn't without its flaws, despite its awesomeness, and here those same problems rear their fiendish head. Once again the camera is a pain to use, where a mastery of it is as important as a mastery of the blade. It can be dealt with, but you shouldn't have to considering its sequel status. It's also hard as nails again, yet this time feels cheaper on the harder Warrior setting, with spammed, long distance fireball attacks the right way to send your joypad hurtling towards a wall.
As always, the way of the ninja is paved with many obstacles – while these may be mountains at times, the joy of climbing them almost always makes it worthwhile.

8.5/10

Super Smash Bros Brawl

2008-07-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

On Nintendo Wii
Smashing!
Ever wondered what it’d be like if all of Disney’s characters got together for a Royal Rumble? No? Well Nintendo did, kind of. Rather than pitching the Seven Dwarfs Vs Shere Khan though, they’ve used their own massive catalogue of characters instead to create a supercrazyfuntime explosion of fisticuffs, laserguns and bottom burps.
Grabbing classic Nintendo characters from over 30 years worth of games, Smash Bros once again brings together the likes of Mario, Pikachu and Donkey Kong to fight, introducing new characters such as Wario, Pikmin and Kid Icarus to the mix too.
On its 3rd iteration, Smash Bros remains pretty much the same game you played on the N64 and Gamecube, except with nicer graphics, a bigger character roster, beefier solo modes and online play. Basically it’s a 2D beat-em-up, pitching up to 4 players against each other at the same time.
With 4 characters on one screen and all manner of special moves, power-ups and weapons, Smash Bros is a chaotic game where players seek to increase their opponent’s damage percentage and knock them flying off the screen to comedic effect.
Simple to play, yet with depth, Smash Bros gives you easy moves at the touch of a button, yet using them in the correct way and combination is the way to victory.
Brawl’s most obvious addition to the fight is the Final Smash – an orb that appears randomly, that if smashed, bestows the player with a decimating super power. Thankfully its appearance isn’t frequent enough to disrupt the balance and is always fun to execute and entertaining to watch.
Rammed full of different modes, unlockable items and characters (Solid Snake?!), Brawl is a big game to play to completion, especially considering its notable single player (or co-op) story mode ‘The Subspace Emissary’. Once you’re through all that there’s online play to test your mettle and even a level editor to share your creations with the rest of the world.
With snippets of Nintendo games littering the landscape like coins, Brawl is an exhaustive catalogue of Nintendo’s history disguised as an immensely fun game, and one that will be at the centre of many a multiplayer party to come – the time to finally pick between Mario and Sonic is here!
9/10

Ghostly

2008-07-01T01:44:00.001-07:00

A wee trip to manchester to see radiohead play resulted in me stumbling over this iconic little feller. Aint he sweet? Must have lost his way as pacman was no where to be seen.

Definitions.

2008-07-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

From EA –

PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 Feature More Than 250 Core Gameplay Enhancements That Deliver Most Responsive, Intelligent and Realistic Action Ever

A quote detailing some enhancements to Fifa Football. I'd love to see EA's dictionary of 'adapted' definitions for key packaging blurb.

Re•spon•sive
Ability to move in the direction commanded

In•tel•li•gent
Having or showing more intelligence than a beefburger

Re•al•is•tic
Representing things in a way that is vaguely related to real life

Spore Creature Creator

2008-06-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-10T08:31:00.001-07:00

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?

2008-06-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T08:20:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

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

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

2008-05-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

On Nintendo DS
Stylus-em-up
The Nintendo DS is probably about the last place you'd expect to see the graphically impressive, button mashing, Xbox hit Ninja Gaiden land its sequel on. Ok, arguably Ninja Gaiden 2 on the 360 is the true sequel but the tale told in Dragon Blade follows on from the original, no doubt filling the gap.
Canonical specifics aside, Dragon Sword is as true to its source as the touch screen allows. Opting for stylus controls over multiple button combos may seem strange for a series so reliant on the exact timing and machine gun inputs its legendary combat system requires, yet Team Ninja have managed to translate the core of the experience with little loss.
Held on it's side like a book, the action takes place on the right screen of the DS with the left on mid-action map duties and cut-scene breadth. Playing a little like the excellent Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Ryu Hayabusa is moved around the detailed pre-rendered environments by dragging the stylus across the screen – where you touch, he follows.
A swift horizontal or vertical slash sees him doing the same with his katana, while an upwards stroke makes him jump and quick taps fire shurikens. The DS' buttons are on block duty while quick swipes with the stylus during a block will result in evasive maneuvers.
If all that sounds a little complicated, don't worry – the single stylus controls quickly become intuitive and, in the true nature of the series, furious and frenetic. Extra moves like the famous Izuna Drop and Ultimate Techniques can also be activated with more complex maneuvers while Ninpo magic attacks require the neat tracing of a Sanskrit character on screen.
The visuals on show are certainly impressive for the DS, especially considering the rate at which it all runs. From the 3D character models to the gorgeous anime style cut-scenes, Ninja Gaiden is a delight to look at and also to play.
The intuitive and fluid combat system is a pleasure to use (to the point of writers cramp) and pulls together the exploration, puzzle solving and boss defeating with real Ninja Master zest.
8/10

Finally

2008-05-29T03:35:00.000-07:00

So, this is Street Fighter IV's end boss? At least he looks more formidable than III's blue and red, candy bar coloured cheapskate.
And he doesn't have Aerosmith hair either. There's a count down on the Street Fighter site at the moment, rumour is the full cast will be announced as of its zero status sometime tomorrow.

Update: so much for rumours – unfortunately no complete list of characters has been released but as recompense, a rather spangley website revamp has hit the net, go check!

The latency of haters

2008-05-29T01:11:00.000-07:00

From the journal of Sir Smedley Johnson –
Like a squid with nature's own Active Camouflage, I have discovered on my adventures, fantastical creatures that exist behind a wall of deception and involuntary double bluffing. The squid has no control over it's bodily colours as do these poor specimens that live a false life of bravado and species one-up-manship, all the while dominated by their subconscious desires and spasms of the vocal chords.
While making a routine journey into Blood Gulch valley to observe the wildlife and sample the arid flora I came across a most unusual thing.
A big team battle had been waging for some time with the blue team fighting a one sided battle against their n00bish adversaries. Scorch marks and plasma burns mocked the land in a warning to tread lightly despite temporary invisibility and over shielding. As I observed the losers, their tactics (or lack there of) and how they handled such an overwhelming trudge to defeat, I encountered an event never before seen.
Instead of committing hara-kiri, or quitting out, the tinny sounds of dance music piped through a headset led me to an impromptu disco which had formed and to the sight of eight heavily armoured and armed, cybernetically enhanced Spartan soldiers tripping the light fantastic with each other.
I had an epiphany. Amidst the battle cries, plasma blasts and head shots that rained down from the ever oppressive blue team, this intrepid explorer had witnessed a unique thing which, like a set of dominos, had triggered a realisation about the whiney voiced species and their apparent allusion for vitriol and homophobia... to be continued

Lost Winds

2008-05-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

On Nintendo Wii Ware.
A breath of fresh air.
Now here's a revelation – after what seems like a year long barrage of minigame-centric shovelware on the Wii, the majority of launch games for Nintendo's Wii Ware are surprisingly original.
For those Wii owners not WiFi'd up to the internet, Wii Ware is the recently launched addition to the shopping channel that delivers brand new games made for the Wii, downloadable like all those retro wonders on the Virtual Console in exchange for virtual cash.
Of all the launch titles, Lost Winds is the one for the cautious to sink their Wii Points into, languishing in the splendour of not only being a beautiful game to look at and play but also deserved of the 'innovative' buzz word so easily associated with the Wii's waggle controls.
At first glance it's a simplistic 2.5D side scrolling platformer but within a few minutes of play its sweet charm and unique wind controls will have you hooked to a game with a depth that belies its cuteness.
Using the Nunchuk's analogue stick you control the small boy Toku, with basic left and right movements and automatic climbing and jumping when required. With the Wiimote wielded in the other hand you control Enril the wind spirit – where you point, he blows. And blow he does.
Assisting Toku with his exploration and puzzle solving to rid the land of evil, Enril can throw him into the air with gusts, cushion his fall from great heights, channel fire and water or just swat globs of evil around like ping pong balls.
Within minutes the dual controls become second nature, moving and flicking Toku with ease through the gorgeous world that sparkles with magic and animates with every slight breeze from Enril. It may only be four hours of adventure but every second is a delight and for the paltry price it costs (1000 Wi Points), worth its virtual weight in gold.
Lost Winds could easily be mistaken for a Nintendo game but instead Frontier have set the benchmark for Wii Ware, making Nintendo's promise of fresh and innovative titles via Wii Ware look like it might actually come true. Which is no bad thing considering the usual prospect of reviewing Pippy Dumpel's Horse Toilet Trainer: Adventures in Looland…
9/10

David and Goliath

2008-05-28T03:54:00.001-07:00

No image quite sets the nostalga-glands humming like the sight of a newly rendered 3D summation of the age old rivalry between defeated Muay Thai Champion Sagat and dark-side eluding, whipper snapper Ryu. The tale's in the scar folks, re-live it this Christmas (planets aligning).

The unsung heroes

2008-05-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

The common perception of the game tester, that humble QA employee at the bottom of the developers food chain is that of the slacker that got lucky – being paid to play games for a living is many a gamer’s dream, yet the relative glamour of such a lifestyle remains just that, the reality is far more mundane.
Of course, for the gamer willing to make the jump from passion to profession, the chance to make an impact on the design of a game is not to be sniffed at. Along with the kudos generated like a drifting car among peers, the position is often used as a foot in the door to greater things yet the initiation by fire into the industry can burn more than it ingratiates.
The early days of employment in the QA department can be heady times. Working with like-minded gamers, talking games, playing games, living games, being part of the inside machinations of the past-time you’ve loved and laboured over since childhood – it’s mainlining gaming without the guilt of wasted time and the high of talking about it until you’re blue in the face and no one is looking at you strangely.
Like the Zerg’s creep though, reality gradually overcomes the initial head rush. As days blend into weeks and into months, the physical and psychological impact of playing the same game non-stop every day begins to be felt. Late into the project means late into the night and regular hours become stretched to a breaking point for small thanks and little money. Pizza trays and left over takeaways become new architectural constructions as waistlines expand amid the disposable city and disillusionment spreads like a virus through the sunlight shy denizens of the impromptu space.
Despite their obvious and odorous commitment, the tester’s worth to the company is almost a begrudging one - they are employed to criticise the very product it makes. Bug reports have even been known to cause affront but in an industry that treats crunch time as a norm it’s hardly surprising that tensions become this personal and little surprise that with Microsoft’s ever-so-cinical PR move, console beta-testing may become more regularly outsourced to the masses after the sure-fire success that was Halo 3’s pre-release multiplayer.
Of course it isn’t a given that all QA departments are like this – one developer may nurture and value their testers while another may battery farm them through bio-mechanical interfaces. One thing is a given though - the preconception of the average game tester. Choosing an easy life playing games for a living is a wildly different reality to the truth and why, with the increasing complexity and depth of game worlds, they are gaming’s unsung heroes – battling the glitch to ensure the consumer never once loses their suspension of disbelief.
If something makes it through the beta though, just remember – it’s not a bug it’s a feature.