Category: Video Games

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo gaming machines

Guitar Hero II – now on Xbox 360

admin 1 Comment

Guitar Hero II Xbox 360

As a big fan of Guitar Hero II, the opportunity to play this fantastic music rhythm game on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is finally here. Ever since it first appeared on Sony’s PlayStation 2, I always wanted to see how it would look and feel in high definition form, with downloadable content to expand the game play.

Well, now I have it thanks to my sister buying an imported copy and am I happy with it? Difficult to say as the visuals do look amazing in HD but the same cannot be said with the new and exclusive X-plorer guitar controller…

I have read many stories online regarding an unresponsive whammy bar (it has something to do with the build quality) and initially I thought I was lucky to have a working guitar controller. Alas, this wasn’t the case and the first time I’ve play this on my Xbox 360, the whammy bar refused to work…

So instead of getting a replacement – which proved tricky as it was brought in Germany – I’ve decided to find a solution with some help from Google. And after typing some key words like ‘Guitar Hero II controller problem’ and ‘Xbox 360 guitar’ into the search engine, found this useful site.

I followed the instructions carefully and made the necessary small changes to make the whammy bar work properly. After taking it apart, unloosing the two important screws and rotating the device even so slightly, it now works! Good news you would think but unfortunately the whammy bar is so loose, it now ‘flops’ around…

Despite that, I can still enjoy the game. Just completed the Medium Career mode without any difficulty and my next step is to play through Hard to unlock more new bonuses. As for the game play, there is a hint of delay when strumming compared to the PlayStation 2 version. It seems to have a tiny lagging issue and even though I calibrated my Samsung HDTV to stop this, I have to strum the notes a fraction more early to play it.

Nevertheless, the new songs exclusively for the Xbox 360 are not that bad to play to (apart from My Chemical Romance) and the high definition visuals are spectacular. It just a shame that the X-plorer guitar controller doesn’t match the feel and quality to the SG controller available on the PlayStation 2…

Sweet Rosie

admin 2 Comments

Rosie Animal Crossing

I finally received my very late Christmas present from my sister, a plush Rosie!

Rosie is a sweet blue cat that I simply adore in Animal Crossing: Wild World. She is my favourite character in the game and when she left Leaftown (the name of my village), I was devastated.

But now Rosie is here to stay and despite looking purple than blue, her smile and cuteness will always cast a lasting impression to me!

Taking the Xbox 360 route

admin 2 Comments

Xbox 360

As you can tell by my previous post, I wasn’t that keen on Sony’s next generation console, the PlayStation 3. The high cost and the lack of some serious games at this moment of time made me switch sides to Microsoft.

When the Xbox 360 was first release back in 2005, I wasn’t that interested as I enjoyed the wide range of games available on my PlayStation 2. But over time, I began to appreciate the quality of the games on offer and was impressed by what it can do (such as online play and downloadable features).

By purchasing the Xbox 360 (the Premium version with wireless controllers and 20-gigabyte Hard Drive), I finally understand what the fuss was all about with this video game system.

It is a fantastic console and to play games in near high definition (1080i) is amazing. I am aware that there will be a new version of the Xbox 360 (named Elite, which has a bigger capacity Hard Drive and HDMI port) will be coming soon. But after reading some articles online, the Elite machine doesn’t offer True High Definition as the HDMI only supports 1.2 (unlike the PlayStation 3 with 1.3). In addition, the new colour scheme – black – means it costs more…

Nevertheless, I am happy with what I have right now. I have yet to connect myself to the Xbox Live Marketplace, as I will need to purchase that so-called ‘Gold’ membership (it cost £40 every twelve months). Plus, I will need to purchase a special wireless adapter for online play (due to the router being in the lounge and the Xbox 360 upstairs).

As for what kind of games I am playing, I have a choice of six quality titles to enjoy.

The most addictive game right now is Gears Of War. It looks absolutely gorgeous and the game play is so absorbing. Damn addictive and initially I was rubbish, as I kept on dying… But after playing a few hours, I became use to the style of playing this great action game by considering how valuable hiding is!

Virtua Tennis 3 is another fine game. I used to play this to death on my Sega Dreamcast and with this latest version the simple game playing experience is still there. The visuals certain look impressive – very close to being photo realistic.

Speaking of photo realistic, Project Gotham Racing 3 features 80 of the most exotic sports cars. The ability to race around the streets of New York, Tokyo and central London is a unique experience and with the great graphics, you can spot the familiar landmarks as you race past them at over 180mph!

Test Drive Unlimited is another racing game that I like to play and even though I remember playing Test Drive II on my faithful Amiga 1200 back in the early 90s(!) to race a wide variety of cars on an island with over 1000 miles to drive on is simply unbelievable.

But for pure sensation, the opportunity to use everyday objects to kill a shopping mall filled with zombies is a strange but satisfying experience. Dead Rising reminds me of Powerstone (using items lying next to you as weapons) crosses between the horror of Resident Evil.

And last in my gaming collection is Crackdown, which is a clone of True Crime: Streets of LA. I don’t understand what I have to do as the gaming environment is pretty huge and they’re so many people to shoot or run over!

Currently, I am playing all these great games on a small CRT television set. Luckily, it supports 60 MHz. But I am planning to get a nice Samsung HDTV soon. This will make a big difference when playing in high definition.

PlayStation 3 is launched… but I’m not interested

admin Leave a comment

PlayStation 3 controller

At last! Sony’s next generation console is finally on sale in Europe and despite the high price of four hundred and twenty five pounds, I am not that enthusiastic to rush out and buy one.

Why not? I’ve played many of the launch games available on the PlayStation 3 and wasn’t all that impressed. Sure, it looks gorgeous when you hook it up to a massive high definition television set but if you look beyond the visuals, the game play hasn’t moved on since the PlayStation 2 days…

Take for example, Formula One Championship Edition. I’m a big fan of video games based on my favourite sport and after playing this on a 62-inch HDTV I felt the game playing experience all too familiar… In fact, it was exactly the same game as F1 06 on the PS2! Just more pretty that’s all.

Ridge Racer 7 was another game I’ve played. Powersliding these outrageous racing cars is actually quite good fun but I’ve seen it all before… on a PSP.

Sorry to sound all-negative so far in my post, but I expected more from a console that is supposedly the most powerful on the market.

It’s funny to think that I did pre-order this machine months before the Japanese launch and now, that day has finally arrive for European gamers.

The price is certainly off-putting and I don’t see the justification of buying an expensive games console just because Sony are moving into a new digital format with Blu-ray. If there wasn’t a Blu-ray drive, then it will be significantly cheaper.

In addition, the news that the European (PAL) PlayStation 3 will use firmware updates to run old PlayStation 2 games is not great. Without the necessary hardware (the Emotion Engine) to emulate the PS2 games in its original form, the games will feel and look different (or at worst, won’t work at all).

As for the current games on offer, none of them look that special – graphics and game play wise – apart from MotorStorm. The killer or triple ‘A’ titles have yet to appear e.g. Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gran Turismo 5. So the need to buy one on launch day is not there.

I would rather buy the Xbox 360 instead. Got the Nintendo Wii and even though it’s a fantastic little console, there aren’t any new games available on the system since it was launch. The Xbox 360 has a wide range of great games including Gears of War and Dead Rising and I look forward to buying this new console to satisfy my needs.

Maybe if there is a price cut or more suitable games are out on the PlayStation 3, then I will buy one. But for now, I will say no thanks.

Playing with The Sims

admin Leave a comment

The Sims 2

I haven’t played The Sims 2 for quite some time – around two years – but since I have purchased all the expansion packs, I’ve decided to install all these onto my PC and experience the new game playing features in my favourite life simulation video game.

Playing The Sims 2 is a fantastic experience. I love the social interaction by controlling each of the little characters. Yes, sometimes I can be a bit cruel by finding amusing ways to kill off unwanted Sims… But it is part of the game’s charm. The ability to manipulate each Sim to your own action in making friends, working in jobs and buying stuff is part of the appeal.

The latest expansion pack is Seasons and for the first time ever, the Sims environment is affected by different weather conditions. In the past, a typical day in the life of a Sim is usually bright and sunny… Pretty dull to be honest, but this new feature gives a realistic feel to the changing of the four seasons.

In addition to the Seasons, the ability to have pets brings a whole new set of game play to the popular Sims. I believe the success of Nintendogs on the Nintendo DS has made EA (the developers of the game) to add this in to make it even more lifelike. The AI of the dogs and cats are pretty impressive, mimicking the behaviour of the real life animal (from scratching the furniture to chasing the postman)!

One thing for sure, without the lasting appeal of The Sims, I wouldn’t have got into Animal Crossing! Both of these games are similar in concept. Don’t have any goals to complete and yet, compelling to play and addictive.

The beautiful world of Okami

admin Leave a comment

This truly magnificent game from Clover Studios is a masterpiece. ?kami is unlike any role-playing game you have come across on any platform.

Set in the Nippon region in an unspecified time in the classical Japanese era, ?kami combines several Japanese myths and legends to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess named Amaterasu, who has taken the form of a white wolf.

The game playing experience is very similar to The Legend Of Zelda, with dungeons to explore and side-quests. But the game set itself apart with a distinct sumi-e-inspired visual style (that looks like it is lifted straight from a Japanese painting) and the Celestial Brush (a gesture-system to perform miracles).

With the Celestial Brush, you can call up the canvas in any point of the game and ‘paint’. This is a unique feature in ?kami as your brush strokes can unlock secrets, solve puzzles and even attack enemies.

So far, I have played over 25 hours and every moment in this beautiful cel-shaded game has been a joyful experience.

PlayStation 3 European release dated and priced

admin Leave a comment

Sony PlayStation 3

Sony has finally reveal the much awaited European launch date and price for the PlayStation 3. The next generation console will be available on March 23rd with a nice price tag of £425(!)

Yes, four hundred and twenty-five pounds… This console has become the most expensive and at that price; you can purchase both the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360.

So will I get one? Hard to say as I would like to buy one but the cost of owning the most powerful and advance video game machine (featuring that CELL processor and Blu-ray player) is simply ridiculous. In addition, I will need to purchase a brand new High Definition television to play this on, as a standard TV won’t do any justice for the photo-realistic visuals.

As for the launch games, there are around 30 titles on offer with the likes of MotorStorm, Formula One Championship Edition, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, flOw and Virtua Tennis 3.

So what’s my decision? To buy one on launch day or wait six to nine months later featuring better games and possibly a price drop? Or should I avoid the trouble of owning the PlayStation 3 and go for Xbox 360, which has the awesome Gears of War and fantastic Dead Rising?

Whatever the outcome, I should start saving up now…

WarioWare: Smooth Moves

admin Leave a comment

WarioWare: Smooth Moves

The most amusing and surreal game from Nintendo is now on the Wii, with WarioWare: Smooth Moves. This intense and crazy party game features around 200 micro-games that require the full use of the Wii Remote.

The randomness of these levels always cause you to smile as you complete the five-second game such as carefully guiding fingers into giant polygonal nostrils, slapping sleeping people until they wake up, or grating cell phones to bits with a cheese.

The challenge is to see how many micro games you can do as it gets faster and faster… To play, you have to use the Wii controller in a specific way such as holding upright like an umbrella or sideways like a handlebar. Each game requires holds (or as the game calls it ‘forms’) to play. A little display box indicating how to ‘form’ and prepare the Wii controller is shown before the upcoming micro game. The forms themselves are quite amusing such as holding the controller in front of your face like an elephant or positioning above your head like a Mohawk.

Playing through the main game in story mode is straightforward and can be completed in a couple of hours. But the variety on offer and the different types of challenges will reward you with enthusiasm to continue playing even though you finished most of the different characters set scenarios.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is definitely the perfect game that really shows off the full range of movement you can accomplish with the Wii Remote. In addition, it demonstrates the Wii’s technology with its accurate motion sensors.

You will never experience as much fun and laughter with WarioWare: Smooth Movies. This is an essential purchase for your Nintendo Wii.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

admin Leave a comment

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

The original Super Monkey Ball on the Gamecube can be consider as the best in the series. The simple concept of rolling around collecting bananas and avoiding the many dangers in the cute monkey world made it appealing and addictive. A sequel soon followed with more puzzling levels and entertaining multiplayer games.

But then came Super Monkey Ball Advance for the handheld console (Game Boy Advance), which ruined the unique control system and game play. The simple fact was Monkey Ball just doesn’t work well on a portable system – just look at the horrible reaction for the ill-fated Nokia N-Gage version.

And yet the monkeys are back with Banana Blitz. The new game uses the Nintendo Wii motion-sensor controller to aid the adorable monkeys around the level. The control system might feel strange at first – the player had to twist and tilt to move – but after a short while, becomes more natural to the user.

The challenge of Monkey Ball was about managing your movement and momentum around a tight and twisty stage. These involve narrow ledges, moving floating platforms and numerous nasty obstacles designed to knock your monkey right off the course and into oblivion.

A strict time limit is also added to the game play experience, ensuring a more urgent involvement to complete the level. These basic elements made Super Monkey Ball a rewarding game for the player. The ability to navigate a set amount of courses with the quickest time or the most bananas made the game a lasting appeal.

With Banana Blitz, the magic monkeys have the ability to jump over obstacles. This can be done by pressing the A button on the Wii remote control. It sounds simple and yet, changes the whole game dynamically. The levels have undergone a slight alteration including some platforms to jump onto, and even though it feels intense, it’s not as challenging as the first two Super Monkey Ball games.

As you progress through the eight different worlds that compose the single-player mode in Banana Blitz, you’ll encounter the end-of-level boss. These usually involve taking on a larger-sized enemy with a single weak spot that you have to figure out how to exploit. The most frustrating aspect in this new boss fight can be experienced with the inability to control the game’s camera… Due to the way it locks onto the boss during these sequences.

Moving on, the multiplayer mode was the best part of any Super Monkey Ball with a collection of fun and crazy sort of games to test your skills. These include such favourites like Monkey Golf, Monkey Race and Monkey Target. But with Banana Blitz, there are now 50 different types of multiplayer games on offer. Great you think – but quantity doesn’t always count for quality…

Despite that, there is a nice variety in the mini games. All of them require the use of the Wii remote, with a number of them also requiring that the Nunchuk be attached. But in some of the games, the controls aren’t responsive enough to support the mini game concepts, and you get the occasional mini game that isn’t much fun to play…

On a whole, the new Super Monkey Ball for the Nintendo Wii is still great fun with the innovative controls. The presentation of Banana Blitz seems more cartoon-like with bright colours and flat shading on the monkeys and the environment. When viewed in High Definition mode (480p), the visual quality gives the game a nice look.

Even though the multiplayer mode suffers between good ideas with bad control system, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is definitely one highly recommended launch game. These monkeys still have the magic to entertain.

Gaming overload

admin Leave a comment

As we enter the New Year, my sister and I are still recovering from playing far too many video games during the Christmas break (the best way other than watching the usual drivel on TV).

I am still playing Animal Crossing: Wild World determined to collect all the fishes in Leaftown, so that I can get that elusive golden fishing rod! (Only one fish left now)

Meanwhile my sister was convinced that she can finish two Zelda games before starting work at Nintendo Europe in January. She just completed the epic Twilight Princess after a mammoth 39-hour ‘two-dungeons-a-day’ session and was impressed by how beautiful the game playing experience was in this latest Link adventure.

As for Ocarina of Time, she can play this on the GameCube in another time…

Besides playing these, we also had fantastic fun playing in co-operative mode with Guitar Hero II. I recently brought a limited edition cherry red Gibson SG guitar controller and together we were ‘The Noelling’ (named after the television host of Deal Or No Deal – Noel Edmonds)! The two-player mode worked great as it feels like you were performing as the bass and rhythm guitar leads.

But alas, our rock band will be split up as she begins work in Germany working for Nintendo. I am going through some mixed emotions at the moment… I’m happy for her to get a dream job play testing all DS and Wii games, but at the same time sad as we are very close. Anyway, I wish her the best of luck in the new role.