Game on: 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Call of Duty Black Ops Wii Review || Considered Gamer column on Game People

Call of Duty Black Ops Wii shouldn't exist. But by pushing the Wii to its limit Trearch delivers an experience on a par with the 360 and PS3. What I wasn't expecting though, was for it to be so much more unsettling on Nintendo's friendly console.

Call of Duty Black Ops on the Wii mirrors the experience offered by the 360 and PS3 surprisingly closely. It's essentially the same campaign, dialogue and story - and even has a strong multiplayer and zombies mode. I pretty much knew this before I started playing, but that still didn't really prepare me see my friendly little Wii offering up torture, swearing and grizzly death in the first few minutes.

It's not all that different to other games I've played on the Wii - most recently GoldenEye 007 (Wii), or Modern Warfare Reflex (Wii) a while back. But whereas those experiences are tempered both culturally and technically because they aren't on the leading edge of what is possible or acceptable - they feel a little safer.

The unexpected nature of it all added to my engagement though. While these experiences on the 360/PS3 are commonplace, on the Wii I was much more aware of my response. The uneasiness of the experience matched my slight reluctance at playing the game on the console my younger sister uses daily.

The controls add to this unease as well. I found I had to stand in front of my TV to be able to use the Wii-mote for targeting - while the Nun-chuck provided movement. It felt more like playing games back from my PC era, Counter Strike and the like, as the pointing gives you a lot of flexibility once you get used to it.

Standing up as I ran through war town settings, gunning down enemies gave an added level of connection to the experience. At times I really felt my pulse racing as I edged my Wii-mote round corners or ducked down behind cover. It was an intense experience and it took me a while to really process how this made me feel. Once I had though, I realised I didn't really like it.

The experience as a whole made me uneasy, and even a little sad at the reality of it all.

Not the game itself, I really enjoyed the mechanics of shooting (much more accurate than GoldenEye 007 Wii) the adrenaline charged missions and well signposted team mates. But the experience as a whole made me uneasy, and even a little sad at the reality of it all.

While Black Ops did its best to reel me in with shock and awe, my response to this was more considered than thrilled. I didn't want this world to invade my relationship with the Wii - the happy place I go to escape the grind of the day to day. It felt wrong in the same way that playing Man Hunt 2 had felt wrong.

Here, as then, seeing violence on Nintendo's casual console was jarring. And controlling it all with subtle movements and motions rather than button presses made this mismatch all the more apparent. Both Man Hunt 2 and Black Ops do something that no other games have done for me - get me to really question my responses to this sort of violence.

I know, being a girl doesn't help my cause here - and I'm cautious of being painted into some kind of chick-flick corner - but I can't deny that my experience of the game raised more concerns than enjoyment.

It's only here that it is seen for what it is.

I found myself thinking too much what it would be like to really be in those scenarios myself, with my loved ones on the line. It was almost unbearable.

Far from a shortcoming of Black Ops though, I think this is actually what makes it compelling on the Wii. It's only here that it is seen for what it is. On the Wii the revelling in war, torture and violent solutions is stark. And I was as intrigued by my response as I was disturbed by it.

Call of Duty Black Ops is certainly not for the faint hearted.

In fact I played on through the game for some time before I finally threw in the towel. Like passing a dead animal on the road, I knew I should probably look away but at the same time I was intrigued by what I would see.

Call of Duty Black Ops is certainly not for the faint hearted. But for those with the stomach for a graphic war-time experience - and with the shooting ability to cope with the sparse check points - it is a game that offers a challenge on a number of levels and for that reason I think I ended up respecting it.

Written by Jen Rawles

Jen Rawles writes the Considered Gamer column.

"For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by games that can provoke an emotional reaction. I enjoy a game that can tell me a strong, emotive story even if sometimes the game mechanics behind it are weak."

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Monopoly Streets Wii Review || Domestic Gamer column on Game People

Monopoly Streets adds a little Sim City reality to the classic property trading game, but still doesn't quite make sense of playing a board game on the Wii. I'm still looking forward to playing the real thing with my kids.

Monopoly conjures up all sorts of family memories for me. From playing with my brother and sister before I quite knew what was going on, to becoming savvy enough to know I had to raid the bank early - before anyone was watching.

Monopoly is a game that has lasted a long time because it works on so many levels. Kids can simply go round the board collecting cards, while grownups can work out their own strategies. And at a very basic level you're not playing against the game itself but the other players.

Different people will swear by different strategies to win. Some will insist you should buy all the property you land on while others suggest you focus your efforts on building sets. Then there are those that play a more disruptive strategy looking to collect cards that other people need, for leverage later in the game.

My kids aren't really old enough to stick out a whole game yet, but I'm looking forward to rainy afternoons spent round the board in a few years time. With this in mind I was a little wary of last year's Monopoly (Wii) game and this revitalised Streets version. I didn't want the electronic edition to stomp all over the simple joy of a line of matching property cards, money and those red and green symmetrical plastic houses.

The Wii game does a good job of creating the feel of a physical board, and with Streets you can opt to play from a street level view. Regardless of the presentation though, this plays the same as ever. Players roll dice and work around the board, buying properties as they go. Other players who land on their properties pay rent dependant on the value of the property and whether it has any houses or hotels.

The setup may be slow, as players slowly accumulate different lots and draw lines of competition against each other, but things soon snowball towards the end. Once the wheels of the game are fully in motion and all the property has an owner, the real cut and thrust of transactions begin. There is something satisfying about bargaining a player (in a financial spot) out of the property card that completes your set, and doubles the rent you can collect, even if the other player is your daughter.

There is something satisfying about bargaining a player out of the property card that completes your set, even if the other player is your daughter.

But unlike the physical board game you can play Monopoly Steets against friends and family online - something the kids' grand parents are actually quite excited about as they live some distance away. As well as adding the online mode, Monopoly Streets also provides some other ways to play the game. I particularly like the Bull Market mode where all the property is bid on right at the beginning, and then you play for just 20 rounds. Not only do things hot up a lot quicker but the round limit also makes each move more significant.

As well as Speed Die (which adds an extra die) and Jackpot (which substantially alters how properties are built upon) you can also make up your own versions of the rules. Fancy increasing the Luxury Tax or instigating the Free Parking money pot or even increasing how much Passing Go is worth, you can simply make your own game up and save the settings for later.

I've always liked bidding on property in Monopoly, but on the Wii this takes on a whole new level of intensity. Each player can increase or decrease bids in real time, with a short time limit. As time slowly runs out those that want a property rapidly increase their offer in the hope of snagging the street. I enjoyed playing chicken with other players during bidding, to see how high I could push things.

We were looking forward to using our Miis to play Monopoly but this is something you have to earn in the game.

There are a range of different boards you can choose from, although many of these have to be won by doing well in the classic game. I would have liked all the different modes and boards to be unlocked from the start. In particular we were looking forward to using our Miis to play Monopoly - as pictured on the box - but again this is something you have to earn in the game.

On balance, Monopoly Streets doesn't really add a lot to the game, but then it doesn't really need to. I'm kind of thankful as this means it has done enough to introduce my kids to how the game works, but has left them interested enough to still want to try the real thing.

Written by Josie Campbell

Josie Campbell writes the Domestic Gamer column.

"As quite a domesticated mum of three I love the thought that Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS lite and PSP games can have a practical role around the home and enriching everyday life but also fun to chill out and unwind with too. Here are my Domestic Gamer review, join me to read about all sorts of games, from cooking, health, and family ones too."

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Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom PS3 Review || Soulful Gamer column on Game People

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom's lop sided partnership is as interesting as it is deadly. As much a study in friendship as a videogame, it slowly grew into a meaningful experience for me.

Generating the same profound atmosphere and melancholy soul as ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a thoughtful action adventure that really enchanted me. The combination of platforming and co-operative combat played second fiddle to the relationship built between the main character and the Majin - a lovable ogre-like guardian of an ancient kingdom.

The intrigue begins when your character, Tepeu, finds the Majin bound and shackled within a castle. After freeing the child-like giant you journey with him, exploring the fallen kingdom until you regain enough of the ancient guardian's powers to return and set things straight.

The tale itself is simple. The symmetry of the story could easily feel cheap and contrived but for Majin's irresistible charm. By being both charismatic and challenging, the focus is always on building a relationship with your giant companion through co-operative combat or puzzle-orientated platforming sections.

This relationship is fostered through reliance. Just for once you aren't the strong, muscle-bound hero cracking skulls and wisecracks - it's the Majin who is powerful and devastating. It's only with his strength and elemental powers that the oily monsters can be destroyed. Just whacking them with your own weapon is only effective once they've been knocked down to initiate a combo attack.

I genuinely cared for the big guy, feeling like I was guiding a child through to adulthood as he learned new skills and became stronger.

It's rare that combat as simple as this feels satisfying. But here it works well by focusing on a personal partnership that must be well trafficked to prevail. I genuinely cared for the big guy, feeling like I was guiding a child through to adulthood as he learned new skills and became stronger.

It's refreshing to play the weaker character in this regard and even though Tepeu will evolve to be more powerful, you're always left in awe of the Majin's power - channeled through your instruction.

It's also full of little touches that add to the experience. A day/night cycle not only effects how things look but also alters enemies into different forms - becoming harder as the night mirrors their oily-black figures.

As you take damage you can see Tepeu's figure being slowly overtaken by the same dripping blackness, only healing when the Majin sucks it up for you. Complete a tricky combat section and both characters will dance a brief jig to celebrate - and as your relationship grows that dance gets more exuberant.

Although it seems like you spend the entire game looking after this giant beast, in truth the Majin is really escorting you. You may be ordering him to open doors or blast movable platforms with his powers. And true, he needs guidance in order to be useful and healing when in trouble, but relationally he's often the one to take the lead.

Decaying bridges, fire-scorched mines and abandoned towns all add to the sense of melancholy and loss.

But beyond this relationship Majin holds something deeper within its core. The ruined kingdom, with verdant overgrowth and parched wasteland feels believably old. Decaying bridges, fire-scorched mines and abandoned towns all add to the sense of melancholy and loss.

One level takes place on a decaying warship, beached and sunk into the dusty wasteland of a boiled ocean. In this regard it struck a similar tone to Nier - of an earth ruined by our own hand and corrupted by darkness - making the experience feel forlorn and lonely.

Even my initial distaste for the giant's playful nature turned out to be a foil for the more reflective moments the game offers. These brief scenes that take place underneath the Trees of Life are touching. The emotional weight you glimpse here, being carried by these two characters, is simple beautiful.

This quiet and soulful style is remarkable and a far cry from the bombastic nature of other action RPGs. Yes, it might look and feel like an ICO tribute at times but any comparison is intended as flattery rather than derision. It pulls in another direction entirely with its mechanics. You watch out for Majin as much as Yorda but at the same time using him like as oversized killing machine. It's a partnership that, by the end of the game, is as potent as the Majin's brute strength.

A gentle masterpiece with charm that pulls as much on your heartstrings as your brainpower.

It took a while for me to warm to all this though. The seemingly shallow combat, awkward platforming and slow pace wasn't quite what I expected. As you progress through areas you'll find puzzles that can't be solved until you unlock another one of Majin's powers, leading to a lot of backtracking through levels. At a certain point I was mystified as to my next direction and as traversing this world on foot is slow going it added to my frustration.

This was a fine line that I felt the game struggled to balance at first. Once I realised that this wasn't Fable, with its heavy handed breadcrumb trails, I understood the game's intent. Majin eschews all those convenient tricks aimed at new players to place you in a lush and ruined environment, creating a world that never tries to pull you out of its embrace.

Just as Majin and Tepeu grow in trust and strength, so did my affection for this game. I never imagined I'd find an experience like this outside of Team ICO and at times it approached the same quality - a gentle masterpiece with charm that pulls as much on your heartstrings as your brainpower.

Written by Adam Standing

Adam Standing writes the Soulful Gamer column.

"Soulful gaming is found in a myriad of places. Games that tell a meaningful story with believable characters. Games that tackle issues larger than the latest run and gun technology. And for me in particular, games that connect me to an inspiring story often quietly overlooked by other players."

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With so many different perspectives it can be hard to know where to start - a little like walking into a crowded pub. Sorry about that.

But so far we've not found a way to streamline our review output - there's basically too much of it. So, rather than dilute things for newcomers we have decided to live with the hubbub while new readers find the they will enjoy.

Each is an easy way to follow our writers. They focus on a particular perspective and offer hand crafted anecdotal reivews. The depends on how you play games and what sort of person you are: Family Reviews
| | | | | | Artistic Reviews
| | | | | | | Thinking Reviews
| | | | | | Specialist Review
| | | | | | | Hobbyists Reviews
| | |

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Limbo 360 XBLA Review || Tired Gamer column on Game People

there's little doubting that the cult hit of this gaming year unfolds courtesy of the fearless, nether-world wanderings of a small boy with glowing eyes. at the start of Limbo, he wakes, sits up, stands, and in your own time you encourage him to walk with your thumb.

there are no introductory sequences, no loading-screen tips, no explanations. you do not know who he is, where he is from, or where he is now. all you know is that rightward is onward and here is not home.

with the slow-burning intensity, chiaroscuro heavy, monochrome visuals and eerie, understatedly sparse soundscape of a strange, neo-noir thriller, Limbo's art design creates a more filmic and immersive world than many a high-budget, cut-scene clogged 'epic'. it is understated to a tee, and brilliant.

as you begin to explore, you encounter many manner of dangerous things that swiftly and mercilessly slaughter your new, young friend -- traps that scythe his head clean off, spikes that impale his small body, spidery creatures that skewer him on huge, lance-like legs, not to mention electrified surfaces, falling objects, deadly liquids and bone-snapping drops. be it misty, menacing forest or abandoned factory, the post-apocalyptic-esque landscape is unerringly dead and unswervingly deadly. and yet, a light shines in the darkness which the gloom cannot quite choke.

without ever indulging information, Limbo builds emotional collateral into the process of unpicking the swathe of increasingly complex puzzles that stand between the bright-eyed boy and whatever awaits him. despite the fact that the solutions to the problems with which he is forever confronted readily form an instructive grammar, the method of advancement is very much trial and error. deaths are frequent. mostly (thankfully) our child is reborn within a few paces of where he last ended, and we can try a different tack.

it only rarely fails to strike a satisfying balance between chaos and calm.

Limbo is an ode to non-narrative story-telling. it's all about the details -- a shifting shadow, a faint cry, a glimpse of a faint, far-off figure. the contrast between the focussed and patient attention required to precisely dissect each obstacle and the desire to interpret the ever-present, but unelaborated sense of disquiet accords Limbo its rhythm, and it only rarely fails to strike a satisfying balance between chaos and calm -- with some sections dragging just a touch.

as an apparently regular boy, the powers afforded our brave adventurer 'fall within expected parameters' (as a computer supposedly from the future might have electronically barked in a low-budget 1970s Sci-Fi film). he can walk and sort of run, jump, push and pull objects, climb and swing, and that's about it.

although, to be fair, that's probably more than i could do in the circumstances, given that i haven't climbed a rope in years and don't intend to anytime soon. despite these realistic limitations, the puzzle design is such that the speed, deft and art of your thumbs will be sufficiently tested. several traps and perilous situations demand super-precise timing (occasionally in more than one phase) in order to be successfully negotiated.

all the little touches in Limbo are just right.

it's not so much the increasing complexity of our young hero's tasks that entertain, however, but more the profound levels of imagination -- both in terms of design, and also with regard to the demands on the player. as mentioned earlier, patterns emerge, and with them clues as to the best ways to approach the various obstacles, and blas? trial and error will mostly get you through, however if, like me, you feel compelled to shield the little guy from brutality as much as possible, then you will find yourself and your visual imagination well stretched.

all the little touches in Limbo are just right. the first time a small glowing grub falls on the pintsize explorer in the woods and seems to bore into his brain, we are supposed to assume that yet again something awful has befallen him. as it is, we soon get used to the idea that these little guys just want to temporarily force him to walk in only one direction until they find light at which point the direction reverses, functioning as a puzzling parameter. various elements of the moistly malignant surroundings, like vicious looking beak-beings, will eventually help out by eating, or knocking or otherwise removing the grub from his noggin.

the soundscape is profoundly understated, yet lush and expansive. music emerges only at certain points, and even then only in short phrases or long notes. however, together with the sharp crackles, crisp snaps, jagged buzzes and repulsive squelches, the sound gives echoing depth and grand scale to the strange, disturbing world through which we lead and somehow also follow our boy. it takes real skill to use sound so subtly and yet so effectively, and that same quality runs deep throughout this quirky little game.

Limbo is quite unlike anything I've played before.

given that the (meta)narrative is so unelaborated, it really wouldn't be right to talk about the ending, other than to say it's well worth all the effort. just like the game, it's understated, yet deeply engaging and gleefully ambiguous.

Limbo is quite unlike anything I've played before, and yet, as a player, it feeds you from the start with just enough if a sense of familiarity to prevent the menace from overcoming your fragile investment. as the investment grows, so the level of familiarity peaks and troughs, assisting you in places, working against you in others. in that sense Limbo has a postmodern sensibility, but not in a way that strips away or dilutes its obviously existential air. it knows gaming, but it also plays out on some other plane.

basically if you have a 360 and a few free hours, I couldn't recommend Limbo more highly to you. for me it was a fidgety, yet enthralling experience which frustrated, unnerved, delighted and kept me entranced.

walk toward the light. walk toward the light.

[if you'd like to see more of the weird and wonderful world of reallyquitetired then the door is always open at his semi-detached house/blog]

Written by reallyquitetired

reallyquitetired writes the Tired Gamer column.

"hello. I'm reallyquitetired -- recently described by Depressive Monthly magazine, in a probing centre-page feature, as 'Academic, DJ, blogger (with a penchant for odd humour, non-standard uses of language, frank reviews, utilizing fallacious quotations and recommending music to wash to) and Major Depressive Disorder sufferer extraordinaire.'"

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Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest DS Review || Teen Gamer column on Game People

Lord of the Rings Aragorn's Quest DS suffers next to the impressive Wii version. It's an adequate rendition for the DS's small screen, although one that should probably not have been ported to the PS2 and PSP.

Lord of the Rings Aragorn's Quest is a very different game on the DS (PSP and PS2) than it is on the Wii, 360 and PS3. Whereas there you have an open world brawler game with excellent co-operative play and side machines galore, on the DS you have something much more paired down.

As in the big console versions, Aragorn's Quest on the DS is divided into movie chapters as Samwise Gamgee tells the story to his children. But without a shire to explore, the game play that flows from this tale is much more linear - totally linear in fact.

The game play revolves around slashing your way through a series of themed environments as wave upon wave of enemies assault you. It's not a million miles away from Gauntlet - only without the camaraderie of other players or those classic lines "Elf needs food, badly".

You do have different attacks which is quite nice. But most of my friends agree that compared to the Wii game this is pretty lame. Along with Aragorn's swordsmanship - which ranges from light attack to heavy attack across the DS's face buttons - he can also use a bow for long-range attacks.

I was impressed with the massive trolls you meet later on.

The enemy hoards are interspersed with larger enemies that need a little more attention than the usual button mashing. These foes need you to match your attacks with their cyclical gestures to hit them when their back is turned or armour is down.

I was impressed with the massive trolls you meet later on - enough to show my friends how good they looked on the DS. It took me quite a few tries to realise that this is why the game had previously given me some special attacks. Once I started using those I could progress again - much to my friends' delight.

The PS2, PSP and DS versions are pretty much the same, so it doesn't take a genius to work out this makes best use of the DS's horsepower - as the lowest common denominator. The game is rendered in a forced 3d that I actually thought looked pretty cool. The DS version also has some neat touch screen moments where you need to tap or trace particular actions on the screen to progress.

In my book any excuse to revisit Middle Earth is worthwhile.

Although I sound pretty down on Aragorn's Quest DS, that is probably more about my expectations from playing the Wii game than anything particularly detrimental here. I can't deny I missed the multiplayer features and exploration of the Shire, but still there were not a few hours of enjoyment here, and in my book any excuse to revisit Middle Earth is worthwhile.

Written by Rowan Brown

Rowan Brown writes the Teen Gamer column.

"I write about my favourite games from a younger person's perspective. It's often surprising how different this ends up to other more grown up reviews."

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TrackMania Wii Review || Tech Gamer column on Game People

Track Mania Wii strips the racing down to man against tarmac. A little sparse compared to other Wii games the genius here needs a little work to uncover, but for serious time-trial racers this has been a long time coming.

In case you haven't come across it already, TrackMania is a car racing videogame that enables the player community to create their own tracks. It uses a building block process to keep things simple, a little like designing a Scalextric track.

If, like me, you are interested in unusual or alternative ways of designing videogames, TrackMania is fascinating. Alongside the track creation and community aspects, the game also offers some technically different ways to play.

Unlike other racing games, TrackMania lets you race a track as many times as you want, until your time runs out on a particular level. If you fall off you simply re-spawn back on the track, or restart to attempt a better lap time. Also, although you can play with up to four people on the same track in the Wii version, the cars cannot actually collide with each other.

TrackMania is well named. It's designed to enable players to focus on one challenge - their racing skill against a particular circuit. Rather than the power-ups, tricks and shortcuts of games like Mario Kart, this is pure racing. And for me, it's just the sort of game that the Wii needs to attract a more serious gamer.

TrackMania on the Wii comes loaded with an extensive set of tracks spread through four environments: stadium, island, coast and snow. The different terrains each offer their own challenge as the game models the various road surfaces and driving conditions accurately.

Rather than hiding the simulation side of the game under a soft exterior, TrackMania feels stripped down and minimalist.

In fact, this sense of "modelling" permeates the whole experience. Rather than hiding the simulation side of the game under a soft exterior, TrackMania feels stripped down and minimalist. What remains is an incredibly fast and smooth racing presentation.

As you progress through the single player game you earn coppers - the game's currency - as well as bronze, silver and gold awards. This grants access to other courses and more powerful cars.

In addition to the single player mode you can also play the tracks with other people. Unlike other games, where this also signals a switch from competing with the computer to competing with other players, here the sense of trying to beat the track perpetuates. In multiplayer mode, there are just more of you trying to do that at the same time.

TrackMania Wii continues to walk its own path, and deserves a place in any experienced gamer repertoire.

Those expecting a fleshed out driving game might be a little disappointed. TrackMania expects you to spend time designing and sharing your own tracks via the extensive editor. Although this takes some time to achieve, the results are instantly playable and really extend the life of the game.

I'm really attracted to the hardcore simulated time trial racing, but it will be interesting to see how big an audience this finds on the Wii. In terms of game design and delivery, TrackMania Wii continues to walk its own path, and deserves a place in any experienced gamer repertoire - assuming there are still some of those left still playing Nintendo's little white console.

Written by Simon Arquette

Simon Arquette writes the Tech Gamer column.

"Gaming technology and techniques fascinate me, always have and always will do. They've driven me to a gaming degree, and aspirations to a whole lot more. Here though, I'll be reviewing games for how they put their technology to work to deliver a compelling experience."

View the original article here

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kinect Sports 360 Kinect Review || Dressup Gamer column on Game People

Kinect Sports is ample proof of concept for Microsoft's controller-free gaming, but lacks the depth to keep me playing past the seasonal parties.

The original unveiling of Kinect hugely impressed me, even though I knew deep down that the experiences Microsoft had in mind were not aimed at me. As we got closer to launch I became less enamoured by the innovative tech and more focused on the lack of any games that I could sink my teeth into.

Despite that, I was there like a million others on day one, purchasing my own camera and games, and like the other motion sensing systems, a sports title seemed as good a place as any to check out what it could do.

Kinect Sports is by Rare, which both pleases and saddens me, since I have long been a fan of their output and this latest title seems so "me too". However, despite this, I was optimistic that their creativity would shine through. Kinect Sports needed to make the most of Rare's character to distinguish itself from the competent but sterile Sports Champions that heralded The PlayStation Move launch.

Starting with Table Tennis, the fact that I wasn't holding anything should have been a problem, but in fact wasn't, although my perception of lag was. The delay between action and on-screen response meant I felt as if I was reacting before my brain said I should be. I moved on to the next activity pretty quickly.

Bowling felt responsive and precise - so much so that, given the space I would have been play acting the whole shot sequence. The fact that it understood when you were letting go of the ball despite not holding anything was a clever trick which enabled me to forget that I was just prancing about in my living room. Here was a game that rewarded skill - unlike the original Wii-Sports bowling experience that often let grandma beat me with a lazy flick of the wrist.

The real success of Kinect is measured by how engaging it is for friends.

Boxing was also really rather good with Kinect able to accurately track both hands and body in a way that Nintendo and Sony can't. Comparing this pugilistic experience with the recently released, The Fight demonstrates just how clever Microsoft's tech is and how limited (in this sense) the Move controller is. On harder difficulties it was a real workout requiring both well placed blows and careful guarding and dodging, leaving me exhausted at the end of each round. If only I had a trainer to provide water and pep talks between bells, but instead I had to get my own refreshment.

Stepping out of view uncovers another clever feature of Kinect - it instantly pauses waiting for your return and then restarts once you've applied Vaseline, put your gum shield back in and stepped back into view.

After boxing comes football and I really didn't know how Kinect was going to recreate an accurate rendition - and it looks like neither did they. Instead of flowing runs and sliding tackles, you are left with sticking a leg out to kick and jumping left or right to block passes. It feels novel using your feet in a game, but football this is not. The kicking mini games work much better instead focusing on shooting and goal keeping and these were fun, but as lightweight as any mini-game, so unlikely to be playing much part in future entertainment.

The final selection of sports are the track and field variety, and these require much running on the spot, which I'm really not keen on, so these didn't hold my attention.

The real success of Kinect is measured by how engaging it is for friends and this is a case of some successes and some failures. Generally single player experiences require six feet of clear space to work, but for games that require you to stand side by side, you need eight feet. This simply isn't possible in my lounge making it less party friendly than Nintendo and Sony's offerings. However, in events where you can take it in turns, the extra levels of interactivity Kinect offers make it all seem fresh again.

Playing Kinect Sports has shown me that the camera is both accurate and responsive.

Regardless of that limitation I will definitely be taking this to see my family this Christmas, secure in the knowledge that I won't be the only one eagerly wearing virtual bowling shoes. Playing Kinect Sports has shown me that the camera is both accurate and in general responsive enough to make me excited about what could be developed for it.

Kinect Sports though despite the work Rare have done will, together with the other launch titles probably end up just being novelties played this Christmas. I am back on being sold on the concept of Kinect, but left frustrated by waiting for developers to make games for the Dressup gamer.

Written by Jon Seddon

Jon Seddon writes the Dressup Gamer column.

"Dress-up is the door to a world of make believe and theatre. I review games that let me escape my world and take on a myriad of roles. I love games that emphasise my character and the choices I can make - whether I am merely outfitting them for the fight or choosing which of my crew to save."

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Bang! Board Game Review || Board Gamer column on Game People

Bang! is a strategic card game for up to seven people where players race to kill each other and work out which role they have each been assigned. Like the popular Mafia (Werewolf/Assassin) party games the intrigue about who is playing which role is as much fun as winning or losing.

Bang! is a little more complex (and perhaps less flexible) than those classic Mafia parlor games, but the structure it brings to the table (ed: so to speak?) makes it a more accessible game for a wider audience. It also creates a strong sense of the western theme with the different roles, character and abilities.

Bang! is a spaghetti western themed card game where each player is randomly assigned a character that determines their objective for each round. This creates a web of competing interests - the Outlaws hunt the Sheriff; the Sheriff hunts the Outlaws; the Renegade takes one side or the other and the Deputy protects the Sheriff.

The novelty here though is that nobody knows what each player's role is - except that of the Sheriff. As play proceeds, by drawing and playing cards to attack or defend against other players, everyone tries to identify who is playing each role from each other's behaviour.

As there is no actual board to setup, getting started is quite quick although you do need at least four players. The general concept of a parlor game needs to be understood as well as some specifics about the different types of cards.

Each player is dealt a random character card (face up) and a role card (face down) - this determines who they are (and their special abilities) as well as their mission for this round. The game then starts with players drawing and playing cards in turn.

Once you have set things up and been allocated characters and role, Bang! proceeds in clockwise order starting with the Sheriff. Each player's turn is divided into three phases, drawing two cards, playing cards to attack other players and defend themselves and finally discarding excess cards at the end of their go.

To shoot at another player during the second phase a "Bang!" card is required. Players can only shoot those next to them unless a weapon upgrade is in play that increases their range. Defending players can avoid being shot by playing a "Missed" card.

Other cards include "Beer" that restores a one block of life, a "Whiskey" card that restores two blocks of life and a "Jail" card that puts another player behind bars. Most of the cards are pretty easy to understand and have symbols that describe the card's effect.

The general concept can be understood by children as young as seven, although the finer points may pass them by. There is a lot of simple fun in the different character abilities and secrecy of the assign roles. As with other parlor games, older players can employ all manner of psychological strategies to try and identify who is player each role - bluffing and double bluffing their opponents.

Each round can last about fifteen minutes - depending on how much strategising each player does on their go. A game can combine as many rounds as is convenient in the available time.

In addition to the basic set of cards there are expansion sets that add new abilities, missions and weapons into the game:
Wild West Show for instance introduces characters that are based on iconic western movie actors as well as new cards.
Face Off is an expansion that adds a board to create a two player version of the game using the original Bang! cards.
A Fistful Of Cards adds fifteen new scenarios that can be mixed with the High Noon expansion.
High Noon adds thirteen scenarios for the Sheriff, revealed at the start of each of his turns.
Dodge City adds fifteen new characters and 40 new cards as well as eight new role cards to accommodate up to eight people to play.

There is also now a Bang! (iPhone) game that enables players to compete across the different platforms (iPhone/iPad/PC), although it doesn't interact with the physical card game.

Bang! and its expansions offer a more accessible version of the who done it style parlor games. The strong western theme and clear round structure make it more fun for younger players. Perhaps one down side for smaller families is that you need at least four people to play (unless you go for the iPhone version that supports computer players) Those more experienced with the genre will benefit from the additional intricacies introduced by the range of expansions.

Written by Ed Stephens

Ed Stephens writes the Board Gamer column.

"In a world of ever advancing technology, where gaming is often synonymous with consoles, I'm here to take a different approach and look at board games."

View the original article here

PDC Darts Pro Tour Wii MotionPlus Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

PDC Darts World Tour Wii adds MotionPlus magic to its strong recreation of the sport. The deft weighting and accurate orientation required here are both convincing and compelling. It may not look as good as other bigger budget sports games but PDC gets it right where it counts.

Sporting games on the Wii have been a revolution to my game playing. I have always enjoyed video football, tennis and athletics, but on the Wii the controls finally matched the graphical experience. An evening playing these sorts of games was more of a challenge and felt like less a waste of time.

I've worked my way through the different versions of Tiger Woods, Wii-Sports and enjoyed Grand Slam Tennis. But it wasn't until revisiting PDC Darts this year that I got a feel for how well it recreates the sport.

The early versions of the game had you holding the Wii-mote pointing up and flicking at the screen. Here, as I suspect was true in last year's Wii PDC Darts game, you hold the Wii-mote as if it's the dart, pointing at the screen. By mimicking the real world motion the Wii can work its magic.

The Wii-mote is obviously a lot more bulky than a lightweight dart, but the correlation between the two actions is enough to overcome this disparity - which is soon forgotten. Like any good sport game on the Wii, controlling things with motions that approximate to the real thing creates a surprisingly strong connection between the player and on-screen action.

It's a spell we have all got used to by now, but it is no less magical today.

It's not until you think back over an evening with friends playing PDC World Championship Darts Pro Tour (to give it its full name) that it hits you - all those knife edge finishes and run away victories where you held your nerve were controlled by moving this white TV remote around in the air. It's a spell we have all got used to by now, but it is no less magical today than it was when we first picked up the Wii-mote to play Wii-Sports Tennis.

This year, PDC Darts adds MotionPlus support. This means that the game has a clearer idea of how you are moving the controller. Whereas previously you didn't have to worry too much about the dart's orientation upon release, now it has more of an effect. Weighting also benefits a little from the extra information supplied by MotionPlus.

The difference isn't night and day, but I found that playing multiplayer each of our throws looked different. If you have a slight off-kilter lean to your arrows the game does a better job of picking this up. It's a small thing but actually helped me identify my throwing style and improve some areas.

I found that playing multiplayer each of our throws looked different.

It's a shame that the surrounding game has suffered a little from a limited budget. Presentation isn't as tailored to the Wii as it might be. PDC Darts (PS3) looks much better because it benefits from the system's higher resolution. There were also a few graphical glitches from time to time - the previous player's darts being left on the board for instance (ed: unless that was just simulating someone's forgetfulness).

Apart from this the game offers all the single player and multiplayer modes you could want. It matches Tiger Wood's recent player view mode that lets you play in first person perspective. In fact, PDC outdoes Tiger in some areas like the ability to setup an eight player game for when you have more people round to play - where Tiger only offers four.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column.

"I write family video game reviews. I want to play games with friends and family in the same place, as well as enjoy sharing the experience with my wife and kids. But as well as these there are precious late night gaming moments to fill. Throughout, time is of the essence."

View the original article here

PDC Darts Pro Tour PS3 Move Review || Teen Gamer column on Game People

PDC Darts World Tour PS3 extends the motion controlled experience in wonderful high definition. If you are happy to wrestle with menus and glitches there is a great game waiting to be discovered here.

I never really got into the Wii. My friends all either have 360's or PS3's so that's mostly what we play when we get together. It's funny to see both of those systems now adding controllers that mimic the Wii-mote. We are actually quite happy with the joypad.

But for games like PDC World Championship Darts Pro Tour I can see it makes sense to have controls that work in a similar way to real life. I played a little bit of PDC Darts (Wii) with my Dad last year and have to admit it was actually pretty good. Even though it looked pretty ropey on the Wii.

On the PlayStation 3 PDC darts looks much better. Not only the player characters and the crowd, but the general presentation benefits from a bit more horsepower. The biggest difference though is the resolution of the board itself. Seeing it in higher definition totally changed how realistic the game felt.

The throwing works the same as it does on the Wii. You point the Move controller towards the screen to aim, holding it like a bloated bobble-ended dart, then hold a button to lock the target and perform your throw.

If you throw too hard the dart sails high, if too weak it drops low. But like the MotionPlus Wii version, you also have to keep an eye on the general direction and trajectory of your throw to avoid pulling it left or right.

This combines with the high fidelity visuals to give a real sense of accuracy.

This combines with the high fidelity visuals to give a real sense of accuracy. As me and my mates worked our way through some multiplayer games we each improved and soon established a pecking order. It made me want to spend some evenings practicing before our next session, to see if I could improve my game.

Away from the oche though it's the same old story for the Move controls. Like on Tiger Woods 11 (Move), navigating menus is fiddly to say the least as you have to hold the trigger button and gesture to make your selection. At first I thought our Move controllers were broken because nowhere does the game tell you to hold the button to navigate, and once you have the PlayStation Eye plugged in you can't us a normal controller to navigate.

If only Sony had included some sort of directional D-pad control on the Move wand - like there is on the Wii-mote - this would make things so much easier.

PDC Darts Pro Tour lacks the Wii's general ease of use that makes that experience accessible.

Although the game generally benefits from the PS3's enhanced presentation, compared to the Wii version at least, it still feels like it was created on a limited budget. It actually locked up a couple of times for us and we had to reset the system.

PDC Darts Pro Tour recreates the Wii's motion controlled magic on the PlayStation 3, but lacks the general ease of use that makes that experience accessible. The core of the game is great fun in high definition, but you have to put up with quite a lot of hassle with menus, options and setup to get to it.

Written by Rowan Brown

Rowan Brown writes the Teen Gamer column.

"I write about my favourite games from a younger person's perspective. It's often surprising how different this ends up to other more grown up reviews."

| | | |

With so many different perspectives it can be hard to know where to start - a little like walking into a crowded pub. Sorry about that.

View the original article here

Dance Evolution 360 Kinect Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Dance Evolution's club drenched honies and hardcore dancing can't quite hide the lack of finesse demanded by a wider audience.

Konami should know what they are doing with a dancing game, they started the craze after all, back with Dance Dance Revolution. Dance Evolution (Dance Masters elsewhere) continues their focus on the hardcore club scene with impressive visuals and music.

The leggy instructors are a sharp shock from the 360's tubby avatars, but they set the scene for the high impact pump and grind dancing that is to come. It's all very impressive but I was left unsure how well this fits functionally and culturally with Kinect - there is an uneasy synergy between the old and the new here.

To get dancing you step onto the mat area, but of course there is no mat anymore, it's all projected in Kinect's imaginary eye. This layover from the past continues into the dancing where there is more focus on foot placement and timing than in other Kinect dance games like Dance Central.

But more than this shift of technology, it is the sheer difficulty level that seems a little odd next to the other Kinect titles. The dancing itself is frantic and requires a combination of precise poses, hand gestures, foot and body work. It's pretty mind boggling from the start - even on the easier difficulty levels.

My son kept asking "why have they stopped the song", and I could see his point.

If you miss too many moves you deplete your dance meter and the song is halted. Of course this is how Dance Dance Revolution games always used to work. But with the influence of family friendly Just Dance 2 that lets you dance on regardless, it was a big of a shock. My son kept asking "why have they stopped the song", and I could see his point.

Persisting with particular dances and working through the oddly pedestrian tutorial did grant me more progress. As you start to learn the moves by heart you can disengage your brain and let muscle memory take over. I was able to edge towards the medium difficulty on some songs, although this was still a lot of work.

The Kinect controls work well in general - albeit with a little too much use of the hand up gesture. It's great to see yourself on screen while you are dancing - particularly when you are asked to pull off specific poses - as you can quickly see if you are getting the moves right. It's here, along with the ability to dance simultaneously with another person, and the extensive song list that Dance Evolution has the edge over Dance Central.

It's here, along with the ability to dance simultaneously with another person, and the extensive song list that Dance Evolution has the edge over Dance Central.

For all but hardcore dance gamers though the difficulties outweigh the benefits. Where Dance Central applies its Rockband expertise to lead you into the experience, Dance Evolution drops you in the middle of it and expects you to cope. Small things, like not being told which new songs you have unlocked after each dance, start to grate over time.

Dance Evolution may struggle to find an audience. Although I think the UK box art that depicts a club scene from the game has a better chance than the "soccer mum" version that Dance Maters (as it's called there) has in the US. Dance Evolution needs to be clear that it is a game for hardcore dance fans.

"A Geisha's Dream" Naoki"Brilliant 2U" Naoki"Crazy Control" D-Crew"Exotic Ethnic" Reveng"Hysteria 2001" NM"Into Your Heart" Ruffage"Kimono Princess" Jun"La Receta" Carlos Garcia"Night of Fire" Niko"Unity" The Remembers+20 more

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column.

View the original article here

Wii-Sports Tennis Racquet Wii MotionPlus Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Wii-Sports Tennis is transformed into something very close to a real sport with this unique racquet controller that replaces the Wii-mote. Clever design and sensible weighting add realism to any Wii tennis game provided you have the space to really swing it about.

Since trying out the Wii Table Tennis Bat controller, I've been something of a convert to novelty Wii peripherals. I'm not talking about the various plastic attachments you can get to transform your Wii-mote into a misshapen Golf, Tennis or Baseball bats, but semi-professional bespoke controllers that have been designed with integral Wii-mote electronics.

The Chinese manufacturer who sent the Table Tennis bat must have been happy with my write up because soon after they sent over a Tennis racquet controller. Again the ingenious isn't like the hundreds of other plastic housings for the Wii-mote, it completely replaces it.

Putting the Tennis racquet controller through its paces soon proved that I needed much more space than I had available at home. I ended up persuading a local Gym to let me book one of their rooms for a few hours, and getting three friends along to see how it felt playing Wii-Sports Tennis with a real racquet.

Once there was enough space to really swing the racquet around, it proved its worth by added another layer of realism to Wii-Sports. Maybe it's because I haven't played the original Wii-Sports for a while, preferring as I have mentioned Wii-Sports Resort Table Tennis, but I was really impressed with the genuine sense of contact between racquet and ball it created.

The controller has the battery in the handle rather than the racquet head, which actually makes it better balanced that the Table Tennis bat version, which lacked a little heft in the handle. The Tennis racquet also benefits from its size because air resistance means you have to play with a more lifelike "stiff-wrist" stroke rather than the usual Wii-mote flicks.

In fact, it was this inability to use flicks to fool the game that turned out to be one of the most important features of the controller. This combines with the sensible weight distribution to create another fresh way of experiencing the Wii's motion controlled gameplay.

The device is well engineered and provides all the usual Wii-mote controls and buttons.

The device is well engineered and provides all the usual Wii-mote controls and buttons. You can plug a Nun-chuck into the bottom of the handle if you want to up the realism for games like Grand Slam Tennis. Although you have to develop a two handed technique for some shots because of the tethered Nun-chuck it still felt a lot closer to the real thing (ed: we'll get you a wireless Nun-chuck to try with it by sun down).

It even includes the infra-red pointing device right at the end of the racquet head. Again, a small detail but an essential one if you are going to use the racquet with a range of games on the Wii.

Like the Table Tennis bat I would have preferred a more realistic material to be used for the handle grip, and the strings are a fake grid of plastic rather than being actually strung. But these really are minor points on a prototype such as this.

These two controllers have pretty much transformed what I think about the Wii.

These two controllers have pretty much transformed what I think about the Wii. Whereas the novelty of waggle controls had really worn off, playing games with these devices feels totally different. I've ended up organising a little championship using the racquets back at the gym each week, and the competition is really heating up.

I'm also starting to investigate which other games these controllers may work for. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column.

View the original article here

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

GoldenEye 007 Wii Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

GoldenEye 007 reminds us the Wii isn't just a novelty. Visuals and game play stand up alongside the 360 and PS3, while at the same time it delivers more local multiplayer modes than those consoles usually do.

I have a soft spot for shooting games on the Wii. Not the light gun games (although there are many good examples of them too), but first person shooters like Medal of Honour Vanguard, Call of Duty World at War, Modern Warfare Reflex, The Conduit and most recently Call of Duty Black Ops.

Quite a list I know, but these games all make solid use of my Favourite Control Scheme - the Wii-mote Nun-chuck combination. For me, because I want the flexibility of a mouse with the convenience of playing away from a desk it's the perfect compromise.

Getting used to the disparity between the sweeping Wii-mote and tight analogue stick of the Nun-chuck takes some time. But with practice and the more recent game's ability to adjust these controls extensively I found I could soon adjust.

GoldenEye 007 is very much at home amongst these peers. The main game offers a fully fledge campaign taking you through the classic moments from the film. It's a little odd that the star has become Daniel Craig rather than Pierce Brosnon, but I assume this is from licensing limitations more than anything else.

Controls are well mapped to the various buttons on the Wii-mote and Nun-chuck and there is an acknowledgement of the difficulties that Wii-mote aiming can generate in the form of a pretty heavy handed auto-aim when you zoom in. This is the only place where the game panders a little too much to casual players.

GoldenEye 007 manages to generate the same moments of tension that are stock in trade for the big ticket consoles.

Throughout, GoldenEye 007 manages to generate the same moments of tension that are stock in trade for the big ticket consoles. The flexibility of the aiming, combined with impressive visuals made me wonder why I would want to go back to a 360 or PS3 first person shooter. Admittedly I was of that opinion before I started - pretty much only still playing Halo (for its wonderful AI) since I fell in love with the Wii's shooting mechanics.

The enemy intelligence here is obviously artificial though. Although this is not limited to Wii games it still detracts from the experience as a whole. More than once my suspension of disbelief was shattered as an enemy either stood in front of me, or (more comedically) emptied their gun into a crate for no apparent reason.

As suggested by the auto-aim, the shooting in GoldenEye 007 can sometimes be a little vague. I could get a head-shot now and again, but on more than one occasion I had lined up an enemy brain-box perfectly only for them to survive once I pulled the trigger. I missed the tighter targeting of The Conduit here - which is something I'm now looking forward to revisiting when Conduit 2 is released next year.

I've got this far without mentioning the original GoldenEye N64 game. Of course, that is the real reason that GoldenEye 007 exists. Gamers have been clamouring for a reissue or update of the goto reference game for the start of the first person craze.

The strong singleplayer campaign and online modes offer great value for money and remind us that the Wii is a powerful gaming machine.

I've not mentioned it because it's only really in the multiplayer modes that it starts to feel like GoldenEye again. Although the game doesn't offer campaign co-op, there is a four player split screen mode that inherits all the wins from the main game with the benefit of sidestepping the AI for human opponents.

I was surprised there was no option in include bots though. Even with their limitations, having computer controlled enemies is what makes local multiplayer games fun - and here I realised how much I wanted to go back and play Time Splitters 2.

Making up for the lack of bots is a very quick to start online multiplayer mode. I got into a game almost straight away and was playing with 7 other people in less than five minutes. The framerate felt a little choppier here, but nothing untoward. The online experience was really impressive with all the modes you would expect. My only grip is not being able to take more than one player online on one console.

GoldenEye 007 delivers beyond the original in many ways. The strong singleplayer campaign and online modes offer great value for money and remind us that the Wii is a powerful gaming machine. But beyond this there is no real GoldenEye spark.

It even beats Call of Duty Black Ops.

Enjoyed on its own merits this is another very capable shooting game on the Wii. And if you want four player split screen action it even beats Call of Duty Black Ops.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column.

View the original article here

Wii At Last Blog || Board Gamer column on Game People

This dad had learned from the mistakes of dads-of-yore and had done some planning. A component cable for HD TV connection had been purchased. New batteries were charged and ready. Everything had been plugged in and verified as working before the Christmas wrapping paper had gone on. When the wrapping was ripped off on the big day, the Wii was up and running within minutes.

The parents had gleaned just enough by this stage to know that the first thing we all needed to do was to each create a Mii for ourselves. I was the only one who tried to design a Mii in my likeness. Eldest daughter gave herself much longer hair. Youngest daughter put on full make up and made herself taller than everyone else.

And since then Mii creation has continued to amuse us. We visited a 'famous Mii' website and were inspired by the diverse characters that had been created. We also learned some tricks, such as creating huge eyebrows so offset they poke out the top of the face to resemble a dog's ears or an insect's antennae. To this day, none of us can watch a Mii being created without saying, "I want a turn after you." Interestingly, apart from some minor tweaks, we've stuck with our original Miis we created on that first day.

If it had been up to the kids, this first outing on the Wii would have been spent exclusively designing Miis. But the grown up wanted to check out Wii Sports Resort. Bowling was the game to try, familiar from our earlier Adventure with Wii-Sports but now with groovy Hawaiian shirts.

I was pleased to discover the enhanced spin with the MotionPlus controller. Playing against the kids, it's always nice to have a handicap system, so I decided I wouldn't change the line or angle but instead could only use spin. Eldest daughter was beginning to suspect bowling is a luck fest but felt a lot better after become the first family member to pick up a 'split frame spare' - using the second ball to clear pins separated by a gap), earning a stamp in the process.

Growing up, my Dad was known as something of a bowling champion in our house. He had the trophies and bowling shirts in the attic to prove it. Sadly, we never got to see him play because in the 1980s all the bowling alleys got turned into squash courts - even though there has been a reversal in more recent years.

The Wii was definitely coming with us to Granddad's house that Christmas. I admit that I quite fancied the idea of showing him up at the game. But it wasn't to be: it seems that the Wii has captured the game quite well. After a short time he was coaching us all into getting our split frame spare stamp. To this day I have got no where near the score he set that Christmas. His Mii has less hair and more wrinkles now though, which made me feel a little better.

Archery is the next game we tried and has remained our youngest daughter's favourite sport. The excitement of getting the golden arrow, worth double points, in team play has never gone away. Canoeing was the next to be tried but was quickly dominated by the grown-ups, though the kids were very happy to watch. But when we discovered Island Flyover we had found our first love.

Skipping forward a little, here's the curious thing: we favoured the Wii over the DS because because we wanted to play together but we haven't found a game that everyone is happy to play - not that we've tried too hard. Sports are too competitive and dominated by the adults; even playing in teams doesn't seem to balance things out sufficiently. We tried Carnival Funfair Mini Golf, which worked well with a group of kids only (i.e. visiting friends) but which somehow became frustrating when the grown ups became involved.

I'm coming around to the notion that the kind of games we like on the Wii tend to be single player affairs and, dare I say it, more readily available for the DS. That said, we really enjoy the experience of watching one another play (notably Endless Ocean and Little King's Story) which I'm sure would be the case on a small handheld screen.

Guest review by Jamie Collins

Jamie Collins wrote this Board Gamer article under the watchful eye of Ed Stephens.

"In a world of ever advancing technology, where gaming is often synonymous with consoles, I'm here to take a different approach and look at board games."

| | | |

With so many different perspectives it can be hard to know where to start - a little like walking into a crowded pub. Sorry about that.

View the original article here

GT14 Mark 2 Carisma Review || Radio Controlled Gamer column on Game People

This is the second edition of 1/14th radio controlled Carisma GT14 cars. Although on first inspection it looks similar to the original, it offers a number of improvements to enhance driving and adjusting the R/C car.

Since we reviewed the Carisma GT14 Mk1 a year ago, the diminutive 1/14th car has won quite a following at R/C clubs up and down the country. Such was the response to our review that we started our own local Carisma GT14 Club that has gone from strength to strength.

The GT14 Carisma road cars are smaller than the more common 1/10th radio controlled models. Their 1/14th size makes them more compact and lighter - offering more speed for the same power. Although they are 4WD the driving experience is more of a 2WD drift car - they still under-steer and drift at high speed.

Alternatives are:

GT14 2.4Ghz (GBP125) 1/14 4WD version with advanced 2.4ghz electronics.GT14 Mk2 (GBP70) 1/14 Mark 2 4WD version bare bones kit.GT14/R14 (GBP110) 1/14 4WD version with cheaper electronics.M14 (60GBP) 1/14 2WD version with cheaper electronics.M40 (125GBP) 1/10th 4WD version with cheaper electronics.

As you may have read in out GT14 Mk2 Mk1 Comparison blog, the first noticeable change on the new version is a new Mk2 Steering System that has been completely redesigned - both the pinion and the steering arm. This promises to eliminate some of the issues with servo clipping that led to burning out the steering motor. This also looks to offer greater movement for a tighter turning arc.

The carbon fibre Chassis and Top Deck have both been remoulded on the Mk2 and eliminate the need for a motor vent hole. This should not only avoid burnt fingers that stray onto the hot metal, but also reduce ware and tear on pro motors. With these changes the chassis adopts a squarer shape, that produces a stiffer more positive driving experience.

More subtle changes to the chassis include the front and back digits that flank the wishbones and enable you to define the ride height and suspension movement with greater accuracy. Underneath a combination of alum key bolts and screws are used and look to offer more secure and flush fixing of the standard parts - such as the front and rear differential.

There are a range of other adjustments to tighten up the design all round. The battery housing for instance now only has the (universally preferred) rear placement - rather than the forward or back options of the MK1. The top chassis deck is also now in one piece to provide greater stability.

Other specifications remain the same:

Pre-assembled chassisShaft Driven 4WDFront and Rear Geared DifferentialFully Ball RacedAdjustable Slipper BoltMk2 Steering SystemMk2 Chassis and Top DeckGRP Chassis Components and TowersOil Filled Shock AbsorbersAdjustable Ride Height, Caster, Camber, and toe in/out

Scale: 1:14Length: 280mmWidth: 132mmRunning Weight: 365gWheelbase: 185mm

The GT14 Mark 2 models can take advantage of the majority of spares provided for the original car. As before the car features high spec ball-raced shaft drive, threaded shocks, slipper, diffs and twin deck chassis. Although this is already pre-built and the smaller scale means only bespoke parts can be used, you can adjust shocks, slipper and general trim of each car.

Currently the GT14 Mk 2 can only be purchased as a bare bones kit. This means you need to add electrics, body and motor to get it running. We anticipate that these will start to replace the original chassis in the pre-built kits once stock of the original model have depleted.

Once you have the parts you need it is simply a matter of fixing the motor in place, installing the radio gear and battery and fixing the body shell. There is about three or four hours work here if you are looking to perfect the setup.

The build of these Carisma GT14 Mk2 cars is improved over the original. The redesigned chassis decks give the car a stiffer construction which results in a more positive driving experience. As before, although there is a large foam bumper at the front, the smaller scale and greater speed does make them feel a little more vulnerable to mistreatment.

The driving experience is where these Carisma GT14 Mk2 Electric R/C cars come up trumps. They are just so fast in a straight line. This in turn introduces all sorts of fun in persuading them round a track. As you turn into a corner you are hit by a dramatic under-steer as all four wheels struggle to apply the required direction. Then, as you power off a little you swing into over-steer as the 4WD finds its voice again.

This results in some wonderfully balletic moments haring around a circuit. It also makes for some real touring car action. A gentle nudge to the back of an opponent's car is enough to destabilise and send them spinning. A handful of these in enough flat space and a clearly marked course produces some of the best R/C fun you will find.

The Carisma GT14 Mk2's smaller scale and open under carriage makes them a little more likely to pick up muck. Run them on an outside, wet, or muddy surface and you will need to attend to some careful and drying cleaning afterwards.

While the body shell will simply wipe down, the internals really need a brush and cloth to clean them up.

The GT14 Mk2 is not a revolutionary update, but this is largely because the original design is so strong. That said, a number of sensible improvements improve how the car feels to drive and opens new ways of adjusting the ride. Additionally, there have been some under the hood changes that although less obvious should avoid some of the GT14 Breakages and GT14 Electrical issues.

The GT14 Mk2 is packed with fun for both the casual and hobbyist radio controlled racer. Their smaller scale, mismatched with ridiculous power makes them more than a handful for even experienced drivers. Although we originally talked about them as a stepping stone to more serious self-build kits they have since proved themselves a compelling enough racing class in their own right.

Written by Rupert Stelling

Rupert Stelling writes the Radio Controlled Gamer column.

"Having grown up racing Tamiya radio and remote controlled cars and trucks I was keen to get my kids started on the same hobby. Here, I share my R/C reviews and guides to getting started in this electric and petrol powered world."

View the original article here

The Last Window DS Review || Dressup Gamer column on Game People

The Last Window's classic adventure and stylish presentation struggled to replace the shared experience of PC adventure games. Its text heavy nature was readable but didn't really get me playing the detective.

The Last Window is a detective point and click adventure game from the defunct developer Cing and a sequel to Hotel Dusk. It follows the story of a down on his luck private eye who has not only just lost his job, but is imminently about to lose his home. His apartment block, which was formerly a hotel is about to unveil the murky secrets of its past and luckily you are there as Kyle Hyde ready to piece it all together.

Point and click adventure games on the DS should be a marriage made in heaven and in some ways the intimate nature and of the handheld with its stylus interaction really helps with the tactile nature of telling a detective story.

However, when it comes to actually solving the puzzles, the enforced solo sleuthing of the handheld cramped my style. I prefer to be sat around a monitor with two brains sharing the conundrums. On my own I'm just impatient, which leads to frantic screen tapping in search of a clues rather than rational thought.

I still reminisce with my wife years later about games such as The Dig and the Gabriel Knight series. The lack of instant answers on the Internet, led me into extended games of trial and error and leaps of intellectual good fortune. Last Window with its solitary experience will never provide similar memories. The best I can hope for is to work on my own play through and discuss my experiences after the event.

The Last Window is more memorable for its graphical style, which is immediately reminiscent of 1980's pop act Ah Ha and their Take on Me video - the pencil drawn sketches look amazing. Add this to the book orientation play style and you have an engaging way to interact with a very dialogue heavy game - evoking the reading of a detective novel.

This deliberate pacing slowly builds each character's profile making the latter stages of the adventure more interesting.

The moment to moment experience feels very guided with almost each step causing you to bump into another character revealing just a little more of their story - with plenty of loose needs to get you thinking. This deliberate pacing slowly builds each character's profile making the latter stages of the adventure more interesting as motives become as important as puzzle solving.

When you do get involved in those puzzles, you are invariably trapped in a relatively confined area and I found myself walking up to every part of the screen and touching things in the hope of finding something Kyle deems useful.

This is the element of adventure games I find least appealing. I simply don't want to play "guess what can be clicked on". Whilst objects do "highlight" if they are interactive it still takes a long time to work your way meticulously around each location. This might be part of being a detective, but other games like Heavy Rain have streamlined this element focusing instead on the evidence rather than its discovery.

d this game been on Wii, then perhaps sharing the experience around a television might have made the puzzles more fun.

For once, reading proves more interesting than playing in a game in a way that sets up the strange paradox that being a detective is less rewarding than reading about a being detective. On these grounds as much as any The Last Window doesn't quite work for me. It interrupts an enjoyable story with frustrating interludes rather than interesting diversions.

Had this game been on Wii, then perhaps sharing the experience around a television might have made the puzzles more fun, but then the amount of text would have been distracting and robbed it of much of its narrative richness.

Written by Jon Seddon

Jon Seddon writes the Dressup Gamer column.

View the original article here

Professor Layton and the Lost Future DS Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future masterfully combines storytelling and puzzles. As much a short film as a game, Layton's charm continues to win him friends in our family.

Professor Layton is still popular in our house. This may not sound all that surprising, but in a family where gaming brands are forgotten with as much vigour as they were initially obsessed over, Layton's staying power is becoming quite unusual.

Having enjoyed the Curious Village and Pandora's Box I thought the story telling and puzzle combination may have started to wear a little thin. But no, my wife and kids were eager to huddle round our new DSi XL to play together - once I got round to telling them we had it.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future offers a time travelling tale. This not only creates the possibility of all sort of surprising and intertwined plot points but also frames a number of the puzzles with time bending logic.

I've never really spent much time with the Layton games before - partly because they were monopolised by everyone else in the family, but I'd also never really quite 'got' what made them so compelling. I'm really not a big fan of minigame collections.

This time though, before I let the others know we had it in the house I decided to spend a couple of late nights playing through its puzzles.

I hadn't realised was that this is as much a cartoon as it is a puzzle game.

What I hadn't realised was that this is as much a cartoon as it is a puzzle game. It reminded me of shows like the Cities of Gold or Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds (ed: dam you now I'll have those themes in my head all day). But unlike those after school cartoons, Layton offers a slower and more considered tale that's more mystery-thriller than action-adventure.

The other half of the Layton equation - as I discovered - is the well balanced puzzles. Each one relates to the story and must be solved before you can progress. If you get really stuck you can use one of your three hint coins - but this diminishes how many points you get when you do solve it.

A few hours in and it all started to clicked. In fact, before I knew it it had been a good week of late night play before I finally got round to sharing it with the family.

Layton offers something unusual for a videogame - charm. It's not so much the constituent parts that make it so compelling, but the way they have been combined and dressed. They come together to create a coherent whole that offers both quality and intrigue.

They come together to create a coherent whole that offers both quality and intrigue.

There are of course times when it frustrates, and because of the nature of logic problems the difficulty can be a little lumpy, but this doesn't undermine its overriding enjoyment. Being a family of five, we would also have liked another couple of save slots - but this really is grasping at critical straws.

Although our youngest is not quite up to working through the game on their own, we found playing together worked well. Partly to get around the limited saves we assign one of them to be a Family slot. We then use this one to play through the game as a group - taking advantage of the DSi XL's bigger screen and wider viewing angle.

When there was no one else available to play though, he was happy to discover the minigames. The Picture Book game was a particular hit. This lets the player to place the stickers, won in the main game, into a story book. This creates a unique story each time as the book adjusts to the chosen images. My son would come home from school straight to the DS - hoping that my wife had been playing it during the day - to see if there were any more stickers available.

It's taken me three releases to catch up with the Layton craze but I'm glad I did.

There's some debate in our house about which of the Layton games we have enjoyed the most. The later games, like the Lost Future and Pandora's Box do a better job of interweaving the story and the game play, but the earlier games like the Curious Village were our first encounter with Layton and so remain something special.

It's taken me three releases to catch up with the Layton craze but I'm glad I did. More than just being a family friendly puzzle game, there is something of considerable substance and style here for any gamer. In fact the quality of the story telling and difficulty of some puzzles felt more like playing Uncharted than something on a Nintendo console.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column.

View the original article here

Donkey Kong Country Returns Wii News || Reporting Gamer column on Game People

Donkey Kong Country Returns with drop-in co-operative play and parental assist mode. Learning a trick or two from Super Mario Brothers Wii, there is plenty to celebrate in the return of this classic.

Donkey Kong Country, with its pre-rendered 2.5D visuals, was a breakthrough game on the SNES. The Wii version, (ed: the imaginativley titled) Donkey Kong Country Returns, brings back its classic side-on platforming.

Fully 3D environments this time round offer more variety and branching gameplay. Of course it's all populated with favourite's like the barrel cannons and mine carts. And throughout the levels are plenty of special items to collect - as well as hidden letters that spell K-O-N-G and reward the player with special abilities.

More exciting this time around is the two player co-op experience. Here you can work seperatley to traverse each level, or hitch a ride a work togther. This, it's hoped will be a popular way for families to play - where a younger player can jump back on Donkey Kong shoulders when they need a break. And if they loose a life they can, as in Super Mario Brothers, rejoin the action by popping out of a DK barrel floating on a balloon.

Although it sounds a little gimmicky, being carried by a parent is such a universal experience for kids it is actually quite endearing in the game.

As well as the original game's moves, on the Wii you can use a Barrel Jet and shake the Wii Remote to make Donkey Kong pound the ground, roll on enemies and blow air. There's even a Peanut Popgun in two player mode.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is released on the Wii in Europe on 3rd December.

Written by Andy Robertson

Andy Robertson writes the Reporting Gamer column.

"The problem with video game news is that there is so much of it. I've made it my task to sift out the noise and bring you news about games I think you should be excited about."

View the original article here

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Transformers War for Cybertron 360 Review || Story Gamer column on Game People

Transformers War For Cybertron 360 attempts to give the iconic giant robots the same dark, fan-pleasing makeover that Batman received in the acclaimed Arkham Asylum. While it isn't quite up to that standard, it is still the best Transformers game yet, and a surprisingly challenging third person shooter.

I love Transformers, the comics were one of the great sprawling narratives of my childhood. Optimus Prime is one of the purest hero figures in fiction, sacrificing his life for the sake of mankind and rising again on not one but at least half-a-dozen occasions.

Also, unlike most potential saviours or heroes, he can turn into a truck.

Anyway, suffice to say I absolutely adore Transformers, even if some of the recent interpretations have been lacking.

While putting tiny humans and giant robots in the same frame is a major part of the concept's appeal, for me the recent movies have erred too far towards human characters, with a very odd emphasis on war-on-terror military carnage with the Autobots and Decepticons treated as little more than big, talking weapons.

I love Transformers, the comics were one of the great sprawling narratives of my childhood.

Someone involved in War for Cybertron either agrees with me, or at least thinks there's a fan base ill-served by films about Shia LeBeouf's love life, because this is a game that cuts out the puny carbon-based lifeforms altogether in favour of pure robot Sci-Fi.

Set in the early days of the eight-million year civil war on Cybertron, the game presents a dark (often too dark, if played during daytime) world of giant mechanisms and huge furnaces.

Arkham Asylum seems a strong influence here. While it's a completely different genre of game - Arkham was about exploration and hand-to-hand combat, while War is a third-person shooter in the mould of Gears of War - they both endeavour to please two audiences usually badly served by licensed games, fans of the property and dedicated gamers. It isn't as great a game as Arkham Asylum, but War for Cybertron broadly succeeds in redeeming Transformers as a videogame brand.

Adult fans can hardly complain that the game treats the war between Autobots and Decepticons as lightly as some of the cartoons, or as incoherently as the movies. If anything, War for Cybertron is a bit too bleak in its pandering to eager grown-ups - with enemy robots smashed into scraps of broken metal and an overbearingly dark aesthetic that sometimes seems to stray into Dead Space territory. While the combination of cold, neon-fierce strips of light and burnished metal makes for a strong hi-tech industrial atmosphere, a little more colour and fun wouldn't have gone amiss in places.

There's a real sense of stepping into the shoes of the toys you played with as a kid.

While the tone can feel a bit grim - perhaps because the game opens with the Decepticon campaign, setting a ruthless, violent mood from the off - there's still plenty of fun to be had, mainly because this is a game that really utilises the fact that you're not playing a human or other biological organism, but a giant robot that turns into a vehicle. It's not just fan-pleasing fun to switch your character from robot to vehicle mode, it's also a game play element: in robot mode you have more combat options but have to trudge around on foot, while in vehicle mode you're swifter but restricted to a single weapon.

The high points come from using your powers as a Transformer to their full potential - charge at a group of enemies in vehicle mode, bombarding them with your built-in cannon, then transform to robot mode (with the requisite flurry of metallic sound and animated, morphing metal) and unleash a powerful melee attack, knocking the remaining enemies to bits as you reel around swinging a mace.

At these moments, there's a real sense of stepping into the shoes of the toys you played with as a kid, of fulfilling a childhood dream.

It's in attempting to be a serious triple-A shooter that War for Cybertron grinds its gears a bit, and the fun level occasionally drops. While the game is certainly very heavily polished, and the controls, combat and weapon variations are as generous as many major shooters, it doesn't quite have the blockbuster spectacle and control of pacing of, say, Gears of War 2.

For grown-up (or even just mid-teenage) Transformers fans, this is the game you've been waiting for.

In trying not to be too lightweight, the game occasionally tips from challenging into over-bearing, a trudge between waves of tough, repetitive enemies. Most players will battle their way through the more grievous skirmishes eventually, and very skilled shooter fans will probably breeze it, but War for Cybertron does at times feel like a bit of a slog, punishing rather than demanding.

Which is not to take away from the game's considerable merits. War for Cybertron is a worthy investment for anyone looking for a polished, enjoyable SF shooter, but for grown-up (or even just mid-teenage) Transformers fans, this is the game you've been waiting for: from the control system that gives a palpable feel of playing a malleable killer robot, to the arcane continuity references and spot-on voice acting, this game drips with love for these characters and their stories.

For those fans, myself included, this is an absolute must-have.

Written by Mark Clapham

Mark Clapham writes the Story Gamer column.

"I love a good story. Games tell many different stories: the stories told through cut scenes and dialogue, but also the stories that emerge through gameplay, the stories players make for themselves."

View the original article here

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Friday, December 31, 2010

Call of Duty Black Ops Wii Review || Considered Gamer column on Game People

Monopoly Streets Wii Review || Domestic Gamer column on Game People

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom PS3 Review || Soulful Gamer column on Game People

Limbo 360 XBLA Review || Tired Gamer column on Game People

Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest DS Review || Teen Gamer column on Game People

TrackMania Wii Review || Tech Gamer column on Game People

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kinect Sports 360 Kinect Review || Dressup Gamer column on Game People

Bang! Board Game Review || Board Gamer column on Game People

PDC Darts Pro Tour Wii MotionPlus Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

PDC Darts Pro Tour PS3 Move Review || Teen Gamer column on Game People

Dance Evolution 360 Kinect Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Wii-Sports Tennis Racquet Wii MotionPlus Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

GoldenEye 007 Wii Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Wii At Last Blog || Board Gamer column on Game People

GT14 Mark 2 Carisma Review || Radio Controlled Gamer column on Game People

The Last Window DS Review || Dressup Gamer column on Game People

Professor Layton and the Lost Future DS Review || Family Gamer column on Game People

Donkey Kong Country Returns Wii News || Reporting Gamer column on Game People

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Transformers War for Cybertron 360 Review || Story Gamer column on Game People

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