Cliffy B Interview

Part Two of our special look at Gears 2 sees us have a chat with Cliffy B

Part One

Part Two

New Gears of War 2 Screenshots!

Part One of our special look at Gears of War 2 begins with 16 new screenshots for you to enjoy!

Screens 12-14 are of Skorge, the new nemesis of Gears 2. Think of him like a much tougher badass than old RAAM. Cliffy did confirm that he will be playable in multiplayer too and so will The Countess. The full video interview will be going live very soon, so keep your eyes open for it!

Autumn / Winter Line Up Unveiled for Nintendo DS and Wii

Autumn / Winter Line Up Unveiled for the Nintendo DS and Wii

Below is the incredibly huge list of what’s coming out towards the end of the year:

Wii Software 2008

Runaway the Dream of the Turtle (Focus Home Interactive) 25th September 2008
Wild Earth: African Safari (Majesco / Codemaster) 25th September 2008
Family Trainer (Namco Bandai) 26th September 2008
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (Nintendo) 26th September 2008
My Pet Hotel (dtp Young Entertainment) 26th September 2008
November (ES and IT)
Brothers in Arms Double Time (Ubisoft) 26th September 2008
Detective Conan: The Mirapolis Investigation (Nobilis) September 2008
FIFA 09 (EA) 3rd October 2008
SimCity Creator (EA) 2nd October 2008
Order Up (ZOO) 3rd October 2008
CID The Dummy (Oxygen Games) 10th October 2008
Bratz: Girls Really Rock! (THQ) 10th October 2008
Twin Strike: Operation Thunder (ZOO) 10th October 2008
TNA Impact (Midway Games) 10th October 2008
LEGO Batman: The videogame (Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment) 10th October 2008
Cabela’s – Trophy Bucks (Activision) 17th October 2008
Rapala’s Fishing Frenzey (Activision) 17th October 2008
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into The Inferno (THQ) 17th October 2008
Naked Brothers Band (THQ) 17th October 2008
Littlest Pet Shop (EA) 17th October 2008
Disaster: Day of Crisis (Nintendo) 24th October 2008
Moto GP 08 (Capcom) 24th October 2008
SpongeBob Squarepants: Globs of Doom (THQ) 24th October 2008
Tak: Guardians of Gross (THQ) 24th October 2008
Klaus Gronewalds Sports Challenge (Oxygen Games) 26th October 2008
MySims Kingdom (EA) 31st October 2008
Legend of Sayuki (505 Games) 31st October 2008
James Bond 007 Quantum of Solace (Activison) 31st October 2008
More Game Party (Midway Games) 31st October 2008
Puzzler Collection (Ubisoft) 31st October 2008
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (Activision) October 2008
Bratz Kids Party (Game Factory) October 2008
Build A Bear-Workshop© (Game Factory) October 2008
RUBIKS™ Puzzle World (Game Factory) October 2008
SNK Arcade Classic Vol. 1 (Ignition) October 2008
Wii Cheers (Namco Bandai) October 2008
Boogie Superstar (EA) October 2008
Fritz Chess (Gammick Entertainment) October 2008
Deadly Creatures (THQ) October 2008
Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Matter (Vivendi Games) October 2008
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of The Dragon (Vivendi Games) October 2008
Blast Works (Eidos) Oct – Nov 2008
Wonderworld Amusement Park (Eidos / Majesco) Oct – Nov 2008
My Horse and Me 2 (Atari) Autumn 2008
PC Adventure Safecracker (JoWooD) Autumn 2008
Call of Duty: World at War (Activision) Autumn 2008
Petz Sports: Dog Playground (Ubisoft) Autumn 2008
World of Goo (RTL entertainment) Q3 2008
Margot’s Word Brain (ZOO) 1st November 2008
WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 (THQ) 7th November 2008
Trauma Center: New Blood (Nintendo) 7th November 2008
Imagine Champion Rider (Ubisoft) 11th November 2008
Big Beach Sports Special Edition (THQ) 13th November 2008
Wii Music (Nintendo) 14th November 2008
Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune (ZOO) 14th November 2008
All Star Cheer (THQ) 14th November 2008
Kung Fu Panda – Legendary Warrior (Activision) 14th November 2008
Yamaha Supercross (ZOO) 14th November 2008
Need for Speed Undercover (EA) 21st November 2008
Skate It (EA) 21st November 2008
Hasbro Family Games Night (EA) 20th November 2008
Barbie House Adventures: Summer Camp (Activision) 21st November 2008
Shrek’s Carnival of Fun (Activision) 21st November 2008
World Championship off Road Racing (Activision) 21st November 2008
Horse Life 2 (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Babies Party (Ubisoft) 28th November 2008
My Vet Practice (dtp Young Entertainment) November 2008
(19th September – DE)
Disney Sing It (Disney Interactive Studios) November 2008
Petz: Monkey Madness (Ubisoft) November 2008
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Ubisoft) November 2008
Hells Kitchen (Ubisoft) November 2008
Pet Vet (DTP / Eidos) November 2008
Tchtonik: World Tour (Koch Media / Deep Silver) November 2008
Shaun White Snowboard (Ubisoft) November 2008
Zoo Hospital (Majesco / Codemaster) November 2008
Sonic Unleashed (SEGA) November 2008
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (Gamecock Media) November 2008
Lost In Blue Shipwrecked (Konami) November 2008
Pop Star Guitar (Midway Games) November 2008
Disney Sing It: High School Musical (Disney Interactive Studios) 4th December 2008
Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 European Version (TOMY / Nintendo) December
Animal Crossing: Lets Go to the City (Nintendo) December 2008
Top Trumps Doctor Who (Eidos) December 2008
King Of Fighters Anthology (Ignition) December 2008
King of Fighters Collection (Ignition) December 2008
Samurai Showdown Anthology (Ignition) December 2008
The Magic Roundabout (Koch Media / Deep Silver) December 2008
My Animal Centre (Koch Media / BrainGame) December 2008
Bolt (Disney Interactive Studios) Christmas 2008
Disney Think Fast (Disney Interactive Studios) Christmas 2008
Guitar Hero: World Tour (Complete Band Game) (Activision) Winter 2008
Guitar Hero: World Tour (Complete Guitar Game) (Activision) Winter 2008
Guitar Hero: World Tour (Software Only) (Activision) Winter 2008
Star Wars The Clone Years: Lightsaber Duels (Activision) Winter 2008
Carnival Games: Mini Golf (2K Games) Q4 2008
Dora saves Snow Princess (2K Games) Q4 2008
High School Musical: Senior Year DANCE! (Disney Interactive Studios) Q4 2008
Don King Presents Prizefighter (2K Sports) Q4 2008
Mr Bean Wacky World of Wii (Matertronic) Q4 2008
Rouge Trooper: The Quartz Zone Massacre (Reef Entertainment) Q4 2008
Brave: A Warriors Tale (SouthPeak Games) Q4 2008
Igor (Koch Media / Deep Silver) Q4 2008

Wii Accessories 2008

Wii Remote Wrist Straps (Pink, Green, Blue, White) (Nintendo) 17th October 2008
Wii Speak December 2008

Nintendo DS Software 2008

Hell’s Kitchen (Ubisoft) 25th September 2008
Make 10: A Journey of Numbers (Nintendo) 26th September 2008
Shaun the Sheep (D3 Publisher of Europe) 26th September 2008
SimCity Creator (EA) 26th September 2008
8 Ball Allstars (Oxygen Games) 26th September 2008
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (SEGA) 26th September 2008
Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition (THQ) 26th September 2008
Lock´s Quest: Construction Combat (THQ) 26th September 2008
Bratz Ponyz 2 (Game Factory) September 2008
Code Lyoko 2 (Game Factory) September 2008
Docomodake (Ignition) September 2008
Football Director (Pinnacle Entertainment) September 2008
Pony Friends (Mini Breeds Edition) (Eidos) Sep / Oct 2008
Ace Attorney: Trails and Tribulations (Capcom / Nintendo) 3rd October 2008
(2nd October Germany)
Naruto Ninja Council 2 European Version (TOMY) 3rd October 2008
(2nd October Germany)
Maths Made Simple (505 Games) 3rd October 2008
Mystery Detective II (505 Games) 3rd October 2008
Mystery Detective II (505 Games) 3rd October 2008
Scotland Yard (dtp Young Entertainment) 3rd October 2008
FIFA 09 (EA) 3rd October 2008
Zubo (EA) 3rd October 2008
Lost In Blue 3 (Konami) 9th October 2008
KORG-DS-10 (Nintendo) 10th October 2008
Bratz: Girls Really Rock ! (THQ) 10th October 2008
Cosmetic Paradise (505 Games) 17th October 2008
My Dress-Up (Oxygen Games) 17th October 2008
My Make-Up (Oxygen Games) 17th October 2008
My Secret Diary (Oxygen Games) 17th October 2008
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno (THQ) 17th October 2008
Naked Brothers Band (THQ) 17th October 2008
Fritz & Chesster (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 17th October 2008
Imagine Champion Rider (Ubisoft) 17th October 2008
Littlest Pet Shop (EA) 17th October 2008
Last King of Africa (Focus Home Entertainment) 23rd October 2008
Track Mania DS (Focus Home Entertainment) 23rd October 2008
Transformers Animated (Activision) 24th October 2008
Back to the Barnyard (THQ) 24th October 2008
SpongeBob Squarepants: Globs of Doom (THQ) 24th October 2008
Quiz Taxi (SevenOneInterMedia) 30th October 2008
My Pet Dolphin 2 (505 Games) 31st October 2008
My Pet Kitten (505 Games) 31st October 2008
My Pet Pony (505 Games) 31st October 2008
My Pet Puppy Saves The Day (505 Games) 31st October 2008
James Bond 007 Quantum of Solace (Activision) 31st October 2008
Mega Man Starforce 2 Zerker X Ninja (Capcom) 31st October 2008
Dementium: The Ward (Gamecock Media) 31st October 2008
Imagine Figure Skater (Ubisoft) 31st October 2008
Imagine Interior Designer (Ubisoft) 31st October 2008
My Sims Kingdom (EA) 31st October 2008
Think – Logictrainer (dtp young entertainment) October 2008
Monster Lab (Eidos) October 2008
Labyrinth – A Race for Treasures in a Moving Maze (dtp young entertainment) October 2008
What´s Cooking ? With Jamie Oliver (Atari) October 2008
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (Activision) October 2008
Bob the Builder Festival of Fun (Mastertronic) October 2008
Cake Mania 2 (Majesco / CodeMaster) October 2008
Nanostray 2 ( Majesco / Codemaster) October 2008
Toy Shop Tycoon (Majesco / Codemaster) October 2008
Bella Sara (Codemasters) October 2008
Bratz Kidz (Game Factory) October 2008
RUBIKS™ (Game Factory) October 2008
Zenses Ocean (Game Factory) October 2008
Zenses Rainforest (Game Factory) October 2008
Metal Slug 7 (Ignition) October 2008
Tornado (Ignition) October 2008
Moto Racer (Nobilis) October 2008
Casper Scare School Classroom Caspers (Mastertronic) October 2008
Exit (Square Enix) October 2008
Animal Boxing (Gammic Entertainment) October 2008
Elite Forces (Gammic Entertainment) October 2008
Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ (Gammic Entertainment) October 2008
Winx Club secret Diary 2009 (Konami) October 2008
Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant (Vivendi Games) October 2008
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (Vivendi Games) October 2008
LEGO Batman: The Videogame (Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment) October 2008
Gauntlet (Eidos) Oct – Nov 2008
My Horse & Me 2 (Atari) Autumn 2008
Call of Duty: World at War (Activision) Autumn 2008
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (D3 Publisher of Europe) Autumn 2008
Drivers Ed Portabel (JoWood) Autumn 2008
I Love Beauty and Sushi Academy (City Interactice S.A) Q3 2008
Margot´s Word Brain (ZOO) 1st November 2008
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo) 7th November 2008
Blended (505 Games) 7th November 2008
I did it Mum ! 2 (BOY) (505 Games) 7th November 2008
I did it Mum ! 2 (GIRL) (505 Games) 7th November 2008
I did it Mum ! – Picture Book (505 Games) 7th November 2008
My Sweet Baby (505 Games) 7th November 2008
Shin Chan Adventures de cine (505 Games) 7th November 2008
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (THQ) 7th November 2008
Word Master (ZOO) 7th November 2008
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Ubisoft) November 2008
Shaun White Snow (Ubisoft) 14th November 2008
Kung Fu Panda – Legendary Warrior (Activision) 14th November 2008
All Star Cheer (THQ) 14th November 2008
Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune (ZOO) 14th November 2008
Yamaha Supercross (Ubisoft) 14th November 2008
Mechanic Master (Midway Games) 14th November 2008
More Touchmaster (Midway Games) 14th November 2008
Deep Sea Aquarium by DS (Ertain) 15th November 2008
Paint by DS: Classic Masterpieces (Ertain) 15th November 2008
Family Park Tycoon (working title) (Astragon) 17th November 2008
Skate It (EA) 21st November 2008
Barbie Fashion Show: An Eye for Style (Activision) 21st November 2008
Barbie Horse Adventures: Summer Camp (Activision) 21st November 2008
Shrek Carnival of Fun (Activision) 21st November 2008
Tony Hawk’s: Motion (Activision) 21st November 2008
Need For Speed Undercover (EA) 21st November 2008
My Dog Coach: Understand your Dog with Cesar Millan (Ubisoft) 21st November 2008
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (Nintendo) 21st November 2008
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Activision) 28th November 2008
Wendy 2 – Das Pferdehospital (working title) (Astragon) 28th November 2008
Age of Empires (THQ) 28th November 2008
My Animal Centre (Koch Media / BrainGame) 28th November 2008
Baby Life (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Lets Play Fashion Designer (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Horse Life 2 (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Let’s Play Fireman (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Lets Play Mums (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Lets Play Schools (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Lets Play Shops (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
Lets Play Pet Hospitals (Koch Media / Deep Silver) 28th November 2008
My Vet Practice: In The Country (dtp Young Entertainment) November 2008
Love, Fashion & Friends (dtp Young Entertainment) November 2008
My little Baby (dtp Young Entertainment) November 2008
My Boyfriend (dtp Young Entertainment) November 2008
Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos) November 2008
Mushroom Men: Rise of The Fungi (Gamecock Media) November 2008
Nancy Drew (Majesco / Codemaster) November 2008
Time Hollow (working title) (Konami) November 2008
Hotel Giant (Nobilis) November 2008
Pass the Pigs (THQ / Valusoft) November 2008
Nancy Drew 2 (Majesco / Codemaster) November 2008
Castlevania Order of Ecclesia (Konami) November 2008
Summon Night Twin Age (Namco Bandai Games) November 2008
Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 (Namco Bandi Games) November 2008
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell (Disney Interactive Studios) November 2008
Planet Rescue: Animal Emergency (Ubisoft) November 2008
Planet Rescue: Endangered Island (Ubisoft) November 2008
Planet Rescue: Ocean Patrol (Ubisoft) November 2008
Sam Power: Fire Fighter (Ubisoft) November 2008
Sam Power: Handy Man (Ubisoft) November 2008
Imagine Gymnast (Ubisoft) November 2008
Imagine Dream Wedding (Ubisoft) November 2008
Dragon Ball: Origins (Namco Bandi Games Euro) 5th December2008
Air Traffic Controller (Ertain) 15th December 2008
Pile Tile (Ertain) 15th December 2008
French Buddy (Koch Media / BrainGame) December 2008
Tecktonic (Koch Media / Deep Silver) December 2008
The Magic Roundabout (Koch Media / Deep Silver) December 2008
Bolt (Disney Interactive Studios) Christmas 2008
High School Musical 3 – Senior Year DANCE ! (Disney Interactive Studios) Christmas 2008
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance (Activision) Winter 2008
Prince of Persia (Ubisoft) Holiday 2008
Guitar Hero: Decades (Bundle) (Activision) Winter 2008
Guitar Hero: Decades ( Software only) (Activision) Winter 2008
GTA Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Games) Winter 2008
Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero (Konami) Winter 2008
The Tale of Despereaux (Brash Entertainment) Winter 2008 / 2009
Don King Presents Prizefighter (2K Sports) Q4 2008
Dora Saves the Snow Princess (2K Play) Q4 2008
ELEMENTS (Game Factory) Q4 2008
Johnny Bravo (Mastertronic) Q4 2008
Visual Logic Training (RTL Playtainment) Q4 2008
Brave: Shaman’s Challenge (SouthPeak Games) Q4 2008
Igor (Koch Media / Deep Silver) Q4 2008
Ninjatown (SouthPeak Games) Q4 2008

Animal Crossing Wii To Launch This December

25th September 2008 – Pack your bags and take a trip to the city as Animal Crossing comes to Wii! In a new instalment to the hugely popular series, Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City not only allows players to create their own perfect life in the country, but also introduces an exciting new city area to explore! With many new features such as the new Wii Speak accessory which enables you to chat to other players in the game, pack up your fishing rod and get ready to create your ideal Animal Crossing world as Animal Crossing: Lets Go to the City launches across Europe in December 2008.

Animal Crossing: Lets Go to the City is a fun and engaging life simulation, where you can take control and shape the world around you from decorating your house to creating constellations in the heavens. Start the game in your own quiet town and meet many enriching animal characters along the way as you collect new furniture, wallpaper and carpets to make your house a home. Alternatively, simply while away the hours with a spot of fishing or gardening – there are no pressures in the world of Animal Crossing, you can live the life you wish to lead.

The new city environment introduces a thrilling new area with exciting shops and entertainment opportunities to experience.  Simply jump on the bus from your town and take a trip to visit the theatre to watch a show or even visit Gracie Grace, the large and exclusive department store that sells special items and furniture to customise your home. You can even customise your own character at the hair salon with your favourite Mii from your Wii console and compete with other players selling and bidding for items at the auction house.

Adding to the fun, Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City operates in real time, which means if twenty-four hours has passed in the real world, the same amount of time will also have passed in your town. Allowing you to experience seasons and special days as they happen, celebrate events like Halloween, and national holidays as they happen in real life.

Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City is a title the whole family can enjoy together as it introduces a number of great ways for all to share their Animal Crossing lives with friends and family around the globe. Using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, send friends letters and items from the post office located in each town. Why not even visit them yourself? Travel to a friend’s town to explore their unique Animal Crossing environment or invite them to visit you, regardless of where they live in the world!

For the first time on Wii, get ready to actually chat with friends as Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City introduces the new Wii Speak accessory , which allows players to communicate with each other directly in the game. This exciting new accessory sits above the Wii sensor bar on your television set and enables anyone in the room to speak with friends in another location. Use Wii Speak when visiting a friend’s town, or being visited, to explore, chat and enjoy Animal Crossing together via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

For players who have already enjoyed creating their own character in Animal Crossing: Wild World on the Nintendo DS, this new title will allow the transfer of some character data to Wii. The Nintendo DS can also be used as a ‘suitcase’ allowing players to take their character to and from a friend’s Wii console to explore their Animal Crossing world.

So get ready for a slice of country and city life as Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City launches across Europe on Wii in December 2008.

Xbox 360 Review: Supreme Commander

Can Supreme Commander be the RTS to rule them all?

The revolutionary Strategic Zoom not only gives the player the flexibility to control the entire theatre of war from an overhead map view, but also enables them to zoom right down to ground level, where they can issue orders to single units. The game can handle a vast number of units on screen, and players will need every single one to take down enormous experimental units that can change the tide of battle. The same units, ranging from miniscule to mammoth, will be available in the ranked multiplayer battles.

Supreme Commander for Xbox 360 Features:

Four technology tiers, ranging from diminutive drones to mountain-straddling titans

Three unique factions to play.

Four-player multiplayer over Xbox LIVE.

18 levels and three campaigns.

From Chris Taylor, multi-award winning developer of Total Annihilation and Demigod.

All new-interface, HUD and controls for Xbox 360

The PC version of Supreme Commander was well received, getting a Metacritic score of 86. It would be quite a daunting task for them to make it a great conversion from PC to the 360, as it is with most console RTS’. However, having seen that it can be done with LOTR BFME II and the Command and Conquer 3 games, it’s curious why Supreme Commander on the 360 just doesn’t look or feel as good.The trouble is that the conversion has very little grace to it, it’s done rather shoddily. The game has some pretty weak visuals for an Xbox 360 title and I have no idea why it looks worse than the PC version, even the opening cutscene looks worse. Supreme Commander has a tendency to crash too and until a patch comes along to fix that, it seems that we have to grin and bear it.

The framerate also seems to have taken quite a nosedive when compared to the original game; Supreme Commander on the 360 is a terrible port of a good PC RTS. The AI can be somewhat idiotic and impaired at times. The PC game was a marvel, but this is just pitiful in its design and the awful control system doesn’t help matters either. The controls are pretty bad and another example of why console RTS’ rarely work. I also noticed that during the tutorial, that the guy who tells you what to do speaks very quickly and quietly, even with my 5.1 surround sound…I had trouble hearing what he was asking me to do. There’s a definite sound issue here and one that needs looked at.

It seems that the whole game has taken a backseat; it’s not the great game that I remember playing last year…instead it feels more like a shadow of its former self. The game doesn’t have any new content besides Live multiplayer and that has very little lag, although there were very few matches at the time of writing. There’s just nothing about the game that jumps out, even with some bad games you can see the potential they were trying to achieve…but I can’t even see that with this port.

The Verdict

I think I’ve said it all; Supreme Commander on the 360 is a pitiful excuse for a port. It has annoying controls, awful graphics and just isn’t that much fun to play. Stick to the PC version and keep away from this.

Wii Review: de Blob

Adding colour to this grey world of de Blob is actually addictive

de Blob is an action puzzle title that allows players to explore and liberate an alien city from the evil, monochromatic I.N.K.T. Corporation that has taken over the city and outlawed all colour and fun from daily life. Playing as de Blob, gamers will embark on a quest to re-animate the city of Chroma, and bring spunk and character back to the oppressed, by splattering buildings, landmarks, and citizens with colour.

With the amount of mini-game compilations and ports of old games with tacked on motion support, it’s about time that the Wii got something that is unique and addictive, THQ’s answer to this is in de Blob, a game that lets you splash the grey world with all bright colours, is it enough to entice you to play?

De Blob isn’t just a game that hands you a paintbrush though; it’s a platformer with puzzle elements that should please about anyone. Essentially the story is quite comical, sort of like a Pixar movie with its cutscenes before each level. The game itself lets you control a blob that is incidentally called Blob. He’s pretty colourless to begin with; the way you get coloured is to run into these machines that have sucked up the colour from the city. You can mix colours to get the ones you need, some challenges require that you be a certain one and have a number of them to turn specific buildings back to their former glory.

It’s not that simple though; as you progress you’ll come across many hazards such as ink, water, spikes and the Inky enemies themselves. Combat is a simple case of locking on with the Z button and pulling up the Wiimote, as is smashing a machine that unleashes the entire colour back into an area, these unlock after a specific milestone has been reached. The same applies to opening gates to progress through the level, you need to reach a score by doing challenges that are sometimes easy and sometimes tough, though it’s never too challenging considering its target audience.

The formula becomes somewhat stagnant after a while, the game is fun for sure but it becomes a bit repetitive with what to do, go and do the challenges that are usually similar such as colour a building purple or racing to a point within a time limit. It becomes predictable and even though the difficulty rises throughout, it’s never to an impossible point. Of course, this is only a problem for those looking for a tough game…but thinking de Blob is one is a mistake.

The presentation of de Blob cannot be denied, it looks simply stunning and while it doesn’t run in 480p, it runs smoothly and most areas transform colour in real-time with no slowdown, its impressive and while the character models look somewhat dated, it doesn’t hinder the experience at all. De Blob proves that graphics simply don’t matter as much with its gameplay.

There are some nice multiplayer modes in Blob Party. The first “Paint Match” lets you and 3 other players paint as much of a level as you can, you can also paint over another player’s colours to steal their points. The second mode is called “Blob on the Run” and in it only one blob can paint while the others must slam him to win the ability to paint. The third and final multiplayer mode is “Blob Race” and in it you must watch for the flashing colours and be the first to reach and paint each building. It’s a lot of fun and will keep you busy for a few more hours after the story mode.

The Verdict

De Blob is definitely different, and in a good way too. It has some great ideas that are implemented well, it may wear thin after a while but when that happens…just play some multiplayer and paint the town red!

PC Review: Crysis Warhead

Crytek produces a great follow-up to Crysis, but does it have enough?

Crysis was really something else, but it was a visual beast that was hard to control. It definitely was one of the best looking games I’ve ever seen and the expansion doesn’t disappoint, since it more or less uses the same engine. Of course, you’ll need a pretty impressive PC to run Crysis to maximum settings and experience all that lovely DX10 goodness, which can work out pretty expensive…but after playing the game from less than 5 minutes, you’ll know it was worth it. Instead of being an instant continuation of the original, Warhead puts you into the Nanosuit of Psycho, the British nut with a parallel story to that of Nomad. The story can feel a bit disjointed at times, but it doesn’t dampen the experience that Warhead will offer PC gamers.

It seems that the Crytek team have learned from their small mistakes from Crysis such as having a level where you need to protect Prophet and guide him to heat points, by instead have focused more on blowing the hell out of everything. You can still drive vehicles and there’s a new hovercraft vehicle included in a chase scene between you and the Korean bad guy, it can be a little tricky to control but it’s definitely fun. Warhead doesn’t require you to have the original game installed, which is nice of them to do. It’s also quite a cheap package, but the campaign is rather short and that’s probably why. It doesn’t have the same huge boss fight at the end; instead it tends to end rather abruptly, which is a shame.

Crysis Warhead also comes with a new multiplayer mode called Crysis Wars. In addition to the Instant Action and Power Struggle modes of the original Crysis, Crysis Wars also features Team Instant Action mode, as well as 21 playable maps upon release. Crytek has made numerous changes to the multiplayer gameplay including tighter vehicle controls, weapon rebalancing, and Nanosuit alterations. Crysis Wars is included on its own disc, has a separate installer and logo, and is considered a separate game by Crytek; regardless, it comes bundled with Warhead at no extra cost.

The game looks more or less the same, but it definitely feels better and has a much better framerate, depending on what settings you put it on. It would have been nice if they included a form of Games for Windows Live support, but that looks like it’s never going to happen for this series…Which is unfortunate, I would have loved to get achievements for each game, but it doesn’t make me like the game any less.

The AI has definitely been improved and is more alert to your presence, they’ll jump out of the way of grenades but they can oddly die by throwing them in the river from a small height, even without a suit power activated. Speaking of which, there aren’t any new suit powers. You still have the standard ones including armor, camo, strength and speed. It would have been nice to see a new one, although I can’t think of what that would be.

There are some nice new weapons such as EMP grenades that disable the Nanosuits used by the Koreans, and a lovely weapon that you get before the end…But I won’t spoil what it is. The alien/machine enemies are the same as they were, but have a few nice tricks up their sleeves like shields that need disabled before you can destroy them. I found that I didn’t really struggle with any of the fights in the game, yet I had a devil of a time doing the last boss on the first game due to the freezing blast it kept doing. So it’s definitely easier, even if the AI has improved.

The Verdict

Crysis Warhead’s campaign may be short, but it’s a blast from start to finish. It’ll leave you wanting more, which is always a good thing. The multiplayer is much better here and with some mods added, I’m fairly confident that you’ll have a great time…if you have a good PC.

Xbox 360 Review: NHL 2K9

09 vs. 2K9, which NHL game will be the best?

Pick-Up-And-Play Controls – Fans asked and 2K Sports answered with easy-to-learn controls that still provide depth for the seasoned veteran

Expanded Superstar Moves – An updated arsenal of special manoeuvres including open ice moves will burn opponents and create never-before-seen highlight reel moments

All-New Presentation System – In-game menus, pre-game intros, new crowd animations, game summary replays and brand-new commentary featuring Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda

True Hockey Fun! – Indulge in the uniqueness of hockey with the addictive Zamboni driving mini-game, user-controlled Stanley Cup celebrations, playoff beards, enhanced checking and a brand-new fighting engine

Team-Up with up to 12 consoles online – Hop online, pick a position and form a team of up to 6 separate consoles. It’s the first-ever NHL 12-console play!

Reel Maker 2K9 – Included this year on both Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION3, users will be able to save, edit, share and rate user-generated NHL 2K9 highlight reels on Xbox LIVE via the web

2K Beats – Featuring Pennywise, Bad Religion, The Offspring, NOFX, The Ramones, Inner Circle, Mastodon, Operation Ivy, High on Fire and more.Having just reviewed EA’s own NHL title, 2K Sports’ NHL 2K9 needs to do quite a lot to impress me. EA’s game improved upon its predecessors; will 2K9 do the same and outdo 09?

In some ways it does and in others it doesn’t. To be fair, it does try really hard but falls short with its controls that let it down. The debate really is between analog sticks versus buttons, NHL 09 lets you shoot with the right analog stick while NHL 2K9 lets you shoot with the X button, both work well but it’s really down to a personal preference that I enjoyed the analog control more.

NHL 2K9 has an odd mini-game called Zamboni where you drive a vehicle across the ice rink and try and score a percentage, it’s quite tricky to control but it was fun…if only you do it once. Fighting controls are a bit clunky and unresponsive; I would have liked to see more emphasis paid to this as it is the highlight of my NHL games. The game does have the standard modes like franchise, it would have been nice to see something really new here but like 09, 2K9 feels just like an improvement without the extra content.

Having said that, being able to play a team of 6 vs. 6 online is pretty impressive. 09 only manages to do 10 people, so that definitely works in its favour. Like I said at the start, it really comes down to a control preference over analog and button configuration. Both games are done very well and each are starting to make good use of the next-gen hardware, although 09 does a much better job in that regard.

NHL 2K9 has a total of 38 achievements some of them are easy ones like win a certain number of matches or score a number of goals, while tougher ones like winning a season or getting 100% in the Zamboni mini-game. NHL 09 has only 27 achievements but most of them are tougher than those of 2K9, so achievement-whores…there’s another thing to consider.

Graphically, 2K9 doesn’t look as polished as 09 but still looks respectable on the 360. Character models are well detailed and the commentary is of great quality. Of course it can’t come close to the detail of 09, but it does a good job nonetheless.

The Verdict

The term “More of the same” seems to apply here. NHL 2K9 does improve upon its previous games and while its low on new content, what’s new there is great and well worth a look if you like button hitting over analog smashing, the choice is yours.

Xbox 360 Review: Warriors Orochi 2

Does the sequel to Warriors Orochi have anything new to offer?

Shattering time and space, the venomous Serpent King Orochi kidnapped the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors in scheme to test his might. The heroes eventually defeated Orochi and his menacing army. While the slain Orochi lies in the netherworld, a mysterious alliance is hatching an otherworldly plan so that the Serpent King may rise again. Now a new group of warriors must join forces with history’s finest in an effort to stop this evil resurrection.

Warriors Orochi 2 takes place after the events of the original game. The game’s main “Story” mode features storylines for the kingdoms of Wu, Wei, and Shu, and the SAMURAI WARRIORS, while a new Orochi storyline looks back to the first series of wars to expose some of the Serpent King’s secrets. The game’s newly added “Dream” mode features an original storyline different from that of Story Mode.

The first Warriors Orochi wasn’t that great, it was nothing more than a combination of the Samurai and Dynasty Warriors characters with a new story; it had new locations and enemies but nothing new in terms of gameplay. Unfortunately, the sequel is even worse.

Nothing seems to have changed, you still charge into a huge idiot-brained army and destroy the leaders then move on. There are a few instances where certain characters must be protected, which is ridiculous when they are just as stupid as the enemy and end up charging in, they deserve to get killed. Everything from the characters to the menus look exactly identical to what we saw in the original, sure there are a few new additions like multiplayer modes but alas there is no actual co-op mode, which might have added an extra point to this review.

The story is diabolical with awful voice-work and presentation, it’s also incredibly predictable. I already knew what was going to happen before I played the damn thing and I was spot on. The truth is that once again this is the same game with just a few minimal additions, passing it off as a full sequel is really something else. The AI seems to have got worse this time round; even Orochi himself let me kill him in a minute.

The gameplay is also identical, fighting remains the same as it ever did. I would have expected more after 6 Dynasty Warriors games, 2 Samurai Warriors games and Warriors Orochi. Despite all those games and others like DW: Gundam and Bladestorm, it seems that they have learned nothing from the mistakes they have made…and each time a new game comes out, it becomes more and more unacceptable, especially on a system like the 360.

There are a ton of problems such as dreadful framerate issues, poor character models and bad draw distance. The last mission in the story mode has the worse framerate I have ever seen in the series and possibly the worst in a videogame. How they even let this ship with these problems is beyond me.

The Verdict

Another sequel to a bad franchise where nothing has changed yet again. Warriors Orochi 2 doesn’t even try to impress with its dull story and terrible presentation, nor does it add anything innovative that’s worth trying. Avoid this game at all costs.

Xbox 360 Review: NHL 09

Puckin’ hell, this year’s NHL is impressive

Being English, I can’t claim to be much of a fan of American sports such as Baseball, Ice Hockey and American Football. I can see that the titles must sell well over here in Europe, or they wouldn’t bother releasing them. The NHL franchise has been going on for quite some time, so I wonder what this year’s game will offer hardcore fans and if it’ll live upto expectations.

I went into NHL 09 with no expectations and it was better for me because of it. The game begins with a small tutorial, which is new for a NHL game. Usually you would just jump into the mammoth-size menu and feel lost, but this time round they give you some pretty sound tips and training for you to play the game. I wasn’t the best and I still won’t be, but I began to understand the game more so for those of you who have never played an NHL game before…this year’s game will show you how to play.

NHL 09 has the usual modes that are littered in every EA Sports game, so there aren’t any surprises to be found. Instead the game’s biggest change is that it handles much better, it feels more refined and responsive to your movements. Like Madden 09, NFL 09 has had the same improvement added to it. Each area from AI to the visuals have all taken a big step forward, finally making use of the hardware and looking like a proper next-gen sports title.

This year’s online functionality is perhaps the greatest thing to ever happen to NFL 09, which could win it more awards than last year’s game. Being able to play with a number of friends on a team is an amazing feature that’s implemented well; although games can be somewhat laggy at times…hopefully a patch will be on its way to improve that.

NHL 09’s graphics have definitely improved over last year; it actually is starting to look like it belongs on my HDTV. It’s crisp, bright and great to look at. Character models are well detailed as are the ice rinks. The game has an impressive soundtrack, but if you don’t like it you can always customise it slightly.

The Verdict

NHL 09 improves upon its predecessor with improved visuals and controls while adding in some great new features such as 5 player teams over Xbox Live. It’s going to be hard to top this game for its effort and its end result, which is a great one that any fan should see.

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