Dr Pills is a fun little match three game based on Dr Mario. The doctor throws coloured pills into the container of viruses, and you have to match three or more colours to destroy the different coloured viruses. As the levels progress there are more viruses to destroy, in increasingly complicated patterns. You control the pills with the cursor keys and can rotate them and speed up their descent to the bottom of the playing area.
To add a little extra challenge to the game there are several power-ups (or power-downs depending on your luck) to mix things up a bit. Firstly there is a medicine dropper that will have one of the colours in it. This remains still at the top of the screen and you can move it left or right, before dropping the medicine inside. This will destroy any single virus that it falls on. The second power-up is a syringe of coloured medicine. Again this remains motionless at the top of the screen and you can move it left or right. Once you use it the medicine destroys all matching colours in a circle radius from the area it hits. The third power-up is a stick of dynamite that free falls and you can move left and right. When it hits something it destroys all blocks around it. The last power-up is a big black bomb. You have left and right control over this but it falls automatically. When the bomb hits it rearranges the entire playing area. Sometimes this is good and frees up buried viruses that you couldn't get to before, and sometimes it buries them even deeper. The power-downs I mentioned are a bag of more coloured blocks that explode across the playing area and a big X virus in a tube that releases more viruses to destroy.
This game is entertaining and enjoyable to play, and I played it right through to the end. To make the whole game feel more involving there is a story about how the Doc accidentally lets the viruses out and tries to clean them up. This is all revealed in a comic book style in between levels. It adds a little more depth to the game and makes it stand out a little more from all the other clones in this genre.
Graphically the game lives up to its cartoony feel. The graphics are clear and colourful, and the doctor is delightfully wacky looking. There is definitely more than a distinct likeness to Dr Mario but nonetheless this is a wonderful homage rather than a poor rip-off.
Overall I have to rate this game highly. It's not going to last a long time as there's no real incentive to play it again after you have completed it, although the levels do have an element of randomness to them, so if you really want to go again it won't look exactly the same. The graphics, sound and gameplay are all cute and quirky, but don't distract at all from the easy to play nature of the game. This game is easily suitable for kids and adults of all ages and skill levels.
Dr Pills is a commercially licensed game although the developer seems to currently have no links to it on their website. However it appears possible to download it via some trial and freeplay sites such as Hero Turko. Just Google 'Dr Pills' and you'll find the places it's available from. Alternatively keep your eyes on Gambana's website or in stores near you.
Friday, 24 December 2010
Monday, 6 December 2010
Knight Rider - The Game
As a fan of the original 80s TV show, I had high hopes for Knight Rider - The Game. But unfortunately that's where they ended. In theory Knight Rider has all the key points to make a great game; you drive around in KITT pulling off turbo jumps and wheelies, chasing down the bad guys and bringing them to justice. It's got pretty good graphics and a pretty decent 3D version of David Hasselhoff to boot!
However the controls are confusing and far too responsive at times, so where you might want to make a gentle curve on a race track you end up skidding out of control, often ending up doing a complete 180 degree spin. Pulling off a wheelie seems to be a mixture of skill and luck, as once you hit two wheels you've got a 50/50 chance of veering off in a different direction, usually resulting in falling off of the narrow platform you're trying to drive across.
I only played the first mission - the training level - before I gave up. I couldn't even bring myself to complete that. Racing around the circuit was repetitive but bearable and once I'd mastered tapping the left and right arrows to make corners, it was quite fun to race around with KITT. I almost gave up when set the wheelie challenges because of the difficult controls and the strange habit KITT had of veering off at an angle when you hit two wheels. But the killer was the third challenge which was to scan some objects in the environment. While this in itself shouldn't be too much of a challenge, the training mission completely forgot to tell me which key I needed to press to scan.
Not a problem I thought, hitting the escape key to get the controls menu up... But hang on a minute, I've only got two options; resume mission or quit. What? So I can't even see what the controls are from the menu? What a crappy training level that doesn't actually tell you the controls. The developers just assumed that you'd check the controls at the start menu and then memorise every single one. That's 17 keys to remember before you even start playing the game! My memory's good but not that good.
Maybe I should have persevered with the training level once I'd checked out all the controls again, but I just couldn't put bring myself to try it again in this play through. Perhaps for die hard fans who can adjust or overlook the control system there might be a really good game hidden beneath the surface, but for me this is the end of my adventures with KITT and Michael Knight.
However the controls are confusing and far too responsive at times, so where you might want to make a gentle curve on a race track you end up skidding out of control, often ending up doing a complete 180 degree spin. Pulling off a wheelie seems to be a mixture of skill and luck, as once you hit two wheels you've got a 50/50 chance of veering off in a different direction, usually resulting in falling off of the narrow platform you're trying to drive across.
I only played the first mission - the training level - before I gave up. I couldn't even bring myself to complete that. Racing around the circuit was repetitive but bearable and once I'd mastered tapping the left and right arrows to make corners, it was quite fun to race around with KITT. I almost gave up when set the wheelie challenges because of the difficult controls and the strange habit KITT had of veering off at an angle when you hit two wheels. But the killer was the third challenge which was to scan some objects in the environment. While this in itself shouldn't be too much of a challenge, the training mission completely forgot to tell me which key I needed to press to scan.
Not a problem I thought, hitting the escape key to get the controls menu up... But hang on a minute, I've only got two options; resume mission or quit. What? So I can't even see what the controls are from the menu? What a crappy training level that doesn't actually tell you the controls. The developers just assumed that you'd check the controls at the start menu and then memorise every single one. That's 17 keys to remember before you even start playing the game! My memory's good but not that good.
Maybe I should have persevered with the training level once I'd checked out all the controls again, but I just couldn't put bring myself to try it again in this play through. Perhaps for die hard fans who can adjust or overlook the control system there might be a really good game hidden beneath the surface, but for me this is the end of my adventures with KITT and Michael Knight.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
The Best Sonic Enemy
Having recently played the new Sonic 4 demo, I started wondering about who was my favourite bad guy from the Sonic universe. Having thought long and hard I came to the conclusion that it had to be Metal Sonic (AKA Metallix, AKA Mecha Sonic). Metal Sonic is a robotic version of Sonic, equal in every way, and a recurring figure throughout the series.
Metal Sonic has a vast and interesting history, with his first appearance being SonicCD; a tale of time travelling and the kidnapping of the infamous Amy Rose. I remember as a child reading the UK's Sonic The Comic and being hooked on this storyline, that spanned several issues of the comic. From the way Metal Sonic was portrayed in the comics through to how difficult he is to beat in the games, I've always felt that if anyone was ever going to pose a serious threat to Sonic it would be Metal Sonic.
Funnily enough, doing a quick bit of research before writing this blog turned up a forum thread on Sega's website discussing whether fans would like to see Metal Sonic appear in the Sonic 4 games. Opinions seem to be mixed but on this particular discussion the vote is a yes for Metal Sonic.
Another really overlooked character that I remember from my childhood is the UK Sonic The Comic's very own Shortfuse The Cybernik. A test subject for a new robotic suit, Shorty the squirrel manages to damage the robotic equipment and override his robot programming. He then seeks out revenge on Dr Robotnik for encasing him forever in a metal body. Not only does Shortfuse look damn cool, he also has laser guns in his arms and is practically invincible as his robotic shell is made from Megatel, an indestructible metal in the Sonic universe.
Metal Sonic has a vast and interesting history, with his first appearance being SonicCD; a tale of time travelling and the kidnapping of the infamous Amy Rose. I remember as a child reading the UK's Sonic The Comic and being hooked on this storyline, that spanned several issues of the comic. From the way Metal Sonic was portrayed in the comics through to how difficult he is to beat in the games, I've always felt that if anyone was ever going to pose a serious threat to Sonic it would be Metal Sonic.
Funnily enough, doing a quick bit of research before writing this blog turned up a forum thread on Sega's website discussing whether fans would like to see Metal Sonic appear in the Sonic 4 games. Opinions seem to be mixed but on this particular discussion the vote is a yes for Metal Sonic.
Another really overlooked character that I remember from my childhood is the UK Sonic The Comic's very own Shortfuse The Cybernik. A test subject for a new robotic suit, Shorty the squirrel manages to damage the robotic equipment and override his robot programming. He then seeks out revenge on Dr Robotnik for encasing him forever in a metal body. Not only does Shortfuse look damn cool, he also has laser guns in his arms and is practically invincible as his robotic shell is made from Megatel, an indestructible metal in the Sonic universe.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Sonic 4: Episode 1
So I haven't got the money to pay for the full download, but I thought I'd give the trial of Sonic 4 a go. And if the demo is anything to go by, paying for the full version will be well worth it! Classic Sonic action returns once again with a major graphical overhaul. The game maintains everything that made the first 3 classics; from it's opening level with grassy and colourful scenary (reminiscent of Green Hill Zone and Emerald Hill Zone), right through to the ever so successful 2D platforming action that made Sonic so popular.
Sega have included a few elements from the 3D Sonic outings, including his ability to lock on to and attack enemies mid jump. For veteran Sonic gamers this feels natural and yet so different at the same time. The gameplay is virtually unaltered from the previous Sonic games and you could easily believe this game to have followed on directly from Sonic 3, such is the similarity in style.
Considering the mixed success of the 3D Sonic games of late, fans of the speedy blue hedgehog are going to be ecstatic about Sega's decision to go back to Sonic's roots. Sonic 4 is so easy to pick up and play, yet maintains the challenge that was present throughout the series, whilst still managing to incorporate the innovative elements of the more recent 3D series of games.
The graphics are slightly odd to get used to at first as Sonic 4 is a 2D/3D crossover. The levels are purely 2D but all of the active elements in the level are drawn with a 3D view. Once you get passed the fact that this is not exactly the same as Sonic 3 graphics, and is in fact actually an improvement (considering how many jumps in console there have been since the last 2D Sonic game) you will start to enjoy the levels and feel yourself getting lost in the addictive gameplay.
I highly recommend this game for fans and non-fans of the series. Sega and Nintendo have always managed to pull off the best platform games, and this is a return to their best for Sega.
Sonic 4: Episode 1 is available to download from Xbox Live or Playstation Network.
Sega have included a few elements from the 3D Sonic outings, including his ability to lock on to and attack enemies mid jump. For veteran Sonic gamers this feels natural and yet so different at the same time. The gameplay is virtually unaltered from the previous Sonic games and you could easily believe this game to have followed on directly from Sonic 3, such is the similarity in style.
Considering the mixed success of the 3D Sonic games of late, fans of the speedy blue hedgehog are going to be ecstatic about Sega's decision to go back to Sonic's roots. Sonic 4 is so easy to pick up and play, yet maintains the challenge that was present throughout the series, whilst still managing to incorporate the innovative elements of the more recent 3D series of games.
The graphics are slightly odd to get used to at first as Sonic 4 is a 2D/3D crossover. The levels are purely 2D but all of the active elements in the level are drawn with a 3D view. Once you get passed the fact that this is not exactly the same as Sonic 3 graphics, and is in fact actually an improvement (considering how many jumps in console there have been since the last 2D Sonic game) you will start to enjoy the levels and feel yourself getting lost in the addictive gameplay.
I highly recommend this game for fans and non-fans of the series. Sega and Nintendo have always managed to pull off the best platform games, and this is a return to their best for Sega.
Sonic 4: Episode 1 is available to download from Xbox Live or Playstation Network.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Currently Playing: Highway Pursuit
If you've ever played the classic game Spyhunter then you'll know exactly what to expect from today's review. Higway Pursuit is a 3D driving/shooting/spy game in the same style as Spyhunter. In a way it's like a graphically superior 3D upgrade of the original. For obvious legal reasons it can't be exactly the same game, even with a new exterior, but Highway Pursuit is as close as you can get to a remake, and it does the original Spyhunter proud.
The gameplay is exactly the same as the original. You control a superspy car that's sporty, fast and equipped with an arsenal of weapons including: the standard machine guns - an ever present on any experienced spy's transport of choice; oil slicks - for sending enemies behind you out of control (and hopefully into a tree or other car!); and rocket launcher - for when all else fails!
Handling of the car is perfect and you never feel out of control at any moment in time. Taking sudden junctions is smooth and swift, and weaving in and out of traffic feels natural while barely ever hitting other vehicles (except at high speeds!). Shooting at enemies remains the same as the original Spyhunter with you having to place your car either behind or in front of the enemy you are taking down, depending on your weapon of choice. Keeping the feel of the first Spyhunter game, there are weapons trucks around that you can board in order to upgrade your car or equip new weapons. Getting on to these trucks is just as much of an art as it has always been and I often found myself mis-timing my manouvere and driving passed the truck, or worse still, destroying it!
The levels progress from bottom to top of the screen, with your car mainly occupying the centre of the screen whilst the level unfolds around you. The game maintains a mainly top-down view but incorporates an impressive (if slighlty cartoony - think early GTA games) style 3D graphics. This style doesn't detract at all from your ability to enjoy the game. In fact the graphical style gives the game a much more traditional arcade look that the original game revelled in itself. Even though I'm used to playing HD quality games I found the graphics in Highway Pursuit perfectly matched with the style of game and of a really high quality for the style.
Highway Pursuit is a really challenging game and the inclusision of an online high scores table gives plenty of replay time as you constantly want to go back and get a higher score and prove yourself the ultimate superspy. With just 3 lives and a limited damage gauge on your car you have to be really careful when racing around at top speed. Scenary in the game and bumps with other cars will damage your car, whilst being sent spinning out of control will inevitably result in death. Also beware of bridges; get too close to the edge and you're treated to a wonderful animation of your car spinning and tipping as it heads into the icy waters below!
Overall I have to say that Highway Pursuit is definitely a keeper for me. It's fun to play, looks great and is incredibly addictive. Great to fill in time between longer games or other activities, but you could easily while away an entire evening trying to set a high score. It's completely free and is a small download, so there's nothing to lose getting your hands on this one. Well worth it!
You can download the game for free from download-free-games.com
Sunday, 10 October 2010
World of Warcraft - Cataclysm
The next expansion in the multi-million selling World of Warcraft franchise is due for release on the 7th December 2010, just in time for Christmas. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet? The latest installment promises to be bigger and better than ever before, attempting to draw in new players and rekindle the excitement of existing residents of Azeroth.
The world of Azeroth is moving on in time and a great dragon, called Deathwing, has awoken bringing devastation to the world as we know it. Areas of Azeroth that we previously great forests have been reduced to charred deserts, and new areas of the world have become accessible once again. The whole landscape has changed, including areas that were present but just never properly drawn before because players usually just passed over them on flying mounts.
There are also two new races joining the Alliance and Horde. The Alliance are joined by the Worgen, werewolf like creatures afflicted by a curse that transforms them from human form into mighty wolves. And the Horde are joined by the Goblins, a faction of the entire Goblin race that have finally decided to take sides. Players will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing how these two new races play.
And finally the level cap will once again be raised, now to level 85. All in all, a very exciting prospect for an expansion pack.
The world of Azeroth is moving on in time and a great dragon, called Deathwing, has awoken bringing devastation to the world as we know it. Areas of Azeroth that we previously great forests have been reduced to charred deserts, and new areas of the world have become accessible once again. The whole landscape has changed, including areas that were present but just never properly drawn before because players usually just passed over them on flying mounts.
There are also two new races joining the Alliance and Horde. The Alliance are joined by the Worgen, werewolf like creatures afflicted by a curse that transforms them from human form into mighty wolves. And the Horde are joined by the Goblins, a faction of the entire Goblin race that have finally decided to take sides. Players will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing how these two new races play.
And finally the level cap will once again be raised, now to level 85. All in all, a very exciting prospect for an expansion pack.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Transformers 3
So it's been reportedly leaked by Amazon that the title of the next Transformers movie is going to be Transformers: The Dark of The Moon. The accidental leak happened when Amazon started selling three tie-in books on their site, which have suddenly disappeared from their catalogue!
This is likely to be the last Transformers movie, with both Shia LeBeouf and Michael Bay hanging up their robotic transforming boots on completion. With two big hit movies already out there this one is going to have to be something incredible to finish on. Any both Michael Bay and Shia LeBeouf are promising just that.
The plot as has been revealed so far to be about a space race between America and Russia, with the main enemy surprisingly to be Starscream. Little else is known at this point in time, except that the film will be due for release some time next summer.
Check out the article on Yahoo!
This is likely to be the last Transformers movie, with both Shia LeBeouf and Michael Bay hanging up their robotic transforming boots on completion. With two big hit movies already out there this one is going to have to be something incredible to finish on. Any both Michael Bay and Shia LeBeouf are promising just that.
The plot as has been revealed so far to be about a space race between America and Russia, with the main enemy surprisingly to be Starscream. Little else is known at this point in time, except that the film will be due for release some time next summer.
Check out the article on Yahoo!
Monday, 4 October 2010
Beyond Good and Evil HD
Although a sequel to the popular Beyond Good and Evil still seems some way off, there's good news for fans of the game. Ubisoft has announced that BGE is going to be receiving the HD treatment for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. The games' graphics are being upgraded, along with the soundtrack and the inclusion of achievements and leaderboards.
BGE was a work of perfection when it was released back on the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox, with a cracking soundtrack, stunning visuals and a mix of gameplay modes that flowed seamlessly together. The plot involved your character, Jade, investigating a corrupt military government supposedly protecting the planet Hillys from an invading alien species called the DomZ. As Jade you had to sneak through military and government buildings taking photographs as evidence to be sent to the resistance groups on the planet. In between all the sneaking and photography elements are wonderful fight sequences and hovercraft sections, to add variety and keep the game feeling fresh.
BGE has one of the most engrossing plots that I have experienced in a game and really had me emotionally involved with the characters. Without giving too much away, there is one scene later on in the game that brought a tear to my eye, such is the quality of story telling and the depth of personality to the characters.
I for one am looking forward to the HD release of BGE. Almost as much as I'm looking forward to a future sequel. If enough people show an interest in the HD release then maybe Ubisoft will be convinced enough to keep working on the sequel. Here's hoping!
Check out the full story and video at Gamespot.
BGE was a work of perfection when it was released back on the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox, with a cracking soundtrack, stunning visuals and a mix of gameplay modes that flowed seamlessly together. The plot involved your character, Jade, investigating a corrupt military government supposedly protecting the planet Hillys from an invading alien species called the DomZ. As Jade you had to sneak through military and government buildings taking photographs as evidence to be sent to the resistance groups on the planet. In between all the sneaking and photography elements are wonderful fight sequences and hovercraft sections, to add variety and keep the game feeling fresh.
BGE has one of the most engrossing plots that I have experienced in a game and really had me emotionally involved with the characters. Without giving too much away, there is one scene later on in the game that brought a tear to my eye, such is the quality of story telling and the depth of personality to the characters.
I for one am looking forward to the HD release of BGE. Almost as much as I'm looking forward to a future sequel. If enough people show an interest in the HD release then maybe Ubisoft will be convinced enough to keep working on the sequel. Here's hoping!
Check out the full story and video at Gamespot.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the arcade game is just as I remember playing it in the arcade. Considering the age of the game it still looks okay, sounds okay and plays well. TMNT is your typical arcade style scrolling beat-em-up game in similar style to Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and many other well known arcade/console titles. The main concept of the game is to walk from left to right beating up and killing all of the enemies who come your way. The game supports up to two players teaming up to take on all of Shredder's henchman, although the arcade version supported all four players simultaneously. I guess the limitations of the PC being either the limited number of gamepads or keyboard controls available.
The plot is simple; Shredder has kidnapped April O'Neil and it's up to you, as one of the four fearsome fighting ninja turtles, to rescue her and stop his diabolical plan. Story is kept to a minimum during the game, with each level being introduced by a brief animated sequence that explains the main objective. As this game was originally an arcade title I can understand the developers' need to keep any uneccessary plot out of the game and keep the action flowing.
Once into the throes of action you are bombarded by hordes of enemies intent on bringing an end to your existence by any means. Often unarmed but as you progress through the levels each enemy comes equiped with one of a variety of weapons, including projectile weapons and melee weapons. Missiles often launch up from the bottom of the screen from some unseen enemy below. You just have to do your best to avoid these, they tend to have a limited range so hanging around the top of the screen is the safest bet. The end of each level has a boss fight, usually one of the more important goons from the TV series (Rocksteady and Beebop being the first two). The bosses tend to be tougher then the regular goons but once you work out the pattern of their attacks it is quite easy to beat them.
Graphically the version of the game that I downloaded had some serious flaws, which actually rendered one level practically impossible to see because of all the glitched graphics. I suspect this is just either a compatibility issue with Windows XP or a poor quality rendering of the game. I'm sure that when I played this game in the arcade it certainly didn't have any graphical glitches! Obviously a problem like this has lowered my enjoyment of the game, but as the game is abandonware it should be available from another source and not have the same problems.
Ignoring the graphical problems, the gameplay works as perfectly as scrolling beat-em-ups of the same era. The WASD keys control movement around the level whilst the N key is your action button. Just hammer N to pull off combinations of attacks, dependant on your character. Not obviously pointed out, but discovered as I played, pressing up and the action button at the same time makes you perform a jumping attack. I found this ability crucial for getting out of packed groups of enemies and taking down bosses. There aren't any more complicated controls than that and all the levels use the same gameplay style.
Overall this is a great game to pass a few hours and to relive some memories from your past (if you're an older gamer!). There's not much reply value in the game and the story isn't particularly involving, but considering this was originally an arcade game it's understandable. As the game is now released as abandonware it won't cost you anything to try so it's worth having a go.
You can download the game from AbandonOnline
The plot is simple; Shredder has kidnapped April O'Neil and it's up to you, as one of the four fearsome fighting ninja turtles, to rescue her and stop his diabolical plan. Story is kept to a minimum during the game, with each level being introduced by a brief animated sequence that explains the main objective. As this game was originally an arcade title I can understand the developers' need to keep any uneccessary plot out of the game and keep the action flowing.
Once into the throes of action you are bombarded by hordes of enemies intent on bringing an end to your existence by any means. Often unarmed but as you progress through the levels each enemy comes equiped with one of a variety of weapons, including projectile weapons and melee weapons. Missiles often launch up from the bottom of the screen from some unseen enemy below. You just have to do your best to avoid these, they tend to have a limited range so hanging around the top of the screen is the safest bet. The end of each level has a boss fight, usually one of the more important goons from the TV series (Rocksteady and Beebop being the first two). The bosses tend to be tougher then the regular goons but once you work out the pattern of their attacks it is quite easy to beat them.
Graphically the version of the game that I downloaded had some serious flaws, which actually rendered one level practically impossible to see because of all the glitched graphics. I suspect this is just either a compatibility issue with Windows XP or a poor quality rendering of the game. I'm sure that when I played this game in the arcade it certainly didn't have any graphical glitches! Obviously a problem like this has lowered my enjoyment of the game, but as the game is abandonware it should be available from another source and not have the same problems.
Ignoring the graphical problems, the gameplay works as perfectly as scrolling beat-em-ups of the same era. The WASD keys control movement around the level whilst the N key is your action button. Just hammer N to pull off combinations of attacks, dependant on your character. Not obviously pointed out, but discovered as I played, pressing up and the action button at the same time makes you perform a jumping attack. I found this ability crucial for getting out of packed groups of enemies and taking down bosses. There aren't any more complicated controls than that and all the levels use the same gameplay style.
Overall this is a great game to pass a few hours and to relive some memories from your past (if you're an older gamer!). There's not much reply value in the game and the story isn't particularly involving, but considering this was originally an arcade game it's understandable. As the game is now released as abandonware it won't cost you anything to try so it's worth having a go.
You can download the game from AbandonOnline
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Now Playing: Pushover
Pushover is a charming little game featuring an ant and several stacks of dominos. The plot of the game is quite simple, your dog friend has lost his crips and you have to find them for him. That's it. There's very little more explained, including the reason for the quavers product placement in the game. And especially no explanation of why finding a packet of crisps would lead you to set up intricate domino runs. But that's the simplicity of the game. From here on in it gets tricky!
The game concept is that you have to set up domino runs around 2D levels in order to knock over the final domino, which unlocks the door to the next level. Levels can be multilayered, can have ledges with bottomless pits, and can include a variety of dominos to use in order to complete the level. As the little ant guy you have to pick up and carry dominos around the level and place them in the correct order in the chain. Once you're happy with your chain give the first domino a push and watch the outcome. If you get the sequence right the door to the next level will open and you can go through.
The real challenge to the go is the different dominos you have to use. The basic dominos just fall straight over and form the majority of each chain. However there are several other dominos that become available to you as you progress through the levels. In the earlier levels you get introduced to a domino that splits into two pieces and falls in opposite directions, so that you can start two chains at once. You also get to use a domino with permanent momentum; at least it continues to fall head over heels until it hits another domino. This one is good for connecting a chain with a big gap in it. You can also use a domino that won't fall over to bounce the momentum domino in a different direction. Later on you can also use dominos that float upwards before falling, so that you can start a domino chain from a lower level and head upwards. The number of special dominos available seems quite high and there always seems to be just one more to make use of. Each one you unlock tends to then appear in the next level and the next, until you have a vast selection of special dominos that are required to complete a level.
Game progress is maintained by a series of passwords for each level. This is the one letdown of the game as it means you cannot save high scores or progress. Of course for the time that this game was released available space for game saves was either small or non-existent, depending on which format you played games, so it's understandable that this modern game feature was never incorporated.
Sound and graphics are quite simple yet addictive. For a game that I played as a child I am impressed at how well the graphics have held up. I've recently revisted games such as The Secret of Monkey Island that graphically haven't aged well, yet Pushover manages to look good even today. As with many games that are now freeware or abandonware, it's the gameplay that keeps gamers coming back and Pushover is a wonderfully addictive little puzzler. I remember fondly playing through this game as a child and revisiting it in adulthood it still holds all of the appeal that it did 20 years ago to my younger self.
I'd highly recommend giving this game a go for anyone into puzzle games like Peggle, Tetris, Bejewelled and the like, or for anyone looking for a retro gaming fix. As the game is now considered abandonware it's completely free to download and play, so you have nothing to lose.
You can download Pushover for free at AbandonOnline
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island is a classic point and click adventure from LucasArts that is funny, entertaining and challenging all at the same time. You play as Guybrush Threepwood, a wannabe pirate who has come to Melee Island to join the crew of a pirate ship. Whilst on the island Guybrush soon uncovers a plot, by the sinister ghost pirate Le Chuck, to kidnap the governor of the island and force her to marry him. And so, far from becoming a pirate, he begins a quest against the ghost pirates to save the governor and uncover The Secret of Monkey Island.
Graphically the game looks quite aged now. Characters are very pixellated and blocky, although animations are prety smooth for the time. There is no audible speech in the game, instead what the characters are saying appears above their heads in different colours. This is all easily overcome once you start to get involved in the game.
The one thing that will keep you playing the game is the sense of humour put into it. Obviously throughout the course of the game everyone makes fun of Guybrush's name, but the humour doesn't end there. The pirates on the island are witty and Guybrush retorts as good as he gets. About halfway through the game you are introduced to the relatively limited swordfighting moments, however these are as unconventional as they could be; Battles in the game are not based on how quickly you can press a key, or press a button combination. Battles are based upon how witty your put-downs and comebacks are. For example, you are taunted with "People run from me" and you can retort with "Even before they smell your bad breath?".
The other characters in the game are also a hilariously random bunch of folks. The pirates are typically guzzling grog in the local tavern, with a few dastardly dealers hanging arouknd on street corners trying to sell you dodgy goods. The local islanders on Monkey Island wear giant fruits on their head and speak backwards. And a few lost, crazy mariners run around the islands talking to themselves. All in all the game keeps the comedy level high throughout and constantly gives you laugh out loud moments to maintain the lighthearted mood.
In amongst all of this random comedy there is still a serious story going on and some really challenging puzzles. There's plenty of obvious solutions to find but at the same time there are also some really unusual solutions to keep you scratching your head. And there are some hilarious moments to be had solving some of the puzzles. Without giving too much away I challenge you not to laugh when you find the key to the giant monkey head!
When I started playing The Secret of Monkey Island I knew all about the humour of the series and I've always enjoyed a good point and click adventure, but I was hesitant at first. However, once I started playing I was captivated by the humour, the gameplay and the brilliantly well written and hilarious story of pirate to be Guybrush Threepwood.
My name is Guybrush Threepwood and I am a fearsome pirate!
You can download The Secret of Monkey Island for free from Abandon Online
Graphically the game looks quite aged now. Characters are very pixellated and blocky, although animations are prety smooth for the time. There is no audible speech in the game, instead what the characters are saying appears above their heads in different colours. This is all easily overcome once you start to get involved in the game.
The one thing that will keep you playing the game is the sense of humour put into it. Obviously throughout the course of the game everyone makes fun of Guybrush's name, but the humour doesn't end there. The pirates on the island are witty and Guybrush retorts as good as he gets. About halfway through the game you are introduced to the relatively limited swordfighting moments, however these are as unconventional as they could be; Battles in the game are not based on how quickly you can press a key, or press a button combination. Battles are based upon how witty your put-downs and comebacks are. For example, you are taunted with "People run from me" and you can retort with "Even before they smell your bad breath?".
The other characters in the game are also a hilariously random bunch of folks. The pirates are typically guzzling grog in the local tavern, with a few dastardly dealers hanging arouknd on street corners trying to sell you dodgy goods. The local islanders on Monkey Island wear giant fruits on their head and speak backwards. And a few lost, crazy mariners run around the islands talking to themselves. All in all the game keeps the comedy level high throughout and constantly gives you laugh out loud moments to maintain the lighthearted mood.
In amongst all of this random comedy there is still a serious story going on and some really challenging puzzles. There's plenty of obvious solutions to find but at the same time there are also some really unusual solutions to keep you scratching your head. And there are some hilarious moments to be had solving some of the puzzles. Without giving too much away I challenge you not to laugh when you find the key to the giant monkey head!
When I started playing The Secret of Monkey Island I knew all about the humour of the series and I've always enjoyed a good point and click adventure, but I was hesitant at first. However, once I started playing I was captivated by the humour, the gameplay and the brilliantly well written and hilarious story of pirate to be Guybrush Threepwood.
My name is Guybrush Threepwood and I am a fearsome pirate!
You can download The Secret of Monkey Island for free from Abandon Online
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Sega releasing Dreamcast Classics on Xbox Live and Playstation Network
Sega have officially announced that they will be releasing classic Dreamcast titles on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, beginning with their trademark blue superhero Sonic Adventure and their hugely successful arcade and console Crazy Taxi. Both legendary games on the Dreamcast and both hugely successful. Sega promise more titles to come and I look forward to seeing the list as it happens.
After the many Sonic/Sega/Megadrive collections that have appeared on Playstation, Xbox and PC, it's a nice change to see Sega releasing titles from their more recent consoles. Many younger gamers may not have had the chance to enjoy these games the first time round and many lifelong gamers will jump at the chance to experience the thrill of these games once again. As long as Sega keep turning out new and innovative titles as well as their back catalogue, then the buying public will be satisfied.
And to get these classic games at bargain prices makes them more than worth it. I myself look forward to enjoying Sonic Adventure once again, having long lost my old (and slightly faulty) Dreamcast.
Check out the press release here: Sega - UK - Dreamcast Classics are back!
After the many Sonic/Sega/Megadrive collections that have appeared on Playstation, Xbox and PC, it's a nice change to see Sega releasing titles from their more recent consoles. Many younger gamers may not have had the chance to enjoy these games the first time round and many lifelong gamers will jump at the chance to experience the thrill of these games once again. As long as Sega keep turning out new and innovative titles as well as their back catalogue, then the buying public will be satisfied.
And to get these classic games at bargain prices makes them more than worth it. I myself look forward to enjoying Sonic Adventure once again, having long lost my old (and slightly faulty) Dreamcast.
Check out the press release here: Sega - UK - Dreamcast Classics are back!
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Alien Carnage
Alien Carnage is a quirky little game that plays well despite being fromt the DOS era. The readme recommends using DosBox to run this game but I found it worked perfectly well under WindowsXP SP3. I never played the original game when it was first released so I came to this game with completely unbiased expectations. The game does look graphically dated, being 2D and pixelated, but it's not bad for a game of the time. It does bring back memories of my youth and playing old Amiga games, and it certainly feels like a traditional platform adventure.
The story is simple, aliens have invaded Earth and turned innocent people into zombies and you have been tasked with eradicating the alien presence and stopping their evil plan to enslave all of humanity. Armed initially with only your trusty flamethrower and jetpack, you are dropped into the danger zone and immediately into the action. The flamethrower is suitably powerful and destroys most of the early enemies with ease. I forgot about my secondary weapon so never actually tried the mini heatseeking missles I was armed with, while trying out this game. However, the list of additional weapons you can find sounds equally as powerful, with nukes, and the incredible "Omega" (whatever that is) just a couple of possibilities.
The jetpack is a great alternative to regular platform jumping. Being able to fly arounrd the levels is fun in itself, however the major challenge comes from the shared fuel that the jetpack and flamethrower have. They can be recharged at charging stations throughout the levels, but making sure you can get to each one without running out of fuel whilst navigating the levels, is a careful balancing act. Do you gamble on fairly flat levels and go all out killing, or do you try to avoid enemies in favour of navigating the complex tunnels and platforms in each level?
The plays well and the character controls and very responsive. You can configure the keyboard or joypad controls to suit your needs, and the freeware version of the game also includes a 'turbo' mode; allowing you to speed up the main character to either help or hinder your quest.
I'll admit to not playing this game for a very long time as it didn't hold my attention. Mostly for lack of direction and no clear explanation of how to interact with elements in the game. There is an instructions option on the main menu but I dived straight into the game to get a feel of it quickly. It's certainly a great game to pass a few hours though and does include the ability to save, so you can dip in and out as you want.
You can download the game for free from http://www.fileplanet.com/177324/170000/fileinfo/Alien-Carnage-(Free-Game)
The story is simple, aliens have invaded Earth and turned innocent people into zombies and you have been tasked with eradicating the alien presence and stopping their evil plan to enslave all of humanity. Armed initially with only your trusty flamethrower and jetpack, you are dropped into the danger zone and immediately into the action. The flamethrower is suitably powerful and destroys most of the early enemies with ease. I forgot about my secondary weapon so never actually tried the mini heatseeking missles I was armed with, while trying out this game. However, the list of additional weapons you can find sounds equally as powerful, with nukes, and the incredible "Omega" (whatever that is) just a couple of possibilities.
The jetpack is a great alternative to regular platform jumping. Being able to fly arounrd the levels is fun in itself, however the major challenge comes from the shared fuel that the jetpack and flamethrower have. They can be recharged at charging stations throughout the levels, but making sure you can get to each one without running out of fuel whilst navigating the levels, is a careful balancing act. Do you gamble on fairly flat levels and go all out killing, or do you try to avoid enemies in favour of navigating the complex tunnels and platforms in each level?
The plays well and the character controls and very responsive. You can configure the keyboard or joypad controls to suit your needs, and the freeware version of the game also includes a 'turbo' mode; allowing you to speed up the main character to either help or hinder your quest.
I'll admit to not playing this game for a very long time as it didn't hold my attention. Mostly for lack of direction and no clear explanation of how to interact with elements in the game. There is an instructions option on the main menu but I dived straight into the game to get a feel of it quickly. It's certainly a great game to pass a few hours though and does include the ability to save, so you can dip in and out as you want.
You can download the game for free from http://www.fileplanet.com/177324/170000/fileinfo/Alien-Carnage-(Free-Game)
Thursday, 9 September 2010
New Trailer: Tron:Evolution
A new video has been released for the upcoming game Tron: Evolution. Set between events of the original Tron movie and the upcoming Disney release, Tron: Legacy, the story will build up plot elements that will be referenced in the new movie and allow gamers access to areas that the movie will briefly introduce. If you get your hands on a copy of this and play it through to completion before the movie is released, you can feel chuffed that you've been part of the buildup to the storyline in the movie.
Tron: Evolution involves action sequences that will be familiar to fans of the original film. You'll encounter the disc throwing battles and the famous light cycles as well as new game features such as running/climbing walls, traditional platforming elements and exploration and puzzle solving. From the new video the gameplay looks smooth and realistic, with your character jumping and leaping around the environment with ease. And just like in the films you can seamlessly move from running to mounting the light cycle as it is drawn around your character. It just reeks of coolness!
I'm looking forward to catching this in the cinema and on my console!
Watch the new video on Yahoo.
Tron: Evolution involves action sequences that will be familiar to fans of the original film. You'll encounter the disc throwing battles and the famous light cycles as well as new game features such as running/climbing walls, traditional platforming elements and exploration and puzzle solving. From the new video the gameplay looks smooth and realistic, with your character jumping and leaping around the environment with ease. And just like in the films you can seamlessly move from running to mounting the light cycle as it is drawn around your character. It just reeks of coolness!
I'm looking forward to catching this in the cinema and on my console!
Watch the new video on Yahoo.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Currently Playing: Band Hero
Band Hero is the offspring of the very popular and very successful Guitar Hero: World Tour. It invites non-rock fans to join in by introducing more pop tracks to the song listings. Whereas before my wife wouldn't have really entertained the thought of playing Guitar Hero because she really wasn't in to rock music, when she saw the track list for Band Hero she was already reaching for the mic before the disc was even in the XBox.
With tracks like Evanescence "Bring Me To Life", the age old favourite "Wannabe" by Spice Girls, and so many more pop classics from the 80s through to the current day, you can see the appeal. Band Hero is picking up on the popularity of karaoke games, such as Lips, and drawing in that audience. You can see the full track list in this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_Hero#Console_soundtrack
Now with the track list being the biggest attraction to new players, it's the gameplay that's got to keep them interested. And that it does! Either choosing to play solo or with friends, all the game modes are available; Career mode, where you create your own character and band, and jam out in different arenas, building up you reputation. Quickplay mode for those who just want to get straight into the action. And a Versus mode for those friends who want to test their musical prowess.
We slipped straight into the action with quickplay mode. Each of the instruments (including vocals) was challenging and yet fun and addictive. The difficulty settings were very well set so that beginners could join in and be active even if they hit all the wrong notes, and experts could show off with finger breaking solos. The beginner mode is an ideal starting point for new gamers or younger gamers because it's all about the rhythm. No need to worry about which notes to play (or sing) as in beginner mode all you need to do is hit a note at the right time to score points. Each difficulty setting upwards increases the number of notes and complexity of the song at a very sensible rate, so developing your musical skills doesn't feel like an impossible task. This has been true of the Guitar Hero series since its first outing and is very commendable.
One of the best features of the game is of course being able to play with friends, whether you are good or bad, and we spent several hours of an evening jamming away and having a great time. It's quite an energetic game if you really get into it so be prepared to get seriously knackered if you go for all out headbanging and stage presence!
And of course, every game is always marked on is graphical impressiveness, with Band Hero being no let down. The game characters are perfectly animated, beautifully drawn and have every bit of real life rock/pop star about them. The stages are equally stunning, although in fairness you're more likely to be spending your time staring at the guitar/drum notes or lyrics on the screen than what the game characters are getting up to. Especially as you get up to the higher difficulty settings.
Overall, my experience of Band Hero has been an entertaining one and I can't recommend this game enough. Check out the track listings and if that isn't enough to convince you to play this game then nothing will.
Friday, 3 September 2010
New trailer for Sonic 4: Episode 1
Sega have finally released a new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and it's looking like a fantastic return to the 2D series. The stage we get to see is a labyrinth zone style familiar to many of Sonic's previous 2D outings. Making a welcome return are the usual perils that Sonic has faced over the years; running rivers that Sonic slides down, similar to the oil slicks from Sonic 2 and the sand slopes of Sonic 3; Loops, springs, spikes and the need for air bubbles underwater (a bane of many a player!).
There are also some new features in this trailer. In one sequence we see a giant boulder drop from the ceiling and Sonic jumps on top of it and runs and rolls the boulder, destroying all in it's path. There's also a sequence with Sonic riding in a mine cart across some dangerous tracks, jumping large gaps of missing track on his way. Another interesting looking feature involves Sonic running along dark tunnels carrying a candle. This is reminiscent of the sand temple levels from Sonic 3 when you had to pull the hanging switches to turn on the lights and keep the ghosts at bay. And finally there's another sequence in the trailer involving a rotating environment similar to the special zones in Sonic 2 and 3.
Graphically, Sonic 4: Episode 1 is shaping up to be a gorgeous looking game. Despite not being true 3D, Sonic looks in excellent form and although the scenery may rush passed in a blur, the levels are beautifully detailed and very atmospheric.
If this trailer is anything to go by, Sonic 4 is shaping up to be a worthy return to the 2D genre for our favourite spiky hero!
You can see the trailer here
There are also some new features in this trailer. In one sequence we see a giant boulder drop from the ceiling and Sonic jumps on top of it and runs and rolls the boulder, destroying all in it's path. There's also a sequence with Sonic riding in a mine cart across some dangerous tracks, jumping large gaps of missing track on his way. Another interesting looking feature involves Sonic running along dark tunnels carrying a candle. This is reminiscent of the sand temple levels from Sonic 3 when you had to pull the hanging switches to turn on the lights and keep the ghosts at bay. And finally there's another sequence in the trailer involving a rotating environment similar to the special zones in Sonic 2 and 3.
Graphically, Sonic 4: Episode 1 is shaping up to be a gorgeous looking game. Despite not being true 3D, Sonic looks in excellent form and although the scenery may rush passed in a blur, the levels are beautifully detailed and very atmospheric.
If this trailer is anything to go by, Sonic 4 is shaping up to be a worthy return to the 2D genre for our favourite spiky hero!
You can see the trailer here
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
GTA4 Modded
It seems that one smart gamer out there has got more entertainment value from GTA4 then Rockstar had originally intended... By modding the game to create a first person shooter style game. Video footage of the modded game in action has appeared on YouTube and it looks very impressive. Suffice to say someone has gone to a lot of time and effort to create this mod.
It certainly makes for an interesting viewpoint and allows us a much more 'up close and personal' perspective on the city and the gameplay. You can clearly see the detail on people's faces as the player runs passed them and even details on newspapers on a nearby newspaper stand are visible. Shoot outs work well in the first person mode and appear to work just as well as any professionally made FPS. Driving looks like it could be more difficult, however seeing the realtime damage to the car windscreen and having it impair the driving view would be a fun challenge to navigate.
Is this something Rockstar should consider for a future GTA game or for download content? Watch the video here and decide for yourself. A word of caution though; GTA4 is an 18 rated game and this video may not be suitable for younger viewers.
It certainly makes for an interesting viewpoint and allows us a much more 'up close and personal' perspective on the city and the gameplay. You can clearly see the detail on people's faces as the player runs passed them and even details on newspapers on a nearby newspaper stand are visible. Shoot outs work well in the first person mode and appear to work just as well as any professionally made FPS. Driving looks like it could be more difficult, however seeing the realtime damage to the car windscreen and having it impair the driving view would be a fun challenge to navigate.
Is this something Rockstar should consider for a future GTA game or for download content? Watch the video here and decide for yourself. A word of caution though; GTA4 is an 18 rated game and this video may not be suitable for younger viewers.
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Currently Playing: Beneath a Steel Sky
So I might be heading back into the vaults but I recently decided to check out so previously commercial games that are now free to play. After some searching I found reference to the ScummVM (Script Creation Utility for Manic Mansion Virtual Machine) project. This engine provides a basis for several Point and Click style games, particularly those popular on the Amiga 600 home computer. As a big Amiga fan I decided to give it a go and see if some of my favourite games from my youth still hold the same appeal now as they did back then. So I wondered over to the ScummVM website and to my delight found that Beneath a Steel Sky was now available freely to download and play. So download I did and whilst playing thought it would be fun to write a review at the same time.
Beneath a Steel Sky is a classic 'Point and Click' adventure game. Basically you click where you want the character to go and he goes there. The gameplay revolves around puzzle solving and conversations with in-game characters. For example, early on in the game you find a cleaning robot shell and you are carrying around the personality circuit board of your best buddy Joey. So you combine the two and as if by magic, your best buddy in the whole world is brought back to life, complete with an attitude!
The story behind Beneath a Steel Sky is quite shadowed and unclear, all part of the atmosphere of the game. The main character, Rob Foster, lives in The Gap; an area of vast desert that is between major cities. The majority of city dwelling folk fear The Gap because of a government instilled belief in the existence of mutants and viruses running rife. As Foster knows though, this is just a ruse to keep citizens trapped in the city. One day his home is invaded by security forces from the city and he is taken prisoner. Whilst being escorted into the city the helicopter he is on suffers technical difficulties and goes down. By some luck Foster is the only survivor and goes on the run. This is where we join him in game. By method of exploration, interaction with citizens and some luck, it's up to you to lead Foster to safety and some answers.
The graphics for BSS are dated by today's standards. Everything does appear very pixelated although it is clear enough to see what objects are and to distinguish them from the background. Having said that everything has a 16-bit edge about it; the levels are actually scarily dark and moody. When moving to the outside you do get a feel of how far up above the ground you are, and when inside the backgrounds are decidedly cold and metallic. At the end of the day the gameplay of the game is so involving and gripping that you can overlook the graphics quality.
And this is where the game shines. It is a perfect example of how to make a point and click adventure game. The puzzles are clever and challenging, but never too impossible to solve. Everything that you need to have some interaction with is highlighted when you hover the mouse over it. You can get Foster to describe the object, all you have to do is work out exactly how to interact with it. Talking to other characters involves a selection of possible conversation choices. Some are a requirement of the game and will be available until you choose them; others will only be available as a response to the person you are talking to. These responses can have different consequences on the outcome of the conversation. In one section of the game you are talking to an engineer who is disinterested in what is going on around him. If you introduce yourself as a health and safety officer he opens up and talks to you about how old and creaky the machinery is and how he hates his boss. Introduce yourself as a security guard you don't get these details.
All conversation in the game is text based, as are most point and click adventures. Your choices for conversation appear at the top of the screen and you just choose which line of conversation you want to introduce. Fortunately to make it easy to follow the conversation, each characters spoken text appears above their head in a comic book style. More modern games have often introduced different colours for different people but this can sometimes be confusing when colours are hard to distinguish. But having the text stay above the characters head makes it easy to follow what is happening. For this reason there is now spoken sound, but the background music is suitably dark and sounds effects don't feel out of place.
One of the best things about the game is your robot friend Joey. He has a unique personality and is constantly taking digs at Foster, especially about his cleaning robot body. Joey fires off one-liners constantly throughout the game and at times had me laughing out loud because of his attitude. He also stirs things up with other characters in the game which is entertaining. He provides some comic relief when the tension of the game becomes too much or when a puzzle just has you stumped.
Beneath a Steel Sky is an addictive and puzzling game that even now holds its own. The graphics aren't ever going to impress those who are used to 1080p but the game more than makes up for it in style and gameplay. This is well worth a play if you are a fan of the original Amiga game or any point and click adventures (such as Monkey Island, or Flight of the Amazon Queen - also available for free download). It's even worth giving a go if you've only ever played modern games as the appeal is still strong. And as the game is available to download and play for free, you're not going to lose anything by giving it a go. It's got to be worth a try on that basis alone!
You can download the ScummVM and the game (as well as others currently available) from ScummVM.
Beneath a Steel Sky is a classic 'Point and Click' adventure game. Basically you click where you want the character to go and he goes there. The gameplay revolves around puzzle solving and conversations with in-game characters. For example, early on in the game you find a cleaning robot shell and you are carrying around the personality circuit board of your best buddy Joey. So you combine the two and as if by magic, your best buddy in the whole world is brought back to life, complete with an attitude!
The story behind Beneath a Steel Sky is quite shadowed and unclear, all part of the atmosphere of the game. The main character, Rob Foster, lives in The Gap; an area of vast desert that is between major cities. The majority of city dwelling folk fear The Gap because of a government instilled belief in the existence of mutants and viruses running rife. As Foster knows though, this is just a ruse to keep citizens trapped in the city. One day his home is invaded by security forces from the city and he is taken prisoner. Whilst being escorted into the city the helicopter he is on suffers technical difficulties and goes down. By some luck Foster is the only survivor and goes on the run. This is where we join him in game. By method of exploration, interaction with citizens and some luck, it's up to you to lead Foster to safety and some answers.
The graphics for BSS are dated by today's standards. Everything does appear very pixelated although it is clear enough to see what objects are and to distinguish them from the background. Having said that everything has a 16-bit edge about it; the levels are actually scarily dark and moody. When moving to the outside you do get a feel of how far up above the ground you are, and when inside the backgrounds are decidedly cold and metallic. At the end of the day the gameplay of the game is so involving and gripping that you can overlook the graphics quality.
And this is where the game shines. It is a perfect example of how to make a point and click adventure game. The puzzles are clever and challenging, but never too impossible to solve. Everything that you need to have some interaction with is highlighted when you hover the mouse over it. You can get Foster to describe the object, all you have to do is work out exactly how to interact with it. Talking to other characters involves a selection of possible conversation choices. Some are a requirement of the game and will be available until you choose them; others will only be available as a response to the person you are talking to. These responses can have different consequences on the outcome of the conversation. In one section of the game you are talking to an engineer who is disinterested in what is going on around him. If you introduce yourself as a health and safety officer he opens up and talks to you about how old and creaky the machinery is and how he hates his boss. Introduce yourself as a security guard you don't get these details.
All conversation in the game is text based, as are most point and click adventures. Your choices for conversation appear at the top of the screen and you just choose which line of conversation you want to introduce. Fortunately to make it easy to follow the conversation, each characters spoken text appears above their head in a comic book style. More modern games have often introduced different colours for different people but this can sometimes be confusing when colours are hard to distinguish. But having the text stay above the characters head makes it easy to follow what is happening. For this reason there is now spoken sound, but the background music is suitably dark and sounds effects don't feel out of place.
One of the best things about the game is your robot friend Joey. He has a unique personality and is constantly taking digs at Foster, especially about his cleaning robot body. Joey fires off one-liners constantly throughout the game and at times had me laughing out loud because of his attitude. He also stirs things up with other characters in the game which is entertaining. He provides some comic relief when the tension of the game becomes too much or when a puzzle just has you stumped.
Beneath a Steel Sky is an addictive and puzzling game that even now holds its own. The graphics aren't ever going to impress those who are used to 1080p but the game more than makes up for it in style and gameplay. This is well worth a play if you are a fan of the original Amiga game or any point and click adventures (such as Monkey Island, or Flight of the Amazon Queen - also available for free download). It's even worth giving a go if you've only ever played modern games as the appeal is still strong. And as the game is available to download and play for free, you're not going to lose anything by giving it a go. It's got to be worth a try on that basis alone!
You can download the ScummVM and the game (as well as others currently available) from ScummVM.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Peggle
Peggle is a new and interesting entry into the puzzle game market. It is quirky, colourful and most of all addictive. The concept of the game is simple: There are a number of coloured blocks on the screen arranged in various shapes and images. You launch a ball from a cannon at the top of the screen and have to eliminate the blocks. You have control over the angle at which the ball is launched from the cannon and then it's down to skill and luck as to where it bounces around the screen.
The game scores you on the number of chains of blocks you hit before the ball drops off the bottom of the screen. To assist you in your task there is a moving basket bouncing from one side of the screen to the other, at the bottom of the screen. If your ball lands in this basket you get another go. As your score raises the points you earn are added to a meter on the left hand side of the screen. When you reach a certain number of points you are awarded a free ball. You begin each level with only 10 balls to clear all the required blocks. This seems like a lot, and on the early levels this is more than enough, but when you start reaching the later levels of the game you often find yourself down to the last ball when you finish. At times like this the game feels very tense despite it's colourful and cartoony look.
This brings me nicely on to the graphics of the game. Like many of it's style, Peggle is very bright and cartoony, but this doesn't feel out of place. Each level has a different character for you to play as and all are beautifully drawn and keep the same cartoony style.
Each new character in the game brings a different special ability. These abilities are triggered by hitting the green blocks on the screen, and all are unique. Part of the challenge of the game is making the best use of these abilities. Some abilities are obvious; the dragon character can launch a fireball which wipes out all blocks in its path. Whereas some abilities require a little more thought; for example one of the earlier abilities is a rebound marker that adjusts to show you where your ball will bounce next. I think this is one of the features of the game that gives it appeal. When you complete the game you get master challenge mode where you can pick the character you play as, and thus the ability you can use in each level.
Overall I found Peggle to be unique and highly addictive. It brings some new life to the puzzle game scene that is overflowing with tetris or bubble bobble clones.
You can download a demo version of Peggle from Xbox Live or Popcap Games.
The game scores you on the number of chains of blocks you hit before the ball drops off the bottom of the screen. To assist you in your task there is a moving basket bouncing from one side of the screen to the other, at the bottom of the screen. If your ball lands in this basket you get another go. As your score raises the points you earn are added to a meter on the left hand side of the screen. When you reach a certain number of points you are awarded a free ball. You begin each level with only 10 balls to clear all the required blocks. This seems like a lot, and on the early levels this is more than enough, but when you start reaching the later levels of the game you often find yourself down to the last ball when you finish. At times like this the game feels very tense despite it's colourful and cartoony look.
This brings me nicely on to the graphics of the game. Like many of it's style, Peggle is very bright and cartoony, but this doesn't feel out of place. Each level has a different character for you to play as and all are beautifully drawn and keep the same cartoony style.
Each new character in the game brings a different special ability. These abilities are triggered by hitting the green blocks on the screen, and all are unique. Part of the challenge of the game is making the best use of these abilities. Some abilities are obvious; the dragon character can launch a fireball which wipes out all blocks in its path. Whereas some abilities require a little more thought; for example one of the earlier abilities is a rebound marker that adjusts to show you where your ball will bounce next. I think this is one of the features of the game that gives it appeal. When you complete the game you get master challenge mode where you can pick the character you play as, and thus the ability you can use in each level.
Overall I found Peggle to be unique and highly addictive. It brings some new life to the puzzle game scene that is overflowing with tetris or bubble bobble clones.
You can download a demo version of Peggle from Xbox Live or Popcap Games.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Fable III Preview
So the news is out on Fable III for Xbox 360... And it's going to be bigger and better! Everything that made Fable II so good has been included in the game, plus even more new features. Starting with giving the main character a voice. Now your prince or princess will air their views and feelings far more expressively than before. This will surely lead to all manner of wonderful encounters with quest characters and civilians alike.
One of the most anticipated new features of the game is the chance to be King (or Queen) of the world of Albion. To my understanding this means that you are able to make decisions that affect townsfolk across the whole of Albion and can gain a loyal following or become a hated dictator. In Fable II you were able to buy up property and businesses to gain the title of King/Queen, a feature of the game that I found fun to play with. Owning enough properties allowed you to have the title of King/Queen but this never had any impact on the game. Now you can own the whole of Albion and have the power that was hinted at in the previous game.
The moral decisions you have to make in Fable III have been seriously overhauled and nothing is black and white anymore. Whereas in previous Fable games it has been pretty obvious where different choices will lead you, in Fable III the decisions you have to make have far more wide reaching consequences. For example, in the early stages of the game there is a group of poor struggling townsfolk who are leading a peaceful demonstration and you are given two choices; kill the ringleaders of the protest or let your best friend die. It's a harsh decision to have to make.
Finally, the last new feature of the game available in all previews are the weapons. Weapons will now grow and develop with you; if you are a decent upstanding person your weapon will take on a holy glow and shape, if you are evil your weapon will become darker and more intimidating. Along with the changes to your characters features (a staple from the previous games) this new feature will add even more different ways to develop each character you play.
Add in the extended gameplay (Fable III is at least twice as long as Fable II), the updated graphics and the wider variety of missions to keep you going and this is shaping up to be the next game of the year.
One of the most anticipated new features of the game is the chance to be King (or Queen) of the world of Albion. To my understanding this means that you are able to make decisions that affect townsfolk across the whole of Albion and can gain a loyal following or become a hated dictator. In Fable II you were able to buy up property and businesses to gain the title of King/Queen, a feature of the game that I found fun to play with. Owning enough properties allowed you to have the title of King/Queen but this never had any impact on the game. Now you can own the whole of Albion and have the power that was hinted at in the previous game.
The moral decisions you have to make in Fable III have been seriously overhauled and nothing is black and white anymore. Whereas in previous Fable games it has been pretty obvious where different choices will lead you, in Fable III the decisions you have to make have far more wide reaching consequences. For example, in the early stages of the game there is a group of poor struggling townsfolk who are leading a peaceful demonstration and you are given two choices; kill the ringleaders of the protest or let your best friend die. It's a harsh decision to have to make.
Finally, the last new feature of the game available in all previews are the weapons. Weapons will now grow and develop with you; if you are a decent upstanding person your weapon will take on a holy glow and shape, if you are evil your weapon will become darker and more intimidating. Along with the changes to your characters features (a staple from the previous games) this new feature will add even more different ways to develop each character you play.
Add in the extended gameplay (Fable III is at least twice as long as Fable II), the updated graphics and the wider variety of missions to keep you going and this is shaping up to be the next game of the year.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
GoldenEye remake for the Wii
It's good to hear that one of my favourite games for the N64 is to be remade for the Nintendo Wii; GoldenEye. This is my personal favourite of the James Bond movies and also stars my favourite James Bond actor; Pierce Brosnan. So when the original game was released I was delighted. The game was such a major success and set the standards for future Bond games.
Now with such a success story behind it the developers of the more recent Bond games (007: Nightfire, The World is Not Enough, Quantum of Solace) are remaking the game for the modern age. Without Rare behind the steering wheel it will be left to be seen how successful the game turns out. With so many fans of the original the new developers are going to have to work extra hard to make sure the game retains everything that made it a success the first time around, while incorporating all the aspects of the recent James Bond films.
Rumoured changes include have an 'all-in'one' device, like a smartphone, as the main device for interacting with the environment, modern weapons and more of a focus on James Bond's physical ability. The levels in Cuba are likely to be moved to Nigeria to fit in with more modern conflicts, however this has raised some eyebrows from fans. Combat is likely to be improved with boss fights being more demanding and the battles with Xenia and Alec to be more challenging.
I'm intrigued by the plans for improvements to the game and hope that the new developers can do this while still keeping the key elements of the original.
Now with such a success story behind it the developers of the more recent Bond games (007: Nightfire, The World is Not Enough, Quantum of Solace) are remaking the game for the modern age. Without Rare behind the steering wheel it will be left to be seen how successful the game turns out. With so many fans of the original the new developers are going to have to work extra hard to make sure the game retains everything that made it a success the first time around, while incorporating all the aspects of the recent James Bond films.
Rumoured changes include have an 'all-in'one' device, like a smartphone, as the main device for interacting with the environment, modern weapons and more of a focus on James Bond's physical ability. The levels in Cuba are likely to be moved to Nigeria to fit in with more modern conflicts, however this has raised some eyebrows from fans. Combat is likely to be improved with boss fights being more demanding and the battles with Xenia and Alec to be more challenging.
I'm intrigued by the plans for improvements to the game and hope that the new developers can do this while still keeping the key elements of the original.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Medal of Honour Causing Controversy
EA's latest Medal of Honour offering is stirring up a hornets nest thanks to their decision to allow players to fight for the Taliban in multiplayer mode. This one might have crept under the radar had it not been picked up by Fox network, who then interviewed a mother who's son was killed in the current Afghanistan conflict, and then made a big news story of it. This isn't the first time that a video game has caused controversy (think Grand Theft Auto) and it certainly isn't the only game that deals with wars and conflicts around the world.
EA's response was that kids have been playing good guy/bad guy throughout history and this is just a virtual expansion of that: EA PR representative Amanda Taggart told AOL News "Most of us having been doing this since we were seven. If someone's the cop, someone's gotta be the robber, someone's gotta be the pirate and someone's gotta be the alien. "In 'Medal of Honor' multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."
Is it good? Is it bad? At the end of the day the gamers are more interested in how well the game plays. Game sales will be the final verdict.
EA's response was that kids have been playing good guy/bad guy throughout history and this is just a virtual expansion of that: EA PR representative Amanda Taggart told AOL News "Most of us having been doing this since we were seven. If someone's the cop, someone's gotta be the robber, someone's gotta be the pirate and someone's gotta be the alien. "In 'Medal of Honor' multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."
Is it good? Is it bad? At the end of the day the gamers are more interested in how well the game plays. Game sales will be the final verdict.
Monday, 16 August 2010
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The long wait is over for the next Legend of Zelda game. Skyward Sword has a playable level available and it is breathtaking. Let's firstly start with the graphics. It seems that Nintendo have taken the best that WindWaker and Twilight Princess had to offer and merged them together. The serious style of graphics remains but with the cel-shading approach of WindWaker. I'll happily admit that I was much more of an admirer of the serious style of Twilight Princess than I was of the cartoony graphics of WindWaker. So to see both styles incorporated into the Skyward Sword is a step in the right direction.
Backgrounds are hugely detailed and immersive, and one of the greatest things about the levels is the different ways that you can progress to achieve your goals. In the demo level it is possible to follow several different routes; through the main path of enemies, climbing around using vines and platforms, or if you leave the beaten track you can find a series of rope swings that completely avoid enemy encounters below. There is so much to see and do beyond the main objectives and the Zelda world is becoming more vast.
Beyond the adventuring and puzzle solving, the other biggest element of any good Zelda game is the combat. Twilight Princess used the Wiimote brilliantly so that you felt more in control of Link's sword fighting. Now with the Motion Plus controls the fights in the game have taken on a whole new level of skill. Link responds exactly to your Wiimote gestures, so holding your hand directly up in the air makes Link present the Master Sword skywards. Waving the wiimote up and down at your side makes Link do a bird impression with his sword. Skyward Sword has been designed to allow much better reaction to horizontal, vertical and diagonal strokes, all adding to the feeling that you are actually taking part in the fights for Link.
As well as improvements to the attacks Link can do, his defensive abilities has also been improved. Using the nunchuck to wield your shield you can quickly raise or lower it during a battle and a swift flick of the controller will ram your shield towards an enemy, stunning them or knocking them backwards. With attacks needing to be much more accurate now and defence being just as important, battles are now more challenging and fun.
And if you didn't think that was enough innovation for you how about this; the inventory system is being changed as well! There will now be quick access to all of Link's inventory by pressing the B button and cycling through all of his inventory. Potions will now need to be used in real time so you will need to make tactical decisions about when is a safe time to drop arms and swig down the life saving red or green drinks.
All in all, if the current screenshots and trailers are anything to go by, this is going to be the best Zelda yet. Time to dig out your Wii and buy a Motion Plus sensor if you don't already have one!
Backgrounds are hugely detailed and immersive, and one of the greatest things about the levels is the different ways that you can progress to achieve your goals. In the demo level it is possible to follow several different routes; through the main path of enemies, climbing around using vines and platforms, or if you leave the beaten track you can find a series of rope swings that completely avoid enemy encounters below. There is so much to see and do beyond the main objectives and the Zelda world is becoming more vast.
Beyond the adventuring and puzzle solving, the other biggest element of any good Zelda game is the combat. Twilight Princess used the Wiimote brilliantly so that you felt more in control of Link's sword fighting. Now with the Motion Plus controls the fights in the game have taken on a whole new level of skill. Link responds exactly to your Wiimote gestures, so holding your hand directly up in the air makes Link present the Master Sword skywards. Waving the wiimote up and down at your side makes Link do a bird impression with his sword. Skyward Sword has been designed to allow much better reaction to horizontal, vertical and diagonal strokes, all adding to the feeling that you are actually taking part in the fights for Link.
As well as improvements to the attacks Link can do, his defensive abilities has also been improved. Using the nunchuck to wield your shield you can quickly raise or lower it during a battle and a swift flick of the controller will ram your shield towards an enemy, stunning them or knocking them backwards. With attacks needing to be much more accurate now and defence being just as important, battles are now more challenging and fun.
And if you didn't think that was enough innovation for you how about this; the inventory system is being changed as well! There will now be quick access to all of Link's inventory by pressing the B button and cycling through all of his inventory. Potions will now need to be used in real time so you will need to make tactical decisions about when is a safe time to drop arms and swig down the life saving red or green drinks.
All in all, if the current screenshots and trailers are anything to go by, this is going to be the best Zelda yet. Time to dig out your Wii and buy a Motion Plus sensor if you don't already have one!
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
So in my inbox today appeared an email from SquareEnix with news about their latest blockbuster; Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The game website is so far quite empty save for a link to preorder and a teaser trailer of the game.
The trailer opens with helicopters flying around the city at night, dropping the main character off on a rooftop from where he heads on down into the depths of the city. The game visuals are stunning; the city is dark and dangerous, and the character movements are smooth and complex. After the opening sequence is over the trailer thrusts us straight into the action with traditional Deus Ex first person firefights, mixed in with third person action sequences of close combat.
As far as can be seen from the trailer, the game will incorporate elements of stealth, ducking and diving (as in Gears of War style) and close combat using some really dangerous looking electrical wrist blades. In first person mode it appears that there is an advanced sniping mode that looks very stable in the trailer. But the coolest feature to be shown in the trailer has to be the ability to go invisible. We see our character use this ability to sneak behind guards for some close combat executions, and punch through a wall to grab someone on the other side.
All in all, from what we've been shown so far, it looks like Deus Ex is becoming a game worth keeping an eye on in the coming year. Proposed release date is early 2011, but in the meantime you can get more information, as it's released, from the official site www.deusex.com and the trailer can be found here.
The trailer opens with helicopters flying around the city at night, dropping the main character off on a rooftop from where he heads on down into the depths of the city. The game visuals are stunning; the city is dark and dangerous, and the character movements are smooth and complex. After the opening sequence is over the trailer thrusts us straight into the action with traditional Deus Ex first person firefights, mixed in with third person action sequences of close combat.
As far as can be seen from the trailer, the game will incorporate elements of stealth, ducking and diving (as in Gears of War style) and close combat using some really dangerous looking electrical wrist blades. In first person mode it appears that there is an advanced sniping mode that looks very stable in the trailer. But the coolest feature to be shown in the trailer has to be the ability to go invisible. We see our character use this ability to sneak behind guards for some close combat executions, and punch through a wall to grab someone on the other side.
All in all, from what we've been shown so far, it looks like Deus Ex is becoming a game worth keeping an eye on in the coming year. Proposed release date is early 2011, but in the meantime you can get more information, as it's released, from the official site www.deusex.com and the trailer can be found here.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Trio: The Great Settlement
From publisher Big Fish Games comes the quirky title 'Trio: The Great Settlement', a puzzle game similar to Columns (Sega Megadrive), Dr. Mario (NES) or Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Megadrive). The Orbics are a peaceful race who's population have been imprisoned and it's up to you to free them by using the power of three; matching three same coloured Orbics to release them from their prisons.
This is another match three style game but with a couple of slight twists. Firstly instead of the Orbics falling from the top of the screen at a fixed position, you can move them left and right to choose where they drop. Secondly you don't have to match three in a row. You can match three in any pattern as long as the all touch. So zig zags, diamonds or full circles are acceptable.
Along with these unique aspects of the traditional match three style, part of the challenge of the game is the environmental obstacles that are introduced in the later levels. Orbics will fall from trapdoors at the sides of the level to mess up your lines, black Orbics will appear in the later levels that infect your Orbics to disrupt your lines, and the game adds additional challenges to completing levels - like having to destroy walls by creating links of Orbics in front of the walls. All of these and more add an extra level of difficulty to the traditional gameplay, but that's only part of the game.
After you have completed a level your score is calculated and transferred into money. You then return to the Orbics homeworld where you can spend the cash you have earned buying buildings for the Orbics. In this Sims style part of the game, the Orbics all have different personalities and needs which are displayed as thought bubbles above their heads. Some want bigger and better housing, some want better entertainment, each is different and it helps build a deeper relationship with the Orbics. As the game progresses you move on to other planets in search of a permanent home for the Orbics. But the only way to do this is to earn enough money to build transport for them.
It's a small part of the game but it adds a bit of depth to the cute Orbics characters and extends the main gameplay, otherwise the repetition and general duration of the game would be much less. I found it an enjoyable extra in the game and it encouraged me to keep playing the main puzzle game in order to earn more money to buy the buildings that the Orbics wanted. This may or may not be to everyone's taste, but as it accounts for such a smaller percentage of the game it's easy to get passed quickly.
It's quite a text heavy game in between the main gameplay so for some people that could be off-putting, but I personally found the level of text in between rounds to be of an acceptable level. As the game doesn't have voice acting the only way to progress the plot is through the character speech text. The option is there to skip through the text so if you've played through already, or just aren't interested in the plot, then it's easy to bypass.
Overall I found this game to be a fun and addictive little game to pass the time. The unique additions to the traditional match three style of gameplay are worthy of a play on their own, but with the simulation elements and the involving story, playing through the game and helping to secure the future of the Orbics feels like a new and refreshing experience.
You can download a demo version of Trio: The Great Settlement from Big Fish Games here: www.bigfishgames.com
This is another match three style game but with a couple of slight twists. Firstly instead of the Orbics falling from the top of the screen at a fixed position, you can move them left and right to choose where they drop. Secondly you don't have to match three in a row. You can match three in any pattern as long as the all touch. So zig zags, diamonds or full circles are acceptable.
Along with these unique aspects of the traditional match three style, part of the challenge of the game is the environmental obstacles that are introduced in the later levels. Orbics will fall from trapdoors at the sides of the level to mess up your lines, black Orbics will appear in the later levels that infect your Orbics to disrupt your lines, and the game adds additional challenges to completing levels - like having to destroy walls by creating links of Orbics in front of the walls. All of these and more add an extra level of difficulty to the traditional gameplay, but that's only part of the game.
After you have completed a level your score is calculated and transferred into money. You then return to the Orbics homeworld where you can spend the cash you have earned buying buildings for the Orbics. In this Sims style part of the game, the Orbics all have different personalities and needs which are displayed as thought bubbles above their heads. Some want bigger and better housing, some want better entertainment, each is different and it helps build a deeper relationship with the Orbics. As the game progresses you move on to other planets in search of a permanent home for the Orbics. But the only way to do this is to earn enough money to build transport for them.
It's a small part of the game but it adds a bit of depth to the cute Orbics characters and extends the main gameplay, otherwise the repetition and general duration of the game would be much less. I found it an enjoyable extra in the game and it encouraged me to keep playing the main puzzle game in order to earn more money to buy the buildings that the Orbics wanted. This may or may not be to everyone's taste, but as it accounts for such a smaller percentage of the game it's easy to get passed quickly.
It's quite a text heavy game in between the main gameplay so for some people that could be off-putting, but I personally found the level of text in between rounds to be of an acceptable level. As the game doesn't have voice acting the only way to progress the plot is through the character speech text. The option is there to skip through the text so if you've played through already, or just aren't interested in the plot, then it's easy to bypass.
Overall I found this game to be a fun and addictive little game to pass the time. The unique additions to the traditional match three style of gameplay are worthy of a play on their own, but with the simulation elements and the involving story, playing through the game and helping to secure the future of the Orbics feels like a new and refreshing experience.
You can download a demo version of Trio: The Great Settlement from Big Fish Games here: www.bigfishgames.com
Monday, 9 August 2010
Resident Evil - Afterlife
So what I'd been waiting for with baited breath finally landed in my inbox; Sony Pictures releases the new Resident Evil Afterlife website and confirms a UK release date, September 10th. Ever since Extinction left the cinema every fan was eagerly anticipating a fourth movie in the series. The final scene in Afterlife most definitely set up a sequel. The director knew it, the producers knew it and the fans knew it. Finally it's on its way to our shores.
As a big fan of the Resident Evil games and films, I've already been through every feature on the new website with a fine-toothed comb, checking out the screenshots, storylines and new faces to join the cast. It appears that Chris Redfield is to join the beleaguered survivors, though what his involvement will be remains to be seen as yet. I think it's safe to assume that this film will follow the steps of it's predecessor by being an original story based on the Alice storyline, rather than follow the timeline of the game series. Either way it will be cool to see Chris Redfield in action with his sister, and the ever increasingly stronger Alice.
The plot looks to follow on directly after Extinction finished with Alice heading for a major confrontation with Umbrella and Wesker, while Claire Redfield leads the survivors to Alaska on a hunt for a safe haven. The sneak peaks on the website show Wesker, with trademark glowing red eyes, as the super fast, super cool, super powerful bad ass that we've come to know and love. I for one celebrate this fact as I felt the actor playing Wesker in Extinction didn't nail the true level of coolness/danger that Wesker represents. That and I think that Wesker is the coolest bad guy in the Resident Evil series and he deserves a truly fitting representation on film.
With all these visual delights just teasing and tempting us, I'm looking forward to September!
As a big fan of the Resident Evil games and films, I've already been through every feature on the new website with a fine-toothed comb, checking out the screenshots, storylines and new faces to join the cast. It appears that Chris Redfield is to join the beleaguered survivors, though what his involvement will be remains to be seen as yet. I think it's safe to assume that this film will follow the steps of it's predecessor by being an original story based on the Alice storyline, rather than follow the timeline of the game series. Either way it will be cool to see Chris Redfield in action with his sister, and the ever increasingly stronger Alice.
The plot looks to follow on directly after Extinction finished with Alice heading for a major confrontation with Umbrella and Wesker, while Claire Redfield leads the survivors to Alaska on a hunt for a safe haven. The sneak peaks on the website show Wesker, with trademark glowing red eyes, as the super fast, super cool, super powerful bad ass that we've come to know and love. I for one celebrate this fact as I felt the actor playing Wesker in Extinction didn't nail the true level of coolness/danger that Wesker represents. That and I think that Wesker is the coolest bad guy in the Resident Evil series and he deserves a truly fitting representation on film.
With all these visual delights just teasing and tempting us, I'm looking forward to September!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Alien Autopsy - Ant & Dec
Just finished watching the incredibly compelling movie 'Alien Autopsy', based on a true story. I love Ant and Dec but my thoughts about this movie before I saw it were that it was going to be a poor attempt at a sci-fi comedy. However I've got to give it to the cast and crew that I've had to eat my words because the movie is actually really good.
Ignoring the presence of the alien footage (which is afterall the reason most people watched this film) the story surrounding the two main characters is entertaining, funny and a sequence of incredibly fortunate circumstances. Despite not being involved in any real acting roles for quite a while (at least to my knowledge - I'm happy to be corrected on this) Ant and Dec are very believable as Roy and Gary, the two very lucky stars of the film. The story revolves around Roy's fortunate discovery of a rare recording of an alien autopsy at the Roswell US military base. However, a bad turn of luck leads to the original film reel being severely damaged and Roy facing an unhappy future at the hands of his financier. Roy comes up with the idea to recreate the events that he saw and release his homemade video as the original.
Having seen the movie I was immediately inspired to browse YouTube for the original 1945 footage that was released to the world. What strikes me about this footage is the realism of it. Had I not seen the Ant and Dec film I could have easily believed the 1945 footage to be of an actual alien autopsy. It brings to light how easy it is to fake such an alien encounter and at the same time how much effort was put into making the fake autopsy. Some of the footage on YouTube is so gory as to be truly believable.
Whether or not such footage is real or fake, one of the most important things these videos do is to raise awareness and discussion of the possibility of life beyond our planet. Debate is hot on the subject and just the comments on the YouTube videos are strongly in favour for one side or the other.
At the end of the day, 'Alien Autopsy' is a thoroughly entertaining film and whether or not you believe in aliens, this is worthwhile watching.
Ignoring the presence of the alien footage (which is afterall the reason most people watched this film) the story surrounding the two main characters is entertaining, funny and a sequence of incredibly fortunate circumstances. Despite not being involved in any real acting roles for quite a while (at least to my knowledge - I'm happy to be corrected on this) Ant and Dec are very believable as Roy and Gary, the two very lucky stars of the film. The story revolves around Roy's fortunate discovery of a rare recording of an alien autopsy at the Roswell US military base. However, a bad turn of luck leads to the original film reel being severely damaged and Roy facing an unhappy future at the hands of his financier. Roy comes up with the idea to recreate the events that he saw and release his homemade video as the original.
Having seen the movie I was immediately inspired to browse YouTube for the original 1945 footage that was released to the world. What strikes me about this footage is the realism of it. Had I not seen the Ant and Dec film I could have easily believed the 1945 footage to be of an actual alien autopsy. It brings to light how easy it is to fake such an alien encounter and at the same time how much effort was put into making the fake autopsy. Some of the footage on YouTube is so gory as to be truly believable.
Whether or not such footage is real or fake, one of the most important things these videos do is to raise awareness and discussion of the possibility of life beyond our planet. Debate is hot on the subject and just the comments on the YouTube videos are strongly in favour for one side or the other.
At the end of the day, 'Alien Autopsy' is a thoroughly entertaining film and whether or not you believe in aliens, this is worthwhile watching.
Friday, 6 August 2010
Currently Playing: Championship Manager 03/04
The Championship Manager series of games has been one of my favourite long running addictions. I'm not a football fan by nature, it's an interest I developed from my brother, but there's something about the games that keeps drawing me in. Whether it's the statistical analysis of player skills, the management of tactics and strategies, or just the pure thrill of managing your favourite team, I just keep coming back.
Championship Manager 03/04 is the last in the series collaboration between Eidos and Sports Interactive, before the two companies went their separate ways, and in my eyes is one of the best football management sims released. To be successful in the game takes more than just knowing which players are the best in the world; you need to be able to create successful tactics, assess player skills and performances, and build a team of players who can gel together to win matches.
To help you do this, the developers have put massive amounts of time and effort into creating a huge player database of skills; ranging from their ability to score goals, right through to off the ball, and even off the pitch skills. This could easily become a statistical nightmare but by keeping the ratings limited from 1 to 10, the development team have managed to maintain the level of detail yet keep the system simple enough for anyone to understand.
Tactics, set plays and player positions are easy to set up with a simple click of the mouse. Preconfigured tactics are available to quickly load and modify, and for the majority of the matches you play one of these tactics will give you the win. However, one of my major complaints of the game is that there are some teams that play the most crazy tactics that really shouldn't work yet do. Sometimes these tactics are so unrealistic as to make you doubt how fairly the game is being towards you. In these cases I've found it best just to accept that it's impossible to win against these teams and move on to the next match!
Graphically the game is an improvement over previous versions in the series. The introduction of a 2D pitch for match highlights brings a welcome break to the normal text based display. It also adds to the feeling of actually being right there in the dugout, short of actually shouting at the players on screen. Audio is easily turned off and not missed so I can't really comment on this as I often end up adding my own sound effects!
Overall, I found Championship Manager 03/04 to be a wonderfully addictive and well polished football management sim, stacked full of player statistics and team trivia to keep even the most avid fan satisfied. Even several years on since its release, I'm certain I'll still be playing this game for years to come.
Championship Manager 03/04 is the last in the series collaboration between Eidos and Sports Interactive, before the two companies went their separate ways, and in my eyes is one of the best football management sims released. To be successful in the game takes more than just knowing which players are the best in the world; you need to be able to create successful tactics, assess player skills and performances, and build a team of players who can gel together to win matches.
To help you do this, the developers have put massive amounts of time and effort into creating a huge player database of skills; ranging from their ability to score goals, right through to off the ball, and even off the pitch skills. This could easily become a statistical nightmare but by keeping the ratings limited from 1 to 10, the development team have managed to maintain the level of detail yet keep the system simple enough for anyone to understand.
Tactics, set plays and player positions are easy to set up with a simple click of the mouse. Preconfigured tactics are available to quickly load and modify, and for the majority of the matches you play one of these tactics will give you the win. However, one of my major complaints of the game is that there are some teams that play the most crazy tactics that really shouldn't work yet do. Sometimes these tactics are so unrealistic as to make you doubt how fairly the game is being towards you. In these cases I've found it best just to accept that it's impossible to win against these teams and move on to the next match!
Graphically the game is an improvement over previous versions in the series. The introduction of a 2D pitch for match highlights brings a welcome break to the normal text based display. It also adds to the feeling of actually being right there in the dugout, short of actually shouting at the players on screen. Audio is easily turned off and not missed so I can't really comment on this as I often end up adding my own sound effects!
Overall, I found Championship Manager 03/04 to be a wonderfully addictive and well polished football management sim, stacked full of player statistics and team trivia to keep even the most avid fan satisfied. Even several years on since its release, I'm certain I'll still be playing this game for years to come.
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