REVIEW: Iron Man
Developer: Artificial Mind and Movement | Publisher: SEGA | Format: Wii
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher There
exists a rather unfortunate trend where games based upon films are
generally poor. Oft times they are cheap cash in rushed out to coincide
with the films release. In recent years this rule has been broke a
number of times, most significantly by Chronicles of Riddick: Escape
From Butcher Bay which remains to this day the finest FPS on any
platform as well as being based upon a film. Iron Man which is
currently doing extremely well in cinemas is also out across all gaming
platforms. While a long way from the quality of Riddick it’s still a
step above many tie in games.
The story is very loosely based on the film and were it not for
Robert Downey Jr. And Terrence Howard providing voice work you’d be
forgiven for thinking this was a completely separate entity to the
film. Like the film the game begins in a cave where Stark is being held
captive. After his inevitable escape the game plot goes in a different
direction while maintaining a lot of the same themes.
The gameplay is basically run and gun or in the case of Iron Man
hoover and run. Situations general involve you flying into an area,
dispatching some small forces before getting a chance to face off
against a major bad guy such as War Monger or the awesome Titanium Man.
There’s no real variety on offer, but that said there’s a satisfying
sense of accomplishment mowing down hordes of enemy soldiers with a
gattling gun. In fact it’s difficult not to laugh manically as you do
so. The main complaint this reviewer has is that death is so damn
difficult. At times it’s almost impossible to perish which takes away
any real sense of danger.
Visually the game suffers in comparison to it’s PS3 and 360
counterparts. The hardware limitations of the Wii mean we get a more
stripped down. Iron Man looks fine whereas all enemy soldiers look
exactly the same. Buildings are blocky and lack distinction, vehicles
are hard to pick out and overall the game has a rather dreary look. The
inclusion of the Havok engine is difficult to see, in fact were it not
for their logo on the box it would be nigh on impossible to tell. Only
a tiny number of objects can be blown up while everything else just
sits there no matter what pounding it takes.
The problem with Iron Man the game is that while not a terrible game
it is a terrible license. The glee which can be obtained from wanton
killing slowly diminishes over time till all that’s left is a shallow
license which had such potential. While not worth a full price
purchase, fans of the film and comic are advised to rent it first.
REVIEW: Bleach: The Blade of Fate
Developer: Treasure | Publisher: SEGA | Format: DS
Reviewer: Craig Jay GallagherAfter
their success with Gunstar Heroes and the awe inspiring Ikaruga,
developers Treasure turned their attention to Bleach: The Blade of
Fate. Based upon the anime series it features all the main characters
and a plot which ties in to the second series.
While you don’t necessarily have to be a fan to enjoy the game,
actual fans will find a lot to love in the Story Mode. Like many games
you begin by selecting from your cast of characters and follow
individual storylines. The main thrust of the game following Ichigo
barely a fight with two experienced Soul Reapers. They have
crossed into the real world in a bid to arrest Rukia for her defiance
of the Soul Society. Ichigo decides to go and rescue her, bring with
him a number of friends.
Also included are Arcade and Versus modes, which to be honest are
where the most fun can be found. Both are pretty self explanatory with
Arcade mode offering an opportunity to get straight into the action.
Versus allows you and up to three friends or enemies to enjoy two on
two fights. The fact that the game comes with Game Sharing makes it all
the sweeter.
Other modes to choose from include training, Desk Customisation and
Challenge. The most intriguing of these is DC. In it you build up a
collection of 15 cards, each of which has certain implications which
when used in a battle can drastically change the outcome. While an
interesting addition to a traditional 2D fighting game, it’s not a
necessity to win which means that most gamers will ignore it in favour
of button bashing.
The most important aspect of any fighting game is just how good the
fighting is and my friends Bleach: The Blade of Fate is a joy. It’s
fast, furious and above all fun. Battles are intense and often this
reviewer found himself making a scene in public places as he screamed
at the game. The controls are easy to pick up but like all great
fighting games difficult to master. The fact that there are 20 fighters
to choose from each with varying styles means that there is a lot of
replay value here.
All in all, Bleach: The Blade of Fate is an essential title which
all DS owners should give a chance. It’s easily the most entertaining
2D fighter on the system and one of the most thoroughly entertaining
games around.
REVIEW: Mystery Dungeon: Shiren The Wanderer
Developer: SEGA| Publisher: SEGA | Format: DS
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher The
ability in games to save at will, gain extra lives, pass by regular
check points and generally depend on the ability to begin close to
where you are should you die has long been a traditional feature of all
games. Not so in Mystery Dungeon: Shiren The Wanderer where dieing
during the game really does result in the end of the game. Death is
greeted with a return to square one, there is no second chance.
You have to begin anew with no coin, skills reset and all your gear
lost. Accepting this simple fact will either allow for a uniquely
enjoyable gaming experience or have gamers shrugging their shoulders
and looking for the latest brain game in it’s place.
The game is quite simple to get to grips with. The main thrust of
the story follows Shiren, a Ronin living in a monster filled Feudral
Japan who must ascend a rather imposing mountain and defeat the
legendary golden Condor that makes the mountain it’s home. While simple
in theory the game is anything but.
Given the one attempt approach gamers can be forgiven for any
trepidation. To counter this, gamers are able to stash weapons, spells
and assorted other items in warehouses located across the map for later
use. The continued attempts at the game mean that the world is
constantly changing and evolving. Once harsh, treacherous areas can be
made easier to pass while helping fellow travellers will often result
in them tagging along or opening stores in a town where Shiren is
always welcome.
One of the most often felt emotions while playing the game is
crushing disappointment. There is nothing worse than crossing the world
and then dieing due to a stupid miscalculation on your part. .
It’s a harsh outcome but one which ultimately leads to a much more
satisfying game. The range of ways to die is quite diverse stretching
from being slain by an enemy to starvation to falling into a damned
trap meaning that death is always entertaining.
The online capabilities are extremely well implemented. Shiren can
call out for help as he lays dieing and if another gamer hears his
plea, then they can attempt to rescue him. If they do so successfully
then Shiren is revived and all his goods returned to him. At times
waiting to be rescued can be a long lonely experience and gamers will
often just take the hit and start again.
Given the difficulties, not many will warm to Mystery Dungeon:
Shiren The Wanderer but for those that do they will discover one of the
most rewarding DS experiences around. Highly fun, original and
entertaining, gamers should really give this Ronin a chance.
REVIEW: Brain Assist
Developer: SEGA| Publisher: SEGA | Format: DS
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher
and a bit bland the title Brain Assist informers gamers of what type
game they’re getting. While the translated text may at times be side
splitting hilarious the game never promises to help with grammar, what
it does hope to help improve is your usage of your “right brain”.
What your right brain controls is a number of functions including your
artistic abilities and your imagination.
The gameplay is pretty simple. You take a number of tests which
through completion allegedly help improve your mental power, though no
matter how much I try telekinesis is still not a viable option. There
games are a series of mini games including Quick Numbers, Match Games
and colour based games.
To be honest these can’t even be classed as real games, they’re more
mental diagnostics which kill some time but aren’t exactly challenging.
Spot the Difference is the most basic of game types. Two pictures
appear on-screen and you must decide if it is identical or not. As the
game gets on these differences grow more and more difficult to find and
you soon find that time either runs out or you keep picking the wrong
option.
After completing all the mini games a few times your ready to
evaluate just how capable your brain is. The tests are two fold, each
featuring four games which you must complete. There are about ten
problems contained in each of the games which must be completed. As is
par on course for these games, the difficulty level quickly rises.
While far from a bad title Brain Assist is just a little too much of
a backward step from a number of superior brain training titles already
on release. As a starting point it is worth picking up and playing
through till you move on to something a little more substantial.
Irish video games podcast launched
Citizengame.co.uk, although it has a UK web address, is a newly launched Irish games podcast. The first edition, a ‘pilotcast’, was released on March 3 and has been so-far followed by three more shows.
In the podcasts presenters cover computer games news and talk about the latest games. The podcasts in MP3 - which vary from an hour to an hour and 25mins - can be downloaded in from citizengame.co.uk.
Havok in court over brand firm dispute
Telekinesys Research Limited, the Dublin-based games middleware firm known as Havok, is being sued by a design agency that helped created their brand. According to the Sunday Business Post, the branding work for Havok by Dublin design company, Creative Inc, had appeared in a marketing magazine article as a case study.
Emmy-winning Havok then wrote to Creative Inc requesting them to cease linking it self to the games firm. But Creative are now taking action claiming they had an agreement to use work in case studies. The case was mentioned as a motion for entry in the commercial section of the High Court at the Four Courts in Dublin last week.
Havok, based in the Digital Hub in Dublin’s Liberties, was bought by chipmaker Intel late last year. It is best known for its physics software that helps games developers concentrate on other aspects of games creation, but has expanded to areas such as animation.
As result of the Intel buyout, Havok are to release a free non-commercial version of their Havok Complete product for PC from this May. The move is aimed at independent games developers and enthusiasts, as well as academic institutions with games courses.
According to the company its products are used in over 200 “AAA games” and as well as being used in well over 90 titles which are due to be released this year. There include Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed, and Guitar Hero
III, as well as the upcoming Alan Wake, Indiana Jones, and Starcraft II. The middleware maker lists many more on its website, Havok.com.
A deal with Sony before the PlayStation 3 release also saw a version of the Havok product bundled with development hardware kits for the console.
MORE: Legal dispute between Havok and design agency (the Sunday Business Post, March 16, 2008)
Xbox 360: Low impact on GameStop chart
- Nintendo DS appears the most on retail’s chart
- Follows Xbox low ranking on Chart-Track game chart
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console only appears once across two weeks of top-10 charts from retailer GameStop Ireland.
So-far this year the games retailer has sent out two ‘GameStop Top Ten Bestsellers’ for the weeks ending Saturday, 12 and 26 January (both viewable below).
The Xbox 360 only appears once in the two weeks, at number six for Burnout Paradise, while the PlayStation 3 version of the same game topped the chart and the PS3 has four places across the two weeks. The hand-held Nintendo DS holds the largest amount with eight places in the two weeks, the Nintendo Wii has three, and the PS2 has another two for Sony.
GameStop’s chart can only be viewed as a snapshot of the retailers top sellers within the two named weeks. However, it mirrors the Xbox 360’s low ranking on the Chart-Track Irish games charts. The chart includes a large selection of retailers in Ireland, but not Gamestop, Xtravision, or Smyth’s Toys.
Microsoft had complained that GameStop - in Microsoft’s words, “the largest video games retailer in Ireland” - was not included in the Chart-Track data, but GameStop’s own charts back the picture of low games sales.
The console maker has said it does not release country-by-country numbers and told Games Toaster it
is unlikely to comment on the GameStop charts. The only independent numbers available helps draw a picture of large media coverage and advertising but small shear of the games sales market.
New data provided by Chart-Track to this publication shows that the PlayStation 3 gained a larger percentage 5.8 percent from March to the end of last year then the 5 percent Xbox 360 obtained in 2006, its first full year. Chart-Track’s data is complied at the point-of-sale from a large selection of retailers including Game, Tesco, Argos, PC World, HMV, Play.com, Currys, Golden Discs, and others.
GameStop Top Ten Bestsellers
- Week ending Saturday January 26, 2008
- Burnout Paradise | PS3
- Mario Sonic at the Olympics | WII
- New Super Mario Bros. | NDS
- Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training | NDS
- More Brain Training | NDS
- Burnout Paradise | Xbox 360
- Super Mario Galaxy | WII
- The Simpsons | NDS
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | PS3
- WOW 60 day pre paid card | PCR
GameStop Top Ten Bestsellers
- Week ending Saturday, 12 January 2008
- Uncharted: Drakes Fortune IRL | PS3
- Super Mario Galaxy | WII
- Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training | NDS
- More Brain Training | NDS
- Fifa 08 | PS3
- Bee Movie | NDS
- WOW 60 day pre paid card | PCR
- Need For Speed ProStreet | PS2
- The Simpsons | NDS
- Fifa 08 | PS2
TGS07 Round-up
Last week, most of the major players of the video game industry
congregated in a giant conference centre just outside Tokyo to outline
their plans for the future. Yesterday marked the final day of the
event, and here is a recap of what you may have missed.
Being on Japanese soil, much of the wares on display were aimed at the
local market. Microsoft, who haven’t enjoyed the same success in Japan
as they have in other territories, showcased many games that were
designed to appeal to the Japanese gamer. They devoted a large section
of their floorspace to a very Japanese-style theatre for the extremely
graphic Ninja Gaiden II - and it proved a big hit with the locals, with
queues to watch the trailer in such settings stretching to over an hour.
Their Xbox Live Arcade platform received a shot in the arm with
announcement that shoot-em-ups Rez and Ikaruga were bound for the
online-gaming service. Virtua Fighter 5, Devil May Cry 4 and the latest
installment in the Winning Eleven series also proved popular on the
event floor. Halo 3 didn’t command the attention of gamers as it does
outside Japan, however.
Going into the conference, Sony had much to prove with regards to their
under-performing Playstation platforms. With games like Talkman Travel
and MyStylist and the Japanese-only TV tuner, Sony seem keen to widen
the audience of the beleaguered handheld - though there was also an
abundance of established franchises on display, including Metal Gear,
Final Fantasy, Star Ocean and Silent Hill.
Playstation 3 owners received welcome news that a new Dualshock - the
Dualshock 3 - will be coming to gamers’ hands within the year in Japan,
and early next year for those in other territories. The joypad will
also boast motion-sensing controls like the current SIXAXIS, but it is
unknown if it will replace it entirely.
On the software front, Metal Gear Solid 4 was undoubtedly the game of
the show. With queues to play the game stretching for over 4 hours at
peak times, the demand was clearly high. A new trailer was unveiled,
and Metal Gear Online was also showcased.
At Sony’s booth, The Eye of Judgement and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
garnered much attention - but there was quite an array of software on
display. Games from established series like Time Crisis 4 (complete
with a new, complicated Guncon controller), Devil May Cry 4, Yakuza 3
sat beside some innovative-looking titles like the afformentioned Eye
of Judgement, LittleBigPlanet and Echochrome. Judging by such titles,
Sony should be in better shape going into next year’s show than they
are now.
With Nintendo absent from proceedings, third parties were left to pick
up the baton. For the Wii, Capcom dedicated much space to
platform-exclusive Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, but outside that
there were very little of note for owners of the innovative console.
Nintendo DS owners were also left largely disappointed, with a large
proportion of the games on show likely to never see light of day
outside of Japan.
Intel buys Dublin games firm Havok
Dublin games middleware company Havok is to be taken over by chip manufacturer Intel.
The deal will see the company that grew out of Trinity College become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel.
Havok’s software tools have been used on games such as BioShock,
Harry Potter, Half Life 2, MotorStorm, and Second Life, and upcoming
titles such as Halo 3, Alan Wake, and Indiana Jones (pictured above).
FULL STORY: Dublin gaming firm snapped up by Intel
REVIEW: Scarface: The World if Yours
Upon its initial release
Scarface: The World is Yours was written off as just another GTA imitator. It’s
success had more to do with the popularity of the film than the game its self,
which was a pity as the gameplay was actually quiet fun. Like the character,
the game has been given a new leash of life on the Wii, and thanks to the
unique interactivity offered by the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, this version of
Tony Montana’s odysseys is even better.
The story was written by
screenwriter David McKenna, who wrote Blow and Bully. (No, not the infamous
Rockstar game but rather the infamous Larry Clark film of the same name.) Tony
Montana survived the massacre at his mansion, and has spent the past several
months living in a shack dead to the world. From here he has been planning his
both his revenge and how he will rebuild his empire. To do this you have to take
on an assortment of small time hustlers and work his way up the food chain.
The most important question
regarding the game is,”how does it play on the Wii?” The answer is,
surprisingly well. The game kicks off with the obligatory tutorial and like
most Wii games the control system takes a bit of getting used to, but like
Resident Evil 4 on the console the Wii control system is far superior to any of
the games of other incarnations on the various consoles.
One of the most enjoyable
aspects of the game is also the most childish. The ability to taunt enemies is
not just a matter of tilting the nunchuk instead of frantically bashing buttons
as you try to avoid being shot. Utilising the chainsaw is also far more
satisfying.
Like many ports the flaws
are still present. If a fight ends up on the street then you may as well just
accept defeat and allow yourself to be killed, as you’re never going to out run
the cops. This small drawback is quiet possibly one of the most annoying game
features in the history of video gaming.
Scarface: The World is Yours is a fine port and one of the few that improves
upon the original. The improved graphics and tailored control system makes Scarface
a game which should best be experienced on the Wii. Those who disliked the game
on its initial release are advised to give it a second chance.