Battleships Forever – Warning Forever Tactics November 2, 2007
Posted by Rob in Games, PC.3 comments
Dullest screenshot of all time? November 2, 2007
Posted by Chris in Console, Games.2 comments
We think so.
In case you were wondering, it’s from Sight Training (nee Flash Focus) on the DS – a decent collection of supposedly eye-boosting minigames, which unfortunately looks terrible in static shots. Sure, Brain Training’s no looker, but sheesh.
New model PS2 set for New Year November 2, 2007
Posted by Mike in Console, News.3 comments
The PS2 is a lovely machine that has served us all well for many years, and despite the release of the PS3 it looks like its time is not yet over. Having outsold its younger, more expensive brother for the majority of months since the newer console’s launch, could a proposed cheaper model send sales into the stratosphere once more?
MCV has revealed today that a new PS2 due for release in the New Year will have an internal power supply, just like the first incarnation of the machine – the PStwo’s was external – and will drop in price to below the psychologically important $100 barrier in the US: probably $99, from its present level of $129.
If released in the UK as expected, we could see the price dropping as low as £75 – although as usual that scarcely reflects the current exchange rate. My advice would be for Sony to aim at as aggressive a price point as possible over here. If they can get it down to somewhere around its equivalent US price, then a PS2 becomes an impulse buy, and it could completely reinvigorate the “last gen” market.
Irony of ironies, it could be Sony’s warhorse that saves its bacon. For while PS3 sales have yet to show a prolonged marked upturn compared to the competition, PS2 is an easy banker that never fails to perform.
Sensible Soccer XBLA – Codies aiming for November release November 2, 2007
Posted by Mike in Console, Games, News.1 comment so far
Rejoice, retro footie fans! Sensible Soccer looks like it’ll be finally appearing in an Xbox Live Arcade menu near you before the end of November. This is according to Jim Brown of Codemasters Online Gaming, who spoke to Eurogamer in an interview published today. Apparently the delay has been due to problems with the network code for online matches, which Codies have completely junked once and are now tweaking to perfection.
While the long delay has been very frustrating, it’s good to see that the Live mode is getting a lot of attention. Too many XBLA games have frightfully laggy netcode (as anyone playing the slow-mo fests of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade or Track and Field will attest to), so any release that can do better is a very good thing, particularly when it’s something as insanely good in multiplayer as Sensi.
Expect childhood memories to be rekindled sometime towards the end of this month, further delays permitting. With both PES and FIFA not quite approaching greatness this year (FIFA is the better of the two for the first time ever, as far as I’m concerned), could a game that’s more than a decade old show the giants up?
Timeshift – It’s about time! November 2, 2007
Posted by Jevan in Articles, Console, Games, PC.3 comments
Well, after a convoluted development cycle in which the game was literally scrapped and rebuilt half-way through, in response to mediocre previews, Timeshift is finally here. Unfortunately, Vivendi could well have ruined everything by releasing the game smack bang in the middle of Halo 3, The Orange Box, Call Of Duty 4 and Crysis! You have to laugh really.
Crazy marketing decisions aside though, that extra year in development has clearly worked wonders. I’m about an hour into the campaign, and well, it’s bloody good fun!
Second Impressions: Super Mario Galaxy November 1, 2007
Posted by Chris in Articles, Console, Games.add a comment
Just some more brief observations – I’ll try and be as non-spoilery as possible.
1. I’m on 30 stars now. I’ve not been able to tear my eyes away from the screen.
2. The music on Gusty Garden Galaxy (and indeed the level itself) is unbelievably good.
First Impressions: Super Mario Galaxy November 1, 2007
Posted by Chris in Articles, Console, Games.4 comments
For starters: wow.
I’m just three proper stages in (the opening bit in the Mushroom Kingdom with Bowser raining fire and brimstone doesn’t count) and already it feels like Game of the Year. But more on that later.
FIFA 08 – foot like a traction engine November 1, 2007
Posted by Rob in Console, Games, Reviews.2 comments
Reading the back of the FIFA 08 box is rather ominous. Apparently, “players make 1,000 decisions every second” and – yes – there’s “30 leagues, 23 real stadiums and 15,000 players”. Numerical spiel such as this has manifested itself as a rod with which to beat EA Sports, but for the second successive year there’s enough meat on the statistical bone to make recommending FIFA easy.
