If Nintendo made life support systems...

...they'd probably be the best in the world.

After much waiting and anger, Europe are finally getting their hands on Super Smash Bros. Brawl in a matter of days. As usual, it's arrived a lot later than the NTSC/JAP version - who knows what levels of localisation were involved in the PAL port - but hey, as long as they avoid any grammatical faux pas.

'Let's make this train go spastic!' - Mario Party 8

Oops.

I have to take my hat off to Nintendo on this one however. Smash Bros. has been a PR-persons dream. Each day, little snippets and golden nuggets of information were released by Nintendo, keeping everyone interested throughout development. Drip-feeding a concept art here, a stage screenshot there certainly held my interest and even before the US reviews started flooding the net, raving about all the amazing new features rammed into one disc.

I could tell this was going to be something special indeed.

But me, I'm an old-fashion bastard. I'm going to buy the game, with all its bells and shiny new whistles and play as Samus, a recurring character, and one I don't entirely stink with (my friends will testify that I am 'OK' at the game, yet nowhere near their zen-like levels of skill).

This is probably my most anticipated game of 2008, which doesn't look set to be toppled anytime soon (I'm even inexplicably indifferent about Gears of War 2). it looks fantastic and this whole post is my proverbial thumbs up to Nintendo for doing such an awesome job and providing the fan service we were all expecting

(YAAAAY!!)

Much Love,

Dave

How I lost 40 hours of my life

If you own a 360 and you haven't experienced the brilliance of Mistwalker's epic RPG Lost Odyssey yet, you owe it to yourself to do so right now. No, seriously, stop reading this post and run to your nearest game emporium and shell out the dough or the kitten gets it!!

(FYI, there is no kitten)

Okay, so fair enough, it doesn't add too much to the RPG game dynamic template, which is worn so thin you could glaze your house with it, but it does offer unmatched story-telling ability, characterisation, music score and graphical prowess. This aesthetic clout makes the experience much more immersing.

In terms of villains this has one of the genre's best. Ultra-bastard Gongora is a nasty piece of work, with the same cackling insanity and respite for human life as Final Fantasy VI's Kefka, as loopy as a can of spaghetti-o's.

What I find particularly interesting is how adult the game can be at times, definitely worth the Pegi 16+ rating, if not for scenes depicting Gongora murdering his magical acolytes, but for the severity of some scenes where entire populations and armies are wiped out by the stroke of a magic wand.

Put simply, it's comfortable with death and the idea of dying, discussing at length the ways of human life on a mature level, especially through the many dream sequences unlocked throughout the quest. These graphic novel sections can make for tedious reading but if you take your time to absorb what they say, the overall plot becomes as beautiful as it is harrowing.

Pretty powerful stuff. After the awesome, but script-starved Final Fantasy XII, Square-Enix should take note and up their game slightly, Where their last installment impressed by pushing the PS2 to its very limit, truth be told - the story stank and the combat system divided fans. Proof that technical power alone does not a game.

Lost Odyssey however, manages to find the correct balance between these factors. Great stuff Mistwalker - Sequel please! But no roman numerals thank you...

Much Love,

Dave

Marry Me!

I have no idea what anyone else makes of this, but it surely is an odd one.

Recently, a man in American proposed to his long-term girlfriend through Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He did it by creating a stage with 'MARRY ME' spelt out with blocks...

The only thing I'm now wondering is how she replied? Did she make a new level with 'YES' written out in terrain pieces?

This also reminded me of another article I read on the intarweb about a guy who did the exact same thing over Viva Pinata. The suave character sent his lady-friend a message to her garden with the proposition - Mexican waves all round - WAHEEEY!

Jesus.

Much Love,

Dave

Life Through a Killcam

I have a confession to make, I am an addict.

And I need help...

Call of Duty 4's online play has me hooked and this is an odd thing for me as I came into the 360 ownership club a tad late. It was last year in fact, when Bioshock came out. I simply had to own the game and because my PC is a paperweight at best, Xbox seemed like the best way to go. I still have never played an original Xbox (how shocking is that for a game journalist?)

Admittedly, I was a bit of a Sony fan-boy, now I love all formats, aren't love and peace crackin' things?

Because of this, online play was relatively new to me back then and I didn't see it as a necessity. Now, some 9 months later, I can't get enough of it. It started with Halo 3, but I quickly realised how gawdawful it really is. Hey, shoot me, it's a blog!

No, Call of Duty 4 is where it's at, and if you haven't taken your console online yet, this is the best reason to do so. As an offline experience, it's short, but virtually flawless. Online, it's a whole new game.

I'm on level 49, just about to max out my character and it's been a hell of a ride. Looking back, this is perhaps the only FPS I've played for such an extended period of time and yet, there hasn't been a dull moment yet. I've played many rounds with my good friends, even started a stupid clan called MPOS with my best mate (the clan name is an in-joke we are sworn to secrecy over, sorry) and been shot to bits more times than I have returned the favour.

I'm a crack shot with the M4 Carbine, yet pretty shit with the G3. It's amazing how different each gun feels and, as a result, there is a weapon of choice out there for every style of player. Oh and the new map packs - simply amazing! Check out my Fidget review of the pack here

I have to say, even though I still only have 9-months online gaming experience (it's not long compared to most admittedly) I fully understand and appreciate its appeal, plus I'm becoming better and better at CoD4 each day, however, the news that the next game in the series is going back to a WWII setting is a tad confusing.

What will mulitplayer be without radars, night vision goggles and airstrikes? Who knows? I'm behind new developer Treyarch for now however, as the mess that was Call of Duty 3 is forgiven due to the impossibly small time-frame they had to make it in. Development pressure like that never bodes well for a game so everyone should give them a bit of slack, or else...

Now they've had a full two years to make CoD5 so I think it may kick the preverbrial arse, fingers crossed! I leave you now with some sweet moments in my time with the CoD4 multiplayer.

-Planting a claymore at the top of a ladder and seeing an enemies' wee head popping up only to get blown to high hell.
-Throwing back a grenade an enemy has just lobbed at you and killing them with it
-Completing the challenge where you have to 'suicide bomb' some hapless fool by pulling the pin out of a grenade, running up to them with it still in hand and blowing you both to pieces.
-The first time I got a 7-kill streak and called in a chopper
-Completing the sprinting challenge - How LONG did that take!!

Much love,

Dave

Fresher than a magic tree soaked in mint

I started this blog a while ago, in fact, almost a year back when I was finishing my fourth year of university. Now I'm a qualified Journalist (are we ever really qualified?) and have a lot more to say about the gaming industry, plus I'm finally getting paid for my game reviews which can't be sniffed at.

So before I start this blog over again, I suppose a rundown is in order.

Since my first post, I landed a rather sweet job doing the weekly game review for Scottish national newspaper The Scotsman, it pays ok, but the exposure is worth its weight in gold. If you ever read the Saturday editon, you can find me in the "Critique" section. Also, feel free to hop on here and discuss my reviews.

For those of you who know me, I still write for the SkinnyMag as you no doubt discovered by the amount I plug it. I admit it. I am a whore.

Like all good whores I find it hard to break out of my trade and found another new pimp in the form of http://www.acegamez.comwhere I also regularly contribute, check out this site, it's going to be massive!

Finally, and perhaps most inportantly myself and my SkinnyMag brethren have created Fidget - Scotland's first true gaming website/magazine at http://www.fidgetonline.com/ The paper mag will be available sometime this year, expect a massive tidal wave of plugs when it lands.

So there you have it, reasons why you may enjoy this gaming blog more than the punter who just bought Need For Speed ProStreet and thinks it's better than Burnout Paradise.

Much love,

Dave

The Gamer: Creator of Worlds

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to visit my gaming blog which I hope will prove both informative and insightful while sparking some friendly debate of which I am always pleased to engage in with friends.




2006 proved to be something of a gaming renaissance for this muser where an otherwise disillusioned game fan had his interest rekindled by the many new phenomenon the industry gave birth to last year. One of the most captivating games I had the pleasure of experiencing was the fantastic Nintendo DS version of “Animal Crossing: Wild World.” The title was devised by the same innovative minds that brought us “Nintendogs” and spearheaded the Touch Generations range which includes other great software such as “Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?”


I feel that “Animal Crossing: Wild World” proves a perfect example of why Nintendo remain the leaders in innovation, not only in game design but for concepts. Microsoft were able to shift 511,00 Xbox360 consoles in the November 2006 run-up to Christmas in North America alone (1) and this speaks volumes about the profile of people who are buying into the industry. The core range of triple-A titles to be found on Microsoft’s lumbering powerhouse consist largely of software bearing mature audience age restrictions such as “Gears of War” and “Rainbow Six: Vegas“ (Both titles and their ilk relying heavily on gun-fighting and heavy violence). There is simply not enough appeal to the parent who wishes that their child’s first foray into gaming is a wholesome and colourful one via the 360. Although still fantastic games, “Gears of War” and “Rainbow Six” titles and their kind are ten-a-penny. You need only look as far as the internet hype surrounding Bungie’s highly anticipated “Halo 3” to see the kind of games 360 fans want to play.


There is of course nothing wrong with this and it all boils down ultimately, to a difference in personal opinion. We did however see a title that could upset the balance and turn the tides of innovation for developers working on software for the 360. That title was of course Rare’s “Viva Pinata” which swapped guns for gardens and saw the player engaging in an almost Black and White situation where you essentially reigned as god over a flourishing and often believable world (save for the zany character sets). The game is bright, lush and highly playable and is almost a bastard son of “The Sims” which places cultivation and breeding of the many Pinata animals ahead of getting a job and living an everyday human existence (think “Pokémon” meets Gardener’s World). Escapism is rarely this fun and breathtaking.


Going back to “Animal Crossing: Wild World” there are vast similarities between the two. While some critics may attribute the birth of the cultivation title or farm-em-up (whichever suits you best) to “Harvest Moon“, first released for the SNES in 1997 (2) there is no doubt that Animal Crossing made it popular in the mainstream and continues to do so as the DS Lite success story rolls on. This is a game that encourages you to create a world and give birth to elements within rather than destroy it with a swift machine gun burst or kick to the head. The game has no goal and will run for as long as you wish. It begins with your character moving into a relatively small rural community inhabited by a host of charming animal occupants ranging from bears to elephants. Each resident bears independent attitudes, likes, dislikes, desires, fears - the depth goes on and on. This is where your role becomes apparent. Through your own good will and ability you have to help this small community flourish into an attractive place for all to live in be it through donating fossils and rare species of fish to the local museum, planting more trees and flowers and in turn, making your village a more appealing place to settle down or by generally being nice to your neighbours and helping them out with errands. It is a game that requires regular play for an unchecked town will eventually wither and become untidy, causing residents to immigrate elsewhere which is a sad sight to see, especially if you poured a lot of time and effort into your work. “Animal Crossing: Wild World” is a game that makes you genuinely care about what is going on as you forge new friendships and build a fully functioning community (albeit not as complex as it seems on the surface but breathtaking nonetheless). The added bonus of DS connectivity allows the player the opportunity to traverse to another village located on another player’s cartridge via Wi-Fi and expand their virtual horizons beyond their own screen.


This is a game that oozes charm and appeal for everyone and if the most hard-nosed of FPS fans can see beyond the cute veneer they would discover a fun, accessible yet deep gaming experience that I feel should not be missed by anyone, it will perhaps not be embraced by all but it should at least be savoured once because it is this level of innovation and vision that the adult game market so sorely lacks at present. A glance at forthcoming Playstation 2 title "Okami" will prove that it also shares tones with "Animal Crossing’s" venture into the untested and there are still developers in the business willing to try their hand at new ways of play. I applaud Nintendo for their efforts and 2007, thanks in large part to the DS and Wii, the latter being a stunning example of creative design, looks set to become the year gaming becomes fun again and gamers should dare to play different.




(1) Edge #172 January 2007 page 11


(2) Source: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_Moon_(series)