Gamecca Magazine November 2010 by Gamecca Magazine

www.gamecca.co.za

Issue 17 / Volume 2

November 2010

ws! revie e gam Medal of Honor EA Sports MMA Enslaved FIFA 11 Vanquish WRC PES 2011 and many more...

Fast and Furious Vanquish

In the Groove Just Dance 2

Saving Rock Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

Brutal

EA Sports MMA

A New War Medal of Honor

Futureshock The History of Fallout

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Unstuck The best game ever? 10 The Rat’s Nest Battle of the motion controllers 12 The New Sin City A history of the Fallout franchise 20 Previews A dozen great upcoming games 38 Top of the Pops PopCap dominates the casual market 42 PS Zealot Moving on... 44 Xbox Beat A new service 46 House of Mario What about the 3DS? 48 Reviews 20 games to look out for 98 Essential Classics Need for Speed: Most Wanted 102 Hardware Some top notch Christmas list items 114 The Lair In training... 116 From Space Survive Live

THIS MONTH’S COVER Fallout just keeps growing and growing... See the feature on page 12.

Competitions 91 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood 93 Shaun White Skateboarding 97 PopCap Hamper

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Previews Reviews

22 23 24 26 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36

Dead Space 2 The Conduit 2 F.3.A.R Child of Eden Marvel VS Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Homefront SOCOM: Special Forces Heroes on the Move Echochrome 2 Game Party: In Motion Mario VS Donkey Kong: Mini Land Mayhem Motion Sports

50 54 60 62 64 66 68 70 74 76 78 80 82 86 88 90 92 94 95 96

Medal of Honor EA Sports MMA Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Just Dance 2 FIFA 11 Vanquish WRC Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes NBA 2k11 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Grease Police Simulator Jeckyll & Hyde Hidden Mysteries: Titanic Mah-jong Mysteries Roary the Race Car Fifi and the Flowertots

GAMECCA Volume1Issue 8 February 2010 Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@gamecca.co.za Sub Editor: Jimmy Glue Writers: Alexia Pestana Brian Murdoch Bryan Banfield Dion Scotten Dylan Chase Richard Bingham Suvesh Arumugam Letters: letters@gamecca.co.za Competition Entries: competitions@gamecca.co.za Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gamecca.co.za Design & Photography: 1337 Media Technical Support: Brian Murdoch Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@gamecca.co.za

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Decisions, Decisions... From the Editor

by Walt Pretorius

ometimes, when it comes to putting a magazine together, one has to make a few tough choices. They may not seem tough, sure, but they are when you are trying to deliver the best product possible to readers. This issue represents a number of difficult choices, for a few reasons. The launch of Gamecca’s sister magazine, Gladget (which can be found at www.gladget.co.za) caused a shift in deadlines, of course, but the bigger problem arose from the fact that a whole bunch of games arrived this month. And, because of the way that marketing strategies roll out at this time of year, a lot of them arrived rather late in the month. This meant that the writers had to be under a little strain to get through all of them. The inevitable, correct decision to arrive at was to hold a few back

until next month’s issue. That means that they’ll be reviewed in time for Christmas shopping, which is always a good thing. Additionally, next month’s issue will be simply crammed with product reviews, because there are great games arriving in droves at the moment. One that had to be held back, rather regrettably, is our cover-game. Unfortunately Fallout: New Vegas arrived a little too late for us to effectively review it, and so we have decided to rather run a review for this highly anticipated title in our next issue. That’s mainly because rushing a review for such a long game would be unfair on the title, and on our readers. Not that there aren’t a lot of games in this issue… there are a great selection of game reviews this month, for virtually any and every taste,

ranging from sports titles (including the highly anticipated EA Sports MMA) through to high action in the form of Sega’s Vanquish and EA’s Medal of Honor. Another decision that was made this month was to give the Beginner’s Guide to Good Gaming a rest. The section won’t disappear but, due to the high number of game reviews we will be featuring over the next few issues, it will be put on the shelf. There it can percolate a bit, until it comes back, fresh and strong in the new year. We have also given our US correspondent, Corey Schon, a break this month so that he can catch up on some vital gaming. Stateside will be back next month. So you might not get to see all the game reviews you expect in this issue, but there is still a lot of good gaming covered in this 17th edition (20 game reviews, and more) to keep you going. And next month, there will be even more. We will be welcoming a few new writers to the Gamecca Crew over the next few issues. There is a long list of people who would like to join the Crew’s ranks, and we’ll be getting to them as and when we can. For this month, though, we would like to welcome Dylan Chase to our team of gaming gurus. We’re expecting big things from you, man! Right, that’s it for now. Be sure to check out our feature on Fallout: New Vegas, as well as our look at PopCap’s addictive product line and history. And, as always, feel free to drop us a note at letters@gamecca.co.za. We hope you enjoy the issue!

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The Master Plan Unstuck

by Jimmy Glue

have often wondered what makes a great game. Take the Halo franchise, for instance. I really don’t like the games, as I think that they are unimaginative, boring and can certainly do with a bit of a graphic and plot upgrade – yet they are some of the most popular games on the market. But then there are some games that I absolutely love, that didn’t do so well at the cash registers. Forgive me, as my mind fails me at this point to actually name one, but there a definitely a handful. On second thought, the flight simulator series probably falls into this category. With that in mind, I recently came up with an idea that I think would make the perfect game. Actually, I have been walking around with this idea in my head for as long as I can remember, but most of my gaming friends scoff at the mere mention of my masterpiece. In the paragraphs that follow you’ll see where my train of thought is headed, but for starters, let’s begin with SimCity. The popular city building game is one of those special titles that will keep me busy for an abnormal amount of time – which probably isn’t healthy.

I just love to plan and construct my dream town, and to watch it blossom into a sprawling metropolis. I actually find it very relaxing to see the tiny people scurry across the pixelated pavements, pretending like they have better things to do. Next on my list of great games, but in a completely different genre, is the Need For Speed franchise. The racing games are almost as old as I am, so I have seen plenty of trees zoom by and experienced maybe one too many head-on collisions. The graphics and realism for each new venture just gets better and better as the time goes by, and with Hot Pursuit getting a reboot real soon, it’s almost time for me to dust off my driving gloves. With the exception of Need For Speed Pro Street, the franchise is incredibly solid and robust, taking realism to a new level. To clarify Pro Street, it was the first one where they took racing off of the streets and onto the track, which I hated. [Along with many others – ed] So that’s Need For Speed, but the third title to complete my trifecta of great games is Grand Theft Auto. For me, this is the bastion of all openworld games, and we have seen many titles trying to emulate the virtual world and success of the title. The freedom to do almost anything you ever wanted in a game is what got me excited, but naturally the game had its flaws. Never the less, I really enjoyed all the titles, even the first ones, which were top-down and set in the 60’s. So with the three franchises out in the open, it’s time to reveal my ultimate game. If you haven’t figured it out by now, or I haven’t

enthusiastically told you about it in person, my dream is to somehow combine all three games into one. That’s right. Combine SimCity, Need For Speed and Grand Theft Auto into one huge, glorious and amazing world. Once you have stopped laughing, just think about it for a second. You will get to build the city of your dreams, complete with long stretches of highway, shopping malls, a nice beach front and some suburban houses. Then you will be able to tear it up with the Need For Speed influence. Not only will you know exactly what each track will look like, but you will also know about the short cuts and police presence. When you get tired of the racing – and it does take a lot out of you – you can simply get out of your car and walk around like Nico Bellic. Ok, so GTA does have some racing missions, but I mean the racing will virtually be a carbon-copy of NFS. Just think about it – it will be the best game ever. Obviously I haven’t worked out a lot of the technicalities, but you get my drift. Whether you will be able to continue building your city once you get to street level is still up for debate, but I’m sure I can make a plan. I really think that such a game can work, and who knows, I might just pitch it to a development company. So this column can actual serve as intellectual copyright on my idea as well. I would love to hear what you think about my proposed Game of the Year, so why not drop us a line, and who knows, you might get thanked in the game’s credits. [Need for Grand Sim Theft Speed City? – ed] g

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World War Thrii The rat’s Nest

by Dion Scotten

he motion controller world war is about to begin and the console giants are ready to go. Yes, it’s Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft battling it out, each with their own strengths much like the Zerg, Protoss and Terran. (SC2, yeah) I’m going with Nintendo = Zerg on this one. The true battle is all about market share and money, of course, but as players, we don’t really worry about that too much. Sure, we may complain about paying premium for games but the truth is if these companies didn’t make loads of money, they’d stop making games. Gaming wouldn’t be at the top of the food chain in entertainment, movie directors and writers wouldn’t be involved in game creation and developers would still be begging for music tracks. Most importantly, they would stop pouring money into games. Bad. The Wii system is the undoubted ruling champion when it comes to motion controllers. They’ve already forgotten the mistakes the others still have to make and established themselves as the only viable motion console in the market, while continuing to grow and dominate the console market. Was it because of motion based control? Probably. Motion input made their games fun and family orientated. The result was a huge market share and trust me the other two noticed. The problem with being at the top is the risk of becoming complacent

while your opponents are forced to adapt or die. Sony has “Moved” into the market with their wand controller, while Microsoft have innovated an entirely new motion controller camera, which is about to release worldwide this month. November is the ringing of the bell, so to speak, and they’re going to come out swinging. It’s an exciting time for all players though who will personally witness an evolutionary step in gaming. It won’t happen overnight but you might miss it if you don’t pay attention. The interesting thing is what developers will do with the new tech on the market. The console corporations create the hardware but it’s the developers that consider the tech during their game creation. It’s a given that Microsoft and Sony will try to acquire social gaming market share by releasing family orientated social games but it’s the hard core applications that are going to blow our minds. The PlayStation Move really just seems like an alternate Wii remote but developers have already focussed

on introducing the controller to their future FPS features. A developer can only make use of what is on the table. If you give him a wand with a support controller and limited reference points, then that is what he will use to make his product come to life. The 360 Kinect so far seems to be the most open ended motion device for game development. The camera has facial and voice recognition ability, along with the monitoring of thousands of points on the body, not only the tip of a controller wand. Further benefit is the compatibility with the PC and it’s only a matter of time before computer gaming supports the Kinect camera too. Will developers take advantage of all of that? Probably not in the beginning. How about the practical impact of motion controllers in hard core environments? It’s cool to hold something in your hands that resembles a gun in an FPS system. Aiming at the screen and literally shooting at your enemies is an awesome concept. Probably for the first couple of hours. What happens when you can’t feel your shoulders anymore? Maybe it won’t be that bad. How will it impact on competitive gaming? I can already hear the whining. Whatever the options are, we are going to experience games we’ve “got used to” in a whole different way and that on its own is fantastic. Only time will tell, of course, but that time starts now. g

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“2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” and “ ” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of the same company.“Ô” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. All rights reserved. The Fight™ ©2010 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Developed by Coldwood Interactive. “The Fight” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved.

Take precision aim with your motion controller

The Fight™ is set in the gritty, brutal underworld of illegal fighting. Fancy yourself as a bare knuckle boxer or a heavyweight champ? Battle it out with the toughest of underground brawlers, using the move®motion controller to throw punches, bob, weave and stick in some dirty low blows.

Feature

The New Sin City Less lights, more attitude...

by Walt Pretorius

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magine living in a sealed environment, one from which you cannot escape. You have to live here, for outside the world is a blasted wasteland – or so you have been told. Your forefathers came here when nuclear fire rained from the heavens and mankind destroyed itself in an act of paranoia and megalomaniacal glee. This place, with its concrete walls and filtered water, its echoing passages and slowly failing systems, has been your home since you were born. You were taught by its inhabitants, trained to be a useful member of this tiny, closed society. You were instructed to fear what lay outside, and coddled with the thoughts that the only safe place you could be in was right here, right where you are. You were nourished with processed food and style water, nourished by paranoia, and protected by the fears of your elders. Your world is nothing more than a few hundred square meters of concrete, glass, steel and misery. This is life in the Vault. But deep down inside you know there is more… there just has to be. You know that there were other Vaults that a select few fled to when the bombs started dropping, but contact with these was severed before you were born. Yet the knowledge that there must be more to the world than the halls you walk every day of your life is more than just a guess – it is a certainty. All you have to do is get outside to confirm what you know to be true. But no-one ever leaves the Vault… The first title in the Fallout series established this idea as a central theme in the game. Originally released in 1997 by the long-defunct Interplay, and developed by Black Isle Studios (before they were known as Black Isle Studios) Fallout took the player on a journey across a vast, blighted landscape. In this game, the player took the role of a Vault inhabitant (a native of Vault 13) sent out by the Vault Overseer to find a replacement for a damaged water chip. The year was 2161, and Vault 13 was located in Southern California. The original game was very different from the quite familiar Fallout 3, released in October 2008. The original game was presented in an isometric, or three-quarter top-down, view, with the player’s character shown in third person, rather than in a first person view. While the adventure section of the game took place in realtime, combat became turn-based, with the player able to perform a limited number of actions each turn. Fallout was rather original for the time, in many ways. Unlike other role-playing games of the time, Fallout granted the player more freedom, allowing them to complete tasks in multiple ways, and still be rewarded. The game was styled on 1950s pulp magazines, and much of the imagery within the game is related directly to that inspiration source. From the overall feel right through to the infamous Vault Boy character, the ‘50s had a strong influence on the look, and even the story, within the game. This theme has continued through the whole franchise, and looks set to be the trend into the future. The original Fallout was met with critical acclaim, despite

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Feature

numerous bugs and problems. Several sources have listed the game within their top 100 games of all time lists. Naturally, the great responses lead to a sequel. Set in 2241, Fallout 2 presented the player with some very different ideas. The player’s character was a direct descendant of the Vault Dweller in the first game, and had come to be known as the chosen one. When a terrible drought hits the small settlement of Arroyo, the village elders task the chosen one with finding a device called the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, or GECK. Released in 1998, Fallout 2 offered the player much more in terms of freedom within its environment and story – in fact, it was the first ever video game that allowed a player to enter into a same-sex marriage. While there were numerous improvements on the dynamics and ideas of the first game, Fallout 2 was relatively similar. That is not to say that it was bad – the game was received very warmly by fans and critics alike. Three years later, in 2001, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (or simple Fallout Tactics) returned the player to the devastated world first depicted in the original game. The focus of the game moved away from role playing and more towards combat and tactics, as the name would imply. Tactics showed increased linearity and a few poor AI moments, and was not received as warmly as the previous two games. It wasn’t panned, however, and still had many followers. In 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel expanded on the ideas put forward in Tactics, at least in terms of story. The game returned to the idea of action RPG mechanics, and was the first Fallout title to be made for consoles (specifically the Xbox and PlayStation 2). It was also the final Fallout title to be published by Interplay, who’s financial woes finally caught up with them. The company officially shut down in 2005, but not before selling the right to the Fallout franchise to Bethesda Softworks. At the time, Interplay had been working on Van Buren, the codename for Fallout 3, which was cancelled for obvious reasons. Aside from the various spin-offs released, it was a long time since a mainstream Fallout title had been released. It took even longer. Ten years after the release of Fallout 2, Bethesda brought Fallout 3 to the market. While the game was familiar in terms of themes, style and overall concept, a major change awaited fans, who had been patiently anticipating the next title in the series; Fallout 3 was designed to be played in the first person perspective, with an optional third person view also available. Set 36 years after the events in Fallout 2 (and some 200 years after the nuclear apocalypse that sent humanity into the Vaults) Fallout 3 reintroduced the idea of starting play in a Vault. But rather than being sent on a mission, the player’s character escapes from tyrannical leadership, and goes in search of his missing father. Fallout 3 was a big hit with fans and critics alike. Many

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sources awarded it the Game of the Year award for 2008, and sales estimates (made by the NPD Group) suggested that it was a much more successful title that Bethesda’s previous release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The new viewpoint and addictive game dynamics made the game very popular with fans, who appreciated not only the return to the Fallout universe, but the freedom that was awarded the player (as well as the excellent story line and quirky humour featured in the game.) In true Fallout fashion, Bethesda have now released the first spin off for Fallout 3 in the form of Fallout: New Vegas. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Fallout: New Vegas is not a direct sequel to Fallout 3. It is set three years after the events in Fallout 3, and does not feature any characters from Fallout 3. Rumours for the future of the franchise abound, and Bethesda themselves have stated that there will be more Fallout in the future. This is a franchise that has stood the test of time, managing to overcome a large gap between main releases and a change of rights ownership. With the success of Fallout 3 and the massive anticipation leading up to the recent release of Fallout: New Vegas, Bethesda can rest assured that their franchise will do well for many years to come – which, of course, means that fans will be able to stride the blasted American wasteland for a good long time. g

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PRE ORDER NOW WWW.CALLOFDUTY.COM

18LV ÂŠ 2010 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision and Call Of Duty are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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ÂŠ 2010 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision and Call Of Duty are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owzzners. All rights reserved.

Previews Highlights 22 Dead Space 2 More terrifying monster-carving. 24 F.3.A.R Return to the action horror 26 Child of Eden A truly original approach 30 SOCOM: Special Forces Move with the action 33 Echochrome 2 Playing with light and dark

s the year rolls towards the festive season like an unstoppable juggernaut, one would think that the big name games are moving out of the preview section. And while they are, because they are now appearing under reviews, there are all new big name games that will be appearing as previews. It looks like next year will be a little like this one, with big game releases taking place in the first quarter of 2011. We’re not complaining... gaming dry spells are awful things. We say keep ‘em coming! g

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“2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” and “ ” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of the same company.“Ô” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. “Blu-ray Disc” and “BD” are trademarks.. All rights reserved. Gran Turismo 5 ©2010 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc. “Polyphony Digital” logo, Gran Turismo and GT are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Manufacturers, cars, names, brands and associated imagery featured in this game in some cases include trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. Any depiction or recreation of real world locations, entities, businesses, or organizations is not intended to be or imply any sponsorship or endorsement of this game by such party or parties. All rights reserved.

gran-turismo.com

Gran Turismo 5 features more than 1000 licensed cars from the world’s top manufacturers and more than 20 tracks with more than 70 variations, including famous world circuits, city courses, and other environments.

Dead Space 2

Isaac is Back Space-ial Awareness

by Alexia Pestana

AT A GLANCE: At its scariest, Dead Space 2 promises to be one of the most suspenseful, stressful and endorphinmilking games of its time. Developer: Visceral Games Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Jan 2010 Platforms

ow that I just got over the nightmares, EA had to go and bring out a sequel! It looks like Dead Space might be even better second time around. Dead Space 2 welcomes back our beloved engineer Isaac, although not quite the same person after his last ordeal (and mine) on the USG Ishimura. The story takes place on Titan –Saturn’s most famous moon. Something bad has happened and the only person that can save humanity is none other than Isaac, who keeps his cool and reduces foes to nothing more than a torso stump. He has seen it all before, apart from the added extras, that is. Now he calls the shots. Yeah, Isaac has a voice now, and actually removes his helmet here and there. There have been a few enhancements made to the gameplay mechanics. New shooting mechanics, improved telekinesis and stasis abilities, extra weapon upgrades, new weapons and foes, new dismemberment techniques… the list goes on. An example here are the “interactive and reactive’ environments. Missed shots can be turned to your advantage and shattered glass can be hurled at Necromorphs through the use of telekinesis. Dismembered limbs can be used in the same way. New breeds of Necromorph join the stinking, pulsating ranks of Dead Space 2, with the Crawler, Stalker, Cist and Pack all offering different challenges and even multiple ways to employ them as makeshift weapons. Dead Space 2 includes time to strategically dismember your friends. In the multiplayer, players face-off in four vs four matches. One side plays as the humans, kitted out in Isaac-suits, the other four take on the roles of Necromorphs. Brawl in objective based maps, one side wins, and roles are reversed. Sounds simple enough and probably exactly what is needed after a frightening, pant-soiling type of campaign. g

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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The Conduit 2

Higher Voltage Will it be better?

by Brian Murdoch

he Conduit 2 was announced shortly after the first title’s release and those that have finished the first will have seen the opening for a follow-on. We know from the feature list that the second one will be better than the first but will it still have a great impact that the first had? The Conduit came out as one of the first FirstPerson-Shooter games on the Wii and by scaling down the number of objects on the screen at the same time brought out graphics that were very high grade for the Wii. This impact will be missing from the second one, but it still looks set to be a great game. Players will find themselves fighting off an alien invasion wanting to take control of the world. They are being helped by some powerful government officials.

Conduit 2 has a team invasion mode, which is co-op, and players can join with up to 4 friends on the same screen. Thankfully, players can also join online as I see the Wii remotes hitting each other with them all pointed at the screen at the same time. There will also be an improvement to the multiplayer modes, with up to 12 player online competitive battles in indoor and outdoor battlefields. You will even be able to hook up your Wii Speak, if you have one, and play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection with your friends and enemies. There was some hacking done in the first multiplayer and High Voltage has addressed that with increased multiplayer security. The Conduit 2 looks to be a smashing title for hard-core gamers on the Wii. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: High Voltage Publisher: SEGA Distributor: Nu Metro g a m e c c a p r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Q4 2010 Platforms

Conduit 2 will follow on the story of the first as a great FPS for the Wii.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

F.3.A.R.

Brother’s Keeper Some things just don’t die

by Dion Scotten

he popular F.E.A.R saga is set to continue in early 2011 with the release of the next in the series, aptly named F.3.A.R. Although killed by Point Man in F.E.A.R 2, his brother Paxton Fettle returns to aid Point Man this time. Keeping close at his side, Paxton assists in Point Man’s battles, but his true purpose is anyone’s guess. The powerful Alma is pregnant and as the birth of this new sibling approaches, the reality within the game is torn with each contraction she suffers. As expected, the developers have improved on the already impressive AI tactics and players can expect enemies to take cover, out flank them and adapt to player position and weapon choice. Enemy numbers and types are not pre-set for all areas within the game and they will generate randomly at spawning points. Coupled with the AI, this should deliver

more rewarding campaign replays and remove a lot of the predictability from the game. Point Man brings the guns, as usual, with bullet time skills and all his military experience… however his brother is something else entirely. Paxton is a spirit (sporting the hole in his forehead Point Man was kind enough to give him) and has an impressive amount of psychic powers and abilities. The player, when controlling Paxton, will be able to suspend enemies in the air, possess and control them for a short period, or just tear them to pieces. This is definitely a game not to be missed by followers of the series. So far there’s no definite answer as to whether there will be a conclusion this time. Although tight lipped the developers have hinted at a choice that Point Man will have to make between his blood ties and the F.E.A.R. organisation. For me that would be easy. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Day 1 Studios Publisher: Warner Bros Distributor: Nu Metro

April 2010 Platforms

The winning recipe of horror and FPS promises an epic final standoff between mother, brother and son.

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SMS costs R1.50

© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. “PlayStation”, and are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All sponsored products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.

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Child of Eden

Stimulation It’s a multi-sensory thing

by Walt Pretorius

hat, exactly, is a multi-sensory shooting game? We’re not quite sure, but the idea sounds promising at the very least. And its this idea that forms the core of Child of Eden, a new game that will be released by Ubisoft. Directed by the legendary Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Child of Eden tells of a project to recreate a human personality within Eden, an archive of every human memory. As Project Lumi nears completion, though, the archive is infected by an unknown virus, and it is up to the player – presumably playing as the virtual human personality – to save the day. There’s not a whole bunch of info available for this one just yet, but it seems as though the combination of excellent visual and audio will be at the core of the game dynamic. With Mizuguchi involved, the game is sure to be quite awe-inspiring, to say the least. We’ll have to wait until early 2011 to find out exactly what a multi-sensory shooter is, but we’re sticking to our opinion… it looks like fun. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Q Entertainment Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom

Q1 2011 Platforms

Although not much is known about this one yet, it seems like a very interesting idea.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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13V

ÂŠ 2010 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Cataclysm is a trademark and World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard Entertainment, Battle.net and Warcraft are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the properties of their respective owners.

Resident Evil Showdown

by Alexia Pestana

octor Doom has assembled the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe and has joined forces with Albert Wesker, who has done the same in the Capcom Universe, in order to unite both the Marvel and Capcom worlds… so that they may conquer both. However, this course of action awakens a great and powerful threat that could potentially destroy them both. It is up to the heroes of Marvel and Capcom to put a stop to this evil before it is too late. The game features new and returning characters of the Marvel and Capcom series, with added promotional artwork by Capcom artist Shinkiro. The final build will include more than 30 characters, 26 of which have already been revealed.

Marvel characters include Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Magneto, Spider-Man and Wolverine. On Capcom’s team we have Amaterasu, Chun-Li, Dante, Ryu, Nathan “RAD” Spencer and Trish from Devil May Cry. An all-star cast is only as good as the games mechanics, which seems to be something to look forward to here; fast and engaging as ever, with simplified controls switching to only three main attack buttons instead of four. The single player mode allows each character to play out a different story, something that will likely cause completionists to master – or at least get the hang of – every character in the game in order to see everything Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has to offer. g

AT A GLANCE: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds looks to pick up right where the series left off to provide an excellent fighting game experience. Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Distributor: Nu Metro

Q4 2010 Platforms

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Super Fight

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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Homefront

Man the Gattling! A new definition of home-invasion

by Jimmy Glue

irst-person shooters all pretty much follow the same formula, but every once in a while, a game attempts to turn the plot upside down. Granted, Modern Warfare 2 also saw invading force touch down on US home soil in a couple of missions, but in Homefront the entire game is based on the fact that the US gets invaded. The plot takes place in 2027, and after a decade long energy crisis, the US sees itself being invaded by North Korea, since the once-great North American superpower has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

The player will be fighting in malls, suburbs and city streets as part of a civilian resistance, which battles for freedom from the invading forces. The single player campaign was crafted by John Milius, who was also responsible for iconic war films like Apocalypse Now and Red Dawn. If the trailers are anything to go by, it should put an interesting spin on the FPS genre, and with great graphics, we’re hoping that the single player campaign can live up to the promises, although there will be an included multiplayer experience as well. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Kaos Studios Publisher: THQ Distributor: Ster Kinekor g a m e c c a p r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

2011

Platforms

With the USA under attack, reclaiming the old country from North Korea might prove difficult.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

SOCOM 4: Special Forces

Tactical Move

The Move evolution of the SOCOM series by Dion Scotten

or those new to the series, SOCOM 4: Special Forces is a third person tactical shooter featuring squad based military tactics in modern day conflicts. Based on the US Special Operations, the player will be expected to embark on team-based stealth missions as well as facing full frontal enemy resistance. This time round the storyline is set in South East Asia. Assisting the US Special Forces team are two local characters and the allies are set to take on yet another oppressive regime. The player assumes the role of ops commander and leader of a five man team of the very best the US military can provide. Special Operations Command resources will be at the player’s disposal which he will have to use to resolve tricky encounters throughout the game. Team command will allow for waypoint positioning and command queues for each of the player’s team

members. The developers promise to stay true to the SOCOM recipe and so players can expect a tactical challenge and explosive combat action. The AI will be polished and even more challenging, using all the tactical manoeuvring at the disposal of the player. That means flanking, distractions, traps and, yes, even air strikes. Online multiplayer will be available with the developers promising up to 32 player support but we will have to wait to see what other features will be on offer. The introduction the PlayStation Move is the real exciting addition to the game, giving Sony the opportunity to show off what the motion controller can offer to First and Third person shooter games on the PS3. SOCOM fans will be waiting in line for this release, which promises to not disappoint… but if you’re on the fence on this one then check out our review in the new year. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Zipper Interactive Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Q1 2011 Platforms

The next edition in tactical military command exclusively for the PS3.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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16V

速

Heroes On The Move

Cartoon Classics PlayStation past meets PlayStation future…

by Richard Bingham

aving last played a Sly Cooper game on the PS2, I was surprised to hear about Heroes On The Move. Well, not surprised that a new game is coming out but rather that it was gonna feature the coolest racoon in gaming history. And in HotM he’ll be joined by his tortoise sidekick, Bentley, and four other popular gaming heroes: Jak, Daxter, Ratchet and Clank. Of course the marketing guys had to work “Move” into the game’s title, as this will be a Move-enabled game for the PS3. Clever phrases like “controlling your hero’s every move” are used in the press material, but if I’m honest the game looks to be decent fun. Players will get to control the six cartoon critters

using the Move, while environments vary depending on who you’re playing as. Each of the characters’ home environments are present and available for exploration, with some amazing attention to detail – the PS3’s capabilities won’t be pushed to the limit, but cel-shaded graphics always look good in HD. Also present from previous games will be signature moves and weapons – just what you need for smashing up some bad guys. Medals will be awarded for challenges that get completed and the best scores can be shared online: leaderboards will keep things competitive between you and your friends. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Nihilistic Software Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Q3 2011 Platforms

If they can pull off the Move controls without making it gimmicky, this could be a great lot of fun for fans and newcomers.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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EchoChrome II

Play with Shadows Separating light from dark

by Jimmy Glue

AT A GLANCE: Combining the power of light and darkness, it will be interesting to see what they come up with. Developer: SCEJ Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

g a m e c c a p r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Q4 2010 Platforms

choChrome is probably one of the most interesting games to have graced the PS3, and with the second iteration hitting the small screen soon, the franchise will continue with its light-bending antics in the aim to help the little hero find the light... err, door. EchoChrome II will put a new spin on things, where players will have to use pure imagination to solve puzzles by controlling light and shadows. Unlike the original title, which was released on the Playstation Network, the new game will also incorporate the Playstation camera and the Move controller. With the PlayStation Move and camera technology, players can use it to rotate levels and control light and shadows to change the way objects are viewed and the shadows they cast. Once the desired path is clear, the little man will walk along it, in order to go through the door to complete the level. Although the familiar artistic presentation and style from the first game will be present, the new game will have bright colours and upbeat music to accompany the action. If the success of the first game and the strength of the demo is anything to go by, it should be really interesting to see what the rest of the title will be like, but at first glance, it’s sure to keep gamers busy for hours. g

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

Game Party: In Motion

A Party Starter? Sure to have stiff competition

by Walt Pretorius

ith the release of the Move and Kinect, we’re going to see a bunch of motion controlled games hitting the shelves… and not just initially! It’s likely that everyone will want to get onboard as well, as this potentially lucrative new avenue begins to flourish. Warner Bros are among the group trying to get in on the action, and they will be releasing their first party game for Xbox’s Kinect system soon – maybe even this year. Game Party: In Motion is the kind of game that you can get the whole family, including grandma and her halitosis-suffering Chihuahua, in on. It promises to be a massively accessible title that will require nothing

more than body motion to play – naturally, because it’s for the Kinect. Game Party: In Motion will feature 16 family favourites, along the lines of Darts, Hoop Shoot, Table Hockey and more. Up to 16 players will be able to compete in each game in tournament modes, meaning that this has the makings of quite the party title. The question is, of course, how it will fare against all the other party games out there. And with the Kinect being brand spanking new, there are likely to be a lot of them. Time will tell. But this does appear to be a good third party option for those who are after easy-to-play group games. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: FarSight Studios Publisher: Warner Bros Distributor: Nu Metro

Q4 2010 Platforms

With up to 16 players competing at some family-favourite games, this should be a great party option.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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Mario to the rescue

by Brian Murdoch

AT A GLANCE: Mario is off to save Pauline and has to battle Donkey Kong through a maze of 200 puzzles. Developer: NST Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Core Group

g a m e c c a p r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Nov 2010 Platforms

t’s not the first time, but it’s a refreshing idea that Mario does not have to save Princess Peach again. There is a party at the opening of the new Mario Theme Park and the first 100 guests will receive a mini Pauline toy. Donkey Kong is the 101st guest, but he is not going to accept that there were not mini Pauline toys left and takes the big one. Mario is now trying to save Pauline from the grasp of Donkey Kong’s and needs your help to get her back. Just because it’s a Mario game on the DS don’t think that the arrow, A and B keys are going to be used in a classic style; grab the stylus and help Mario control all the mini Marios through 200 actionpuzzle stages. If 200 puzzles are not enough for you, you can construct your up to 160 of your own levels in the construction zone with only your imagination as the limit. If that is still not enough then connection your DS to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and download other user-created levels. The interface is intuitive and will let players of any experience level play. There is an in-game help system that will allow the player to activate a mini-guide, to suggest solutions, if they are stuck. Mario is always fun and this one sounds to be a bit of a brain teaser as well. g

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

Princessless

MotionSports

A Fresh Take… Look, Ma, no controller…

by Jimmy Glue

ick of hearing about Microsoft’s Kinect? Well, unfortunately there is still a ton of games to come out for the peripheral, even before launch, so if you are tired of reading about controller-less gaming, it’s going to be a long and agonising wait. But, in the meantime, every new piece of technology needs to have at least one game that incorporates some form of sports. Although Kinect Sports is due for release later this month, Ubisoft will be releasing their own spin on the genre, in the form of MotionSports. The game seems to be a bit removed from the cartoony graphics of Kinect titles, which is a good thing, as gamers can only take so much of avatars throwing

a frisbee around. The graphics look amazing, and highly detailed. Releasing exclusively for Kinect, gamers can prepare themselves for some serious sports actions, as a number of activities are covered in the game that have never been attempted. Horseback riding is the first one that comes to mind, but others like hang gliding, football, soccer and boxing will get a new virtual lease on life. Using the precision motion control technology, the game promises to be tons of fun, with long hours trying to beat friends and family. With great graphics and the Kinect peripheral, what else can a sports game deliver? g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom

Q4 2010 Platforms

Playing Kinect, MotionSports should be really interesting, especially the horseback riding.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2

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tion®3 laySta ve for P o M ® n e Statio y, turn th w Play to part e mood ! The ne ’re in th r Dance

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Feature

Top of the Pops PopCap produces definitive casual gaming...

by Walt Pretorius

hen one thinks of gaming, it is easy to let the mind wander to top-of-the-line triple A titles that people queue to buy on release. Glitzy graphics running on high-end PCs or the latest console hardware are the things that naturally bubble to the surface of one’s mind. But there is a massive world out there where the more casual gamers play, populated by publishers that produce simpler, more approachable games. The thing is, though, that there are more casual gamers than hard-core types. When a game aimed at this market comes out – and it makes an impression – it becomes very successful indeed. Just look at the massive success of numerous FaceBook based games, like FarmVille and Mafia Wars. It is fitting to remember that these games

don’t just apply to the casual market – you will find many hard-core gamers that enjoy them too (even though they might not admit it.) One publisher that has benefitted greatly from the combination of casual gamers and easy access via the Internet is PopCap. This company has created some of the most addictive, enjoyable casual games on the market, many of which enjoy great success. Originally founded in 2000, PopCap is based in Seattle, Washington, USA. The first title the company released was the immensely popular Bejewelled. This jewelswapping game became immensely popular – in February 2010, PopCap announced that a copy of one of the franchise’s games sold every 4.3 seconds. With over 50 million units sold, Bejewelled is one of the best selling g a m e c c a fe at u r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

games of all time. PopCap grew and, in 2005, acquired Seattle-based Sprout Games, adding a number of new franchises to their ever growing stable of casual games. This included the very popular Feeding Frenzy franchise. Although their method of delivery was proving sound – which entailed providing free demos via the internet, which could be upgraded to full versions for a fee – an agreement with Valve was announced in August, 2006. This agreement meant that Valve’s Steam service would also provide PopCap games to its growing fan-base. With Steam being a platform that catered to the more hard-core market, this move served as confirmation that PopCap’s titles did not only appeal to casual gamers. While PopCap games can be purchased from this platform, free trial g a m e c c a fe at u r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

versions are also available on Steam, in keeping with PopCap’s excellent marketing approach. In 2007, PopCap began another expansion, acquiring Retro64 and SpinTop Games in quick succession, adding even more choices to their offerings. With titles like Zuma, Peggle, Bejewelled, Astropop, Plants vs Zombies (another global phenomenon) and many more behind their name, PopCap’s success is almost assured. The company has won more than 25 industry awards for their simple yet addictive titles, including Bejewelled achieving Computer Gaming World Hall of Fame status. In keeping with their appeal to the casual gamers out there, PopCap produce games on various platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android and numerous cell phone platforms. g

Feature

All the Games At present, PopCap games produce and distribute the following titles: Alchemy

Lucky Penny

Alice Greenfingers

Mahjong Escape: Ancient

Amazing Adventures: Around

China

the World

Mahjong Escape: Ancient

Amazing Adventures: The

Japan

Caribbean Secret

Mummy Maze

Amazing Adventures: The Lost

Mystery Case Files: Huntsville

Tomb

Mystery P.I.: Lost in Los

AstroPop

Angeles

Atomic Poker

Mystery P.I.: The London Caper

Atomica

Mystery P.I.: The Lottery Ticket

Banana Bugs

Mystery P.I.: The New York

Bejeweled

Fortune

Bejeweled 2

Mystery P.I.: The Vegas Heist

Bejeweled Blitz

Mystery Solitaire

Bejeweled Twist

NingPo MahJong

Big Kahuna Reef

Noah’s Ark

Big Money!

Peggle

Bonnie’s Bookstore

Peggle Nights

Bookworm

Pixelus

Bookworm Adventures

Pizza Frenzy

Bookworm Adventures Volume 2

Plants vs. Zombies

Cake Mania

Platypus

Chuzzle

Psychobabble

Cosmic Bugs

Rocket Mania!

Diner Dash 2

Seven Seas

Dynomite!

Super Collapse! 3

Escape Rosecliff Island

Talismania

Family Feud

The Wizard’s Pen

Feeding Frenzy

TipTop

Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck

Tradewinds Legends

Showdown

Typer Shark!

Gyromancer

Venice

Hammer Heads

Waterbugs

Heavy Weapon

Word Harmony

Hidden Identity – Chicago

WordStalk

Blackout

Zuma

Iggle Pop!

Zuma’s Revenge!

Insaniquarium

g a m e c c a fe at u r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

No Download Required You don’t need a credit card to play PopCap games. South African distributor Apex Interactive offer a wide variety of PopCap games as boxed copies, which can be bought on-shelf from video game retailers. These games retail for a cost of R150.00, which actually works out a little less than downloading the game from the web.

Zuma One of the most popular PopCap games is Zuma, a title that tasks the player with matching three or more coloured balls in a long line of spheres that roll along a track. If the balls get to the end of the track, the player loses a life. The player is represented by a stone frog that fires coloured balls at the track. The game has a zany Mayan theme, and is thoroughly addictive.

Chuzzle In Chuzzle, the player has to shift around brightly coloured, hairy little creatures in an attempt to group three or more of the same colour together. Each group explodes with a bang and lots of flying hair, and helps fill a meter that counts towards the player completing each level. Different kinds of chuzzles, like giant chuzzles and exploding chuzzles, add variety to this fun, challenging game.

Peggle Peggle is a wonderfully addictive PopCap game that challenges the player to remove all the orange pegs from an array of pegs and blocks. The player has to launch a ball from the top of the screen, which then falls through the arrayed pegs, bouncing off of them much like pinball bumpers. Different stages allow the player to use varying powers to help with the task. The combination of skill and luck helps make this game deliciously frustrating.

Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown Being the biggest fish is the most important thing in this very simple, yet wonderfully addictive game. Using just the mouse for control, the player needs to eat as many smaller fish as possible, without being eaten by a bigger one. Eating fishes, of course, makes the player’s fish grow bigger – but there is always something that can turn them into a snack!

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I Like to Move It! PS Zealot

by Suvesh Arumugam

e first heard about the Move over a year ago at E3 in June 2009, except then they were calling it the Wand. Sony’s Motion Controller has since gone through a spate of name changes, at one stage even being called “The Arc”. Obviously someone in marketing (those geniuses) pointed out that Wand, and Arc, evoke images of geeks with ¼” thick glasses wearing capes and pointy hats, and speaking to each other in “medieval tongues”. Obviously not good for the old image! So in March 2010, at the Game Developer’s Conference, Sony officially launched the Move, and announced its release date for September or October this year. The race for the social gaming market has become extremely competitive. With Nintendo having released their Wii MotionPlus controller late last year (promising true 1:1 motion sensing) and Microsoft announcing Kinect would be available by Christmas this year, with controller-free gameplay, it’s no wonder that Sony felt immense pressure to release as soon as possible before they were out of the race completely. Also, bear in mind that Nintendo have been hinting that they have a next-gen console ready for development as early as next year. So, ready or not, Sony had to throw their hat in the ring, and hope for the best! My first major gripe with the Move, availability of titles! And this is a major concern, because if you’re going to spend the extra R700 bucks

for the starter pack, you want to know that there are a few good game titles to keep you busy. At present there is basically Sports Champion, Start the Party, Resident Evil (just released) and maybe five more titles, max, available in SA! This also kind of reinforces my theory that Sony may have been forced into releasing before they were really ready, and the lack of variety also doesn’t really inspire one to rush out and buy one. My second major gripe is that, on the surface, there didn’t seem to be too much that was new about the Move, considering we’re already used to the Wii gameplay. Having said all of that, I put my reservations aside and fired the little darling up, and boy, am I glad I did! Since the first minute, I was overwhelmingly surprised at the sensitivity and challenging nature of the Move. I’ve never liked the Wii because its motion play is extremely limited, and requires you to be extremely physical. And let’s face it, I’m more comfortable on the couch than in the gym. Move’s motion sensing is so far ahead, it allows very subtle movements, as well as far more intricacy in game-play than I have experienced on Wii. The titles I had felt were so limited are actually pretty engaging, and even though Sports Champion only offers a handful of events, each one gets more difficult and demands more cunning and subtlety, like spinning the ball with wrist movements and careful attention to the angle of a throw. I’m still annoyed that Sony hasn’t

released enough games for the Move, and the Tiger Woods I just purchased is still not Move compatible without a hefty download, but all in all I have to give Sony the thumbs up for now on a very cool addition to my PS world. Of course the real test will be Christmas, when the family are all gathered around and we see whether it can stand up to those monster 3am round-robin sessions, and also the impact Kinect’s release will have on everyone’s idea of social gaming. But until then, I’m really glad I got one, and I have no trouble recommending you go out and get one too… Like right now! g

This page is provided by PlayStation Gamer www.playstationgamer.co.za

In with the New Xbox Beat

by Bryan Banfield

t has been a long haul and we have seen some of the most amazing demonstrations in the video game industry. With a few days to go till the launch of Microsoft Kinect for the Xbox360, I have been amazed at the way that, right from inception, the Kinect has set out to turn the industry on its head. At the rAge Expo at the Coca-Cola Dome last month players were able to get some game time with Kinect. Most of the Microsoft launch titles were on display. These titles are truly amazing and stunning, but best of all they are incredibly fun to play. As we have watched the launch of other consoles and the atrocious launch titles that followed them, we are grateful that the team at Microsoft have not fallen prey to this problem. A few nights back I was watching a re-run of the How I Met Your Mother… in this episode the main characters race each other to a restaurant across town. In one scene Marshal and Ted are having a heated discussion and behind them in the apartment store window is the biggest display of Microsoft branded products ever seen, including a cameo appearance by Maury Povich where he walks past Ted and Marshal carrying the New Xbox360 slim with a Kinect on top of the box. Product placement galore! Microsoft branded computer screens, Bing searches on the screens, packaging for Office 2010, Xbox360, Kinect and so on. The Kinect also made a cameo appearance in a past episode of

Smallville. Kinect is getting out there in the public eye, Forums are alive with chatter and, if you can get sometime on the launch titles at various activations, it is well worth the wait to play. One of the most exciting changes was the revamp to the xbox.com website. I had to refresh the page a few times and even checked to see if the address was correct. So, without wasting any more time, pop over to www. xbox.com. The new site has a far cleaner layout and has been designed to have Kinect at its very heart. Visitors are able to browse to find

the console that will suit their gaming needs, as well as all the accessories needed to stay on top of their game. Players are also able to create an Xbox/ Windows Live account right from the site, without having to do it via the console. Xbox Live subscription and Microsoft Points can also be managed from the site. My personal favourite is the Games + Marketplace section of the website. Here players are able to view all the titles, watch any attached videos, queue downloads for their consoles and sort the titles by top sellers and so forth. Even the error message have the right touch of humour: “It appears you’ve found a glitch in the system. Sorry. We were, uh... a little bit distracted playing Halo: Reach. We will work on fixing this right away.” Under the My Xbox section you are still able to check the status of your friends on the service as well as send and read messages. The games section under My Xbox is one of my favourites, where you are able to see all the games you have played and all the achievement you have, or have not yet, achieved. So, really, what are you waiting for, hop over to www. xbox.com and see for yourself. [Hey! Let them read Gamecca first! – ed] g

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The Next Big Little Thing House of Mario

by Brian Murdoch

ith all the wonderful new hardware that is coming out it will leave the consumers with a question as to which one to buy. If you only have one console then that would be a very easy choice between the Move and Kinect. But as the combined price of the new hardware and console is quite high you might want to save the money for the 3DS next year. Let’s not get into which one is better because there are a range of articles and fighting around this that I don’t have the opinion or space for. This is a Nintendo column so why am I talking about the Playstation Move and Xbox 360 Kinect? Let’s not go down the road where these are just copies of the motion controls of the Wii either, they are just motion controls that the two companies needed to provide for their consoles. Including Nintendo’s new hardware, the 3DS, which one is going to stand a test of time? What is the secret to the recipe of success and longevity? It is 3rd party buy in. The creators can make as many example games that display the new hardware’s features as they

like, but it is the 3rd party games that are the key. We have seen this with the great range of PS2 games that made the Playstation 2 the best console (until the Wii.) With the long list of Wii games in mind we can be honest and say that some of the games don’t even deserve to be called games, but all the 3rd party developers love the opportunity to create games with different tools. The DS brought even more new tools to make games with, and the list of games just grows and grows with each new backward compatible version of the DS. So do these new tools provide a challenge to the other developers and are they willing to

take it up? What brought on this thought is the list of 74 games to-date that have been announced for the 3DS! There are not as many for the Kinect and Move together. There are a few titles that are just revamped older DS games with the new 3D feature, but there are many new ones, too. This makes the launch of the hardware so rewarding because of the great selection of games that can be bought at the same time as the release of the device. There is also some truth to the first come, first served theory but there is always a big group of people that just wait until closer to Christmas before making their purchase. This group of people will have a great time deciding on which one to get, and those that don’t have any console will be hard-pressed to buy the console and the hardware add-on. Unfortunately the 3DS is only scheduled for release in the beginning of next year and will only come through to South Africa much later, but it’s not in the same market as the other new hardware, to be honest. Don’t write the 3DS off. We all know and can see that 3D is the future and there is already a hand full of games available for this on console and PC. Watch next year E3 for more 3D improvements. g

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wii care

faq@nintendogamer.co.za ...for DS too

You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only find reviews, news and great community features at www.nintendogamer.co.za. You will also find extremely informative FAQs all about the Wii & DS platforms, and the games you can play on them. At www.nintedogamer.co.za, we want to make sure that the most accurate information & support is free and easy to find.

www.nintendogamer.co.za

Reviews Highlights 50 Medal of Honor Is it the COD killer? 54 EA Sports MMA Taking it to the ground 62 Just Dance 2 The sequel to the surprise hit 64 FIFA 11 It’s that time of year again! 66 Vanquish Top speed action

s stated in the editor’s note, a few titles had to slip to the back burner for this issue. That said, there are still twenty games to take a look at here, and next month’s issue will be positively heaving with game reviews. October has seen some very big names nitting the shelves, a trend that looks likely to carry on into the early parts of next year. It’s times like these when it’s great to be a gamer! g

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“2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Ã” is a trademark of the same company.“Ô” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. “Blu-ray Disc” and “BD” are trademarks. TIME CRISIS™: RAZING STORM™&© 2010 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Deadstorm Pirates™&© 2010 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. TIME CRISIS™4 Arcade Ver.™&© 2007 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. GUNCON®3&© 2007 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved.

Take precision aim with your motion controller

Medal of Honor

Tactical Flops Nice try…

unny thing, the games industry. If they’re not running out of ideas and rehashing them, they’re making copies of other people’s ideas. Or just recycling a name. Medal of Honor, the subject of today’s ire, is a victim of at least two of the abovementioned. It shares a name with a 1999 classic on the PlayStation. Back then it was developed by Dreamworks, who’s since renamed its MoH studio to “Danger Close” – the folks who made this game. But there was a 2002 game called “Medal of Honor: Allied Assault”. It was the first taste PC gamers got of the franchise and it was also the best game in the series. It was the one with the famous level that relived the D-day landings. That game was developed by 2015 (published by EA), and some folks from 2015 went on to found Infinity Ward. Does that name ring a bell? Yup, Modern Warfare. Now that we’ve established some of the politics behind the people who made the game we can get down to the politics that form the basis of this game’s plot. Back in

by Richard Bingham 2001 some nasty guys attacked the US by flying some planes into two big buildings. Roughly six months after that the US military executed Operation Anaconda. Bits of that real-life military undertaking are relived in the new Medal of Honor. Leading up to its release, Electronic Arts made a lot of noise around the fact that real military staff had given their input for the game. In the US they even had TV ads for the game, starring high level military operators. It’s serious business. And gives reason to believe that this might just be hyper realistic and intense. Sadly, it’s not all that. Sorry EA. Sorry military operators who gave their input. Sorry disappointed gamers, who were hoping for a real alternative to the Call of Duties and Modern Warfares. In its efforts to portray a grim series of events, Medal of Honor sometimes forgets it’s a game. Like when your AI squad members blurt out orders, and no waypoint arrows appear. You end up stumbling around - very unmilitary-

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like, I’ll add – trying to find out where the next objective is. Modern Warfare – stop rolling your eyes, it’s the natural competitor and comparisons need to be made – deals with this by not pretending to be all real life-like and gives lots of instruction for where the next objective is. And in the same breath, in its efforts to portray a grim series of events, Medal of Honor is sometimes just a game. Electronic Arts made all that racket about it being Tier 1 classified and got war veterans to advise on the game design. Obviously they don’t have minimaps and waypoint arrows in real life – but in real life the guns pack a wallop. In real life the guns debilitate an opponent with just two or three bullets. In real life you don’t go riding around on a quad bike in the middle of the night without the enemy hearing it at least a kilometre away. Medal of Honor takes some liberties, but in all the wrong directions. Despite this, the single player campaign is half enjoyable, if short. Expect to invest around 5-hours before

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reading the end credits. There is some innovation, too. What I liked most was the lean button. Stand, or duck, behind some cover and hold the lean button, then use the left analogue stick to peek out and lay down some lead. It’s not just limited to leaning left and right, either. If you’re ducking, you can hold the lean button and push up on the stick, which makes your character stand up slowly. Another useful addition is being able to resupply your ammo from teammates. This can only be done a certain number of times per mission but used wisely it’ll save you from having to swap out your beloved assault rifle for a rusty old AK47. The good is outweighed by the bad, though. Sometimes I would advance too fast for the game’s scripted sequences, which would halt the action. My squad mates would be in position but there was no way to trigger the action because I’d gone beyond the limitations set by the script. Fix? Load from last checkpoint. Frame rates would chug along (this might not be an issue on the PC version,

depending on your hardware), the sound would clip out every now and then and vehicle controls felt a bit stiff. The next bit is both good and bad news: the multiplayer is a completely different game. It’s good, because you don’t have to deal with some of the single-player’s foibles. In fact, the entire multiplayer game was developed by DICE: them of Battlefield fame. Medal of Honor multiplayer feels like BF and plays like it, but has fewer things to do. Essentially, it’s Battlefield Lite. What could be so bad about a good multiplayer, though? Well, since it’s a completely different engine and game, nothing from the campaign carries over. You’re relearning everything. Plus, they’ve done away with the lean button (in its place you get an advanced explosives option). With a really short campaign, multiplayer is probably where you’ll spend most of your time. It’s a good thing that it’s based on a tried-and-tested game, even with some bits cut out. It plays well and even handles lag well (important when you’re South African and play against foreigners on Xbox Live or PSN). Newcomers will find it

very frustrating though. It has only three classes: rifle man, special ops and sniper. Each sees you starting with a basic weapon (for that class) and as you progress it unlocks upgrades. This means you enter an online battle facing off against experienced snipers, who have unlocked the scope upgrade, while your entry-level sniper rifle has a red-dot scope. Can you say “unbalanced”? Stick it out, and it’ll be quite enjoyable after a few rounds, but perhaps at the price of your sanity. Medal of Honor is well meaning, but good intentions don’t make a good product. Some parts feel rushed out of the door and others are just bad design decisions. There are many other games from which it could have borrowed tested ideas for its campaign and many forum posters whose input could have been valuable if considered. Gamers know what they want, and they know what works, but very few of those things are present in MoH. Danger Close has missed an opportunity and slipped up. The players won’t forget. Funny thing, the games industry. g

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It might be a Modern Warfare copycat but it lacks fluidity and makes up for that by including bugs. Emotionless and flawed. Developer: Danger Close/DICE Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

AT A GLANCE:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

72 53

EA Sports MMA

EA’s Right Hook! Better than getting beaten up for real…

have to admit, I don’t understand the attraction of competing in MMA competitions. Don’t get me wrong, I adore martial arts – I come from a family of martial artists, ranging from boxing to karate and judo. I just don’t get the whole appeal of climbing into a cage and beating someone up. Maybe I am a pacifist (who plays a lot of violent video games, go figure.) Don’t get me wrong. I have respect for the athleticism, skill and strength of MMA competitors. I guess it’s just something that I wouldn’t do, personally. At least, not in real life. But give me a good game to try out, and I’m there. I don’t mind inflicting pain on pixels. The thing is, though, that the only franchise that has brought any kind of mixed martial arts fighting to video gamers is the UFC franchise, and that one is not exactly a game that you can sit back and relax with. There is a point where trying to realistically capture the essence of a sport – in terms of controls – goes beyond the sublime, and sets itself securely in the realms of the ridiculous. I want to play a game, not spend four days in a tutorial, only to forget even the most basic moves because I am no good at cram-learning. That was UFC’s issue… the

by Walt Pretorius

game almost collapsed under the weight of its control complexity. On the other hand, I don’t want something that is too simple, either. There was a boxing game that came out a while ago – Don King Presents: Prizefighter – that managed to scupper itself by using face-buttons for strike controls. That’s just too simple, and a match in that game would generally devolve into a retarded session of skillless button mashing. Something in the middle would be nice… something like EA Sports’ Fight Night series. And that something has arrived, from the same people. EA Sports’ MMA bludgeons its way onto the market in a very different way from other EA sporting titles. It doesn’t have the big license, which is almost always a hallmark of EA’s sports games. In this case, that license belongs to THQ (who do UFC Undisputed) and EA had to settle for the smaller MMA licenses, like Strike Force. So, in other words, EA’s title would seem to be the underdog (which is a bit of a change for them, at least in terms of sports games.) But that’s not going to stop them, and their willingness to dominate yet another category of virtual

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sports shows in this strong franchise kick-off. MMA borrows a few things from Fight Night. It uses the latest Fight Night engine, which means that flexing muscles and glistening sweat complement the realistic reactions that the fighters have to being smacked about. But, more importantly, it uses Fight Night’s control scheme ideas. In this area, it is excellent. The controls are tied mainly to the right analogue stick. Moving the stick in specific ways to the left or right will result in various punches being thrown. Holding down R1 turns them into body blows. Holding down L2 turns them into kicks, and a combination of R1 and L2 held down turns them into kicks to the body. These kicks and blows also apply to grappling, and movement is governed by the left stick. A press of the triangle button will initiate a grapple, and X will see the player’s character attempt to perform a take-down. Once both fighters are on the ground, the face buttons come into play. Sure, the stick is still used to throw strikes, but passes from one grapple position to another are performed by pressing buttons, as are submission attempts and defences. This could quite easily have devolved into button

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mashing, but EA were smart about the implementation of the system. Each time a button is pressed, a little of the player’s stamina is used. Sure, it will recover in time, but relentlessly mashing the square button during a submission attempt will make the fighter tired, and his opponent will be able to break away. Rather, the player will need to strategically manage his stamina, and button mashers will get no-where. It’s a great idea, and one that EA Sports deserve a medal for (because button mashers suck.) In fact, the game is rather strategic because of this, and the “strike to pass, pass to strike” idea is reinforced. A player who effectively outwits his opponent on the ground with a clever combo of strikes and passes will come out tops, every time. During the long career mode the player will get to train with virtual versions of some of the top MMA fighters around, starting with their initial coach, Bas Rutten (who, I must say, did a brilliant job for the voice of his character.) The player will be able to learn up to sixteen special moves from an extensive list from the additional trainers, and will be able to train (there are eight training sessions between

each fight) to improve their overall performance. The game really shines when it is played as a multiplayer game. The single player mode is great, and the career is fun, but the AI alternates between being a little dense and being a little too sharp – near psychic, almost. There are a few multiplayer and online options, but the franchise has a long way to go in terms of these. MMA is not perfect. The AI can be a bit off, and the tutorial is too strange to be useful. The player will pick up everything they need to know through the career, but those that just want to jump in and play will have a bit of a steep learning curve unless they have done a bit of the career. The commentary is great, and the general sound effects are very good, but the fighters could have been a little noisier when they are on the ground… wrestling is hard work, after all, and a few grunts and groans would not have been out of place. Despite the imperfections, though (and the above list is far from exhaustive) MMA is exactly what it should be; a very good start to what will undoubtedly become one of EA’s yearly-release franchises, and a very good contender in the genre. It’s already giving the UFC Undisputed series a run for its money, and it’s literally only in its infancy. Knowing the way EA tackle franchises like this, it’s hard to imagine that MMA will not dominate the mixed martial art simulation market within a few iterations. The combination of excellent graphics, great dynamics and sensible, simpleyet-effective control scheme is a definite winner, and this is certainly a game to consider, should you want a fun, well-made MMA simulation… whether it has big licenses or not. I, for one, am very excited to see where this franchise is going to go. If I might hazard a prediction, I think we are going to see very big things coming from it after this wonderfully strong start. g

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PS3

A fantastic start to a new franchise, but still needs a few tweaks.

PC X360

Developer: EA Sports Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

AT A GLANCE:

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

80 57

LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2008-2010 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM as indicated. All rights reserved. ‘2’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PS3’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or registered trademarks ’ is a trademark of the same company. All Rights Reserved. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ‘ group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Guitar Hero :Warriors of Rock

Fantasy Metal Guitar Hero gets a little stranger

e have, over the past few years, seen the Guitar Hero franchise grow from strength to strength. The originality of the original concept, coupled with excellent marketing and good products, makes for a very entertaining history for these titles. And while Guitar Hero does have some stiff competition in the form of Rock Band, the fact that it was the originator of a whole new idea still gives it a very strong presence in the market. In fact, the success of the Guitar Hero franchise is undeniable, with it having raked in enormous piles of money through both physical sales and downloadable content. When a franchise is this successful, it’s no wonder that sequels keep coming out to drive the brand forward. Guitar Hero has enjoyed many of these, each adding a little something to the whole idea of the game. But the new ideas have been a little slower of late – until the release of Warriors of Rock, that is. The premise behind the game is what enables it to bring some very new ideas into the franchise. See, this one actually has a story, more so than any other Guitar

by Walt Pretorius

Hero title. It’s not just about becoming a great musician or beating the Devil at his own game – this title is about saving Rock itself. The demi-god in charge of this powerful music is imprisoned by an aged-old enemy, and it is up to the player, in the guise of eight different rockers, to unleash their true potential and save the demi-god from destruction. A friend commented to me that if Brutal Legend was a Guitar Hero game, this would be it – and he was right. The eight rockers that the player must ‘train-up’ in the single player game (which, incidentally, can be played co-operatively with up to four players) feature six series stalwarts, including Johnny Napalm, Judy Nails, Pandora and Lars Umlaut, as well as two new characters. Each has a unique ability that will affect the way the player’s performance is scored. One might have a minimum modifier of x2, while another might have a more powerful Star Power effect. When the character’s true potential is unleashed, their appearance changes (to some really camp rock-style monster) and their ability is amplified. When the player has completed the single player quest, they can

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overall, the collection has more weak moments than other iterations in the franchise. Still, with such a wide variety, it is worth going through what is on offer… there should at least be a little something for virtually everyone. While nothing much has changes in terms of dynamics and play style, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock does offer enough new for the player to get to grips with. The single player quest is a little short, but it gets pretty challenging (it seems that the overall difficulty level has increased just a bit here). The multiplayer, of course, provides the game with a hell of a lot of replayability, which is another aspect that makes this franchise so popular. On the whole, it’s one of the better titles in the latter Guitar Hero crop, and one that is well worth trying out. Naturally it supports all the instruments that fans are used to, and provides the same kind of enjoyment that one would expect from a Guitar Hero title. g

AT A GLANCE: A good addition to the franchise, with some very original ideas Developer: Neversoft Publisher: Activision Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

enjoy the game with all eight abilities in play at the same time. It’s great fun, of course, and the modified scoring system (which now only rates player performance in terms of stars) makes for a less cluttered visual presentation. Additionally, a new progress bar will allow the player to get a rough idea how far they are in each song. In addition, the Domination that unlocking all the powers provides a player with grants even more replayability, as they work their way through all the songs again, getting tons of extra stars for their super-performances. Speaking of songs, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock features an impressive number of tunes, with more than 90 included with the title, as well as import options for previous versions, and (of course) all that delicious downloadable content. Keep in mind that this importing is limited, to a degree, and is dependent on having the console you’re using hooked up to the ‘net. And you may well want to do that… because, although the set list is long, it’s not the most impressive one we have seen from the franchise. Sure, there are some awesome tracks but,

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

79 61

Just Dance 2

Horses Sweat, Men Perspire And women glow

ust Dance was the title that blew every retailer’s mind by that fact that they had to order more, more and then some more. There was no real hype to Just Dance; it seemed to be just another Wii dance game. Even after reviewing it and thinking on its release day that it was a really good game but needed more songs, I did not think it would sell as well as it did. To give you an idea of the sales of the first title, it held the number 1 spot on the UK charts for over a month. Most top sellers hold it for a week, before the next one comes along. Just Dance 2 follows the same principle as the first game. Pick a song in karaoke style and, although the words are displayed, it is not singing you will be doing. Follow the cartoon image of the dancer to build up score by doing to the correct moves. The player will only hold one Wii remote, in their right hand, and the other body movements are “free” in the sense that the game cannot pick them up. They will only help if you performing the moves in a row

by Brian Murdoch and help you not look like a complete idiot moving only one arm to the music. The game is all about dancing and having fun doing it. I’ve had friends dance with even if there were not enough Wii remotes… the songs are that good at pulling you in. You may ask why one can’t have two Wii remotes in each hand and the nunchuks strapped to their thighs to pick up my every movement of their body. This would be a very accurate but selfish way of playing because only two players would be able to play. The game would also become epic in difficulty with this form of measurement. I can ace songs but getting my legs to go along with the arm movements at the same time is very hard most of the time. Just Dance 2 starts with a list of new songs that are up-to-date and popular. These new songs still have the element that makes you tap your feet and want to join in even if there is no space or Wii remotes available. So with 4 Wii remotes and some banging tracks I’m set

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hand they are supposed to be moving. Left handed people do things the other way so having the Wii remote in your left hand just means you move in the opposite directions. Easy bidirectional movement achieved with a bold hand. The animations displayed at the bottom do not trigger in the middle of the screen but rather a little off to the one side. Players of the first one will need to adjust but will understand why this is needed when two different types of moves are required by multiple players. Lastly, the indicator of which player is holding with remote can again be seen with a shake of the Wii remote but a push of the A button will highlight the centre. When you have finished all the songs and only have the mastering of them left to get through, is it time to look forward to Just Dance 3? Nope, connect your Wii online and under extras you can download more songs. They are big but the option to download them onto your SD card is there to keep the music pumping.g

AT A GLANCE: The improved successor of Just Dance, with more songs and features, makes for a great party and a bit of a workout. Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Wii Platforms

for some great moves and some great laughs… but Just Dance 2 boasts that there are modes that support 8 players. The Wii’s limitations are very clear in that only 4 controllers can be used with a Wii at a time. So how is this done, you ask? With turns. Set up the 8 players and take turns in fours or twos in dancing to the song and showing off your skill. It’s a very fun mode that can have teams getting into the music and trying to do all the moves to show off their skills to the other players, but this sometimes has them bumping into each other and falling over. You have my full permission to act like a child and not play with those “clever” people that just move the one hand to get a perfect score; kick them in the shins at the same time if you can… foul play! They can’t just bring out a game that has more songs - there has to be a few improvements and features. The visuals have not changed much but the changes that have been made are “bright” ones. The hand that has the Wii remote in it is highlighted for the player to easily tell which

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

81 63

FIFA 11

Be Nice

Football gets personality

he FIFA franchise has come a very long way to get where it is today, and while there are other games on the market, it seems as though gamers just can’t get enough of the hugely popular franchise – which added a little bit extra for FIFA 11. The game features the newly-developed Personality+ system, and in essence what that means is that all players will react and behave in different ways. The most obvious trait of the systems is that, in example, defenders will have slightly elevated levels of ball control, while strikers will have a powerful shot, compared to mid-fielder. It’s a great addition for the hard-core football fans, as they will notice the slight differences in handling and stamina from the top players, but for the average gamer, Personality+ might as well not have been there at all. The controls have stayed the same as FIFA 10, which is a smart move on EA’s side, and gamers will still have the option to change the scheme to whichever one suits them the best. As far as graphics go, the serious upgrade adds a bit more reality to player’s faces. From when the first ball is kicked around in the Arena,

by Jimmy Glue where it is very possible to completely forget that a game is being loaded, it is evident that FIFA 11 promises to be one of the best football games on the market. But Electronic Arts have managed to actually break the game. A problem that has never appeared in any of the previous games started showing it ugly head on many occasions. While celebrating a goal, the AI seemed at a loss at what to do. Most of their movements appear to be scripted, and while players are celebrating in their own way, team mates will try to initiate a scripted team celebration. This doesn’t work out too well, as the game’s engine can’t decide what to do next, resulting in some team members running up and down the penalty pitch over and over for no apparent reason. Another aspect where a bit of better planning will come in handy, is with the new ability to play a multiplayer match, stocked to the brim with only online players – no AI here. In theory, it’s a great addition, as 11 real players per team will duke it out for victory. The problem comes in when playing with strangers in

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– let alone actually jumping at the ball. It’s also very easy for the striker to dummy around you… it almost becomes laughable. So FIFA 11 begs the question if EA actually upgraded the franchise, or just managed to keep it stagnant, preventing it from slipping into obscurity. It’s their third football game in about a year, so one has to wonder if it hasn’t started to take its toll? The new additions and graphic upgrade are all nice and dandy, but with a couple of severe bugs and a multiplayer that is in dire need of a serious patch, can the franchise lift itself off the ground and restore itself to its former glory? The game is great, don’t get us wrong, but for gamers who own the entire franchise, this will be a slight disappointment. It’s almost like baking a glorious cake, layer for layer, stacking on all the beautiful decorations and colourful icing, just to have to bottom fall out at the end. g

AT A GLANCE: The franchise has been hugely successful, but FIFA 11 doesn’t bring a lot to the pitch. Developer: EA Sports Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

your team, and while we tried out a number of online matches, the results were the same. Every man is trying to score by himself – disregarding any other player who happens to be in a better scoring position. The result looks like a rugby match, only that you are not allowed to pick up the ball. In one of our online matches, we even had the goalie constantly coming out onto the field in order to score a goal – leaving our goals wide open. Restricting the players to only 5 players per team (and then manually swapping between the AI players), seemed to help a bit, but you still get the one lone Rambo. Which brings us to the new addition of playing the Be A Pro mode as a goalkeeper. Although EA had the best intentions for this mode, it simply doesn’t work. It’s not that it’s broken, the mechanics just don’t sit too well. It has to be one of the most boring modes ever created for a football game, and that is a major problem. If you play with a good team, the defence will be at such a standard that you’ll hardly ever see any action. Playing with a slightly retarted team, and you’ll need super-fast reactions just to get the goalie facing the right direction

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

78 65

Vanquish

Taking on the Reds With a butt-sliding super-suit…

’ve said it many times before, and I am likely to say it many times again in the future: launching new IPs is a risky business. Gamers complain when all they see on the new release shelves is a bunch of sequels but, realistically, it’s the same whiners that can sink a new franchise before it gets halfway to part two. You can’t have your cake and eat it, folks. Still, new IPs are a great way for companies to expand their portfolios and market share. And there are quite a few on the way in the next few months. One of the new ones for this year is a game from Sega, called Vanquish. There hasn’t been a hell of a lot of hype surrounding this one – just enough to keep mild interest piqued. But the proof is in the pudding for this surprising title. Set in the future, the story tells of a special operative, Sam Gideon, and his rather nifty suit. Sam works for an agency called DARPA, who have developed a specialised set of combat hardware, called the ARS suit. When a group of Russian extremists (still, with the Russians…)

by Walt Pretorius take over a space station and utilise its microwave energy to vaporise large parts of San Francisco, the US government steps in. Sam is sent as a DARPA representative to aid the assault force, led by the surly, burly Lt Col Burns. But there is more on DARPA’s agenda than just helping out the soldiers; the ingenious DARPA scientist who built the ARS suit – and the space station – has been kidnapped by the extremists. It’s not exactly the most original plot, and it really is the weakest part of the game. Combined with characters that show little growth, the tale is a bit of a let down. That, though, is roughly where the let-downs stop. Vanquish is a third person shooter that is crammed with tons of insane action. The ARS suit allows Sam to operate far above the level of the standard soldier in a number of ways, making for a very fast paced, relentless action game. From the word go, the player will be ducking and diving for cover, and returning fire with a number of excellent weapons. The stock assault rifle, shotgun, heavy machine gun,

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can be frustrating) but these killing blows are always announced before they are executed. A quick witted player will be able to get out of the way. Which brings us to movement. While most of the game is at a normal pace, the ARS suit allows Sam to also rocket along, thanks to some insanely fast boosters built into the suit. This is handy for dashing from cover to cover, or getting out of the way quickly. Also, the suit allows SAM to enter kind of bullet-time, which is essential at certain times. Also, when he is near death, bullet time kicks in automatically, allowing the player to dodge and weave while they desperately dash for cover. While Vanquish isn’t necessarily ground-breaking, it is a fresh approach to the genre, and a game that is very worthwhile playing. It’s a little short, but has an added survival challenge mode for extra longevity. If you are an action fan, you shouldn’t miss it; it’s fast pace, nearendless action and often breath-taking graphics are a treat. g

AT A GLANCE: A great game for third person action fans, with a few nifty new ideas. Developer: Platinum Games Publisher: Sega Distributor: Nu Metro

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

sniper rifle and rocket launcher are all present, as well as some other nifty sci-fi style weapons, life a Low Frequency Emitter that can shoot through walls, and a laser marker that takes out multiple targets with one shot. These weapons can be upgraded too, in one of two ways – either by finding a rare upgrade drop, or by picking up the same weapon when Sam has it equipped (he can carry three weapons in addition to grenades, so grabbing one that isn’t equipped will replace one that is). This will only happen if the ammo doesn’t need to be replenished, but getting an upgrade for every three weapons of the same type collected is a nifty addition to the game. The cover system is highly effective and necessary – the game is a tough one – but Vanquish isn’t all ‘pop and drop.’ Several impressive set pieces are there to be experienced, and often boss battles demand mobility rather than sitting behind a concrete block and loosing off the occasional burst of machine gun fire. The game demands a lot of creativity from the player, particularly in the boss battles. Several bosses will kill the player with a single shot (which

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

85 67

WRC 2010

Devil’s Dirt Roads Black Bean Games takes on the World Rally Championship.

he WRC series goes back some time. If we rewind the clock and revisit PS2 days, Evolution Studios released the first officially licensed WRC title. That had a sequel. Which had another sequel. A third and fourth sequel were also made. They were really, really good games. Believable – I use this term instead of realistic, for reasons I’ll explain – driving physics, superb graphics and the full selection of WRC cars and venues. Then they stopped making sequels and the world’s rally fans wept. The Colin McRae games were getting worse by the minute and the late Scottish rally champ would cringe if he saw what they’d tacked his name onto. Another late rally champ, Richard Burns, had a rally game with his name: Richard Burns Rally. To this day it’s the most gruelling motor racing simulation ever – the reason I choose to say other games feel believable when played, while RBR remains the most realistic.

by Richard Bingham With that in mind, we have to evaluate the newest WRC game, based on the 2010 season and a now very different rallying landscape. The actual sport hasn’t changed much. It’s still about a bunch of real men with very hairy chests bombing down dirt back-roads at license-losing speeds. The line-up of teams and cars has changed a lot, with the FIA’s new rules determining who and what can run in each of the four represented classes: WRC, P-WRC, S-WRC and J-WRC. No longer will the WRC class be a selection of Subarus, Mitsubishis and the like. Instead, bank on the two remaining works cars, the Ford Focus and Citroen C4. Ironically, the lesser classes are where more fun and challenges lie, especially in the baby Junior WRC class where they use a variety of shopping trolley 1.6-litre hatchbacks (in full rally trim, of course). There’s also a Group B class, with some historic rally cars that petrolheads will be familiar with – this is available as a downloadable pack on the PS3 and Xbox versions, for

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sub-par. Most of the cars sound like hopped-up sewing machines. For all its official-ness, WRC 2010 just doesn’t deliver the knockout punch I was hoping for. It feels good to play and linking together some corners on a dirt course is satisfying. Tar driving is very technical (and tricky), while muddy courses will cause you to bog down if you’re in an underpowered car. The biggest problem was when I fired up Colin McRae DiRT 2, to see how WRC compares. The Codemasters game just looks, feels and sounds way more polished. It has far fewer things wrong with it – truthfully, the steering sensitivity in that game is the only big criticism – and Black Bean’s effort just pales in comparison. There is good news, though. The WRC license is with Black Bean for three years – and this is a solid base to build on. The fundamentals have been put in place, but now it’s time to spit, polish, shine, and make them stand out from the crowd. g

AT A GLANCE: Adequate is the best word to describe Black Bean’s first go at the WRC game. It’s really not bad, but it’s also not very noteworthy. Developer: Milestone Srl Publisher: Black Bean Games Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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around US$5 or 400 MS Points. It’s included in the PC version. The campaign mode is fairly straightforward: pick a car and team, and enter each of the 13 WRC events. There’s a “Road to the WRC” mode where you can start from scratch in the rallying scene, building yourself (and your team) up to an internationally competitive level – a twist on the “relive the season” modes we’ve seen in some sports games, but the first time I’ve noticed it in a racing title. Newcomers can get into the swing of things quite soon. There are a number of assists to help keep the car on the black, brown and white stuff, depending on the country you’re racing in. It won’t take away from the semi-realistic feel of having an all-wheel drive rally car slithering across the snow, but definitely makes it easier to adjust. Your Forza and Gran Turismo skills won’t translate well here. Graphics are good, but not brilliant. Ditto for driving physics and crash damage modelling. Sound is really

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77 69

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011

Improved! But still with a way to go…

here really is little point in comparing the Pro Evolution Soccer series to EA’s FIFA titles these days. The balance has swung heavily in favour of the EA franchise, leaving PES in a secure second place. That said, the Pro Evo franchise does have a great many fans, who are rabidly loyal. But until PES makes some improvements to some of it’s dynamics and ideas, it will play second fiddle to FIFA for the foreseeable future. Konami more than likely know this and, if the latest Pro Evolution Soccer title is anything to go by, they’re going to try and give FIFA a run for its money. Compared to FIFA, the title still has a way to go. But compared to the previous PES game, it has come quite a way towards becoming a serious contender again. Back in the day, that’s the status it had, and the competition between the two rivals was much more fierce. A few slips

by Walt Pretorius in the past, though, saw PES relegated to its current position; something that Konami seems set on turning around. The major difference that fans of PES will see in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 related directly to refinements that the developers have built into the control scheme. The ‘intuitive’ passing system that was used before resulted in the ball always finding a player, but it also meant that the game dictated much of its own pace. That won’t happen anymore, thanks to a new passing system that combines direction and power. The player will now have to be much more precise with passing if they want to keep the game flowing. This is a much better approach in terms of realism, but getting used to it will result in more than a little frustration as the player under- or over-passes the ball. Still, it’s a

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pull its socks up to take on EA’s big hitter. Although there are more licensed teams and kits this time around, there are still too few to make much of a difference. While the entire Dutch league is licensed, for example, the English league only has two teams that wear the right colours and have the right names. The commentary is also weak – it always has been in PES games. This is despite the addition of Jim Beglin (who replaces Mark Lawrenson) to the commentary team. While PES 2011 shows that the team behind it still have a way to go before they can challenge for the virtual soccer crown, it certainly is a step in the right direction to resurrecting the franchises fortunes. Fans will certainly love it, but fence-sitters may well opt for EA’s offering this year. g

AT A GLANCE: A step in the right direction for the franchise, but still with a few problems. Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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step in the right direction, and the positioning of the powerbar just over each on-screen player’s head makes it a bit easier. Another overhaul has come about in the graphics department. Player likenesses, for example, are much better than before, and the physicality of the game, from jostling to fighting for headers, is heightened. This even comes into the realistic aspect of players following the ball with their eyes during replays and the like. Sadly, the added physicality have made fouls even easier to commit in this title, which is a step backwards. Additionally, there are new game modes that have been introduced, particularly in the online arena. While they will battle to keep up with FIFA’s new 11 vs 11 online mode, they are still better than before. But there are other areas in which PES 2010 still needs to

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Score

71 71

13 activision.com © 2010 Activision Publishing, Inc. DJ Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. ‘2’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PS3’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ‘ ’ is a trademark of the same company. All Rights Reserved. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. * Offer applies to DJ Hero® 2 bundle and party bundle, while stocks last.

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13 © 2010activision.com Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. ‘2’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PS3’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or activision.com registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment ’ is a trademark of the same company. All Rights Reserved. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used Inc. ‘ under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Birth of a Cult Classic Nothing’s the same but nothing’s changed

ou just know a game is going to be something special when actors and writers like Andy Serkis and Alex Garland are part of game directing. Famous for their involvement in movies like Lord of the Rings, King Kong and 28 Days Later they bring that little bit extra to the story telling of this epic adventure. The game starts hard and fast with the breakout from a slave ship on a crash with the old New York City. As a player you can’t help but be immersed into this futuristic world and I literally couldn’t put the game down until it was finished. The main character of the story is a lone warrior named Monkey, who comes across as a mix of the Monkey King and Hellboy in both fight style and bad attitude. Monkey is the only character the player can control throughout the game although some colourful characters form part of his journey west. During the breakout from the slave ship, Monkey is

by Dion Scotten

thrust into an alliance with a girl named Trip, who forces him to help her in her journey to her home by placing a slaver band onto his forehead. He either obeys her or he suffers serious pain and if she dies, so does he. Although he is a formidable fighter, Monkey’s main skill is really his ability to climb and scamper his way up buildings, bridges and across anything else that stands in his way. Trip, on the other hand, is a techie and can manipulate almost every type of technology the party stumble across. Even though she did enslave Monkey, her true nature isn’t malicious and before long she wins him over without the slaver band. The story is set far in the future and the cities as we know it are ruins filled with dormant droids and mechs. This the perfect place for traps and ambushes and towering blockades with spectacular battles. With a view. The mechs are split between ranged and close quarter fighters in general but there are a couple of nasty ones

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Monkey carries an expandable staff that he uses in combat. Besides blocking, striking and takedowns, he can also charge up the staff and perform a stun attack to stop a mech in its tracks for a short period. The staff can be used as a ranged weapon too, with the choice of plasma blasts or energy stuns to drop shields of particularly dangerous mechs. My favourite is Monkey’s cloud gadget that expands out into a frisbee shaped hover board. It’s quick, can move over any surface, looks cool and is used in some fast

paced chase scenes scattered throughout the story. Yes, I want one. Trip proves her worth in the party by opening doors, deactivating defences, distracting enemies and upgrading Monkey’s equipment. Energy orbs are found all over the maps and are dropped by mechs defeated in combat; players should explore and collect as many as possible if they wish to upgrade more than just half of the available options. The game starts with an epic escape from the plummeting slave ship and ends with as much of an epic final battle from the back of a mech monstrosity. Each time the player feels like he was lucky to make it out alive. Enslaved turned out to be one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year. It is a must play for all those adventure lovers out there and quite possible could be the first of a cult classic to be. g

AT A GLANCE: A well written and acted future fantasy adventure. Developer: Ninja Theory Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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lurking around corners every now and then. The boss fights are awesome but aren’t too challenging. Finding their weak spots is what it’s all about and once you have them, it’s quite easy to shut them down. The dialogue is extremely well written and the voice acting superb making the character’s interaction believable, absorbing and hilarious in some places.

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84 75

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes

Master Masher

Strong thumbs are the key to being a Samurai

hen it comes to games, the Japanese can make great ones… as long as they stick to things that are zany, or they go along the epic JRPG route. Their action games – particularly third person action games based on some stylised concept of Japanese history – don’t really stack up these days. Games like Koei’s Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors just don’t make the grade these days. They look pretty enough, but that’s just not enough to make them good, or add appeal to an increasingly lucrative Western market (no matter how many anime fanboys there are out there.) Capcom’s latest entrant into this market falls prey to the ills that are plaguing many of these titles. It’s a little surprising, actually, because Capcom are perfectly capable of delivering high quality games with global appeal. But Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes falls flat in a great many ways. The game is set in a stylised – and by stylised we mean highly reimagined, over-the-top, quite ridiculous – version of Japan’s historic feudal war period. Here’s an example of what I am harping on about: One of the characters is Magoichi Saica, the leader of a mercenary clan that

by Walt Pretorius

specialises in the use of fire-arms. Now, anyone with a modicum of historical knowledge knows that gunpowder had a profound effect on the history of Japan, all but scuppering the Samurai, who clung to old beliefs and archaic methods of warfare. The gunpowder in question was used in muskets, which were slow loading, single-shot weapons. They weren’t machine guns. Yet, in Sengoku Basara, Magoichi has machine guns. And rocket launchers. Not all the time, but enough to mess with history to a degree that will have purists wailing and gnashing their teeth. This is, of course, the effect of Japanese popular culture on video games – the anime influence in these kinds of games is strong. But let’s put purism aside, and forget the fact that Sengoku Basara is loosely (and we mean very loosely) based on something that sort-of actually happened. Let’s just look at it in terms of being a third person action game. The player can choose one of a number of characters to play with. Whether they play quick battles or take on the campaign like Hero’s Story for any character, the game dynamic is pretty much the same. Each character has a unique style and a set of special moves. The player is

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style historical hero, the player’s character is virtually untouchable, except in boss battles, adding even more tedium to the repetitive game play. There is a degree of customisation, but it required little thought. Between battles, the player can equip new weapons and modifier trinkets, which works out to just sticking the biggest weapon available into the “equipped” slot, and loading it with as many modifiers as it can carry. The player can also select an ally to accompany them, which adds an unnecessary modifier to the game dynamic, but does little else. Every now and then the character will be able to unleash a special attack, which is even more overkill. If you’re going to sit and play through each character’s story, you had better have a lot of patience, a strong constitution and an even stronger thumb… Sengoku Basara isn’t particularly long (in terms of each character’s story) but the endless repetition and button mashing will test anyone’s resolve. g

AT A GLANCE: Repetitive, archaic and often annoying… this one is only for the most ardent, patient, strongthumbed of fans. Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Distributor: Nu Metro

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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required to take on enemy encampments, one at a time, using these moves. That involves hammering on the face buttons in a bashing fest that would make a professional button-masher blush, while running around levels taking out carbon copy enemies (with the odd slightly different one thrown in for flavour) before engaging in a boss battle. Most of these battles are punctuated with soliloquising cut-scenes, crammed full of the inane, yet deep sounding kind of dialogue that anime is famous for… senseless, inane prattle, if you ask me. Despite this speech-giving and chest thumping, some of the characters are not developed well enough, and the player is left to guess at some of their motivations. But this game isn’t about story. It is about repetitive action that becomes formulaic and old after the first five minutes. The graphics are fairly good, but they’re not enough to make the game even a little compelling. There are tons of special effects to punctuate the whole-sale slaughter of hundreds of enemies, as well as more inane prattle that pops up in the bottom middle of the screen, sometimes obscuring the action for a few moments. Not that this is much of a problem. Being an anime

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50 77

NBA 2K11

Dunkin’ Jordan All the greats...

BA 2K11 has brought his holiness Michael Jordan out of retirement and back to the courts, on which he once reigned as champion. This new instalment of NBA has delivered a spectacular game; one of the greatest basketball, even sports games, this decade… besides Madden. NBA 2K11 has made this all possible almost just with Michael Jordan. Featuring on the cover Michael Jordan has had an earth shattering career with such stats as 32 292 career points 6672 rebounds and 5633 assists which some still stand today. The player can attempt such feats in the Michael Jordan Challenges. Besides all the talk of Michael Jordan, 2K Sports has amazed all with the game dynamics, graphics, game modes and much more. 2K11 has a similar feel to ESPN, with pre and post game reviews on players to watch out for, as well as previous games stats. The half time report sums up what has happened so far during the game, which makes this game feel more authentic. The Jordan Challenges are legendary matches the player gets to relive as MJ.

by Dylan Chase These Jordan Challenges could be a game on their own, with lots to do and plenty game time. Challenges include scoring 63 points, 50% shooting average in the field and 6-plus assists. There are also career, tournament and practice modes as well, which could take game time into the weeks, maybe more .Within the practice mode you can perfect your plays, player movement and shooting. In practice mode the player can play with a team, perfecting plays, or solo, where they can do anything the heart desires. Dunking is one the coolest things in this game… that’s what I liked most in practice, as getting it right in the game is not as easy. The controls are easy enough for the most everyone. One thing I did enjoy was shooting with the analogue stick (which is optional) as the player gets an early, perfect or late display. This can be perfected in the practice modes. Free throws and three point shots really make the gamer more involved in the game. They are addictive and feel like the player is actually shooting for the hoop… swish, baby! Players can now control passes to other team mates, a

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that’s not the case in NBA 2K11, with the crowd moving independently from each other. Some characters from the crowd will cheer, standing and waving in your support, with others still seated, waiting for their team to make a break. The odd few even walk up and down the stair cases, going to the bathroom or canteen perhaps. The graphics have been well done, with a smooth flow of movement between the court, crowd and stadium making the game play awesome. The sound track in NBA 2K11 was put together with great appeal to all genres, featuring Hip Hop, Dance and old school. You’ll hear a range from The Alan Parsons Project (Sirius) to Art vs. Science (Hollywood), Snoop Dogg (NBA 2K11 theme) to the Kidz in Space (Downtime). The other great thing about 2K11 is that the interactive crowd gets louder during longer plays. Shouts for defence (D – Fence), for example, are commonly heard while defending. Overall, this is an excellent addition to the NBA 2K franchise. g

AT A GLANCE:

A great sports game with a basketball flavour, it even features the legendary Michael Jordan. Developer: 2K Sports Publisher: 2K Games Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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new feature to NBA. Defence, on the other hand, can be difficult at times, as one of three referees always spots infringements… but the controls for this are not too complicated. Dribbling is smooth and has a very realistic look and feel to it, with a bunch of different steps and crossover moves to keep the opponent guessing where the character might go. Slam dunks aren’t too easy to execute during a regular game but feel great to get right. If you happen to get a good slam, the player might just get a “Sprite Slam Jam” highlight reel. Overall, the graphics are very impressive; authentic NBA characters have been recreated exceptionally well, with close attention to detail. If you are familiar with the basketball scene, recognising the odd few Big Balers (MJ, Shaw & Kobe) won’t be difficult. The characters are well proportioned to one and other; you will see the height difference between Shaquille O’Neal (7”1’) and the referee. Crowds aren’t normally impressive in most games, but

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Score

86 79

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

When I Grow Up I’m a Ninja, yo.

f you search for Naruto games on the internet, you are bound to come back with a massive list of results. Due to the popularity of the amine, Naruto has made his way onto just about every console or device imaginable. The games do vary in style and execution as they have been developed by different teams. The Ultimate Ninja series is more fight-centric and has always been tied to the PS3. Ubisoft created their own series for the Xbox that focussed more on adventuring. Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 however, has for the first time been released on both consoles. A bit of background goes here. Naruto Uzumaki isn’t just an ordinary child ninja. Sealed inside him is the most feared demon of them all, the Nine Tailed Fox. Because of this, Naruto is ostracised by his fellow villagers who remember the devastation caused by this beast when it was free. What follows is Naruto’s tale of trying to gain acknowledgement, acceptance and ultimately trying to master the Nine Tail’s power to become the strongest ninja in history. NS: UNS2 picks up three years after the original Ninja

by Alexia Pestana Storm finished. Naruto returns home to the Hidden Leaf Village after three years of training with one of the legendary Sannin – Pervy Sage. The Ultimate adventure mode walks you through the Shippuden series but makes some minor alterations to the original storyline for the sake of gameplay. As you move from one fight to the next you unlock 44 playable characters (including Lars Andersson from Tekken 6). At times during the campaign, you will take control of other characters from the series to complete parts of the storyline. As the game gets progressively more difficult your fighting skills will be put to the test, as will your ability to respond quickly to button prompts during boss battles. Between fights, Naruto travels through a multitude of static environments filled with not-so-wellhidden, helpful goodies. These can be used to tweak your battle plan amongst other things and come in the shape of bird poop and flowers. Go figure. Fighting is very much a tactical affair, and knowing when to use what move is crucial. Timing is also key, as pressing the block button at just the right moment will

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dialogues, at the start of fights, it’s everywhere! Running up and down the village can get a little tedious when after every little view, it has to load the next screen. With so many Naruto games on the market, you would imagine that a definitive one would have been made by now, but the real choice in which title you go for will comes down to personal preference. The Ninja Storm series is heading in a linear direction. It contains less deviation from the path of the story with unrelated tasks and more emphasis on preparing for the battle. Ninja Storm 2 assumes that the player knows the world of Naruto fairly well already. To fully enjoy this game, the player should already have a sound knowledge of the world of Naruto but necessarily be a skilled expert to get results from the fighting system. The game throws aside your expectations and doesn’t care – it is what it is. It is an acquired taste then, but one that can certainly be rewarding, for the right person. g

AT A GLANCE: Fans will go absolutely nuts for this thoroughly entertaining brawler. Developer: CyberConnect2 Publisher: Namco Bandai Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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see you teleport behind the enemy’s attack, allowing you to get in a few sneaky smacks. Some characters can transform into an alternative version of themselves, gaining a massive power boost for a limited time. A chakra gauge allows you to perform a select number of ninjitsu special moves in a row. Once it is depleted it can be recharged by holding the button down. Engaging your chakra in the middle of a button mashing combo can lead to a rather impressive finisher, while tapping another button immediately after you channel chakra enhances your basic abilities. If the campaign gets a bit much, Free Play mode is essentially a fighting game thrown in for free. Choosing from over 40 characters you can fight against the computer, or a friend. Scarily addictive. For those who have a penchant for all things online, fear not! The game allows you to participate in online battles too. Trying to out-think another human opponent is so much fun, and finding a ranked match is easy. Expect a tough challenge though; these guys can get a little hard core. The only thing that appeared too often on the screen was the wording “loading.” Going between areas, between

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Score

71 81

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Shadow Denizens Not what you may be expecting…

hen Castlevania first came out around 25 years ago, it was a game that had a simple premise. It was quite simply a fight between good and evil. A quarter of a century later, this hasn’t changed much. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow introduces the player to Gabriel Belmont, a member of a knightly order called the Brotherhood of Light. As their name implies, these guys go around fighting evil wherever they can. In this case, Gabriel’s mission is two-fold… he is out to stop the nefarious Lords of Shadow from cutting off the world’s access to heaven. On a personal level, though, he wants to avenge the death of his childhood sweetheart. Two good reasons, then…Armed with his Combat Cross, which transforms itself into the familiar chain-whip seen in other Castlevania games when used, Gabriel undertakes this perilous and dangerous task. That is roughly where the similarity between Lords of Shadow and other Castlevania games ends. See, where other titles in the franchise were rather puzzle heavy and often cerebrally challenging, Lords of Shadow is a

by Walt Pretorius

combat-fest of note. It is closer to games like Dante’s Inferno and God of War, in fact, and involves the same two button, combo-based combat that is seen in games of that type. While it can easily devolve into a buttonmashing fest – enough to turn even the toughest thumbs blue – because of this, players with a bit of finesse can do some pretty awesome things with the wide variety of new and upgradable moves the game has on offer. Another departure from the franchise norm in this game, which the publishers are calling a franchise reboot, comes from the fact that the player isn’t exploring one scary castle perched on an isolated mountain-top. Rather, this game is about a journey, and the player will find Gabriel moving through a variety of different locations (each posing their own challenges) on his way to his final destination. It’s a rather linear trip. Although the game does promote the idea of going back to different places to access new areas when certain abilities are unlocked or improved, this does little to change the fact that this game goes

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Stewart (despite its cheesier moments.) The breathtaking comes from the visuals. They are excellent. Ranging from well modelled, often creative enemies through to the sweeping vistas that the game sometimes treats the player to, Lords of Shadow is a visual feast. The gothic influence on the whole thing is undeniable, but that’s quite ok… whether Lords of Shadow is true to its predecessors or not, it is still based on gothic horror, which means lots of vampires and werewolves. This fast-paced action game can be a real treat to play, as long as you’re not expecting another game in the vein of previous Castlevania titles. It’s not the most original game around, borrowing heavily from the franchise for story ideas, and other games for dynamics. Still, it is very well crafted, with a great variation of pace, even requiring the player to rethink approaches with each unique boss battle. It can be a little unforgiving at times, but it’s a good, long, challenging title that should please action adventure fans more than a little. g

AT A GLANCE: Although a departure from standard Castlevania fare, this is an enjoyable action adventure. Developer: MercuryStream Publisher: Konami Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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directly from A to B, with very little opportunity for freeform meandering along the way. Still, it’s a fun journey, and one that will take the player fifteen to twenty hours to complete. The combat is intense, with hordes of enemies often surrounding the player. This is all good and well, but the fixed camera can lead to a few problems in combat situations. The same counts for the game’s limited puzzling and platforming dynamics… the player cannot sweep the camera around to look at the surroundings. Rather, they have to rely on the fact that it is supposed to show them everything they need to see. Hardly ideal, but not a train smash. The movement parts of the game are augmented by the Combat Cross, which doubles as a handy grappling hook. OK, you can only grapple in predefined spots, but this title is not, once again, about player freedom. The presentation of the title ranges from melodrama to thoroughly breath-taking. The melodrama comes from the story itself, which is beautifully narrated by Patrick

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Score

82 83

Grease

Tap through the songs Sliding trip back into the movie

ames based on movies have the same type of introduction in that some movies should have games and some should not. Most of the movies games that are made are from recent movies and maybe because there has been a rerelease of Grease, 505 Games thought it to be a good idea. The staying power of the Grease movie is obvious but the game might not last as well. Both the Wii and DS story modes of the game follow the story line to the “T”, that is the T-Birds. There are even clips and music played in line as you continue the story in the Wii version of the game. The DS sticks to the models of Danny and Sandy when displaying the story of Grease but also seems to take bigger steps through it than the Wii. Mini rhythm games are performed to pass through each

by Brian Murdoch stage of the story and it’s not until later in the story that I realised that it is essential to pass the game to carry on. It did seem too easy in the beginning, but as the tempo of the music increased and the moves got more complicated I needed to concentrate more on the moves. The tasks change in the Wii version, from your dance movements to combinations needed on the remote and even bashing out the dents in a car, which ended up being Greased Lighting… Then driving that car. Haters of Mario Kart don’t need to worry as the controls are not complicated. In the DS version it is simplified to rhythm tapping all the way through. Experienced Wii players will be glad to note that the controls used in the games can be switched from the Wii remote to the Wii balance board for a change, challenge or some extra fun. As these games are completed through the story

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line they will become available in the quick game menu and sometimes a high skill level and score are needed to unlock outfits and other extras in the game. The Wii version has more characters that can be used but unfortunately only Danny and Sandy can be used on the DS. It’s not as bad as it sound because players are really doing the same thing no matter who they are in the game and the basic choice between male and female will make fussy gamers happy. The multiplayer brings real joy to the title as the players are enjoying the silly games together. The Wii multiplayer is just as any other games and the DS has a download play option that allows a player that doesn’t have the game to download and play “Greased Lightning” against others. The one song limit is overcome if the other person has the game as well, but multiplayer is limited to two.

The sound track is classic and everyone should know a Grease song or two, but it was very upsetting to see how much it was censored… especially the “Pussy Wagging “song. I feel that I have stricter standards than most, but that should have been allowed through. It might have upped the age restriction a little but I don’t think the three year olds would have minded. The graphics of the game can help or not in the situation. They are not sharp and seem to have taken a drawing twist to not represent the original Danny and Sandy. There might have been a version of the movies that I missed but even to Wii and DS standards these graphics are below par. [Could have to do with the fact that the movie was based on a stage musical? Lots of different actors and stuff? – ed] You only need one or the other version, but the Wii version does seem to out weight the DS version. g

Rhythm game following the Grease story to the T. Developer: 505 Games Publisher: 505 Games Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

AT A GLANCE: Wii&DS PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

70 87

Police Simulator

Managing Cops … not really simulating them.

here are sometimes fine lines between game genres that even developers and publishers don’t understand. Then again, Excalibur Publishing have got this whole ‘simulator’ thing going (ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous) so it’s hardly a surprise that they would cram anything that comes close to the definition into the category of simulation. Then again, one could argue the point… take the example of Sim City. While the game falls securely into the category of “management”, the idea behind the game is more of a mass social simulation than anything else. That example applies to Police Simulator as well. The game is called a simulator, and many aspects of it make it a simulator, but when a genre assignment has to be made, it feels like it should fall into the management category. The box proclaims that it is a “unique mixture of simulation and real-time strategy”, which really just reinforces the idea. Simulators, for all intents and purposes, are meant to be highly realistic, where management games can deviate from the path of realism just a little – which is what Police Simulator does. Sure, it has some elements that are based in real-world principles, but the application of these ideas

by Walt Pretorius deviates from the nitty-gritty complications that true simulators thrive on. Police Simulator is a strange kind of game, and one that will not appeal to the main-stream overly much. It is a title that can be ploddingly pedantic, yet there is a strange compulsion that drives a player inclined to try it out to keeping things going. It’s the kind of game that will become slow within a few minutes, prompting the user to set it aside – only to load it up again five minutes later to try a few new ideas. The premise of the game is that the player is a senior police official, and needs to manage the crime fighting forces of an unnamed city. While you’ll start out with one police station, within a week or two of in-game time you’ll have larger areas to patrol, and will be dealing with more serious crimes. It is up to the player to set up duty rosters, hire staff and train them (as well as handle other human resource requirements like holidays), buy and maintain vehicles, acquire new premises and make sure that everything runs on a tight budget. And, of course, the player will need to make sure that crime doesn’t become a problem.

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(because police station computers probably aren’t running high end graphics and sound set-ups.) The graphics are a bit bland, with the player spending all of their time in various views of their patrol area, which include a top down map, a crime-level map, and so on. These are supplemented by several pop-ups which allow the player to manage the station. Other than the movements of patrols and such, there is very little animation in this game. But the graphics are effective in their functionality, allowing the player to understand what is going on at a glance. The same counts for the sound. It is uninspiring and repetitive, but serves its purpose perfectly. Police Simulator certainly isn’t for everyone. It is slowpaced and a bit ugly, which cuts out a number of players already. But those who like management titles with solid models (and don’t necessarily care about the presentation) may well find this rather addictive game enjoyable. g

AT A GLANCE: A fun management title for those who enjoy that kind of thing. The presentation is rather bland, though. Developer: CyberPhobX Publisher: Excalibur Publishing Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

Missions take a game week to complete, and generally have simple goals (or simple to understand, at least.) With the progress of time the game becomes more complicated, requiring the player to manage several police stations, as well as deal with worse kinds of crime. The player will need to employ staff beyond just standard “beat cops”, including detectives, CSI agents, riot police and undercover operatives to stem the increasing crime that grips the city. Police Simulator is an oddly compelling game for those inclined towards management titles. It’s more microcosmic than the run-of-the-mill management game, requiring players to pay attention to the needs of individual staff, rather than entire facilities. Also, the player will need to manage investigations and crime responses, which is the only real excitement in the title. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually fun to play. But it requires a certain kind of approach that not everyone takes when it comes to gaming. While it is an enjoyable game, prospective players should be aware that it is far from being a technical marvel. To that end, it actually feels like the real deal

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

72 89

Jeckyll & Hyde

Monstrous And anachronistic, too…

monster. But in this case it’s not enough, because every other aspect of the game ranges from lacking polish to being downright anachronistic. The graphics, for example, are not anywhere near where they should be. The potential for impressive visuals offered by the story is not matched by characters, animations or environments. The controls, also, leave a lot be desired, and the voice acting is bland and uninspired. It may be a slightly older game, but the end product feels far too out of league with what is considered commonplace these days. If you can get past the game’s flaws, the story is entertaining, when all is said and done. But that won’t be enough for the run-of-the-mill video game consumer, who expects much more from a title in this day and age… even if this game is a little older.. g

AT A GLANCE: Although the story is fairly good, the rest of the title leaves a lot to be desired. Developer: pixelcage Publisher: bitComposer Games Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

7+ 90

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

he thing with gamers is that they are a picky bunch. Game reviewers too – probably even more so. The end result is that developers need to try and address an ever growing number of factors effectively to please their clients, in order to make products that are successful. Losing focus on just one factor can scupper the whole thing. Losing focus on several is downright disastrous. And that’s what happened with Jeckyll & Hyde. The game tries to carry itself on the strength of its story alone, which just won’t cut it these days. This is especially true if you think about how many gamers simply flip through story to get to the action bits. You probably do it yourself. Then again, unless story interests you, you won’t be playing this one. The story is actually pretty good, an alternate take on the famous gothic horror story about a doctor who accidentally transforms himself into a brutal

by Walt Pretorius

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

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Killing Crew

WIN AN Assassin’s Creed:

Brotherhood hamper Courtesy of Megarom & Ubisoft TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gamecca.co.za Tell us the name of one of the main characters in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Insert ‘AC Brotherhood competition’ in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gamecca.co.za Join Gamecca’s fan group on Facebook Competition closes 30 November 2010. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Hampers may not include a copy of the game. Games may be ‘white label’ products. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Ubisoft & Megarom Interactive The judges’ decision is final.

Hidden Mysteries:Titanic

A Complex Voyage The puzzles that sank the ship…

you are supposed to be doing. There are hints to help but no clear-cut instructions. This can be seen as a good and bad thing because some players like to find out the answer and push the games to find out what to do. I see too many limits in the game but understand that the developers can’t think of everything… so there is a path that the game needs to follow. Luckily not all the puzzles need to be solved and a player can simple skip the unnecessary ones if they are too difficult. The game does have a CSI feel to it, although there is no crime that needs solving. Players that enjoyed CSI will actually find this interesting and appealing to their inquisitive nature. g

AT A GLANCE: Explore the Titanic as one of the passengers and solve puzzles and problems along the way. Developer: TBC Publisher: TBC Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

10+ 92

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Wii Platforms

his legendary ship is now open for any gamer to walk through and explore. Play as a passenger on this ship that has to make choices and solve puzzles as they go. The choices made will alter the story line, giving the player some control on how this version goes. Don’t worry… there is no amount of choices that can be made to stop the ship from sinking as that is what the Titanic does. The choices are more to give a personal feel to the game and change the ending to a degree. The story has 20 levels and tons of puzzles. The puzzles, after they have been solved seem to be easy, but are actually quite challenging. The extra difficulty is that there are no real instructions as to what

by Brian Murdoch

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

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A New Board!

WIN A

Shaun White Skateboarding hamper Courtesy of Megarom & Ubisoft

TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gamecca.co.za Tell us what sport Shaun White is famous for. Insert ‘SWS competition’ in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gamecca.co.za Join Gamecca’s fan group on Facebook Competition closes 30 November 2010. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Hampers may not include a copy of the game. Games may be ‘white label’ products. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Ubisoft & Megarom Interactive The judges’ decision is final.

Can there be more to Mah-jong?

ust in case it slipped past someone’s mind, Mahjong Mysteries is all about Mah-jong; there are no other bonus or side games in here. If you don’t like Mah-jong then you will not like this game. If you don’t know what Mah-jong is, here is a quick explanation. It is a Chinese game with 152 tiles in each game. The tiles are in pairs with different symbols on them. The traditional game is played with four people with rules on taking the most pieces or points on those pieces. In this game it’s played with only one player and they only need to get to the last two lightning symbol pieces and match them together. Pieces can only be taken out if either their left or right side is completely

by Brian Murdoch

exposed and there are no pieces on top of them. Now let’s get to what makes this the next Mah-jong game that you should buy. For those beginners there are help prompts and clues to ease them into the challenge of Mah-jong. These can be turned off in the options to get to the real game. Some of the tiles in the game have bonus features to help unwrap the fort faster; Joker tiles to match with any other tile, magnet tiles to pull tiles out from between others, and even tiles that show you available pairs for 30 seconds. Different styles of tiles can be selected. The Egyptian theme and story through the game is a refreshing touch but has not real impact on the game. g

AT A GLANCE: Mah-jong with an Egypt theme and story, but still just Mah-jong. There are a few special tiles and features added. Developer: TBC Publisher: TBC Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ 94

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

DS Platforms

Mah-jong Mysteries: Ancient Egypt

More Mah-jong

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

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Roary the Racing Car

Around the Bend Racing fun for the kids

young ones but, with some coaching and practise, it will be a good learning tool for them. These games are well suited for younger children and the difficulty levels for each game mean that there is a level of improvement for them. The difficulty is also easy to select with a number of stars, 1 to 3, to indicate this. The game after some basic instruction that can be navigated by children themselves. Worst is when a game requires the parent to be there to read all the time, but this game does well in not requiring that. It lets your children grow at their own pace. I can see adults buying this but not really getting the most out of the game, other than a bit of a time killer… focus on the children when buying this one. g

AT A GLANCE: It’s a collection of games based on the successful animated children’s television show. This one is great for the kids. Developer: Uacari Publisher: Avanquest Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

DS Platforms

oary the Racing Car is a successful animated children show in the UK. The stories are about Roary, Maxi, CiCi, Tin Top (all race cars) and the humans which work at the race track. The adventures are amusing and well suited for our children. The title uses the characters from the show to add light to the collection of games aimed at the children that watch the show. The games range from a simple racer to spot the difference and memory games. All the games use the characters from the show, so one of the memory games, “Champions”, has the player picking the character from the shadows displayed. This will be easier if the player has watched the shows but mistakes and experience will improve your guesses. Some games will not be as easy for the very

by Brian Murdoch

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

75 95

Fifi and the Flowertots

Flower Fun

Remember, remember the forget-me-nots

through it matching the shadows with the characters in the “Remember the Flowertots” game. Even here, after a few tries, players will remember and bond with the friendly characters, and gain the needed experience. Basic games like Memory match, Jigsaw, Sliding Tiles and Word Search can be played by adults (parents) to kill some time and keep the mind sharp. These have been designed for the level of children, though, as can be seen in the difficulty selection, which does not have words but stars to indicate the level. Words are also read out aloud to the player, so the game does not require a parent to sit there all the time to help read for the youngsters. This is a cute little girls game that she will appreciate you adding to her collection. g

AT A GLANCE: A great game for little girls, with a charming flower theme. Developer: Uacari Publisher: Avanquest Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ 96

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

DS Platforms

ifi and the Flowertots is a stop-motion animated children’s series in the UK. The stories are about the flower-based characters and their adventures around the garden. Fifi is like Papa Smurf is to the Smurfs and never uses any chemicals to make her garden grow. She often forgets words and then turns to the viewers to help her remember them. This title is a range of mini games that have been created for the target audience of the show to help them develop their learning skills. The games are all based around the characters in the show, like Bumble the bee, Violet, Primrose, Buttercup and Daisy. The advantage from knowing the program comes

by Brian Murdoch

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS PS2

Score

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TONS OF FUN!

WIN A

Hamper of PopCap games Courtesy of Apex Interactive

TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gamecca.co.za Tell us the name of one of PopCap’s games. Insert ‘PopCap competition’ in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gamecca.co.za Join Gamecca’s fan group on Facebook Competition closes 30 November 2010. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Hampers may not include a copy of the game. Games may be ‘white label’ products. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Ubisoft & Megarom Interactive The judges’ decision is final.

Essential Classics

Need for Speed: Most Wanted Street racing with attitude

ou’re probably wondering why we’re calling Need for Speed: Most Wanted a classic already. Well, that’s the thing… the game released November 2005 and that’s already five years passed. Five years, mind you, and we still have no contender to the unique street racing experience it alone offered players. Of course there was major competition when it comes to racing games as a whole. Each one had their own spin on the racing theme and each offered a large array of super cars to choose from. Customisation is also a common theme that appeared in street racer games along with multiplayer racing, awesome graphics and realistic handling. So what sets Most Wanted apart from the others? First let’s say that it delivered the highest quality in graphics and sound along with the very best racers since then. The

by Dion Scotten

sound not only in the sense of the realistic engine sounds of each exotic car but also the massive and awesome track list it boasted. The story line was really well delivered, through very pretty cut scenes and by pretty we’re referring to the awesomely hot leading lady, of course. The story itself is about a Hollywood driver and its portrayal puts the player directly into the role of the new guy on the block. For those who haven’t played this game, (what?) the main character must work his way up a Blacklist of wanted drivers to challenge the bad guy and win his car back. A simple and effective story but it’s the believable struggle to get up the blacklist that keeps players coming back to replay it. That’s really the key for a classic game to me. A game must have a hold on players that compels them play it again because no other game provides what it gamecca feature • issue 16 • October 2010

gamecca • review

did. That unique something had to be the cop chases. Too many other games have police chases but they are easily lost when it comes to the actual chase. Most Wanted introduced a special breed of cop. A special task team specifically focussed on locking down street racers and with the budget to keep up with them too. Different heat levels were obtained for each vehicle the player owned and as the heat level rose, so did the police presence. The first level only attracted normal patrol cars that would try to herd the player off the road and pin him against something for a simple arrest. It was easy enough to avoid these guys but the second level had the patrol cars calling for highway patrol backup. Not that easy anymore to lose the cops on the open road gamecca feature • issue 16 • October 2010

and a little for finesse was needed from the player to stay out of prison. Level three produced road blocks and spike strips and level four called in helicopter support. Level five was only available for the Special Edition, where those armoured SUVs would come out of nowhere and ram the player’s vehicle off its wheels. Nothing can get your blood pumping like being chased by the police and only just getting away with it. Most Wanted delivered this experience to its players so convincingly that people are still speaking about it. That makes it a classic. It will probably only be outdone by its successor Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which we can expect soonish. The cop chases will still be there except this time, they may actually be players. Check us out for the review. g

MSI P55-CD53 Motherboard

Reliable Performer Not a gaming monster, but still very capable

by Walt Pretorius

verclocking isn’t something you think about much when it comes to a business computer, or a general purpose home PC. This is the province of hard-core gamers, who want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of every single bit of hardware they own. It’s generally easy to spot a device intended for overclocking. The box is normally dark, with some kind of explosion, cyber-knight, or scantily clad sci-fi girl as part of the artwork. This, really, is to appeal to the target market that are after these devices. Based on that, and the fact that this kind of packaging is so commonly used, it would be little surprise if gamers skip over MSI’s P55CD53 motherboard. Its packaging is fairly nondescript and down-toned, and those hunting for an overclocking board would probably not even notice it as they went for the box with the most impressive pair of latex-covered breasts emblazoned on it. But that would be quite a mistake to make. Because, hidden beneath the green and white exterior of the box, is a board that is more than capable of delivering exactly

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what a gamer needs. It might not be the top of the line overclocking board, but it does offer decent overclocking capabilities, and a rock-steady performance that trumps many others. Appearances can be deceiving, and this is certainly one book that shouldn’t be judged by its cover. The P55-CD53 supports both Intel i5 and Intel i7 processors in a 1156 socket. That means that the board is versatile, in terms of processor, giving the user support for the best Intel chip on offer. Four RAM slots can take up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, arrayed in two dual channel banks. This board does not offer on-board video capabilities, which is another nod towards its gaming focus. That said, it only has one video PCI Express slot available. The implication, then, is that it is aimed at mid to high level gamers, who don’t necessarily want to use SLI or Crossfire configurations. It does offer three PCI express slots for other cards, though. Naturally, it supports on-board audio, with a standard 7.1 audio jack configuration as part of the rear port array. g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Additionally, the board sports 8 USB 3.0 ports, which is a great bonus, with support for a further 12 USB 2.0 ports (10 external, 4 internal.) The board uses MSI’s DRMOS technology, delivering MOSFET speeds that are up to 400% faster than the norm. Active Phase Switching technology means that the board will also chew up less power than other boards, making it economical as well as quick. And for the overclockers? OC Genie technology means that the CPU and memory of the board can be intelligently overclocked with just the push of a single button, built onto the board itself. While this may not give hard-core overclockers the versatility they desire, it does ensure system stability, and is more than enough of an option for mid-range tweakers. With a number of bundled software utilities and applications, as well as the versatility to perform as a power-saving system board and a good gaming board, the P55-CD53 is a good option for those who want their PCs to be powerful, but not necessarily driven to the max. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

AT A GLANCE: It may not be the top overclocking board around, but it’s a great all-rounder.

Score

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R899 Tech Specs: • 1 x Video PCIe slot • 8-Channel audio • 8 x USB 3.0 slots • Socket 1156 • 10/100/1000 LAN • DrMOS • OC Genie

Pros: • Solid performance • USB 3.0 • Easy overclocking • Excellent price Cons: • No on-board VGA • One video card slot

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Gigabyte Super Overclock HD5870

Lookin’ Hot! Packs an explosive graphic punch

by Walt Pretorius

f you’re a serious gamer – or you would like to be one – then the need for good PC equipment is obvious to you. Putting a PC together isn’t only about spending the most cash possible, but also about making informed choices when it comes to all those expensive components. And often the most expensive components in a serious PC gamer’s case is the graphics card. This is completely understandable… graphic performance provides the player with what he or she needs to interface with the computer and game software effectively. Graphics that are poor, or suffer from frame rate issues, can have a serious adverse effect on the gamer’s performance. Buying a top notch graphics card is vital to excelling in gaming. There are, naturally, many choices out there, ranging from pocket friendly numbers that will possibly not deliver all the goods, through to bank-breaking behemoths that speed through even the most complex graphics permutations like a hot knife through butter. The serious gamer is going to go for the latter, of course, but even here there is a wide range of choices. The decision, more

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often than not, comes down to chipset and brand. Although there is a lot of back-and-forth regarding chipsets, often in very technical terms, a lot of what the decision is based on is brand loyalty. Those loyal to the ATI Radeon Brand will find a good option in the form of a trusted brand: Gigabyte’s Super Overclock HD 5870. Gigabyte carefully select all the processors that go into these cards, settling only for top performers to bear their brand. The result is a card that not only performs well under normal load, but can effectively be overclocked for a performance increase of up to 30%, which is a rather big step up. As the name of the card implies, it is built for punishment of this type, and comes bundled with overclocking software that makes the process easy (if not entirely risk-free.) Built in Expert Power Switching systems also ensure that the card performs better than other HD 5870 cards, and the GPU Gauntlet Sorting system (which also ensures top notch GPUs) power consumption is lower than normal. Heat is dealt with by dual fans that are inclined, resulting in temperatures that are up to 25% cooler than g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

reference units. Copper piping not only makes the card look cool, but also assists in keeping temperatures as low as possible. In short, the Super Overclock HD 5870 promises great performance, and delivers it, too. The graphic performance is silky smooth, thanks in part to the powerful processor, the 1GB GDDR5 graphic RAM and the 3Dc image enhancing technology that the card employs. The card sports 2 DVI outputs, as well as an HDMI output and a Displayport output. The two DVI ports are mounted one above the other, which is a little strange, but does allow for the inclusion of the Displayport. The result is that the rear vent of the card is around half the size of those seen on other cards, but the heat extraction that it provides is still effective. In addition to excellent performance, the Gigabyte Super Overclock HD5870 looks the part, too – a bonus for those who have clear side panels in their cases. If you are an ATI fan, you can do much worse than this card, even if it does fall into a higher price bracket. g

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AT A GLANCE: A powerful graphic card for those who like their pictures ATI flavoured.

Score

Manufacturer: Gigabyte Distributor: Rectron Online: www.rectron.co.za RRP: R5999 Tech Specs: • 1GB GDDR 5 • Radeon HD5870 • 3Dc Image enhancement • 2 DVI • HDMI • Displayport

Pros: • Easy overclocking • Runs cool • Good performance Cons: • Expensive

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Apacer Giant II Dual Channel Memory Kit

Quite a Pair!

Carefully selected for peak performance by Walt Pretorius

AM is RAM, right? Wrong! People who really want to up the performance of their PC setup know that every element making up the computer is important, and RAM is a vital part of the balance that goes towards making up a great system. Still, surely just putting enough RAM in is good enough? To a degree that’s true, but if you’re after peak performance, you need more than just a lot of RAM. You need good RAM. When RAM is effectively paired, it works more quickly to ensure that your PC speeds along at a good pace. But effective pairing means a process of careful selection… That’s exactly what Apacer do when they put together their Giant II Dual Channel Memory kits. They are carefully selected from the word go, through the entire production process, to ensure high quality performance. Heat is taken care of by large copper heat sinks that enclose the modules. In terms of performance, this keeps each RAM module cooler, and performing better… and making overclocking of the RAM more effective. If you’re after top notch RAM, the Apacer Giant II Memory kit is a fantastic option. g

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AT A GLANCE: A good option for those looking for RAM that performs above par.

Score

Manufacturer: Apacer Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R1495 Tech Specs: • DDR3-2200 • 2x 2GB • Heat sink • Dual Channel selected

Pros: • Paired • Heat efficient • Effective under strain Cons: • Must be fitted correctly • A little expensive

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Gigabyte X58A-UD9 Motherboard

Gaming Monster A board with super-powers…

by Alex Scanlon

he word ‘monstrous’ doesn’t really have good connotations, but when it is applied to a motherboard, it can only mean good things. And Gigabyte’s X58A-UD9 is nothing if not monstrous. Even the packaging for the board is huge. But this board does raise some interesting questions, most importantly: “how much motherboard does one need?” The answer related to what you’re going to be using your PC for… and if you’re out to build a super-fast, mega-powered gaming rig, then this is a board you’ll want to consider. We’re not talking about playing around here. This is a serious piece of equipment that people who are going to put a lot of effort, time and – quite honestly – money into their rig. It’s not a board for an all-round desk-top, and it certainly doesn’t belong in an office, unless you need extreme power for your work. No, this is a gamer’s board, through and through. Sporting an Intel X58 chipset and supporting both i5 and i7 processors (socket 1366), the potential for gaming power is already implied. But things go further – much further – than that. One of the biggest deals is that this board works really

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well with water-cooling systems. While you don’t have to use water-cooling with it, the board ships with some parts already built for that kind of high-performance temperature control. While water cooling has been proven to be safe time and again, it is still something that an enthusiast will be after, rather than someone who is just ‘a bit keen.’ Part of this includes the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 system, and additional heats dissipation device that is incorporated into a water cooling system. You’ll have to buy a water-cooling system yourself… it’s not included here. That’s not where the implied performance of this mobo stops. It supports up to four graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire setups, meaning that the user can get an awesome amount of graphic power out of this board too. This will take up all of the available expansion slots (thanks to graphics cards being as bulky as they are these days) but with onboard sounds and an intelligent, dual LAN input system, there shouldn’t be too much need for more cards slotted in. And there’s more… the architecture of the board supports numerous systems that speed things up. USB g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

3.0 is just the start… SATA 3.0 gets more speed out of hard drives, too. 24 Phase Power technology delivers smooth power to the CPU, and makes for even and reliable overclocking. In addition, the X58A-UD9 comes with numerous software and hardware options to improve performance and power consumption. It’s a fantastic board. There’s no denying it. But it is also a massive board, in terms of what it can do, and it may be a little more than the average user needs. Power-users will love it – particularly those that are planning on a watercooled system – because it is fast, stable and extremely powerful in terms of what it can deliver and what it can support. Quite honestly, the only downside to this extremely good hardware is the price. It will leave a rather big dent in your bank balance, particularly when there are several capable, cheaper models available on the market. But you get what you pay for, and if you are willing to pay for the X58A-UD9, you will be getting and extremely awesome motherboard. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

AT A GLANCE: It might be really expensive, but power-users would love this board to bits!

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Manufacturer: Gigabyte Distributor: Rectron Online: www.rectron.co.za RRP: R6999 Tech Specs: • i5 / i7 supported • X58 chipset • USB 3.0 • SATA 3.0 • 24 Phase power • 7 PCIe x16 slots • 6 RAM slots

Pros: • Water-cooling support • Up to 4 graphics cards • Very quick Cons: • Expensive

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ASUS VG236H Monitor

Crystal Clear Working in three dimensions

by Jimmy Glue

CD monitors today come in many shapes and sizes, and while they might all seem to fulfil the same role rather effectively, ASUS has managed to go one step further with the VG236H, bringing something extra to the market. The 23” widescreen monitor features a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, making it full HD, and with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a 2ms response time, the images are guaranteed always to be crisp and clear. Since it’s an ASUS monitor, it has an excellent 100 000:1 Smart Contrast Ratio, displaying 16.7 million colours. This might not seem like relevant information for the average user, but it’s vitally important in order to achieve the desired level of display. The height of the monitor can also be adjusted at the base of the stand, but it’s advised to keep a hand on the monitor as it will shoot upwards rather quickly when the pin is released. One of the many great things about the VG236, is the

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fact that it is Nvidia 3D Vision ready. In essence, with the right hardware, the monitor is able to display 3D-enabled content in vivid 3D. The monitor comes boxed with the necessary equipment, such as the Nvidia glasses, the infrared emitter and a bunch of USB cables for charging. The system is rather easy to set up, as all that is required are the drivers to be installed, the 3D Vision player to be loaded, and then the screen will drastically come to life. In terms of hardware in order to make this happen, a GeForce 9800 or greater will be needed, which can become a pricy affair it the system doesn’t already have that in. That is one flaw that we found with the monitor, as no system specifications were indicated on the box. The content also comes with a DVI cable, which supports the 3D, but there is no sight of a HDMI cable, which makes things just a bit better and faster, and HDMI cables aren’t exactly cheap. Most consumers will use the same monitor for their PC g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

and gaming, and although gaming is entirely possible with the HDMI cable, don’t expect to see your games in 3D. The monitor requires HDMI 1.4, and sadly the Xbox 360S only pushes out 1.3, and the old Xbox producing 1.2. Then you also have the issue of the I.R emitter that needs to be plugged into a USB port, and neither the PS3 nor the Xbox has the drivers for that. But the 3D will change any video experience. It might sound like a bit of a cliché, but the images do really leap out to you. It takes a bit of a while to wrap your head (and your eyes) around it, but once you have become accustomed to the view, it’s truly amazing. Although the 3D works incredibly well, and the glasses fit over most standard spectacles, the amount of 3D content on the market can be a little bit lacking, and a little searching will be required to get hold of some titles. With that said, the VG236 is an excellent monitor to have. The images are crisp and clear, the 3D works great and the monitor looks good as well. The only real downfall we found was the absence of a headphone jack. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

AT A GLANCE: Although it doesn’t have headphone support, the 3D works incredibly well.

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Manufacturer: ASUS Distributor: ASUS Online: www.asus.com RRP: R5999 Tech Specs: • 1920x1080 (Full HD) • 120Hz refresh rate • 2ms Response time • 100 000:1 Smart Contrast Ratio • Nvidia 3D Vision • 550x420x250mm

Pros: • Supports 3D Vision • Full HD • Looks good Cons: • No headphone jack • Only works with Nvidia

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MSI N480GTX M2D15 Graphics Card

Top Contender Quiet, heat efficient and effective…

by Walt Pretorius

he need for good graphics is something that we keep mentioning whenever we review a product like this, but any video gamer worth his salt will know that excellent graphic performance can make the difference between a win and a loss in a game, whether against the computer or other players. This is one of the reasons why PC gamers are near-obssessive about upgrading. And graphic processor upgrades are arguably the most common type of improvements to be made to gamers’ computers. And even then, the elite are going to want a card that they can tweak for even more power. But getting the right card can be tricky. They’re expensive as it is – finding the right product for your money is essential, to avoid disappointment and worse, bad performance. MSI’s range of cards are a trusted product line the world over, with good reason. These cards deliver whisper-quiet performance, generally without a hitch. The N480GTX M2D15 we tested, for example, performed

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beautifully on all counts. It packs an NVidia 480 GTX chip, which is supported by 1.5GB of GDDR5 graphic RAM. It’s not the most RAM we’ve seen on a graphics card, but the powerful punch of the processor, combined with what is still a generous RAM, still makes for an excellent level of performance. Extra performances comes from the fact that the card supports PCI Express 2.0, and those that want even more power can make use of its SLI ready status to add a second graphics card to their system. Using the bundled MSI Afterburner Technology, the user can squeeze up to 15% extra performance out of the card, which is not bad at all. The card also incorporates PhysX technology, and is NVidia 3D Vision ready. The card is wonderfully stable, with tantalum core Hi-C capacitors and aluminium core solid capacitors, as well as a solid-state choke stabilising power usage, performance, temperature and even noise (because ring chokes can vibrate when under strain.) g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

With two DVI ports and a mini-HDMI port, the N480GTX can handle a dual monitor setup beautifully. The bundled software includes Live Update 4, an MSI package that automatically scans for BIOS, driver and utility updates, making the maintenance of the card’s related software a breeze. The addition of Afterburner also means that overclocking is simple and safe. If you’re looking for a card that is stable, effective and easy to use, this is a great option. The price isn’t too pocket-friendly, but no high end graphics cards are cheap these days. It’s good value for money, none the less – this silent, heat-efficient card strides along at a great pace, making for flawless, effortless gaming. The fact that it is 3D ready is also a big plus, as it can easily be updated with NVidia’s 3D system. Also, when compared to some of the other cards on offer, the price is really rather reasonable… MSI have yet to get ahead of themselves in terms of pricing. All in all, this offering from MSI is a solid product for NVidia 480 chipset fans. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

AT A GLANCE: A good performer for those who want excellent graphics.

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Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R4995 Tech Specs: • NVidia 480 chipset • 1536 MB RAM • 342 bits memory bus • SLI ready • 3D ready • 2 DVI outputs • Mini HDMI output

Pros: • Good software bundle • Quiet • Heat efficient Cons: • Price

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Boot Camp In the Lair

by thebanman

t the OC LAN in Cape Town last month The Lair teamed up with Flipi “Alcardu” Portman, Danny “Dislekcia” Day and Marc “Aequitas” Luck to run South Africa’s first StarCraft II BootCamp. This BootCamp saw a number of OC’s StarCraft II players join us in a skills transfer session, in which we

were able to coach players in their various openings and drill these openings using YABOT (Yet Another Build Order Tester). YABOT gives the player the opportunity to test various build orders and test their proficiency in executing these builds in the fastest possible time. For this BootCamp we had the players use the “Mental Loop” (Thanks to Day9) to help them improve their first 10 minutes of game play. This alone saw players game improve tenfold. One player kept shouting: “I can’t believe how many marines I had!” After we had taken the players through some drills and coached them on a few things to remember to maintain in their openings, we started working on countering cheese strategies that happen online. The event was a huge success, with players competing against each other in 1v1s. It was a great opportunity to get to know more of the community to pull them together and get to know each other. The Lair is looking to make this a regular fixture on our monthly calendar. A huge thanks goes to the team at OC for the use of their internet connection and hosting us at their event. Let’s whip round the country quick and see what is on the

cards for this month: Cape Town: The OC LAN 16 November 2010 will see the Bellville Velodrome chock-a-block full of gamers. R120 – R200 gets you in. This is dependent on what network connection you want and how soon you book your seat. Durban: The Frag LAN Frag is gearing up for its annual Showcase event on the 10th of December at the Edgewood College. As this is their showcase event R200 will get you in if you book online and R230 will get you in if you pay at the door. Johannesburg: The Mayhem LAN: Mayhem opens its doors on the 20th of November 2010 for its festival of all things gaming. R60 will get you in the doors. The Liberty LAN: Shelby and the boys open their doors on the 12th of November 2010 for Liberty’s November Event. The Lair will be running a DotA Tournament there. Check out http:// www.libertylan.co.za or http://thelair. co.za/ for more information. The Frag Arena LAN Noobab will be starting his braai and opening his doors on the 19th of November 2010 for this month’s Frag Arena LAN. R80 will get you in the doors. The Lair has relaunched its website: please take the time to stop on past www.thelair.co.za leave a comment or two and register as one of our members. g

This page is provided by The Lair www.thelair.co.za

Survive Live From Space

by Columnist A

ith the launch of a local Xbox Live service just around the corner, I thought I’d compile a “casual gamer’s guide to playing games online without being a complete ass-hat and just having a good time”. The name’s not catchy, but I’m working on it. Anyway, it’s a point list of things you should do if you want to have fun online. While you don’t have to stick to this, letter for letter, it will serve as a good set of guidelines to prevent you from falling into the trap of being a PRO GAMING JACKASS. Need proof that taking things seriously ruins them? Just look at all those guys in the Tour de France. They liked riding bikes as kids and got real good at it. Now they have to ride bikes through the French alps, eat French food, answer to the French doping police and live in French hotels. And everybody knows the French are about as much fun as setting yourself on fire.

• Don’t take losing seriously. • When you get team-killed, laugh about it. • Buy a rape whistle. • If some guy asks you to join his clan, blow your rape whistle. • Learn how to recognise pro players – they usually have similarities in their Gamertags. • If you’re losing a match against a team of pro players, don’t quit out before the match ends. This is bad etiquette. It also feeds their egos. • When you see some guy cheating (it will be obvious) don’t be afraid to use the Xbox Live reporting system to get his ass banned. Cheaters are like programmers who can’t legitimately get good at something. • Don’t send friend requests to every person you play against.

• Learn to love the flaws of the Matchmaking system in the games that use it. • Stop caring about your rank. • Stop caring about your kill/death ratio. • Be friendly to the gamers on the other end of the line. They’re nice. Usually. • If you’re 12, try not to talk. You’re going to say things 12-year-olds say. Nobody wants to hear them. • Tell jokes. The punchline is almost always your friend shouting because he missed a headshot while laughing. • Don’t be creepy to girl gamers. They are there to game with, not to cyberstalk. • And finally, make your Gamertag something funny and catchy. XXJohnny420XX is just dumb. g

• Don’t play with French people. • Find yourself against a team of frogs in Modern Warfare? Make fun of the French military history. • Use your gaming headset. • If you’re going to shout orders at your teammates, don’t swear. The guy without a headset has that sound playing over his audio system. His mom will ground him. • Again with the headset: mute it often if you’re a mouthbreather. • The Xbox controller is wireless, which means you’ll inevitably end up going to the toilet with the headset plugged in while having a chat. Just remember to mute it when you flush. • Don’t take winning seriously.

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