N-Core 2009

New Play Control | De Blob | A History of Zelda | Telltale Games

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N-Core | May 2009

Cover story

Super Mario Galaxy REVIEW - p30 N.Core in brief

News . Page 4

News

Previews . Page 14 Reviews . Page 29 N.Dex - Page 50

Previews

04 Wii Play Control

14 De Blob

07 Mad World

18 Mario Party DS

08 Pokémon Platinum

20 Advance Wars: Dark Conflict

09 News in brief

21 Preview wrap up

Nintendo revive some old favourites with a touch of Wii magic.

One of the goriest games to hit Wii this year has stirred up a touch of controversy.

The pocket monsters are returning to the UK soon, after sales success in the East.

A special Edgeworth package, A Boy and his Blob returns, plus a new look for Zelda.

Features

THQ sing a rainbow with their upcoming Wii release.

Are Hudson Soft on course to put the fun back into Mario’s minigame favourite?

War, what is it good for? Dark, gritty but promising strategy games on DS.

EA marry two different genres together in The Puzzling Adventure and more.

Reviews

Regulars

12 Telltale Games

30 Super Mario Galaxy

11 Opinion

23 Nintendo DSi

34 Chrono Trigger

46 Downloads

36 Resident Evil 4:Wii Edition

50 N-Dex

39 Monopoly

53 Next month

40 Review round up

54 And finally...

The makers of the Strong Bad Wii Ware series talk exclusively to us.

Our handy guide to the latest and greatest Ninty handheld.

43 The history of Zelda

As A Link to the Past arrives on Virtual Console, we celebrate this great series.

N.CORE Magazine May 2009

The daring plumber blasts off for his biggest adventure yet.

A never before seen in the UK RPG makes itself known on DS. It was terrific on GameCube. Can Wii controls make it even better?

The decades-old board game makes a surprisingly strong appearance on Wii. Babies, hedgehogs, poorly drawn Pac-men and more.

Sony throw their toys out of the pram again – just in time for the DSi launch.

The best games released this month on WiiWare and Virtual Console.

Can’t decide what to buy? At least make sure it’s something good, with our guide.

The mag is nearly over, but we’ll be back next month.

The last page of the magazine is always a pleasant surprise. Even to us.

All articles written by Mike Carter. All pages designed by Mike Carter. All images and intellectual properties copyright to their respective owners.

No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced or redistributed without prior permission from the editor.

N.CORE Magazine, May 2009 is part of Constantly Abbreviated productions. E-mail: m.carter@constantly-abbreviated.com

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We would like to play... Again!

GameCube classics remade for New Play Control collection NINTENDO have announced that they will soon be re-releasing a host of GameCube favourites on the Wii, with remote-based controls and enhanced features.

Under the New Play Control banner, seven titles from last generation will be updated and relaunched, which Nintendo president Satoru Iwata hopes will grant them the success they didn’t get last time around.

Speaking at a conference in Japan, Mr Iwata said: “Our research has revealed that, due to the fact that the GameCube hardware had not sufficiently penetrated into the market, there were a number of titles that many people were interested in but, in the end, did not purchase

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to play. In other words, such titles still have market potential.”

Those titles are Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Power Tennis, Chibi-Robo, the first two Metroid Prime titles and the original Pikmin games.

A second chance

THE GameCube took quite a beating during the previous console war, getting smashed by the 100 million-selling Playstation 2, and pushed down to third by Microsoft’s XBox. The situation is dramatically different now, as Nintendo recently saw Wii sales break the 50 million mark, and show no signs of slowing down yet. With this impressive performance

and the system’s expanded audience, Mr Iwata and company are looking to revive the fortunes of these forgotten titles.

And, rather than just going out and making a quick buck with poor waggle slapped on, Nintendo promise to deliver strong new controls, as well as improved features.

Pikmins 1 and 2 will take advantage of a new, and more flexible, save system while demonstrating the point-and-click controls which many expect to feature in the Wiispecific sequel.

Mario Power Tennis is expected to build on the mechanics that made Wii Sports tennis with the option of a similar control style (where

News | New Play Control

Wii will not be beaten Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is one of several GameCube classics in the New Play Control collection.

Second chance Little Chibi-Robo should be perfect for the expanded Wii audience.

Smash hit Mario Power Tennis is the ideal successor to Wii Sports’ tennis mode.

your in-game character directs itself) or a more specialist control mode.

The Metroid Prime re-releases are expected to adopt an identical control scheme to that seen in Prime 3 which launched on the Wii in 2007. At the time, critics heralded the title as having the most perfect control setup seen in any first person shooter.

The most exciting titles to watch, however, are Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat and Chibi-Robo.

Both were launched late in the GameCube’s life, and both are more than deserving of a bigger audience.

Jungle Beat was the third game released to take advantage of the GameCube’s unique bongo controller. A mad, musical platform adventure, we hope the Wiimote and nunchuk can carry off the experience just as well.

In Chibi-Robo, we have a terrific example of Nintendo gaming at its finest. Quirky and beautifully styled, the adventures of the titular

pint-sized robot failed to make an impression on the GameCube, but ticks all the right boxes for the wider Wii audience. With a variety of his in-game actions involving lifting and moving things, this should also have a strong new control scheme.

Long-time gaming enthusiast Frederick De Belle believes that the New Play Control collection could be the start of great things: “I think this Wii remake trend is one worth Nintendo pursuing: think of various shoot-em-up classics that can be added to this list to feature Wiimote functionality.

“If it follows the pricing point set out

by Resident 4: Wii Edition as well, there could be more fun to be had for only half of the original price.

“This is a very promising time indeed!”

“Nintendo believe that there is plenty of market space for these titles to succeed on Wii” N.05

News | MadWorld

Notoriety is the spice of life Gorefest passes BBFC THE Wii is set to see its most violent game release yet, after being successfully passed for release.

The British Board of Film Classification confirmed that MadWorld, a violent third-person action-adventure game, could be sold, though only to persons over the age of 18.

Since the Wii has built a strong reputation over the past two years as a family console, introducing parents and grandparents to gaming in ways unseen before in the industry, many see this as a dramatic shift for the console.

Published by Sega and developed by Platinum Games, MadWorld focuses on a character known simply as Jack, who is trapped in a twisted reality show where contestants must maim and kill each other using items found in the surrounding area.

First up to voice their concerns following the game’s announcement in August last year was John C Beyer, director of campaigners for decency within the entertainment business Mediawatch-UK. Although the 18 certificate means the game should be kept out of the hands of children, Mr Beyer criticised the BBFC’s decision, saying: “We have always said that violence in entertainment is a contributory factor to social and criminal violence.

“At a time of rising violent crime and aggressive behaviour we cannot see how violent games benefit our culture and society.

“I believe those who designed a game of this sort

acted irresponsibly and the Board compounds this by giving it a certificate.”

Sue Clark of the BBFC defended the board’s decision, saying: “The clear lack of realism, with the fantastical elements and cartoon style meant that the game could be classified at the 18 category.

Ms Clark also dismissed claims that the title had no place on Wii: “While we do take into account the platform, it is not our job to determine which games are released on which console, so the issue of the family friendly image of Wii is not relevant to our decision making process. There was no sustainable basis – legal or otherwise – for denying adults the ability to choose for themselves whether to play the game.”

Sega are now expected to confirm the release date for MadWorld in a few weeks.

Cut to the chase Jack’s massive chainsaw arm is quite eye-catching, we’ll admit.

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News | Pokémon Platinum

Monster success Pokémon Platinum takes Japan by storm

The rise and rise of the Pokémon franchise continues, with the third game in the latest generation, Platinum, selling almost one million copies in its first week on the market in Japan.

Figures show that the game shifted 992,000 copies in the East, following its release on September 13, and had more than doubled that figure by the end of 2008.

Joe Merrick, webmaster of long-running Pokémon fansite Serebii.net, says that the figures confirm the series’ growth from kiddy niche game to one of the classics: “As it continues to have strong sales, Pokémon has taken its place among memorable gaming franchises such as Mario, Zelda and Final Fantasy.

“Sales have even picked up compared to the third generation games, this shows that it will continue on as long as they keep the ideas fresh.”

Platinum takes its place in the fourth generation as the now-standard “third game”, following in the footsteps of Yellow, Crystal and Emerald. While its figures look strong, it still falls short of the record for a

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third game, held by the Yellow Pikachu Edition, released in 1999, which sold 1.3million in its first week in the East.

Out in the UK next month, Platinum follows on from 2007’s Diamond and Pearl with a wealth of tweaks to the storyline and gameplay, including the return of Emerald’s Battle Frontier, new forms for creatures including Giratina, Shaymin and Rotom and an improved Pokédex.

Catching, training, battling and trading are still the order of the day, but Joe says Platinum could be the best Pokémon game so far: “Building upon the features in Diamond and Pearl, Platinum adds so much more, including even more advanced WiFi options. Players have more choices for things to do, meaning it will last much longer than previous games.”

That’s another couple of hundred more hours gone from our lives then. Now, if only Gamefreak could put together a half-decent home console version of the series, we’d be sorted…

News | In Brief

No objections to this package Japanese Edgeworth fans get mega pre-order bonus THOSE Japanese are spoiled rotten, we tell you. It may be something to do with them living in the home of gaming, but the goodies they get are amazing.

Just have a gander at this package being released with the upcoming Perfect Prosecutor game!

We’re big Miles Edgeworth fans here at N-Core, and as if a game with the prosecutor wasn’t enough, we now see this.

The package comes with the game (obviously), a pamphlet from the recent

Ace Attorney concert, some character artwork, a card case, an orchestra minialbum, and a DVD of promotional trailers.

Old Edgy’s become a bit of a cult star since his appearance in the first Phoenix Wright game, so we’d hope that Capcom will see fit to give his Western fans a little love very soon.

Blob is back

An 80’s NES favourite is coming back on Wii

It’s bean a while Confectionary lover Blob has been away for 20 years.

NES fans are doing cartwheels this month, after Way Forward Games announced they are reviving an old favourite.

A Boy and His Blob was a cult hit on Nintendo’s first home console the NES way back in 1989. A DS update was revealed in 2005 but subsequently dropped. Things are looking much better for this Wii release.

Director Sean Velasco, said: “We want to make sure people know this is not a remake! It’s a whole new game that is more “inspired by” the original than anything else.”

Blobert and his nameless young companion will return, armed to the teeth with jelly beans which bestow Blob with amazing powers. Watch him transform into a trampoline, a bowling ball and even a cannon.

Velasco added: “We have a good mix of transformations.

Classics like the hole have returned. We’ve also added some crazy new transformations like a big ball that the boy can bounce around on.”

A legend reborn

Designer gives beloved Nintendo franchise a new look

Zelda II V2.0 We’d sell our kidneys for a full version of The Legend of Princess.

WHILE Nintendo work quietly on the next official Zelda adventure, a bright young indie designer has produced what he calls a love letter to the franchise.

Joakim Sandberg’s one level side-scrolling arcade interpretation of Link’s adventures, titled The Legend of Princess is a hit on the Internet, adding a fresh spin on a series almost as old as gaming itself.

The staples of the series are all there: Link, Keese, Octoroks, the boomerang, treasure chests, and even Dark Link.

But instead of the traditional steadypaced dungeon exploration, Joakim has created a breathless action platform romp

with hints of both Wario Land and Mega Man. Joakim, 21, says there was little motivation for his project other than his interest in the series and being “a big damn nerd”.

Comparisons have been made to the second Zelda game, The Adventure of Link, but Joakim says this was unintentional: “I try not to be influenced by anything specific; that’s not really great practice. In the end it’s a conglomeration of whatever my brain has picked up on from playing games.”

The Legend of Princess is a short, but very sweet adventure, be sure to check it out at www.konjak.org.

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Opinion | Mature gaming

Sony does what Sega wouldn’t

By calling the DSi childish, Sony look like the biggest kids of all, says editor Mike Carter…

S

ONY America’s director of hardware and marketing, John Koller, recently made an extraordinary attack on the Nintendo DSi, conveniently just in time for the system’s launch.

In a statement dismissing the new handheld as something simply for kids, Koller says that “significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored”, and that his company’s own tech the PlayStation Portable could do a much better job of satisfying those core gamer needs.

Mr Koller doesn’t seem to have been paying attention to the history of the DS, where the target audience has been everyone and will continue to be so with the DSi. The “Nintendo is for kids” argument died out long ago with titles now appealing to kids, parents, grandparents and everyone in between – including the core gamer.

One look at the DS library tells you how good the system has been to core gamers, with some prime RPGs in the form of Dragon Quest IV and V, Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy remakes, and top action games, including GTA: Chinatown Wars and Dementium: The Ward. With an install base of 100 million consoles across the globe, developers are more than aware of the wide

audience potential of the DS and DSi, and core gamers are being targeted.

With his claims, Koller has practically taken us back to the early 1990s, when Sega adverts proudly shouted that “Genesis does what Nintendon’t”. There’s just one big difference. While Sega managed to take a sizeable chunk out of Nintendo’s audience back then, Sony continue to flounder in today’s market with the second-most popular handheld (out of two) and the least popular home console.

Sega’s tagline was also a terrific bit of marketing. Witty and catchy, it continues to raise a smile to this day, even as a Nintendo fan. But Sony are just coming off as sore losers with this latest play, and poorly informed losers at that.

All grown up Huang stars in GTA: Chinatown Wars, the DS’s most adult game to date.

“The Nintendo is for kids argument died out long ago” E3 please me - one month to go WE are now just under a month away from the biggest date in the gaming calendar, the Electronic Entertainments Expo in Los Angeles.

The annual gathering of all the big names has had a rough couple of years as it was scaled down, but now it’s being scaled back up and there’s no better time to be a Nintendo gamer.

While last year’s showing from

the big N was seen by many as underwhelming, this year there should be no such fear.

Pikmin 3, left, is one of the safest bets for the show after its surprise announcement last year.

Meanwhile, Wii Sports Resort is on course for a July release, and with Spirit Tracks the freshest of DS announcements there’s plenty to look forward to.

But that’s just the stuff we know

to be coming up in the next few months. Development teams were confirmed to be working on new Zelda and Mario titles last year, and there’s always a chance that these will get a showing.

We’re always happy to go out on a limb with wild speculation, so here’s hoping for New Super Mario Bros 2, Kid Icarus Wii and a UK release date for Professor Layton and the Demon Box.

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Feature | Telltale Games

As the final episode of Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People hits Wii Ware, we talk to lead designer Mark Darin about transferring the internet hero from web to Wii

Q

First things first, what is with the title?

A

We spent about two months tossing around names for this series, all of which had us mumbling the woes of mediocrity.

Then, with only two days left before we had to finalise it for the announcement, Matt Chapman [of the Brothers Chaps, creators of Homestar Runner] threw out “Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People”, in the middle of a conference call! It stuck and the rest is history.

So yeah, pretty much anything the Chapmans say is pure gold!

Q

How did Telltale and Strong Bad get to join forces?

A

Telltale is always looking for new talent to partner with, and the Chapman Brothers seemed like a perfect match for several reasons. First and foremost, we just love Homestarrunner.com! The characters are silly and outrageous and the stories always make us laugh (something we like to do a lot around here). Also, the Chapmans were used to releasing their cartoons in an episodic format.

They have been producing weekly web content since 2000, so they really understood what we were trying to do.

When we talked to them we stressed that we really wanted to partner with them to make a game that fits their vision, not just cash in on familiar characters and throw them into a game that really didn’t make much sense to that universe. It was a marriage made in heaven!

Q A

Could you give us a timeline of the development process?

Initially, we spent several months brainstorming ideas for the episodes for

the season. Once we had that, we started writing the individual episodes. The designers gathered in a writers room setting and brainstorming ideas for plot points and puzzles everyday. Then, the director of the episode took all of those ideas and turned them into a script. The script was then sent to the Chapmans for approval.

Meanwhile, the artists started modeling the environments and characters. Once that was mostly complete, the programmers and game authors started wiring everything up in our engine. After weeks of testing and approvals, we finally released the game. Each episode took about two and a half months to get done!

Bad’s iconic laptop computer. The character is well known for sarcastically answering fan emails, so we set out to find a way for players to get their own virtual boxing gloves on his computer.

What we ended up with is the ability to compose an email on his laptop (Lappy), attach a screen shot (Strongbad can take pictures with his personal digital camera, Snappy, almost anywhere in the game) and send it to any of their Wii Friends – even friends who don’t have the game!

Q

A

What were your goals when making the game?

A

When we first started designing SBCG4AP, we knew that we wanted to capture the essence of the characters, but weren’t sure what kind of art style to go with.

In the early stages, we tried a few purely 3-D styles, but it started to feel less like Homestar and more like someone had just slapped the characters into a 3-D game. Instead we decided to really go after the Flash style graphics, but keep it in a 3-D universe. This helped us create what we called “Homestar +1”, which looks and feels like the Homestar universe that the fans already know and love while allowing players to truly explore the world and feel as though they are interacting with it!

Wii Connect 24 also piqued our interest. We knew we wanted to utilise this feature to allow players to form communities and communicate (brag, talk smack) with their friends. It seemed natural to do this through Strong

“We made this game because, first and foremost, we just love Homestar Runner!” - Mark Darin, Telltale Games N.12

Q

What were the biggest challenges when making SBCG4AP?

One of the biggest challenges was designing for the Wii Ware size limit. We kept the small file size in mind when designing, but fortunately it didn’t end up having much of an impact on our original concept!

The simple shapes and textures of the established Homestar universe aided in keeping

Action Man We’re still not sure how he types with those boxing gloves.

Feature | Telltale Games Second place star Homestar has never been as cool as Strong Bad. Fact.

Burninator

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the file size small and allowed us to maintain all of the game play elements and content that we wanted.

We thought that voice files were going to be a major problem and that we might have to cut content because of it, but in the end our technical wizards were able to perform some compression magic and we could keep everything from the design, even adding some details like the ever-changing Awesomeness Ranking image of Strong Bad!

Q

How much input did The Brothers Chaps have?

A

Quite a bit! Before writing the scripts, we spent a lot of time brainstorming with the Chapmans to come up with various plots, events, puzzles, and character moments that really fit the Homestar Runner universe.

As the writing process progressed, we checked in regularly with the brothers to ensure they liked the direction of the story.

Once the script was written, the Chapmans went over all of the dialogue, to make sure everything was perfect, re-writing several lines in the process to make them sound more “Strongbad-y”.

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in making gaming a family experience where anyone can just grab the Wii remote and start playing no matter what age or experience level they are.

We feel that the genre is perfect for that, letting the whole family gather around the TV, watching the story play out and helping each other solve the various puzzles.

Adventure games are one of the few games that can be enjoyed equally by a group of people even when only one person has the controller!

Q A

What’s next for Telltale Games?

Well, we have just launched our next monthly series: Wallace and Gromit’s

Grand Adventures for PC and XBox Live Arcade! We are working closely with Aardman Animations and are very excited about that!

Q

And how’s about Strong Bad and the rest of the Homestar crowd? Could we be seeing more games starring them in the future?

A

We don’t have any information to release about a second Strong Bad season at this moment in time, but we are definitely open to it!

All five episodes of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People are available now on WiiWare for 1,000 points each.

Q

The point-and-click genre appears to be going through a renaissance thanks to the Wii and DS. Exciting times for yourselves?

A

Sure! I see the point-and-click genre as one that is evolving. I already see its influence in hybrid games such as the Penny Arcade game and Mass Effect. I also think that the tried and true interface is so simple and intuitive to use that it is a fantastic way to introduce people into the world of story based games.

Story is a huge focus at Telltale and we do want people to feel welcome when picking up our games and not like they are learning to play a video game. The Wii is taking big strides

Looking Flash Mark and his team discovered early on that the only way to accurately recreate Strong Bad’s world was by mimicking the 2-D Flash graphics of his web-based adventures.

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Previews

“De Blob has all the charm and flair of a Nintendo title and looks set to be a real work of art!�

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Preview | De Blob

De Blob

A potential masterpiece coming soon

Format Wii - Publisher THQ - Developer Blue Tongue

I

N a gaming world where sequels reign supreme, it’s hard not to get excited when a new intellectual property comes along. While Nintendo are busy reviving old favourites, it falls to third parties developers to bring something fresh to our cynical old eyes.

Unfortunately, third parties have a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to developing on Wii – they are often as willing to try new ideas as we are to try a jam and spinach pasty. All too

often they will just churn out another bad minigame compilation or port of something from last generation. Worse, however, is when they choose to shift something over from the PS3 or 360, rip out 80 per cent of the content and lower the graphics to something the N64 would be insulted to spit out.

Thank goodness then that THQ and Blue Tongue have pulled their socks up and are seeking to change things with De Blob. This

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Preview | De Blob

An art day’s night These flashing buildings all need to be painted purple. Blob needs to get a move on.

largely platform-based title has its own unique style, strong graphics, content up the wazoo and a soundtrack that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

De Blob actually started its life as a PC title, developed by students at a Dutch game design college. It is still available online, and is almost as much fun as the Wii update appears to be so far. Check the panel on the next page to find out more.

In the original, you were a large, gelatinous alien with the ability to absorb coloured paints.

INKT agents were out to capture you to stop you from rolling over town residents to satisfy your lust for paint. You could paint surrounding buildings, trees and billboards to restore the drab landscape.

THQ were charmed by the simple premise and colourful graphics, and snatched up the rights to bring the project to the home consoles.

Developers Blue Tongue have given the game a bit of a facelift, but the simple original idea behind the game remains. Snag paint, splatter yourself

Blobbing along Arty arrows like this one point you towards new challenges.

over buildings and restore colour to the city.

IT all sounds simple enough, and it is. But De Blob is surprisingly content heavy for such a simple original idea.

The storyline has been tweaked, with Blob no longer an extra-terrestrial threat but a sociopolitical one. The INKT Corporation have taken away Raydia’s colours as a political statement which amounts to no fun for anyone. As the leading fighter of the Colour Underground, you smash Paintbots to reclaim colour and scoot around town, repainting buildings and landmarks.

Grey-t Expectations

YOU can just skim against the side of a building to paint it all one colour, jump on to them or launch yourself into the side for a very satisfying splat.

Paintbots come in the three primary colours, meaning you’ll need to mix these up to get the greens, purples, oranges and browns needed in certain locations.

Keep your eyes out for the Inky law enforcers, who will turn you black, eating away at your paint points and meaning anything you touch is back to its nasty grey.

However, behind the simple paint-whatyou-see structure is a wealth of side missions.

The scope of the game is incredible. Yes, you could zip through a city, recolour the necessary

“Painting a quarter of the landscape is easy, but can you cover every building, every tree, every cliff face?”

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Preview | De Blob

With a lick of paint...

You’re ink trouble now Blob needs to butt stomp these Inky police pests quickly.

De Blob had some very humble beginnings, as well as questionable taste in footwear...

Pattern powered The game’s soundtrack evolves as you paint more of the landscape.

Paint pals Multiplayer options add a little more fun to proceedings.

buildings to build up your Paint Points and open each gate and get to the end of each level in half an hour, but to get the most out of the game will require a lot more exploration.

Painting 25 per cent of the landscape is easy.

50 takes you up to a silver medal, 75 plus gold.

But can you paint every building, every tree, every cliff face? Fortunately, when you’re into the high 90s, the game map will loosely guide you to where your last few targets are.

Point multipliers kick in if you paint an avenue multiple colours, or perform a combo by jumping from building to building in one smooth move.

On top of this, your fellow members within the Colour Underground will offer specific challenges to crank up your score, including races, colour-painting challenges and enemy melees.

As well as re-painting the city with colour, there are collectables hidden away, including patterns, billboards and trees.

All these goals, and more, mean that De Blob’s 10 levels have the potential to feel like a lot more. Meeting all these objectives will eventually lead to a lot of unlockable bonus features from video clips to concept art and

more. That all comeson top of the warm feeling of satisfaction for perfecting a level. If you’re not into that sort of thing, the game won’t punish you. You can do as much or as little as you want in Blob’s world.

Picture Perfect?

THE controls in De Blob are functional, but unfortunately that’s the best thing we can say about them at this point. Blob’s new look allows him to turn into a complete ball, and glide around town in a very silky manner indeed with the analogue stick.

While waggle has been kept to a minimum, shaking the Wiimote to jump is not as smooth as, say, pressing the A button.

Blue Tongue might change this before the final release, but it’s a minor niggle which could probably be forgotten about with more time.

A little more attention could do to be paid to the multiplayer options.

The painting free-for-all that is Paint Match feels very basic as patterns are stripped from the formula. No matter how much paint you slap around – with one, two or three other people – the overall landscape still feels a bit dull. Blob Race is a bit more fun, as you and a friend/friends race to a specific, randomly

DE Blob was originally a PC-only game, produced in 2006 by the Utretcht School of the Arts.

The eight-man team spent four months developing the game to show off the redesigned area around the city’s train station.

The main objective of the game is identical to that found in the upcoming De Blob, with 17 target buildings to paint hiding within the monochrome metropolis.

However, there were a couple of things not seen in the Wii title. For starters, Blob wore trainers, weird huh?

Also, alongside the main building objectives, there were 50 coins to be rounded up for an unlockable final reward.

The game is still available on the net, so check it out for yourself at: www. binnenstad.hku.nl. selected, building. Blob On The Run sees one blob painting while everyone else has to hunt him down for the right to paint.

But these do just amount to a side distraction. The single-player quest is where the action really is and if the 10 plus other levels that Blue Tongue promise coming are as good as the opener we played, then De Blob could be a smash hit.

With a well-written, highly funny and somewhat political narrative, great graphics and a very funky soundtrack, it has all the charm and flair of a Nintendo title.

Fingers crossed, even if our tiny kinks aren’t addressed by the time we get the final code in a few issues’ time, we still expect this to be a real work of art.

5

Hype-o-meter (Out of 5) The most exciting new IP to hit a Nintendo console in a long time. A simple premise will appeal to the casual player, while the more hardcore will lap up the challenge of fully recolouring Blob’s world.

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Preview | Mario Party DS

Mario Party DS This handheld bash is a real cracker

Format DS - Publisher Nintendo - Developer Hudson Soft

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VERYONE’S favourite plumber can turn his hand to anything. While saving princesses remains his primary aim in life, he likes golf, tennis, karting and even the odd board game.

Sadly, Mario’s party series has been looking every one of its 11 years recently, with the whole experience losing the shine it once had.

The last three titles (Mario Parties 6, 7 and 8) have tried out new, but ultimately flawed, features while failing to address key issues like the tedious pace and the lack of excitement that other minigame series have brought.

Mario Party 8 was perhaps the biggest disappointment of them all. Despite being the first of the series on Wii, it very much felt like a GameCube title with Wiimote functionality slapped on.

As for its history on Nintendo’s handhelds,

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the less said about Mario Party Advance, the better. Then again, by mentioning the poor presentation, atrocious minigame selection and dire collection of bonus features of that title, we’d actually be working our way round to the main point with this preview: Mario Party DS looks set to be the exact opposite of Mario Party Advance in terms of quality and could be the best Mario Party experience so far.

Crash the party

MARIO Party DS is being developed by series regulars Hudson Soft. And, at long last, it seems as though they have listened to the complaints of gamers which have been made since the

very first Mario Party way back on the Nintendo 64.

Hudson Soft have streamlined the experience, making it much more player friendly and cutting down considerably on the time taken by computer players. No longer do you have to sit through every action they make, or idly watch a game between two players you have no control over. You’re told what happens and the action swiftly swings back to you (for which our A button is very grateful).

The core mechanics of the series remain.

You work your way around a different game board (there will be five in total) as your

“This could be the best Mario Party experience so far”

Preview | Mario Party DS

It’s a Mini-Me Bowser’s latest toy shrinks our heroes.

Meat teeter Luigi’s slippery feet get him into trouble yet again...

“The whole family can join in the fun with just the one game cartridge” favourite character, with mini-games at the end of every turn dishing out coins to the winner.

You can buy stars with coins, and whoever has the most stars at the end of play wins.

The game’s story mode sees Bowser shrink Mario and his pals down to mice-like proportions, and all of the minigames are designed with this plot and the handheld’s features in mind. There’s good use of the touch screen, the two screens and even the microphone. Nothing feels tacked on or forced, and each minigame is a very unique experience.

Tasks range from surfing on top of bars of soap, to tapping out a mechanical pencil as far as it will go. There are also the obvious tracing and tapping games, but there’s lots of variety, not to mention originality – something which has been missing from the series.

Hudson promise 60 plus minigames and all look set to be absolute crackers. But like most party titles the real fun will come in multiplayer mode.

Free for all

THE Party franchise was one of the earliest to take on board the idea of casual gamers.

The minigames were always accessible to new players right off the bat, so it is no surprise that the DS version is set to be just as approachable – if not more so – to the casual player.

While Hudson say they won’t be including an online multiplayer mode using the Nintendo WiFi Connection, they do promise that four

players will be allowed to take part in multiplayer action with just the one cartridge. This means that the whole family – providing they each have a DS – can join in the fun with just one £30 cartridge, rather than having to buy one each.

In addition to the boards unlocked in Story Mode, Hudson are developing a couple of extra multiplayer modes including a race to build a rocket, a climb to the top of a podium and a battle for the party players cup.

On top of all this is the promise of six puzzle games, three of which are familiar faces with a lick of Mario-themed paint, while the others are twists on old favourites including a Tetris clone and a triangle-matcher similar to internetfavourite Bejeweled.

Mario Party DS could be the perfect hangover cure for what was a particularly rough eighth home console game in the series.

Though there may not be any WiFi play, this still looks set to be a great multiplayer title.

4

Hype-o-meter (Out of 5) The last few Mario Parties could have been hosted by Steve Davis for all the fun they offer.

Fortunately, this looks set to be just what the doctor ordered for this ailing franchise. Jelly and ice cream all round!

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Preview | Advance Wars

Advance Wars: Dark Conflict

Playtime is over, this time it’s serious

Format DS - Publisher Nintendo - Developer Intelligent Systems

W

AR, so we’ve been told, is hell.

As seasoned veterans of the Advance Wars series, this comes as a bit of a shock to us. In three games we’ve been under the impression it was all rather charming, set amidst a rainbowcoloured battlefield with an infinite count of technicolour tanks at our disposal.

Not anymore it seems. Someone passed on the “War is hell” slogan to Intelligent Systems and as such this fourth game in the series, the second on DS, is a far darker affair. The brightly coloured games that have come before it are a distant memory, as is most of mankind according to the prologue. Ninety per cent of humanity has been wiped out, and those that

Air Strike There’s a definite nostalgic feel to the design of some of your weapons.

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“This is the update fans have been craving: Advance Wars is going online” remain are locked in warfare. It’s survival of the fittest, and you’re stuck in the middle.

Apocolypse Wow

THE basic gameplay that has served Advance Wars well over the years remains mostly unchanged. You’re still the commanding officer, controlling pint-sized army units to attack the CPU troops, capture enemy bases and recover money to build even more units. Each unit has different attributes, including the damage it does, the spaces it can move and the terrain it can traverse.

The gameplay-hijacking tomfoolery that was the Dual Strike powers have gone. CO Powers are still present, but no longer have such a powerful, potentially battle-turning, effect. Dark Conflict is very much a back to basics approach as you are made to focus on strategy far more than the previous installment did.

Alongside the single player campaign, of course, Dark Conflict comes with a range of multiplayer options. Each iteration of the franchise has built upon the multiplayer success of its predecessor and this is no

exception. In fact, this is the update that fans have been craving: Advance Wars is going online!

WiFi Wars Over 150 pre-made maps are available for wireless multiplayer, but Nintendo WiFi Connection has opened the game up to a massive new level of competition. Players can now create and upload their own mulitplayer maps, which can be tested and rated by players across the globe.

They can also search and download these maps for their own multiplayer games, based on ratings, preferences or just at random.

Online multiplayer is also available with friends or random players, with voice chat enabled for Friend Mode.

Despite the new look taking away some of the charm present in the previous games, the back to basics approach of the gameplay and the broad range of online features mean that we’re more than ready for this fight.

Hype-o-meter (Out of 5) If you don’t mind the gratuitous use of every shade of brown, there’s plenty to be excited about with this release. It’s a brave new direction, but could well pay off.

5

Preview | Shorts

Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure Format DS - Publisher Electronic Arts - Developer EA Tiburon

H

OT on the heels of dapper puzzle genius Professor Layton, EA introduce us to Mr Henry Hatsworth Esq. Looking like an ageing Mario in khaki, Henry seeks to steal Layton’s exceptionally tall crown as king of the neatly-twisted puzzle games on DS. Layton took the success of the Brain Training games to a whole new level, as he cleverly combined the Sudoku-loving crowd’s brain bending exercises with a deliciously crafted story. Henry’s also looking to combine puzzling with traditional gaming, but on a very different level. One part platformer, one part puzzler, it’s genuinely a game of two halves.

On the top screen, our moustachioed hero can run, jump and thwack enemies in traditional platform style. On the bottom screen, a simple but addictive block puzzle.

As enemies are defeated, they’re sent to the bottom screen. The player must create groups of three or more blocks (à la Tetris Attack and such like) to avoid them building up to the top of the screen and regenerating enemies.

It would be impossible to play both games at once, so the game works to keep a fair balance between the two so you can focus on one, but still need to switch back every so often.

Henry excels by getting these two ingredients to gel together incredibly well and you don’t feel like you’re Hype-o-meter (Out of 5) playing two different games. Providing It’s a very strange mix, but EA introduce enough variety to levels, unlike chilli and chocolate this could be a winnner. crisps we think it works!

4

British, me? No hiding Henry’s nationality here.

Double trouble Can you keep on top of the action on both screens?

Walk With Me Ghostbusters W Format DS - Publisher Nintendo - Developer Nintendo

Format Wii - Publisher Atari - Developer Red Fly Studio

II Fit has been huge, and as with most of Nintendo’s software that goes this way it isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon.

Fortunately, Nintendo’s latest casual offering to the DS crowd fits into this gap nicely.

Packaged with two pedometers (one for you, one for an equally flabby friend or relative and curiously renamed Activity Meters), you pop one in your pocket, wander as much or as little as you usually do, then wirelessly transmit the data to your DS for some charts and graphs based on the steps you take.

Up to four people can upload their data to the same game, and Walk With Me is the first DS title to come with Miis. You can upload your avatar straight off your Wii or use the built-in Mii maker. The big news on this front? You can actually pick outfits for your Mii. Alongside the statistics, graphs and tracky-wearing Miis, Nintendo want you to upload your steps to the World Step Count. The end

Stuffed The infamous Stay Puft marshmallow man gets the message.

Playing dress-up Now you can pick an outfit for your Mii.

goal is to walk more than 2.7billion miles, the average distance between Earth and Neptune. We’d better step on it (ha ha!) when the game comes out soon.

Hype-o-meter (Out of 5)

For those that like to walk, this may be a sound purchase. For the rest of us, not so much.

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WENTY years after the last film, with loads of cartoon and comic rehashes in between, we are finally reunited with the original Ghostbusters crew for this video game adventure.

The game is, in effect, the third movie in the series, set two years after Ghostbusters II (the one where the Statue of Liberty trod on everything in sight). As the ghostly goo hits the fan at an everincreasing rate, the team hire a trainee Ghostbuster to lighten their load. That trainee ’Buster, conveniently, is you.

As the new ’Buster recruit you travel around with your proton pack, zapping spooks and sucking them up into the ghost trap.

With the original cast and Hype-o-meter (Out of 5) writers on board, including Bill It’s taken 20 years, but at long Murray, this is set to be a truly authentic busting experience for last we have a very promising looking Ghostbusters game. fans of the films.

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You &

i

Our in-depth look at Nintendo’s new handheld

T

HOUGH the DS Lite has driven the Nintendo handheld brand to the dizzying 100 million sales mark, the Japanese masters are refusing to stop there.

By the time you read this, the Nintendo DSi will have hit store shelves, ushering in another chapter on what for some has been a surprisingly successful story so far.

At the announcement of the third iteration of the company’s dualscreen handheld back in October, president Satoru Iwata stated that he wanted a DS to be present in every household. Boasting a range

of new features, the DSi looks very much like an all-in-one gadget for families, while still supplying an excellent gaming experience.

The new additions will also offer fresh potential for the brains behind the games to come up with more original content.

After six months on the market in Japan, the console has sold two million units and similar sales are expected in the UK and America despite the current cash crisis.

Over the next few pages, we help you get the most from the new kit.

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Feature | Nintendo DSi

Good things, small packages What’s new? Lots. Here are some of the new features

W

HILE the DS Lite was just a scaling down of the first – and rather chunky – DS model, the DSi is a whole different update.

Though it is true that the DSi is four millimetres thinner than the Lite and weighs a fraction less, Nintendo have packed a lot of new features into the system, making it a great update to an already successful formula.

For £150, you will be getting not one but two 0.3 megapixel cameras.

Though that doesn’t sound like a lot (and compared to a lot of mobile phone cameras, isn’t), Nintendo have packed in a photo editing channel similar to that found on the Wii. With this, you can do wild things with your pictures, which we’ve highlighted over the page.

But these cameras aren’t just good for taking pictures. With the inclusion of some smart facial and movement recognition software, developers will be able to incorporate bodily actions into games, meaning wild flailing is no longer just for the Wii. At the moment, only one game takes advantage of this feature Wario Ware Snapped! available from the DSi Ware Shop. Though it’s not much of a Wario Ware game (featuring a handful of minigames compared to the usual couple of hundred) it is a competent tech demo giving us high hopes for the future.

All of your pictures can be displayed on the screens, now 17 per cent larger than those previously used, or store them on SD Card – which comes in place of the GameBoy Advance slot.

If your ears are jealous of all the treats your eyes are getting, fear not. You can also store music on your SD Cards and play those on the DSi. The system only supports AAC format, but anyone familiar with the Apple iPod should have no trouble with this.

Your sense of touch is also being given a gift, as the shiny finish of the Lite is dropped in favour of a soft matt finish. Fingerprints be gone!

Sadly, the DSi doesn’t have anything to please the sense of smell or taste (yet), but we wouldn’t put it past Nintendo in later iterations.

For now though, take a glance over our pick of the DSi’s new features.

Power Lights

It’s three for two on all DSi lights now, as a separate WiFi light has been added.

Power Button

Gone are the crazy key combos for a soft reset. Tap lightly to return to the menu.

Hold to turn off.

Goodbye GBA

“Nintendo have made the DSi as a great update to an already successful formula” N.24

The slimmer design means the GameBoy Advance slot has had to be removed. The end of an era.

New Screens

Bigger by 17 per cent, brighter by... Well, we couldn’t really tell. But there is an extra level.

Look ing out

Feature | Nintendo DSi

The exterior of the DSi has a few variations on its predecessor. A matt finish feels smoother in your hand and doesn’t give off a nasty looking shine; the DS icon has gone completely, meaning the whole thing is smooth to the touch; and there is a second 0.3 megapixel camera.

Two screens, and two cameras? Nintendo do like doubling up. Via the Photo Channel, you can switch between the snappers at the touch of a button, meaning you can still see what you are taking a picture of. We’re also hoping this means our own environments can be drawn into gaming worlds.

Speakers

New look, new sound.

More powerful, as you’d expect from an MP3 player.

Internal Camera

Weighing in at 0.3 megapixels, this points at you and sits beside the microphone.

SD Card Port

Just above the stylus is the new SD port, allowing you to transfer music, photos and, better, DSWare!

A second opinion WHEN the DSi was announced, people were sceptical about Nintendo’s decision to bring the DS into what appeared to be iPod territory.

As time passed, opinion softened and the future looks bright for the system.

Chris Simmons of video gaming webcomic, Digital Unrest, described the third pillar of Nintendo’s ever-growing casual strategy as “brilliant”, adding: “Nintendo are introducing a new iteration of an established piece of hardware, which can motivate consumers who already own a DS to repurchase the updated hardware and stay current, while simultaneously introducing features to even further expand the appeal of their product and draw in new customers. The end result will most likely be continued success for them.”

However, like many gamers he is still cautious of whether the DSi is a purchase for those who already have a DS Lite: “Cameras and music players are like DVD players, they are widely available as stand-alone units and are part of a variety of other products we use.

“Ultimately, DSi-specific games are the most important criterion affecting my decision to buy, though I think games will start to incorporate features that are only accessible using a DSi.” Daniel Friedlander of the Nintendo Podcast believes that the launch of the DSi is a good strategy, appealing to gadget lovers, as demonstrated by the sales in Japan.

Daniel says: “I think that the DSi as a whole is meant to cater more to the Japanese audience.

It seems to me that they care more about “convergence devices” than we do here in the western world.”

Daniel believes that while that is what the Japanese market is after, we in the UK and US will be looking at far different features: “While the music player and camera functions are great to have, I think the more exciting additions come in the form of other features, including downloadable content, built-in web browser, and games that are meant to work only on DSi. “In addition to that, let’s not forget the added homebrew potential created by Nintendo adding an integrated SD card slot, even if not intentional.”

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Feature | Nintendo DSi

Do something interesting

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Make it snappy THE two 0.3 megapixel cameras are the most obvious addition to the DSi, and though they don’t match up to the power of other digital cameras on the market, the Photo Channel demonstrates that there is plenty of fun to be had, and size is not everything.

The DSi Photo Channel comes with a range of filters to comically manipulate your pictures on the go. You can swap colours to Smurf

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yourself up, add wacky frames and stencils to bring more character to your handsome face or even go so far as to merge or compare your face with that of another.

The DSi comes with a fairly chunky 256MB memory for storing your snaps, but you can also keep them on SD Card and print them off, or send them wirelessly to other DSi users.

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Sound ideas One of the features of the past DS iterations that hasn’t seen a whole lot of action has been the microphone.

With the exception of the hit-and-miss voice commands in Nintendogs and a few blow-based minigames in Wario Ware Touched! there hasn’t been much use for the pinprick sized recorder.

All that changes now with a channel dedicated to the microphone,

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where you can record your voice – or any sound around you – and then add different effects.

Similar effects can be added to your music, stored on SD Card in AAC (MP4) format, via the Music Play Channel. The speakers do a fairly good job to your tunes, but headphones are far better. With headphones in, you can close the DSi lid and listen on the move.

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The worldwide web is your oyster The DSi comes with improved wireless and WiFi functionality, thanks to the quadrupled processing power of the unit.

The WiFi Connection is permanently connected, and though this drains battery it should provide service similar to that found with Wii Connect24 in future games.

For now, we have a faster and more efficient web browser,

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improved load times for WiFi compatible games, and the old favourite Pictochat.

The real excitement, however, comes from the DSi Shopping Channel. Following the success of Wii Ware, a range of titles that are downloadable for DSi are being made available, and we’ve got a selection of the best releases so far on the next page.

Ware

Feature | Nintendo DSi

will you spend your points?

DSi owners can expect new, weekly updates to the Shopping Channel, and here’s our pick of the first batch of releases

Mixed Messages

Real Football 2009

Wario Ware Snapped!

1000 Points, Activision

800 Points, Gameloft

500 Points, Nintendo

On the surface, it may seem like little more than Pictionary, but goes a little deeper than that as a more visual version of Chinese Whispers.

Player one is given a sentence and draws a picture of that sentence. Player two sees that picture and interprets it with a sentence. Player three draws a picture of that sentence, and so on.

This title lives and dies according to how many people you’re playing with, and whether they have any imagination.

If you can find five or more funny people to play with, this could be the game for you.

“A downloadable football game? For £8? It can’t be any good,” you say.

Well, sorry to make you look silly but this is actually the best release on DSi Ware so far.

With a control scheme, graphics and team rosters that stand up to the full-priced likes of Electronic Arts’ FIFA games, this is a really strong package.

DSi-specific extras include the ability to photograph anything you like, and turn it into a shirt design or ball style. Or, you could take a mugshot and become a player yourself.

Tragically short, but an excellent demonstration of the inbuilt face recognition software that comes with the DSi’s camera.

Wario and his chums have built their own rollercoaster, and over four different rides you will need to pull various faces or act out various shapes and moves with your body to complete a set of minigames.

The minigames are fantastically creative and result in lots of crazy faces and movements, all of which are kept on record for an end-of-stage picture montage.

Art Style: Decode

Paper Plane

Birds and Beans

500 Points, Skip Ltd

200 Points, Nintendo

200 Points, Nintendo

A real brain-bender, this one. Holding the DSi on its side (à la Brain Training), numbers scroll on to the touch screen where they must be shuffled and flipped in order to add up to 10.

Since the numbers are LCD-style, this means that fives can become twos, sixes become nines and vice versa.

Counting up to 10 has never been so frantic, as the game gathers pace and numbers fly in ever faster.

If Sudoku’s just got a little too tame for you, this is a great alternative.

A simple yet worryingly addictive game featuring, as many would guess, a paper plane.

Navigate your way around a near-endless obstacle course, with scores based on the number of obstructions you dodge.

Alongside Endless mode, Time Attack sees you try to get through one of eight different courses in the fastest time, while Race Mode allows you to play against a friend – on the same system, at the same time! All done through clever use of the DSi’s D-Pad and action button layout.

Another example of say-what-you-see game titling, as you play a small bird called Pyoro who shoots down beans which fall from the sky.

Should a bean land, it will destory one of the blocks which forms Pyoro’s floor, bringing him closer to a nasty end.

Different coloured beans have different effects when felled.

It’s another simple concept which can get you hooked without realising it. There are no extra modes on offer, but, as with Paper Plane, this is still a superb game for a mere two quid.

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.

N SCORE Contents

30 34 36 39 40

Super Mario Galaxy Mario takes one giant leap in possibly his best game ever.

Chrono Trigger RPG fans get another remake on DS, but it’s new to the UK. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition Leon is back, and this time he’s got waggle!

Monopoly Grab your top hat and comedy moustache for more family fun.

Briefs Ubisoft make us go all parental, while Sonic makes us go to sleep.

n.score explained

“Resident Evil 4:Wii Edition isn’t any old re-release. This is one of the top five games of last generation”

0 – 3 Insultingly bad games.

It’s amazing that these even manage to load.

4 – 5 Ho-hum, how wonderfully average. Not bad, just dull.

6 – 7 Games lurking in that misty “Okay” region. Might be worth a shot.

8 – 9 Good, perhaps even great. Just a few tweaks keeping it short of perfect.

10 Gaming excellence. Such perfection doesn’t grace our consoles often.

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Review | Super Mario Galaxy

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Review | Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy

Out of this world? Absolutely!

Format Wii - Publisher Nintendo - Developer Nintendo - Price £39.99 - Out Now

F

OR many people Super Mario 64 was the moment 3-D gaming got deadly serious and the title remains one of the best ever made. For most of those people, its GameCube follow-up Super Mario Sunshine will go down as one of gaming’s biggest disappointments. The F.L.U.D.D. water cannon left many people cold, taking away from proper platforming and the only fun being found in F.L.U.D.D.-less levels.

It seems Nintendo were listening to those opinions because that is basically Super Mario Galaxy, Mario’s first Wii adventure, in a nutshell.

However, if you reduce it to its simplest form, you in no way grant the game the credit it deserves. Galaxy is a masterpiece of astronomical proportions that hardcore Mario fans will love, while the console’s new casual audience will find grants them more “wow” moments than any minigame compilation ever could.

The game’s visually stunning opening sequence finds Princess Peach in great peril at the hands of lizard-tyrant Bowser, and Mario needing to jump to her rescue. This time however he must jump higher than before, into the far reaches of outer space.

From planet to planet and galaxy to galaxy, Mario’s got a phenomenal wealth of exploration to do if he’s going to recover the necessary stars to allow him to progress all the way to Bowser’s final keep and save his damsel.

Despite flying into space for his Wii debut, there are plenty of Mario’s old friends and enemies present – something which many would argue was missing from the Delfino Island-centric Sunshine.

There’s a perfect union of old and new here, as Goombas come at you in all-new shapes, sizes and

colours, Toads made their own space jump and there are more Koopas, Bullet Bills, Wigglers and Thwomps in new and old guises than you could imagine. But that’s just characters, we haven’t got stuck into the gameplay yet.

While Galaxy features the traditional run, jump and stomp mechanics of past Mario titles, Nintendo EAD have tweaked, updated and introduced features that could make this the most definitive Mario experience so far.

Over the 42 galaxies you can access from the central hub there are a vast array of challenges which will see you jumping from platform to platform, soaring from planet to planet or being blasted from one end of a galaxy to the other.

Initial concerns from fans that the game would consist of little more than flying around in empty space are utterly destroyed.

While the game could be considered more linear than the previous 3-D titles (a helping hand for the casual crowd), individual planets are chock full of content which takes full advantage of Mario’s improved arsenal of power-ups.

Got the power

WITH power-ups being practically non-existent in the previous 3-D games, Galaxy is going to leave fanboys giddy with delight as Mario has seven forms – four brand-new.

These include Bee, Boo, Ice

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Review | Super Mario Galaxy Toad Town treat The interactive opening cinematic is just one of the visual delights in Galaxy.

and Spring Mario – which are further detailed on the next page. Each power-up has been carefully thought through by the team, and while some of the newer forms may not be seen more than a couple of times, they could easily become classics akin to Fire and Flying Mario.

Even these have been given some greater treatment. While Flying Mario is an option that gives you the chance to soar around a full planet, Mario’s ability to sail through the skies from globe to globe is a visual feast – as is the whole game for that matter.

“Galaxy has pushed the Wii to its limits and brought an intergalactic wonderland to our eyes!”

Big is beautiful

exception of Mario’s usual yelps and yahoos courtesy of Charles Martinez).

Nintendo’s decision to do this will remain a mystery and it’s becoming a recurring issue with their games, but the tremendous orchestral score more than makes up for this shortcoming.

While the Wii has a bad reputation for not having the graphical power of its new generation brethren, from the look of Galaxy this is clearly down to little more than lazy developers. Galaxy has pushed the Wii to its limits and brought an intergalactic wonderland to our eyes which is the sort of thing all developers should be looking for with the system, rather than just spitting out some lastgeneration port with no visual improvements at all.

But it isn’t just your eyes which are in for a treat. Long-time Mario and Zelda composer Koji Kondo has been let loose with a full-piece orchestra for Galaxy – the first time ever for any Nintendo title. The end result is a delicious symphony of sound, adding a whole new layer of atmosphere to the visually-spectacular worlds. Retro tunes that may not have been heard for over a decade are given a whole new lease of life, and will have you humming along long after you’ve put the Wiimote down.

Nintendo have taken a bit of a step backwards with the voice work for Galaxy.

While Sunshine saw Bowser and his son chatting away, they’ve been reduced to roaring reptiles for some reason this time around, while the rest of the cast are equally mute (with the

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In Control

Playing with the Wiimote and nunchuk is an absolute delight. Unlike a lot of games that have been launched on Wii, Galaxy has kept the gimmicks to a minimum. Mario still runs with the analogue stick and jumps with the A button, but you can also shake the Wiimote to pull off one of the little red fella’s signature spin attacks. It’s simple but effective and allows you to deal a fair punch on one of the first bosses.

Even as a pointer, the Wiimote is astonishingly comfortable to work with and feels perfectly natural within a few minutes.

Pointing and pressing to collect or fire off Star Bits while running and jumping has become

Review | Super Mario Galaxy

Power up!

Mario’s got some new tricks up his sleeve

Pirannha Plant power This is one nasty weed, use your spin attack to take it down.

Bee Mario It’s been a while since Mario had a good animal-based power-up, and the bee suit is a worthy addition to the collection.

By holding A, Mario can hover, higher and higher for a limited time. He can also climb sticky, honey-coated cliff faces to reach new areas.

Star attraction There are 120 of these golden beauties to collect

completely automatic. This has also allowed Nintendo to implement a two-player co-op mode to proceedings, with a second player taking control of your Star Bit stash and launching them at enemies to help you on your way through. It’s basic, but a nice touch to get others involved.

There are also some elements where proper motion control is introduced. In a manta ray race, you’re twisting the Wiimote left and right to steer your aquatic steed at fantastically high speeds, while later you’re standing atop a glass sphere which holds your star. Holding the Wiimote upright, you tilt forwards or backwards and twist either side to navigate a perilously narrow golf course-esque track.

While playing this stage, it was impossible not to think how Super Monkey Ball could have done with this form of control when it was released on the Wii at launch. It’s the most intuitive steering mechanic witnessed so far on the system and it’s just a shame there weren’t more of these courses.

More for the core

Spring Mario Mario loves to jump, but who’d have thought how far he would go to reach such dizzying heights.

With the new spring mushroom, Mario’s body twists into a tight coil allowing him to bounce his way higher than ever before.

N.score A stunning achievement. Incredible depth is matched with classic gameplay and a balance of difficulty to open Mario’s world up to l verdic casual players as well. ina

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enemies, while also making perfectly timed jumps from moving or spinning platforms. The challenge is there, with a significant step-up from Mario 64, but thankfully nowhere near as frustrating as some of the stages found in Sunshine.

It is possible to complete the main story mode and stomp Bowser after collecting 60 stars, but those who are looking for more of a challenge can push all the way for the full 120 where Prankster Comets come into play.

These meteoric meddlers come in five different forms, changing the attribute of a specific stage for a new – and far more demanding – challenge. These range from coin collections to races against the clock.

And even when you’ve got all 120 stars with Mario, there’s something very special indeed that follows, which the completists will adore with all their little hearts. We won’t spoil it for you, but fans of a certain green brother will be delighted.

There is so much to love about Galaxy that it would be wrong to list it all here. The greatest joy from the game can only be experienced by playing it yourself. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of incredible moments which will leave you with one of the widest smiles you’ve worn for a while.

From the new power-ups to the greatest video game soundtrack for years, Super Mario Galaxy is Nintendo’s finest Wii title so far and will take an awful lot of beating. Knowing Shigeru Miyamoto and friends, they already have something special in mind. For now though, you need this game. It’s the most complete Mario experience in years and is perfect for casual and core gamers.

Ice Mario Everyone’s favourite the Fire Flower is joined by an ice variety, which gives our hero some wicked skating skills.

Ice Mario can freeze any water he touches, allowing him to race across rivers and even bounce his way up waterfalls.

A later level even sees you combining fire and ice!

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The question of difficulty is a tricky one to answer. While the main quest is more linear – specific areas are cordoned off or completely inaccessible at times – things are by no means an easy ride. Levels such as Battlerock Galaxy, Dreadnought Galaxy and Space Junk Galaxy ask you to duck and dive lasers and incoming

That’s just Peach-y Princess Toadstool gets kidnapped... again!

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Splish splash Koopa shells give Mario a speed boost underwater

Boo Mario This spooky new look is great fun to look at and gives Mario the power to slip through walls in typical ghostly fashion.

Best of all, unlike regular Boos, Boo Mario is not scared off when someone looks at him!

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Review | Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger Let’s do the timewarp... at last

Format DS - Publisher Square Enix - Developer Square Enix - Price £29.99 - Out Now

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T’S no secret that Europe has a history of stilted release dates. For example, Smash Bros Brawl took six months to get here following its Japanese release, and Professor Layton has only been available to us Brits for a few months while Easterners are getting a fourth game soon.

But these delays are no time at all when you consider that it has taken Square Enix 13 years to get around to bringing Chrono Trigger to RPG-loving Brits. The game has had all that time to build a very strong reputation in Japan and America, being hailed as one of the greatest titles of its genre.

The upside to our 13-year wait means that we’re actually getting the best version of the game possible, with lashings of extra content that hasn’t been available in its past SNES and

PlayStation releases. The use of the DS’s two screens also means we have one of the most intuitive interfaces of any RPG. Chrono Trigger begins in 1000 AD, with a traditional boy meets girl introduction. Crono meets Merle at his town’s Millenial Fair, where among the attractions is the demonstration of a teleportation machine built by his genius friend Lucca. Merle volunteers to try the machine out and is accidentally zapped back in time to 600 AD. Crono and Lucca chase after her as an adventure begins which will stretch all the way back to 65 million BC and right into the future of 2300 AD. The time travel mechanic is more than some gimmicky addition to make it a little bit different from other Japanese RPGs (and there are literally hundreds of those out there),

I’m the boss This fiery fellow is your final challenge in a Jurassic period dungeon.

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expanding the geographic potential of the small overworld, but adding new depth to puzzles. As anyone with a good knowledge of Back to the Future or Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure knows, with the right kind of thinking you can solve puzzles in the past to aid your progress in the future.

Both elements of the main quest and some of the sidequests take full advantage of this mechanic of cause-and-effect, and it’s no big deal if you have to leave a character behind for 400 years, you can just skip ahead in seconds to pick them up again.

Trigger happy

AS with all good RPGs though, there is a wealth of not-so-friendly characters to meet as well, including the scythe-wielding Magus, the Shrek-like ogre Ozzie and the biggest of the big bads Lavos.

To make the journey a little less daunting along the way, Crono and his friends make new allies from the different time periods, including the loveable Robo, gramatically-challenged queen of the cavepeople Ayla and a knight in frog-like armour. You’re allowed to have three members in your battle party at any time, allowing you to make the most of the game’s non-standard fight system.

Alongside traditional attacks and spells, with enemies having set weaknesses, similar to RockPaper-Scissors, Chrono Trigger implements a Dual and Triple Tech fight system.

By combining the spells of two or three party members, you can use much more powerful attacks which pack a very mighty punch. It’s simple and very effective, and the animations of the battles are some of the best we’ve seen, even out-shining those seen in the more recent Pokémon games.

There are no random battles in Chrono Trigger. All upcoming enemies are clear to see, and you can skip them if you wish but as is

Review | Chrono Trigger

Naptime Even time-travelling heroes need a little downtime.

Big, bad battles The game’s battle system is controlled entirely on the touchscreen.

It’s gonna take some time

To beat the mean quest will take you upwards of 20 hours. But that doesn’t mean you’ve even seen half of what Chrono Trigger has to offer. There’s lots of sidequesting to be done, lots of items to collect and, on top of this, a mind-blowing 14 different endings to unlock.

Chances are, you’ll work your way through from start to conventional finish on your first playthrough, but new endings are available depending upon your actions in the game and when you decide to take on the final boss.

Dedicated players will lap up the challenge of finding every secret, and Square have added a brand new finale for DS owners. But this is not the only extra.

The Lost Sanctum is rather forgettable, with no relevance to the main storyline and is little

more than a series of fetch quests. Far better are the Dimensional Vortices, which are unlocked when you finally beat the game.

These three new dungeons offer extra puzzles and extra boss fights, set around a series of randomly generated rooms. They will take just a couple of hours to beat, but are a good extra for completists who have to explore every inch of a game.

The third big addition is the Arena of Ages.

This sees you breeding and training blob-like Smidges into powerful magic-wielders. It’s a nice distraction, improved considerably when you link up wirelessly with a friend.

Chrono Trigger is a terrific example of a 90s RPG, and is still an impressive game in today’s market. An excellent storyline is supported by top notch gameplay, entertaining characters and one of the best scripts going. In Japan and America, this is just a port, albeit one of the best ports, but for us this is a brand new experience. That it took so long to reach us is a tragedy, but it was well worth the wait and comes highly recommended.

A 13-year-old game, but brand new for the UK, this is an essential purchase for RPGlovers with an incredible storyline and the al verdic most impressive replay value of Fin any game on DS.

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RPG tradition, the more you fight the faster you power up, the sooner you get to use those more powerful moves and the easier later bosses will be.

The 16-bit graphics show their age a little, and it is a shame Square didn’t see fit to translate the game into 3-D as they have with their Final Fantasy updates, but at the same time we couldn’t help but think “Why mess with a classic?”

A game is never all about its graphics, and Chrono Trigger has the storyline and gameplay that have absolutely stood the test of time.

On top of this is one of video gaming’s greatest soundtracks. Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu’s score is one of the most epic and moving ever produced, easily on a par with the orchestrated Super Mario Galaxy score, yet entirely in MIDI.

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Review | Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition A terrifying GameCube favourite is Format Wii - Publisher Capcom - Developer Capcom - Price £19.99 - Out Now

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ITH versions for GameCube, PS2 and PC, you’d be forgiven for thinking Capcom were shamelessly riding the Wii-make gravy train with this latest addition to Resident Evil 4’s growing CV. But Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition isn’t any old re-release. This is one of the top five games released last generation and a must have in any gamer’s collection. With critical and commercial success, RE4 breathed new life into the franchise and the whole horror-survival genre.

For those of you late to the Resident Evil party, a little background information. The franchise began in 1996 on the PlayStation with one of the first horror survival games that really grabbed people’s attention. Killing zombies was the order of the day, as legions of the undead sought your blood, stopping at almost nothing to get a taste of your juicy flesh.

There have been a host of remakes and sequels since. The first three games were seen on the GameCube before Resident Evil 4 came along, and RE1 was remade for the DS during the early months of that console.

In each title, the mysterious Umbrella Corporation has been at the forefront of events. With RE4, however, we see a departure from the formula which has seen Capcom through the past 10 years.

Events take place in Europe, with former Special Tactics and Rescue Service (STARS)

operative Leon Kennedy trying to locate the President’s kidnapped daughter Ashley.

No longer is it shuffling zombies you have to fear, but virus-riddled local folk. Thoroughly ruthless, they still possess some intelligence including the ability to use tools as weapons – and one fella will leave you genuinely shocked should he get his hands on you.

Your mission gets more complicated and horrifying as you uncover the mysteries of the Los Plagas infection. Across traditional Resident Evil locales of ruined villages, spooky castles and haunted caves you’ll shoot your way through the hordes in a classic case of kill or be killed.

Back from the undead BUT the big question is, what is on offer for those who have played RE4 before?

For those of us who have only played the GameCube version, quite a lot. RE4: Wii Edition is based on the PlayStation 2 model, released several months after ours.

The extra development time allowed Capcom to put in extra story and gameplay options, including a brand new Separate Ways side adventure.

Building on the Assignment Ada mode from the Cube build, the five-chapter adventure gives more insight into the activities of Miss Ada Wong and her connections to the main plot.

There are also unlockable outfits for completing the game that weren’t available before.

For PS2 owners, the big changes come from the improved graphics – because, yes, the Wii can do very good graphics and we wish more developers would take their time on that – and faster loading times.

For both parties the major improvement comes from the controls. As seen in Metroid Prime: Corruption, the Wii is made for shooters and the added precision of the Wii remote looks set to revolutionise third person shooters, just as it did first person titles.

In Control

WITH the Wiimote as your pistol, machine gun or crossbow, speed and accuracy are vastly improved. This means something very special to all shooter fans – more headshots. You can also carry off a lot more potshots on small, fast moving prey like crows and dogs.

The old Resident Evil glitch of only being able to shoot when standing perfectly still remains, but after years with the series we’ve grown used to it, and new players should adjust within 20-30 minutes playtime.

As with all Wii remakes waggle is included, but is reserved for quick time events that are few and far between. They add a little extra immersion to proceedings without getting in the way too often.

So, with the additional content, improved controls and a discount price (under £20) RE4: Wii Edition is absolutely worth the purchase. Even if you’ve experienced the title before in one of its many guises, this is easily the definitive version. If you haven’t played it before, you’re officially out of excuses now.

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The best Resident Evil game just got better.

The Wiimote controls are a fantastic step forward for this Cube classic that everyone absolutely has to play. It’s cheaper inal verdic F than most Wii games too!

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Trigger happy The Wii remote is perfectly designed for shooters like RE4.

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Review | Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

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Review | Monopoly

Rich man’s world Be careful, Monopoly Man. At your age, you could break a hip if you trip over those hotels.

Monopoly

Will you get ‘board’ of this family game?

Format Wii - Publisher Electronic Arts - Developer Electronic Arts - Price £29.99 - Out Now strategy and Lady Luck play their parts in seeing some players make their fortune, and others scraping pennies together.

EA have faithfully recreated the traditional way to play for the Wii edition with Monopoly Mode, but also offers a Richest Edition format for shorter games. Both of these modes can have the settings adjusted for specific time limits and difficulties.

Back to the Old Kent Road

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The complete Monopoly package, and then some. EA have done well to give the traditional boxed game a run for its l verdic money here. ina ay

The game begins with just the standard London-based board and one with an international flavour, but EA have produced seven other novelty boards which can be unlocked for various achievements.

As a family-orientated title, you can expect a variety of minigames added, breaking down specific events from the Community Chest and Chance cards. All feature a little bit of Wii-waggle that younger players will enjoy, but some older gamers might just want out of the way.

On top of these modes and features there are some obvious benefits to the Wii version over the real world one.

For starters, you’re no longer facing the complicated unpacking and setup that the board game typically needs, the Wii will do it all for you.

Second, the computer is always playing as banker, and so any debts or credits that need

to be dealt with are automated. Of course, it depends on how honest a player you are whether this is a good or bad thing.

There are, however, some limitations on the Wii version that aren’t present in the traditional game. While in the real world version you can often play with up to eight people, you are restricted to four players for the virtual incarnation.

The graphics are also a little difficult on the eyes should your television be a bit on the small side. It can be difficult to work out who owns which property at times.

However, this is still a pretty good game for the price. It’s well-presented, has a broad range of features and has several positives over the traditional boxed form.

Though it is a tenner more, the positives certainly out weigh the negatives, and if you’re looking for a game to bring the whole family together that Grandma might have a better chance of recognising, this could well be the title for you.

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HIS issue, we’ve previewed the upcoming handheld variation of a successful Nintendo home console board game series.

Now, we have the home console version of a regular board game series in Monopoly.

Board game to video game transfers have had a bit of a mixed history on Nintendo consoles. The problem is that there are very few ways to stretch the formula usually.

With Scrabble, you’re placing words down on a flat surface, and even the makers seem to think the only way to spice things up is by throwing in slightly naughty words.

Pop-Up Pirate, though not strictly a board game, was given a splash of fireworks on WiiWare, but was uninspired.

So what could possibly make Monopoly a worthy purchase? How could Electronic Arts take what is sometimes a two-hour long board game and make it fun for all the family on Wii? Let’s start with the basics, for anyone who has somehow managed to miss this game during its 70 years on the market in traditional form.

Players compete against each other to build a vast property portfolio, including train stations and utilities, adding houses and hotels and charging rent to other players who land on their properties. Every game is different, as

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N.SCORE Round-up Buckle up as we speed our way through this month’s other releases

Imagine Babies Format DS - Publisher Ubisoft - Developer Ubisoft - Price £29.99 - Out Now

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adorable distraction, but little more than that. Household chores including vacuuming and washing the dishes break up the baby action, while training your own daughter into an aspiring housewife.

The problem, however, is that while the mini-games are technically sound and the charm of the babies is spot on, there is so little variety in the activities that even the most baby-loving gamer may grow tired quickly.

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Does what it does well, but doesn’t try to stretch the DS or the inal verdic F player. Cute, if you don’t mind gender-stereotyping your daughter.

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HE testosterone-heavy N-Core towers are probably not the best testing ground for a title which sits in the “babysitting simulator” genre.

This is absolutely aimed at the under-eight girl gamer demographic – the kind of girl who is looking to graduate from coochy-coochycooing over an inanimate doll and preparing herself for her teen years of earning a few quid looking after someone else’s kids.

In that sense, Imagine Babies is an excellent game. There are some well-developed minigames and customisation options for your wee nippers, and the six different tots you have to look after are all unique – as kids are.

Dressing up your babies is an

I had an accident Nothing says cute like a poorly colour coordinated hat and baby-grow ensemble.

Pac-Pix

Format DS - Publisher Konami - Developer Konami - Price £24.99 - Out Now

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comes at every sixth level, but fail at this and you must start the stage all over again.

Graphically, Pac-Pix is very much a game of two halves. The characters are all bright and capture the storybook style very well, but the backgrounds are very drab brown and as we said fail to vary from level to level.

The soundtrack is a series of remixes from past Pac-Man games, but are largely unmemorable. Pac-Man’s trademark “wakkawakka” is present, as one would expect.

While it starts out with an innovative idea, Pac-Pix fails to build on this with a mostly bland design and consistent repetition. It’s also somewhat hampered by the game’s fussy symbol recognition software.

Ultimately, while we like the idea there isn’t much reward here for the price. If you’re curious, wait til this hits the bargain bins.

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A neat idea but very repetitive. Some poor doodle recognition adds al verdic Fin some unnecessary frustration to the mix. Not really worth the £25 price tag.

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Pac attack Drawing our bright yellow hero is a neat idea, but that’s as good as it gets.

S concepts go, the ability to draw your own gaming hero is one of the best. Drawn to Life was a storming success, so surely a game with a name like Pac-Man attached is a winnner, right?

Pac-Man has found himself trapped within a magic book and can only escape with the help of the mystical Ghost Pen. Using the stylus, you draw Pac-Man on the bottom screen and watch him charge around, chomping away at anything that crosses his path.

You can draw barriers to change Pac-Man’s direction, as well as additional malformed Pacs to speed up the spook eating process.

Later on you recieve new symbols to draw and new powers, including arrows and bombs.

While there is definitely something appealing about watching your mutant Pacdoodle come to life, it is a novelty which wears thin very quickly and exposes the hollow nature of this game.

The 12 stages are broken up by different levels, but all look exactly the same, with the only difference being the number of enemies which are trying to take you out. A boss fight

Sonic Unleashed

Review | Round-up

Format Wii- Publisher Sega - Developer Dimps - Price £39.99 - Out Now

Hogging the game Sonic’s hairier, scarier form takes up way too much play time.

Round the bend You may like these daylight stages, but you won’t see many of them.

On the skids Sonic’s new power slide is one of the few additions we like.

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can turn into a long-armed, sharp-toothed werehog when night falls.

Night falls all too often in Unleashed and some pretty decent daytime levels with the hedgehog’s usual speeding form are interrupted by slow, ploddy Wiimote flailing.

The end result is a disappointing mess which will yet again leave long-time fans weeping.

N.score The daytime stages are fast, frenetic and l verdic fun, but there’s not enough of ina them. The werehog is horrible F to control and takes up far too much game time.

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hile Mario has had incredible success in the third dimension, his Sega countepart Sonic has had a torrid time with the move.

His latest title unfortunately continues the downward spiral of games starring the blue blur.

As is traditional for the franchise of late, this game comes with a gimmick. This time, Sonic

We Love Golf! Endless Ocean Format Wii- Publisher Capcom - Developer Camelot Price £39.99 - Out Now

Knight’s putt Yes, this is a pretty quirky game. What gave it away?

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character matches. An online mode is available to play with both those you know – via Friend Codes – and those you don’t – in the suitably titled World Play. You can also play offline with up to three other people.

While we still await MotionPlus for all our ridiculously accurate swinging needs, We Love Golf does a fairly good job of interpreting our swing strength and shot direction.

A range of colourful avatars – including unlockable characters based off of Capcom favourites – are available, giving this additional lasting appeal.

You rays me up There’s a wealth of wildlife in the big, and literally endless, blue.

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An extremely cutesy exterior contains a fairly solid golf inal verdic F game. Lots of modes and additional content will keep you busy.

hen is a game not a game? When it’s a sea exploration simulator, which in this case is exactly what Endless Ocean is.

As a nameless scuba diver, you explore the Manoa Lai seas running into various sea creatures, taking pictures and finding hidden treasures.

In a world where the majority of video games focus on blowing another player or passing NPC to hell, this is an incredibly relaxing change of pace.

Nintendo WiFi Connection also A unique new experience which means that a friend can dive into won’t be to everyone’s al verdic your different stretch of big blue, or Fin taste but is a treat for vice versa. those who like to idle It’s also terrific value for money away the hours. for a penny shy of 20 s-quid.

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LTHOUGH Wii Sports has a perfectly satisfactory golf game, we’ve been crying out for a proper title based on the retired gent’s favourite sport.

At long last, Camelot – the people behind the superb Toadstool Tour for GameCube and several other Nintendo sports gems – have delivered with this brightly-coloured but technically sound interpretation.

There are seven different modes on offer, including a tournament, ring and target shot practices and

Format Wii- Publisher Nintendo - Developer Arika Price £19.99 - Out Now

A HISTORY OF

With A Link to the Past arriving on Virtual Console and the announcement of Spirit Tracks, we look back at one of Nintendo’s finest franchises...

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EFORE Nintendo came along, video games were still the single-screened titles found in arcades. But in 1987, on their Family Computer System, Nintendo released a title which would change the face of gaming for years to come: The Legend of Zelda.

The action/adventure dungeon exploration quest was a huge leap forward in gaming as high scores were no longer the main objective. A whole wide world was opened up for the

player to explore, and series creator Shigeru Miyamoto would become a hero in the eyes of gamers everywhere..

The Zelda series has grown over the last 22 years, with a consistently high standard of gameplay and storytelling that continues to keep millions entertained.

Here, we look back at some of the key developments in the history of this incredible series which has become a legend in its own right...

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Feature | The Legend of Zelda

A HISTORY OF

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HEN Shigeru Miyamoto was assigned the task of producing two groundbreaking titles for Nintendo’s first home console, he may not have known it at the time, but he was giving birth to two of the biggest names in gaming.

With Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, Miyamoto would begin his march into the annals of gaming history. With these two hugely different games, the Kyoto-born producer showed just what he was made of: pure genius.

We all know how big Mario has become, with TV shows, films and heaven knows how many tonnes of merchandise to his name, but the Legend of Zelda series has stuck largely to what it knows best: utterly epic games.

If you’ve never played a Zelda game then you have been missing out on one of the deepest and most celebrated gaming experiences. The

Zelda has seen success across all the gaming mediums possible, in two and three dimensions, on home consoles and handhelds.

The games combine action/adventure gameplay with exploration and puzzle solving for what was and continues to be a unique experience. When the original Legend of Zelda was launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, it was the first game of its kind, with a vast overworld and deep labyrinths unseen in the arcade games of the past.

No longer were high scores the big draw, but this deep and sprawling world which you could explore however you liked.

An in-built save system meant that players could pick up and play whenever they liked, something which had not been seen before.

The game sold over six million copies and made Miyamoto a household name. But it was just the beginning. As gaming technology

“The Legend of Zelda has seen success in two and three dimensions, on home consoles and handhelds.” adventures of tunic-lover Link have provided some of the most compelling moments of video gaming for more than 20 years.

As Link, you explore the land of Hyrule, rescuing the lovely Princess Zelda from the evil Ganondorf (or just Ganon). Often, the mystical wish-granting Triforce is also at risk. and only you can explore the dungeons and rescue the tools needed to bring down the wicked Gerudo King.

Other villains and locales have been used in the past, but the Triforce saga remains the most frequently used and most loved theme in the Zelda cannon.

improved, Link’s adventures got bigger and better.

While each of the 14 games is memorable for its own reasons, the high point for the franchise came in 1998 with Ocarina of Time, a game which continues to be heralded as one of the greatest games ever made.

With Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass offering a glimpse of what new technology and new controls can offer a series as old as gaming itself and Miyamoto as sharp as ever, there could well be bigger and better things to come.

1987

1989

The Legend of Zelda (NES) Link’s first adventure sees him recovering the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom from dungeons scattered across Hyrule.

The game kicked your inquisitive nature right off the bat, hiding your sword in a nearby cave.

Zelda II (NES) The black sheep of the series had more of an RPG feel to it, but launched series staples including the magic meter and non-playing characters (NPCs).

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1992 A Link to the Past (SNES) A Light World/Dark World mechanic doubled the size of Hyrule in this prequel to the first two games explaining the origins of the Triforce saga.

1993 Link’s Awakening (GB) Link is washed up on the mysterious Koholint Island and must find out what is causing local deity The Windfish to experience nightmares.

Feature | The Legend of Zelda

A truly timeless adventure ANY gamer worth their salt knows the name Ocarina of Time.

When Shigeru Miyamoto released the first 3-D Zelda adventure in 1998, he introduced Nintendo fans to the most immersive gaming experience of the day, one which has stood the test of time and remains legendary.

The game starts with 11-year-old Link attempting to heal the Deku Tree from a curse within it. Though Link finds and defeats the cause, it is too late for the aging tree and he passes away. However, he leaves Link with a task – to meet Princess Zelda where a bigger adventure will unfold.

Like Link himself, gamers had no idea what lay ahead of them when first playing Ocarina. After rounding up three spirtual stones, it seems that Link’s quest is over, but it is only just beginning. When Link opens the Doors of Time, he allows Ganondorf to slip through, and seven years later Link awakes to a very different Hyrule.

With a thrilling and compelling plot that drives you through 20+ hours, incredibly designed dungeons, stunning bosses and the first chance to ride horseback across Hyrule, Ocarina was, and still is, a masterpiece.

There are too many golden moments to mention, and even if we did it would be taking away from the experience. Ocarina has so much for players to uncover that days could be lost digging deeper into it.

If you haven’t played it already, it’s about time you did. If you have, then we have no doubt that if we were to say “play it again”, you’d be digging out your N64 right now.

Favourite Past time

BEFORE Ocarina of Time came along, however, there was A Link to the Past.

Link’s first, and only, SNES adventure has recently been released on the Wii Virtual Console, and you can check out our full review on page 48.

2000 Majora’s Mask (N64) The darkest Zelda adventure saw Link up against the clock as he had three days to save Termina from a possessed mask and a falling moon.

2002 Wind Waker (Gamecube) With Hyrule lost beneath the waves, a new Link sails the Great Sea to rediscover the Triforce and defeat a resurrected Ganon.

2004 Four Sword Adventures (Gamecube) Link is split into four by the mystical Four Sword. Can he pull himself together and defeat Vaati the wind mage?

Tricky customer Dark sorceror Aghanim is not to be messed with.

2009 Zelda XVI (Wii) and Spirit Tracks (DS) Alright, so Zelda XVI is still a mystery (hopefully only until E3), but Link is back later this year in the all-new DS adventure Spirit Tracks. Details are still sketchy, but we know that there is a train involved...

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Downloads

Grab those Wii Points and get ready to spend, spend, spend IT may be hard to believe, but the Wii Ware service is just celebrating its first anniversary of original content made specifically for our favourite white box.

Adding to the fantastic service which the Virtual Console was already offering – with some of our favourite games of yesteryear – anyone who hasn’t got themselves online yet is missing out on some terrific titles.

Every month, we pick through the best which the Wii has to offer from its two download services, and this month we’ve got some crackers.

First up on Wii Ware we have the last episode in the hilarious Strong Bad series.

Having kept up the laughs for a good four episodes, it’s great to see that Telltale

have kept things together for the final chapter.

On the Virtual Console, a real treat. As well as the cracking A Link to the Past, Pokémon Snap – the most unique and engaging experience of all the ’Mon spin-offs – is now available on Wii with an exclusive update. Check over the page for more on that.

All-in-all, not a bad month for the Wii online. If you want in on the action, check out our panel below for information on how to get connected. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made!

Ticket to paradise Grab yourself a Wii points card to get started.

Wii like to shop Getting you and your console online couldn’t be simpler

You will need To use the Wii’s online service, you will need a broadband internet connection and a wireless router (such as the BT Home Hub). You’ll also need 5-10 minutes to set your Wii up.

Turn on, tune in The easiest way to get online is via a wireless router. Turn that on and head to your Wii Settings menu. Click through to the “Internet” tab, and then “Connection Settings”.

Pick a point Select a free “Connection” tab (labelled “None”), then “Wireless Connection”, followed by “Search for Access Point”.

Pick your router and enter any passwords if needed.

Testing, 1, 2, 3...

After a short connection test, you will be asked to update your Wii software. This can take a few minutes, but once that is done you are officially ready to go!

Time to shop From the main Wii menu, select the Wii Shop Channel. After a short load time, you will see the above menu with a choice of Virtual Console games, Wii Ware and Wii Channels.

Pay to Play To use the Wii Shop Channel, you will need Wii Points. You can either pick up a card at a local games retailer, or purchase some points via the Shop menu with a credit or debit card.

Take a look around Browsing through the different games on offer is quick and easy, and each game comes with a detailed description to help you decide which of the many great games to buy.

Download and play Once you’ve chosen your game, just hit the “Download” button and your Wii will do the rest.

Return to the Wii menu to find the new channel which contains your brand new game.

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Review | Strong Bad: 8-Bit is Enough

Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People Episode 5: 8-Bit is Enough The glove-wearing rogue’s series comes to an end, and finally our headlines can return to a normal length Developer Telltale Games - Price 1000 Points - Out Now

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It’s aliiiiiive! Strong Bad accidentally brings his arcade machine to life, endangering the whole world.

Strong Bad’s swansong on Wii Ware couldn’t be better. The manic al verdic Fin mix of graphical styles caused by the 8-bit invasion makes this a visual treat too.

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F you’ve read this far, you’ve almost certainly played the last four episodes of Strong Bad’s Ridiculously Long Titled Game For Driving Designers Mental [Ha ha, editorial team joke - Ed].

With each monthly episode being better than the one before, many of you may be worried that every in-joke has been covered, every ounce of fan service delivered and every angle of Strong Bad’s thoroughly warped character well explored, leaving nothing for this one.

But you’d be wrong.

The final episode provides the ultimate delivery on all three of those points, while also treating old school gaming fans, too.

This episode follows on neatly from the last, Dangeresque 3, with Strong Bad leaping from the couch and flying straight into his Trogdor arcade machine. The machine comes to life as its title character, and threatens to bring the gaming and real worlds crashing together.

Strong Bad must find a replacement for the 8-bit containment field, as well as a way to defeat a rampaging Trogdor.

As you would expect, there are plenty of laughs (so long as you’re familiar with Strong Bad’s weekly internet shenanigans) while the graphics, controls and features are unchanged from previous episodes, so it is left to the story to keep things feeling fresh.

Thankfully the addition of the burninator himself, Trogdor, is the ultimate treat and ensures that the story is as bizarre as all the previous episodes.

It’s an excellent send-off for the series, and the only downside is that it is the last episode. Just what are we going to do with ourselves this time next month..?

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Review | A Link to the Past

Up and at ’em All good RPGs start with a sleeping hero. It’s the law.

The Legend of Zelda:

A Link To The Past

A classic in every sense of the word

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Developer Nintendo - Originally Released 1991 - System SNES - Price 800 Points

S you might have gathered from our Zelda feature earlier, we think quite highly of Ocarina of Time.

The thing is, without A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time may never have been the stunning success that it ultimately was.

The original Legend of Zelda on the NES was just a teaser of things to come from Miyamoto and his soon to become legendary swordswinging series.

A Link to the Past refined the formula, adding a sense of direction and purpose alongside new layers of content, creating a definitive framework for most Zelda games since. Even Ocarina of Time.

When Link hears the voice of Princess Zelda calling him to rescue her from the castle, he learns of the Triforce, a golden power left behind by the gods when they created Hyrule,

and now being sought by the evil wizard Aghanim.

Link must go into Hyrule and recover the three pendants that will help him gain access to the blade of evil’s bane, the Master Sword.

But even then, his adventure is only just beginning.

Just as he thinks he has the power to defeat Aghanim, he finds himself transported to a parallel Hyrule, and only by crossing the void between the two worlds can evil truly be thwarted.

You will explore 12 intricately designed and graphically pleasing dungeons, solving a range of what are now classic Zelda puzzles and tackling furiously strong bosses.

Link is given an impressively large inventory to take on this quest, with items that were then brand new to the franchise, but are

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N.score The fact that Miyamoto himself has sought to replicate this game so many al verdic Fin times should tell you how good it is. The best 800 points you can spend this month.

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“The level and enemy design is some of the finest in any Zelda game”

now seen as staples of the series, such as the Hookshot and the Power Glove.

The level and enemy design of A Link to the Past is some of the finest in any Zelda game, and despite being almost 20 years old is still a joy to behold. Pleasing too is the soundtrack, Koji Kondo’s early work providing a distinct sound that is as impressive as his work on Super Mario Galaxy which we reviewed earlier.

Stretching over 15 hours, not taking into account sidequests that are hidden in all corners of Hyrule, A Link to the Past is excellent value for money, and a must have for any true Nintendo fan.

Anyone who has experienced, and loved, Ocarina of Time, but never played A Link to the Past will realise they have a lot to thank it for.

Review | Virtual Console

Pokémon Snap Smile and say “Pika-cheese!”

Developer Gamefreak - Originally Released 2000 - System N64 - Price 1200 Points

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HIS time, you’ve gotta snap ’em all, rather than catch ’em, in this charming and unique spin-off from Nintendo’s monster-snagging franchise.

You play the roll of Todd Snap, a budding photographer who has been called by Professor Oak to assist one of his many Pokémon studies.

From the comfort of your Zero One buggy, you travel across seven different locations on rails, taking pictures of the critters you pass. At the end of each stage you return to Oak’s laboratory to get your pictures scored.

Scoring is based upon the ’Mon you snap, its position and size in the frame, whether it’s facing you or not, and if it is doing any special moves.

While the game only features 63 of the 151 Pokémon that were known to exist at the time (before anyone realised the greatest creature went by the name of Cash Cow) there is still plenty of replayability to the title.

The gradual introduction of new tools for Zero One means that you will have to revisit locations to get some of the best shots.

Snap was one of the best looking titles released on the N64, and also came with the original anime cries of the creatures, rather than the poorly ported bloops and bleeps seen in Stadium and even Colosseum.

New to the Virtual Console version is the ability to e-mail your photos to other players’ message boards using Wii Connect24.

It’s a neat addition, but doesn’t offer much to the game itself. Fortunately, that’s still great – if a little short on creatures. If you’re looking for a change of Poké-pace, buy this.

Dig those moves Pikachu and pals do a little jig when you play the Pokéflute.

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Best of the rest

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A title which offers a very different spin on an old favourite, with improved al verdic Fin Wii features. Consider it the Endless Ocean of the Virtual Console, just not so endless.

A quick gander at some other VC releases this month

Adventures of Lolo 2 Super Street Fighter II Wrecking Crew HAL Laboratory, 1989, NES, 500 Points

Before Super Street Fighter II, 2-D fighters were a mess. Poorly designed, slow and a nightmare to control.

Capcom changed all that and set the benchmark for more than a decade of fighters to come, including the recent SF: Turbo on XBox 360.

With controls and moves that were al verdic revolutionary at the time, and a Fin strong two-player mode, this is a good purchase for fighter fans.

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Nintendo, 1989, NES, 500 Points

Mario swaps his plumber’s cap for a hard hat in this demolition-based puzzler, often overlooked in favour of Super Mario Bros.

Use your hammer to break down walls and ladders over 100 different stages. Strategy will be key to making sure you don’t get stuck and have to start over.

The single-player mode requires a fair bit of strategy and will take a while to beat, Final verdic and a two-player and design mode are available for afters.

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Cutesy adventure puzzling, as the blue ball returns.

Lolo works his way through 50 more fiendish puzzles to rescue his love from the Great Devil of Eggerland again.

If you loved the first, you’ll love this too. It’s no huge leap forward for the series, but the increased difficulty makes it worth a look.

The game’s theme is also as stick- Final verdic in-your-head-for-weeks addictive as ever.

Capcom, 1993, SNES, 800 Points

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The

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Our ultimate at-a-glance guide to the games you simply have to own on Wii and DS

Pick of the month on Wii: Okami Critical acclaim sadly does not always mean commercial success, such was the case of Okami when first released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2006.

This charming and unique adventure, developed by Viewtiful Joe creators Clover Studios, picked up Game of the Year awards left, right and centre, yet failed to make an impact on sales charts.

Luckily for us, publishers Capcom have seen fit to release the game again, on the Wii, and we can only hope that the fortunes of this instant classic will take a turn for the better.

As mystical Japanese deity Amaterasu, you must bring down the evil dragon Orochi using your mystical paint brush – deftly controlled via the Wiimote – and save the land around you from the darkness that has been enveloping it.

While Clover Studios has disbanded since Okami’s original release, new team Ready At Dawn have faithfully restored the game for Wii gamers.

When Okami was first released, many compared it to Twilight Princess, the Wii Zelda adventure which featured Link in a wolf-like state.

The fact of the matter is that Okami actually beats Twilight Princess in every respect. Sure, Twilight Princess is good, but Okami is a whole different level with its original story, massive main game and a wealth of sidequests.

If you’re looking for one of the deepest and most beautiful gaming experiences ever made, you must buy Okami. Right now. You can even finish the magazine later, we won’t mind.

Other top Wii titles

Super Smash Bros Brawl

No More Heroes

All of your favourite characters (and a few we don’t really care for) are back for another feature-packed edition of Nintendo’s ultimate beat-em-up. If you’re looking for content, look no further. With a huge cast, masses of unlockable extras and online action, this will keep you busy for months, if not years.

Suda 51 brings us another cult hit, as Travis Touchdown bids to hack and slash his way to the top of the League of Assassins.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Battalion Wars 2

Super Paper Mario

Taking the core features of the original and making them even better, this real time strategy sequel also has some great online modes.

Part RPG and part platformer, this may not be as good as the last two Paper Marios but is still a cracking adventure all the same.

One of the best sports titles available. We never thought we’d see this pair in the same game, but it’s here and it’s ace.

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Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Link’s Wii debut doesn’t quite beat Ocarina of Time, but is still one of the most epic Zelda adventures to date.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption The final game in the mind-blowing Prime series shows just what the Wii can do for first person shooters.

Mario Kart Wii

Zack & Wiki

Fast-paced, brightlycoloured and with the best online service seen in any Nintendo game, this is a real treat for boy (and girl) racers.

Avast range (geddit?) of puzzles await in this pirate adventure from Capcom.

Excellent design and gameplay make this a musthave title.

Wii Play

Boom Blox

A great package of nine minigames, but the real treat with this is the free Wiimote that comes bundled with it. Also features racing cows.

Steven Speilberg turns his hand to gaming and comes up with this frenzied physics-based puzzler.

Every game is different and there are dozens of modes.

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Top 10 Nintendo DS

Without these titles, you’re just not doing the dual-screen handheld justice Professor Layton and the Curious Village The professor and his young sidekick Luke investigate the mysteries of San Mystere, solving more than 130 brain-busting puzzles. along the way.

Created by a renowned Japanese brain expert, the puzzles require a mix of logic, skill and a little guesswork.

A deep and involving plot is brought together with some of the most devious puzzles thought up by the human mind for an experience that is perfect for both core and casual players.

Elite Beat Agents Tap along to The Rolling Stones, Madonna and The Village People to solve the problems of those in need.

Mad, but absolutely brilliant.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Who knew being a lawyer was such fun? This point-andclick law simulator will have you hooked for hours.

Metroid Prime: Hunters One of the best looking 3-D games on the DS and Samus’s first handheld FPS is an excellent hardcore game with WiFi extras.

New Super Mario Bros.

Mario’s first 2-D adventure in over a decade is an excellent nostalgia trip, bringing new graphics and gameplay to the mix.

Pokémon Diamond/ Pearl Worldwide battling and trading, and 493 different critters make these the biggest Pokémon games yet.

Animal Crossing: Wild World

More Brain Training

Say goodbye to the real world as you get sucked into this immersive and charming life simulator.

Dr Kawashima returns with more exercises to keep your brain young. Worth picking up if you missed the first.

Tetris DS

Wario Ware Touched

The 20-year-old puzzle favourite gets a fresh lick of paint and some new game modes. It’s just as addictive as it ever was.

Another 200 mad minigames making full use of the touch screen are unleashed in another superb megamix.

Top 5 on Wii Virtual Console

Don’t go wasting your Wii points, pick up some of these classics

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1000 points) The best game that has ever been released, it’s as simple as that.

If you’ve never played it, you’ve never lived.

Super Mario World (SNES, 800 points)

Kirby’s Adventure (NES, 500 points)

Super Metroid (SNES, 800 points)

Lylat Wars (N64, 1000 points)

The best 2-D Mario platformer on the Virtual Console. Bowser’s kidnapped the Princess, but that’s old news. What’s new? This was the first game to feature Yoshi!

The pink puff ball makes his home console debut with full foe-sucking abilities at his disposal. It’s bright, it’s cheerful and a great first platformer.

Samus returns to Planet Zebes to find the usual mix of chaos and destruction. One of the most impressive games, graphically, ever released on the Super Nintendo.

The highlight of the Star Fox series with some of the best courses in any shooter, stunning effects and memorable characters. Also features Slippy Toad. *facepalm*

Top 5 Wii Ware

While if you’re looking for something new, try these

Lost Winds (800 points)

FF:CC My Life as a King (1500 points)

Dr Mario & Germ Buster (1000 points)

Pop! (800 points)

World of Goo (1000 points)

Despite being heart-breakingly short, this is the best game on Wii Ware with all the charm and style that reminds you why you are a Nintendo gamer.

This city-building sim is the most expensive WiiWare title, but worth every point. Packed with features that will please any aspiring royal.

Dr Mario returns to cure all that ills you. Two unique single-player modes, WiFi multiplayer and Mii support make this the best puzzle package on Wii Ware.

The simplest ideas are always the most addictive and this is no exception. Pop bubbles, earn points, Even better than 16 yards of bubble wrap.

Physics has never been so fun!

What started as a simple online Flash game makes the move to Wii Ware with more content than you can shake a stick at.

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Next month....

EE FR imate Wii Ult Tips book

Rabbids go home!

Those bonkers bunnies are back, and they’ve ditched Rayman Hands on preview only in N.Core. Out June 12.

PLUS: Little King’s Story and first New Play Control titles reviewed, an exclusive World of Goo developer interview, Ninjatown hits DS and much, much more.

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Feature | It’s a surprise!

And finally...

With the removal of the GBA slot from our DSi, we mourn the loss of an old friend. Here’s our top 10 GameBoy Advance games 10 Warioland 4 (2001) Though not the longest game on the GBA, this is certainly the most colourful and quirky as Wario sets out once again to make (or take) his fortune.

An array of unique abilities are bestowed upon our anti-hero as he races through the beautifully designed levels.

Hidden CDs and treasures add a little more content to a 20-level main quest.

8 WarioWare: Mega Microgame$ (2003) Think you’ve played every type of game? Think again.

In this compilation of 200 minigames, lasting no longer than five seconds each, you’ll be picking noses, dodging sharks on wheels, fleeing from giant footballs and more.

As the speed cranks up, things get increasingly frantic – and much more fun.

6 LoZ: Minish Cap (2004) Capcom’s last Zelda game (so far) is an endearing little romp – literally.

Link’s talking hat Ezlo grants him the abilities to shrink down to microsize to explore the hidden world of the Minish.

Twigs became major obstacles, tiddly enemies became massive bosses and greatly opened our eyes to Hyrule at a new level.

4 Advance Wars (2001) The first Advance Wars game is actually a port of a series first released on the NES, but never made it outside Japan.

The turn-based strategy title featured excellent presentation, colourful characters and a charming (if 1960s war film-cheesy) script.

It also offered some of the most devilishlychallenging puzzling in any game we’ve played.

2 Golden Sun (2001) Not just the best GBA role-playing game, but possibly the best Japanese RPG ever made.

As a group of magic-wielding adepts, you must bid to stall the destructive forces of alchemy from being unleashed on the world.

This game was actually so big, it had to stretch over into a sequel The Lost Age, and we still have everything crossed for a third...

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9 Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green (2004) Pokémon was at its best when things were simple.

151 creatures, eight gyms, an Elite Four.

While adding some newer features, this fullcolour update took us back to the glory days of the series when “Catching ’em all” was still achievable for most of us The update was also more user-friendly, making it a great Pokémon title for newbies.

7 Mario vs Donky Kong (2004) As brilliant as the Super Mario Advance series was, they were just remakes of old favourites. Utterly brilliant, but remakes all the same.

Thankfully, Mario had a couple of original titles in his bones, and this was one of them.

Leading Mario’s clockwork clones to rescue the fair Pauline, this is a clever combination of platforming and puzzling.

5 Metroid Fusion (2001) Samus’ last original 2-D adventure is everything you could want from a Metroid game and more.

While offering a more linear structure than previous Metroid titles, there were plenty of hidden items to be found.

Although the main game could be completed in 10-12 hours, finding every enhancement of Samus’ suit could double that.

3 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003) After the success of the Paper Mario series, the Bros bring their role-playing antics to the GBA. Princess Peach is in trouble again, having her voice replaced with exploding vocabulary by the fiendish Beanish witch Cackletta.

A hilarious, and frequently ridiculous, script (“the mustard of your doom!”) makes this a highly entertaining jaunt from start to finish.

1 Mario Kart Super Circuit (2001) The best example of what Nintendo’s third generation handheld could do.

Sixteen brand new tracks were introduced, with 16 more classic stages to unlock and four levels of difficulty.

The SNES-beating graphics, the sublime audio and single-cartridge multiplayer functionality make this an essential GBA title.

IN STORES JUNE 20TH