Issue 15 by PhonicaMagUK

the mobile phone and gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk

Issue15

phonica magazine uk

WHAT’S INSIDE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 15 2010

REVIEWS

NEWS BBM for O2 Pay & Go Launched Nokia X3 EA to launch Dead Space 2 teaser New Medal of Honour comes with goodies More restric ons to come for the pre-owned market Street Fighter and Tekken combo Artwork for Batman 2 revealed

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PREVIEWS DJ Hero 2 Tron:Evolu on Driver: San Francisco Sonic 4

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Samsung Wave GT-8500 Samsung Monte Vodafone Access Gateway 3G Starcra II: Wings of Liberty Alan Wake Crackdown 2 Skate 3 Singularity Racket Sports Party Naughty Bear

COMPETITION 14 16 18 20

FEATURES THESE ARE THE GAMES OF OUR LIVES What are the games that deﬁned us, both as gamers and as people?

FORGOTTEN GEMS: KNUCKLES CHAOTIX The best Sonic tle since Sonic 2?

Win a copy of Starcra 2: Wings of Liberty

THE GUIDE Games: Phonica’s 20 Recommended Childhood Classics

Mobile Phones

phonica magazine uk

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce

GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Hobson Ian Duncan Paul Park Christopher Harris

CREATIVE SERVICES & DESIGN Sco Tierney www.sco - erney.com

EDITORIAL editorial@phonicamagazine.co.uk

ENQUIRIES info@phonicamagazine.co.uk

ADVERTISING adver sing@phonicamagazine.co.uk

WWW.PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK Become a Fan of Phonica Magazine UK on Facebook & Twi er Phonica Magazine ÂŠ All material in this publica on is covered by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publica on may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmi ed in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, in whole or part without wri en permission of the publisher or the copyright owner. Please note that whilst every care has been taken to ensure that all the data in this publica on is accurate at the me of going to print, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, or for any loss, however caused, occasioned to any person by reliance on it; and hereby disclaims any liability for it. Opera ons and some features are network dependent; please refer to your network provider for full details.

phonica magazine uk

EDITOR’S LETTER SO MANY GAMES...SO LITTLE TIME. While I was tempted to catch the end of the summer rays I was drawn to the treats we’ve got in store for you in this issue. Now to make space for the newbies. With the likes of Ac vision and Ubiso looking at stepping up measures restric ng the flow of sales in the second hand market, one may be forced to get a loan to grab the latest tles. If such big players have their way selling your used copy of older tles to buy the latest version may be a thing of the past. Such ac ons are understandable figh ng against piracy, but to implement measures that will put the squeeze on people who pay full price for a tle is heart wrenching (not to men on being a tad imposing) Love your network provider? Don’t want to switch to another(network) just to get be er recep on in the comfort of your home? Then the Vodafone hub is definitely the gadget for you. And the icing on the cake! Enjoy a sneak peak of DJ Hero 2! Yes, you heard right. Back by popular demand Ac vision has done it again. Join us as we preview this tle before it hits the shelf. Did I hear someone say pre-order? I’m sure you Terranians could pry yourself away from Starcra 2: Wings of Liberty long enough to enjoy yet another issue. Don’t worry, for those who haven’t bought a copy yet, we’ve reviewed it for you just in case you’re s ll undecided. And if you’re on the cheap (or a budget) enter the compe on for a chance to win your own copy of Starcra 2: Wings of Liberty. Enjoy reading, Your Editor in Chief

Kevin Leonce phonica magazine uk

NEWS BBM FOR O2 PAY & GO CUSTOMERS O2 has announced that Research In Mo on’s BlackBerry has launched on Pay & Go from O2 and a whole new audience can now send each other messages on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), use RIM’s powerful mul tasking so ware and keep up to date with their email and favourite social networks on the go.

“O2’s new Pay & Go tariﬀs for BlackBerry smartphones will bring all the beneﬁts of BlackBerry to even more of our customers,” said Jonathan Earle, Head of Consumer Marke ng for Telefónica O2 UK. “With BBM being used more and more across the world, now anyone can share their PIN and get cha ng.”

With ﬁve BlackBerry smartphones available to choose from, there’s one to suit every pocket, case or bag. The range includes the BlackBerry PearlTM 3G – the smallest BlackBerry smartphone ever, available in black or purple, exclusively on O2 – at £249.99, the BlackBerry CurveTM 8520 at £149.99 or the hugely popular BlackBerry Bold 9700 at £349.99. A huge range of accessories are also available in store and on O2’s website, including cases designed by Ed Hardy and Lulu Guinness.

“A HUGE RANGE OF ACCESSORIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN STORE AND ON O2’S WEBSITE, INCLUDING CASES DESIGNED BY ED HARDY AND LULU GUINNESS.”

Once they’ve chosen their phone, O2’s Pay & Go tariﬀ for BlackBerry smartphones oﬀers customers inclusive BBMTM and 500MB data access when they top up with a minimum of £15 per month. Customers also get 500 texts per month when they top up between £15 and £29 per month or unlimited texts when they top up £30 or more each month.

O2 has also revamped its Pay Monthly tariﬀs for BlackBerry smartphones, oﬀering 500 minutes, unlimited text, Wi-Fi and 500MB data on 24 month contracts for £25 a month. Customers paying £35 a month can get 1000 minutes and 750MB data on a 24 month contract. For more details visit shop.o2.co.uk.

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

NOKIA DEBUTS ‘TOUCH AND TYPE’ DESIGN WITH THE LATEST NOKIA X3 Nokia recently unveiled the super slim Nokia X3 Touch and Type, with a unique combina on of a touch screen and tradi onal 12 bu on phone keypad. As Nokia’s first ‘Touch and Type’ phone, the Nokia X3 allows people to tap quickly on the bright color touch screen, as well as enjoy the familiarity of the full keypad for quick fire text messages and phone calls. Expected to be on sale in the third quarter, the Nokia X3 is expected to retail for approximately EUR 125, excluding taxes and subsidies. “Innova on is not just a high-end game. The Nokia X3 is a great example of bringing new consumer value to lower price points,” said Mary McDowell, Execu ve Vice President of Mobile Phones at Nokia. “With the Nokia X3 we are giving consumers the best of both worlds by combining a touch screen and a keypad in an affordable device. We have given people a larger screen with clear icons and menus plus kept cri cal keys such as the send and end keys. We’ve also added dedicated func on keys for important links like music and text messaging,” she said.

With its sleek and modern design coming in at a very thin 9.6mm - making it one of the slimmest Nokia phones ever - the Nokia X3 slips easily into the purse or the pocket, and looks the part with its brushed aluminum back cover which will come in ﬁve vibrant colors designed to suit any mood or wardrobe. Despite its size, the Nokia X3 is jam-packed with features including 3G, WLAN, a music player and an FM radio. Lovers of the snapshot and social networks will enjoy a great 5 megapixel camera with 4X digital zoom that can take both s ll and video images. The Nokia X3 also features dedicated music and messaging keys allowing fast access to important Ovi services including social and entertainment applica ons. In addi on to Ovi Mail, people’s favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. With a gentle glide over the touch screen people can go online and get access to many services including thousands of apps from Ovi Store. www.nokia.co.uk

phonica magazine uk

NEWS DEAD SPACE 2 TEASER SET FOR LAUNCH THIS YEAR

A DARK AND BROODING TASTER BEFORE THE MAIN COURSE ARRIVES From what we’ve seen, ﬁddled with and nervously backed away from, Dead Space 2 looks likely to set the standard for any tle claiming to be ‘terrifying’. There are plenty more hideously deformed monsters to shoot (or for most of us, run away in tears from), deeper and darker environments to explore, and overall Dead Space 2 looks to be a far more polished and conﬁdent release than its excep on original. Frankly, we can’t wait for next year to roll-on-up and unleash Dead Space 2 into our outstretched sweaty palms. But to keep us busy in the mean me, EA have announced their plan for a ‘taster’ tle; Dead Space Igni on. Dead Space Igni on will be set moments before the opening of Dead Space 2, giving an insight and explana on into what has happened since Dead Space, and what we can expect from the new tle. Dead Space Igni on will combine an interac ve comic-style story with three hacking mini games; Hardware Crack, Trace Route and System Override.

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Dead Space Igni on allows for several replays, with each playthrough resul ng in an alterna ve ending. When you complete each of the four narra ves, you’ll be rewarded with a prize than can be used in Dead Space 2, such as a swanky new suit for Issac Clarke to wander about and dismember nas es in. “Dead Space Igni on is the ﬁrst of many exci ng game extensions we have planned for the launch of Dead Space 2,” said Dead Space Execu ve Producer, Steve Papoutsis. “The interac ve comic-style game will give Dead Space fans a unique perspec ve on the events leading up to Dead Space 2, and will also introduce the storyline to a brand-new audience of gamers.”

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De and PSN

“THE INTERACTIVE COMIC-STYL GIVE DEAD SPACE FANS A UNI ON THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO AND WILL ALSO INTRODUCE TH BRAND-NEW AUDIENCE OF GA

NEWS

put it simply, Dead Space Igni on will play like an erac ve comic-book, with mini games thrown in on casion and rewards available on comple on. It’s a ardon the pun) novel idea, which will no doubt provide e die-hard fans with a li le more insight into a highly mplex and involving universe, while also teasing those w to the series with a li le cartoon-based back-story. e comic style may not be to everyone’s taste, but if u enjoyed the Antony Johnston Dead Space comics 2008, Dead Space Igni on may well be right up your ood spla ered corridor.

ad Space Igni on is due to go on sale later this year, d will be available for download on both XBLA and N.

LE GAME WILL QUE PERSPECTIVE O DEAD SPACE 2, HE STORYLINE TO A AMERS.”

Sco Tierney

NEW MEDAL OF HONOUR TO SHIP WITH BETA KEY TO BATTLEFIELD 3 LIMITED EDITION GETS LOCKED AND LOADED

Customers ge ng their mi s on a copy of the Limited Edi on of the new Medal of Honour on October 12 will (probably) be pleased to find an invita on to the Ba lefield 3 beta that is planned for early- to mid-2011. Electronic Arts made the announcement on July 30, at the same me confirming the development of Ba lefield 3 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Other bonuses in the Limited Edi on include the MP-7 weapon as well as two special, Limited Edi on-only shotguns, while the PS3 version will come packed with Medal of Honour: Frontline, remastered in HD. With the Limited Edi ons priced at $59.99 in the USA, the prices suggest that Electronic Arts plan to do a similar deal as with Ba lefield 2: Bad Company, where new copies bought at or near launch will come with bonus content free. Paul Park

phonica magazine uk

NEWS MAJOR PUBLISHERS GANG-UP ON PREOWNED MARKET

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NEWS ACTIVISION, UBISOFT, EA AND THX ALL BEHIND INCENTIVE Personally, I love a used game. As I tend to miss a lot of tles on release - due to either reviewing other games or gadgets at the me, or the fact that I’m ghter than a dustman’s nostrils - I usually tend to buy my games on the cheap; second hand. It’s fantas c; they’re great value for money, in a more than acceptable quality, in abundance, and most importantly, I’d rather buy a second hand game than see said game hurled onto an over-flowing rubbish dump. But sadly, the major players in the industry don’t look so fondly on the second hand market, and they’re going to do something about it. Ac vision Blizzard’s COO, Thomas Tippl, has stated that he wants to ‘limit the supply’ of content in pre-owned tles, thus assuring gamers will buy more first hand games. This basically means that when you buy a first hand/brand new game, you will be allowed to download important content for your tle, either via the use of an a ached code (similar to the serial number you find on so ware packages, or EA’s Online Pass) or through a link in the game’s menu. But if you buy the games second hand – and the previous owner has already used the code – then you will not be able to use your game to its fullest. Speaking at the recent Ac vision Blizzard’s Q2 investors call, Tippl had this to say: “We are s ll evalua ng various possibili es for greater par cipa on in the used-games business. What’s been working the best so far is providing addi onal content and therefore limi ng the supply to used games.” “So that’s a proven strategy that we will con nue. And any other ini a ves, we will be talking about when we get closer to it.” “Today [we have] more resources than ever dedicated to crea ng addi onal content for Call of Duty, whether that’s map packs, whether that’s game modes and the whole host of new [downloadable] features that we’re going to talk about when we get close to the launch of Black Ops.”

So what does this mean for the industry as a whole, and should the major publishers – such as EA, Ubiso , Ac vision and THX – really be opposed to the second hand market? Well you can see the reason behind their thinking; they want to protect their product a er all. The trade-in market is arguably at it’s biggest right now, with all the major high street vendors (Game, Gamesta on, Chips) offering cut price deals on part exchanged games. This hurts publisher’s sales, so they are in their right to want to protect their assets, and ensure no one is skimming a profit off their products. This new incen ve/idea will also damage the scourge that is the piracy market, and ensure gamers get the best possible product from a reliable source.

“THE ISSUE OF WHAT’S RIGHT OR WRONG IN THE PRE-OWNED MARKET IS A TRICKY ONE.” But the main problem is that, at the end of the day, the gamers themselves are ge ng punished – or at least unfairly treated – by this incen ve. Why shouldn’t we buy a second hand game and expect to have all the content that comes with that tle? You wouldn’t buy a second hand car, only to find that you can’t go past 40 without a special code from the manufacturer, so why so with a game? Once a gamer has brought a game, why shouldn’t they be allowed to sell it on to another gamer? Once they’ve brought that game, why can’t they do what they like with it. The issue of what’s right or wrong in the pre-owned market is a tricky one. On one side the publisher wants to protect their tle, but on the other gamers want to buy games at lower prices, without feeling – to a certain extent – cheated. We’ll have to see how this incen ve comes into play over the next few months, and whether or not it affects the industry in a posi ve manner. But one thing’s for sure, gamers will s ll be buying pre-owned games, only now they’ll have to get a serial crack off the web. Ahh gamers, they’ll always find a way...so I’m told. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

NEWS STREET FIGHTER AND TEKKEN GET IT ON 2 FIGHTERS, 2 TITLES, ONLY ONE WINNER; US! Two of the biggest names in pla orm figh ng are finally going head to head in a showdown that will make even the hardiest of players around the world squeal like li le children. Tekken and Street Fighter - among the world’s best known pla orm fighters on the market in recent mes - are set to finally duke it out in a pair of games named “Street Fighter X Tekken” and “Tekken X Street Fighter” on the PS3 and Xbox 360. In the first tle, “Street Fighter x Tekken”, players from the Tekken universe such as Heihachi Mishima and Paul Phoenix will be redesigned into the art form that is ever-present in the Street Fighter series, while s ll retaining their special quirks and unique moves that sets them apart so well. New ba le systems such as the Tag Team combat will allow players to enlist the aid of a second brawler in order to beat down opposi on fighters with knockout assists and tag team combo moves.

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The second tle has only just been announced and as of yet, very li le news has been given regarding how the transi ons will be made from 2D to 3D for the Street Fighter characters. But with both Capcom and Namco throwing their weight behind these projects, fans will not be wai ng long for the ﬁrst of many teasers and trailers to pop up across the internet.

“TEKKEN AND STREET FIGHTER - AMONG THE WORLD’S BEST KNOWN PLATFORM FIGHTERS ON THE MARKET IN RECENT TIMES - ARE SET TO FINALLY DUKE IT OUT IN A PAIR OF GAMES” Book your ringside seats now, as these two tanic contests looks set to be making their way to the ring in 2012. Paul Park

NEWS

BATMAN 2 ARTWORK REVEALED NEXT YEAR’S VILLAIN SLAPPER FINALLY HAS AN OFFICIAL TITLE R.E.M.’s next album. A fully working holodeck. Half-Life 3. The weekend. A cure for obesity. Hands-free cutlery. These are just some of the things I can’t wait to become reality in the (hopefully) near future. Another addi on that will undoubtedly be added to that wish list – and one that, with these new images, has moved closer to the top– is Batman: Arkham Asylum 2. But now, we actually have a real name for next year’s must-have cape wielder; Batman: Arkham City. These new shots show the Dark Knight in...well… light. We have to say, they’re a lovely collec on of concept shots, which perfectly capture the essence of Arkham, and the tough yet complex nature of the recent game. The shot above shows the appearance of Catwoman, who although is expected to take the shape of a regular villain throughout the game, is also rumoured to be a co-op character that will ba le alongside Batman in certain sec ons.

The other villains that are set to make an appearance are Mr. Freeze (thankfully not voiced by Arnie S), Two Face, and as expected, The Joker. It’s also rumoured that The Scarecrow could make another appearance, as it has been claimed that Robin will appear in Batman: Arkham City in one of the classic hallucina on nightmares that appeared in the ﬁrst game.

“NOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A REAL NAME FOR NEXT YEAR’S MUST-HAVE CAPE WIELDER; BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY.” Regardless, Rocksteady are sure to have a sleeve full of tricks and surprises just begging to be unleashed, and come autumn next year, we’ll be closer to knowing the ins and outs of this sure ﬁre classic. I can’t’s waits no more! Sco Tierney

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PREVIEWS DJ HERO 2 PUBLISHERS: ACTIVISION DEVELOPERS: FREESTYLEGAMES FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, WII GENRE: RHYTHM GAME RELEASED: OCTOBER 22ND

MASHING IT UP HAS GOTTEN SILLIER, AND MORE SERIOUS Unless you actually earn a living as a DJ, it’s an expensive business. University was the only me of my life that I could, realis cally, spend 3 or 4 hours at a me standing over a mixer fiddling with kill switches. The problem is that student life is rarely characterised by limitless wealth, which puts a serious kibosh on your desire to hunt down obscure white labels at £8 a pop. Having said all that, it was a blast while I was doing it, so I come to this nice, in mate preview session with a fair wedge of contempt primed and ready to fire. And I’m not exactly reassured by the info that there are only 5 tracks available on this beta build, and none of them are really my cup of tea. What I didn’t expect was for it to be quite a lot of fun. First up, the info for the virgins. You get a nicely-made, reasonably robust turntable controller with a lo-fi mixer tacked onto the side: crossfader, tweaky wibbly turny thing, and the all-important deck for scratching. It’s instantly accessible and pre y sa sfying, even if the crossfader’s slightly too twitchy for my taste. Challenges usually consist of a bootlegged mash-up: Lady GaGa vs Deadmaus, or the Chemical Brothers’ Galvanise vs Leave Home. You can flick between tracks or keep the sound centred on both, with plenty of opportuni es to drop li le effects in at key points or show off your wrist muscles with sign posted scratching sec ons.

Next, the info for the cognoscen : DJ Hero 2 has got both sillier and more serious. The big inclusion is drop-in drop-out party mode, obviously designed as a sideshow for those well-oiled evenings when the TV isn’t, perhaps, everyone’s focus. Choose a track at random, start fiddling with it, and should someone else feel the urge they can plonk themselves down next to you halfway through and add their hap’orth. No scores, no compe on, just the pair of you having a crack at a playlist. Party Mode also mixes tracks one into another, so there are no embarrassing pauses in the hilarity. And with a final track lis ng of around 100 tunes, you should get a pre y good amount of play out of it all before you start fantasising about bea ng Lady GaGa to death with Technics turntable cover. Then there’s Empire mode, a big upgrade of DJ Hero’s singleplayer, where you get to build your own club from scratch (sorry) and draw bright young things irresis bly to its neon-lit doors through the hypno c power of your mixological skills. So, basically, a career mode with bells on, although you’ll have to take my word for it (I’m also taking someone’s word for it, as it’s not available to play). The show is rounded off with a couple of variants on Ba le Mode. Everything’s present and correct, with you and a mate compe ng to hit perfect sequences and rack up points. You’ll need to bank points to actually score them, making that climbing point bar a real tempta on. It’s all too easy to push your luck, go for a tricky sec on without banking, and lose everything. Ac vision have clearly given a lot of thought to why and how people are going to play this one. It’s hardly a subs tute for spending hours hunched over your direct drives trying to get Yeke Yeke to blend perfectly into Blue Amazon. Now I come to think of it, though, that may well not be a bad thing. Rob Hobson

phonica magazine uk

PREVIEWS TRON: EVOLUTION PUBLISHERS: DISNEY INTERACTIVE DEVELOPERS: PROPAGANDA GAMES FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC, WII GENRE: ACTION-ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: NOVEMBER 2010

CHEAP TIE-IN? NAFF RE-IMAGINING? POSSIBLY, BUT LET’S GIVE IT A CHANCE I was at the cinema the other day, and while I was adjus ng myself, sipping my beverage and switching off my mobile, a trailer about ‘The Dude’ came on. In short it’s an advert about a guy that had chosen to live by The Dude’s teachings, and base his life around the character that Jeff Bridges so superbly played in the brilliant The Big Lebowski. But it got me thinking about what a great actor Bridges is, and how he’s always managed to stay away from the mainstream flow of Hollywood and apply himself in more challenging and interes ng roles. The Big Lebowski, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Crazy Heart, The Fisher King. ‘Yep’ I thought, Jeff Bridges is a man who refuses to bow down to Hollywood, and a figure who would never lower himself to the sell-out world of dieing franchises and lazy ‘re-imaginings’. But my warm, glowing and admiring thoughts were sha ered, when Bridge’s face appeared on screen…in a trailer for Tron: Legacy. Oh. Dear. God! So, as with any big-budget, studio-consuming, holiday-arriving movie, with have a game/film e-in; Tron: Evolu on, an ac on adventure where you do all the things in the movie, but it cost you more cash and effort. And you can’t walk out 10 minutes in…

“THE NEON FRISBEE ATTACKS DO LOOK QUITE DRAMATIC.”

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Tron: Evolu on will take place in the newly cra ed world of the Tron: Legacy film, which has been reworked and updated with the magic of 2010’s computer wizardry. So now it’s far brighter and detailed than the original 80s version. You play as Anon (short for anonymous), as you ba le around the neon-soaked environments, kicking baddies in the CPU and carving up other riders on your light cycle. The gameplay looks set to be broken down into two major sec ons. Firstly you’ll play as your customised character via the third person viewpoint. In this mode, you can explore the vast labyrinths of the Tron world while figh ng off enemies in a variety of styles. You can either use your glowing fists and make full use of the Capoeira (a Brazilian style of figh ng) skills you’ve been blessed with, or you can hurl your high energy light disc around like a demented discus champion. The neon Frisbee a acks do look quite drama c, and when used correctly, a vast number of baddies can be zapped in one single a ack. The other sec on that is disputedly the most an cipated, is the light cycles! In the levels we’ve seen, you have to blast your way along a neon highway, while baddies a ack from above and knock-out sec ons of the oncoming road. It’s all very explosive and pace orientated, and with the classic contests between rival bikers also playing a major part later on in the game, the cycle sec ons could be the making of Tron: Evolu on. Tron: Evolu on will hit us like a torch beam in the face this November...brace yourself! Sco Tierney

PREVIEWS

phonica magazine uk

PREVIEWS DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO PUBLISHER: UBISOFT DEVELOPER: UBISOFT PLATFORM: PS3, XBOX 360, PC, WII, GENRE: RACING AVAILABLE: Q1 2011

LIFE ON MARS MEETS INCEPTION?

It takes a lot of guts and a unique aspect of gameplay to diﬀeren ate any racing/ac on game from the frankly monopolizing Grand The Auto series. So what has Ubiso come up with for the new instalment in the Driver saga?

In his head.

Messing with people’s heads, literally. Tanner - the undercover cop who was your main character in the ﬁrst 4 or so tles in the Driver series - is now in a coma a er being shot at by his archenemy, Jericho, in Driver 4. So how does the ac on pan out?

Comple ng missions similar to previous tles will help Tanner regain consciousness and save the day. However, unlike the predecessor, all the ac on takes place in a car, and there is no opportunity to move around and hijack other cars – this is in Tanner’s mind, so you can “project” his mind into another car and just... take control.

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“CLEARLY UBISOFT HAVE REALLY AND THIS COULD PROVE TO BE CRAZY AS HECK BUT AT THE SAM

PREVIEWS

Y TRIED WITH THE NEW IDEAS SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS ME TIME WORTH A PUNT.” Confusing, right? Well, clearly Ubiso have really tried with the new ideas and this could prove to be something that sounds crazy as heck but at the same me worth a punt. The whole “projec ng” or “shi ing”, as it’s called, doesn’t work on just cars. It’ll be used to take on missions – li le portraits of people’s faces come up on the world map when zoomed out and they can be “shi ed” into in order for the mission to get underway.

A lot of the me, players won’t actually be in control of Tanner but instead, other characters such as police oﬃcers chasing robbers (obviously in cars), and completed missions help bring Tanner back to reality. More informa on is hopefully going to be released soon, but Driver: San Francisco really looks like a racing epitome of a rather well-known word recently used to describe a movie – “mind-blowing”. Paul Park

phonica magazine uk

PREVIEWS

SONIC 4 PUBLISHERS: SEGA DEVELOPERS: DIMPS, SONIC TEAM FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, WII, iPHONE GENRE: PLATFORMER RELEASED: Q4 2010

KEEP IT SIMPLE, KEEP IT QUICK. Oh dear oh dear oh dear, where did it all go wrong for Sonic? In the mid 90s, he and Sega were churning out tle a er tle, each an icon for a genera on and an instant classic on arrival. Now, he’s sharing his covers with Mario and appearing in tles that, frankly, are below him. If you think back, the last great Sonic tle was arguably Knuckles Chao x (more on that later in this issue), and since then, any a empt to break away from 2D and into the realms of 3D have been a gaming disaster. So, the news that Sonic will be returning to his roots, and re-embracing good old fashioned 2D, is such good news it almost makes this red, cynical and world-weary games writer want to cry …almost.

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“TAKE AWAY THE FLAS VISUALS, AND YOU’D WAS A HIGHLIGHTS R AND I MEAN THAT IN

With Sonic 4, Sega have gone back to basics, and looked to the past to see what made those original tles so spectacular, addic ve and loveable. Sonic’s main gimmick on the pla orming scene was always pace, and from the trailers and leaks we’ve seen, this has been reintroduced into Sonic 4 in abundance. The trailer itself is a ‘punch bang wallop’ of a trailer, focussing on the sheer breakneck speed of Sonic 4. One second our blue haired buddy is accelera ng at full lt across a perfectly designed landscape, the next he’s ﬂashing through baddies and blas ng across humongous jumps. Take away the ﬂashy yet respec ul visuals, and you’d think this 2010 trailer was a highlights reel from Sonic 2, and I mean that in a good way!

PREVIEWS

SHY YET RESPECTFUL THINK THIS 2010 TRAILER EEL FROM SONIC 2, A GOOD WAY!” With Sonic 4 being released on several different pla orms, the differing control systems could make each separate release a totally different experience. For the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, it’ll be pre y simple and about as complex as the original 3-bu on tles of the 90s. That said, the PS3 version will incorporate the occasional use of Sony’s Mo on Controller. But for the Wii release, it will be totally different. The mo on controls are expected to play a major part, not only in controlling Sonic himself, but also in controlling parts of the environment. In the special stages (which are expected to be similar to those found in Sonic 3) you will be able to rotate and adjust the level, via the Wii Remote. Could be migh ly good fun, and even for the iPhone version, these types of controls (as well as a few extra levels) will play a major – and hopefully enjoyable – part.

Thankfully, everything and anything that resembles a link to the recent Sonic tles has been either forgo en, destroyed, incinerated of terminated. They were all dreadful tles, which only smeared the reputa on of one of gamings’ great stars. We recently checked out Sonic Colours, the new tles in the ‘3D franchise’, and we have to say that despite a few glamorous eﬀects and moments of blinding pace, it looked pre y dreadful. We’ll be sure to get you a review the second we get our paws on it, but we’re willing to bet it’s going to be a resome romp without even the merest twinkle of that 90s class. But one feature that has crept under the radar and into Sonic 4, is the controversial ‘homing a ack’. The homing a ack is used as a quick way of a acking a baddie, and in the 3D tles it was used so the gamer could easily target and destroy baddies without the hindrance of the camera. But in 2D this shouldn’t be a problem, so it’s slightly surprising to see it back. Maybe it’ll be the making of the game, maybe it’ll be the straw that breaks the fan-boys back; who knows? Personally, as a lifelong Sonic fan, I can’t wait for Sonic 4. It may be a step backwards, and to some it could be seen as a last ditch a empt to save a dying franchise and a fading star. But, when Sonic 4 hits, and we get to play as the blue blur in glorious HD, hopefully all those bad memories of shoddy tles will be dispelled. Let’s hope so, for Sonic’s sake. Sco Tierney

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FEATURES

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FEATURES THESE ARE THE GAMES OF OUR LIVES SOMETIMES A GAME CAPTURES ITS MOMENT IN TIME PERFECTLY. WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE AN ERA DEFINING TITLE. I’m sure you’ve had the experience when you meet someone new and the conversa on starts to drag. Suddenly, though, one of you men ons Civilisa on II, or Starcra or X-Wing and it’s like you’ve been firm friends forever. The conversa on dives deep into the big, rich, imagined worlds of those games that, even though you played them years ago, s ll seem fresh in your memory. That got us thinking at Phonica, do certain games define a genera on of players? In the mid-90s big blockbuster games were few and far between. PCs were fairly powerful with the Playsta on just around the corner. But there with far fewer people buying games, and far fewer were made. That lack of supply means that people coalesced around a few standout tles that almost anyone gaming at the me would have played. Nostalgia helps, of course, but I think there’s more to it than that. Not all games have that effect, not even great ones. That sort of game has to have a strong narra ve and a coherent world. It’s hard to talk for an hour about Mario Bros or Space Invaders – there it really is pure nostalgia because the necessary depth just isn’t there. But get cha ng about Civ II and you could be there all night discussing approaches to building an effec ve na on and strategies to crush your opponents, just as when you play the game you inevitably end up staying up for nights on end. Length helps too. If a game is going to define a genera on, it’s fi ng that it gives the player a lot to chew over and reasons to come back again and again. I wonder now if there are games that will have the same impact. I can confidently say that there won’t be for me because it’s impossible to repeat those early experiences of childhood. Games today, I accept, are visually much more impressive and the investment in wri ng and risks with story telling are star ng to pay off as well.

Looking ahead it seems like some of the bigger MMORPGs will achieve this genera on-defining status. It’s hard to imagine but there will be a day when World of Warcra is no more. Perhaps once Blizzard stops upda ng the game, people’s memories will start to crystallise. The experience will become finite and can be reflected on in a different way.

“NOSTALGIA HELPS, OF COURSE, BUT I THINK THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN THAT.” The rise of the FPS as the dominant genre has put a dampener on the process, though. The pace and ac on of shooters makes them immediately gripping but the only limited need for problem solving (in most cases) makes it hard to get sucked into lengthy disquisi ons on their finer points over a glass of wine. The game presents you with a story to nego ate and unfold. It’s not so much about how did you solve the problem. Or: how did you react to that twist? The big strategy tles of the 90s, in par cular, gave you a framework and then le you to work out how to progress. Similarly RPGs let you develop a character and fit them into the game. Companies like Bioware are s ll interested in crea ng new worlds and big experiences, and Peter Molyneaux is s ll out there pushing the limits of what a game can be. If Fable III lives up to the hype, it might cement itself in the popular gaming memory and Dragon Age is emerging as a major series in its own right. As long as developers strive to make games that can grip players for hours on end, those just discovering them today will hopefully be able to dive back into those world’s with strangers at dinner par es ten or twenty years later. So here are a few of our own personal choices; the tles that defined us, as people, and as gamers. Ian Duncan

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FEATURES SID MEIER’S PIRATES! PUBLISHERS: MICROPROSE DEVELOPERS: MICROPROSE FORMAT: C64, AMIGA, PC, AMSTRAD, ATARI, NES GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE RELEASED: 1987

BUCKLING DOWN TO IT I suspect that my enduring love of games was something of an accident of ming. The Commodore 64 in our house was there as much because we seemed to think it was important to have one of these as it was than we actually knew what to do with it. What I really wanted to do in 1987, apart from being able to talk to girls, was read tales of naval derring-do. O’Brien, Forrester, you name it... I tore through Hornblowers and dissected Maturins in hours, then turned back to page one and read them again. And then, to cut a medium-length story short, someone gave me Sid Meier’s Pirates! And, in a stroke, transformed a teal typewriter with a strange-sounding casse e deck into my very own sloop of war. The Caribbean! The sacking of Cartagena; the Spanish treasure ﬂeets, groaning their way to Cadiz loaded with the plundered gold of the Americas; the renegades, privateers and outright pirates that bet their lives daily on the outcome of the next encounter. I make no apologies. It was cool then. It’s cool now.

“FEW GAMES HAVE THE BALLS TO JUST SHIFT, IRRELEVANT OF WHAT YOU DO, LEAVING THE PLAYING FIELD CHANGED WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. GOOD OLD SID.”

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The se ng was perfect, but what drew me in was sailing. Yes, the hours you spent holding WASD to manoeuvre that tricky li le beggar around. I loved the flexibility, the way the nimble pinnaces could dance around the frigates and barques, yet crumble under a single broadside. I loved the fact that if you played it right and held the weather gauge, even your clumsy frigate could perform piroue es capable of matching the lighter ships. I could read those Forrester novels, with their pages upon pages explaining topgallants, broadsheets, mainstays and mizzenmasts, but here I could hear the creak of the mber. I’m not saying it was be er, but it had a different dimension: immediate, urgent and alive, rather than measured, detailed and precise. What I didn’t much enjoy was the fencing, and this remains true of the version released in 2004. At its best, it’s an annoyingly swi game of Simon says. At its worst, it’s a frustra ng exercise in tedium that, thankfully, doesn’t feature too o en. Grrr. But what I’ve been searching for - with limited success - ever since was the ever-changing nature of the environment. One minute England was at war with Spain. The next, they’re allied to take on the poor old Dutch. Get your ming wrong snapping up a handful of Trade Galleons and ports that you thought were friends would welcome you with several large volleys of cannon fire. It was perverse, unreasonable, and constantly shi ing. Much like life, in fact, although I probably didn’t take such a world-weary view of it at the me. I probably mu ered something like “It’s just like school”. There are plenty of games now - in fact, I’ve just finished with Alpha Protocol, which is by no means as bad as I was expec ng - where the world shi s based on what you decide. Few games have the balls to just shi , irrelevant of what you do, leaving the playing field changed whether you like it or not. Good old Sid. Rob Hobson

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FEATURES

THE SIMS PUBLISHERS: NINTENDO DEVELOPERS: ELECTRONIC ARTS FORMAT: PC, PS2, XBOX, GAMECUBE GENRE: LIFE SIMULATION RELEASED: 2000

HOW DID YOU END UP? The gaming world of today has really undergone some major cosme c changes over the past decade or so. From the whole emphasis on ac on and warfare (see Doom, Quake, Command & Conquer) onto the more cerebral (Brain Training, etc), there is nothing that really showcases all this than the series The Sims. For me, The Sims was probably the only real a empt at a game where players could literally be themselves, or be whoever they wanted to be. It was one of those games we all played in our minds, on the playgrounds, running around pew-pewing with fingers pointed, playing football like it was the World Cup final. The Sims was our grown-up version of ‘make-believe’ where we could change the world to suit us. The Sims wasn’t my type of game at first. Around that me, all the fuss was about Counter-Strike, Half-Life; the shooters that never le a mark on anyone! The first me I played The Sims I didn’t realise how much it affected me un l I sat down in class the next day thinking “what if...” about my Sim.

On the other hand, The Sims was fantas c for light-hearted entertainment. I once went and made an Arnold Schwarzenegger character with a ridiculous physique and watched him wreck things in the mansion I built for him on top of a hill. The character I made of myself ended up in two different scenarios, depending on the choices he took – one ended up being an average suit doing the average 9-to-5 with 4 weeks paid holiday leave. The other? A des tute bad guy doing all sorts of pe y crimes in order to fend for himself/myself. Bit of a social experiment, that was. I even brought some of my friends in on the act, going around doing their daily business; figh ng, arguing, flushing the cat down the toilet, the usual stuff. Ask any gamer nowadays, of any kind – be they a fan of sports, ac on, MMO, strategy – and the one game that they can all iden fy, all relate to, is The Sims. It’s the one tle that links all of these minds together. In a way, playing The Sims was like being in control of my own li le drama, a sort of “Life of Me” TV show. It’s empowering, and it’s a li le frightening once you start taking things seriously. The amount of control you have over these characters; maybe I took it too far when I began wondering if this is how God feels? Paul Park

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FEATURES GOLDENEYE PUBLISHERS: NINTENDO DEVELOPERS: RAREWARE FORMAT: N64 GENRE: FPS RELEASED: 1997

NEXT LOSER HAS TO CHUG THE VINEGAR! There’s something magical about playing mul player games at night, especially with a group of friends. It’s dark outside, the only illumina on is the glow of the TV, and while the rest of the world sleeps cosily in their beds, you and your buddies take shots at each other with automa c-fire rifles and limb-detaching bazookas. There is nothing be er, and way back in the late 90s, Goldeneye with your bes st chums was as good as it got. With a few bo les of Happy Shopper vinegar thrown in, of course. When Goldeneye was released onto the Nintendo 64 in 1997, I was making my way through the final few years of school. I had just upgraded my trusty (and dusty) Megadrive for a brand spanking new N64, as had a lot of by schoolyard chums, so the one game that we all played together was Goldeneye.

“IF YOU LOST A PARTICULAR DEATHMATCH, YOU HAD TO SLURP A MOUTHFUL OF VINEGAR. I CAN STILL TASTE THAT ACIDY HEARTBURN TODAY…”

It should be noted that as a single player shooter, Goldeneye was extremely good. It was fast, aggressive, intelligent, explosive, and about as close to actually being James Bond as you were ever going to get. Even today, Goldeneye is s ll ranked as one of the greatest ever FPS tles, and with a highly ques onable ‘re-imagining’ due to hit the Wii this year, Goldeneye remains an all me classic. But what made Goldeneye a success was the excep onal mul player mode. Temple, Complex, Caves, Library, Basement. If you’ve played Goldeneye, those five words will send your memory gland a’ bulging and your trigger fingers a’ twitching. Such great levels, packed with sneaky hidey-holes, vast spaces for fran c fire fights and ght corridors for chasing and sniping. Add to this the Golden Gun, mines, the silenced PP7 and the comical Moonraker Laser, and a late night blast on Goldeneye with a gang of eager buddies was immense. Being the young and stupid teenagers that we were, we used to spice up our Goldeneye gunfights with a few ‘incen ves’. A par cular favourite involved a family sized bo le of vinegar. If you lost a par cular deathmatch, you had to slurp a mouthful of vinegar. I can s ll taste that acidy heartburn today…and the less said about the forfeits that were incurred during an Art College ou ng to St Ives the be er...the midnight winter sea can quite literally freeze exposed flesh. To me, Goldeneye represents that me in my life when mul player gaming was most exci ng. Sure, online gaming was s ll a presence in the late 90s, with PC gamers enjoying the fran c fun of Quake, Unreal and Doom. But Goldeneye was far be er than those, because you played it with a group of likeminded (and inebriated) friends, rather than on your own. As I write this, a friend is playing Halo 3 online via XBLA. It’s all jolly exci ng, and in-between stabbing baddies in the face and unloading vibrant bursts of gunfire, he’s remaking on his excellence to a distant chum, via the headset. I can’t help but feel that something is missing from his gaming experience, as he sits there, alone, with only a grainy voice in his ear as company. With Goldeneye, your mates were shoulder to shoulder, face to face, both in real life and the game itself. But now, although we’re connected to everyone via a global network, we’re essen ally, alone. Sco Tierney

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FEATURES COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT PUBLISHERS: VIRGIN INTERACTIVE DEVELOPERS: WESTWOOD STUDIOS FORMAT: PC, PS1 GENRE: REAL-TIME STRATEGY RELEASED: 1996

STILL A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK. I love absolutely everything about Red Alert, from the gameplay to the music and the graphics to the story. For those who don’t remember it, a quick recap: Einstein travels back in me using a device called the Chronosphere to kill Hitler, preven ng the Second World War. Unfortunately, that has opened the way for Stalin’s Red Army to roll into Europe and the con nent is on the verge of falling to the Soviet Union. You take on the role of either the Allies trying to turn the war around or the Soviets trying to press their advantage. The game’s two campaigns follow radically diﬀerent paths depending on which side you play (although the series’ canon assumes an ul mate Allied victory). The gameplay is fast and fran c. Infantry get mowed down in droves and are prac cally useless in the later stages. There’s no way of se ng a build queue so you have to a ack and build at the same me to be successful. One of the strangest features looking back is the one bu on mouse control – Warcra had pioneered using one bu on to select a unit and the other to move but Westwood did not take up the innova on. For my young self, the game was incredibly diﬃcult. The earlier levels were rela vely straigh orward, if s ll absorbing, but the later stages presented huge sprawling maps and seemingly impenetrable defences. To this day, I’ve never completed the Soviet campaign, which I consider the easier one because you can deploy the all-crushing Mammoth tank.

To defeat the Soviets as the Allies, I had to resort to some pre y dastardly tricks. I read an ar cle about how you could hack the game open and get access to the rules files that determined the performance of all the units. Changing one line of code made Allied femme fatale and commando Tanya all but invincible and, with that, I was able to romp through the final levels. (A er making Tanya invincible, I got carried away and swapped the naval cruisers’ guns for dog launchers.) Between the missions there were live ac on cutscenes to advance the story. The characters addressed you directly as general in a move most developers would probably consider too cheesy now. In the final scene the two Allied high commanders find Stalin in a collapsed church. One argues that he’s s ll alive, the other, darkly dismisses the idea and suggests they leave. Red Alert 3 descended into silliness, EA could have done well to remember the darkness that underpinned the original. The combina on of an extended story, a large number of missions but only limited units meant that players had to be crea ve to win, or amass a huge mob of units. (Another Blizzard innova on was the popula on cap, Red Alert was free from any such restric on of the number of units a general could field.) For me, it’s those factors that make the game live on so deeply in my memory. Ian Duncan

phonica magazine uk

FORGOTTEN GEMS:

KNUCKLES CHAOTIX PUBLISHERS: SEGA DEVELOPERS: SONIC TEAM FORMAT: 32X GENRE: PLATFORMER RELEASED: 1995

TYING UP THE LOSE ENDS

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FEATURES The 32X was the Keyser Soze of the gaming world. One minute it was there, clambering onto the weary Mega Drive like a Stag Beetle on heat, the next, it was gone. OK, the ‘Stag Beetle’ reference doesn’t really work when coupled with the Soze analogy, but in a strange and roundabout way, that’s a perfect sum-up of the 32X’s rela onship with the Mega Drive; bad coupling. The 32X was a gaming flash in the pan if there ever was one. Of course, the rise and instant demise of the 32X was no major biggy - it was nothing more than a walking frame or a Stannah Stairli for the Mega Drive a er all. But the tragedy is that the 32X actually had some really impressive tles, which sadly, no one really got to see. To be honest, you could write a book on all the ‘Forgo en Gems’ the 32X failed to provide a reliable and fi ng pla orm for. Star Wars Arcade, A erburner, Blackthorne; the list goes on and on. But the one tle that really s cks out - for me at least - is Knuckles Chao x; the last truly great Sonic game. Released in 1995, Knuckles Chao x was a Sonic pla ormer without Sonic, but one that s ll managed to recreate that ‘Sonic magic’. The plot is very light indeed, and depending on which version you play (the Western and Japanese versions differ enormously), the general crux is that Dr. Robotnic is back and Knuckles must scu le his plans. It’s the basic pla ormer setup; run as fast as you can, stomp on a few baddies, and collect the rings. Jobbed.

“GOOD OLD FASHION TEAMWORK AT IT’S BEST, AND WITH A FRIEND, YOU’LL BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A BETTER CO-OP TITLE FROM THE LATE 90S.”

What instantly strikes about Knuckles Chao x, is the way in which you must work with your partner. As you and your companion (either controlled by the CPU or via a second controller) are ed together via a magical power ring, you must play as a team if you’re going to be a success. As you and your hog- ed buddy bungee from pla orm to pla orm, bashing baddies on the noggin and defying the laws of gravity and physics, the speed at which you bound is something to behold, and with prac ce, you can pull-off some extremely impressive tricks. Catapul ng yourself through a crowd of nas es is always good fun, as is climbing a wall as your buddy dangles below. Good old fashion teamwork at it’s best, and with a friend, you be hard pressed to find a be er co-op tle from the late 90s. I don’t want to bag the sagging drum of Sonic’s turgid and dire recent adventures, as even in this issue I’m risking tearing the skin of my exhausted percussion device. But Sonic is all but dead today. 3D just hasn’t worked for him, and despite new and radical changes in genre, a emp ng to bring those glory days back and recapture those golden years, none as far (or will ever in my opinion) work. Hopefully Sonic 4 will be the tle we’ve all been wai ng for, as 2D pla orming is what Sonic does best and what he should always s ck to. This is typified in Knuckles Chao x; a tle that introduced a new trick with the bungee concept, but never strayed far from the simple pla orming elements. It had pace, depth, colorful and enlightening visuals, a cheery soundtrack, and most of all, it’s a ruddy good laugh. The 32X was a flash in the pan, a one hit wonder, and last hurrah before the Mega Drive succumbed to the demands of me and the relentless speed of the gaming world. To be honest, it was a pre y dire piece of kit, and to a certain extent the start of Sega’s demise as a major console manufacturer. But let’s never forget the great tles that graced that strange and wart-like a achment. There are some great games that got lost, and anyone of them is worthy of a quick play, either via an emulator or a sharp bargain on Ebay. But if you can only play one, play Knuckles Chao x, not just as a reminder of how good Sonic tles used to be, but as a brief salute to the 32X. It was pre y rubbish, but it gave the ancient and red Mega Drive a few more moments at the top, and that can only be a good thing. Sco Tierney

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REVIEWS

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REVIEWS SAMSUNG WAVE GT-S8500 A LITTLE TOO EAGER FOR ITS OWN GOOD? We like a responsive screen, here at Phonica. We like a screen that obeys our every command with speed, precision and vigor; without ever lagging, misinterpre ng our input, or just freezing when you need to make that all important call. When it comes to screens, the most important quality they must bestow is ease. If they can’t be easier to use than good old fashioned bu ons, then what’s the point in having them? So, what is the standard of the screen on the new Samsung Wave GT-S8500? Well, in a word, twitchy. The Wave GT-S8500 is Samsung’s latest a empt to break into the smartphone market, and produce a handset that is as sleek and sexy as an HTC, but also as funky and easy to use as an iPhone. With a mass of features such as an impressive 5MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, the ability to play every form of audio format under the sun, and enough apps and widgets to ﬁll a skip, the Wave does seem to have all the creden als. But can it really match up to the big boys, or is it just, ul mately, ﬂa ering to deceive? Well, when it comes to the ma er of style and build quality, the Wave is right up there. With a sleek and slim metallic body, encapsula ng a simple collec on of swish bu ons and a simply divine screen, the Wave is a gorgeous looking device. It may be a bit too tall for some, and overall it possibly lacks that wow factor that the HTC handsets have in abundance, but when being used it feels solid yet delicate, and against the horizonless crowd of iPhones, the Wave just looks a bit more en cing than Apples white giant. The screen itself is outstanding. Colours are bright, vivid, clear and immaculate, the contrast is spot on, and even the most electric of mo on is captured perfectly by the Wave. The interface is also sublimely smooth, and a major improvement – in teams of speed – over the other recent Samsung handsets.

But, that said, the Wave can be a fiddly and complex mobile to navigate. Samsung have done a great job in packing the Wave with apps, op ons and networking features. But due to all this cramming, you’ll find that a lot of the day-to-day features are buried behind an endless steam of menus and sub-menus. For example, connec ng to a local WiFi source is a lot harder than it should be, as you have to go through several menus before actually finding the correct op on. Once connected to the web, everything is perfect, but these li le nuisances just take up more me than is really required.

“THE SCREEN ITSELF IS OUTSTANDING. COLOURS ARE BRIGHT, VIVID, CLEAR AND IMMACULATE, AND EVEN THE MOST ELECTRIC OF MOTION IS CAPTURED PERFECTLY BY THE WAVE.” It should also be noted that despite being a vast improvement gloss-wise, when compared to other Samsung screens, the Wave’s can be frustra ng. On the Pixon 12, entering text and scrolling through web pages was almost a faultless opera on. On the Wave, it’s probably a lot smoother, and the screens whiz past with more fluidity and finesse, but we’ve lost count of the amount of mes we’ve miss-hit a link, or had to retype a word due to inser ng the wrong le er. It may be quick, but it’s not all that accurate. Overall, the Samsung Wave GT-S8500 is a stunning, snazzy and sublime piece of technology. The screen is great, the interface is arguably the best Samsung have produced, and the Wave is packed with features. But despite this, we found it to be fiddly rather than effortless. It may have the looks to rival the HTC’s and iPhone’s, but a er a few days of missed commands, jerked emails and resome naviga ons through endless menus, you’ll have probably fallen out of love with the Wave. A great effort by Samsung though, but it’s just not quite there yet. Sco Tierney

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SAMSUNG MONTE

REVIEWS

NOT QUITE THE FULL MONTE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH. As I write this review from my desk, I have the Samsung Monte perched upon a book, directly in my eye-line. It’s been there for about a week, and although I’ve been tes ng it to it’s fullest on a daily basis, running it through its paces like a wild-eyed gym instructor, one ques on keeps popping into my mind. Is it actually a good looking phone? One day I find the dazzling orange streaks that run down the Monte’s side, revol ng, then the next I find them to be the best feature of the phone. I’m just not sure, and the more I contemplate this rela vely mediocre ques on, the more uncertain I become. Just like Robbie and Kylie, with the Monte, Samsung are doing it for the kids (yes I know that was a 10+ year old reference, but hey, I’m just not that ‘down’ with the youngsters!). The Monte is the perfect mobile for the youngster that needs a phone on a budget, but s ll wants plenty of op ons and enough glamour to avoid the schoolyard mockery. In this respect, Samsung have got it down to a tee. We’ll come back to that confusing design later, but for now let’s concentrate on the features and screen, which considering the rela ve low price (approximately £10 per month contractual, or £100-£120 PAYG) are both served in abundance and with considerable quality. The screen is a solid and respectable 3incher, which although possibly lacks the contrast and startling punch of the more up-market mobiles, s ll delivers a pleasant enough picture for your pound. The Monte also features a steady 3.2MP camera, which despite lacking a flash, s ll produces the goods when the condi ons are right. As for the build quality, it’s all an issue of feel. I’ve had the Monte for a few days, and despite a rough ride in my shoulder bag and a good pummeling from my cumbersome digits, it’s holding up immaculately. That said, the Monte has that unmistakable ‘plas c’ feel, and despite the grey-metallic paint on the body and case, Samsung isn’t fooling anyone.

The interface is surprisingly pleasant for a budget handset. When compared to the snappier screens of the Wave and Pixon 12, the Monte may feel a tad sluggish and dated, but it’s all here, and frankly, although we liked the Wave a lot, we found it far too twitchy. On skimming the menus, you’ll ﬁnd that everything you need – and more – is there. WiFi, GPS, 3G, connec vity to all your favorite networking sites and video feeds, and also a solid collec on of fun goodies (games and FM radio) as well as the more serious Emails and scheduling op ons.

“THE MONTE HAS THAT UNMISTAKABLE ‘PLASTIC’ FEEL, AND DESPITE THE GREY-METALLIC PAINT ON THE BODY AND CASE, SAMSUNG ISN’T FOOLING ANYONE.” One thing that s cks out (quite literally!) is the ridicules headphone socket. Due to the curved design of the Monte’s body, the opening to the socket is at an angle. This means that your headphone jack will never quite fully go in, and o en you’ll find that the merriest touch will distort your listening pleasure. To be brutally honest, it’s an appalling piece of design, and a massive flaw on an otherwise excellent phone. We like the Monte. It’s cheap, cheerful, spunky, solid, and best of all, a bit of a bargain. We detest the headphone socket, and with the inclusion of a bit of a real metal, the Monte may well have been able to disguise its cheap feel, be er. But overall, we like it. But that design? I s ll can’t get my head around it. The phone itself is fine; it’s just those florescent orange slashes that run down the side. They just don’t quite fit, as if they’ve been stuck on at the last minute in an a empt to ‘jazz up’ the décor. But hey, it’s for the kids, so what do I know? Sco Tierney

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REVIEWS

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REVIEWS VODAFONE ACCESS GATEWAY 3G A BOOST TO YOUR SIGNAL... The modern mobile is an amazing piece of kit. You can watch videos, listen to music, surf the web, play games, collate your emails and friendship accounts; you can even use it as a torch to find your way to bed. But, surprisingly, the one thing it can’t do all the me is make calls. If you live in an area that seems to have been built on a lead plate, or if your flat is concealed by the unforgiving shadow of a twig, you’ll o en find it hard to use your mobile when at home. Up a mountain or in a Pharaoh’s tomb, no problem. But in the harmony of your own living room, nothing. Well, if you suffer from this problem, then we may have the gadget for you. At a price, mind… For around the £150 mark, Vodafone are offering the Access Gateway, a home hub that will boost you mobile signal within 100 metres. With room for up to four registered mobiles, the Access Gateway is essen ally your own personal 3G supply, which you can setup for your phones, and block others trying to piggy-back your feed. A er a bit of installing and se ng up (it took us just over an hour, but do be prepared to wait longer) we found that our signals had improved, and although we had to jiggle the posi oning to find the ‘hot-spot’, we were impressed with the range and consistency. But one thing bothers us with the Access Gateway; we feel a bit cheated. With the cost of buying and running the Access Gateway, you’re essen ally paying double for your calls. This would be fine if the Gateway was a handheld gadget that could be used anywhere. It’s not, just for your home. Surely if you’re on a mobile package, the first thing you’d expect and demand from your network is a solid, reliable and free connec on to a line? So when we have to pay £150 as a ‘boost’ to something we’d expect to be provided automa cally, we can’t help but feel a wee bit miffed. If you struggle with a connec on, then the Access Gateway is the perfect solu on. It’ll all but guarantee you a permanent connec on, which is all you can ask from it. But for a big wedge of wonga, we couldn’t say it’s value for money. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY PUBLISHER: BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPER: BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM: PC GENRE: REAL-TIME STRATEGY

WE’VE WAITED YEARS FOR THIS! phonica magazine magazine uk uk 40 phonica

REVIEWS We’ve endured countless zergling rushes, thundering siege tank barrages and swarms of interceptors from Carriers. The me has finally come. The second chapter in the Starcra universe is finally upon us. Ohboyohboyohboy. Beads of sweat sprung as I pa ently waited for the game to load. The chill of excitement that spread from my spine to my hands as the opening cinema cs began. The unstoppable grin as I finally see Tychus Findlay suited and booted. There hasn’t ever been anything that has made me as excited as Starcra II: Wings of Liberty. I’m pre y sure people have poured over previews and whatnot but there is nothing like si ng down and experiencing this baby hands-on. Straight away, veteran Starcra players will no ce that the beginning menus are much clearer, precise and easy to understand. Menu bar at the top, a chat screen that fills up a big por on of the screen (very handy with the RealID feature that was recently implemented to connect all of your online games together) and just, in general, a sort of user interface that you’d expect from what is arguably the most an cipated sequel for a long, long me. Playing the campaign, limited to the Terran with Wings of Liberty (the other two fac ons to follow in separate tles) the UI changes to something similar to many point-and-click adventures, with certain characters or machines available for important mission stuff, or just idle banter. It’s an incredibly refreshing sight a er the really tedious lectures that were the campaign briefings in Starcra I. The whole idea of being a mercenary, picking up missions for credits, buying and researching technology and going around blas ng Zerg, Terran and Protoss le right and centre at the same me, really fuses well with the storyline that revolves around Jim Raynor, and the UI during the campaign reflects this perfectly. Now, the juicy stuff. The GAMEPLAY (from a Terran perspec ve, I’ve not really touched mul player... yet.)

Minerals and vespene gas make a return as Starcra II is again primarily focused on economy and efficient management of resources, but SC1 players will feel the game is slightly slower than its predecessor. Why? Because the SCV mines and harvests only 5 minerals or 4 vespene gas in any one trip, while at the same me, unit costs have largely remained the same. However, this presents itself as an opportunity for the REAL players of Starcra II to begin showcasing their immense talent of adap ng to the game and to the challenges. New units have been introduced, as expected, and some of them are incredibly effec ve and a blast to control. Classics such as the Ba lecruiser, the Siege Tank and the all- me favourite, the Marine, have been given a makeover while new addi ons such as the Hellion (replacing vultures) and my personal favourite, the Reaper - a jetpacked footsoldier equipped with dual pistols and explosives against buildings. There really is so much poten al for new strategies to be discovered – for example, I’m perfec ng an insanely fast Reaper/Hellion a ack that decimates Zerg and gets out in a jiffy, so ening up targets before se ng up camp with Siege Tanks to mop up. Oh, the graphics? Again, with the sequel being 12 years ahead of its predecessor in technology, graphics have been vastly improved. It’s an excellent addi on to really take advantage of the 3D environment that was par ally present in the first (ramps and cliffs provide exploitable chokepoints and vantage points respec vely) by u lising units that could ascend and descend cliffs, either by jetpack, blinking (a form of teleport) or literally climbing over them (you’ll see what I mean). And finally, a word on the voice ac ng. It’s brilliant. The Easter Eggs when you repeatedly click on any unit are a fantas c touch and they’ve really brought in some great actors to voice the important NPCs – I mean, Tricia Helfer as Kerrigan? Come on! Paul Park

P.S. The Terran campaign, the ending... for all you Kerrigan fans... oh lawdy. PRESENTATION: 18/20 STORY: 19/20 CONTROLS: 18/20 GAMEPLAY: 20/20 DURABILITY: 20/20

OVERALL

95/100 phonica magazine uk

COMPETITIONS

WIN A COPY OF

STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY IN THIS ISSUE ONE LUCKY READER COULD WIN A COPY OF STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY

THIS GAME COULD BE YOURS! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

COMPETITION RULES JOIN OUR GROUP ON FACEBOOK; SEARCH FOR PHONICA MAGAZINE UK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @PHONICAMAGUK. EMAIL YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL AND MOBILE CONTACT, ALONG WITH YOUR TWITTER USERNAME TO PHONICACOMPETITIONS@PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Terms and Condi ons (1)The prize is one copy of Starcra II: Wings of Liberty (2) No cash or other prize alterna ves are offered. (3) All entries must be received no later than 20th August, 2010. The winner would be no fied within 7 days of this date and will be published in the following issue. (4) The Editor’s decision is final. (5) Compe on open to UK residents only, except employees of Phonica Magazine UK.

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phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS ALAN WAKE

PUBLISHERS: MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS DEVELOPERS: REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT FORMAT: XBOX 360 GENRE: SURVIVAL THRILLER

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REVIEWS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, IS DREAM. DREAM, DREAM, DREAM...ETC Dreams are funny old things. The vast majority of my slumber adventures usually centre on the fact that I’ve gone to work without my trousers, or some other trouserless-based plot. But in games, they are a pla orm in which developers and writers can break away from the constraints of reality they’ve set their game within, and for brief moments, let their hair down and go a bit nuts. Playing through the drug-induced nightmares of Bruce Wayne were some of the high-points of the excep onal Arkham Asylum, as were the creepy nightmares of F.E.A.R. But now we have Alan Wake, a game in which the central character spends the vast majority of his me in a dream…or does he? Alan Wake is a survival/physiological thriller, set around the story of a horror writer, Alan Wake (or A. Wake…very clever…) who’s struggling to write his next novel. To try and focus his mind, his wife convinces him to take a trip away to Bright Falls; a sleepy town where everyone knows everyone. But their relaxing vaca on doesn’t go according to plan. Alan starts suffering from blackouts, overwhelming dreams, and a sensa on that he may be losing his mind. It’s an engaging, well produced and thoroughly enjoyable plot, that is played out partly as a novel (Alan finds torn pages of his next novel sca ered around the town) and partly as a TV series. The contrast between light and darkness plays a pivotal role in Alan Wake. For example, the enemies that Alan encounters are cast in shadow, and to defeat them he has to fire prolonged bursts from a torch directly into them, un l the shadow has cleared and he can shoot the natural creature that remains. Also, the torch can be used to find hidden messages in the surrounding area, that lead to stashes of ammo and extra supplies of the all important ba ers. Be sure to look out for these hidden goodies, as ammo and ba eries are both a necessity and scarce.

It should be said that Alan Wake (the game itself, not the man…although he is rather dapper!) looks magnificent, with the dense forests, moon-glin ng lakes, weary hotels and town dwellers looking as close to real as you can get. As you hurry through the midnight forest, even during the quiet moments, you’ll be struck by the shear level of detail. It’s outstandingly beau ful. It would be an overstatement to say Alan Wake is a scary game, as although it is creepy, unnerving and o en intense, you never really leap out of your seat in terror. This can be partly a ributed to the a empts by Remedy to make Alan Wake feel like a David Lynch film. All the elements are there: The curious and ‘off ’ folk of a reclusive town, a weird 50s feel, surreal moments and prolonged dream sequences that merge reality and fic on; even the classic Roy Orbison track In Dreams makes an appearance. But despite all these ingredients, Alan Wake doesn’t come close to recrea ng that Lynch magic, and although it’s a bit creepy, it’s got nothing on Twin Peaks.

“IT WOULD BE AN OVERSTATEMENT TO SAY ALAN WAKE IS A SCARY GAME” Overall Alan Wake is a hugely memorable piece of storytelling, which mixes wondrous visuals, smart plotlines, memorable characters and classy chills to great eﬀect. It’s possibly not as scary as it should be, and despite having a superbly cra ed plot and some well worked dialogue, it does feel a li le dumbed-down at mes. But overall, Alan Wake is a superb tle, that was unfairly missed by some (including us!) when the ‘big’ tles of Red Dead and Mario Galaxy 2, burst onto the scene. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 19/20 STORY: 18/20 CONTROLS: 17/20 GAMEPLAY: 16/20 DURABILITY: 15/20

OVERALL

85/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS

CRACKDOWN 2 PUBLISHERS: MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS DEVELOPERS: RUFFIAN GAMES FORMAT: XBOX 360 GENRE: SANDBOX SHOOTER

ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE? Crime is at an all me high in Pacific City: by day the Agency struggles to maintain streets run by Catalina Thorne’s terrorist group, The Cell; by night a cloning experiment that went wrong, The Freaks, come out to feed on the innocent civilians of Pacific City. That’s one hell of a premise to base a game on! One of the most an cipated sequels to an original Xbox 360 game has now arrived. You start off as a gene cally engineered super-cop known as the Agent, with superhuman strength and a shiny new suit to make you look the part. With the ability to level up your skills you will be jumping houses and climbing the tallest buildings, picking up cars and lampposts to use as weapons. Your job is to get to tac cal loca ons sca ered around Pacific City and stop the The Cell from taking over. At night it’s you who is tasked with deploying the Beacons which destroy the results of an Agency experiment that went wrong - the Freaks, which are breaking out all over the city.

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If you played Crackdown 1, this game may seem very similar. That’s probably because it is, with few improvements made here and there. Pacific City itself has had a well-deserved upgrade since the original crackdown, but has been mostly destroyed by all of the mutant freaks. With the addi on of new vehicles, guns and gadgets you have all the equipment you need to make sure the Cell and Freaks don’t take over. Another new feature is the renegade orbs. These orbs are tricky to catch as they move as you get closer to them, but with a well needed skill bonus at stake, it makes it that much more sa sfying once you capture them. To make things a li le easier, you have the ability to echo ping your radar to find orbs that you may have missed nearby. You also need to find the audio logs le by PCNN reporters and other civilians who were killed by the freaks. This will keep you away from the repe ve story of deploying the beacons and destroying tac cal loca ons.

“RUFFIAN HAVE DEVELOPED A GAME WHICH DOESN’T HAVE MUCH OF A STORYLINE, AND THE MAIN PLOT DOESN’T LAST VERY LONG.” Hand-to-hand combat skills are needed to unlock new weapons and special moves such as the ground pound and new melee combos have been added to make it easier to take down the enemies. Vehicles play a major role and cars are unlocked so there’s no transforming car like there was in the original. Running down enemies, stunt jumps and winning races will earn driving skills. With the ability to ﬂy a helicopter and glide around the city in your new unlockable wingsuit, it takes no me to explore all the islands on the map.

The inclusion of more side quests and weapons breathes fresh air into the series, but Ruﬃan have developed a game which doesn’t have much of a storyline, and the main plot doesn’t last very long. However, a few extra hours of gameplay are added by the 4-player co-op mode and 16-player arena combat, as well as hundreds of orbs and audio logs to collect. Ul mately, though, the game ends up feeling a bit repe ve. Christopher Harris

PRESENTATION: 16/20 STORY: 12/20 CONTROLS: 15/20 GAMEPLAY: 18/20 DURABILITY: 17/20

OVERALL

78/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS

SKATE 3

PUBLISHERS: ELECTRONIC ARTS DEVELOPERS: EA BLACK BOX FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3 GENRE: SPORTS

phonica magazine magazine uk uk 48 phonica

REVIEWS IF CRASH TEST DUMMIES COULD SKATE… In a certain respect, Skateboarding has become the modern day equivalent of surfing. Instead of the Hawaiian beach bums that lazed on the sun kissed sands in wait for the perfect wave, we now have capped and t-shirted kids that glide around suburbia in search of the perfect jump. They even use the same terminology, such as ‘dude’, ‘rad’ and ‘cool’. But just as the once free world of surfing became commercialised and marketed, so now has skateboarding. But enough of the history lesson, let’s look at this new (sort of) ska ng game. Skake 3 is more of an update of Skate 2, rather than a brand-spankingly new tle. It has taken the best bits of the second game, made a few changes, chucked out a few expendables and all in all, we now have what is technically Skate 2.5. Firstly, let’s look at what’s new. In Skate 2, ska ng was essen ally outlawed, enforcing you to play the role of a ska ng Dick Turpin. But in Skate 3, you seem to have been transported to ska ng heaven. Port Carverton; a permanently sunny, colourful, cheery, friendly and welcoming sector of suburbia, where everyone skates and no one complains. Even the security guards partake in skateboarding! It’s a great landscape, with plenty to do and discover. But strangely, it feels rather more sinister than Skate 2’s rough and ready streets. It feels too perfect, like a studio set, or a town full of brainwashed zombies. Maybe we’re just a bit paranoid, but we’re just wai ng to find a secret lab underneath Carverton’s exquisitely maintained central fountain, or to wake up and find ourselves naked, in a tank of energy sucking gloop. That’s probably just us though… Skate 3 has been designed to be both more approachable and more challenging. Thanks to some smart difficulty se ngs - which can be altered during gameplay - you can crack-up the difficulty to gain more rewards, or revert back to the easy mode if it all becomes a li le too tough. There’s also a ska ng school, which will give novices the chance to grasp the basics, while giving a brief refresher to the pros.

As ska ng is best with chums, Skate 3 has added several new co-op and challenge events, so you can ‘1up’ your buddies as well as congratulate them on their awesomeness. There’s also a landscape editor - Skate Park - which allows you to build your own cauldrons of fun, then share them with other online users. A major gripe is the removal of the local networking op on, which was featured on Skate 2. Most players have an internet connec on, but if you don’t, tough. Thanks again Sony.

“THE MORE BONES YOU BREAK, THE MORE POINTS YOU MAKE!” Although there are plenty of events to partake in Skate 3, such as races, trick contests, photo and video shoots, as well as other style-based compe ons, the one I enjoyed most was the wipeout mode. I quite literally wet myself when I see a man fall 50 feet onto his face, and in this mode, that’s the name of the game. The more bones your break, the more points you make! Overall, Skate 3 is a hard game to dislike. It’s a lot of fun, there’s a decent hub for chum-based fun, there’s plenty to do and explore, the diﬃculty has been managed successfully, and personally, I can’t get enough of seeing someone snap their spine in the name of pain. But despite this, there’s nothing truly new that Skate 3 can shout about. It’s a great tle, and arguably the best ska ng tle currently available, but it just hasn’t moved on enough from Skate 2, which will leave fans of the series a li le confused and disappointed. It’s a great game, and a great laugh, but ul mately we’d have liked to have seen a lot more from such a major tle. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 14/20 STORY: 16/20 CONTROLS: 18/20 GAMEPLAY: 18/20 DURABILITY: 18/20

OVERALL

84/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS SINGULARITY PUBLISHERS: ACTIVISION DEVELOPERS: RAVEN SOFTWARE FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC GENRE: FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER

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REVIEWS TIME FOR A CHANGE… Here’s a li le p for surviving in the make-believe world of video games: Never get in a helicopter. It’s a well know fact, that as soon as you climb aboard and start making conversa on with the soldier opposite, that helicopter is going to crash. It has happened in nearly every single FPS game (Resistance 2, Modern Warfare 2 to name but two), and now it’s happened again in Singularity, the shooter that borrows inspira on by the cliché-load. Singularity is set around a forgo en Russian military base, “Katorga-12, where during the height of the Cold War, scien sts meddled too deeply into the mysterious chemical, E99. Now, a er 50 years of decay, ruin and dilapida on, a team of US Marines turn up at the base, in search…sorry, I can’t be bothered to con nue. You’ve heard it all before. The short of it is that they crash, you’re the lone survivor, and – shock of shocks - there are zombies.

“THIS SENSE OF DÉJÀ VU CONTINUES THROUGHOUT SINGULARITY, AND IN A WAY IT IS ITS BIGGEST WEAKNESS.” As soon as you arrive at the entrance to the disintegra ng base, you’ll be hit with one thought: I’ve been here before. There’s a lot of rubble lying around, there’s an old 50s promo onal ﬁlm running in the background, and there’s an in mida ng statue of Stalin staring back at you. It is uncannily like the opening steps you take in Bioshock, or that ﬁrst me you explored the museum in Fallout 3.

One feature that does genuinely excite is the TMD (Time Manipula on Device), which gives you the op on to both progress an object or enemy in me, or to restore it via sending it back in me. An example of this is when you come across a broken staircase, that with the click of a bu on can be reverted back to its original state, and can now be climbed. The TMD can also be used on enemies, as with a powered burst you can incinerate your enemy in seconds. The TMD does go through juice at an alarming rate though, and this is its biggest flaw. When you first gain the TMD, you feel like a God, as you march down a corridor, destroying crates, reversing crumpled walls back together and opening up hidden paths. You then stumble across some 1950s soldiers (Oh yes, I forgot to men on that you can go back in me), who point their machine guns in your direc on and start firing. Not a problem though, as you are the God of Time, and these puny mortals are no match for you. You explode an enemy solider, you disintegrate another, and then…oh… you’ve run out of energy, and thanks to Singularity’s s nginess with ammo (even on the easy se ng), you haven’t got anything but a knife to a ack back with. Cosmic. Singularity reminds us of nearly every FPS we’ve ever played, and at mes we felt as if we were actually playing those games, only on a vastly inferior level. But more than anything, Singularity reminds us of Raven So ware’s other FPS, Wolfenstein. Both are decent shooters, with solid visuals, impressive set pieces, both use me manipula on and both are rela vely exci ng. But they are both clichéd to the extreme, and neither of them bring anything new to the table. They just play-out the old tricks, beg, borrow and steal what they can, and go though the mo ons un l they eventually end. Sadly, that’s just not good enough anymore, and although Singularity has its moments, we’re bored of it before it’s even loaded. Sco Tierney

This sense of Déjà vu con nues throughout Singularity, and in a way it is its biggest weakness. For instance, the deformed creatures that roam the laboratories have a striking resemblance to those in Dead Space. They are bloomin scary, and to give Singularity its dues, there are some extremely nerve-racking moments, but you’ve seen it all before. It’s just one long stroll down memory lane, and frankly, that’s not a par cularly scary place.

PRESENTATION: 16/20 STORY: 10/20 CONTROLS: 16/20 GAMEPLAY: 12/20 DURABILITY: 10/20

OVERALL

64/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS

RACKET SPORTS PARTY PUBLISHERS: UBISOFT DEVELOPERS: UBISOFT FORMAT: WII GENRE: SPORTS

AN INFERNAL RACKET Wii Sports is brilliant. It’s great when played alone, even be er with buddies; the games are diverse, challenging, fun and addic ve, and for a freebie that came along with the Wii console, it has to be one of the best bargains in history. My personal favourite sport on the Wii’s opening e-in tle was Tennis, and even today, I rarely go more than a week without smashing a few lobs and unleashing my bucke uls of shwaz. So, when I picked up a copy of this new racket-based tle, Racket Sports Party, I was expec ng a lot. Racket Sports Party brings together your favourite racket-based games; Tennis, Badminton, Squash, Beach Tennis and Ping Pong. These are five games that require different levels of skill, and different choices of shot to achieve the maximum from your game. So, let’s run through, and see how they perform both alone and when compared to the excep onal yet simple, Wii Sports tennis.

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“OVERALL, RACKET SPORTS PAR EFFORT. ALTHOUGH THERE’S A S GOOD CHALLENGE EVENTS AN TO ENSURE A WII PARTY NIGHT THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TO MAK YOU COME BACK FOR ANOTHE GO THE NEXT DAY.” Star ng with the good ‘ol game of Tennis; despite several years to hone, perfect and build upon the taster that was Wii Sports Tennis, Racket Sports Party’s version is disappoin ngly poor. You get lots more arenas to play in, and with use of the A and B bu ons, you can rush to the net and play drop shots respec vely. But all this goes down the pan when you can simply hit an impossible to return serve, and canter through each match with ease. Hi ng the perfect serve is astonishingly easy, and within seconds of playing, you’ll be purposefully hi ng bad serves, just to get into a rally. But again, once in a rally, it’s not much fun either, with spin being diﬃcult to control despite the addi on of Mo on Plus, and the ming of shots being infuria ngly diﬃcult due to the poor camera posi oning.

REVIEWS

RTY IS A PRETTY POOR SOLID CAREER MODE, ND ENOUGH VARIATIONS PASSES WITH EASE, E All the other racket games have their faults, others being moderately be er than others. ER with Badminton is average, but again, the camera makes it almost impossible to judge when to play your shots. Squash is reasonably enjoyable, un l you or you opponent discovers how to hit shots into the corners which guaran es winning a point. The Ping Pong is surprisingly good, with mighty rallies ﬁlled with spin and swing a regular occurrence, but it’s not a patch on the fantas c Wii tle, Table Tennis. And if you’re thinking of playing a bit of Beach Tennis, don’t, as it’s about as much fun as it is in real life; rubbish. Overall, Racket Sports Party is a pre y poor eﬀort. Although there’s a solid career mode, good challenge events and enough varia ons to ensure a Wii Party Night passes with ease, there’s not enough to make you come back for another go the next day.

Ul mately, Racket Sports Party’s main challenge is Wii Sports – a tagged on launch tle that’s nearly five years old – that s ll is vastly superior. A er playtes ng Racket Sports Party, I went back to Wii Sports, just to see the difference between the two tles. Bluntly, I was staggered. Within moments of playing a quick game of tennis, I was curling the ball, firing in red-hot serves (and having them returned!) and in general, actually managing to hit mul -angled shots with rela ve ease. And that’s what really grates about Racket Sports Party; it should be vastly superior to Wii Sports, it’s had 4 years to build upon what the original Wii launch tle achieved a er all, but it’s as bad, as it should be be er. S ck with your old, dusty, part-worn copy of Wii Sports; it’d whack this shabby li le tle around the court all day. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 15/20 STORY: 13/20 CONTROLS: 13/20 GAMEPLAY: 10/20 DURABILITY: 10/20

OVERALL

61/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS NAUGHTY BEAR PUBLISHERS: 505 GAMES DEVELOPERS: ARTIFICIAL MIND & MOVEMENT FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3 GENRE: STRATEGIC BEAT-EM-UP

NO ONE LIKES A PARTY POOPER. I’m not a fan of par es, and to be honest I’ll do anything in my power to avoid going to one. I’ll say I’m busy; I’ll lie about the death of a close family member, fake an illness, I’ll even pretend to be dead, only to miraculously reincarnate the next day thanks to the healing powers of Lemsip and chicken soup. I just don’t like par es, full stop. But if the par es I frequently shun are anything like the opening to 505 Games’ Naughty Bear, I wouldn’t have to think up an excuse. I just wouldn’t turn up. Full stop. Naughty Bear is a silly beat-em-up, where you play as a bear gone wrong with an overwhelming thirst for vengeance. If the other bears in the neighbourhood are having a party, or enjoying a picnic, or just having a gay me on a summers day, Naughty Bear is bound to turn up and lay a bit of revenge-based smack on their furry bo es. It’s a good li le concept, that could have worked extremely well and built upon the comic elements that its premise provides, but sadly, it’s all a bit of a morning a er mess. The aim of the game is to cause chaos in whatever manner you see ﬁt. You can creep up on other bears and scare them into insanity, go on a wild rampage and trash everything in site with the aid of a baseball bat, or just snap completely and kill every bear in the vicinity via bullet spraying or axe wielding. It’s up to you, and as long as you keep your score cking over with enough ‘naugh ness’ – the games score system – you’ll have enough me to unleash a mixture of all three. We must admit, stabbing a cute and cuddly bear repe vely in the face un l his head explodes is genuinely amusing, but a er two or three mes, it gets very dull indeed.

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There’s an almost endless list of flaws that plague Naughty Bear. For one, the visuals are very poor for both an Xbox 360 and PS3 game. They’re nice and bright, and we like the clash of hysteric violence and dream-like summer’s day campness, but the graphics just lack any sense of detail or depth. Also, the mapping is too cramped, with each level feeling as if it’s been squeezed at the last moment to save on space, and the controls are infuria ngly twitchy and overly complex. But by far, the biggest flaw that all but ruins Naughty Bear, is the camera angle. When chasing a bear around a log cabin, it’s always a bonus to know where that bear is. Usually, said bear would be in front of you, directly in your line of sight, which is perfect. But if the fleeing bear quickly snaps direc on and shi s around a corner to the le , thanks to the dreadful camera posi oning, that bear could well be in the next county for all you know. The camera is posi oned so closely to the back of your character’s head, that unless your enemy is directly in front of you, you wont have a scobby-doo where he is. Couple to this the constant invasion of items such as leafs, trees, buildings and other bears blocking your vision. At mes playing Naughty Bear is nearly impossible. To be blunt, we are massively disappointed with Naughty Bear. Although it boasts a savvy concept, and despite a magnitude of crippling flaws it does occasional deliver laughs and excitement, overall it’s just an overwhelming mess of bad design decisions, flimsy development and lazy gameplay. Looks like Nana Tierney is going to have to pretend to be dead again, as there’s no way I’m going to go to this party… Sco Tierney PRESENTATION: 11/20 STORY: 11/20 CONTROLS: 12/20 OVERALL GAMEPLAY: 9/20 DURABILITY: 12/20

55/100

REVIEWS

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

PHONICA’S 20 RECOMMENDED CHILDHOOD CLASSICS DUKE NUKEM 3D

POKEMON RED/ BLUE/YELLOW

MERCS

GOLDENEYE 64

MICRO MACHINES 2: TURBO TOURNAMENT

(PC)

(Gameboy)

(Mega Drive)

(N64)

(Mega Drive)

SCOTT TIERNEY: “For a small boy, the sight of some pixilated lady-parts was a momentous occasion.”

PAUL PARK: “Pocket-sized classics that can never be beat.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Not a par cularly good or memorable tle, but it was the ﬁrst game my Mum banned me from playing. Thanks Mum.

PAUL PARK: “No explana on necessary, just fran c fun with a group of chums.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Two people on one controller? Those were truly the days to be a gamer!”

FINAL FANTASY VII

LANDSTALKER

THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND

SUPER MARIO WORLD

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

(PC, PS1)

(Mega Drive)

(PC, Amiga)

(SNES)

(Spectrum)

CHRIS THOMPSON “Probably the best RPG turn-based game ever, and one that got me hooked on the series.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “A game so engrossing, me and my school chums spent an en re woodwork lesson trying to crack some of this tles most ﬁendish riddles.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Now, this grog won’t last long enough in just one cup…”

CHRIS THOMPSON: “Many a memorable hour I spent on this game, from the haunted houses, to ea ng mushroom men with everybody’s favorite li le dinosaur, Yoshi.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Probably the ﬁrst video game I ever came into contact with, as my Granddad cursed and typed his way through this text-scrolling adventure.”

56 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

TOTAL ANNIHILATION

MORTAL KOMBAT

WORMS

WWF SERIES

GRAND THEFT AUTO

(PC)

(All formats)

(PC)

PAUL PARK: “I always thought the robots were made of Lego…maybe that’s just me?”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Whhooooohhhh! Did he just…he…he just….he just ripped that guy’s spine out…cool!”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Incoming! Look out! Bye bye! Classic high-pitched yells that got me through some tough mes as a student.”

PAUL PARK: “This was when I loved wrestling and my mate would religiously buy every single wrestling game and we’d spend hours wrecking each other. ”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “The birds-eye base that started it all. We s ll miss the Hare Krishnas; why aren’t they in GTA4?”

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

INDIANA JONES AND THE FATE OF ATLANTIS

EUROPEAN CLUB SOCCER

RESIDENT EVIL 2

CARMAGEDDON 2

(Mega Drive)

(Amiga, PC)

(Mega Drive)

(PC, PS1)

(PC, N64)

CHRIS THOMPSON: “When ever anybody says ‘SEGA’, this game springs to mind straight away. Zooming round saving li le animals…oh the joys of playing Sonic”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “Why, why, why wasn’t the plot from this classic point-and-click used for Indy 4? It could have prevented so much heartache.”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “If you ever played this rela vely poor tle, you’ll understand the magical powers of ‘Three Shredded Wheat’. (A cheat that enabled double speed and power)”

CHRIS THOMPSON: “Watching your step when you go round any corner, listening out for that scary moaning of the zombies…scary!”

SCOTT TIERNEY: “A game so zombie-spla eringly brilliant, I played it at 5:30am on Christmas Day.”

phonica magazine uk

58 phonica magazine uk

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Size weight Frequency Screen Pixels camera resolu on memory/compa bility bluetooth GPRS WLAN Browser Java Messaging Radio Music downloadable games downloadable ringtones Ba ery talk me - mins (max) Ba ery standy - hours (up to) bluetooth carKit compa ble

Nokia 7230

Nokia 6730

Nokia 5530

Nokia E75

Nokia 6210

98 x 48 x 14.8 mm 100 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 3.15 MP 45 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

112 x 46 x 12.6 mm 83 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 3.15 MP 48 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

104 x 49 x 13 mm 107 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 360 3.2 MP 70 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/AMS Yes

111.8 x 50 x 14.4 mm 139 g Quad-band/3G 320 x 240 3.2 MP 50 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

103 x 49 x 14.9 mm 117 g Tri-band 320 x 240 3.2 MP 120 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

MP3/MP4/WAV/WMA

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/WAV/WMA MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/WAV/WMA

MP3/AAC/WAV/WMA

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

Yes MP3 300 370 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 600 500 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 294 351 Yes

Yes MP3 340 264 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 222 244 Yes

Sony Ericsson W395 97 x 47 x 14.9 mm 96 g Quad-band 176 x 220 2 MP

Sony Ericsson C903 97 x 49 x 16 mm 96 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP

Sony Ericsson Aino 104 x 50 x 15.5 mm 134 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 420 8.1 MP

Sony Ericsson Yari 100 x 48 x 15.7 mm 115 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP

Sony Ericsson Naite 108 x 47 x 12.6 mm 84 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP

10 MB/Memory S ck Micro

130 MB/Memory S ck Micro

60 MB/microSD

100 MB/microSD

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA No Wap/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/AAC

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

Yes MP3/AAC 420 480 Yes

Yes MP3/AAC 600 400 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 270 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 600 450 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 564 380 Yes

60 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Nokia E63

Nokia N97

Nokia 3720 classic

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music

Sony Ericsson W995

113 x 59 x 13 mm 126 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2 MP 110 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm 150 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 360 5 MP 32 GB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Wi-Fi WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

115 x 47 x 15.3 mm 94 g Tri-band 320 x 240 2 MP 20 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 11 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm 109 g Quad-band 640 x 360 3.2 MP 81 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Yes WAp/xHTML/HTML/WML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

97 x 49 x 15 mm 113 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 8 MP 118 MB/Memory S ck Micro Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes Wap/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAc/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

Mp3/MP4/AAC

Yes Polyphonic & MP3 660 432 Yes

Yes MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MIDI/Real Tone/MP3 420 450 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 528 406 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 420 360 Yes

Sony Ericsson C901 105 x 45 x 13 mm 107 g Quad-band 240 x 320 5 MP

Sony Ericsson C510 107 x 47 x 12.5 mm 92 g Quad-band 240 x 320 3.15 MP

HTC Desire 119 x 60 x 11.9 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP

HTC Magic 113 x 55 x 13.7 mm 118.5 g Quad-band 320 x 480 3.15 MP

HTC Hero 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 320 x 480 5 MP

120 MB/Memory S ck Micro

100 MB/Memory S ck Micro

ROM:512 MB/RAM:576 MB/microSD

288 MB/microSD

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes HMTL Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email(Push)/IM Yes

Yes/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

Yes/A2DP/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAC/MP4

MP3/AAC/MID/M4A/WAV/WMA

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA 9

Yes Poly/MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 420 400 Yes

Yes Mp3 400 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 450 420 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 420 750 Yes

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Apple iPhone 3G S

Apple iPhone 3G

INQ Chat 3G

BlackBerry 8520

BlackBerry Bold 9000

11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 3.15 MP 16/32 GB (internal)

11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2 MP 8/16 GB (internal)

114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm 93 g Tri-band/3G 176 x 220 3.2 MP 120 MB/Memory S ck Micro â&#x201E;˘

109 x 60 x 13.9 mm 106 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2 MP 256 MB/MicroSD

114 x 66 x 14 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2MP 1GB/microSD

Yes/USB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/A2DP/microUSB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/EDGE Yes HTML (Safari) No SMS/Email No

Yes Yes Net Front Yes SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/EDGE Class 10 Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV

AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC

MP3/AAC/WMA/AAC+/MP4/WMV MP3/WMA/AAC+

Yes

Poly/MP3

AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/MP3/WAV

Poly/MIDI/MP3

Poly/MP3

720 300 Yes

600 300 Yes

480 170 Yes

270 408 Yes

300 310 Yes

Samsung B3310

Samsung Jet

Samsung U900

91 x 54 x 17 mm 101 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 40 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

108 x 53.5 x 11.9 mm 103.2 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm 110 g 81.5 g Quad-band/3G Quad-band 480 x 800 240 x 320 5 MP 3.2 MP 2/8 GB (internal)/microSD 80MB/microSD Yes/microUSB Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi No WAP/Dolphin WAP/xHTML Yes Yes SMS/MMS/Email/Vidoe/MS Exchange SMS/MMS/EMS/Email Yes Yes

LG GD510 Pop

LG GM750

97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2 mm 87 g Quad-band 240 x 400 3.15 MP 42 MB RAM/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 12 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

109.8 x 53.5 x 12.9 mm 120 g Quad-band 240 x 400 5 MP 128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes Yes WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA/AMR

MP3/MPEG4/AAC/eAAC/WMA

MP3/MP4/WMA

MP3/MPEG4/WAV/eAAC+/WMA

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 300 380 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 492 422 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 210 220 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 200 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 380 450 Yes

62 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

BlackBerry 8300 Curve

Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung Pixon 12

Samsung S5600V Blade Samsung Genio Touch

107 x 60 x 15.5 mm 111 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2MP 64MB/microSD

122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 119 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP 8GB/16GB/microSD

108 x 53 x 13.8 mm 120 g 480 x 800 pixels 240 x 320 12 MP 150 MB/microSD

102.8 x 54.8 x 12.9 mm 92 g 240 x 320 pixels 240 x 320 3.15 MP 50 MB/microSD

103 x 56.5 x 12 mm 90 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 40 MB/microSD

Yes/USB

Yes/A2DP/microUSB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/USB

Yes/EDGE No HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 12 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/

MP3/MP4/WMA/eAAC+

MP3/WMA/AAC

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMV/WMA

Yes

Poly/MP3

Poly/MP3/WAV

240 408 Yes

803 750 Yes

180 250 Yes

120 250 Yes

480 730 Yes

LG BL40 New Chocolate

Dell Streak

128 x 51 x 10.9 mm 129 g Quad-band 345 x 800 5 MP 1.1 GB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/EMS/Email/IM Yes MP3/WAV/DivX/eAAC Yes Poly/MP3 240 400 Yes

152.9 x 79.1 x 10 mm 220 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP 16GB/512MB ROM/512MB RAM/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email No MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA Yes MP3 580 400 Yes

phonica magazine uk