Issue 23 by PhonicaMagUK

The mobile phone and video gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk

Issue 23

PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

WHAT’S INSIDE ISSUE 23 2011

Google Buys Motorola HTC and Monster joins forces Violent videogames blamed for London riots Horrid Henry

6 7 8 10

Syndicate Chasing Aurora Dawn of Fantasyn

12 14 18

CLEAR SKIES AHEAD: CLOUD GAMING What does the future hold for cloud gaming?

RETRO RECOLLECTIONS: A LOOK AT CLASSIC GAMING GADGETS We have a play with a selec on of videogame toys

Resistance 3 Deus-Ex 3 Rise of Nightmares Transformers: Dark of the Moon Call of Juarez: The Cartel Gears of War 3

28 32 36 38 40 42

Mobile Phones

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WWW.PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce

GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney

CONTRIBUTORS Ma Foley

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

EDITORIAL editorial@phonicamagazine.co.uk

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VIDEOGAMES…THE SCAPEGOAT EXCUSE FOR VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR STILL? By now you’d think that videogames a li le on the violent side will no longer be the sole excuse and reason for violent behaviour…apparently not. TV super nanny Jo Frost seemed intent on slapping the blame on the unpleasant scenes experienced a few months ago on violent videogames…sigh. Now I remember as a kid growing up watching cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Ren & S mpy, G.I. Joe and a list of others that younglings are exposed to…all a bit on the violent side. How many mes have we seen Jerry burn Tom’s tail? Or a ach an explosive to him? Did seeing such things make kids want to go out and set someone ablaze? Or even make an explosive device and a ach them to it? Sid, a character from the ever famous animated movie Toy Story, had a penchant for dismembering toys. Did seeing such ac ons inspire anyone to become psychopaths or the modern day Hannibal? I think not. It’s me people stop taking pugshots at violent videogames, or video games on the whole. Address the root cause and provide recommenda ons on possible solu ons and we’re halfway on the road to repairing such dischord. So I digress… me to enjoy the retro feature on some of the classic gaming gadgets and the Editor’s picks in this issue. Thanks for downloading and… Enjoy reading, Your Editor in Chief

Kevin Leonce

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GOOGLE BUYS MOTOROLA GOOGLE BUYS MOTOROLA IN A VERY SURPRISING ACQUISITION I think it’s fair to say that the last few years have been less than kind to Motorola, with the abject failure of the Milestone, and the ambivalence that the release of the ‘iPad killing’ Xoom was met with. This came as a bit of a surprise to me, as it wasn’t that long that Motorola was everywhere. In fact, I think my ﬁrst non-brick phone was a Motorola, the old V80. At the me almost everyone else had either a KRAZR or RAZR...such was their popularity back then. Now, it seems that Motorola have decided to s ck to low-to-mid range handsets. But this down-period for Motorola is all about to change. It was recently announced that Google, the technology superpower bought Motorola Mobility, the mobile phone area of the recently split company. In a quite surprising purchase, valuing the company at £8billion Google’s CEO, Larry Page has been quoted as saying that this deal will “supercharge Android”. The deal, although shocking at ﬁrst, has started to

look more and more sensible with every passing day. Motorola was the ﬁrst developer of the ‘portable cellphone’ or what we now know as the mobile phone. With such an acquisi on Google will be become a bigger compe tor going for the jugular of the Cuper no guys, with all four major companies using the Google Android OS (LG, Sony Ericsson, Samsung & HTC) in full support of the buyout. “MANY PEOPLE THINK THIS DEAL WILL BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO MOTOROLA MOBILITY THAN IT IS FOR GOOGLE.” Many people think this deal will be more beneﬁcial to Motorola Mobility than it is for Google. Although Motorola are languishing somewhat, and could do with the boost, Mobility will also bring with them over 15,000 patents and an esteemed history in the mobile phone market. Almost instantaneously this buyout has boosted Motorola shares massively. We all look forward to the new range of Motorola, Google-endorsed Android mobile devices in the coming months.

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Ma Foley

HTC AND MONSTER JOIN FORCES MUSIC QUALITY AND MOBILE PHONES FINALLY JOIN FORCES, AFTER YEARS OF HINTING.

Monster has been making music peripherals for years now, but they’ve really come into fashion in the last 2-3 years with the manufacture of their Beats by Dr. Dre range of headphones and speakers endorsed by the hip-hop superstar. Since their introduc on, they’ve branched out into other endorsements, including Lady Gaga, P Diddy, Jus n Bieber, Lebron James; and more recently, with HP to include Beats audio technology on their computers, and their latest big release, the HP Touchpad. (For those of you who haven’t used one yet, has incredible music quality on its speakers) This is why the announcement that smartphone giant HTC have bought a 51% share in Beats Electronic, at a dy sum of $309m, should not really come as much of a surprise to anyone, given how quickly both counterparts have grown recently. HTC have fast

become one of the market-leaders in terms of smartphones, since arguably their ﬁrst major phone of recent mes, 2008’s ﬂawed Dream (also known as the T-Mobile G1 in Europe.)

“THESE NEW HTC PHONES WILL CERTAINLY BE ONES TO LOOK FORWARD TO.” With this we are likely to see a number of HTC’s new phones boas ng the highly acclaimed Monster technology built into the devices. It’s a surprise it has taken this long for a deal of this liking to become a reality. Phones have been music devices for a number of years now. These new phones will certainly be one to watch for their music quality, if nothing else. In all fairness HTC has been very consistent in manufacturing quality devices for a while now. All in all, these new HTC phones will certainly be ones to look forward to.

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Ma Foley

“VIOLENT VIDEOGAMES” WERE THE CAUSE OF LONDON RIOTS

SUPER NANNY PUTS GAMING ON THE NAUGHTY STEP OK, so we don’t want to return to the unpleasant scenes that s ﬂed the na on’s capital recently, nor do we want to poke this proverbial hornet’s nest of outrage, but there was one point of view that appeared in The Daily Express that we thought was worthy of a retort. TV’s Super nanny, Jo Frost, wrote in her guest column that the prominent reason behind the London riots

was “addic ve” and “horriﬁc”videogames. The points she made, however irrelevant, are as follows: “I felt for a moment as if we had stumbled into a real-life violent video game of the kind that so many of those involved are addicted to. These horriﬁc games where points are given for burning, shoo ng and killing, where the graphics are so realis c you believe that they’re real scenes of carnage, where those who play fantasise they have the power of life

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and death, are so brutal they completely desensi se anyone taking part. Research shows that within 15 minutes of playing one of these games young men become highly aggressive and lack empathy in normal situa ons. It is not too fanciful to suggest it’s a short step from being immersed in this war-like world to taking that nightmare mind-set on to the streets with all the consequences of anarchy and violence we saw rip apart ci es. Those horriﬁc video games which I men oned earlier must be brought under control. Their content should be subject to censorship and the age at which they can be bought ghtly controlled. Shopkeepers should demand proof of age and where they ignore this and break the law by selling them to children they should be ﬁned.”

You have to agree, that’s some pre y strong stuff. Also, I’m assuming you’ll also agree that most of what she says is ill informed knee-jerking of the highest degree. Were the rioters addicted to videogames? Are the graphics and violence on show in today’s games really believable? Does any gamer deliberate unnaturally about the power of life and death? These ques ons are all debatable, but mostly, the answer is an unequivocal ‘no’. And of course, videogames are controlled by strict censorship, as the age cer fica on s cker on the games’ front covers (which is twice as big compared to a DVD or Blu-ray) confirms. So, out of interest, if you were involved in the riots, get in touch, and tell us what game in par cular made you just snap and go on the rampage...

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Sco Tierney

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HORRID HENRY: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BUGLY EUROPRESS, ASYLUM ENTERTAINMENT AND NOVEL ENTERTAINMENT BRING HORRID HENRY TO NINTENDO 3DS UK publisher Europress recently announced that Horrid Henry is preparing to make his debut on Nintendo 3DS. Developed by Asylum Entertainment, Horrid Henry: The Good, The Bad and The Bugly is a side scrolling adventure game that will feature an exci ng blend of ac on, puzzle and pla orming elements. Based on the characters created by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross and the BAFTA nominated CiTV series produced by Novel Entertainment, Horrid Henry: The Good, The Bad and The Bugly will feature three exci ng worlds to explore for the tular mischief maker. Henry will also ﬁnd

himself tasked with having to solve a variety of brain-bending puzzles and defeat evil bosses in his a empt to rescue Bunny – Perfect Peter’s toy rabbit.

“HENRY WILL FIND HIMSELF HAVING TO SOLVE A VARIETY OF BRAIN-BENDING PUZZLES.” Luckily, Henry will be able to access the right tools for the job, as the game will feature four new types of goo for Henry’s goo shooter that he can use against a variety of creatures. Fans of the Henry can expect lots of mischievous fun as they a empt to unravel the mystery of who stole Bunny! Horrid Henry: The Good, The Bad and The Bugly will be released on Nintendo 3DS during November 2011.

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SYNDICATE PUBLISHER: ELECTRONIC ARTS DEVELOPER: STARBREEZE FORMAT: PS3, XBOX 360, PC GENRE: FPS AVAILABLE: EARLY 2012

BACK TO THE GANGLANDS If you were a fan of eerie, tac cal, shoo ngbased RPGs in the mid-90s, you’ll undoubtedly have been a fan of Syndicate. Even if you weren’t an admirer of the game itself, you were probably aware of the controversy its cut-throat violence and drug use caused when thrust on a far more innocent gaming community. It’s one of the all- me great games, successful on every major pla orm throughout the nine es, including the PC, Amiga and Mega Drive... during that period where, for some unknown reason, Electronic Arts cartridges were 3 inches taller than any other.....weird? Anyway, back in 2011, and EA have confirmed that a remake of Syndicate will be released early next year. Whether this re-imagining trend is a good thing for the industry is a discussion for another me, but for now, let’s have a run through of Syndicate 2012. Just as in the original, the name of the game is to become the number one syndicate, using whatever means you see fit in order to gain unequivocal domina on of your city: extor on, assassina on, corrup on, etc. Set in an unnervingly familiar 2069, where the world is ungoverned by any form of authority, there are three powerhouse syndicates Eurocorp, Cayman Global, and Aspari – who are bent on controlling the en re American market. In light of the world’s current financial plight, Syndicate is disturbingly close to the bone. Whereas the 1993 Syndicate was a top-down affair, this rebirth will be in the FPS mould, featuring fran c ac on, upgradability op ons, and the current gimmick of slowing down me while in mid-shootout. Syndicate will also feature four player co-op, as well

as DART 6 bio-chip technology, which is similar to the recent Deux-Ex 3’s implant advancement gameplay. “We are excited to ﬁnally reveal what we’ve been working on the past couple years,” says the CEO of Starbreeze Studios, Mikael Nermark. “It’s been a great experience working with EA, and an amazing opportunity for us to use our exper se in the ﬁrst person shooter and ac on genres to bring back, and reignite, the signature ac on/espionage gameplay of Syndicate.”

“IN LIGHT OF THE WORLD’S CURRENT FINANCIAL PLIGHT, SYNDICATE IS DISTURBINGLY CLOSE TO THE BONE.” “Our goal with Syndicate is to provide a challenging ac on shooter for today’s gamers as well as fans of the original. I’m sure they will enjoy and recognize the legacy that made it such a classic,” says EA Partners Execu ve Producer, Jeﬀ Gamon. “Fans of the franchise will recognize many weapons and environments in the game, but in a whole new way. The game also provides a separate and deep 4-player co-op mode featuring missions from the original cult classic, which adds another layer of depth to the overall experience.” From what we’ve seen as far, from a visual iden ty standpoint, syndicate looks very much in the same vein as Deus-Ex 3, with a pinch of F.E.A.R thrown in for good measure. It’ll be interes ng to see if this remake can capture the tension, and overall sense of menace, that made the original Syndicate such a cult masterpiece. It’s a big reputa on to live up to, we’ll have to wait and see when Syndicate launches on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC early next year.

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Sco Tierney

CHASING AURORA DEVELOPER: BROKEN RULES GAMES PUBLISHER: BROKEN RULES GAMES FORMAT: PC GENRE: RACING AVAILABLE: Q1 2012

TERR-WEET WOO-HOO! As we dive beak-ﬁrst into the busiest season for this year’s big-budget videogames - with their brash pomposity and gigan c adver sing campaigns - now seems as good a me as any to take a quick breather, and take a leisurely glide through the world of indie

games. One such tle that stood out from the crowd at the recent PAX Prime conven on - a great mee ng of indie developers and inquisitorial gamers – was Chasing Aurora: a peculiar racing tle... with origami birds. “EACH LEVEL HAS A WONDERFUL MIX OF WISHY-WASHY PASTEL TONES, SET AGAINST STARK, UP-FRONT SILHOUETTES.” Produced by Broken Rules Games, the team behind the plain-bending And Yet It Moves, Chasing Aurora sees you take control of a bird, challenging you to hurl it around a 2D watercolour + origami landscape, performing tricks and collec ng items. Although details on the single player aspects of Chasing Aurora

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are undisclosed, the mul player game has been on show, and overall, it looks rather splendid. The rules of the mul player mode are as follows: up to 4 players have to capture a glowing orb with their bird, and cling onto it for as long as possible. To win a point, you have to be in possession of the orb, and the only person on screen, for 3 seconds (a bit like the mul player races in the mid-nine es’ Micro Machines tles). If your bird touches the orb when your opponent has it, it’ll be transferred to you, and then it’s up to your feathered ﬂight abili es to make a break for it, using the environment of the level – ﬂowing air currents, waterfalls, and clouds - to your advantage. The orb can also be ignited and used as a weapon, adding another tac cal element to proceedings. All in all it’s extremely fast paced and frenzied, with the simple and precise controls making for a very comfortable, yet compe ve, play me.

While the gameplay Chasing Aurora showcases is u erly joyous, it’s the beauty of the backdrops that really cap vates. Each level has a wonderful mix of wishy-washy pastel tones, set against stark, up-front silhoue es of rock faces and nature. It really is divine, and thanks to the contrast between the obstacles and backgrounds, func onal and easy to navigate. Chasing Aurora is a typical indie tle, bringing together a wonderful art style, some fresh thinking, and cap va ng gameplay simplicity. Although we’ll have to wait and see if the single player has enough depth to carry the game as whole, from what we’ve seen, we can only be impressed. Chasing Aurora is set to soar in Q1 of next year on the PC via download, with a console release s ll to be conﬁrmed, but expected.

PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

Sco Tierney

PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

DAWN OF FANTASY PUBLISHER: 505 GAMES DEVELOPER: REVERIE WORLD STUDIOS FORMAT: PC GENRE: MMORTS (MASS MULTIPLAYER ONLINE REAL TIME STRATEGY)

THE BEST OF BOTH REALMS Even the most hardened of MMO gamers will acknowledge that their favoured genre is awfully me consuming. Whether they’re ﬁgh ng goblins, storming castles, pillaging mines or conquering vast empires, even the most basic of tasks can take several hours, if not days, to accomplish. That’s not a cri cism of MMO gaming, as, to a certain extent, that’s the whole point of them: they are designed to be all consuming alternate reali es; a world in which you can become truly engrossed. But, in these ever hec c mes, can we aﬀord to spend hours, days and weeks on a single game? Well, with this forthcoming tle from 505 Games and Reverie World Studios, how you spend your precious me is totally up to you. Dawn of Fantasy is set in the 3D world of Mythador, a kingdom inhabited by men, elves and orcs, as well as spellbinding wizards, untrustworthy kings and other

mythological beings. As you play through the many dozens of quests, you’ll unravel the sinister secrets of this dreamlike land, as well as judging the poli cs and ambi ons of the many characters you meet along the way. Whereas many MMO tles focuses one’s a en ons on their character’s a ributes, strengths and overall awesomeness, Dawn of Fantasy encourages you to look beyond just your own ambi ons, and build-up the en cing world around you. For instance: if you own a house in one of the nine regions of Mythador, why not make a few more to create a village. Then, once you’ve earned a few coins by taking on a couple of quests, plough your funds into the rejuvena on of this area, increasing the ﬁnancial roll-out, and overall wealth of the kingdom. And then, once your village is a town, make it into a city. If the city is swelling, expand it into an empire by either merging or conquering those other civilisa ons around you. In Dawn of Fantasy, it’s more about what you can do for your realm, rather than what your realm can do for you.

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Of course, building towns and ci es is going to take more of that dreaded word: me. To advance your area, you’re going to need to recruit troops, seek ﬁnancial advice, gather resources, train your men and troops, and then kill me while the construc on of new landmarks is completed. Luckily for those of us with real life jobs, Dawn of Fantasy can automate all of this while you are oﬄine, saving you valuable hours.

tutorial of how the main game will play, and experienced players a chance to test their skills, and trial a few of their new found tac cs.

If you want to save more me, however, then Dawn of Fantasy oﬀers several diﬀerent play styles. As well as the classic single player campaign, there’s a slimmed-down version called Kingdom Wars. This mode is focused more on ba ling rather than building, charging you with the task of pain ng the landscape red in forceful Risk-style. How you play this mode is up to you, as there are three direc ons for you to choose from: to unify your realm with others, to take the other two realms, or to conquer the world. It’s s ll a very in-depth experience, but it’s a much more aggressive way of playing Dawn of Fantasy.

“DAWN OF FANTASY ENCOURAGES YOU TO LOOK BEYOND JUST YOUR OWN AMBITIONS, AND BUILD-UP THE ENTICING WORLD AROUND YOU.”

If you are really strapped for me, then skirmish mode is the choice for you. Skirmish challenges you to either defend or a ack one of the twelve strongholds of Mythador. These mini ba les can either be played against the AI, or you can team up or go against a chum. Skirmish is basically Dawn of Fantasy Lite, giving the ﬁrst- me player a basic

Also, if you fancy yourself as a games designer in the making, Dawn of Fantasy also comes with a smart design editor, allowing you to build your own area, as well as create your own missions.

As we said, MMO is a genre for those with me to spare, and if you have the me, Dawn of Fantasy looks like the kind of tle you could really get lost in. It’s packed with epic conquests, thrilling stories, impressive landscapes and more than enough depth to keep you hooked. But, it’s the way in which Dawn of Fantasy lets you spend – or rather save - your me that is really impressive. If you just want to dip your toe into MMO on an occasional basis, Dawn of Fantasy provides you with this op on, without swamping you in what is already a massively consuming genre.

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Sco Tierney

PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

CLEAR SKIES AHEAD:

CLOUD GAMING

IS CLOUD THE FUTURE OF VIDEO GAMING, OR JUST BLUE-SKY THINKING? Cloud gaming is currently a hot topic, and undoubtedly, a concept that divides the gaming community. On the one hand, you have the CEO of THQ, Brian Farrell, bigging-up this digi zed form of gaming, say that it “will result in a lower cost for the hardware manufacturer, which will result in a lower cost to consumers and therefore a lower entry point, thus driving more mass market adop on.” But then on the flipside, you have experienced games writers such as Stew Shearer of GamrFeedSo, bemoaning “that on a cultural level we lose something as hard copies of video games fall out of favour.” There are some who adore the idea of having games on tap, and the possibili es of a single console world; there are those who are concerned with connec on issues, and the possible decline of videogames as products. So, let’s have a look at cloud gaming, and see if tomorrow’s pros outweigh yesterday’s cons. Cloud gaming is essen ally like streaming a film online. The major difference between cloud and home gaming is that at no point do you get your hands on a physical product, but rather, all the informa on you need to play your game is streamed

to your PC or home console. So, if you want to buy a new game the second it is released, you’d log-on to a cloud proprietor such as OnLive, pick your tle, pay for it via credit card, and then play it right there and then, without any downloading or wai ng for the postman. As you play, the game’s informa on would be streamed directly to your console from OnLive’s server. This ensures that even if your internet connec on is weaker than skimmed milk, there will be no lagging, as the provider’s server is the pivotal part of the service. While playing, every bu on press you make is recognised and transferred to the provider, who registers the input, incorporates the command into the game, and then sends the informa on back to your console. This process is lag free, with reac on me between bu on press and on screen result unno ceable when compared to standard home console gaming. All in all, a pre y impressive system. You can see why cloud gaming has been touted as the future of the industry. Who wouldn’t want to have any game at their ﬁnger ps, without the need for a massive shelf or hard drive? Why go to the shops or wait for posty when you can get access to everything a hard copy would provide, as well as beneﬁts such as updates, DLC and other online features? Sounds perfect, right?

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It should be noted that with a service such as OnLive, membership is free. If you stream their games to your PC, all you have to pay for is the game itself: a comparable price to the high-street, with smaller fees of around $4-9 for rental periods. If you want to play your games via a big HD TV, however, there is a price to pay, and you will require the use of OnLive’s hardware package. This consists of a wireless controller (extra controllers can be purchased for $50), a Micro Console, cables for USB, HDMI and Ethernet, and a couple of AA ba eries. This package costs $99. Prices for the UK are set to be conﬁrmed when OnLive goes ‘live’ on Sept 22nd ‘so we’ll have more informa on in a later issue. As I said at the beginning, the idea of cloud gaming has the poten al to split gamers straight down the middle. For some, the thought of instant accessibility to brand new tles, complete with all the online features and updates, as well as weekly bargains with AAA tles going on oﬀer for a li le as 99 cents, is pure gaming nirvana. It’s also fantas c news in a capitalist sense, with an OnLive console pack being massively cheaper than either a PS3 or Xbox 360. In a similar vein, a future of OnLive supremacy would be ideal for videogame developers, as the no on of crea ng one game for a sole console, rather than 2-3 versions for compe ng hardware, is not only me saving, but an awful lot cheaper. And,

once you add in factors such as the removal of packaging, more communica on with your audience and more control of your overall product, you can see why developers and publishers alike would welcome the cloud on the horizon.

“YOU CAN SEE WHY CLOUD GAMING HAS BEEN TOUTED AS THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY. WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO HAVE ANY GAME AT THEIR FINGERTIPS, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A MASSIVE SHELF OR HARD DRIVE?” But then there are others who are wary of a cloud-based future of gaming. In a purely consumer sense, do you ever really own a game from OnLive: is it ever truly yours? Sure, you’ve paid for it, and you can play your purchased tle whenever you want, but you get the sense that OnLive, like a vast digital library, are gran ng you access to their tle, rather than your tle (bit Orwellian, but you get the idea!). There’s also the concern of how long the games will be available. OnLive have stated that they will keep all their game ‘live’ as long as people are playing

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them, or for a minimum of 3 years. But what if, a er ﬁve years, a game is removed due to no ac vity: is it no longer available? Most of us have games in our collec on that we may not have even glanced at for 10 years, but they are s ll there. You’ve paid for your OnLive game, so why should they take it away?

“COULD WE SEE AN END TO SECOND HAND GAMING? NO MORE BARGAINS IN GAMESTATION, NO MORE FORGOTTEN GEMS ON EBAY?” There have also been concerns raised regarding OnLive’s, and cloud gaming’s in general, video quality. Overall, the picture quality is prac cally indis nguishable from a normal console or PC equivalent, but some tles that feature fran c mo on and low frame rates – such as racing games in par cular - have been known to break-up picture-wise. That said, we’re s ll in the very early days of this technology, so you’d assume these issues would gradually melt away. Also, for those who s ll prefer collec ng vinyl rather than downloading an MP3, there’s a concern that

cloud gaming could spell the end for pre-owned tles, something publishers have been pushing for years. Say if, over the course of the next 10 years, OnLive becomes the sole video gaming hub, with all tles being exclusively distributed virtually. If OnLive are s ll following their current 3 years lifespan rule - trea ng videogames like Blade Runner replicants - then will we see ‘old’ games vanish? You’d assume that there would be a sec on set-up on the OnLive site that is similar to Nintendo’s Virtual Console, oﬀering classics games for a ny price, but this is unlikely to feature every tle ever made, but rather, only the chosen few. Could we see an end to second hand gaming? No more bargains in Gamesta on, no more forgo en gems on Ebay? To a certain extent, the jury is s ll out on both OnLive, and more so cloud gaming in general. There are many pluses to the s ll fresh-faced business of streaming videogames direct to your living room, but there are also many nega ves. Maybe in a few years’ me, a videogame on a disc will be the thing of the past? Maybe the no on of collec ng old games will seem Neanderthalian? Or maybe, cloud gaming will be universally rejected, with the future genera ons of consoles having enough raw processing power to bat away this one- me fad? Who knows...in the words of Fox Mulder, “keep watching the skies”...

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Sco Tierney

RETRO RECOLLECTIONS:

A LOOK AT CLASSIC GAMING GADGETS

FROM THE CHEAP TO THE PRICEY, THERE’S A REBOOT FOR EVERYONE. There are all manner of iconic game collec ons available for the current consoles and your PC. You can log onto PSN, XBLA and Wii Ware and discover a digi sed treasure-trove of classic videogames; you can buy a discs’ worth of HD improved classics on the SEGA Mega Drive: Ul mate Collec ons; most mobiles will oﬀer a selec on of classic 90s tles; you can even dissect the interweb in search of thousands of emulators and ROMS. Basically, if a 16bit game no longer exists in its physical state, it’s alive and well on another format. But, although these new and improved re-releases of bygone tles are great, playing them via a mouse, PS3 controller or key board

just isn’t the same. Bouncing Sonic over a ravine just doesn’t feel right with a right click; pressing a trigger bu on to wrap a lead pipe around a hooligan’s face in Streets of Rage is wrong. To get the true experience of these old-school tles, you need the original hardware, or at least a 21st century interpreta on of it. What you need, is a gadget! So, if you hanker for some gaming of the rekindling type that’s not been tampered with by future hands, here’s our guide to the haves and having-a-laughs of gaming gadgets.

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ATARI FLASHBACK 3 CONSOLE by Blaze £50 This package from Blaze is essen ally some very basic hardware and a selec on of 60 old Atari games – Asteroids, Super Breakout and Video Chess to name the more recognisable in the batch - but packaged in an Atari 2600 box. OK, this modern remake isn’t going to fool any serious collectors, but Blaze has done a decent job of recrea ng both the Atari console and the iconic joys cks. That said the games included are probably best consigned to memory, as 30 years of advancement hasn’t been kind to these one- me pioneers. And, £50 is rather pricey for what is nothing more than a fake.

SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE HANDHELD by Blaze £25 - £50 There are various versions of these Sega handheld consoles, each boas ng roughly the same collec on of games, TV connec vity, and go anywhere exclusivity. Blaze also produced Sega Master System and Game Gear versions. But, what makes this Ul mate version special is the SD slot. This means that you can download any new tles from the Mega Drive back catalogue that Blaze will be making available via their website, and load them onto your handheld MD. This is all well and good, but the SD slot also means you can download all the tles you please through various ROM websites (cough, cough, hush, and all that). In this regard, despite the heavy price, this decent li le gadget is well worth a look, especially if you like the idea of carrying every single Mega Drive game ever made, in your pocket. This Atari dummy comes preloaded with 60 games, features two classic joys cks, TV connec vity, and an SD card slot so you can download more tles, and also the op on to upload your scores to the Atari website, Facebook and Twi er pages.

The Sega Mega drive Ul mate Handheld comes with 20 installed games such as Sonic & Knuckles, Echo Jr and Alex Kidd, a 2.9 inch LCD screen, SD card slot, rechargeable ba ery pack (built in) and TV out port (for connec ng to any TV with an AV slot – cable included).

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SEGA MEGA DRIVE 2 PLAYER CONSOLE by Blaze £15 - £20 Despise only featuring 10 installed games and a build quality that most cowboy builders would be ashamed of, this mini console features a Mega Drive cartridge slot. This means that if you s ll have any old MD tles knocking around (guilty!) then you can play them through this console. The kit also comes with two controllers styled on the classic Sega versions, but frankly, these are rubbish. Luckily you can s ll use your old MD controllers (again, guilty!) with this remade hardware. That said, we tested this console last year, and although it was a bit of fun, we found the audio and visual output to be pathe c, and shockingly, totally outclassed by our near 20 year old original Mega Drive II. The Sega Mega drive 2 Player Console comes with 10 preloaded games, TV connec vity, two controllers and a region free cartridge slot.

“ALTHOUGH THESE NEW AND IMPROVED RE-RELEASES OF BYGONE TITLES ARE GREAT, PLAYING THEM VIA A MOUSE, PS3 CONTROLLER OR KEY BOARD JUST ISN’T THE SAME.” ACTIVISION 10-IN-1 GAME CONSOLE by Jakks £25 - £40 Hey, remember Spider Fighter?....No? What about River Raid?...s ll no? Well, if you do remember these “classic” tles, then this plug-and-play s ck is ideal for you! Featuring 10 installed tles – including genuine classic Pi all, being the only game worth owning from the bunch – this over-priced collec on of gaming mediocrity is pre y poor to say the least. Also, it’s worth no ng that the product descrip on on the Amazon page is a bit of a con: “Complete with retro graphics and sounds, TV Games brings back the nostalgia of the 80s with the ever-popular Pac-Man from Namco, Pong from Atari and Pi all from Ac vision.” Pac-Man and Pong aren’t included... This loaded joys ck comes with 10 games, TV connec on, and required 4 AA ba eries.

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MS PACMAN: NAMCO 2 PLUG N PLAY TV GAMES by Jakks £10 - £15

SEGA ARCADE NANO

The feminine embodiment of Pac-Man, Ms Pacman, is regarded as the ﬁnest version of the yellow gobbler, thanks to the addi on of four level maps over the original’s one. And with this handheld joys ck, you can enjoy the ac on in its full 1980’s glory. The package also comes with Pole Posi on, Galaga, Xevious and Mappy, which although you’ll probably ignore in favour of the Pac, are decent enough excursions. The only downside to the gadget is the lack of saving, so those much sweated high scores will have to be memorised, or immortalised on paper. S ll, for a few metal Queens, this is s ll a very well-produced piece of kit, as is the other Namco s ck in the series, which features Pac Man, Galaxian, Dig Dug, Rally-X and Bosconian. Ms Pacman: Namco 2 requires 4x AA ba eries, and is TV connec ble.

by Blaze £10 - £15 This matchbox sized joypad is a bit of a novelty if nothing else, as it comes with an a ached key chain, making it “perfect” for everywhere use. That said, if you want to enjoy the 10 preloaded games on the Moors of Scotland, be sure to carry the TV connec on cable...oh, and a TV. In all seriousness, we quite like this li le cutey, as although it’s poorly made, badly stocked games-wise, and produces just about the worst sound we’ve ever head since the great bagpipe avalanche of 1974, each of the three versions is great fun. Each of the three Nano’s - Sonic, Virtual Fighter and Columns - come with TV connec on cables, and requires 1x AAA ba ery.

Warning! It’s worth no ng that before you rush out and buy one of these gaming resurrec ons, there are a few points that need to be clariﬁed.

the unpleasant norm. Secondly, most of these items don’t allow for saving, so it’s not worth buying these consoles if you want to play a tle from start to ﬁnish. And thirdly, stock up on ba eries!

“LOOK, LET’S BE BRUTAL ABOUT THIS: THESE REGURGITATED CONSOLES ARE TERRIBLE.”

Look, let’s be brutal about this: these regurgitated consoles are terrible. They’re badly made, cheap, nasty, and prone to failure and built by the lowest bidder. Quality-wise, you’re be er oﬀ buying either an original console, or bi ng the bullet and making do with the various incarna ons on your PC, 7th genera on console or iPhone. But, just for a sense of unrivalled rekindling, these contrap ons are s ll worth a look. They may be bad, but so are the vast majority of yesterday’s games, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying them, did it?

Firstly, don’t expect high quality. Most of these consoles are the epitome of cheap, with plas c parts and dodgy ﬁxings aplenty, so be prepared to treat them with care and respect. On a similar note, image and sound quality will be very poor. Even the top bracket consoles won’t be able to produce sound FX and music to the standard of the original games, with incorrect tones and o en accentuated pitches being

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Sco Tierney

EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

RESISTANCE 3 PUBLISHER: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPER: INSOMNIAC GAMES FORMAT: PS3 GENRE: FPS

RESTORING THE HUMAN ELEMENT The first two tles in the PS3 exclusive, 1950s set series, Resistance, were poles apart in tone. Whereas Resistance: Fall of Man was a sombre tale, portraying an alien vs. mankind war at its most unfla ering, stark and harrowing, Resistance 2 was a far more prancy affair, mixing rampant ac on with harsh bursts of testosterone and technicolor. If either of these games had been films, the first would have been directed by Stanley Kubrick, and the second by Michael Bay. That said, both of these sci-fi shooters were tremendous, and welcome alterna ves to the Halos, and CODs and Killzones of planet gaming. But which was the be er tle: the Bri sh-grey first tle, or the American stars and stripes second? Brown bread, or Tiger bread? That’s up for debate, but if you were to collate the best of both adventures, you’d get one hell of a game! In fact, you’d get a very specific game: Resistance 3. Set some me in the middle 50s, Resistance 3 takes place several years a er the second tle, with the suppor ng character from Resistance 2, Joseph Capelli, gradua ng to the role of leading man. With over 90 percent of the world’s popula on wiped-out by the Chimera – an alien life form that has mutated humans into savage, lizard-like beasts – small pockets of survivors are forced into hiding in a now desolated America. When Capelli is reacquainted with Doctor Fyodor Malikov, he is informed that a wormhole has been opened by the Chimera in New York, and he must travel with the prof immediately before this giant window to the stars freezes the planet. Once reassured by his beloved wife that she and his child will be safe without him, Capelli and Malikov set-off for on the treacherous road NY, determined to achieve their task...close the hole, or die trying.

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Resistance 3 is undoubtedly the darkest of the Resistance tles, as it fixes its stare on the depravi es of mankind, the emp ness of war, as well as the hardship the final few survivors face. Whether it’s the sacrifices a man has to make to ensure the survival of his family, or the seeking of redemp on from an old man in his final hours, Resistance 3 is threaded with genuinely moving narra ves. OK, the plot is a bit clunky at mes, and none of the figures you meet along your travels could ever be classed as iconic, but it’s s ll encouraging to see a videogame (and a big budget shooter at that) place some emphasise on the human aspects of the ac on. And on the subject of ac on... Whether you’re sprin ng at full pelt through a cataclysmic celebra on of warfare, or ptoeing around an infested warehouse, Resistance 3’s FPS ac on is always nothing short of heart pumping. Sure, the previous two tles also served-up some decent combat, but it’s the variety of this new tle’s gameplay that really makes it stand out. As well as the guts and thunder and classic 10+ baddie gunfights (of which there are plenty), there are also quieter moments: sec ons where the emphasis is on edgy, heart in the mouth terror. But to follow a level of scares, there’s a sec on of stealthing, and then a er that there’s some more overblown gunning. As you pass through environments such as abandoned industrial towns, desolated ci es, underground mines, midnight ghost towns, flooded and baron metropolises that can only be traversed via train and boat, the amount of variety Resistance 3 delivers in

both its se ng and its scenarios, is outstanding. The visuals aspects of Resistance 3 are also, in a word, stunning, with both technical achievement and ar s c flair being evident from every angle. It’s probably not up there with the graphical powerhouses of Killzone 3 and Crysis 2, but Resistance 3 is s ll capable of producing some outstanding eye candy, as well as some treats for the ears. It’s midway through this review, so let’s take a wee break and enjoy a quick quiz. Can you tell me, from these sec ons of gameplay, what FPS game I’m talking about? A rocket fight with an enemy ship on a rickety bridge. A nail bi ng trip through a zombie infested town, at night, in search of a preacher. Running through claustrophobic tunnels, hun ng a massive worm-like creature. A shoot-out in a prison. Wreaking havoc with a sniper rifle in a forest. From these examples, can you name the game on my card? If you answered Half-Life 2, then give yourself a pat on back...but, I also would have accepted, Resistance 3. I suppose, if you’re going to take your inspira on (of just plain copy) from another shooter, then you may as well pick what is arguably the best FPS – if not game – ever made. But, it’s s ll staggering to see so many classic sequences from Half-life 2 being replayed in Resistance 3. Resistance 3 is a fantas c tle in its own right, but you can’t help feel that you’ve already played its finest hours.

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Anyway, back to the review: let’s have a look at the mul player. If you like your deathmatches crowded, then Resistance 3’s 16 players at a me games are well worth a look. There’s nothing really new to get excited about, with the standard game-types such as capture the ﬂag, team deathmatch and breach being stalwarts of online FPSing. That said, we can’t say we didn’t have a riot of a me online, with a healthy mix of six large maps, and a smart points spending system - so the sharp shooters can save and then splash their digital currency on a number of combat and tac cal a ributes – only adding to the carnage. Co-op is also provided, so you and a buddy can play-through the single player game, either online or via the old-school split screen (sadly there’s only room for two players this me around, rather than the maximum of six from Resistance 2).

“RESISTANCE 3 PROVIDES THE BIG THRILLS, BUT IT NEVER FORGETS THE HUMAN ELEMENT.” A couple of quick niggles to point out. Firstly, we found the signpos ng in several levels to be rather vague, especially when following AI characters. More than once, we lost our chum, and only a er a period of running around and panicking, did we ﬁnd them again. Secondly, the pacing of the plot has the tendency to stall on occasions. Although we’ll praise Resistance 3’s storytelling un l we’re blue in the face, at mes we felt that a jolt of excitement needed to be injected. A trip through an overrun prison is a por on that, despite being perfectly playable, could have been snipped from the game without much no ce.

Before we wrap up, it’s worth praising Resistance 3 for its fantas cally absurd range of weapons. Crazy duel-ac on weaponry has always been the trump card of the Resistance series, and for this tle we’re treated to the old classics such as the Magnum, the Bullseye and the Auger, as well as some new goodies like the Mutator (sprays bile-like s nk bombs), new grenades, and an ice gun that Mr. Freeze himself would have been proud of. As always, all the weapons have two ﬁre modes – usually incorpora ng standard ar llery with some form of massive explosive – and new to this game, each weapon will automa cally upgrade the more and be er you use it. Resistance 3 is a fantas cal success, because it slots beau fully in-between the ﬁrst two Resistance tles. It features the rampant brashness and overblown excitement of Resistance 2, but it also captures the hardship, humanity and unpleasant brutality of the original. Resistance 3 provides the big thrills, but it never forgets the human element. Coupled with some blinding presenta on, some epic gameplay, some addi vely squeezable weaponry, excellent online ac on and a brilliant weaving of variety, Resistance 3 is one of the best FPSs of the year. Then again, if it’s going to copy from the best, so it should be... Sco Tierney

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

OVERALL

85/100

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EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

DEUS EX:

HUMAN REVOLUTION PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX DEVELOPER: EIDOS MONTREAL, NIXXES SOFTWARE (PC) FORMAT: PC, XBOX 360, PS3 GENRE: RPG

MATURE GAMING In today’s videogame marketplace, you seldom see a mature tle. Sure, there are plenty of games that adorn a mature ra ng, with their gut splats and decapita on warran ng discre on for younger eyes. But, when I say mature, I refer to maturity: a game that deals with complex issues, a rich human story, decision making, and one that isn’t unbalanced by the stabilisers of the newbie and dumb. In a way, these games such as Heavy Rain and Fallout 3 are immensely brave for providing an experience that is, to be honest, an acquired taste, and out of place in a crowd of mindless, silly shooters. One of the founding kings of intellectual gaming was 2000’s Deus EX: an adventure packed with intrigue, poli cal issues and intelligence, as was the slightly shallower 2003 follow up, Deus Ex:

Invisible War. And now, 11 years later, we have a prequel, which promises themes of isola on, redemp on and the ethics of human evolu on. If Deus Ex: Human Revolu on was a TV show, it’d be shown on BBC4. Taking us back 25 years before the events of the original Deus Ex, Human Revolu on sees a murky 2027 coming to terms with the inven on of human augmenta on: radically advanced bodily upgrades such as prosthe c limbs, mechanical eyes and other unnatural advancements. One who also sees these implants as unnatural is former S.W.A.T. Adam Jenson, the head of security at one of the world’s most powerful augmenta on corpora ons, Sarif Industries. But, a er an a ack on the company headquarters, leaving Jenson’s body smashed, he’s forced to have implanted a vast quan ty of life saving augmenta ons, such as a pair of mechanical arms.

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Once he’s returned to assisted health, Jenson is tasked by his boss to seek-out the perpetrators of the a ack, and discover the reasoning behind their ac ons. And so begins the adventure, with double crosses a-plenty, shadowy revela ons, and also up to 4 endings, depending on how you choose to tackle the campaign. Much like its predecessor, Human Revolu on is tac cal and stealth-based: there’ll be no spraying of bullets here, thank you very much! As you sneak around the various labs, warehouses and back alleys of this cyber punk world, the emphasis will be on avoiding confronta on with your enemies, or at least neutralising them without major harm. In this respect, the viewpoint of the ac on will change, depending on your posi on. The standard view is ﬁrst-person, but when you tuck-in behind a wall or object, the angle will switch to third-person, allowing you a peak to see what’s coming. You’re also provided with an on-screen map, char ng the po ons of your targets, their alertness, and the next way point. The less carnage you cause, the more XP points you’ll receive, which can be spent on upgrades to your augmenta ons, adding another tac cal layer to the game.

MUCH LIKE ITS PREDECESSOR, HUMAN REVOLUTION IS TACTICAL AND STEALTHBASED: THERE’LL BE NO SPRAYING OF BULLETS HERE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! During the missions, you’ll also be required to par cipate in conversa ons with other characters, seeking more informa on and clues to help your mission. How you tackle these is up to you – the classic mix of polite or aggressive, can alter how a person reacts, and the path in which your story will ﬂow. Although, at its core, Human Revolu on is a migh ly tough game (depending on your diﬃculty se ng) we found that if you just go aggressive and do the exact opposite of the gameplay’s mantra, the overall game is rather easy. Sure, ammo is in incredibly short supply, but with the ease in which you can simply lean around a corner and pop an enemy in the cranium, coupled with a healing health bar, Human Revolu on

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can o en lack a meaty challenge. That said, the game prac cally offers unlimited replayability thanks to the opened ended finale and the choices of how you tackle the missions, so it’s not a major issue. Human Revolu on is as hard as you want to make it, and although the boss fights feel out of place, due to the gung-ho manner you are forced to approach them, there’s s ll a solid 25+ hours of fascina ng gameplay to be had. One of the most compelling features of Human Revolu on is the art direc on. Set in a world that is the perfect balance of fantasy futurism and recognisable technologies, Human Revolu on is a truly magnificent tle to get lost in. The graphics from a technical standpoint may not be eye popping, but it’s the wondrous ambiance of the levels, and the overall melancholic atmosphere of the world, that is so a rac ve. Even the more lacklustre se ngs, such as an old, downtrodden shipping port, are transformed into a majes c crea on of stark shadows and vibrant yellows. The upmarket soundtrack is also superb, adding another layer of drama to the tle.

“DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION IS THE EPITOME OF MATURE GAMING, AND FOR THAT, WE CAN ONLY SALUTE IT.” Deus Ex: Human Revolu on an outstanding piece of work. The themes it deals with, - the pros and cons of medical advancement and the price of life - are expertly dealt with; the story is produced with a richness that is rarely seen in most videogames; the characters – despite some iﬀy voice ac ng – are mul layered and complex; even the levels themselves are designed with intellectual ideas in mind. Overall, this is a taxing, though ul and most importantly, grown up experience. Deus Ex: Human Revolu on is the epitome of mature gaming, and for that, we can only salute it. Sco Tierney

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

OVERALL

90/100 PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

RISE OF NIGHTMARES PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: SEGA AM1 FORMAT: XBOX 360 KINECT GENRE: SURVIVAL HORROR

A BLOODSHED MOMENT? Microso ’s Kinect is fast approaching a diﬃcult stage in its lifespan. As November approaches, the Xbox 360s visually aware strap-on will have been with us for a year, boas ng such achievements as selling well over 10 million units worldwide (although it should be noted that the ﬁrst 8 million devices were purchased during the opening 60 days of the Kinect’s release). It’s a fantas c piece of kit, there’s no dispu ng that; but now the Kinect must prove to be more than just a gadget, a gizmo, an Xbox accessory. If it’s going to con nue to compete with Sony’s Move and Nintendo’s upgraded Wii, the Kinect is going to have to get serious,

and evolve beyond the family friendly tles – Kinec mals, Kinect Sports, Dance Central - that have constrained its first year. To put it simply, the Kinect needs to get nasty! In this regard, we turn our a en on to Rise of Nightmares: a survival horror in the same bloody style as Haunted Mansion and Silent Hill. It’s not par cularly scary, exci ng, nor is it even that good, but could Rise of Nightmares be the tle that the Kinect so desperately needs? You play as Jack, who, while on a train-bound holiday in Romania with his wife, is thrown into world of zombies, crazy scien sts and twisted nas es. When the couple’s train derails, they are separated, and it’s up to you to guide Jack – armed with his fists and a plen ful selec on of melee weapons - from the train wreck and into a world of horror cliché: dark woodlands, damp caves and zombie infested mansions. It’s untaxing nonsense at the end of the day. If the game was candy floss, the plot would be the s ck. The controls and gameplay are both rela vely simple – hack and slash - but as you’ll have to perform the majority of Jack’s ac ons rather than just flick your thumbs, it can get a bit tricky at mes. For the basics of movement, to walk you have to put one foot in

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front of the over (a bit like a standing adductor stretch), with the distance of your stride resul ng in the speed Jack walk. To look around, you have to rotate your shoulders, and to let rip with some combat, you raise your hands to head height like a 1920s boxer, and swing at the angle that is required to defeat your enemy. Sounds great in prac ce, but as with all mo on-based concepts, in reality it just doesn’t really work. If you’ve seen the advert on telly of those lads punching the zombie in the chops with an actual punch, it’s nothing like that... ﬂailing manically is the order of the day.

“IF THE KINECT IS TO SUCCEED, IT NEEDS TO EMBRACE THE MORE EARTHY TITLES SUCH AS RISE OF NIGHTMARES.” Rise of Nightmare’s presenta on is a mixture of pleasant visuals and dodgy anima on. The actual levels are pleasingly a rac ve, with the courtyard of the mansion and the dank subterranean sewers looking rather radiant when the blood starts spraying. But, this mediocre beauty is let down by AI baddies that seem unaware that you’ve just kicked them in the face, or that you’ve just hacked one of their limbs oﬀ. That said, there’s plenty of them, so can’t complain.

To keep it simple: Rise of Nightmares is good arm-waving fun, which despite being let down by workmanlike controls, iffy produc on and a dis nct lack of tension and terror, is at worst a fun way to relive a day’s pent-up rage. But, in a way, Rise of Nightmares is more important as a landmark, than an actual game. Rise of Nightmares is the first 18 cer ficated games for the Kinect, and as such, it could turn out to be a torch-bearer for the games that follow. If the Kinect is to succeed, it needs to embrace the more earthy tles such as Rise of Nightmares, and start to build a catalogue of serious, hard-core, less family friendly tles. Although Rise of Nightmares isn’t going to be the single tle in which the Kinect can build its hopes, it could be the one to get the ball rolling. That said, it could follow the same fate as Sega’s other out of place gore-fest, the Wii’s MadWorld, and fade into obscurity under an avalanche of family friendly mediocrity. Only me will tell... Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 13/20 STORY: 11/20 CONTROLS: 11/20 GAMEPLAY: 13/20 DURABILITY: 12/20

OVERALL

60/100

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TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

PUBLISHER: HIGH MOON STUDIOS (PS3, XBOX 360), BEHAVIOUR INTERACTIVE (WII 3DS, DS), EA MOBILE (IOS) DEVELOPER: ACTIVISION, EA MOBILE FORMAT: PS3, XBOX 360, WII, 3DS, DS, IOS GENRE: THIRD-PERSON SHOOTER

GOOD RUBBISH

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To be honest, on first impressions, Transformers: Dark of the Moon hasn’t got a lot going for it. Firstly, 99.999999999 percent of videogames that are film e-ins, are rubbish. Secondly, the film this mul -format tle was birthed from was also rubbish. And thirdly, the two previous Transformer tles – Transformers: The Game and Transformers: Revenge of the fallen were...(drama c pause)...rubbish! When you take all three factors into considera on, Dark of the Moon is prac cally nailed-on for a low score and an immediate banishment to the Phonica office bin. But let’s not be too hasty... Dark of the Moon takes place three years a er Revenge of the Fallen, with those evil robots, the Decep con, s ll making a nuisance for us earthlings: blowing up ci es and what not. Luckily, we’ve got the Autobots on our side, and led by the iconic Op mus Prime, they’re going to lay down a serious whooping to any bot that gets in their way. So for the overall plot of the game...well, there’s not much to say. Basically it’s a war of robots, and it’s about as unfollowable as the films...although there’s no Shia Labeouf, which is a blessing. While on the subject of the Transformer films; despite them being a load of old popcorn flavoured tripe (or vice versa) it’s fair to say that they are visually spectacular. Sadly, the same can’t be said about the game. We tested the PS3 version for this review, and although we found the graphics and FX pleasant enough, we couldn’t say we had our socks blown off. It’s a very flat looking experience, with all the various loca ons we visited – the jungles of South America, the war-torn streets of Detroit, some textbook weapons facili es and junk yards – all lacking certain panache. It should be noted that the frame rate did drop rather drama cally during heavy fire fights, also. As for the game itself, despise at least trying to add a touch of depth with several vehicle modes and weapon classes, Dark of the Moon is a very single faceted tle indeed, and not a very long one at that. We managed to polish-off this silly shooter in barely 5 hours, and with the standard of the mul player ac on being below average (slim with only three playmodes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Conquest) you don’t get a lot for your money. That said, the ac on

itself is rather good fun, with lots of baddies to shoot at, and plenty of weapon variety thanks to a different bot for each of the 7 chapters. Controlling your bot is also reasonably enjoyable, if a li le complex. While smashing through hordes of nas es, you can transform your Transformer into one of three stages. Firstly, there’s the standard upright se ng, where you can walk around, jump, and rain fire with two standard guns and two special weapons, that require charging a er use. In the second state, you can hunker down and morph halfway into a car. In this posi on you get a lot more speed, you’re a smaller target, and you can s ll shoot, although you’ll lack the accuracy of standing. The final state is full car, where you can drive around quickly, and also boost for short periods. Sadly you can’t shoot in car mode, so it’s more a mode for when you need to make a brisk exit. To be fair these three control modes are the making of Dark of the Moon, although it should be noted that not only are the vehicle physics crazed and unnatural, but the controls in general are far too complicated. When you’ve got to push the le s ck for a state change, hold both triggers to dri , shoot and aim with the shoulder bu ons and simple navigate with the le and right s cks, this game ain’t no holiday for the fingers. So, the simple ques on: is Transformers: Dark of the Moon, rubbish? Well, yes, it probably is. It’s boring to look at, dumb to play, the control would flummox an octopus, it’s shorter than a change of socks and the plot is non-existent. But actually, despite these massive failings, Dark of the Moon is rela vely good fun. It’s bread and bu er shoo ng, and although the game lacks a layer of polish (it lacks even an undercoat, to be brutal) we’ve played worse games this year. Transformers: Dark of the Moon isn’t quality gaming, but if you just want to shoot ‘robots in-the eyes’ (see what I did there?), then you won’t go wan ng...it’s s ll going in the bin though. PRESENTATION: 13/20 STORY: 10/20 CONTROLS: 13/20 GAMEPLAY: 13/20 DURABILITY: 11/20

Sco Tierney

OVERALL

60/100

PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

CALL OF JUAREZ:

THE CARTEL PUBLISHER: UBISOFT DEVELOPER: TECHLAND FORMAT: PS3, XBOX 360, PC GENRE: FPS

LOCATION, LOCATION, DESOLATION. Although the Call of Juarez series - Call of Juarez and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood – has never really set the gaming world alight, its Wild West se ng always provided a welcome change of scenery. While most other shooters were either set in a post-apocalyp c wasteland or a re-enacted warzone of your choice, Juarez’s six-shooters, bar room brawls and sunrise duels were the alterna ve. So, you’d expect there’d be more of the same from this third tle in the series? If you’re on 21, you don’t say “hit me!”, right? Well, you’d be wrong, as for some inexplicable reason, Call of Juarez: The Cartel has abandoned the West, and gone all modern...talk about shoo ng yourself in the foot... Set in a modern day LA and Mexico, The Cartel sees you bounce between the roles of three rough around the edges Narco cs agents, as they set about taking

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down a powerhouse drugs organisa on. There’s Ben McCall, who’s slick and trendy; Kimberly Evans, who’s a sassy mumma (the classic Hollywood interpreta on of a strong woman: arrogant, bullish and instantly dislikeable); and Eddie Guerra, a tough, world weary, seen-it-all agent who probably likes broken glass on his cornﬂakes. As you play as each character, the other two will accompany you, and they can also be controlled by a fellow player in the co-op mode. To be honest, both the characters and plot are forge able, with neither being par cularly involving, likeable or memorable. It’s dumbed-down nonsense with guns, cussing, short skirts and violence, and to be honest, it’s all a bit of an insult to our intelligence.

“THE CARTEL IS A MESS OF DRAINING GAMEPLAY AND BORING VISUALS.”

your van; then you’ll come across a door that has to be kicked down, resul ng in the classic slo-mo on sequence; and then it’s oﬀ to the next level. OK, so this is arguably the blueprint to any shoo ng videogame, but it’s the sheer blatancy of it all that frustrates us most about The Cartel. It’s paint by numbers gaming at its worst. A brief men on should be given to the mul player features, which despite being a class apart from any of the top online shooters, at least provides a slightly more enjoyable experience than the single player campaign. The vs. games are pish, so we’ll leave those to one side, but the co-op mode is a decent chuckle, as it removes a lot of the AI frustra ons that plague the main game. It’s not a sole reason to purchase The Cartel, but if it’s a decent way to spend a few hours.

As far as the presenta on is concerned, The Cartel looks several years out of date. To give the package its dues, some of the levels occasionally feature stylised architecture and ambiance, and the soundtrack does provide a nice background to the non-stop shoo ng, but that’s about it. For the rest of The Cartel, it’s a sorry mix of buggy textures, rubbish graphics and dire design. Compare it with current FPS compe tors such as Resistance 3 or Crysis 2, and The Cartel is frankly, embarrassing.

As a complete tle, Call of Juarez: The Cartel is a mess of draining gameplay, boring visuals, outdated technology and childish storytelling. Why Techland made the decision to relocate the Juarez series, from the Old West to 2011, is beyond us, as in doing so, they’re castrated the whole reason, the very soul, of the games. What was a series with its own iden ty is now just another popcorn shooter on an ever growing shelf, and for that reason, along with the sub-standard of its gameplay, we can’t recommend The Cartel remotely.

As has already been said: The Cartel is as intellectual as silly pu y, so the gameplay follows a similarly simple trend. As you play through The Cartel, you’ll no ce a con nuous rou ne: shoot, drive, slo-mo shoot, repeat. To explain this in greater detail (as if needed!) the level will open with you and your AI team popping the heads of stupid baddies for a few waves; then you’ll have to drive somewhere in

PRESENTATION: 8/20 STORY: 8/20 CONTROLS: 14/20 GAMEPLAY: 11/20 DURABILITY: 10/20

Sco Tierney

OVERALL

51/100

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EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

GEARS OF WAR 3 PUBLISHER: MICROSOFT STUDIOS DEVELOPER: EPIC GAMES FORMAT: XBOX 360 GENRE: THIRD-PERSON SHOOTER

TAKING IT UP A GEAR Despite the Gears of War series being brash, bulbous, ac on ﬁlm-excessive and as biblically overwhelming as nuclear Armageddon in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s underpants, it’s the contras ng mix of tender emo on that makes these ferocious shooters so appealing. If you’ve seen the heartbreaking scene where thick-skinned COG Dom is ﬁnally reunited with his wife, you’ll know just how deep the Gears of War series can cut. Then again, if you’ve ever topped the online rankings as the leading chainsaw killer, you’ll also be aware of just how bloody hilarious the games can be. So, with this third tle marking the end of the

Gears series (of this story at least), let’s see if this is a fi ng send-off to one of the all- me great videogame trilogies. When the curtain finally falls for our heroic COGs, there won’t be a dry eye in the house...or even a house, most likely... At the close of Gears 2, Marcus Fenix and his team of roughnecks had just flooded humanity’s last city-sized stronghold in an a empt to flush-out those pesky Locusts. Although this plan worked in the short course, as we now move into Gears 3, mankind isn’t doing par cularly well. There are only a few survivors sca ed around the land in heavily deafened forts, and the Gears are simply trying to stay afloat in a rusty ocean liner. As you’d expect, the general

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situa on isn’t about to get any rosier, and before we’ve barely had me to reacquaint ourselves with Marcus, Dom, Cole Train and Baird, not to men on a host of new faces, Delta Force’s ship is under a ack from a new breed of evil: the Lambent - essen ally Locusts filled with yellow paint that explodes when shot. And so, following this fran c opening fire fight, the game gets under-way, leading Marcus and his team on the search for a character from the past, and more importantly, a method of ending the war before it is too late. From me to me, rather than s cking solely to Marcus as the playable lead, in Gears of War 3, you’ll o en have the opportunity to take control of another character. Although this is occasionally frustra ng, as PHONICA MAGAZINE UK

you feel as if you’re being pulled away from the central points of plot interest, these excursions are a nice way of breaking up – and o en giving a fresh perspec ve - of the narra ve. During the opening chapter, you’ll have to guide Cole Train around the homeland of his pre-war life, climaxing in a return to the football stadium in which the ex-player made his name. To be honest, this li le sec on is a bit cheesy, and the sight of ‘The Train’ running with a footballlike bomb, side-stepping Lambents, is not one of the ﬁnest moments from the series.

“IN TERMS OF THE SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN, IT’S THE SAME TRIED AND PERFECTED MIX OF WAVE-BASED SHOOTING THAT WAS THE FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST TWO TITLES.” On a similar subject: the dialogue and banter between the characters, was, we found, rather irrita ng. OK, none of the Gears games have ever been works of lyrical wonder, but this third tle seems to have developed a rather distressing case of punch line turrets: every character seems capable of only of speaking in one-liners. There are s ll some corking put-downs and wisecracks, with the new character of Samantha (voiced by the same wi y

Australian of Uncharted 2 fame, Claudia Black) possessing plenty of bite, but the majority of the me the conversa ons are just endless streams of crass, unfunny pee-taking. Anyway, enough of this cha er about the plot and characters, let’s get down and dirty with the game itself! In terms of the single player campaign, it’s the same tried and perfected mix of wave-based shoo ng that was the founda on of the first two tles. Duck, cover, shoot, move: it’s fantas cally stupendous, set in some behemoth-sized loca ons, and now that 4 player co-op has been included, a riot with buddies. The same classic weapons of Gears 1 and 2 make a return, such as the chainsaw-a ached Lancer, as do grenades, sawn-off shotguns and Boomers. There’s also some fresh ar llery in the form of the Retro Lancer, which swaps the chainsaw for a bayonet; a one shot kills sniper rifle, some napalm grenades, and a massive two man machine gun called the Vulcan. There are also several new enemies to aim this fresh lead at, with the Locusts improving their ranks with a grenadier, a Digger Boomer (launches li le bugs into the ground that rush up and explode) and a savage metallic leader called a Kantus Knight. The Lambent also rolls into town with some new nas es, such as li le spider creatures, gooey Drudges, and massive Boomer compatriots that hurl globs of acidic puss at you.

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The single player campaign can also be played in an Arcade mode, which incorporates a mul plying counter so you can keep track of your score. So, if you string together a succession of head shots, your points will build. But, if you get shot, or during the co-op version, one of your team-mates dies, your points will stall. You can also enable a laughter track as an extra op on, just to add a comedic element to the bloodshed.

“GEARS OF WAR 3 IS TRULY AN EXCEPTIONAL SHOOTER, AND A MORE THAN FITTING FINALE TO AN IMMACULATE TRILOGY. “ The ac on gets just as feisty online, with plenty of modes and maps for you to get stuck into. Horde mode returns from the previous games, although in Gears 3, instead of the simple concept of surviving as many waves of enemies as possible, this me you can choose to add defensive items to the ba lefield, such as turrets and cardboard-COG distrac ons. There’s also the ever trusty 10 man Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Beast mode, where you switch sides and play as Locusts; King of the Hill; and Capture the Leader, where you have to do as the tle suggest, and hold said leader for 30 seconds. If this all sounds a bit too fierce though, Gears 3 allows to you pick your fights carefully, with choices of levels, player ranks

and other safety modes all included via the online selec on menus. If you’re a proper baddy, though, the Golden Lancer is s ll a trophy worth going for. So, is Gears of War 3 a fi ng send-off to an iconic, genre defining, even industry changing, series? Well, it’s fair to say that from both a single player and mul player perspec ve, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more complete package this year. While the online modes are packed with both quality and quan ty, the solo adventure is just as explosive, and about as rich (if a li le repe ve) a campaign as you’ll ever play. It’s overflowing with jaw dropping loca on, eye-pooping visual effects, thumb-snapping ac on, bum-squeaking tension and tear-jerking emo on. Sure, this is arguably the dumbest of the Gears tle, with the characters churning out some belching dialogue, and the story all too o en playing for belly laughs rather than seriousness. But, these are only mere blights on an otherwise perfect tle. Gears of War 3 is truly an excep onal shooter, and a more than fi ng finale to an immaculate trilogy. Sco Tierney

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

OVERALL

92/100

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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 MP3 340 264 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 222 244 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 294 351 Yes

Sony Ericsson Spiro

Sony Ericsson XPERIA

92 x 48 x 16.75 mm 90 g Dual band 240 x 320 2 MP

119 x 62 x 16 mm 175 g Quad-band/3G 854 x 480 5.1 MP

Play

Sony Ericsson W395

Sony Ericsson C903

Sony Ericsson Aino

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

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

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

5 MB/Micro SD

400 MB/Micro SD

10 MB/Memory S ck Micro

130 MB/Memory S ck Micro

60 MB/microSD

Yes/A2DP/Micro USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

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

MP3/MP4/AAC+/WAV

Mp3/MP4/AAC

MP3/AAC

Yes MP3 270 475 Yes

Yes MP3 505 425 Yes

Yes MP3/AAC 420 480 Yes

Yes MP3/AAC 600 400 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 270 360 Yes

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Nokia E63

Nokia N97

Nokia 3720 classic

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music

Sony Ericsson Cedar

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

111 x 49 x 15.5 mm 84 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 2 MP 280 MB/Micro SD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA No WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WAV

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 MP3 750 420 Yes

Sony Ericsson Yari

Sony Ericsson Naite

Sony Ericsson C901

Sony Ericsson C510

HTC Desire

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

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

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

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

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

60 MB/microSD

100 MB/microSD

120 MB/Memory S ck Micro

100 MB/Memory S ck Micro

ROM:512 MB/RAM:576 MB/microSD

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

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

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAC/MP4

MP3/AAC/MID/M4A/WAV/WMA

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 600 450 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 564 380 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 420 400 Yes

Yes MP3 400 360 Yes

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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 120MB/Memory S ck Micro

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

LG GD510 Pop

LG GM750

Dell Streak

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 110 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP 2/8 GB (internal)/microSD Yes/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Wi-Fi WAP/Dolphin Yes

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

152.9 x 79.1 x 10 mm 220 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP

128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM/microSD

16GB/512MB ROM/512MB RAM/microSD

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes Yes WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/MP4

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

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 200 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 380 450 Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email No MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA Yes MP3 580 400 Yes

SMS/MMS/Email/Vidoe/MS Exchange

Yes

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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

HTC Desire HD

HTC Magic

HTC Hero

Apple iPhone 4

BlackBerry Torch

123 x 68 x 11.8 mm 164 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 8 MP

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

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

111.5 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm 137 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 960 5 MP

111 x 62 x 14.6 mm 161 g Quad-band/3G 360 x 480 5 MP

1.5 GB/Micro SD

288 MB/microSD

16/32 GB (internal)

4GB/MicroSD

Yes/A2DP/Micro USB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 550 420 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

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA 9

MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV

MP3/eAAC/WMA/WMV

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 450 420 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 420 750 Yes

Yes MP3 420 300 Yes

Yes MP3 330 430 Yes

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