Issue 7 by PhonicaMagUK

the mobile phone and gaming magazine

Issue 7

phonica magazine uk

WHAT’S INSIDE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 7 2009

NEWS

6 8 9 10 11 31 32 33 34 35 36

iPostal HTC Legend How Nokia Got her Groove Back R.E.M. iPhone App Synap cs Fuse Dead Space 2 Half Life Remake Ho Ho Ho Yellow Snow DS leads in console sales in the UK Outlook: The Bri sh Games Industry Solid Gold Wii

FEATURES 14 2009: A LOOK BACK MOBILES Reﬂec on me. See what phones we remembered for the year, and why. 37 2010: THE YEAR AHEAD It’s that me to discover what 2010 holds for us in the gaming world.

42 2009: A LOOK BACK GAMES What we loved, what we dumped…what surprised us and what we’re looking forward to…all here. 58 FORGOTTEN GEMS: HALO2 No we haven’t gone oﬀ the rails. Is this tle really on the brink of being forgo en?

COMPETITION 30 Win a copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum

THE GUIDE 60 Games: Phonica’s 20 Unsung Games of 2009 62 Mobile Phones

phonica magazine uk

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce

GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Hobson Ian Duncan Paul Park Charles Thompson

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.

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EDITOR’S LETTER WE’RE READY! HAPPY NEW YEAR! To those that santa forgot...best of luck for next year. To those he remembered… happy for you! And for those like me who didn’t get their HTC Hero…Ba Humbug! It has been a great year, one we can reﬂect on and admire accomplishments. Many records were set, some broken. We lost a few cherished ones, yet we look to the New Year with hope, an cipa on and the expecta on ...... it’s going to be a great year, once again. We decided that it won’t be fair to end such a great year without acknowledging some of the great (and not so great) games and phones for 2009. A er much delibera on, each writer gave their unbiased rant on what games and phones have stood out for us this year. And thus the Phonica Awards was created. To all the nominees a job well done and congrats to the winners. As for me, I’m back to the sofa, Wii control in hand playing Monopoly…. me to make my fortune! Deﬁnitely need to hit the gym this weekend. It’s has been a great year, and the Phonica Team looks forward to 2010. On behalf of the team I thank you for the con nued support and look forward to bringing you the latest in mobile phone and gaming news and reviews in 2010 and beyond. From all of us at Phonica Magazine UK, Happy New Year! Enjoy reading. Your Editor in Chief

Kevin Leonce kevin@phonicamagazine.co.uk

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

GOING iPOSTAL WHEN AUGMENTED REALITY APPS FIRST APPEARED, EVERYONE SAID, “IT’S LIKE BEING IN HALO”. NOW GUNMAN FOR iPHONE MAKES AUGMENTED REALITY INTO AN ACTUAL VIDEO GAME... SORT OF. TIME TO GO IPOSTAL. We’ve all had those days when everything seemed to strike a note of pure homicidal inspira on. OK, maybe that’s just me, but it’s ﬁne, I didn’t do any murdering – virtual or otherwise. Oh, but how sweet would it have been to spla er the brains of my slave driving boss all over his priapic sports car or possibly pop a cap or two in the guy who was playing his music on loudspeaker on the train? Very sweet, that’s how sweet. Maybe it was similar psycho c thoughts that occupied the minds of Shadowforce, the developers of the brilliant Gunman for iPhone. The idea behind it is fairly simple, but ingeniously original. The camera of your iPhone becomes the sight of your weapon, a scope’s cross-hair layered over the screen as you skulk around the scene of a future mass murder scene. To reload your weapon a er a wonderfully trigger happy rampage, just shake the phone, then shoot the hell out of everything that moves. Good stuﬀ. But where this app becomes great is when it’s employed as a laser-tag style shoot ‘em up. Real life FPS if you will. The game pairs with another iPhone or three for the mul player games which track deaths by iden fying the vic m’s shirt colour.

“ONLY THING IS, DIDN’T THEY ALREADY MAKE AN APP FOR HOMICIDAL MANIACS?”

phonica magazine uk

Can you imagine the joy of sending a screenshot to your vic m, immediately a er pinching your screen to pull off a par cularly difficult long range snipe? Then post the kill to Twi er and let all your friends see how brave they looked when they were staring down the barrel of an iPhone. If you never really liked the idea of the mess that comes with mass murder, or perhaps the unauthorised sodomy of prison isn’t quite your cup of tea but you s ll want to blow that bloody traffic warden away- well now, there’s an app for that.

“BUT WHERE THIS APP BECOMES GREAT IS WHEN IT’S EMPLOYED AS A LASER-TAG STYLE SHOOT ‘EM UP. REAL LIFE FPS IF YOU WILL.” If you haven’t downloaded it already, just check out the guys at Shadowforce trying to convince you just how realis cally bloodthirsty you can be without the aid of an Xbox at playgunman.com. Only thing is, didn’t they already make an app for homicidal maniacs? As far as I can remember, it was mul player too and didn’t involve sweat, sunlight, or in fact exercise of any form, plus the deaths were a lot more realis c and you didn’t have to look stupid by sneaking around in public wielding an iPhone like some kind of perverted happy snapper. It’s called Modern Warfare 2. Oh yeah, and it’s not like being in Halo, it’s be er. Charles Thompson

phonica magazine uk

phonica phonica magazine magazine uk uk

NEWS

HTC’S LEGEND IN THE MAKING IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, PHONICA THINKS THE HTC HERO IS AMAZING. BUT NOW THE HERO’S SO 2009, WHAT’S HTC GOT IN STOCK FOR THE NEW DECADE? A LEGEND, THAT’S WHAT. There have been few legendary mobiles. It all started with the Motorola StarTAC, then the iconic 7110 or Matrix phone from Nokia. Next Nokia took to the mass market with the 3310 and Motorola responded with the epic RAZR. But what next? There was nothing for years. Un l of course the market was rocked by the big boys and Apple brought us the sublime iPhone. But that was nearly two and a half years ago and since then all we’ve really been treated to in the way of innova on is incremental updates to bring the iPhone up to what was already industry standard in July 2007…a video camera and 3G, essen ally. It’s rare that Phonica gets so excited at the prospect of something before it’s officially announced, but some mes you just know it’s going be good and where HTC is concerned it’s probably going to be great. That’s why we all started saliva ng at the thought of the HTC Legend, a new Android based device set to replace the Hero as HTC’s major iPhone alterna ve. In case you missed our coverage of the HTC Hero, and can’t muster the effort to read my recommenda on for it as Phone of the Year later on in the magazine, here’s a summary of why it’s fantas c. It’s the first phone to truly rival the iPhone for both personality and usability, it’s faster because of the 1.6 Android Donut update, it provides a real alterna ve to the iPhone by allowing the integra on of widgets, its interface is pre er than the standard Android UI because of its HTC Sense upgrade and it’s actually kinda good looking in person.

All these things are why we got so animalis c and dribbly at the sight of ai.rs blog, which provided a 3D rendering of the next Hero, the HTC Legend. It really is very, very good looking. And to add to the fervour, there was an inconspicuous li le hole in the already legendary, and highly polarising, HTC chin. In that easily overlooked hole is a sign of real innova on. Cosily nestled amongst the gorgeous goodness that the HTC Legend is bound to be is an op cal tracker, the same thing which made your computer mouse lose his balls. Is it a li le early to say goodbye to the trackball? A er all we only just dismissed the mul -direc onal pad, and even he’s clinging on for dear life in the Motorola Milestone’s (slightly overgrown) sliding QWERTY chin. Well if it works, then I’ll be ditching my trackball disabled HTC Magic quicker than when Berlusconi lost his two front teeth.

“IT’S RARE THAT PHONICA GETS SO EXCITED, BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW IT’S GOING BE GOOD.” But if the Legend isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, there’s always the HTC Bravo. If the teeth in that Snapdragon 1GHz processor doesn’t sink into you like Jaws into ﬁshermen, then maybe you only have eyes for the new iPhone, which is also due in 2010. It’s going to be a very happy new year. Charles Thompson

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

HOW NOKIA GOT HER GROOVE BACK NOKIA’S LACKLUSTRE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MANY A MOBILE GEEK’S RANT THIS YEAR, BUT WILL 2010 BE ANY DIFFERENT? At its Capital Markets day, Nokia has outlined their plans to the people who really ma er- the investors. But are the nails already in the coﬃn or was 2009 just an uncharacteris c hiccough for the world’s biggest handset manufacturer?

Hurrah! Finally they’ve got the picture, Symbian’s a pile of Onanism. But if fixing something is easier than recognising there’s a fault, what does Nokia have in mind for its flagging flagship OS? Well actually the plans they have in place are fairly impressive.

“WHEN 1 IN 6 PEOPLE ON THE PLANET OWNS A NOKIA IS THERE REALLY A NEED TO CHANGE?” Everybody knows big business is just like a bad 90’s romcom. It’s all “show me the money!” But Tom Cruise proved that living your life by that proverb will just make you crazy, and I’m sure your Mum won’t be pleased to see you jumping all over her sofa. So in the interests of your Mum’s sofa, I’ll just s ck to the stuff that most people will be interested in and forget about the business jargon. It’s no secret that for the best part of the decade Nokia’s hardly been pushing the boundaries. And why should they? When 1 in 6 people on the planet owns a Nokia is there really a need to change? Let’s not forget the age old adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But as Bob Dylan said, the mes they are a changing, and the third quarter of ‘08 has seen Apple overtake Nokia as the most profitable handset manufacturer. So, belatedly, Nokia has come to accept that something most certainly is broke; mainly the Symbian opera ng system.

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See below the concept UI Nokia has demonstrated, and consider the fact that by way of simplifying the OS (an obvious ﬂaw in Symbian) it seeks to remove more than 350 user prompts. They also detail improved performance (“3X” whatever that means) and mul -touch support. The emergence of a new rival to iPhone 3.0 is good news, but with their set milestones being mid 2010 and late 2010 we’ve s ll got a while to wait. Charles Thompson

NEWS

R.E.M. RELEASE iPHONE APP LISTEN AND LEARN WITH THE NEW APP FROM THE ATHENS ROCK BAND US rock band, R.E.M., along with Peerium, Inc, have released a new app that will allow fans of the group to follow the band’s latest goings-on. With this new app, fans can download videos from all of the online albums, read-up on the latest news and gossip, view tour photos and listen to sample tracks from the bands long and illustrious career. The full features of the app are as follows: The latest R.E.M. news and tour dates are updated instantly on your iPhone. R.E.M. Photos - Browse the R.E.M. photo gallery that spans the band’s en re career. Audio Streaming - Listen to 30 second song clips from R.E.M.’s en re catalog!

Video Streaming - Watch full length videos from every R.E.M. album on your iPhone. Fan Photo Upload - Upload your own live R.E.M. photos directly from your phone to Flickr. Fan Videos - Select from any date on the en re 2008 world tour and watch fan YouTube videos on your iPhone. R.E.M. & You - Listening to a speciﬁc R.E.M. song right now? Select that track and then upload a photo to Flickr to show where you are at that moment. Also, check out what photos other fans have uploaded while listening to R.E.M. songs. For any fan of the band (myself included) this is sure to be a superb and trustworthy treat, and anyone that gets it is sure to be a shiny happy person a erwards (sorry). Sco Tierney

phonica phonica magazine magazine uk uk

NEWS SYNAPTICS UNVEIL PLANS FOR THE NEXT STEP IN TOUCH-TECHNOLOGY BEND IT, SHAPE IT, ANYWAY YOU WANT IT; THE SYNAPTICS FUSE TAKES IT A STEP FURTHER The touchscreen phone has been with us for a number of years now, and although it’s an amazing piece of design and modern technology, it hasn’t really advanced a great deal. Sure, the ini al base model has improved, and screens have become more sensi ve and precise as new models have come and gone. The same can be said for the interfaces; they’ve improved and developed, but they haven’t really gone onto another level, as it were.

It’s a strange mix of gesture controls, touch ac va on and pressure sensi ve sensors, and whether it’ll work or not is yet to be seen. Although we haven’t been able to get our grubby li le hands on a model as yet, from the videos we’ve seen there seems to be a few problems that may need to be addressed. One that stands out immediately is the fact that even the slightest mo on from the user could set the Fuse oﬀ. With so many li le sensors, even an ill- med squeeze or back rub could inadvertently select the wrong op on, and it looks as though two hands will be needed to get the most out of the Fuse.

“IT’S A STRANGE MIX OF GESTURE CONTROLS, TOUCH ACTIVATION AND PRESSURE SENSITIVE SENSORS, AND WHETHER IT’LL WORK OR NOT IS YET TO BE SEEN.” But this new phone, developed by Synap cs (albeit with help from a number of other big-name developers) looks set to take touch screen technology onto the next level; and beyond. Synap cs Fuse is its name, and being a touchy fellow is its game. Although the Fuse features a very impressive touch screen, and a wonderfully energe c interface, the real golden-star feature of the Fuse is its mass of control op ons. If you squeeze the Fuse, it’ll select an op on; if you lt it, it’ll scroll through the menus; even the back of the phone is touch sensi ve, so you can scroll through the menus and icons without ever touching the screen.

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But we’ll have to wait and see, as the Synap cs Fuse isn’t likely to be seen un l next year, when it goes on show at CES in Las Vegas and the MWC in Barcelona. Sco Tierney

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FEATURE

2009: A LOOK BACK –

MOBILES

WE’VE SEEN THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY; BUT WHAT ARE OUR MEMORIES FROM 2009? Well, 2009 is all but ﬁnished, and the mobiles that have graced the past 12 months are due to be re red and replaced by bigger and be er models. But what phones have burnt a place in our memories? There’s been the excellent HTC Hero; that came out of nowhere and not only surpassed all of HTC’s previous crea ons, but also proved to be a sturdy challenger to Apple’s all concurring iPhone. Also, we’ve had some excellent (if not dour) handsets from Sony; some wild and funky phones from Samsung; and we’ve also had the hit and miss entrants from Vodaphone. Add to that a few other oddi es, and 2009 has been a great year all round. But what do our writers think, and most importantly, who is the proud winner of the Phonica Phone of the Year?

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FEATURE

FAVOURITE PHONE

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

BLACKBERRY BOLD

HTC HERO

It’s Bold, it’s fast (ish), not exactly slim but it’s my all me favourite for 2009. Although a bit chunky in size the Bold has been a popular choice for many, myself included. I love the spacious QWERTY keypad, which is a godsend when trying to send messages a er a few pints (so I am told). The last me I felt this way about a berry was 2006…the year of the Pearl (BlackBerry of course).

I’m a very childish person that loves to play makebelieve and pretend to be a character in Star Trek. So, the perfect phone for enforcing my wacky indulgences is the HTC Hero; because it looks a bit like a tricorder.

“IT’S BOLD, IT’S FAST (ISH), NOT EXACTLY SLIM BUT IT’S MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE FOR 2009.”

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In all seriousness, the HTC Hero is a fantas c phone, and arguably the year’s best. It has a superb interface that was a breeze and pleasure to use; the features were ﬁrst-rate, and the whole phone just oozed class. Also, and maybe more importantly, the HTC Hero was a bit of an oddity, and the choice for the person that liked to stand out. When everyone else was buying an iPhone, (which although is superb) the HTC Hero just seemed like a more interes ng choice, and a bit outside the norm. It could also be argued that the HTC Hero is a be er phone than the iPhone, but that’s not an argument that I want to get into now, as I’d like to enjoy my Christmas in peace, thanks.

FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

HTC HERO

iPHONE 3GS

What a wonder! Who could have thought that the illegi mate son of Jimmy Hill and Google, lovingly adopted by HTC Sense, could possibly be quite as good as this li le iPhone beater? Good looks, hard wearing (a treat on the usually plas cky HTC brand), and a user interface that makes iPhone 3.0 look like a lame donkey jockeyed by Dawn French compe ng in the Grand Na onal next to Red Rum and Frankie De ori.

Ridiculously good. Not only because of its “over 90,000 apps” message but simply an exquisite piece of design. When I ﬁrst used this I seriously felt like I had a mini laptop without the keyboard (but laptops don’t have a touchscreen, so it’s even there). It’s that powerful and most importantly, FAST. Insanely fast.

“GOOD LOOKS AND A USER INTERFACE THAT MAKES iPHONE 3.0 LOOK LIKE A LAME DONKEY.” There aren’t enough superla ves to a ach to this sexy beast but here a few just for brown-nosing’s sake; the sexiest, smartest, coolest, most understated phone in 2009.

Some people are miﬀed that the design hasn’t changed but I for one welcome it. I don’t par cularly enjoy having to learn new bu ons and “what does this do?” moments are really embarrassing when you mess up badly. Apple has hit upon a poten al cultural breakthrough of the decade with the iPhone and has deﬁnitely led the way for smartphones to be developed.

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE WORST PHONE

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

KYOCERA JAX S1300

NOKIA 5530

Badly made, badly designed and barely worked. The Kyocera Jax S1300 was rubbish. OK, as it only sold for around £10, it’s hard to throw too much cri cism at the Jax. I mean for a tenner, what did you expect?

What a strange phone this was. Technically, it was a very decent phone, and on its own merits, it shouldn’t really be in this sec on. But the reason that I’ve nominated it as the year’s worst phone is because it was horrendously marketed by Nokia.

But what really stood out on the Jax’s shoddyscale was that, according to The Environmental Working Group, the Jax had the second highest radia on emissions of any phone in 2009 (the T-Mobile myTouch 3G was top, but we like that). So, not only would the Kyocera Jax S1300 send you mad with its appalling quality, it would also melt your brain.

The Nokia 5530 was intended to be a cheaper, bargain-buster version of Nokia’s excellent 5800. It had all the same features, but they were all ‘lesser’ versions. That was ﬁne, as it’s supposed to be a cheap version for anyone shopping on a budget; and this year, that meant everyone! What was weird was the Nokia 5530 was actually more expensive than the 5800. It was like Nestle releasing a new 3 ﬁngered KitKat, that was more expensive than a normal KitKat; pure madness! The 5530 was an OK phone, but when compared to the superb 5800, it was a pointless exercise from Nokia.

It wouldn’t really of course, that’s just a joke….

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FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

SAMSUNG TOCCO ULTRA EDITION

SAMSUNG TOCCO ULTRA EDIION

Oh dear Samsung. Straight out of the box, this phone is the slowest, least usable and most outdated piece of technology I’ve ever had the displeasure of unwrapping. Despite its drop dead gorgeous looks, the crippled ability of this half touch, half T9 mongrel is only exacerbated by the incorpora on of the TouchWiz UI. So slow your Granny would text too fast for it, and lacking modern essen als like an on screen QWERTY or WiFi, in the price bracket this phone was launched it was a complete disaster. Luckily for Samsung it’s probably the most beau ful phone of the year also.

Oh my God this must be the worst piece of technology I’ve ever had in my hands, and I’ve messed about with my fair share. The scrolling menu is an absolute wreck – it doesn’t work when you ﬂick your ﬁnger across the screen like you would for the iPhone or G1. And if you press for a frac on too long it drags the applica on out into the main screen. Unbelievably annoying. The touch screen itself is very insensi ve – of good quality yes, but you’ll end up tearing your hair out when you need to make an important call and it screws up. All the other features are of no importance when the simple things are not done properly – the camera is nice, some of the apps are ok though the speed could do with a jacking.

“IT WAS A DISASTER, BUT IT’S PROBABLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PHONE OF THE YEAR ALSO.”

A family member had this phone and it lasted 3 months before it got lobbed full strength at a brick wall. I clapped hear ly.

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FEATURE SURPRISE OF THE YEAR:

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

SAMSUNG JET

LG NEW CHOCOLATE BL40

Yes, oh yes…surprise surprise. I must admit it was the superb ‘Impa ence is a Virtue’ ad that got my a en on (a er a night out I sincerely mistook it for a Lady Gaga-like music video). Every phone manufacturer is going all out to keep the handset sales ﬂowing, and with the Jet Samsung proves it’s s ll in the ﬁgh ng ring. Its style, appearance, fast processor and Lady Gaga like ads is more than enough to surely convince and surprise. Oi…where’s my Jet?

“ITS STYLE, APPEARANCE, FAST PROCESSOR AND LADY GAGA LIKE ADS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO SURELY CONVINCE AND SURPRISE.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 20 phonica

Personally, I‘ve never liked LG’s items. Their TVs were always cheap and unreliable, their Stereos were ﬂimsy and dull and their phones were just plain rubbish. But, when I ﬁrst saw the LG New Chocolate BL40, I was blown away. Despite being an LG, the BL40 was a superb piece of kit. It was a massive phone at well over 4 inches, but most of that space was taken up with the epic touchscreen. Even though the BL40 had a lot more going for it than just its screen (superb build quality, great features, smooth interface and accessibility), the screen totally dominated proceedings. To put it plainly; the videos looked amazing. At the me, I wrote that it was like shrinking a 42” screen down to pocket size, and I s ll stand by that. The LG New Chocolate BL40; Surprisingly be er than what you’d expect from LG.

FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

MOTOROLA MILESTONE

MOTOROLA KARMA QA1

If you had told anyone at the start of this year that Motorola would create one of the most advanced and powerful smartphones of 2009, you’d probably have been cer ﬁable. The phone giants have been shocking in the past few years. That’s why the phenomenal Milestone (or much more sexily named Droid in the US) is such an unbelievable breakthrough for the struggling company. They saw that there was a be er UI out there- and took it.

Something that hit me out of the blue. Having used Blackberrys before I wasn’t really expec ng anything special but the QA1 is something that could really give Blackberries (which one is the right word?) a run for their money. A decent sized screen, a full keyboard and with all the trimmings that you’d expect from a smartphone.

It’s pre y simple. It’s pre y amazing. It’s the phone all Androids wish they were and the one the rest will be copying for the next year.

True, the camera quality could do with an improvement, and it doesn’t really look that cool coming out of your pocket when you’re in an important business mee ng, but Motorola have made good ground on Blackberry and the QA1 looks like it could be the stepping stone for greater things.

“THE MOTOROLA KARMA QA1; A DECENT SIZED SCREEN, A FULL KEYBOARD AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS THAT YOU’D EXPECT FOR A SMARTPHONE.” phonica magazine uk

FEATURE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

LG GD510 POP

SONY ERICSSON AINO

Oh my, oh why. What a disappointment. You had such poten al to be a budget iPhone. Instead it’s just one of the great budget touch screen phones for 2009. Don’t misconstrue, the Pop is a great phone, but I really expected much more. Its USB cable can be a ached to a base, which transforms it into a charger, it’s excep onally light and it’s adorable to look at and charming to use. Yes I can charge my phone for 10mins from its solar cell ba er cover, but no app store? And there I was ge ng ready to boast about my iPhone Budget buster. Please LG, sort us an app store will you…and while you’re at it we’d pay extra for WiFi.

Sony arguably has the most lacklustre looking phones on the market. Every one of their otherwise excellent handsets is a resome mix of polished alloys, grey slabs and ditchwater-dull designs. But, the Sony Ericsson Aino was a bit of a surprise, as it looked really funky. In theory, the Aino could have been our surprise of the year.

“ITS JUST ONE OF THE GREAT BUDGET TOUCH SCREEN PHONES FOR 2009.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 22 phonica

But, despite the excellent exterior, the Aino was a very mixed-up phone. Even though it has a touchscreen, it also has a normal keypad. This would (and should) have been a clever idea, especially for those who like to make use of both types of input. But in reality, neither of the inputs worked properly. The screen only worked occasionally (there was nothing wrong with it, but it only worked for the odd se ng, i.e. the camera), and the rest of the me the number pad had to be used. Why have a ﬁrst-class touchscreen and not be able to use it fully? (if at all) What a disappointment the Aino was.

FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

NOKIA N97

SONY ERICSSON YARI

When this phone was announced along with its photos and specs in Barcelona, people were literally ﬁgh ng to get their hands on it. It promised to be everything the iPhone wasn’t. It promised to do things we all expected from the world’s biggest phone manufacturer’s ﬂagship model. It promised to be the N900. It wasn’t. Slow, boring, pre y much the worst smartphone in its price bracket. This phone certainly didn’t deliver the goods. And it’s massive and expensive to boot. Bad mes Nokia.

Being a gamenut even on the phone (as the applica on list on my phones will tes fy) when Sony Ericsson released the Yari with an accelerometer sensor and that op cal tracker technology, it spelt one thing in my eyes – AWESOME GAMING.

“SLOW, BORING AND PRETTY MUCH THE WORST SMARTPHONE IN ITS PRICE BRACKET.”

Sadly, it was not. While Sony Ericsson concentrated on delivering a great gaming device it doesn’t serve anything else that could be of any use. Well the touchscreen is probably the biggest thing, especially when smartphones are popping up across the world; and no Wi-Fi feature makes online gaming actually pre y darn diﬃcult. Something to keep an eye on though for the future, but for now I’ll s ck with the PSP and/or iPhone.

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FEATURE UNSUNG PHONE OF THE YEAR

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

SAMSUNG S3100

LG GB102 SAPPHIRE

My bargain for the year. A true gem for the price. While bulky this slide phone is easy to use and easy on the eye. It’s a phone for those who need to feel the weight of their phone to know it’s there, with a spacious and large direc onal keypad. It also comes pre-installed with Google, Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, MySpace, PhotoBucket and Picasa. The S3100 comes with a music player as well, and while it doesn’t come with a memory card it can take a microSD card up to 8GB. Suited for the social busybody who loves music. All for £40.

This year, I wrote in a blog piece that I had seen a mobile phone in ASDA for less than £10; that’s cheaper than cake! So, my unsung phone of the year goes to those phones that are less than a tenner, but are s ll perfectly usable for the simple procedure of calling; and arguably the best of the bunch is the LG GB102 Sapphire.

“SUITED FOR THE SOCIAL BUSY BODY WHO LOVES MUSIC. ALL FOR £40.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 24 phonica

It’s not a very pre y phone, it doesn’t have a camera, it’s not of a great quality, it’s lacking in the features department and it’s likely to fall apart a er 6 months. But, if you need a phone in an emergency – say for instance yours has broken and your’re miles away from home – then a £10 phone (which usually has talk me already installed) is a god-sent lifesaver. God bless you, £10 mobile phone!

FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

SAMSUNG I7500

MOTOROLA MILESTONE

Heard of it? Thought not. Samsung’s under-hyped Android phone is probably one of the best equipped; with a 5 MP camera, dazzling OLED screen and sexy slim chassis, but that didn’t stop it from being the least celebrated phone of the year. A lack of adver sing, coupled with an overcrowded Android-based smartphone market meant this lovely piece of kit sailed undetected under the radar. It’s s ll good though, and very compe vely priced too- so grab one if you’re looking for the inconspicuous way to outdo your buddy’s over-hyped iPhone.

Upon ﬁrst impressions, it really does look like you’re lugging around a fridge in your pocket. Bulky and really not that impressive. However, once I began ﬁddling around with its features I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the phone. Mul touch input on the huge touchscreen makes for very good fun, and the general features are of good quality. The Android OS is clean and simple to use this me around, and with a fairly good compu ng speed, it makes for a surprisingly good mobile phone experience. It seems to me that the MILESTONE has slipped under the radars of bigger news outlets but it really is a pre y good piece of kit.

SAMSUNG I7500; HEARD OF IT? THOUGHT NOT. SAMSUNG’S UNDER-HYPED ANDROID PHONE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST EQUIPPED;

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE MOST ANTICIPATED PHONE OF 2010

Kevin Leonce:

Sco Tierney:

SONY ERICSSON XPERIA X10

SYNAPTICS FUSE

It’s rumoured to be the most human and intui ve user experience yet for a mobile device. The X10, an Android-powered handset with a 1GHz processor, is deﬁnitely going to have buyers clammering to get one. But it doesn’t end there. This device has a 4 inch display screen with a stated resolu on of 480 x 854 pixels, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband func onality. With social widgets pre-installed, backed by an app store this is one device we are surely looking forward to reviewing come 2010. Don’t disappoint X10.

“THE X10 IS DEFINITEY GOING TO HAVE BUYERS CLAMMERING TO GET ONE.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 26 phonica

The Synap cs Fuse could either be a massive hit, or a crushing disaster. With such a vast selec on of new features – mostly all user interface orientated - the Synap cs Fuse is going to have to really shine if it’s going to live up to the hype it has created. From what we’ve seen thus far, the Synap cs Fuse is set to feature some pre y exci ng ideas. For starters, the whole phone is going to be completely bu on-less, with all the controls being ac vated with a mix of touchscreens, mo on detec on and pressure sensi ve areas. It’s an intriguing concept, and one that’s going to be very interes ng to see in ac on. I just hope it’s not a step too far, and that all the separate sensors and screens will work as one, and not overcomplicate the simple premise of using a phone.

FEATURE

Charles Thompson:

Paul Park:

4TH GENERATION iPHONE

HTC BRAVO

OK, so the 3GS wasn’t the most exci ng update to the Jesus phone, but maybe it’s just the calm before the storm. If Apple’s history is anything to go by, the 2010 keynote is bound to have a new iPhone in store for us. The speculators this year haven’t been anything near as fervent as last year, and who can blame them- as the 3GS was basically just what we expected the iPhone would have upgraded to a few years ago... but to discount Apple from producing the most beau ful and powerful piece of technology in almost any ﬁeld is to be foolish and the grapevine’s poin ng towards something very exci ng indeed. Here’s hoping...

Looks absolutely sublime and the specs of the phone are unbelievable – a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU equals brilliant speeds. A huge 3.7” touchscreen and with the ever-reliable Android OS and a solid 256 RAM, I seriously want this piece of mobile rocket technology. I’m not a big mul media fan but the fact that the Bravo can record in HD 720p video while having DivX support – the kind of support that many other great phones could do with – makes me drool with an cipa on. All the other features you’d expect are there: 3.5mm audio jack, Wi-Fi, GPS, microUSB port & quad-band GSM for worldwide roaming. Business world, here I come!

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE THE PHONICA PHONE OF THE YEAR KEVIN LEONCE

SCOTT TIERNEY

CHARLES THOMPSON

PAUL PARK

SAMSUNG JET

HTC HERO

iPHONE 3GS

HTC HERO

SAMSUNG JET

HTC HERO

T-MOBILE G2

HTC MAGIC

iPHONE 3GS

MOTOROLA DROID

HTC HERO

AND THE WINNER IS.... 28 phonica magazine uk

FEATURE

HTC HERO Well, it was a ght race between the HTC Hero and the iPhone 3GS, but the worthy winner came through. We’ve got nothing against the iPhone 3GS, as it is one of the best mobiles on the market today. But on the other hand, we’re just a bit bored with it as a product, and an icon. Whereas the HTC Hero is funky, fruity and to a certain extent more exclusive than Apple’s pace-se er, the iPhone 3GS (or to be more speciﬁc its whole marke ng punch and charm) is just beginning to wane a li le. It’s had its me, and although it’s s ll the number one phone outright, it’s not our choice. For us, the HTC Hero is the best phone of 2009. As soon as we saw the HTC Hero, with its odd shape, humongous screen and lightning interface, we immediately fell in love with it. It was just a li le bit diﬀerent in every way, and slightly peculiar. That lip on its base for example; it should have been the Hero’s downfall, but in reality it worked perfectly. But what really stood out on the HTC Hero was the interface; it was outstanding. The screen was as precise as any we’ve come across, making scrolling and selec ng a lazy joy, and image quality-wise, it was supreme. But the way HTC made using the Hero was the key point, and arguably the main reason why it’s ge ng our award. It’s hard to explain, but using the Hero is far more pleasurable than any other touchscreen phone we’ve used this year; if ever. The iPhone is good, as is Samsung’s excellent Blade; but the Hero is just on another level of depth, quality and features-wise. So, the winner of the Phonica Mobile of the Year 2009, is the much deserving and hugely likeable HTC Hero. If HTC can build on the Hero’s success, and make next year’s Legend a worthy successor, we could see another award going HTC’s way. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

phonica magazine uk

COMPETITION

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM IN THIS ISSUE ONE LUCKY READER WOULD WIN A COPY OF BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM

THIS GAME COULD BE YOURS! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE! Compe on Rules Join our group on Facebook; search for Phonica Magazine UK. Follow Us on Twi er: @PhonicaMagUK. Email your full name, address, email and mobile contact, along with your Twi er username to phonicacompe ons@phonicamagazine.co.uk One entry per person

Terms and Condi ons (1)The prize is one Batman: Arkham Asylum game. (2) No cash or other prize alterna ves are offered. (3) All entries must be received no later than 23rd October 2009. The winner would be no fied within 7 days of this date and would 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.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARK J WHO WON A COPY OF NEW SUPER MARIO BROS WII! phonica magazine magazine uk uk 30 phonica

NEWS DEAD SPACE 2 – ONLINE MULTIPLAYER, SPRAWL SPACE STATION REVEALED EA’s Visceral Games, the developing studio behind the upcoming space horror-thriller Dead Space 2, have announced plans to involve the online mul playing community into the game, as well as spreading a li le informa on regarding the new se ng of the game. With by far the biggest change coming from the change in scenery – from the cramped corridors and passageways of the deserted mining ship Ishimura, to the spacious caverns of the Sprawl, a space sta on built around Saturn – the Dead Space series returns with a hollow groan and sounds of metallic panels thudding with an unseen threat. Mul player ac on will also feature in the sequel, with details not yet fully announced but conﬁrmed as a part of the project that has been in progress since the start of the development of Dead Space 2. “All that I can say is that it’s really fun, and you’ll get to strategically dismember your friends”, said execu ve producer Steve Papoutsis, in the latest issue of GameInformer. Along with these features, the addi on of voice ac ng for the main character that players control is a welcome bonus. No longer the strong and silent type, Isaac Clarke will now speak, narra ng through dialogue and the storyline to keep things moving along. Finally, the constant threat of poten al death lurking around the corner will be li ed at parts in the game, giving players the feeling of domina on and superiority over their enemies, par cularly at mes when they emerge out of the darkness with a new weapon to have a ﬁddle with. Dead Space 2 is set for release in 2010, on the PS3, PC and Xbox 360. Paul Park

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

HALF-LIFE REMAKE DELAYED UNTIL 2010 THE FAN-BASED FACE-LIFT WILL MISS ITS INTENDED RELEASE DATE Despite all the big, brash, unlimited-budget studio releases this year, the one tle that we were really looking forward to was Black Mesa; the rebuilt Half-Life project. The fan based project, created under the tle of Black Mesa (the name of the lab in the original game) is essen ally a Half-Life 2 mod. Using the models and structures of Half-Life 2, the guys at Black Mesa are rebuilding the ﬁrst Half-Life game with the tools from the second game.

“FROM WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWCASED SO FAR, THE BLACK MESA VERSION OF HALF-LIFE 2 LOOKS SUPERB.” “Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, Black Mesa will not make a 2009 release,” said a member of the team, in a recent interview with CGN.

“Cynics may now rejoice, bets may be collected, and I think a mod team member has to eat his shoe, but we hope our loyal fans will forgive us and realize that the delay will translate into a be er ﬁnal product that’s (hopefully) more easily available to everyone.” From what has been showcased as far (a collec on of s lls, some excellent 3D models and a compelling trailer) the Black Mesa version of Half-Life looks to be one of the ﬁnest releases of the year, if not the most an cipated. Sadly though, it looks as though Half-Life addicts (like myself) will have a li le longer to wait, as the project is not expected to be released un l 2010. “Once again we apologize for what has to be very disappoin ng news. We placed a 2009 deadline on ourselves to mo vate us and bring this 6 year project to a close. And while we didn’t quite make it, we have come very close, and you can expect a complete, polished game to hit your hard drives in the near future. We’ll be sure and update if anything changes. Un l then, hang ght, it’s coming!” I’m hanging ght, my friend, I’m hanging! Sco Tierney

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NEWS HOLD A URINATING SANTA IN YOUR HAND THIS CHRISTMAS. IF YOU REALLY WANT. THE STRANGE BODILY FUNCTION/CHRISTMAS MASHUP THAT IS THE WORLD OF MATMI 2009 might have been the year that the iPhone established itself as a serious gaming pla orm, but not all of the games for it are of a high standard. Some, you might say, are piss poor. In the case of Ho Ho Ho Yellow Snow, that deﬁnitely is the case. Originally released back in December 2007 as a Flash game, it has now been re-released for the iPhone. Players take on the role of Santa, who is desperate to relieve himself all over patches of snow. His urine turns the snow yellow and players try to draw a series of fes ve images. It also has the proper es of holy water and can defeat enemies like murderous snowmen. Ho Ho Ho Yellow Snow is produced by viral studio Matmi who claim to have an “enviable track record in fes ve fun”. Matmi specialise in combining fes ve cheer with func ons usually consigned the bathroom. Another plank in this fes ve legacy is Flash game “Santa Fartypants” in which players must use Santa’s ‘trump’ powered trousers to deliver presents. Perhaps it’s a sign of what’s to come and games about going to the toilet will be as integral a part of Christmas as mince pies. Perhaps next year they could do a game about mucking out Rudolph’s stables. Admi edly not all of Matmi’s Christmas games involve things coming out of the human body. In Elf players take on the eponymous role and have to guide the li le helper ever upwards, collec ng candy canes as he goes. They also publish a Christmas pinball game. Ian Duncan

phonica magazine uk

NEWS DS IS THE BIGGEST SELLING CONSOLE IN THE UK DS OVERTAKES PS2 WITH 10.05 MILLION SOLD There are some facts that need a second reading to be believed; and this is surely one of them! As of the 9th of December 2009, Nintendo’s humble 2 screened hand-held is the biggest selling console in the UK; ever. The previous tle holder was the PS2, with sales of 10.02 million, but the DS has now surpassed Sony’s number one console, with UK sales of 10.05 million. To put this into some form of perspec ve, consider this. The PS2 amassed its 10.02 million sales over the course of 9 years, as it has been on sale since 2000. But the DS has torn past this ﬁgure in just over 9 months.

“THE DS NOW HAS UK SALES OF WELL OVER 10.05 MILLION.” That equates to a staggering 5,700 DS units being sold in the UK every day, and means that one in every 6 people in the UK own a DS (thanks to MCV for those brain mel ng stats). Also, this is before the Christmas sales kick in, and although the Xbox 360 and Wii are expected to sell well (the PS3 is s ll struggling) it wouldn’t be a massive surprise to see the DS pop another million sales onto its already impressive tally. On the DS, the new DSi XL, featuring a 4.2 inch screen and other updates, has been selling well in Japan, and is expected to hit UK shelves in Q1 of 2010. Sco Tierney

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NEWS

BRITISH GAMES INDUSTRY LOOKING FORWARD TO 2010 HOPES THAT SALES AND INVESTMENT WILL REMAIN STRONG 2010 looks set to be a good year, according to Bri sh games retailers. A survey by games industry mag MCV reported that a resounding 91% of retailers said they were “conﬁdent” going into the new year and 48% were expec ng increased takings on last year’s Christmas period. What could otherwise have been a slow year in retail was boosted by the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which 72% of the survey respondents described as the retail highlight of the year. It’s not hard to see why: the game was es mated to have brought in £1.75 million on launch day alone. Batman: Arkham Asylum was voted by 3% as the year’s highlight as it came with very few expecta ons but performed strongly. 16% of retailers said the recession was the biggest challenge they currently faced but surprisingly 32% said their main challenge was supermarket pricing. Many supermarkets oﬀered MW2 at the knocked-down price of £26.99 on release day. Only 9% said digital distribu on systems like Steam were the main threat.

While retailers are feeling posi ve, it was announced that the government will be providing major investment in Manchester’s Salford Quays development to support the growth of the games industry there. The government’s Strategic Investment Fund will stump up £1 million and hopes are for a total pot of £3.5 million to be shared with Abertay University in Dundee. The aim is to secure the launch of 30 new companies and create up to 400 jobs in the games industry. The site will be part of MediaCity UK, a concept development that will eventually be home to over 5000 media professionals, students and residents including the strong con ngent from the games industry. The focus at the site will be on game tes ng and quality assurance in the late stages of development. Ian Duncan

phonica magazine uk

NEWS SOLID GOLD Wii GOES ON SALE FOR THE GAMER WHO HAS EVERYTHING; EXCEPT SENSE!

What’s that? You have £300,000 burning a hole in your pocket, but you don’t know what to spend it on? Well, if you’re into your games, and you want a console that truly reﬂects how substan al your bank balance is, then we may have the perfect item to soothe your cravings. For a measly £299,995 (pocket change!) you could be the proud owner of the Wii Supreme; a Wii console made en rely from gold! 2,500 grams of gold to be exact, and also an addi onal 78 0.25 carats of ﬂawless diamonds; just to give the piece a much needed touch of glamour.

“THERE’S ALSO A GOLD AND DIAMOND IPHONE FOR AROUND 1.3 MILLION.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 36 phonica

The Wii Supreme is the work of Stuart ‘Goldstriker’ Hughes, an ar st that bases his work around the concept of remaking electrical items out of gold, diamonds and pla num. Also on his CV of previous works includes a diamond studded Blackberry, a gold-encased ipod, and if you’re mentally ill, there’s a gold and diamond iphone for around 1.3 million. But if you think £299,995 sounds like a lot of money, do bear in the mind the amount of hard work and care that has gone into this piece of extravagant design. It takes Hughes approximately 6 months to complete a Wii Supreme, and that includes many an hour polishing and buﬃng the gold up to a blinding shine. Also, those diamonds aren’t going to glue themselves on. If you do want to pick-up a Wii Supreme, then get your order in ASAP, as there are only three available. Alterna vely, just get a Wii oﬀ eBay for around £70, s ck a few cough sweets on the front, and paint it with a can of gold spray paint. Then you’ll have around £299, 925 le over, which you can either give to a worthy cause, or burn. Sco Tierney

FEATURE

A LOOK AHEAD

2010 LOOKS TO BE PACKED WITH GREAT GAMES, SO LET’S TAKE A LOOK THROUGH THE MANY TITLES ON SHOW IN Q1 AND Q2 phonica magazine uk

FEATURE As John Lennon once said, “Another year over, and a new one just begun.”. He also said “Green Tangerine!” and “I am the walrus, coo coo cer choo”, but that’s beside the point. With 2009 drawing to a close, leaving us with the fond memories of Modern War 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Ballad of Gay Tony, and the nightmarish echoes of Wolfenstein, Rogue Warrior and Alganon, we look ahead to 2010. So what can we expect, and which tles should we keep an eager eye out for? 2010 looks set to start with a bang, when Mass Effect 2 bursts onto the scene in early January. Judging by the early previews we’ve seen, Mass Effect 2 looks to have taken a darker path than the first instalment, and this theme is expected to con nue into the third game. New character depths are also expected, with the differences and boundaries between good and evil more prominent and effec ng, and your character’s team mates will now ques on your orders unless they believe in your cause, instead of the blind allegiances they demonstrated in the first instalment. Also in January, the jolly Lego franchise crops up again; this me with Harry Po er as the theme. Lego Harry Po er looks to con nue the charm and silliness of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones versions, with the magic of the Harry Po er to boot. Also, Army of Two: The 40th Day, looks to have built upon the co-op themes of the original, and is sure to pack a 2 player punch when it arrives in January. But don’t blow any of your Christmas money yet, since the next two months look to be the biggest of the year. February could be a defining month for 2010, with four of the year’s biggest tles expected to strain the UK’s shop-shelves to breaking point. Firstly, we have Splinter Cell: Convic on; a master class in stealth warfare. From the early shots and videos we’ve snuck up on, Splinter Cell: Convic on looks to have quickened its usually snail like pace. Although this may sound like a bad move that could result in a once precise and compelling experience turning into a dumb blaster, this doesn’t look to be the case. Splinter Cell: Convic on s ll looks as technical as ever, with the addi onal up-beat sec on only adding to the tension.

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FEATURE

Next up, we have Just Cause 2; the sequel to the massively hit and miss 2006 tle. One of the problems with the original Just Cause (and there were many), was the total lack of realism. To a certain extent, that was the whole point of Just Cause, and it explored every aspect of this lawless setup, but problems like the sloppy controls, loose physics and comical dynamics did take the shine oﬀ an otherwise excellent tle. But these problems look to have been addressed in Just Cause 2, with the whole project looking to be more ‘grown up’. It s ll comes across as totally stupid, as you can s ll leap from helicopter to helicopter without breaking into a sweat, and the whole sandpit of a landscape the developers have created just looks begging to be blown up. But in general, this looks like a much smarter experience than the ﬁrst ou ng, and personally we can’t wait!

One tle that has grabbed the headlines over the past 12-18 months is Heavy Rain. With some of the best visuals we’re likely to see with this current genera on of consoles, Heavy Rain could be a drama c leap forward. The sec ons we’ve seen over the past year have demonstrated the graphical power the PS3 s ll has, with every rain-soaked scene looking simply divine. Also, the plot is expected to be one of the deepest, darkest and most developed ever put onto a game, with intricate characters and scenarios just wai ng to be explored. In a way, Heavy Rain reminds us of the 2005 tle, Fahrenheit, so this will be a good indicator to measure against when we come to review Heavy Rain in mid February. Dubbed as the ‘The Godfather’ of modern video games, Heavy Rain looks to have a huge amount to live up to, and whether it can or not will probably be as widely discussed as the game itself.

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE

But the standout star of February is undoubtedly going to be Bioshock 2. We recently previewed Bioshock 2 in a detailed blog piece (see our website for details), so we won’t repeat what has already been covered. But what we sill say is that Bioshock 2 looks absolutely terriﬁc, and if you can’t get even a li le bit excited about smashing your way around Rapture as a Big Daddy, then we pity you. On to March, and if February leaves you breathless (and cashless!) then hold onto your hats, as you’re in for another busy month! First on the docket, we have another Final Fantasy game (when will it actually be the ﬁnal fantasy?), when the thirteenth instalment arrives on the PS3.

“HOPEFULLY THESE GAMES WILL BE AS GOOD AS ALL THE HYPE HAS DESERVED,.”

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For anyone that enjoys the sweet smell of burnt rubber, the king of racers returns, with Gran Turismo 5. Although this fi h instalment in the massively popular franchise is unlikely to break new ground (although a vast online feature will make an appearance, as will improved damage physics), we can s ll expect some excep onal visuals, an endless garage of vehicles, and the best handling in any current game. It’ll be interes ng to see if GT5 can give the excep onal Forza 3 a run for its money, or at least compete on the same level as this year’s best racer. Regardless, PS3 owners will surely be delighted to have their figurehead racer back on track. God of War 3 is expected to be a massive hit in 2010, with early play tests and previews demonstra ng what an epic tle it could be. One par cular sec on, when your character flies down a crumbling mine, all the while dodging rocks and other baddies, stands out in our memories from a great day thrashing this mother. God of War 3 looks to be the ul mate defini on of epic, and if the rest of the game can live up to this standard, then we’re all in for a treat.

FEATURE But March looks likely to be the month where we all check our ammo, turn our heat sensors on and spray some acid-blood, as two Aliens games make a blood curdling entrance. Firstly, we have Aliens: Colonial Marines, which has been lying in wait since it was previously cancelled in 2001. This squad based shooter is set around the events of the second ﬁlm, but a er the events of Alien 3. You will have to control a group of four Marines, as you hunt down Ripley and gun down as many Aliens as possible. Early screenshots show a style that is exactly like the second ﬁlm, with dimly lit corridors, smashed laboratories and demolished buildings all looking superb. Hopefully Aliens: Colonial Marines will be pants-we ngly scary, but we are concerned that this is going to be a very formulaic, clichéd experience. Fingers crossed it’s not, though.

On the other side of the blood-spla ered cargo ship, we have Aliens Vs Predator; the big beast vs. beast punch-up. Although two previous versions of Aliens Vs Predator have been cancelled (1994, and 2004) this version is almost guaran ed to survive long enough to be released. At EuroGamer this year, Aliens Vs Predator was second only to Super Mario Bros Wii as biggest crowd puller, with hordes of fans smothered around the screens, trying to get a glimpse of the blood-soaked ac on. One thing that really got our a en on was the pace of the game; it is lightning fast. During segments when playing as an Alien, you could run up and down every aspect of the environment, and at terriﬁc speed. One of the best moments came when, running at full lt through the undergrowth of the jungle, you leapt out and pounced onto a bewildered Predator; then ripped his head oﬀ. Great fun!

Well, that just about sums up the ﬁrst two quarters of 2010. There will be a lot of other tles that are bound to make a posi ve appearance, such as the next Kane and Lynch game, Star Trek Online, Bad Company 2, StarCra 2; but there will be me in later issues to go into these more in-depth. Hopefully, the games that we have men oned so far will be as good as all the hype has deserved, although there’s bound to be a few damp squids in the mix. But hey that’s gaming! You’ve just got to queue up and hope it’s not been a wasted wait. See you in line next year! Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE

2009: A LOOK BACK –

GAMES

WE LOOK BACK AT THE YEAR JUST PASSED, AND PICK OUR BEST AND WORST TITLES OF A VERY MIXED YEAR. Well, what a year it has been. We’ve had some truly fantas c tles, some of which will undoubtedly go on to become all- me classics; and we’ve also seen some truly horrendous s nkers. Yep, 2009 was a very mixed bag, both in a good and bad way. But what have been the highlights and the lowlights? Well, we all sat down around our vast and dignified table of discussion (our local branch of Maccy D’s) and chewed through the tles that have stuck in our memories; and fries. There has been the truly sublime Batman: Arkham Asylum, that we all agree is one of the finest tles to grace the marketplace in a very long me; the surprises of Braid, Time Gentlemen, Please and New Super Mario Bros Wii; and there have been the epic disappointments, such as Borderlands and The Saboteur. But what are our final choices, and what game will win the highly converted ‘Phonica Game of the Year’? Well, I’ll give you a clue; it’s got the word ‘bat’ in the tle. I say no more…..

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phonica magazine uk

FEATURE FAVORITE GAME

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND: SPECIAL EDITION (XBLA, PC)

DEMON’S SOULS (PS3)

Boy oh boy, did I love the original Monkey Island. Hours spent on my old Amiga, trying to work out how to transport a rapidly disintegra ng mug of Grog from room to room, all the while giggling at the fran c dialogue; ah, happy days. So, when I found out that there was a new ‘reworked’ edi on, with new voice ac ng and vastly improved visuals and sound, I nearly exploded in excitement. There’s nothing new in The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edi on, it’s just the same classic game you knew and loved, but it’s been totally overhauled and brought up to date. Yes, it’s a dated game that in today’s marketplace looks completely outclassed, but that doesn’t stop it s ll being one of the best ‘revisits’ I’ve had all year.

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A simple algorithm to look at out here. What have I spent the most me playing? There’s no debate: From So ware’s savage take on the RPG, Demon’s Souls. As I men oned in my review a few months back, this is a vicious and uncompromising hack ‘em up with bugger-all in the way of save points, a twitchily engrossing combat system, no opportunity to pause, no storyline to speak of, a willfully impenetrable upgrade mechanic and some of the best and moodiest ambience I’ve ever come across. The sense of achievement when you ﬁnally bring down an end-of-level boss is unmatched on this genera on of consoles. The compulsion to get comple st on it is irresis ble. And I’m really not the comple st type. Suﬃce to say that I s ll don’t have the Pla num trophy... and I’m not giving up un l I do. It’s on US or Asian import only. Buy it, for the innova ve online component alone.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

TEKKEN 6 (XBOX 360, PS3, PSP)

CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2010 (PC)

For me the sixth – maybe that’s overkill? – incarna on in the Tekken series represented the culmina on of what a fighter should be. It’s got hordes of characters all with dis nct figh ng styles and characteris cs; beau ful anima on; and a completely nuts storyline. I was lucky enough to be able to play the game in the arcade where it really shone. There’s something about si ng down in a public place and bea ng your friend to a pulp that’s just incredibly sa sfying. The cabinets were fi ed out with big HD screens and the joys ck-4 bu on controls completed the experience. Ba ling with hardened Japanese veterans was not for the faint-hearted though. Fortunately the game is fun enough even when you’re being mercilessly pounded into the ground or, even worse, up into the air.

2009 marked the return of Eidos to the gaming market and the wait for another chapter in the Championship Manager universe was finally fulfilled. Being a pre y hardcore football fan, having all the details and technicali es at the touch of a bu on was an amazing feeling – I really did feel like a proper manager at the helm of a struggling Fulham team doing his damned best to turn things around. With the game being so deep it is incredibly easy to get lost in the football universe and CM2010 really lets you, taking your hand and leading you through all the informa on at your finger ps in order to come up with whether subs tu ng Bobby Zamora at the 80th minute for Erik Nevland was the best decision you could make (it wasn’t, he ended up missing a si er and we lost the match 2-1).

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE WORST GAME

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

READY, STEADY COOK (WII)

KILLZONE 2 (PS3)

My word, what a ro en, s nky, maggot invested piece of gaming this was. If Gordon Ramsey had to describe this game, he’d have suﬀered a fatal brain hemorrhage, due to the emphasis he’d put into his favourite ‘F’ word. Ready, Steady Cook was awful: the controls barely worked, it was poorly designed, it looked terrible, the gameplay was appalling and the whole package stank of ‘cash-in’. The whole idea of the game, based roughly around the format of the excellent TV show, just didn’t work, and nor did it tutor or teach. There was nothing that made you want to cook an omele e, or fry a steak, and even the most basic of tasks such as chopping a carrot were insanely ﬁddly and at mes, impossible. By a country mile, this was the worst gaming experience I’ve had this year, if not in my en re life. Avoid it at all costs!

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I don’t know many Colonial Marines. I’ve watched Aliens a dozen mes and I’m convinced that I’d struggle to get on with any of them, even Hicks, who’s about as inoﬀensive as a heavily-armed American killing machine can be. So I was always going to be irritated by Killzone 2. It’s full of ﬁst-pumping, jockstrap-scratching, hoo-aah posturing, and that alone annoys the hell out of me. One day they’ll write an FPS with an urbane, self-depreca ng English protagonist who goes through the game worrying about whether he’s doing the right thing as he pops hundreds of hydroshocks into alien melons. Melons being heads, not breasts. I’m quo ng Dr Dre. Oh, stop sniggering. Anyway, one day they’ll do that, and on that day I’ll stop playing electronic-type games and take up cribbage and bridge because then, my friends, the gaming universe will have imploded under the weight of self-referen al irony.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

THE SABOTEUR (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

ALGANON (PC)

Pandemic wants you to think that The Saboteur is a sublime cross between Commandos and GTA. Hard to argue with that. But what they really give you is a bizarre mix of Mario Paint and Wolfenstein 3D. The Irish hero, Sean Devlin, is about as nimble as a tranquillised horse and as stealthy as a drunken Labrador puppy. In a game that’s all about pla orming and stealth, those are not exactly great a ributes. That’s what really lets The Saboteur down, it’s impossibly frustra ng to play. The concept of the game is a great one but audiences are no longer impressed by mere open-endedness. Undoubtedly one of the big steps forward in game design in recent years has been le ng players choose their own paths. With so many games making that promise, one where your character is physically unable to make the most of the environment is almost unforgivable.

What a pointless rip-oﬀ from the most successful MMO of all me, World of Warcra . Prac cally the en re user interface is a straight copy from WoW, not to men on things like haircuts, the Auc on House system (though it is prevalent across the market), the Asharr vs Kujix racial war (Horde vs Alliance anyone?) and the spli ng of the world into two dis nct con nents. Incredibly predictable RPG choices in the game with the generic tank, healer and DPS classes. A li le innova on via the Deity and Family systems, while the Consignment method of acquiring wanted raw materials for produc on is a breath of fresh air. However, on the whole, the game is pre y much a downranked World of Warcra with papering over the most obvious imita ons.

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE SURPRISE OF THE YEAR

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

TIME GENTLEMEN, PLEASE (PC)

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

You either know about this li le gem, and love it more than life itself, or you’ve never heard of it. Time Gentlemen, Please was one of the cheapest, most unadvanced and dated games of 2009; but it was also one of the best. A hark back to the classic days of the humble point and click, Time Gentlemen, Please came out of nowhere, and announced itself on the scene with a promise of fart gags galore and a flying Hitler (who could shoot lasers from his eyes!). It was extremely funny, fiendishly clever and also filthy; with some of the most disgus ng humour you’ll ever find in a game. If you’ve ever wanted to see a robot Nazi dinosaur shoo ng a semi naked man in the genitals, this is by far the best chance of doing so. For a game to be produced on such a low budge (10p and a packet of Spicy Toms), but s ll showcase some of the finest examples of gaming this year, is truly staggering, and a testament to the excellent work the guys at Zombie Cow studios have done.

phonica magazine magazine uk uk 48 phonica

Rocksteady aren’t a mega-studio, so despite the decent budget this game clearly got, I’m full of admira on for the job they’ve done in bringing Batman to life in Arkham Asylum. I love the Bat, so the very fact that they’ve married Mr Wayne’s hulking physique, animal grace and hi-tech stealth with a sma ering of actual detec ng makes this eﬀort sing like a Mob henchman trying to cut a plea-bargain. Batman doesn’t do THAT much, and he does it in a reasonably linear se ng. But everything he does, he does brilliantly. The combat is beau fully reﬁned, the connec on visceral and chunky, the visuals lush and the voice ac ng stellar. Plus you get Killer Croc, Ivy, Riddler, Joker, Bane, Zsasz and Scarecrow, endless goons to marmalise, and an overall aesthe c that doesn’t put a foot wrong. A very close contender for my game of the year.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

NEW SUPER MARIO BROTHERS WII (WII, DS)

TORCHLIGHT (PC)

No not a li le release at all but it came as a surprise to me because I thought the golden age of pla ormers was long dead. Let’s face it, who wants to waste me jumping around like a luna c when you can shoot terrorists or nazis or zombies in the face with ever more realis c weapons. Well me actually, that’s who. And New Super Mario Brothers perfectly captured the spirit of the original, classic Super Mario Brothers games. The decision to go back to 2D was a bold one, especially considering the younger audience of the Wii, but in many ways it works well. It would have been great if they’d dropped even the 3D anima ons for full on 2D but that’s probably expec ng too much. Adding in mul player and a few mo on control elements rounded a great package.

Completely took me by surprise. A simple but elegantly complex single-player RPG with the best blend of items, quests and gameplay on this side of Diablo II. It took me about 6 hours before I ﬁnally realised I was too hungry too carry on once I started for the ﬁrst me, killing away through the swarms of enemies that pop up on the screen and collec ng loot like a hamster with its cheeks bulging. There’s nothing really more that I can say about it – it’s an incredible game with such simplicity that hardcore gamers that have become disillusioned by recent RPGs trying to carry on the theme that Diablo II started will rejoice (like I did).

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE DISAPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

HALO 3: ODST (XBOX 360)

DRAGON AGE (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

I could have listed a proverbial coffin-full of disappoin ng games here. The Saboteur was a huge letdown, and nothing like the epic and deep excursion onto war-torn Paris we were expec ng; Assassins Creed 2 (although it may not be as bad as I originally stated) was, for me anyway, s ll as dour and flat as the first; and every new Guitar Hero/Rock Band game that landed on my desk throughout 2009 was worse than the one before. But, and this may be controversial, my biggest disappointment of 2009 was Halo 3: ODST. Not that it was a massively poor game; in all honesty it was very good in places, and some of the set pieces were up to the peerless standard of the original Halo games. But overall, Halo 3: ODST was excrucia ngly mundane, and at mes (mainly during the dull Rookie sec ons) the pace seemed to screech to a halt altogether. What was expected to be another glorious and epic adventure in the unrivalled world of Halo, was essen ally nothing more than a patchy, mismatched splu er.

50 phonica magazine uk

Oh, Bioware. How once I loved thee. In fact, that doesn’t go far enough. As someone u erly convinced of their own awesomeness, I was in awe of the Montreal studio’s intelligence... their ability to tell a complex story well, to be brave enough to give us supremely irrita ng characters that served a speciﬁc purpose. To really, really get why we RPG geeks love RPGs. Dragon Age’s launch had me near we ng my pants in an cipa on, so when I unlocked the big chunky package and found myself knee-deep in s lted dialogue, fantasy cliche, ﬁddly combat and teeth-grindingly bad sex, it felt like the world had moved on and no one had told Bioware. Dragon Age is not a bad game. In fact, aspects of Dragon Age are excellent, console limita ons notwithstanding. But I can’t shake the disappointment... the feeling that tricks are being missed le , right and centre. Perhaps I’ve moved on. Perhaps it’s me. Perhaps it’s not.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

BORDERLANDS (PC, XBOX 360, PS3)

AION: TOWER OF ETERNITY (PC)

Back when I previewed Borderlands it seemed to have so much to offer. I was hoping it would be a fun, arcadey shooter but with extra interest and longevity supplied by the RPG elements. In the end the game felt a bit flat. The combat was really easy and very samey – there were only about five kinds of opponents in the game. The storyline seemed promising but the final boss ba le was probably the biggest disappointment of all and the storyline was killed stone dead without any real explana on or resolu on. Instead you’re dumped back at the start of the game to play through again but at a higher level. There was nothing to lure me back for that experience, the promise of doing the same quests but ge ng be er loot just lacked any appeal. I haven’t even covered online. Let’s just say this: ge ng into a game was way too hard.

Billed as the final nail in the coffin for the slowly falling popularity of World of Warcra amongst veteran players, Aion had a great release that tailed off towards the end, much like the disappointments that were Age of Conan and Warhammer Online. The superb graphics failed to make up for the horrific lack of content and the flight system, while great in theory, meant that PvP (which the game was based around) was unfairly skewed to the ranged classes. Lack of content meant that people (i.e. me!) had to resort to up to 16 hours of grinding monsters in order to gain one level, and the stupid scaling of produc on skills meant that prices fluctuated more than the Dubai stock exchange the day before and a er their debt problems was announced.

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE UNSUNG GAME OF THE YEAR

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

BOOM BLOX: BASH PARTY (WII)

BORDERLANDS (PC, XBOX 360, PS3)

This wasn’t the best looking game of the year, the best cra ed, the best designed or even the cleverest. It wasn’t even the best puzzle game of 2009; but it was fantas c fun! Boom Blox: Bash Party was just a good old fashioned bucket of fun, which was perfect for every age and every genera on. The simple games that simply consisted of throwing balls at blocks and knocking them down, had me hooked for hours on end. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that although I loved Batman: Arkham Asylum, Modern Warfare 2 and various others, Boom Blox: Bash Party has been the most fun I’ve had all year. It may have ruined my shoulder from the millions of balls I’ve thrown at dancing monkeys, but I don’t care. Boom Blox: Bash Party is simply charming, and one of the few games released this year that I’ll keep going back to, just for the simple pleasure it provides.

If games were food, Borderlands would be popcorn. U erly disposable, perfect for dipping in and out of, lightweight and, er.... alternately sugary and salty. Alright, so the analogy isn’t perfect. And yet Borderlands, in its own way, is.

52 phonica magazine uk

It’s not an RPG, of course... it’s a shooter with rela vely basic levelling up. The graphics are pre y and interes ng without being brilliant. The story is laughably simple and the less said about the final boss, the be er. And yet I found the experience u erly compelling. Because the levelling isn’t really delivered in stats, it’s delivered in loot. And you want to carry on, you want to progress, because just around the corner there’s a sniper rifle that fires grenades, or a shotgun that covers enemies in acid and that, frankly, is way cool. 4-person online has its lag issues, but playing as a 4 really lends another dimension. Love it.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

MACHINARIUM (PC)

FALLEN EARTH (PC)

What a beau ful li le game Machinarium is. A real labour of love, the game shows what indy developers are capable of at the moment. There’s nothing not to like about Machinarium. The visuals are classic; the se ng is fun; the characters are cute; the puzzles are entertaining. In short it’s got everything a point and click adventure should have. What’s more the game has zero dialogue. The story is moved forward by animated speech bubbles which never leave you in doubt about which way to go or what the characters are feeling. Machinarium is unsung because it’s the kind of game so-called hardcore gamers might overlook as being too cute, too basic; newer gamers, who I think would get a lot out of playing it, might never ﬁnd it. All of which is a great shame and hopefully Machinarium’s sales will con nue to rumble along in 2010.

I was a big fan of Neocron back when it was first released and I had the chance to play the offline demo, so when a fairly similar game came out I was incredibly excited. A very in-depth game with awesome customiza on features to the extent that I was actually stuck for choice – rifles or pistols; hacking or psionic abili es... the list is endless. A er all the fantasy sword and spell MMOs, a futuris c, post-apocalyp c survival of the fi est game was like a slap in the face to wake us up from our starry eyed dreams of magic and dragons.

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE MOST ANTICIPATED GAME OF 2010

Sco Tierney:

Rob Hobson:

JUST CAUSE 2 (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

GOD OF WAR 3 (PS3)

I loved the original Just Cause. Yes, it was average to look at, the controls were clunky, the vehicles handled like they were on rails of mel ng marmalade, and the missions were hit and miss. But despite all these flaws, Just Cause was a riot to play, and a joy to explore. Any game that allows you to leap from a car to a helicopter, and then back to a car again, is in my opinion, worth its weight in gold. Hopefully the sequel, Just Cause 2, from early previews looks to have grown up and matured greatly, will s ll be as stupid as the original, but will have ironed out any flaws and improved upon the weaker aspects. If the developers can get this mix just right, then Just Cause 2 could be a surprise hit of 2010. Fingers crossed it doesn’t flop though, like this year’s disappoin ng and defla ng, The Saboteur.

54 phonica magazine uk

Because I’m red of shoo ng things in the philtrum, and because Bioshock 2, despite all its quasi-philosophical rumblings, is about shoo ng things in the philtrum. It just has to be God of War 3. Because even when you take Kratos out now and dust him oﬀ, in either of his previous two incarna ons, he s ll looks and plays pre y darn well. Because I’m exhausted from actual, real-life, Modern Warfare 2 gore, and want to see some ludicrous, over the top, over the wall, out of the garden and down the Seven Sisters Road with your stereo under its arm gore. Because I got grumpy with Devil May Cry 4 very quickly indeed, and as such haven’t had a decent hack n slash through a game since... well, since God of War 2. And because big metal blades on elas c chains are an inﬁnite number of kinds of groovy.

FEATURE

Ian Duncan:

Paul Park:

MASS EFFECT 2 (PC, XBOX 360)

FINAL FANTASY XIII (PS3)

I came late to the Mass Effect party, I’m ashamed to admit, but I’m completely hooked on the series. As anyone with even a passing interest in RPGs knows, Bioware are masters of the genre and Mass Effect shows their con nued ability to push new ground. Even without the crutch of an exis ng IP like AD&D or Star Wars, Bioware have succeeded in crea ng a staggeringly rich universe. Mass Effect 2 promises more of the same but with a few of the gameplay crinkles ironed out and a richer side-quest experience. If everything goes to plan, Mass Effect 2 could be a real classic of the genre. Even if the high expecta ons of fans are not met, the game should be a very polished RPG and coming in January will keep players ded over un l the year’s other big releases.

Among the biggest and most popular series of games ever, Final Fantasy XIII looks to be yet another planetbuster of a game that threatens to be the biggest game of the year. Graphics make full use of the Xbox 360’s and PS3’s immense compu ng power and the gameplay looks as sleek as any game could ever wish for. The revamped Ac ve Time Ba le system that allows for players to queue up a acks just increases the depth of combat while keeping it simple for those who wish to simply enjoy the game. I cannot wait for this; I was probably the loudest person on the block when it was released and I’ll be the ﬁrst in line (and I’ll bring a weapon to make sure I’m at the front!).

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE THE PHONICA GAME OF THE YEAR SCOTT TIERNEY

ROB HOBSON

IAN DUNCAN

PAUL PARK

BATMAN: AA

M WARFARE 2

BRAID

DEMON’S SOULS

TEKKEN 6

DRAGON AGE

M WARFARE 2

BORDERLANDS

MACHINARIUM

TORCHLIGHT

AND THE WINNER IS.... 56 phonica magazine uk

FEATURE BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PUBLISHER: EIDOS INTERACTIVE, WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, DC ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPER: ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PS3, PC) Although there have been literally shoe-boxes full of terrific tles this year, none of them came close to Batman: Arkham Asylum. It is a beau ful piece of video-gaming, that captured everything that was so great about the pitch-perfect comic of Moore, Bolland and Higgins. It was tough, gri y, pacey, dark, nasty, deep, ferocious, intense and most of all, it was a riot to play. If ever there was a tle that was fit to clean Batman’s ghts, this is it! But if we’re going to award Batman: Arkham Asylum with the Phonica Game of the Year, we will because it did everything right. A lot of games this year have performed admirably in certain departments, such as gameplay, story, graphics, etc. For instance, this years Ghostbusters looked superb, and the voice ac ng and story were carefully cra ed. But, it was let down by lazy controls, massive bugging and repe ve gameplay. This is also the case for nearly every tle this year, whether it be Modern Warfare 2 (excellent set pieces and audio/visuals, but at mes it was too fran c) Assasins Creed 2 (vastly be er than the first, but s ll lacked a certain theatrical punch) or even Le 4 Dead 2 (excellent co-op gameplay, but lacked depth). But Batman: Arkham Asylum totally outclassed the compe ng tles, as it didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the en rety of the game. The visuals were outstanding, the controls were perfect (as they were easy to pick up but hard to master) the plot pacing and story was superb, the gameplay was well directed and varied; overall Batman: Arkham Asylum did exactly what it said on the n, and more. It was – and this is something we rarely, if ever, say - gaming perfec on.Batman: Arkham Asylum is a more than the deserving winner of the Phonica Game of the Year, and hopefully the sequel (may be seen near the end of next year, but expected 2011) will be just as good, if not be er. Gentlemen of Rocksteady; we salute you!

phonica magazine uk

FEATURE FORGOTTEN GEMS:

HALO 2 PUBLISHER: MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS DEVELOPER: BUNGIE STUDIOS FORMAT: XBOX, PC RELEASED: 2004

58 phonica magazine uk

FEATURE IT IS ARGUABLY THE BEST GAME TO GRACE THE XBOX, BUT IS HALO 2 THE TITLE EVERYONE FORGETS? Undoubtedly, you’ve looked at the heading to this feature, seen the Xbox’s most successful tle as the focus of the piece, and screamed “What?!”. Well, hold onto your hats for just a moment, as this is going to take some explaining; why have I put what is considered the Xbox’s and the Halo series’ ﬁnest hour, in a feature about forgo en tles? Well, the story starts with Halo 3: ODST. When Halo 3:ODST was released this year, it was steeped in praise, with cri cs praising its darker themes and compelling gameplay. When we came to review it, though, we weren’t so sure. To see how it compared to the original Halo’s, I dug out my old copy of Halo 2, and played it through for the ﬁrst me since originally buying it in 2004.

“WHEN THE HALO SERIES IS RECOUNTED IN A DECADE’S TIME, IT’S UNLIKELY THAT HALO 2 WILL FIGURE.” Straight away, I was amazed at what a spellbinding piece of work Halo 2 s ll is, and how much be er it was to the vastly inferior Halo 3: ODST. The whole depth of the explosive experience is superb, as you ba le the Covenant across a series of beau fully rendered environments; from the furthest depths of space, to the crumbling war zones of earth. Other excellent features such as the ability to duel-wield weapons, an advanced range of vehicles and the vastly improved audio and visual op ons made Halo 2 every bit as good, if not be er, than the original Halo. And although the overlapping storylines (you got to play as a member of the Covenant, as well as the Master Chief) were a cri cal talking point, with opinions divided on their merits and nega ves, Halo 2 was a huge cri cal and commercial success; and is supremely playable today.

So, what in the name of duel-laser blas ng is Halo 2 doing in the Forgo en Gems sec on? Well, it’s all to do with how Halo 2 is viewed, in rela on to the Halo series, and as a single tle. As a single tle, Halo 2 is superb, and the sales and scores it received demonstrates this. It has an average ra ng score of 95%, it has sold over 8 million copies worldwide - making it the most successful Xbox game of all me - and for a period of over two years it was the most successful game on Xbox live, with over 500 million games being played. Also, it was ranked as the second best Xbox game of all me by IGN, coming second only to its predecessor, Halo: Combat Evolved. And that signifies the problem; no ma er how good Halo 2 was, it will always be in the original’s shadow. As I’ve said, there’s a very strong case to be made that Halo 2 is be er than the first game, and arguably it is the best of the series. It’s undoubtedly be er than the most recent ou ng, Halo 3:ODST, and it’s probably, pound for pound, be er than Halo 3. But, when the Halo series is recounted and discussed in a decade’s me, or when a list of the best games of the 00s is debated, it’s unlikely that Halo 2 will figure. The first Halo will undoubtedly be involved, as would the third game, as they were both influen al in making both the Xbox and the Xbox 360 successful. But Halo 2 is, to a certain extent, twixed in-between, and will probably only be viewed as just ‘Halo’s sequel’. When Halo’s entry is being described in the all me greats list, Halo 2 will only be briefly men oned in a small line below Halo 1, and Halo 2 is a far be er game than that. So, there we are; I hope you understand my views as to why Halo 2 will become (and maybe is) a forgo en classic. Hopefully Halo 2 will receive enough recogni on for it not to be forgo en, and when Halo Reach is released next year, maybe Halo 2 will get a second wind of praise. But as I say, chances are it will become the forgo en game of the series, and if it does, that’s a real shame, as it is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

PHONICA’S 20 UNSUNG GAMES OF 2009 TIME GENTLEMEN PLEASE

THE VOID

DEMON’S SOULS

SHATTER

NOBY NOBY BOY

(PC)

(PS3)

(PSN)

(PS3)

“Ben and Dan certainly have a touch of the Schafers about them. Brilliant and a bargain.”

“Beau ful, scary, haun ng, and a bloody liar. My ideal woman, actually, going on past form.”

“We’ll stop plugging it when you buy it. RPGs like this don’t come along very o en.”

“It’s Breakout evolved, it sounds brilliant, and it’s a ﬁver on PSN. Nuﬀ said.”

“From Takahashi-san of Katamari fame, this is - if anything - odder. And snakier. ”

inFAMOUS

TORCHLIGHT

MACHINARIUM

BRAID

SKATE 2

(PS3)

(PC)

(Wii)

(PC, XBLA)

(Xbox 360, PS3)

“Hidden in Prototype’s shadow, and missed out on a lot of a en on. Snap it up, ASAP.”

“Not mould-breaking or advanced, but s ll immensely enjoyable.”

“One of the best looking games of the year, but you’ll have to dig deep to ﬁnd it.”

“Wonderfully touching and memorable with some clever spins on the pla orming genre.”

“The classic ska ng games may have fallen out of fashion recently, but this was superb.”

60 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

ORBITAL

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

BOOM BLOX: BASH PARTY

SPYBORGS

THE BEATLES ROCK BAND

(iPhone)

(PC)

(Wii)

(Xbox 360, Wii, PS3)

“Nothing to do with the band, but an elegantly simple puzzle clicker that’s as compelling as good quality crack.”

“Nothing new about this one, but when Steam put it up it inspired me to rediscover a genuine classic.”

“A fantas c li le tle, though you will need a shoulder opera on a er a few playthroughs!”

“Arguably the best looking Wii tle to date, and some excellent spells of gameplay”

“To a certain extent this masterpiece got lost under all the other Rock Band/Guitar Hero cash-ins this year; deﬁnitely not to be missed.”

PUNCH OUT

TRASH PANIC

SHATTERED COLIN MCRAE DIRT 2 HORIZON

(Wii)

(PSN)

(All formats)

(PC)

(Wii, PC)

“Looked horrid, but it was actually extremely well thought out; a cracking li le game.”

“All about rubbish, but it certainly wasn’t! A hundred and one pounds of fun.”

“Coated in a sickening layer of fake ‘cool’ but it was actually an excep onal racer.”

“A fantas c concept, and some brilliant moments of zero-G gameplay.”

“Captured the charm of the originals perfectly; sublime adventuring.”

TALES OF MONKEY ISLAND

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 6730

Nokia 5530

Nokia E75

Nokia 6210

Nokia E63

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

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

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

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

Yes Poly/MP3 600 500 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 222 244 Yes

Yes Polyphonic & MP3 660 432 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 294 351 Yes

Yes MP3 340 264 Yes

Sony Ericsson Naite

Sony Ericsson C901

Sony Ericsson C510

HTC Magic

HTC Hero

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

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

100 MB/microSD

120 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™

100 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™

288 MB/microSD

288 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/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/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAC/MP4

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA 9

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 564 380 Yes

Yes Poly & MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 420 400 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 450 420 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 420 750 Yes

62 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Nokia N97

Nokia 3720 classic

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Sony Ericsson Aino

Sony Ericsson Yari

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

100 x 48 x 15.7 mm 115 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP 60 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

104 x 50 x 15.5 mm 134 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 420 8.1 MP 60 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAc/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAC

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

Yes MP3 570 430 Yes

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

Yes Polyphonic & MP3 528 406 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 270 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 600 450 Yes

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

11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2 MP

114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm 93 g Tri-band/3G 176 x 220 3.2 MP

109 x 60 x 13.9 mm 106 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2 MP

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

16/32 GB (internal)

8/16 GB (internal)

120 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™

256 MB/MicroSD

1GB/microSD

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

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Yes HTML (Safari) No SMS/Email No

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes Yes Net Front Yes SMS/MMS/Email No

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

Yes/A2DP/USB 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 720 300 Yes

Yes Poly & MP3 600 300 Yes

Yes Poly/MIDI/MP3 270 408 Yes

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

480 170 Yes

Yes Poly & MP3 300 310 Yes

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

BlackBerry 8300 Curve Samsung S5600V Blade Samsung Genio Touch

Samsung B3310

Samsung Jet

107 x 60 x 15.5 mm 111 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2MP 64MB/microSD Yes/USB Yes/EDGE No HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

102.8 x 54.8 x 12.9 mm 92 g 240 x 320 pixels 240 x 320 3.15 MP 50 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

103 x 56.5 x 12 mm 90 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 40 MB/microSD Yes/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

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 SMS/MMS/Email/Vidoe/MS Exchange Yes

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/WMA/AAC

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMV/WMA

MP3/MP4

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

Yes Poly & MP3 240 408 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 120 250 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 480 730 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 300 380 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 492 422 Yes

Samsung U900

LG GM750

LG BL40 New Chocolate

103.2 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm 81.5 g Quad-band 240 x 320 3.2 MP 80MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/EMS/Email Yes

109.8 x 53.5 x 12.9 mm 120 g Quad-band 240 x 400 5 MP

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

128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM/microSD

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

MP3/MPEG4/AAC/eAAC/WMA

MP3/MPEG4/WAV/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/WAV/DivX/eAAC

Yes Poly & MP3 210 220 Yes

Yes Poly & MP3 380 450 Yes

Yes Poly & MP3 240 400 Yes