the mobile phone and gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk
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COMPETITIONS
WIN A COPY OF
SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 IN THIS ISSUE ONE LUCKY READER COULD WIN A COPY OF SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2
THIS GAME COULD BE YOURS! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
COMPETITION RULES JOIN OUR GROUP ON FACEBOOK; SEARCH FOR PHONICA MAGAZINE UK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @PHONICAMAGUK. EMAIL YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL AND MOBILE CONTACT, ALONG WITH YOUR TWITTER USERNAME TO PHONICACOMPETITIONS@PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Terms and Condi ons (1)The prize is one copy of Super Mario Galaxy (2) No cash or other prize alterna ves are offered. (3) All entries must be received no later than 20th August, 2010. The winner would be no fied within 7 days of this date and will be published in the following issue. (4) The Editor’s decision is final. (5) Compe on open to UK residents only, except employees of Phonica Magazine UK.
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EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce
GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney
CONTRIBUTORS Rob Hobson Ian Duncan Paul Park
CREATIVE SERVICES & DESIGN Sco Tierney www.sco - erney.com
EDITORIAL editorial@phonicamagazine.co.uk
ENQUIRIES info@phonicamagazine.co.uk
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WWW.PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK Become a Fan of Phonica Magazine UK on Facebook & Twi er Phonica Magazine Š 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 THE FLAMBOYANT CIRCUS OF E3 ROLLS BACK INTO TOWN. We both love and hate E3. On the one hand, we get all giddy and excited at the sight of all those brand new games, being shown off and paraded by proud developers, eager for you to cast a glance in their direc on and show some wild-eyed interest. But on the other hand, we hate the hype, the senseless repe on of old ideas, the OTT launches and presenta ons, and the never ending stream of rumours that’ll keep on flowing un l Christmas. That said, this years E3 was packed to the very seams with gaming goodness, all ready to burst onto our eager faces. There was the news of Sonic’s 2D return, a reworked co-op theme for Assassins Creed, the charm of Fable 3, the nerve sha ering terror of Dead Space 2…I could con nues, but it’s best if I leave it there and let you read our extensive round-up. One thing is for sure though; Portal 2 will crumple our sorry minds! Also in this issue, we take a peak at the plots (or absences thereof) in today’s RPG tles, we’ve got some lovely reviews of the most recent games, including the excep onally diverse Super Mario Galaxy 2, and a trip into the deep and dark world of gaming obsession. Block 130 is a tle that should only be played in short bursts… I can stop playing any me I want…honestly. So read on, enjoy the issue, and most importantly thanks for all your support!
Sco Tierney Gaming Editor & Senior Designer
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REVIEWS HTC WILDFIRE A BUDGET MOBILE FROM THE KINGS OF LUXURY HTC mobiles have one thing in abundance: class. They look great, they are superbly well cra ed, they are luxurious, they are reasonably rare when compared to the over-satura on of the iPhone, and they are remarkably pleasurable to use. They just have class wri en all over them, and although they are o en highly priced, you do get every single penny’s worth. But now we have a budget HTC mobile, the Wildfire, which seems to go against everything HTC stand for. At first glance, you’d be hard pressed to tell that the Wildfire was from HTC’s bargain range, as it has the demeanor of a top-bracket handset. It’s arguably not the best looking HTC we’ve ever come across, as it features the kind of dull browns last seen on the inside of a Aus n 1800, but the screen is nice and big, the build quality is sturdy, and overall it just has that impressive presence. But, move in a li le closer, and you’ll start to see the trimmed corners and budget shortcomings.
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Firstly, that screen is big, bright, colourful and touch-perfect, but it is a wee bit fuzzy. On videos and large pictures it’s bearable, but it does struggle with small text, especially when it comes to that found on a web page. It just can’t quite get produce that sharpness, that delicate crispness, which the rest of the HTC range, can. It’s also not the most responsive screen we’ve ever used. It’s not bad, but it can occasional ignore your efforts for a response, especially when trying to process mul ple ac ons. There is a touch-sensi ve swatch just below the screen though, so you can revert back to that when needed. Sta cally, you’d be hard pushed to tell the HTC Wildfire had been constrained by a budget. The standby me of 690 hours is massive for a phone of this type, as is the 440mins of talk me. The answer of GRPS, 3G, HDSPA, Wi-Fi, FM radio, mul ple music playback formats and 3.5mm jack is a resounding ‘yes’, and the classic Android 2.1 is s ll the interface HTC have opted for. The 5MP camera is also very impressive, with both photos and videos looking crisp and clean despite the screens resolu on-based failings.
“IF YOU’RE ON A BUDGET, BUT STILL WANT TO PURCHASE A TOPSPEC SMARTPHONE, THE HTC WILDFIRE IS ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS.” A feature that did impress us was the way in which the Wildfire allows you to merge your contact list with your Facebook and Twi er buddies. It’s a brilliant way of saving me, and if you do have a busy social life, and haven’t got the me to keep con nuously bouncing between several apps, it’s ideal.
A HTC Phone is like an Aston Mar n; cool, elegant, sophis cated and loved by everyone from grannies to hoodies. They have that untouchable yet definite ambiance, that aurora, that special something that makes them so compelling and undoubtedly classy. In a way, the HTC Wildfire is like the Aston Mar n Vantage; the baby Aston. It’s s ll a migh ly fast car, that has every bit of the charm that encapsulates the Aston Mar n range, but it’s a cheap (ish) Aston, built on a budget and sold to those that can’t afford the top-spec DB9. It’s the same with the Wildfire. It’s a fantas c phone, with supreme features, smart ac ons, startling build quality and streamlined looks, but it’s not quite up there with the Hero or the Desire. If you’re on a budget, but s ll want to purchase a top-spec smartphone, the HTC Wildfire is about as good as it gets. It’s the baby of the HTC range, so expect a few drawbacks, but for around £200, it’s a hard mobile to reject Sco Tierney
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REVIEWS SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 PUBLISHERS: NINTENDO DEVELOPERS: NINTENDO FORMAT: WII AVAILABLE: NOW
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REVIEWS MORE OF THE SAME…BUT IN A GOOD WAY! A er spending the past few weeks exploring the grim, aggressive and threatening landscape of Red Dead: Redemp on, we needed a pick-up, something to put the smile back on our sun burnt, world-weary portraits. Don’t get us wrong, we adored Red Dead, and shoo ng bandits repe vely in the face (in slomo on no less) made us grin from ear to sun-crisped ear. But at the end of the day, the heat of the desert can do strange things to a man, and we needed to just chill-out and have some cool, comfor ng, brow-soothing fun. And what be er way to do so than to fire up the always friendly Wii and pop-in the hugely an cipated pla ormer, Super Mario Galaxy 2. Ah, we feel be er already. Super Mario Galaxy was one of the finest pla ormers for a good while, and a shot in the arm not only for the genre, but also the Wii. With its mix of ac on, puzzling, charm and innova on, Super Mario Galaxy was everything you could ever want from a game, and it s ll remains arguably the best tle on the Wii today. But it’s fair to say that this new sequel takes it to another level, and excels in the areas that the original may have been lacking. As usual with almost every Mario tle, Princess Peach has gone and go en herself kidnapped, and yep, you guessed it, Bowser is to blame. But Bowser is not his usual self, and thanks to the magical powers of the strange Star creatures which have just fallen from the sky, he’s grown to gigan c propor ons, and has whisked the Princess off into outer space. So Mario does what he does best, and with the help of the Stars, he takes chase into the galaxy, in search of Peach and adventure. A simple plot, but it works superbly well, and es together the gameplay without ever interfering with the ac on.
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, diversity is king. Every single level takes a new spin on the simple aspect of pla orming, and demonstrates how much life there s ll is in this old agile dog. There are too many excellent moments to men on, as when you think the game has peaked and the innova on has reached its limits, another level will be served up, offering more variety and extraordinary thrills than the last. One level for instance, is based around differing sec ons of gravity, with parts of the level being upside-down and others working sideways (it’s easier to play than explain!). As you work towards your target of the illustrious golden star, you’ll have to use your wits and experience, making full use of the excep onal controls to conquer the inverted landscapes and mirrored pla orms. Tricky, hugely enjoyable and rewarding.
“EVERY LEVEL IS A PRIVILEGE TO PLAY, AND ALTHOUGH SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 IS A SIZABLE GAME YOU NEVER FEEL AS IF YOU’RE DOING THE SAME THING TWICE. “ Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply divine, largely thanks to its charm, imagina on and diversity. Every level is a privilege to play, and although Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a sizable game with an almost unlimited replay factor thanks to the hidden items challenge modes, you never feel as if you’re doing the same thing twice. Each separate level has its own challenges and tricks, and when you mix all these excep onal mini levels together, along with some wonderful visuals and revisited retro tunes, you get an overall game that is prac cally perfect, and defiantly essen al. Thank you Mario, our brows have never been so soothed. Sco Tierney
PRESENTATION: 19/20 STORY: 19/20 CONTROLS: 19/20 GAMEPLAY: 20/20 DURABILITY: 19/20
OVERALL
96/100 phonica magazine uk
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