Tech Beever: Bitesize Issue 1

2012

BUMPER EDITOR EDITION

THE

OF TECH AND GAMES (WELL, OURS ANYWAY)

Issue #1

Welcome | Techbeever.co.cc | @Tech_Beever | Of all the gadgets and games we

Follow!

have at our fingertips today, it’s a

@Callum_Povey

pretty surreal thought of where it all started. Can you remember your first phone? The first game

#TBBitesize

you played? The first game you brought? Heck, remember laughing off the DVD as a novelty that wouldn’t catch on?

Well, I’ve sat down and took a trip down memory lane, so this issue is all about me and my history of tech and games.

So, let’s begin the journey!

Join me, won’t you?

Contents History Of: Pg.3 – Phones Pg.10 - Consoles Pg.28 – Gaming Highlights

Callum Povey Editor-In-Chief

By Callum Povey

NOT FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME A phone without a touchscreen? No Apps? What’s that you say; no SMS function!? That there is witchcraft! What evil do you speak of?!

Yep, it’s all here, in the History of Phones – well, my phones.

History of

Phones When: 1997

Nokia Ringo My very first phone, a hand-me-down from my dad, was...well, not good. The Ringo couldn't send SMS, was pretty ginormous and extremely expensive on Vodafone, requiring me to have credit on the thing to even receive calls. Needless to say, the Ringo was used a few times, then kept in a drawer. Forever.

When: 1994

Motorola mr30 Another hand-me-down, from my dad, to my sister, to me. The mr30 was much better than my previous Ringo, even though the thing was a beast. Featuring an LCD Screen including a 2 line Information Display and Caller ID, plus the fact that the mr30 was on

Orange, and the 'new at the time' ÂŁ5 top-ups, the mr30 kept me in touch. Even though only a handful of friends had a phone.

Philips Savvy When: 1999

The Philips Savvy was the first phone I brought with my own money. A (at the time) good looking device, with a cool blue colour scheme, that was different to the black/grey phones at the time. A neat feature on the Savvy was the pre-loaded emote pictures that you and a friend with the Savvy could send/receive in SMS. In a strange turn of events, I ended up passing this down to my dad, where it continued to be used for many years.

I Remember…

The ‘game’ on the Savvy – the Bio–Calculator! It would ask you a series of questions, and predict how your day was going to plan out with a rating out of 5 of Love, Energy, Chance and Success. There, keep your billions of Apps, Bio–Calculator is where it’s at…

Nokia 3210

The funky ‘laptop’ style

Nokia 3310

V100 was a quirky little

Nokia 6210

number, but to make calls you had to use the

Motorola V100

wired headset, making it

Siemens SL45 Samsung A55 Sony Ericsson T20 Nokia 7110 Nokia 8210 Sagem myX- 2 Sagem myX- 6 Nokia 7210

clunky.

The T20 was my first and last Sony Ericsson.

That damn tiny screen…

The famous ‘Matrix’ phone, 2-player tennis (with another 7110) was pretty cool at the time.

The myX-2 was my very first colour screen mobile, whilst the later myX-6 was my first camera phone.

Nokia 6230

Samsung E900

The E900 was the last ‘mobile’ I purchased before heading into Smartphone territory. Featuring heat sensitive touch buttons and a slick candybar/slider shell, it was quite sexy at the time.

The ‘After The First 3’ Timeline

LG Viewty When: 2007 The LG Viewty was my first real foray into Pre-Smartphone territory. A pretty swish device, with a 3-inch TFT (resistive) touchscreen display. A glorious

5mp camera meant crisp shots, and DivX (upto 720x480) and Avi (upto 640x480) playback for great movie viewing.

Another great feature, was the Viewty’s ability to record at 120fps to get stunning slow motion video at the touch of a button (well, screen). There was a front facing camera for vide calling, 3G capability, video-editor, PDF reader, but the camera was it’s strong suit. With Schneider Kreuznach optics, Xenon flash, autofocus, and a digital image stabilizer, along with an ISO 800-equivalent

High-Sensitivity mode for night scenery shots and "Smart Light" for bright and clear images in the dark, the Viewty was pretty stunning at the time.

Did You Know…

UK Phone Seller Dial-A-Phone reported that the LG Viewty was outselling the Apple iPhone.

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music When: 2008

The Nokia 5800, I dropped £250 on this thing. But, before you judge me, it was featured in Batman: The Dark Knight!

It was my first (and last) Symbian phone, and to be fair,

It wasn’t horrible, just not, well, good.

The resistive screen was pretty unresponsive, and when it got cold, the screen would glitch, then, it over-heated and the screen actually melted. Actual genuinely true story.

HTC Touch

When: 2008

After my Nokia 5800, well, melted, I needed a quick replacement. I brought the HTC Touch from a friend for £25.

A dinky little number, it was my first Windows Mobile phone,

and whilst it wasn’t great, it was ‘okay’. No 3G meant me relying on Wi-Fi for internet, but the resistive screen was actually not too bad. I only used the Touch for a few months, but I still have the little guy.

Toshiba TG-01 When: 2009

The TG01 was something of a secret failure. If you weren’t part of the gadget

news crew, then there’s a pretty good chance you never heard of it (and probably still haven't). When it was announced, the TG01 was converted by many a geek, with its glorious 4.1-inch touchscreen, Snapdragon processor, the TG01 was off to a great start. Then, oor-er, it came with another surprise -Windows Mobile 6.5. Yes, the never ageing but still horribly dying OS, was the choice here.

Now, as a previous HTC Touch owner, I was no stranger to the turd that is WinMo 6.5 (well, 6.0 on the Touch), but the smart thing Toshiba did, was skin the TG01 with its own details, although you did eventually end up in the Godawful 6.5.

But you know what? I didn’t care. The TG01 was a huge phone, but it was incredibly thin and light. I spent the money on SPB Shell, and totally vamped the look of the OS, giving it a much cleaner, widget toting, 3D carrousel and multiple home screen marvel.

I kept my TG01 right up until I got my next, and current phone, but I still have the old boy. Albeit in the loft, but still...

Apple iPhone 4 When: 2010 My last and current phone is the iPhone 4. After seeing it announced at WWDC 2010 in June, I decided I must have the gorgeous, 3.5-Inch, retina display beauty. A whole month later in June, the iPhone 4 was released and I got my hands on the beast.

It was so fast, so brilliant. The App Store was stocked and offered plenty of choice for games

“

and apps.

I decided I must have the gorgeous, 3.5-Inch, retina display beauty

”

The camera was brilliant, and the 720p HD video was sublime. I wasn’t envious of anyone, I loved my iPhone 4, it’s still my day-to-day phone, but then I brought my fiancée a Samsung Galaxy S II. Suddenly my 3.5-inch retina display and 720p HD video of the iPhone 4 looked paltry compared to the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen and 1080p HD of the SII. Nevertheless, the iPhone 4 is still my current phone, and will be for a while.

Maybe.

By Callum Povey *CONTAINS

NO

ATARI

JAGUAR,

TRACES OF NUTS

Ah consoles, the fruits of the gamers kingdom, the apple of Mario’s eye, the pain of many girlfriends. It’s all here, the machines that made me what I am today; incapable of holding a conversation.

History of

Consoles

Atari 520 ST

When: Unknown I’ll be honest, I can’t remember when I got my Atari 520 ST, it was a gift from a family friend. I do however, remember the awesome games I played.

Stuff like Turrican, Rainbow Islands, Chase H.Q, New Zealand Story, James Pond – the list is endless! I had hundreds of blue floppy disks given to me, all stacked in a big box, and to this day, I swear I never played all of them. The big joystick with red fire buttons I had was just ridiculously cool (I also used it as a gear stick when I pretended to drive; yeah, don’t ask), I seriously loved the 520 ST.

Amiga 500 I actually had the Amiga 500 from my uncle after our first ‘real’ PC died. My uncle was (still is) abit of a tech geek, and the Amiga 500 he gave me had literally loads of games on it. It had Worms and all manner of stuff, but there was a Point-andClick adventure game on it I really loved, although I fail to remember the name of it.

Sega Mega Drive II When: 1995

(roughly) I’d wanted a Mega Drive for a

while, I’d read the magazines, and was a massive Sonic fan.

So when my Uncle handed me a bag with a Mega Drive II and like, 20 games, I was pretty damn excited.

My Grandad moved the TV and got to work setting it up as I bounced around the lounge, controller in hand, then, that magic word stopped me; “SEGA”.

I was hooked. Every day, I’d sit and play Sonic 1 & 2, Ballz 3D, Batman Returns, Earthworm Jim and more for a good few years.

The Mega Drive II taught me a lot about games, and introduced me to a world I belonged in, made me the person I am; a geek.

Did You Know…

Sega received various off-the-shelf chips from different manufacturers, and sometimes would rebrand chips as their own or make them themselves; therefore each Mega Drive had a different manufacturer for its 68000 processor. If the Z80 was missing, most games would have no sound

The Brief (well, bit longer) Love Affair Dear Diary…

Every Saturday morning, I’d sneak there. Feeling dirty. Ashamed. Yet at the same time, excited. My cousin would be waiting (hold on, you sicko!) joypad in hand, and what was that controller attached to? A Super Nintendo.

My Mega Drive sat across the street, crying. The laughter that erupted from my Aunts house as my cousin and I smashed through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was insane. I never admitted it at the time, but I loved the SNES. Mario Allstars, Mario Kart, Street Fighter II, the whole lot!

I never brought a SNES, although I played the crap out of the majority of games, but other than GameBoy’s, I was a firm Sega boy through and through.

Sega Saturn

When: 1997 I’ll admit, I was never a massive fan of the Saturn.

Sure, a lot of games were pretty cool, Tomb Raider, Burning Rangers, NiGHTS, heck, even Sonic ‘R’ was fun. But I just never got too into the Saturn for as long as I had it.

The In-Betweeners Gameboy

When: 1996

MY original Gameboy, and all it cost me was a pencil case and an Action Man. Yep, primary school trades were the best!

My Grandad brought me the GameBoy Color for Christamas with

When: 1998

Gameboy Color

Pocket Bomberman, but it wasn’t

brought Pokemon games

until I got Pokemon Red

for my Gameboy, and you

that I really got into some proper

know what? I wouldn’t have

Nintendo 64

When: 1998

My friend got a Nintendo 64 before I did, and I was always round there, we’d have a great time playing X-treme G and Goldeneye, but with one problem – I wanted one.

Luckily, my Grandad got me one for my birthday, complete with Mario 64 and Goldeneye. I still say to this day that my

best gaming moments were on the N64.

Mario 64, Goldeneye, Zelda: OOT, Wave Race 64, all brilliant games on an outstanding machine.

Sony Playstation

When: 1999

I’ll hold my hands high, and say I was never jealous of the PS1 whilst I enjoyed my N64. Except for a few games. So, when I’d saved enough, I brought a second hand PS1 and well, there were

more games than I thought. Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3, the Tomb Raider series (1 looked so much better than the Saturn version), Final Fantasy VII and tons more. I even enjoyed Croc, but then remembered I had Mario 64…

Sega Dreamcast

When: 2000

Ah, the Dreamcast. I’ll

not have a bad word said against the White Knight. I was besotted with the Dreamcast, I remember buying CVG and reading all the previews, counting down the day I could get my mitts on the beaut.

In our local WoolWorths (you young ‘uns won’t remember that place), there was a Dreamcast stand unit, with Dynamite Cop to try out. I got the Dreamcast the following Christmas from my Grandad, which would’ve been a surprise, had I not found it. I remember sneaking it out and taking it to my friends to play, before sneaking it back in. That happened every night until Christmas day.

At the time, Ecco The Dolphin, Shenmue I & II, Soul Calibur, Sega Bass Fishing, Crazy Taxi, Power Stone, House of the Dead 2, Marvel vs Capcom looked tremendous, and were all serious gaming gems.

That controller though, worst design ever (even more so than the Xbox ‘Duke’ controller), but the VMU was utter genius.

F.A.C.T

The operating system used by some Dreamcast titles was developed by Microsoft after two years of work with Sega

Sony Playstation 2

When: 2002 I was a late adopter to the Playstation 2, and it wasn’t until GTA: Vice City came out that I brought one. It wasn’t for not wanting one, I did, my friends all had one at Christmas, and I loved GTA III, Red Fraction and even 007 Nightfire. When I finally got a PS2, it came with GTA: Vice City and FIFA 02 (or 03, I can’t remember), and

“

although I loved Vice City,

It was quite cool being able to swap a game for a movie without having to switch machines

”

I wasn’t all that into it straight away. I don’t know what it was, I just couldn’t get into the PS2. Soon enough, the likes of Metal Gear Solid 2, Sly Raccoon, Kingdom Hearts and Silent Hill 2 changed all that. The PS2 was for me, like many people, my first DVD player. It was quite cool being able to swap a game for a movie without having to switch machines, and at the time, DVD’s looked far superior to anything else on the market. Considering that the PS2 still continued to go strong, even with the Xbox 360, Wii and even Ps3 on market, it was a testament to just how good Sony’s little black box was.

Microsoft Xbox

When: 2003 I remember the first images that appeared when Microsoft announced they were entering the console business, and, well, I wasn’t impressed. When I saw the actual thing; I was less impressed. It was hideous.

Like a black radiator with a disk drive, the Xbox wasn’t a looker, by any means.

What it delivered as a console, however, was

sublime.

Halo: Combat Evolved changed the way we played first-person-shooters, Fable was a Peter Molyneux masterpiece and Far Cry was a technical marvel. But it was the less profile games that intrigued me. Titles like Psychonauts, Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy), Jet Set Radio: Future, and the fantastic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II, they made the Xbox my preferred choice of the Sixth

“

Generation consoles.

The Xbox wasn’t a looker, by any means. What it delivered as a console, however, was sublime.

”

The controller however, was a different story. The original ‘Duke’ controller was even more hideous that the radiator with a big X it controlled, but the smaller ‘S’ controller changed all that, thankfully.

Nintendo Gamecube

When: 2008

When my Xbox decided it didn’t want to play games anymore, I got given a Gamecube from my friend, and although I was never really interested in it until that day, I was very pleasantly surprised. It came with a bunch of games, Super Mario Sunshine, Resident Evil, Paper Mario, Mario Tennis, Luigi's Mansion, Resident Evil: Zero, Mario Smash Football and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. All pretty great games which I thoroughly enjoyed. When I got The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, however, Nintendo’s little ‘Cube really

“

shined for me.

I do think about picking up some of the old

gems from time to time

”

That game was phenomenal, and along with Resident Evil 4, Second Sight, Super Smash Bros. Melee, XIII, Mario Kart: Double Dash and even Animal Crossing, it really showed that the Gamecube was a console that catered for everybody. Plus, it was so tiny! Kind of.

For a while, I continued to play Resident Evil 4 and Twilight Princess long after I’d moved on from the Sixth gen consoles, but I still think about picking up some of the old gems from time to time, if only to play Mario Kart: Double Dash with my fiancée – she goes rather mental when playing it…

Microsoft Xbox 360

When: 2008 My fiancée brought me an Xbox 360 Elite for Christmas, complete with Fable II, Fallout III and one of my favourite Xbox

games, Silent Hill 4 (Yes, me and my sister were the two people that liked the game). Needless to say no one really saw me much through the festive period. Like the diamond she is, she got me the 120GB version (the highest at the time) and allowed me to play all through Christmas. I never went on Live for a good while after that, but had no desire to.

I had ton’s of great titles, and my fiancée and I played through games like Lego

“

Batman and Indiana Jones, GTA IV,

My fiancée and I played through games like Lego Batman and Indiana Jones, GTA IV, GTA Liberty

”

City Stories, Alan Wake, Batman Arkham Asylum and Hitman: Blood Money together

GTA Liberty City Stories, Alan Wake, Batman Arkham Asylum and Hitman: Blood Money together, whilst I soaked up Gears of War I & II, Halo Reach, Mass Effect II and the like on my own. My 360 sits proudly in my lounge, and it may be the oldest of my current gen consoles, but it gets the job done.

Nintendo Wii

When: 2008 I had the Nintendo Wii from my sister, along with Wii Sports, Guitar Hero 4 and Mario Kart Wii. And, well, it never really gets used. Since owning the little tyke, I’ve brought New Super Mario Bros, Just Dance 3, Wii Fit and, well, that’s it. I fully intend to buy The Legend of Zelda:

Skyward Sword, but other than my fiancée playing Wii Fit, and our occasional Just Dance-off’s, the Wii tends to gather dust. For a while I used it to play old GameCube games, and as I write this I’ve just remembered I still need to buy Super Smash Bros. Brawl. But, on a whole, the Wii was a tremendous effort. A console that brought families together was always going to be a winner, and for pure fun, the Wii is brilliant. At Christmas, we had Just Dance 3 on, where my fiancée, sister-in-law, mother-inlaw and I all had a blast playing, even trying to get the rest of the family involved. Heck, even my dog, Jasper tried to play.

Bottom line, you won’t see me ditching my PS3 or Xbox 360 to play the Wii, but if there’s some dancing to be had, I turn the TV straight to AV2.

Did You Know…

People as old as 103 have been reported to be playing the Wii in the United Kingdom, as well as Queen Elizabeth II (who isn’t that old, but it’s still impressive)

Sony Playstation 3

When: 2010 I’ll not tip-toe around the subject. The Playstation 3

is my favourite of the current gen consoles.

There. I said it. Get over it. However, it was also the last one I got, which, I kind of regret.

The Xbox 360 is great, with some brilliant games, the best online experience of the three, and Kinect is crazy fun. The Wii is embracing, easy to use and ensures your Nan can play Super Mario Galaxy II. But the PS3 – it’s a different beast altogether. It looks the best, sleek (in a George Forman grill kind of way), has native Blu-Ray and easily my favourite catalogue of AAA games. But one of my crucial points, is that the online aspect is 100% free (not including Playstation

Plus), and whilst it’s not as ‘good’ as LIVE; who cares? It’s free! And it does a

“

fine job.

Easily my favourite catalogue of AAA games

”

But it always comes down to the games. But with the Uncharted series, Killzone, Heavy Rain, infamous, God of War, DC Universe Online, Gran Turismo, Ico &

Shadow of the Colossus Collection, Katamari Forever, littleBIGplanet, MotorStorm, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, The Sly Collection and the upcoming The Last of Us, I think I make a solid point. I love my Xbox 360, but when it comes to a choice, I very rarely put my PS3 in the second place mark.

The Handhelds Nintendo DS I never brought a DS, I kind of borrowed my sisters and never gave it back. I did, however, only use it for Pokémon (which my sister brought me). Whilst Brain Training, Super Mario Bros. and Zelda were all very good, I primarily used the DS for Pokémon, which in itself makes

the DS the best thing ever. At least if you like Pokémon.

The PSP was always something of a

Sony PSP 3000

divide for myself. I’d marvel at the sheer power of this thing that could fit in my pocket, gazing at the graphics that far surpassed anything on any other portable console. Then I’d try to play it. The controls were shocking. The little analogue ‘nubbin’ was atrocious, and the lack of a second nub was a bad move. did have its gems though, and the fact I The PSP now had littleBIGplanet in my pocket was just brilliant. Those UMD disks were horrid mind you, but the 3000 was miles better

than the PSP GO! which preceded it.

Extremely bad design added to the fact not everyone wants to download games meant the 3000 continued to outsell the GO!

By Callum Povey THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A RECAP OF FIFA BUT

IT

DOES

CONTAIN

SPOILERS.

SO DON’T CRY IF YOU STILL HAVENT FINSHED A 7YEAR OLD GAME.

I’ve played many, many games. Most I’ll forget to put in this feature, and some you’ll completely agree that they’re brilliant gaming highlights.

Others you’ll be seriously pissed with, but, that’s a forum discussion you can have somewhere else.

Like the Tech Beever forums, for example. No pressure.

Gaming Highlights In no particular order

Sonic & Knuckles

Sega Megadrive

Knuckles was my favourite character in the Sonic series, and I’d go as far as saying he

still is. He was just so cool! Luckily, his lead role in Sonic & Knuckles didn’t disappoint.

Being the direct sequel to Sonic 3, it was also the first game to boast the ability of "Lock-On Technology," which allowed the game to interact with past Sonic the Hedgehog titles via the cartridge slot. As far as I’m concerned, Sonic & Knuckles

was the last truly great Sonic game, marking the end of the spectacular era, and into a lesser one (Sonic 3D: Flickies Island?).

The Newzealand Story

Atari

The Newzealand Story was fantastic.

Fantastically hard! I never, ever completed it, and I wanted to smack that bastard walrus, Wally. But, it was a fun game, bright, colourful and the animations at the time were top. Even when the little scamp died.

Bless those kiwis.

The Fahrenheit Newzealand (IndigoStory Prophecy)

Xbox

Fahrenheit was amazing.

Shenmnue may have brought us Quick Time Events first, but

Fahrenheit brought us story and emotion. It played out differently depending on how you played. If you were sloppy and didn’t make sure your apartment was blood Free before the cops come round, there’s a good chance you’re going to jail, game over. Clean up, and there’s a chance you’re home free. Keep them waiting while you rush around checking, and they’ll probably kick the door in. There was loads of ways things could or couldn’t happen, and it was so new. Sure, Quantic Dream’s latest offering, Heavy Rain, far surpasses it, but remember, this thing is 7 years older. Gripping, full of suspense, and even a sex scene. It’s all there; track it down if you never played it, or even if you did – relive it.

Jet Set Radio

Dreamcast Jet Set Radio was a reason in itself to own a Dreamcast. The graphics were brilliant, the cellshaded look really started off with JSR. The

premise was simple; fight for territory using graffiti and your trusty rollerblades, all whilst soaking in the awesome Jet Set Radio soundtrack. A sequel, Jet Set Radio: Future hit the Xbox, but a new edition to the series would be fantastic. Hint. Hint.

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Xbox

Something of a controversial choice, but I rate Silent Hill 4, I liked it. A lot. Sure, it

was by no means the best in the series, but it offered me something else. You see, Silent Hill 4 was the first game my sister and I played together, from start to finish.

We’d discuss the ways we thought we should solve a puzzle, whilst I was running for my life from the sinister Walter, she’d be looking for my escape so I could focus on not getting slaughtered. We’d watch the cut scenes, read the notes we’d get passed under the door, panic when the apartment started to get possessed and we had no candles. Footprints on the floor? We’d both start speculating as to what would happen if we followed them. Spy on Eileen through the peephole, wondering if that pink rabbit would at one point jump out on us.

“

whilst I was running for my life from the sinister Walter, she’d be looking for my escape so I could focus on not getting slaughtered

”

We even gave names to all the foes we’d encounter; Burpers, Orphans, Dingo’s, Nat Bats, Wall Hangers, there was loads. My fiancée brought me another copy of Silent Hill 4 when she got me an Xbox 360 Elite, and we sat and played it all the way through, twice I believe. We also brought Silent Hill: Homecomings when it came out, but that’s a story better left unread…

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Gamecube The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was

amazing, and in respect, it

should be on the list. But it isn’t. I bumped OoT for Twilight Princess because it was the first Zelda game

that made me care Twilight Princess was a true masterpiece, with stunning graphics, a great story, and the brilliant gameplay you expect from a solid Zelda game. It was also a star example of when it’s actually ok to transform an icon into a wolf (looking at you, Sonic Unleashed). In wolf form, Link moves faster, and has more abilities, such as being able to dig new passages and see spirits which you must capture.

The story of Twilight Princess was a great one, whilst the puzzles were sometimes fiendishly clever, I never really got bored of them, whilst the action elements keep everything at a good pace.

I’m very sure I still have this at my sisters, somewhere, hopefully. If not, I think I’ll be buying this again sometime.

Did You Know…

That although it was the same game, the Wii and Gamecube versions were mirrored oppositely.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II

Xbox

KoTOR II was my first real jump into an RPG. Sure, I’d played the

Likes of Final Fantasy 7, Phantasy Star Online, and of course the old Zelda series, but it was KoTOR II that really caught my attention. The whole world was amazing, jumping into the Ebon Hawk and planet hopping was brilliant, whilst the first time you meet a Wookiee will have you giddy with excitement, as will your first lightsabre.

Although somewhat predictable, I thought the story was solid and at times, gripping. I genuinely cared about my crew, and when the Ebon Hawk crashed with my crew inside, I actually used force powers to try and save it. Honestly.

Those guys had helped me through all missions, I developed a romance with Handmaiden – yes, an evil Sith falling for a pure wench.

The first time you meet a Wookiee will have you giddy with excitement

I was saddened to hear the next KoTR was an online MMO, but who knows, a real instalment may be in the pipeline. Here’s hoping, because it would be a real treat to those of us who have been clamouring for KoTOR III for years.

Pokemon Red

Gameboy

I remember being sat in my kitchen, firing up my

GameBoy Color, my friend Anthony sat at the other end of the kitchen table. Pokémon Red booting up on mine, Pokémon Blue in his.

I knew before I'd started which Pokémon I would be choosing, and as soon as I selected the Poké ball and that weird sprite appeared, I knew I'd made the right choice. Charmander chirped his 'growl' and I was happy. As I travelled the region of Kanto, I found myself becoming attached to Charmander, with every battle he won I'd want to actually praise him, whilst the ones he lost, I'd worry how far the nearest Poké-centre was. As you start the game at just a Level5, fights can take quite some time, but as your exp, grows, you can’t help but feel a little proud of your little Poképal, a bond that's always going to continue through the game. And that's where the clever bit reveals itself. No matter what Pokémon you encounter and capture, your starter Pokémon is your favourite, your go to guy, the one you can rely on.

you can’t help but feel a little proud of your little Poképal, a bond that's always going to continue through the game And that’s where I think Nintendo hit the idea of Pokémon right on the head.

You care about your Pokémon, especially your starter. Your first Pokémon is the one who's seen everything with you, been through all the hardships you've faced,

saved you when some of your lower level Pokémon have sadly fainted. He's stood by you, and you're thankful for it. The amount of time you've poured into making your starter stronger, reliable, has been time that you've found yourself bonded to the point of frustration.

And that’s why I love it.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Playstation 3 Uncharted: Drake's

Fortune was a game that set a new benchmark for cinematic console adventures, and this breathtaking sequel has taken that benchmark and raised the bar. Bettering the first Uncharted in nearly every Uncharted in nearly every sense and gives Nathan Drake the title he fully deserves; PlayStation 3's most enthralling mascot.

Among Thieves starts your journey with a sense of ridiculous wonder, and sets up a pace that never stops thorough out, as Drake wakes semi-comatose in a train that dangles insecurely off a snow-covered cliff-top. What followed was simply the most spectacular and exhilarating tutorial I’ve ever played.

this breath-taking sequel has taken that benchmark and raised the bar Controlling Drake as he clambers up the side of a carriage that buckles and sharply moves under the player's movements, is the finest introduction to Among Thieves' gentle platforming mechanics in the most amazing way possible. Even my fiancĂŠe actually sat up and took notice as our HD TV lit up with such beautiful, crisp graphics on my first play through.

Uncharted II was such a beautiful, fluid game, and it was the first game in a long time to make me stop and just marvel at just how well made this game was.

Mario Kart: Double Dash

Gamecube Mario Kart: Double Dash was not the best in the series, but it’s my favourite. The reason being, my fiancée and I spent an entire Summer playing this, getting every cup, every racer, every kart. There was even 4-player madness with my brother-in-law and his fiancée; it was ridiculous fun, and a

my fiancée and I spent an

time I’ll always

entire Summer playing this,

my fiancée got into

getting every cup, every racer,

remember – that’s when gaming.

every kart Sure, she had played games before, heck, she even liked some (GTA III, Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Bandicoot were firm favourites), but it was Double Dash that brought her into my world, where she will remain forever. If a game like Mario Kart: DD can turn someone into a hardened Alan Wake, Uncharted, Heavy Rain and Batman fan, then it’d be ludicrous not to feature it in the gaming highlights.

Super Mario 64

Nintendo 64 This is the game that changed the way games were played and even looked at. Super

Mario 64 took the flat 2-D world of yesteryear, and turned it into a fully dimensional 3D masterpiece. Platform games existed before Super Mario 64, but there was no true 3D platformers, and the ones that were around were clumsy and poorly controlled. Mario 64 changed that. The intuitive analogue movement of Mario, the fun moves and attacks, and more importantly; expert control over the camera. No more accidental falling or mistimed jumps, Mario 64 brought clever use of controlling the camera to your advantage.

The game was a fantastic showcase as the systems launch game It helped that the game looked absolutely stunning, with gorgeous bright colours, and the pattering of Mario’s footsteps as he ran, the 'whoosh' as he skidded, and even his own voice as he jumped and attacked. The game was a fantastic showcase as the systems launch game. The way the level design would bring out your curiosity, peering into water, slowly walking towards it, only to find that Mario can swim; in beautifully rendered water, was a real moment in gaming history.

Honourable Mentions Resident Evil 4

Gamecube

Halo: Combat Evolved

Xbox

Psychonauts

Xbox

Shenmue

Dreamcast

Sonic Adventure

Dreamcast

Grand Theft Auto III

Playstation 2

Metal Gear Solid

Playstation 1

Heavy Rain

Playstation 3

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Ps3/Xbox 360/PC

Mass Effect II

Xbox 360

Fable

Xbox 360

Super Mario Allstars

Super Nintendo

Super Smash Bros.

Nintendo 64

Soul Calibur II

Dreamcast

Oh, And This One Goldeneye 007

Nintendo 64

The FPS to start a revolution, Goldeneye was a tremendous effort from developer Rare, who managed to capture the essence of being 007 and also manage to create one of the best shooters of all time. Sure, compared to some games, it hasn't aged terribly well, but at the time (1997) it was a technical marvel. Intelligent enemy AI, interesting level design, and brilliant weapons -- all added to a solid gaming experience.

one of the best

shooters of all time

But it wasn't until you plugged in up to 4 extra controllers that the fun

really started. In multi-player, no game came close to Goldeneye, it was ridiculous fun. With an impressive amount of characters and levels to choose from, and plenty of game play modes, all topped off with tweaks to get your favourite match type. A genuine must-have.

Editor-In-Chief, Tech Beever

Callum Povey

Contributing Editor, Tech Beever

Daniel Bate

Editorial Director, Bitesize

Callum Povey

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