Wii Remote "Jackets"

When I arrived home from school today, I noticed that my Wii was glowing. I nearly died of happiness, thinking that it would be the Metroid Prime Preview Channel. Alas, it was not, however, it was a message from Nintendo. The message main point was:

"We at Nintendo are continuously researching new ways to improve our products. On this occasion we would like to introduce, our latest development, a protective cover for the Wii Remote called the "Wii Remote Jacket"

The message then details on how you can get your hands on this free piece of equipment. It directs you to this page. I intend to order one, partly because I want to be more safe, partly because it is free but mostly so I can see what it looks like and whether it improves grip, as I will be playing Metroid Prime for very long sessions (in just 23 days!) so I want to improve my Wiimote as much as I can. If and when they turn up, I will take pictures of them and detail how good they are. Personally, I would recommend getting them, so that if anything, heaven forbid, does happen, Nintendo can't say "well you should have been wearing jackets." Besides, its free and could save your expensive TV

Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels

I am going to do this review from the perspective as if you have already read my original review or played on the original game as I don't want to rexplain the same concept

I recently downloaded "The Lost Levels" to my Wii of the shop. These levels were orginally only released in Japan as they were deemed to hard for the Western market. However, for a limited time only, they have been released on the Wii Store. So are they really much harder, and are they worth paying 600pts for?

Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels
Platform: Wii Virtual Console
Type: Platformer
Graphics: 7/10
Story: 4/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Multiplayer: N/A
Sound: 10/10
Overall: 8/10


The graphics, although still running in 8bit, have a little bit more detail, most notably in the ground. However, as I have said, the graphics are basically the same. It is nice to see Nintendo put a little bit more attention to their home market thought.

The gameplay has been marked up from the original when it comes to difficulty. Right from the offset you are presented with paratroopa koopas (the bouncing turtles for all you non-nintendo fan boys), chomping plants and a item that was never included in the original; poisoned mushrooms, which do the same as a normal enemy. You will quickly realise that the game is much harder than the original. Once in world 1-2, the jumps start to become a lot more challenging. There is one jump where you have to take a running jump and jump at the absolute last pixel. A few moments later, their is a jump which once again requires this same precision, then you must then instantly jump on to the next platform, where you must sprint and jump on to the next platform and do that one last time before you can even breathe. This because all these platforms start falling the second you land on them. This kind of difficulty continues throughout out where I have got up to and I presume continues through the rest of the game, with jumps that require you to raise a platform to the exact right amount to make the jump possible and others involving jumping not to high or else hitting other structures that will send you to the ground. I consider my self quite good at Mario, having got to world 4-3 on 6 lives and I found this very difficult and still haven't completed it. Occasionally, the game can become quite repetitive because you will keep restarting the game and because of the way the game operates, you have to clear four (very tricky) stages to get to a point where you can restart after you have lost all your lives. This however, is unimportant when compared to the sense of success when you beat a really hard section.

The game, fortunately, does not continue with the charade that was multiplayer. Instead it introduces a different character. Luigi, although can jump much further and higher, slows down much quicker, meaning if you are running fast, you will find your self falling of cliffs etc. He allows you to reach parts of the map which were previously impossible and the harder control makes him more for pros.

The sound has been changed from the original, with a slightly more techno feel. The sound isn't quite as classic as the original, however it stands up and you won't want to mute it. Other than that, the sound track is the same.

In conclusion, if you enjoyed Mario, but have just about finished it, this game is fantastic. If you found Mario too hard, you will find this just annoying. Due to the raised difficultly level, if you found Mario frustrating, this game is still going to be frustrating. Ultimately, if you enjoyed Mario, you will enjoy this, but nothing has changed enough to change peoples minds. I recommend downloading this, even though it is more expensive, because the game is still good value for money and will keep you playing for ages.

Halo 3

The Sun are calling it the game of the decade, Gamespot gave it a 9.5 will very few negative points, and even I, the sole Xbox owner without Halo 2, want to play this game. Yes, that's right, I am talking about the legendary Halo 3. I went in to Game on the way this morning, and it was surreal picking up the box, so surreal, it sent a shiver down my spine. A game I never thought would come out, and I was holding it in my own hands. How can any game be that big? Thanks to Halo, gaming is now a bigger market than film.

What am I most looking forward to in Halo 3? More Xbox Live multiplayer. That is the obvious one. Slugging is best on Halo, so Halo 3 should just capitalize on that. There are some new vehicles, which judging by Bungies track record, will be amazingly fun to use. New weapons will add a new strategies to the game and items such as bubble shields will turn even some of the repetitive maps in to varying and insane. But, that is not all I am looking forward to. I am also massively looking forward to Forge, this map editor allows you to add stuff to the map on the fly. This sounds immensely cool and will open the world right open. I don't know how to describe the excitement every time I think of Forge. I mean, an idea I thought of off the top of my head in about 30 seconds was, how about a normal team game, where you nominate 1 person to be the thing that can add stuff, everyone else must play normally. You could radio in for a Warthog or maybe have a bombing run on the enemy by spawning hundreds of explosive crates. The possibilities are endless. Also, I am looking forward to the type of co-op that keeps score, you get points for killing enemies, more for headshots and even more for multi kills with grenades etc. Also, you can loose points if you kill one of the people. This will make the single player much more fun.

I am not particularly looking forward to the single player. I haven't followed the story, I am not dying to find out what happens and I find that Halo SP is dull, linear and repetitive. Halo 3 will hopefully improve on this, making more set piece battles and vehicle chases (the highlights of 1+2) and less going down a corridor and shooting grunts. However, I struggle to get to excited over Halo SP. I hope I am wrong. I am also not looking forward to the voices of annoying American 12 year olds on Live, we all have out foibles don't we?

In other news, I downloaded the hidden levels for Mario for a hefty 600 points. They are alot harder, but really rewarding when you beat them. Should be properly trying Mario Kart MP this Friday, the review to follow shortly after. Prime is coming up soon!!!

Brawl Online

Well, we all knew it was going to happen, but it has finally been confirmed. Super Smash Bros Brawl will support online multiplayer modes. It will not support voice chat, you can, however, pre-set messages (taunts) and then use the D-Pad to send them. However, these can only be sent when playing friends. When playing unknown opponents, you don't get to see there name and you cannot send taunts. Although this hasen't been specified, all things point to it not being easy to swap Wii numbers if you enjoyed playing with someone, as there is no way of finding out their name. Considering you have no way of contacting them, there is no way that you will ever get to play again, except by extreme chance. Although I am exceedingly pleased that it will be supporting online, this is a major disappointment. Hal Labortory, the people developing Brawl, said that there were to be further online modes to be announced (please co-op) so we will have to see. Read the whole thing here...

Also, if you haven't been keeping up with the updates, which you really should be, a single player mode has been announced called the SubSpace Emissary, it is a side scrolling game. You can read all the updates on the dojo, but it is shaping up to look really good. The character design is outstanding, and considering they aren't even playable characters just makes you realise how much attention has gone in to this game. This, along with other cool things such as my music, is making me eat my foot in anticipation for this game. I simply cannot wait.

Finally, there are many people who can't wait for a different title; Halo 3. For a lucky few the wait is now over, for once, in the UK first! Argos, a retail store, has broken the release date set by Microsoft and released Halo 3. Microsoft are said the be in the process of punishing Argos, I just wish I was one of the lucky few. If just so I could rub it in to every Halo fanboy and then play it at my friends house while he watches in envy. Well done if you got a copy, enjoy it! Read the full story here...

Mario Kart Double Dash First Impressions

I got my second GameCube game yesterday: Mario Kart Double Dash. The game is a lot of fun, and despite feeling like an expanded version of Monkey Race, it is very addictive. The graphics, whilst not being Metroid Prime, are still really good. The sound is really good, hearing your characters voices echo when in tunnels is a really nice touch and some of the music is as good as the original Mario tunes.

At first the game feels a little easy, I completed the first cup in a matter of hours, and there are only 3 cups. However, the second cup, kept me going for some time, and I still haven't completed the last cup. Plus, I discovered that you can alter the car power (I think) to make it even harder. Completing certain things unlocks characters and cars, further extending the game. Furthermore, the time trials are far more addictive than they are in normal racing games because it isn't just about taking corners well, it is about going up golden gate bridge esque sides to shave off a few milliseconds off time.

The tracks, although some what limited in number, are very diverse in style. You will go from city centre to a high speed trek down a mountain, and everything in between. Plus, being a Mario game, the tracks are much more interesting than normal racing games, you will be dodging boulders and cars, avoiding sudden pits and being blasted huge distances at 195mph.

For those who are unaware, MarioKart features weapons to shoot your opponents with. These weapons add a nice twist to the game, allowing for a much more balanced game if you get stuck in last place. The weapons are varied and amusing. Featuring a huge ball and chain to being able to shoot fireballs or drop bananas for opponents to slip on.

The game lets you mix and match two characters and a car to your liking. Each character has its own special weapon and cars each have their own strengths and weaknesses. This choosing forces players to think about how they drive and offers additional challenges to veteran players.

Overall, the game looks good, I hope to complete this in time for the new Mario Kart, coming to the Wii next year. I will post a full review when I have had more time to play with it, but current impressions are good.

Gravitroix Interview

Well, Medaverse has very kindly answered some questions about their upcoming WiiWare title Gravitronix. Without any further ado, here is the interview:

1. Could you give us a brief outline of what Gravitronix is about?

I've found it's difficult to describe how the game will play without going into paragraphs of description which ultimately wind up confusing people instead of enlightening them. To this end, we plan to release a very succinct but thorough video detailing the entire game and how it's played before its release. Yeah, I know it sucks that I'm not spilling the beans right now, but trust me, once we release the preview video, you'll understand why this is an idea that needs to be delivered all at once and not in small portions. If we tried now, we'd fail and more people would come away saying, "I hate the way it sounds." than understanding how the game will actually play.

2. Could you elaborate on the term Action/Battle game?

"Action/Battle" means pitting players against each other directly in a situation where those with quick reflexes and strategic planning will prevail, and while I can't go into the utmost specifics, I can say that randomness will also play a factor in success.

3. How are you using the Wii Remote unique motion sensing ability and will the game use the Nunchuk?

For both the Wii Remote and nunchuk, players will be twisting (like turning a key) and using only the A/B or C/Z buttons to play the game. The controls themselves are immensely simple to learn, but mastering them to achieve the highest effectiveness is another story altogether.

4. What kind of graphics style are you using?

The graphics will have a sharp, rendered look to them, but beyond that, while it's not set in stone yet due to time constraints, we hope to allow the players to select characters to represent them on screen.

5. When is the game set, i.e.. in the future, and will the game feature a story?

It doesn't have a storyline or a setting. If we're going to give a game a storyline, we're going to do it properly and Gravitronix didn't present itself as the type of game where it would be plausible. You're fighting for the sake of fighting and that's where we're going to leave it. If you want a setting, consider it a dimension of its own. Don't get me wrong, we have a laundry list of ideas which involve compelling storylines, but if we're going to do it, we're either going do it right or not at all.

6. You say the game features 1-4 players, will the game support online and offline multiplayer?

The game will easily support four player offline, and while we're looking into Wifi support, I wouldn't count on it. We're only even going to look into online play after all of the core game is honed to the point where we're extremely happy with it, and while I'm pushing hard to get eight player into the game, I'm not going to promise it until we're certain it's doable.

7. Will there be any single player to speak of?

Yes, there will be a single player mode, but as for the complexity, we're not yet certain how far we want to go with it. Gravitronix is an unabashedly multiplayer-focused title. The campaign mode will at least consist of a series of successively difficult battles, but we also hope to have multiplayer co-op support for these as well.

8. How many Wii points are you expecting to sell this for?

We'd opt to charge 500 points for Gravitronix even though I think it'll provide far more than that in a dollar to hour entertainment ratio. This is our first game, after all, and we understand that players will be a bit leery on the subject of trusting a developer they've never heard of before. When many people have tight entertainment budgets, we consider having a $5 price tag meeting our potential customers half way. I don't want people to feel burned on the purchase of a Medaverse game, be it for $5 or $50.

9. What design challenges have you had to overcome when developing for the Wii?

The biggest challenge was coming up with an idea worthy of developing but at the same time simple enough that a small dev team like us can pull it off. We went through two other games before deciding on Gravitronix because the first two ideas were far too complex for a team our size. We want to start small and work our way up and finding the idea that could be our start was probably the biggest challenge.

10. What has been your favourite game on the Wii and have you taken any inspiration from it?

I hate to be cliché and say Wii Sports, but I'm going to choose it anyway. Not only is the game the best viral marker I've ever seen (anyone who tries it at a friend/family member's home will want a Wii shortly thereafter), but it demonstrates how a game can have the simplicity to appeal to anyone while at the same time the depth hardcore players crave. There are some insanely good WIi Sports players out there and I'm quite certain that anyone who wants to pass Wii Sports off as a simple tech demo with no depth will have their asses repeatedly handed to them by the veteran players. Wii Sports struck a perfect balance between accessibility and depth. It is my fondest wish that Gravitronix can achieve even a fraction of that same appeal.

11. What stage of development is the game currently in?

We're still in the early stages: the engine is being finalized, the sprites are being made, the character concept art is being drawn up, the music is being mixed, etc. I realize we have only a few short months between now and the launch of WiiWare, but the project is moving at the best pace capable with the team it has. Everyone on "staff" currently works another job and is doing this on the side in the hopes of living out their dream of game development, but the allure of doing this full time is more than enough to keep us chugging away at it late into the night. I'm even answering these interview questions at 10 PM.

12. When do you hope to have this game finished?

We hope to have Gravitronix ready to launch alongside WiiWare in 2008.

Thanks again Medaverse, I look forward to hearing more about this title in the upcoming months.

Metroid Prime First Impressions

No, don't get your hopes up. I don't have an advance or imported copy of Corruption. I do however have the GC game, Metroid Prime. I am currently waiting on a GameCube Memory card that I bought on Ebay last night. So, there hasn't been much point in playing the game, but it is still fun. Initial Impressions are strong. The game puts you in the feet of Ms. Samus Aran. The training level is very well designed, quickly running you through the controls in a believable manner and throwing enemies at you as soon as your ready for it.

A crucial part of the game is scanning. Although it feels arduous to have to switch in to a different visor (one which you can't shoot in) just to scan items, the scanning works very well. Some things have to be scanned, like computers that open doors. Others have serious advantages, like scanning enemies you can find out what their weak points are. Other items will give you a little piece of literature to fill you in in what looks like in incredibly deep story, finally, some just give you a little pop up briefly describing the object. Although the majority of these scans are unnecessary, they add a nice depth to the game, and the more you scan, the better your final percentage (I believe)

It is difficult to classify this game as at some points. Sometimes it feels like a FPS, others a FPA(first person adventure, and no, I didn't just make that acronym up) You will spend a lot of time exploring and the shooting you do is mainly handled with by locking on to them. The game also has environmental puzzles. The ones I have come across have been fairly simple, but I imagine that they will get more and more complex.

The two boss battles I have fought have been much better than most other bosses I have ever thought. They will have a weakness, but to find this weakness you have to either scan them or be very lucky. Even when you have found the weakness, there is still plenty of skill and timing to defeat the boss. When you beat them it feels much more rewarding than most boss fights.

Overall, the game looks and feels great with some fantastic boss battles as well. I can't wait to get my memory card and give it a proper spin.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

System: Wii
Type: Puzzle/Adventure
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sound: 7.5/10
Gameplay:8/10
Story: N/A
Multiplayer: 8/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Super Monkey Ball was the surprise success for the GC which involved a fun single player a 3 simple multiplayer games that had equal appeal to both veterans and novices alike. This premise makes it an excellent title for the Wii, but how does it hold up?

The single player is a shinning point for this game. The games main campaign feels as if originally intended for the Wiimote. For those who are unaware of the series, the single player involves steering a monkey in a ball (!) along a perilous path by tilting the ground which the ball resides. The game adds a jump button and this fits seamlessly in to the game, allowing for much more imaginative puzzles restricted by nothing. The puzzles are well developed and the difficulty increases steadily throughout the game. It takes about 1 minute to get used to the controls and I have never had any Wiimote malfunctions which would have no doubt ruin the delicate control scheme. The length of the game is, although not breathtaking, will probably keep you going for quite a long time. The game features 7 worlds, each featuring 8 maps. At the the end of each world, you must fight a boss. These, although feel less polished than the rest of the game, are simple and fun. The bosses are amusing in designed and work well. They serve as a very nice ending to the world and offer an extra challenge to the best as collecting the bananas on the boss levels is particularly challenging. There appears to be some bug that inhibits the replaying of certain levels, but this is more of an annoyance than anything else.

The multiplayer is less consistent. The game boasts 50 multiplayer modes This figure is somewhat misleading as there are only 11 you would ever come back to. On the other hand, one must remember that having 11 MP games is very good. Still, it is a shame they wasted time and resources making 'Simon Says' instead of an extra map for 'Monkey Wars' . Highlights in the multiplayer include the aforementioned Monkey Wars, where you shoot other monkeys, the classic monkey race and series favourite that has you parachuting on to a target. Monkey Wars is a fantastic example that even in the individual multiplayer games, the Wiimote has been used well. Aiming is naturally done by pointing at the screen, however, what really makes you feel inside the game is to chuck a grenade you hold c and flick the 'Mote. As simple and insignificant this may seem, it works supremely well. Another good point about the MP is that the classic SSMB games have been adapted almost perfectly to suit the Wiimote. You barely notice that instead of a joystick you are tilting your hand. The maps however, is a problem, the MP lacks any serious re playability, particularly in the map department. For example, 'Monkey Race' has only 5 tracks, and that is one of the most. Creating maps is, compared to creating full blown games, probably quite easy. Why they didn't bundle some extra maps is beyond me. Monkey Wars, as great as it is, loses a lot of value when you realise it only has 3 quite small maps. Simon says in one of the 39 weak titles in the MP line up. The rest range from poor to absolutly rubbish. Some of the games are rubbish because of poor execution, as is the case in Monkey Bowling where you have no determinable effect on the outcome of the game, others are just stupid ideas, like Simon Says. Overall, you have to just ignore the rubbish titles and just pretend there are only good ones.

The game has a very nice graphical feel. The game will not win any awards for it, but with its bright block colours, it comes across as a fun happy game. There are no points where the graphics are ugly. Some of the multiplayer games, particularly 'Monkey Asteroids' look very nice. Compared with the first two titles, the step up is not always noticeable, but the maps feel much bigger as opposed to the enclosed feel of SMB1+2.

The sound in the game is as mixed as the multiplayer. In some cases it fits the world (a group of levels in a particular theme) perfectly. Where as other times you will end up muting it, it is that bad. The noises the monkeys make and the American commentary adds nothing to the game. The game does not feature huge amounts of SFXs, the ones it does feature do not impact on the game a lot, but certainly do not subtract from it. The sound is something that could definitely be improved upon, but does not cripple the game.

In conclusion Super Monkey Ball is a strong entry for the Wii. The single player is well worth the investment if you have enjoyed other SMB titles. If you have not tried the single player in previous titles, I recommend renting this title first, as the fiddly nature of it means that if it isn't your sort of game, you will just find it frustrating. The MP should keep you and your friends amused for a couple of hours. The presentation is good, not outstanding, but solid as one comes to expect from SMB. The game is by no means perfect and any sequels will surly improve upon the hit and miss style in the MP element. I do however, despite my slight qualms, recommend this game to all Wii owners.

Gravitronix Interview Preview

The creators of Gravitronix, Medaverse Studios, have agreed to do a Q and A with this blog (thanks!) I will be sending off the questions this Sunday so if you have any questions you would like asked, please post a comment. The only details to have been released thus far are :

-Gravitronix is an action/battle game for 1-4 players (possibly 8).
-The game takes place in a single-screen arena.
-The objects seen in the logo are the projectiles used as weapons.
-These projectiles will have different physics, making them behave differently depending on how you use them.
-There will be a great deal of depth in the control scheme.
-Veteran players will master manoeuvre's which make rookie players cry "HAX!!!"
-These details are intentionally vague, but we will have screenshots and movies closer to release which will explain everything.

All questions submitted will be considered but I can't promise that Medaverse will want to give away the relevant piece of information . The interview should be out before next Wednesday.

Blog Update

Well we are now entering possibly the greatest autumn/winter in gaming history (for America at least) So what are you looking forward to most. It actually started with the release of BioShock and Metroid, both getting very positive reactions. Unfortunately, GTA IV and MGS launch dates have slipped, but there is still Super Smash Bros Brawl, Halo3, BWii, LittleBig Planet, PGR 4 and Assassins Creed to make this the best (and most expensive) next few months for gamers. On top of that, I will be working my back off to produce the new Veteran Gamer website in time for its launch January 1st. That's right, a release date. So what title are you looking forward to most? Leave a comment below...

Metroid Prime 3 reviews are in following its release in NA last Tuesday. IGN gave it a massive 9.5, 1up and 9 and Gamespot an 8.5 There were some mixed opinions but they all said the game felt epic and the controls were very good. GameSpot criticized some of the motion actions of the Wiimote, whereas IGN said they worked very well. They said the game was overall easier and the boss fights were a lot of fun, if also slightly easier. Another plus is the game will feature lot of cool unlockables including the ability to take and send (through Wii Connect 24) scren grabs of the game, extra clothing for your Miis, bumper stickers for your spaceship and and Super Hard difficulty level. I can't wait to get my hands on this game, but I have to wait till October 26th.
Release: October 26th 2007

On the Halo front. Two very cool developments have come to light. Firstly, Halo 3 will feature a map editor, but not just and old map editor, you can play in this one multiplayer, shooting people as well as changing the map. Aside from the obvious things, like making and saving maps, the thing will actually feature death matches where you can fly around and drop scorpions on your enemy. It is quite difficulty too explain, but trust me, the possibilities are endless. The second thing is Halo Wars, the up and coming RTS for the 360. First off, the graphics look amazing. Literally jaw breaking, although I didn't get to see the actual control scheme, they were clearly well mapped as the guy could move around the map effortlessly, whilst controlling his men with ease. Another great thing, is that the vehicles drive like how they would on Halo. Warhogs will slide about, for example. Overall, this game is shaping up to look amazing. What I want to know, is whether you can play as the Covenant or not. It will be a huge disappointment for me if you can't, as driving armies of Ghosts sounds like fun. Regardless, I am looking forward to this title with eager anticipation.
Halo 3 Launch Date: September 26th 2007
Halo Wars Launch Date: TBA

A slight disappointment for me was when I discovered that PGA Tour 08 for the Wii would not be featuring online play. This has made me decide to just simply hold on until they do(I was planning on getting PGA Tour '07 if it didn't) This is probably a good thing as looking at Metroid 3 reviews has made me realise just how highly regarded the other Metroid Primes were. As a result, so that I know the story and I am not missing out, I am thinking of getting them and a GC controller for my Wii.
PGA Release Date: 31st August
Metroid 1&2 Already Released

Upcoming Posts:
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz Review - I have already written it, so this is very realistic
[Hopefully] An interview with Wiiware developer called Medaverse, I am waiting for an email back from there
Nintendo Press Conference - Also written

I am going back to school next Tuesday so expect a temporary lapse in posts.

Metroid Prime Preview Channel

A couple of posts ago I said that Nintendo have released a new channel in the US, but not the UK. For everyone who is on the wrong side of the pond, here are all the videos that have been released on it. Enjoy. Thanks Troy for the comment, by the way!

Wii overtakes 360 Worlwide

Well, we all knew it was going to happen, and now it has. The Wii has shipped 10.57 million consoles, overtaking the 360s 10.51 in just half the launch time. So what does this mean? Well firstly, it means Nintendo is that bit richer which it can put to making new games, and when it comes to the next generation, can have a console that makes a loss on each sale (Like Sony and Microsoft) allowing them to put more stuff in their consoles. Also, it means that game developers will see that Wii is where the money is because it has the biggest market so will put more energy in to developing games for it. For anyone who cares, the PS3 is on 4.32 million. All figures come from vgchartz

If anyone knows about the Apple vs. PCs ads, there is an amusing collection of spoofs ones advertising the PC here.

Nintendos First Mistake

So far Sony has been the only company to make major mistakes when it comes to PR. Both Nintendo and Microsoft have steered clear of upsetting me. However, Nintendo has slipped up. I am talking primarily about ignoring the UK. This is almost a cardinal sin as far as I am concerned. Not just because I live in the UK, but because hundreds of thousands of avid gamers do too. What have we done to deserve this second rate service that we always get. PS3 launching at almost twice the price in the UK, not receiving a price drop, getting a downgraded console, much later launches and now this.

So what have Nintendo done. Well, I was on GS in a union (a mini-foum for a particular group of people) and I saw a post by YearoftheSnake detailing of a new Wii channel. If that wasn't exciting enough it was a Metroid Prime preview channel with streamable videos featuring the game. I nearly broke my TV remote in my eagerness to get this channel. I dived for the Wii Shop Channel to go look for it. The shop loaded up. I clicked on Wii Software, wondering when they were going to change it to Wiiware, and it wasn't there. After a brief amount of digging, I found this was a US channel. When I searched Google for it, displaying only UK pages, it found nothing. Through my digging, I also discovered that SSBB wasn't even coming out this year in the UK. However, I can understand that, they know there is going to be a huge amount of demand for it and they do need to physically produce it. However, something which is downloadable, there is no reason. They don't need to make copies of the files for each user. The only reason I can think of is streaming issues. However, I would prefer to have to watch it at an off-peak time than not at all. Seriously Nintendo, sort it out.

Also, I forgot one thing off my list, printed instruction manuals. They are really good as it gives you something to do once you have turned off your PC. Finally, I am going on holiday early tomorrow morning, will be back Thursday week.

7 Most Import Things in a Game

Following a post by Juuso on Gameproducer.net on the 7 most important things to include a game, (although I heard it from Troy Goodfellows post on the 8 most important things) I decided to create a list for there is nothing man likes more than creating lists.

1. Online Multiplayer

This is true for every type of game (except maybe puzzle games) A good online mode can triple a games value. A good multiplayer can make up for an average single player (in the case of Delta Force 2), good muiltplayer can keep players playing a game and thus more interested in sequels and most importantly, multiplayer can extend the games longevity and thus value ad infinitum. Wii Sports is a game that is missing in online multiplayer.

2. Map Editor

Where Troy put random maps in his list, which are undoubtedly important, I think an editor can replace random maps, and improve on their ability. No matter how clever a designer is, the world as a whole is cleverer and will thus make better maps than them. Map editors can keep people tied to a game like multiplayer, on top of the fact it adds to value with out any extra effort on the developer. Map editors need to be well made and easy to use, but with lots of depth, unlike the Civ 4 World Builder. Also in this point is the ability to Mod stuff, this ironically, has been done excellently on Civ 4.

3. Customisation

Customisation should be added wherever it can. I may be alone in this, but I love customisation. From painting cars in Forza, to spending hours creating a character in Oblivion to just changing colour schemes in Dawn of War. Everyone wants to be unique and where online is present, customisation becomes even more important. I get frustrated when customisation is limited when it dosen't need to be(as with Miis) EA is currently leading the way with character development although Forza and Oblivion both need a nod of the hat.

4. Brink of Death

In any action game, you must always be on the brink of death. You must always be checking your health and finding it on one, reloading you gun to find it is the final magazine. At no point should you be comfortable in your position. RE4 does this excellently. Terror can incorporate you in a game like nothing else. This way you are breathing heavily and thank the heavens when you find a pause. Zelda always feels a little safe. You have loads of life and lose it rarely, you always have your trusty sword and enemies never seem to pose much more than a nuisance. Fortunately, Zelda isn't about combat.

5. No locked content

I don't know why developers do this. Why force you to unlock content? You have paid for the game, surely that should give you the right to play with all of it. Ok, I accept that some things should be kept as a reward, such as peripherals and costumes, but completing whatever the goal is should be a reward in its self in a well designed game. It frustrates me when entire modes are locked. For people like me, who often don't complete games, it means that when we review them we can only mark half the content, which will effect the score.

6. Save whenever

Something which is often over looked in anything except long strategy games for PC is the ability to save anywhere. Now I appreciate that developers don't want people saving every 5 minutes so they don't have to go back far, but what if you need to go out. Once again, it comes back to the point that you have bought the game. Yes the game will be more fun if you limit your saving, but that option should reside with the player, who can choose to only save when they quite, rather than the developer who clearly don't have the tasks of real life or know about the individual habits. What does it matter to them if you get less enjoyment from the game because you just want to beat it.

7. Custom Music

A feature often overlooked for people developing for the Orginal Xbox was the ability to use a custom soundtrack. This issue has been fixed with the 360 as music is operated separately from the game. I thought this feature was great. Obviously some games need the tense music to create an atmosphere, but there are some games when their is no reason to have it. Civ 4 does have it, but is quite unique in this. It can't be hard to implement in a game for computers and makes a lot of sense as, thanks to the rise of MP3 players, most people have their music collection on their computer. Not being able to listen to music can often put me off playing a game because I want to listen to some music.

Most of these are small gripes but they really do irritate me when they aren't there. The majority of them their is no excuse not to include them. You can post y0ur 7 in the comments section if you wish.

On a side note, a went on Stealth at Thorpe Park a couple of days, ago, it was terrifying. Go to youtube and type in "Stealth Thorpe Park" and watch the second and third videos for some idea of what it is like. It is absolutely mental, I can tell you that for nothing.

Blog Update

I need to get through the E3 conferences then I will return to normal posting. There have been a couple of interesting news items on the Dojo website(site for Super Smash Bros Brawl) that I want to write about. Also, I have got both Civ 4 Beyond the Sword and Resident Evil 4 (which ended up with me missing paintball to go to London to get a new passport, suffice to say that it wasn't fun) for the Wii. Both are very good if a little too addictive. Here are my early impressions:

Civ 4: Beyond the Sword

An excellent expansion pack, the changes have both a dramatic and level effect to the game and the Mods are truly inspiring.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

A much needed graphical feast for the Wii, the game is truly disturbing, the control scheme is a little difficult to get used to at first, but feels natural after a few tense minutes.

Full reviews of both of those titles coming soon. It was my birthday last Tuesday. I got a TV for my room so will now be playing a lot more Wii, so will hopefully complete Zelda (which just keeps getting better and better as you get further in)

The Smash Update I was talking about earlier is the single player mode. It will the first Smash Bros proper single player mode (as opposed to the previous versions which just had consecutive battles with all the different characters) There have been two modes announced so far. The first mode announced was quite similar to the previous entities except characters, as I understand it, level up. The second and far more interesting mode, named the Subspace Emissary is a side scrolling game with some story. The website gave the impression that this mode was sort of one stage as it were. You can pause/save as usual, but it would lead into the next level. This all looks very exciting. I do recommend staying up to date with the updates as this game is looking very cool. I can't wait. You can follow it here.

For my birthday I went to an outdoor swimming pool with some friends and then 3 came round for a gaming night. Although we only played a select number of games, compared to the plan to play hundreds, it was still a lot of fun. Halo dominated the early play with Smash Bros taking over later. Two of my friends, who are pretty much equal at Smash Bros played a 99 Stock (live) game. They started at 4am and lost one life each. I went to sleep but apparently they finished at 8am. They played without pauses. It was pretty hardcore.

Upcoming Posts:

• Nintendo and Sony Press Conference Details
• E3 Roundup
• Civ 4 Warlords review

Thankyou for reading veteran gamer, for the latest gaming news, reviews, previews and analysis.

The Holy Three (Microsoft Press Confrence)

Well E3 has finished, so far I have watched both the Microsoft and Nintendo conferences. I will write about Nintendo's tomorrow, but today I will be writing about Microsoft's press conference. Microsoft's focus of its conference was centred firmly on up and coming games. They in fact only featured one game that wasn't coming out this year.

They opened the event up saying that the sales figures were greater than the Wii and PS3 combined since last November. This is a fairly impressive statistic, as the 360 has been out longer, however, it has had time to get some good games, something the Wii and PS3 haven't done yet. None the less, the 360 is doing very well.

However, the facts made up a very small portion of the show, with most of the show being devoted to the games. One game was Rock Band. This is shaping up to look like a lot of fun. The addition of both singing a drums will surly make a positive difference. However, the game only looks like fun if you have a sound proof living room, because you are going to want to properly sing, and 4 friends who enjoy music to play with. This should be minimalised with the ability to form online bands. Hopefully they will include a Composer so that people can make and share their own tunes.

A predictable sequel is Piñata Party Animals. Piñata was the surprise success of the 360 for last year and I must admit I never got to play it. This title looks similar but not very interesting. The advert was done in the style of a mildly amusing but very family friendly Disney film that you take your younger brother to because the film you wanted to see had a too high rating.

One title that I wasn't aware of is a title called Mass Effect. It looked surprisingly like Halo, and as it comes from a Microsoft studio, they are probably trying to make some more intellectual property for when Halo dies. Apparently, it is an RPG which should be interesting. Also interesting is it is coming out around the same time as Halo. Won't they just eat in to each others sales. Sorry, won't Halo eat in to its sales.

Now this thought has come to me before, but when I saw the new controller and the game, I knew I was right. The 360 is the new PS2. I had been thinking this for some time, as the console is focused more and more on 3rd party games, is releasing anything, sold a lot, and is a well rounded console. However this clinched me. You know the rubbish DVD games you get, well they are coming to the 360 with this controller:

Look at it, it is the most stupid thing I have ever seen, and also almost identical to the PS2 controller for Buzz:

Microsoft went in to great lengths on how Live for Windows will revolutionise PC gaming and how it will bring standards to the online world. It will also allow further integration between PC and 360. On the topic of PC, Gears of War is coming to PC with 6 new chapters in which one you get to fight this evil creature that in the 360 version you just ran away from. It will feature a map editor too. Looks just as good as the 360 version.

They also showcased the new Call of Duty, called Modern Warfare. Now I have always been a fan of the Call series, thinking it the best WW2 shooter. Modern Warfare looks to carry on this domination, and it looks amazing. They showed us the first level. I was on the edge of my seat. The game has you creeping around this terrorist base at night. The game looks like it will be focused on avoiding combat, but still providing intense fight scenes. Coming on nicely.

Among the highlights was of course Halo 3. Shapping up to look really good, but the singe player does look very simmilar to Halo 2. However, even I noticed it looked a lot more intense. The video had you driving in the back of a warhog with a rocket launcher and running around with an uprooted turret. I think this will be the final fight as the trailer they showed had many Spartans equipping. I think the final level is going to be a really big battle with hundereds of people shooting. Maybe even on the scale of D-Day.

I could not talk about the show with out mentioning the band who played at the start. They played an amazing arrangement of the Halo theme tune which really got every excited. Well done.

Nintendo and Sony PC Analysis to come
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony game summaries to come
E3 Conclusion to come
Sorry for the lack of posts, had a lot of coursework, but school is now finished so expect more posts again.

BBC iPlayer launch Date Announced

See the full story here
The BBC iPlayer is to be launched the 27th of July this year. You will be able to download it from www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer from that day. I have been looking forward to it ever since Microsofts Mix conference last year. They will be expanding it as well, soon to be allowing live TV, the ability to stream programs so you can watch them straight away and they will bring it to TV. Guess what TV platform they are going to bring it to first? Virgin Media! I actually can't wait, other things they are planning on including are radio player and series stacking (the ability to download entire series's as I understand it.

BBC iPlayer: Making the unmissable, unmissable

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Will Not Feature Online Multiplayer

Well here is a bit of news that I wasn't expecting to hear before E3, well at all even. There will be no online multi-player for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the highly anticipated Wii shooter/action game. This not only cripples the game, but I now even question as to wether I am even going to get it. The excuse they gave was

"to making a better single-player experience"

They have delayed this game from the launch of the Wii to August next year, surly that is time to do both. This is truly appalling, and if they think I am not going to mention the absence in my review, they have another thing coming. I at one point suggested that this game could be a serious contender to Halo 3 for the Game of the year, I think they may have just lost this opportunity, leaving it to Brawl, which incidentally hasn't released anything too important and has let down their promise of daily updates, to challenge Halo.

On top of this, I now think I am looking forward to BWii more now. Well done Retro Studios.
Read the full story...

E3 Approaching

E3 is fast approaching and, although down sized, is still going to contain a lot of new news about a lot of new games in particular Metroid Prime 3, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Halo 3 and Metal Gear Solid. I am also looking forward to finding out what future channels Nintendo intend to release for the Wii and where they intend to go with the Wii Shop. I will of course be watching all 3 press conferences and will post about each one. Hopefully, the year after next (or perhaps the one after) I will be there. If you want to hear about a particular game, please leave a comment below.

Console Wars Summary

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I don't even have an excuse, how rubbish is that. However, I do have an article on the console wars for you. And the person who left the comment "ok" cheers!

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 was the first to be launched and has successfully established itself as a house hold name. The range of games is stunning, challenged only by the number of must have games. Titles such as Forza 2, Gears of War and Oblivion truly stand out, but are just a few of the games. Now, although these games might not all be unique to the 360, they are all done well, without any issues to the 360. One of the criticism leveled at the Xbox was the range of games, Microsoft has clearly learnt and improved. What continues to amaze me is more must have titles just keep coming. Haze, Halo 3 and Bio-Shock to name just a few. As the 360 was priced much cheaper than the PS3, most people expected the graphics to not be as good, however, a recent test done by GameSpot, shows this not to be the case. Another service worth noting is the Xbox Live Arcade, which has set the way for small developers to create more innovative games without needing funding from publishers (post coming soon)The system has only two very minor drawbacks, firstly, it is the only system where you pay for online play. However, the service that Microsoft offer is above and beyond what Nintendo and Sony are even pretending to offer. The other draw back is its film capabilities. It will cost you quite a bit to kit your 360 to play HD films, setting the price at about PS3 levels. On top of the fact that you will be using HD-DVD, the format that is losing at the moment. However, Microsoft did file the 360 under a games console rather than a advanced movie player. All in all, I will make the conclusion time in and time out, the 360 is a very rock solid console. It will provide you with games what ever your tastes and it won't let you down online. The 360 has well earned its price tag with its extensive range of games out now and promised for the near future.

Nintendo Wii

The Wii is the cheapest console. Its main selling point is the revolutionary controller. At first, many thought it would be gimmicky, but it really isn't. I will be the first to admit that with some games it is a little tacky and there are a lot of rubbishy party game on it for the moment. But they really don't do the controller or the system justice. The good games on the Wii at the moment are quite limited, but they are good. Zelda is an epic adventure game where the story will keep you entertained. Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz uses the Wiimote fantastically in single player and there are quite a few good multiplayer games. Failure to mention the hugely fun Wii Sports that is bundled with You must bare in mind that with something as wacky as the Wii, there has to be some experimentation, and with experimentation comes failure, but I hope developers learn from the failures. It is also worth noting the Wii Shop. This used to offer a wide range of NES, SNES N64 and other retro console games available for download. This service was good, but did not rival Xbox Live Arcade. However, Nintendo have now opened it up for smaller developers like the arcade. This is very good as the Wiimote lends itself excellently to mini games that fail when forced to elborate to a full £40 game.

Sony PS3

The PS3 is the most expensive console and the only console not to sell out. The PS2 had a massive following so this came some what as a surprise. However, it can probably be blamed on a bumpy road leading up to launch. Over the time between E3 2006 and the launch of the PS3 Sony has suffered a huge amount of media attack for downgrading their console, for loosing exclusives and angering customers. By the time of launch, combined with the effect of the 360 excellent games and the hype surrounding the Wii, no one had enough money left to buy a PS3. The reason why the PS3 is so expensive is because it features a blu-ray disk player. It is in fact the cheapest Blu-Ray player. However, I believe that the PS3 is just too expensive. The range of games, which is what people buy video game consoles for, is limited to say the least. The fact that the graphics weren't better than the 360 also had an effect on the sales as that is why people would have bought it. All was not lost for the PS3, they still had some exclusives, yes people were annoyed about the delayed launch in the UK , but they could have forgiven Sony. Then they downgraded the console to not support PS2 and 1 titles, but just for Europe. For most, this was the final straw, they went out and bought a 360. Things have started to look up for the PS3 with exciting things like the exciting idea of Home amongst many other things, but for many it is too little too late.

In conclusion, the 360 is a very sturdy console that has a great deal of great games with some interesting ideas. The Wii is the most volatile console, but has pulled it off. There is promise of many new games coming to it and gives people more and more reasons to buy it. The PS3 is far too expensive at the moment, if the price was lowered by about £100 a lot more people would get it, then they could get more games and the whole circle would start turning again.