February 2011 Archives

THE Pokemon franchise seems to get bigger each year with a new look.

Last year, we reviewed the excellent Pokemon Silver game and now they have returned with Pokemon Black and Pokemon White.

They are two separate games but ones that can be linked up wirelessly via gamers to make a combined game.

As ever, the aim of the game is to explore your environment catching Pokemon and training them as you go. Then you need to launch them into battle, but this time around there are some new battle modes to enjoy and plenty of variations in both story and gameplay.

Graphically, this is as cute and cheerful as you would expect but it was the depth of the story and the plot twists that really make the game.

If you are a fan, then rest assured this is progress, and a game that has clearly been designed for you.

I'm not a Pokemon aficionado but I did find this to be good fun and a very high quality game.

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Finally a game that I have been waiting almost a decade for is here and what a superhero-tastic slice of carnage it is.

This is gaming's biggest crossover title with all your favourite Capcom characters locking horns with Marvel's wonderful array of superhero comic characters.

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Get your motor running, head out on the highway...

And so on and so forth, only replace the bikes with cars, lots of cars.

And not ust any cars, the best cars you can think of, the fastest, sleekest and coolest cars.

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In an ideal world I would get my 4-year-old daughter Lily to write this reviews as she has played this game non-stop for the last week. Every night after school it has been on.

Essentially it a younger version of one of the Wii's biggest success stories Just Dance, just a simplified version for the smaller kids.

It was perfect for Lily as she was able to fully interact with the game and appreciate what she was supposed to be doing.

Related articles

• Review: Tangled (Wii and DS) (blogs.sundaymercury.net)

It's fair to say that flash drives are not the newest device on the market, they have been around a few years now and arguably they are one of the most important gadgets in the last 10 years.

So many people rely heavily on flash drives and use them to conveniently store their data and transfer it from A to B.

The widespread appeal of flash drives means that there are a lot on the market, I got sent a couple of drives from ADATA to look at and I was impressed how they stood up to some of the almost antique flash drives I own!

For started the drives I tried in the 'Superior' range held a whopping 16gb of data. To put it into context that's as much as my iphone and as much as one of the laptops in our house.

That's impressive, and what's more impressive is that they weigh just 16grams.

Both of the drives were extremely sleek and well designed and fully optimized for USB 3.0 which is taking over from the traditional 2.0 we are used to, they still work with this though so don't worry.

Speeds of up to 68 MB per second makes these drives cutting edge in terms of data transfer.

The drives have been built to be rugged and practical making them perfect for business people and people with active lifestyles, they are also millitary approved. If you are looking for a new drive then I wouldn't look any further...

More info at www.adata-group.com

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For some time to come new kinect titles are always going to be met with excitement because the gaming industry is still very much in unchartered waters.

What is guaranteed is that any game carrying the Dr Kawashima branding is going to double the anticipation.

If you own an iPhone and have a TV addiction this is the perfect app for you.

FindMeTV makes finding TV programmes easy.

By bringing together traditional TV schedules, recommendations and links to view on demand content in one place, users can search, browse and discover TV shows to watch on TV or online.

The interface on this app is impeccable, allowing you a multitude of search functions which are clearly displayed and very easy to use.

In fact, it couldn't be easier to navigate.

Not only can you find exactly what you are looking for with ease but you can also browse all TV channels at a glance to check what is on now, next and for 14 days.

You can set yourself reminders and also set your box to record for you should you be away from it.

This is an excellent app and one which once again highlights just how great the iPhone can be for innovative everyday use.

You can buy the app from the App store for £1.79 or for more information visit www.findmetv.com

If you like your games bloody, then Dead Space 2 is for you. Great rivers of claret are spilled in this exhilarating third-person shooter in which dismembering alien limbs is central to the action.

The original Dead Space, released in 2008, won gamers and critics over with its atmospheric tale of horror where human corpses are gruesomely used as puppets by alien organisms known as necromorphs.

By Roz Laws

IT'S 2040 and we've succeeded in destroying the Earth.

Our one hope for the future lies with a group of brave pioneers who are trying to create a second chance at life on Carpathia.

Ok, it's not quite back but having played the demo this week of the upcoming Fght Night, I have to say I am blown away. This is one game I am seriously optimistic about and genuinely can't wait for. I have been an avid fan of EA's boxing interests since the early days of Knockout Kings and gradually they have cranked things up and engineered a very sophisticated and highly endorsed game to delight boxing fans. This latest offering is actually a lot better than the last game Fight Night Round 3. That is no mean feat, the last game was the best to date with a very impressive games engine. The engine is just as impressive this time with a few new moves and a few tweaks to the controls. The thing I like about the gameplay is the realism. You have enough moves at your disposal to choose various tactics to defeat your opponent. The magic, though, is that not all tactics work depending which fighter you pick. For example if you choose Muhammad Ali and try to brawl against Mike Tyson you will get destroyed. And vice-versa if you are Mike Tyson and try to stick and move against Ali you will end up with a jab in your face for 12 rounds. The game is grounded by its enthusiasm to be a true reflection of the sport. It really is a joy to play and addictive to the core. The actual game itself is a themed career-based concept. It's the graphics which really impress, though. If this demo is anything to go by then this is a bar-raiser and then some. Download it for free on XBOX Live now. Read our full review in a few weeks time.