June 2011 Archives

Anyone has doubted the capabilities of the 3DS will only need to spend ten minutes
with this game before they completely change their viewpoint.
This is the stunning title that the 3DS needed to cement itself as a serious handheld and not just a gimmicky DS.
A large portion of my university life was spent playing Football Manager and the original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time on the N64.
It was an addictive game, famous for its twee and colourful expansive worlds and
superb gameplay.
As role-play adventures its reputation speaks for itself, still regarded by many
top aggregator sites as the best videogame of all time.
This is basically a reboot of the 1998 classic for the handheld generation.
The worlds are very much the same, but they look so much crisper and fresher
thanks to the splendour of the 3DS.
It is a complete re-run of the original game but, with new elements added including
a master quest, a new Boss Challenge mode that allows for
flexibility in how you face bosses and in-game video segments.
The game benefits from the new intuitive control
system using the motion controls and touch screen to
great effect. Using the gyro sensor for combat is a really nice touch that works
well.
This is fantastic and one thing is for sure, Zelda fans definitely won't be disappointed.
The adventure is as much fun as it ever was but now you have the added bonus of
a next generation platform to play it on.
There is also the added bonus of being able to play it wherever you like - commuters all over the world rejoice!
Nothing bad to say about Legend Of Zelda - it's brilliant.

For two decades he has sprinted faster than the speed of light across our computer screens, launched his trademark spin attacks and collected millions of gold rings - and today Sonic celebrates his 20th anniversary.

From the first day of the release of Sonic The Hedgehog back in 1991 on the SEGA Mega Drive console, Sonic the Hedgehog quickly became a popular gaming icon due to his super fast speed and his cool, edgy character.

Since then Sonic has become a hero for a generation and a gaming icon, featuring in more than 65 Sonic games. As well as videogames, SEGA's iconic blue hedgehog has enjoyed huge success in areas such as comics, apparel and toys and even starred in his own animated series.

Despite 20 years of fame, the prickly creature is just 15 years old and has not aged since his first appearance on the SEGA Mega Drive. With over 70 million copies of his games sold worldwide, and two more coming out this year, Sonics' domination looks set to continue.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SONIC:
1.Over 70 million games have been sold worldwide
2."Project Needlemouse" was the name given to the Sonic project
3.Sonic is fifteen years old and has never aged
4.An estimated 60 million people have played at least one Sonic game
5.Sonic runs faster than the speed of light and is officially the fastest videogame character of all time (Guinness Book of Records)
6.Sonic was voted number one video gaming icon of all time* (msn poll 2009)
7.Sonic's shoes were inspired by a combination of Santa Claus and the colour red for speed and fire
8.Sonic originally had a girlfriend called Madonna and was in a rock band
9.Sonic's first ever appearance was a humble one - as a toy hanging from the rear-view mirror in the little-known arcade racing game Rad Mobile
10.Sonic has starred in his own line of comics and in four animated TV series
11.Sega sponsored the Williams Grand Prix team and the team's lead driver, Alain Prost during the 1993 Formula One championship
12.Sonic fans have collected over 70 billion rings between them
13.Sonic was the first video game character to have a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
14.Sonic has made cameos in various games including, The Simpsons Game, The Incredible Hulk, Tom and Jerry: The Movie and he also featured in the Simpsons show
15.Sonic has appeared in over 65 games
16.Dr Eggman has an IQ of 300
17.Sonic the Hedgehog's personality is a juxtaposition of kindness and ferocity, as on one hand he does all in his power to snuff out evil, but he also can't look away when somebody else is in trouble
18.Sonic hates boredom and being tied down, so much of his time is spent running towards the next danger or adventure
19.Sonic's favourite food is chilli dogs
20.Sonic cannot swim

Born from a contest to create a new SEGA mascot by their leading designers, Sonic's first humble appearance - as a toy hanging from the rear-view mirror in the little-known arcade racing game Rad Mobile - has now developed into an incredible legacy that has spanned two decades.

SEGA is releasing Sonic Generations later this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sonic. The game is set to provide something for Sonic fans old and new with Sonic the Hedgehog playable as the classic and much loved 1991 character and also as the modern-day video game hero he has become.

Codemasters have a rich tradition of quality driving games going back to the seminal Colin McRae which blended into the DiRT franchise.

The third game in the instalment puts its pedal firmly to the metal and takes gamers on a blistering racing rush from start to finish.

Strap tight your seatbelts and prepare to hurtle through forests and bounce along mud-tracks on a hell-for-leather journey that's the closest thing I've seen to the real thrills and spills of rally driving.

The cars, scenery and all-round realism are mesmerising, with the rain at times pounding your windscreen and the tracks reacting exactly as you would expect to the conditions, whether it be snow, gravel or concrete.

This is backed up with very tight gameplay and a responsive control system that is challenging but, more importantly, enjoyable and highly addictive.

This is very much harking back to the good old days of Colin McRae and has the same feeling of being a true racing sim.

It goes one step further with the blistering realism and true breakneck speed.

Luckily, it also includes a very handy rewind feature that lets you wipe out your worst mistakes. You will crash a lot and if you want to master career mode you will need to hone your skills accordingly to really get the most out of it.

The gymkhana-style showpiece driving events are excellent for doing just that, learning skills and techniques in a fun mode that gives the whole package a different spin.

Plenty of unlockable extras and options give it some serious depth and it will appeal to casual and serious racers alike.

In a nutshell, though, all you need to know is that this is a solid, highly playable game that at times is really spectacular.

STEVE WOLLASTON

After hours of intense competition against some of the country's best Pokémon video game players, twenty-four competitors from the UK received invitations to compete in the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships, taking place on August 12-14 in San Diego, USA.

Twenty-four players from three different age divisions - Junior, Senior and Masters - used remarkable skill and strategy, edging out hundreds of players in the 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships held at the NEC in Birmingham this past weekend. These players, featured in an exciting highlights video at www.pokemon.co.uk/vgc, will now have the opportunity to head to San Diego to battle against some of the best Pokémon video game players from across Europe and the United States.

A list of the top four winners in order of finish in each division includes:

JUNIOR DIVISION
Thomas Purdy, 10
UK

Christopher Dunne, 11
Belfast, Ireland

Additional National Qualifiers Include:
3rd Nathan Nuttall, 4th Charlene Duffield

SENIOR DIVISION
Edward Thompson, 12
UK

Tayler Coe, 15
UK

Additional National Qualifiers Include:
3rd Sebastien Haillez 4th James Green

MASTERS DIVISION
Ruben Puig Lecegui, 18
Barcelona, Spain

Ashley Smith, 17
Somerset, UK

Additional National Qualifiers Include:
3rd Rees Hamilton 4th Daniel Nolan

These Pokémon Trainers will join other Pokémon video game players competing in National competitions in other countries throughout Europe. The list of countries hosting 2011 Pokémon National video game tournaments includes:

June 11, Rome, Italy--Fiera Roma, Hall 12, Ingresso Nord
June 18, Madrid, Spain--IFEMA, Hall 1, Feria de Madrid
June 25, Paris, France--Espace Grande Arche, Parvis de La Défense
July 2, Cologne, Germany--EXPO XXI Köln GmbH, Gladbacher Wall 5

The top eight Pokémon Trainers in each division at the National Championships earn invitations to the ultimate stage--the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego on August 12-14. Players at the World Championships have a chance to win international travel packages, trophies, and special Pokémon prize packages.

For more information about the Pokémon Video Game Championship series, including rules, tournament locations, dates and times, prizes, and more please visit www.pokemon.co.uk/vgc.

The quality of the trailer certainly suggests this is something special. But a rival for 360 and PS3?

We like!

It has to be said - aside from looking amazing this looks like something fresh out of Lost.

I think we could have done without the Steffi Graf style grunts all the time though!

Once again EA seemed to have raised the bar...

A MIDLAND man has invented a new iPhone app - for babies.

Children's author and illustrator Shoo Rayner, from Gloucester, has called his invention the Sweet Little Baby Boo. It features an animated baby which plays peek-a-boo and wriggles when you 'tickle' its tummy.

Now the writer believes his app could be the start of a big business in baby friendly technology. He said: "It's not just a silly experiment for a laugh."

Devolo have been providing fast and simplistic solutions to wireless home networking for some time now with great results.

Over the years I have sampled a few of the products and all have excelled for ease of use and effectiveness, the basis principle being that you use their adapters to use your mains a s a wireless connection.

It's highly impressive and I use them in my house daily.

The latest product is once again groundbreaking and a first for home-networking.

The focus of this product is USB ports, you can plug a USB cable into your adapter and then access it from anywhere else in the house.

Perfect for turning printers into network printers and using portable hard-drives as back up for all your machines,

With a range of 300 metres and a transfer rate of 200mbs this is a very sophisticated gadget that can transform how you compute in your household.

We have a very tall old house and we have two children with rooms at the top of the house, we find the Devolo range brilliant for creating an effortless wireless solution and now even more so with this new addition.