Retro News

October2009

  • Review Mushroom Wars (PlayStation 3)

    Everything about Mushroom Wars is minimalistic

    The basic bubble menus, clean level design and easy to pick up controls make Mushroom Wars an RTS-lite. Unlike the punishing learning curve of most RTS games, Mushroom Wars is extremely easy to pick up. You can upgrade mushroom houses by hitting the L1 button, and distribute fungi-grunts between...

  • Review NBA Live 10 (PlayStation 3)

    NBA Live 10 looks great and plays with refined vigour

    It's not without its problems, but if basketball is your thing - there's plenty here to enjoy. Having somewhat lost its mojo in recent years, NBA Live 10 is a fairly big step forward for the franchise. Graphically the game has come a decent length, with player animation vastly improved, making...

  • Review Vempire (PSP Minis) (PlayStation Portable)

    Simplistic in almost every-regard; Vempire is a bright and buoyant bout of match-four with a price-tag just 200-pence short of excellent

    Switch the quadrant to match the squares. It's a mechanic popularised by Bejewelled and borrowed by Impressionware's victorian gothic themed PSP Minis debut. Vempire is certainly not deceiving to be any more than...

  • Review Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (PlayStation 3)

    Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a queer beast

    As a thoroughly realistic military shooter, it achieves everything it sets out to achieve. But next to the brash set-pieces of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare, it feels sterile without the smoke and mirrors. Be assured though, if it's realism you seek, Operation Flashpoint will gratefully satisfy...

  • Review FIFA 10 (PlayStation 3)

    Fifa 10 is the latest update in EA Sports' popular Fifa franchise

    One of the biggest titles in the world, Fifa 10 builds upon the excellent Fifa 09 which caused a paradigm shift in football games and actually ended up being the superior product when compared to the usual front runner Pro Evolution Soccer. Fifa 10 brings with it a number of new buzz...

  • Review Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (PlayStation Minis)

    Like a limited edition McDonalds meal, Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam is a novel one-off that's tantalising despite its inflated price tag and health concerns

    The health concerns in Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam's case are not related to weight concerns, but instead hand cramps. Y'see, before we get started we want to clarify our biggest gripe with Cooking Jam...

  • Review Pinball Fantasies (PlayStation Minis)

    Three questions: Do you like pinball? Do you own a PSP? Can you go without lunch to pay for the game? If you answered all yes to our little questionnaire, then you really should be asking yourself why you're not playing Pinball Fantasies right now

    Pinball Fantasies is an old game. Commodore Amiga old actually. But who the hell cares when it still...

  • Review Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank (PlayStation 3)

    Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank is a frantic, fast and pretty enjoyable 2D blaster; chances are you've seen it all before though

    With the war against the Red Star Forces almost lost, there's just one last weapon on hand to save the day. The atomic tank, a mobile power-house that travels across flat terrain, is prepared to save the day, and you're piloting...

  • Review Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is a totally overhauled version of Ninja Gaiden II that launched exclusively on the XBOX 360 last year

    This upgraded port features enhanced visuals, reworked controls and new playable characters, as well as a complete online two-player co-operative mission mode. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 plots you in the shoes of the Ryu Hayabusa,...

  • Review Beaterator (PlayStation Portable)

    Beaterator is a portable music studio developed by Rockstar Games (the Grand Theft Auto guys) in conjunction with hip-hop producer Timbaland

    Despite the Timbaland branding, the game is suitable for all genres, with a lot of the samples and loops provided by Timbo suiting pop, rock, electro, garage and more. The "game" is divided into three...

  • Review Kahoots (PlayStation Minis)

    Kahoots is a charming little game packed with personality

    From the home-made graphics to the musical tutorials — it's all rather lovely. What do you get if you take Lemmings, add a dash of LittleBigPlanet, and season with Zoo Keeper to taste? No, it's not a joke; it's Kahoots — a charming PSP Mini from British development team HoneySlug. Kahoots...

  • Review Tetris (PlayStation Minis)

    The classic Tetris gameplay remains in-tact in this no-nonsense reproduction of a fan favourite

    Tetris has finally hit the PSP as part of Sony's new PSP Minis initiative. The gameplay remains largely unchanged, with the familiar host of block shapes vying for your line deleting attention through a host of increasingly tense levels. The game does a...

September2009

  • Review Gran Turismo (PlayStation Portable)

    Polyphony Digital's world conquering Gran Turismo franchise finally makes its scaled appearance on the PSP with a mind numbing 800 cars and 35 tracks

    Gran Turismo's world famous physics simulation returns, with a wide variety of cars and track types (dirt, snow, race track) to pit your wits against. There are a range of driving challenges to...

  • Review The King Of Fighters XII (PlayStation 3)

    The classic fighting franchise returns with its core three vs three battle layout in tact

    Every inch the retro fighter, King Of Fighters XII is designed with a combination of retro techniques and next-gen Playstation 3 technology; the game's sprites have each been individually drawn and animated, brimming with style and life via an HD setup. The...

  • Review Mini Ninjas (PlayStation 3)

    Mini Ninjas reveals the tale of an evil samurai warlord who has caused an imbalance in the world

    He must be stopped by the game's protagonist Hiro and the legion of failed samurai warriors he rescues on his path. Mini Ninjas is aimed mostly at children, but like all good children entertainment it has a depth of humour beneath the cuddly layer...

  • Review PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (PlayStation Portable)

    Playstation's premium tower-defence title; PixelJunk Monsters was a huge hit on the Playstation 3, cementing the PixelJunk franchise at the forefront of quirky downloadable titles for the Playstation Network

    PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe does everything its Playstation 3 equivalent does, and more. By using resources to build and power-up a range of...

  • Review Trine (PlayStation 3)

    Serving as a means to make sense of a game where you play as a Wizard, Knight and Thief at the same time; the whimsical plot of Trine tracks the events of three contrasting personalities who have been fused together via the sorcery of a magical artifact

    What ensues is a trip through a deserted kingdom, where the three must each use their unique...

  • Review MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (PlayStation Portable)

    Motorstorm is one of Sony's "new-breed" franchises, emerging as a Playstation 3 launch title

    Evolution Studios' "not-quite-sim-not-quite-arcade-racer" makes its first foray onto other platforms with Motorstorm: Arctic Edge; an off-shoot of the lavish environments from PS3 sequel Pacific Rift. Arctic Edge, as the title suggests, is set atop...

  • Review Need For Speed Shift (PlayStation 3)

    A change of direction for the stagnating Need For Speed franchise, Shift is the game's foray into Gran Turismo territory; a simulation racing with a competent physics engine and visceral cock-pit view

    Need For Speed Shift plays host to a range of car manufacturers, race-tracks and events. The single-player campaign has you competing for...

  • Review SingStar: Motown (PlayStation 3)

    SingStar: Motown is essentially a glorified track-pack

    Still, the range of quality music, low price and typical SingStar options continue to make the franchise a success — if not a somewhat niche one these days. There's something wrong with you if you don't like Motown. A glory era in the age of pop, the Motown record label is synonymous for...

  • Review The Beatles: Rock Band (PlayStation 3)

    The ever-popular rhythm action genre meets the most popular band of all time, The Beatles

    The Beatles: Rock Band is a loving recreation of pivotal moments in the band's elusive history, covering the early days at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club right through to the Abbey Road studio sessions that saw the birth of some of The Beatles' most creative...

  • Review WET (PlayStation 3)

    Taking clear inspiration from the works of Tarantino, WET is a heavily grindhouse themed arcade shooter that follows the exploits of a sassy female protagonist named Rubi

    Caught up in the convoluted plot of blatant twists and wooden acting, WET treads the thin-line of having a plot so obviously bad, it's actually comical. Armed with the fire-power...

  • Review SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny (PlayStation Portable)

    Well, it's Soul Calibur on the PSP

    Based on many of the mechanics from the SoulCalibur IV engine, Broken Destiny is a weapons-based fighting game featuring a host of familiar and equally ridiculous characters. The Star Wars characters from the Playstation 3 version of the game have been replaced with the much better suited Kratos and the deeply...

  • Review Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PlayStation Portable)

    In a less than compelling plot that will no doubt delight Final Fantasy aficionados and baffle the rest of us, the God of discord, Chaos, and the God of Harmony, Cosmos, have engaged in an eternal long tussle within the Final Fantasy universe

    The outset is Chaos importing a dream team of Final Fantasy antagonists to put the cap in Cosmos' reign...

  • Review Smash Cars (PlayStation 3)

    Smash Cars is Creat Studio's latest PSN exclusive

    The game is a sequel to a cult PS2 title of the same name. In this release the developers have kept pretty much everything that made the original game fun in tact, allowing you to race RC cars across an interesting island setting. Much like Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort, the island your racing across...

  • Review Colin McRae: DiRT 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Starting out with just a messy RV and a name to make, DiRT 2 puts you behind the wheel of the late Colin McRae's famous rally car and sets you out on a racing tour of the world

    Operating from the back of your RV you'll embark on some of the world's most famous rally courses alongside some of the scenes biggest names including Ken Block and Dave...

August2009

  • Review Wolfenstein (PlayStation 3)

    It's kind of ironic that Wolfenstein should fall victim to an overcrowded genre that it created

    You step into the shoes of BJ Blazkowicz, a chirpy super-American with the chiseled looks of an overweight Nathan Drake. Once again the Nazis are being general douchebags, digging up some bonkers historical element known as Black Sun Energy. For time...

  • Review Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes (PlayStation 3)

    Marvel Vs

    Capcom 2, the 3-on-3 fighting game that demands silly money on eBay, just got that much more accessible via the wonders of the Playstation Network. The game is heralded as the very pinnacle of the 2D beat 'em up by the elite, largely thanks to its impressive roster and flat-out bonkers gameplay. We don't recommend this to those with...

  • Review G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (PlayStation 3)

    Based upon the recent movie, G

    I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra pits you amidst Cobra's deadliest plot yet, putting you in the shoes of the Joes in a co-op arcade shooting environment. Taking its concept from classic run-and-gun shooters like Contra, The Rise Of Cobra is an isometric co-op shooting experience that can be played locally. There are a range...

  • Review Alone In The Dark: Inferno (PlayStation 3)

    Sometimes games come along that truly innovate but for some reason collapse under the weight of their originality

    Alone In The Dark: Inferno is one such example of brilliant ideas being released before fully developed. Alone In The Dark: Inferno is a vastly improved version of the XBOX 360 game. Improved camera and control make Inferno the...

  • Review Archer Maclean's Mercury (PlayStation Portable)

    Archer Maclean's Mercury is a very clever puzzle game that is well worth the price of entry

    It's a game you'll certainly want downloaded onto your PSP's memory stick for a drab 20 minute journey. Building on the classic Marble Madness, Mercury is a game involving blobs of, well, mercury, and the guiding of them through increasingly difficult mazes...

  • Review Sonic Unleashed (PlayStation 3)

    The most horrendous thing about Sonic Unleashed is that it shows signs of being absolutely, totally, awesome

    It's just a shame about the rest of the game. Mandatory medal-hunts. Awful God Of War-ripped sub-gameplay. Terrible voice acting. Drawn-out level design. Just a few of the reasons that Sonic Unleashed is not quite the game you'd expect it to...

  • Review Fat Princess (PlayStation 3)

    Fat Princess is a co-operative multiplayer game comparable with few other titles

    The objective of the game's main multiplayer type is to rescue your captured princess. The twist is that the princess cannot be swooped up like a heroine from movies of old; she'll have been force-fed ungodly amounts of cake by the opposing team, making her as heavy as...

July2009

  • Review Fritz Chess (PlayStation 3)

    It's chess

    Well in actual fact it's more than that. It's Fritz Chess, which means the game is powered by the best chess AI program currently available. There's a loose adventure mode taking you through a series of medieval "castle" opponents, but you won't be playing for the story; Fritz is all about the super challenging AI. Fritz Chess...

  • Review Shatter (PlayStation 3)

    Simple in concept but deep in reality, Shatter takes the simple gameplay mechanics of Arkanoid and rebuilds them for the "New Arcade" generation

    With a heavy focus on electronic music, score building and non-stop gameplay, Shatter may represent old-school classics at its core, but plays unlike anything. It's a classic example of the perfect...

  • Review Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PlayStation Portable)

    The Monster Hunter franchise has been a cultural phenomenon in Japan

    It still stands as one of the main reasons for the PSP's success in the region - regularly outselling the Wii and occasionally overtaking the DS. There have been Western Monster Hunter releases in the past but rarely have they come close to even matching 10% of the franchise's...

  • Review Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (PlayStation 3)

    Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is a worthy package depending on your music tastes and your desire to play those tracks as part of a full band experience

    If for any reason you're not interested in the tracks available, then being forced to buy this game as full package is probably not recommended. Providing classic hits from the Guitar Hero franchise's...

  • Review Rock Band Unplugged (PlayStation Portable)

    Those of you around in the early days of the Playstation 2 may remember a classic that went by the name Amplitude

    Rock Band Unplugged is that same game without the electronica. Running with the Rock Band franchise, Rock Band Unplugged provides a range of "hits" from the likes of Weezer, Lit, Bon Jovi and many other rock veterans. The game...

  • Review God Of War: Chains Of Olympus (PlayStation Portable)

    Kratos's PSP début is angry as ever

    The game is set as a prequel to the Playstation 2's first God Of War title, where Kratos has been saved by Ares and is working out a seemingly never-ending chain of payback to the Gods of Olympus. The tale develops much further later on in the game and gives Kratos a much deeper sense of character, but we don't...

  • Review topatoi: The Great Tree Story (PlayStation 3)

    Putting you in the thimble spinning wheel like vehicle known as GEMMA, you play as Raph, the subject of a crash landing and the knight in shining armour who will save his girlfriend from kidnap

    There's a story mode and additional platforming challenges available, with leaderboards and collectables providing further challenge. Despite being a...

  • Review Battlefield 1943 (PlayStation 3)

    A Playstation Store download, Battlefield 1943 is a complete competitive multiplayer first-person shooter experience based on the Battlefield franchise

    The game provides two factions (Japan vs. USA) and three maps set in the pacific. A fourth map will be unlocked when Playstation 3 owners garner 43 million kills co-operatively, a neat little...

  • Review Overlord II (PlayStation 3)

    Overlord II is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Overlord

    The game picks up a short while after the last - where the previous Overlord -  putting you in the shoes of a brand new antagonist. Controlling the Overlord essentially relies on issuing commands to your legion of Minions of whom will do your evil bidding whenever you should require it...

  • Review The Punisher: No Mercy (PlayStation 3)

    Set in the gritty universe of The Punisher, No Mercy is an arena based shooter built with the Unreal Engine

    The game is a multiplayer focused release, providing a single player story and co-op mode tied together with some comic-book style plot where the crux gameplay is still based around arena shoot-outs. There are a range of characters from The...

  • Review Fahrenheit (PlayStation 2)

    Hot stuff

    Fahrenheit is a compellingly quirky Playstation 2 affair that we can guarantee plays nothing like any other game you've played. It's original, it's cinematic and while the plot takes a turn for the worse later on, remains refreshing right the way through. Playing through the tutorial to Fahrenheit gives you the instant sense that...

  • Review Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (PlayStation 3)

    Based on the film of the book of the same name, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is the penultimate Harry Potter story which builds into the crux of Harry's story

    The plot essentially culminates in the search for Voldemort's soul via Horcruxes. If you're unfamiliar with the book's plot then you're going to find The Half-Blood Prince pretty...

  • Review Numblast (PlayStation 3)

    Despite being a puzzle title inherently involved with numbers, it's with pleasure for us to inform you that Numblast has absolutely nothing to with maths

    You rotate quadrants of four numbers aiming to create 4x4 squares of the same number. Doing so will increase the number tally, making it possible to score outrageous combos by placing higher...

  • Review Zuma (PlayStation 3)

    Zuma is a simple puzzle game from PopCap games

    A string of marbles move along a winding path towards a skull waiting to eat the string. Alas, you play as a marble shooting frog, able to match up coloured marbles and clear them away before the skull eats them up. Chains are possible via the magnetic properties of similarly coloured marbles, making...

June2009

  • Review Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (PlayStation 3)

    Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood is the prequel to the similarly titled XBOX 360 release

    It follows the early lives of brothers Ray and Thomas McCall, soldiers for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The tale of the McCall's is told via Tarantino style time-leaps, an inviting technique which leaves the plot open to a lot of twists along the...

  • Review Fight Night Round 4 (PlayStation 3)

    Building on the early success of Fight Night Round 3, the latest iteration of EA's boxing franchise builds on the realistic feel and excellent graphics of its predecessor

    The game includes a main campaign entitled the Legacy Mode, which allows you to choose a character and see build them through the ranks. Your ultimate goal is to retire at the...

  • Review Wolfenstein 3D (PlayStation 3)

    Serving as a history lesson for FPS newcomers or a nostalgia trip for the old-school, Wolfenstein 3D's presence on the PSN is certainly justified despite feeling ancient in almost every way

    Wolfenstein 3D is a game that has been around for a whopping 17 years and as such offers very little new. There are trophies to unlock and subsequent rewards for...

  • Review Red Faction Guerrilla (PlayStation 3)

    Red Faction Guerrilla follows the tale of Alec Mason, a simple miner looking to make an honest living on the developing surface of Mars

    But politics are rife on Mars - and the EDF are taking control in none to friendly ways. Unable to resist the temptation of avenging his brother - who fell at the hands of the EDF - Alec Mason is dragged into the...

  • Review Gunstar Heroes (PlayStation 3)

    Gunstar Heroes was bizarrely excluded from SEGA's Ultimate Mega Drive Collection, and while it's irritating to not have your entire collection of Mega Drive titles collectively under one roof - it does make the PSN version of Gunstar Heroes worth so much more than it might have been

    Alas, Gunstar Heroes is a game you're pretty much going to want to...

  • Review Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (PlayStation 3)

    Set in the vibrant world of Ancaria, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel bares many a similarity to hallmark PC titles such as Diablo

    You'll initially select a character from a list of six including the standard fare High Elf to the less than conventional robotic Anubis. Initial customisation is weak, although this comes into play as you collect, buy, sell and...

  • Review Damnation (PlayStation 3)

    Damnation is a stomping cyber-punk affair about everything and nothing

    Taking control of rebel gang member Hamilton Rourke, you're plunged into an alternate past (or future?) where the American Civil War is fought with robots. Fighting an evil dictator known as Prescott and his horde of super charged soldiers you'll see five main levels over a 10...

  • Review Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PlayStation 3)

    Playing as an elusive silent protagonist only referred to as "Rookie", you fill the shoes of the fifth Ghostbuster, learning from the best and embarking on a campaign to save Manhattan from a ruthless army of undead reapers

    Whilst we were initially concerned, playing as the fifth Ghostbuster gives you a snapshot view of the interaction between the...

  • Review FUEL (PlayStation 3)

    FUEL is a massive (5,000² miles massive) open-world racing game, set in a post-apocalyptic future

    Think Fallout 3 meets Burnout Paradise and you're along the right lines. There's a loose story about global warming and a lack of fossil fuels, but this is a racing game through and through. You enter races, earn credits, buy better vehicles and win...

  • Review Trash Panic (PlayStation 3)

    Coming from Japan, Trash Panic is as suitably bonkers as you'd expect

    Trying to explain the concept of the game in a few sentences will be difficult, but we'll try our best. Challenged with a rectangular playing field [a.k.a. bin], you'll be presented with a range of junk - from simple office stationery to entire golf courses (really); you're tasked...

  • Review Bionic Commando (PlayStation 3)

    A reboot of the franchise starring mechanical armed Nathan "RAD" Spencer, Bionic Commando mixes elements of platforming and shooting tied together in a rather loosely written bizarre-o-rama storyline

    The game is set 10 years after Capcom's NES original, in which time has not been kind to protagonist Nate. As he waits for his execution on death-row,...

  • Review Cellfactor: Psychokinetic Wars (PlayStation 3)

    Cellfactor: Psychokinetic Wars is a steam-punk first-person-shooter in the vain of Quake and Doom

    The gameplay has a frantic feel to it, with characters defying physics both in their armoury and combat abilities - hence the name, we assume. Cellfactor has a rather simplistic single-player "campaign" accompanied by some more worthwhile...

May2009

  • Review Virtua Tennis 2009 (PlayStation 3)

    Virtua Tennis is SEGA's acclaimed arcade tennis title, putting you in the shoes of a range of different circuit superstars - Federer, Nadal, Murray, Ivanovic, Sharapova, etc

    The World Tour mode allows you to create your own player and watch them rise through the ranks of the SEGA Pro Tennis tour; completing mini-games and training challenges with...

  • Review inFAMOUS (PlayStation 3)

    You play as Cole McGrath, the subject of an inexplicable explosion, and the carrier of some deadly electrical powers

    With the entirety of Cole's hometown - Empire City - suffering the consequences of the blast, the government puts the location under quarantine. With a loss of order, and gangs rising from the underground, Cole embarks on discovering...

  • Review Bejeweled 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Bejeweled is a simple puzzle game where the player must match sets of three jewels to progress through increasingly difficult stages

    Unlike Tetris and Columns, the screen is constantly full, making the challenge all about finding the jewels to match and also creating "chains" to increase the high score. Matching four jewels creates an...

  • Review Buzz!: Junior: Robo Jam (PlayStation 3)

    There have been a lot of Buzz

    games over the last few years. They were an asset on the Playstation 2 simply because they could blur the lines between casual and hardcore players, much like Nintendo's Wii. Capitalising on the mixed age appeal of the quiz games, Sony diversified the gameshow genre to include minigame compilations under the Buzz!...

  • Review Zen Pinball (PlayStation 3)

    Zen Pinball is the latest digital take on the classic past-time, giving players a choice of four tables to compete in a range of different modes

    Each table varies in tone to the other; whether it be the automotive "V12" or the Honda advert inspired "Tesla". There's no standout here - each is as glorious as the last with DLC...

  • Review SingStar Pop Edition (PlayStation 3)

    Music games have a huge pool of popularity just now

    You've got Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Rock Revolution - erm - Wii Music and many more. All of which cater to different crowds and different types of music genres. In the cases of the aforementioned - Wii Music's nursery rhymes aside - it's usually the commercial rock crowd. Thank goodness for...

  • Review X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PlayStation 3)

    Based on the new Hugh Jackman Wolvie movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is set just before the X-Men films, filling in much of the character's back-story; something which may or may not please comic book aficionados, but is tackled all the same

    The game is directed via a series of flash-backs, which can get confusing, but the majority of the time works...

April2009

  • Review The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena (PlayStation 3)

    The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena is actually a package consisting of two games; the fresh Riddick chapter Assault On Dark Athena and the earlier XBOX-cult exclusive Escape From Butcher Bay

    As it stands, that makes The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena a rather beefy package, including two complete 9-hour games and a...

  • Review OutRun Online Arcade (PlayStation 3)

    OutRun Online Arcade is a port of the classic OutRun 2 SP arcade board, a SEGA AM2 game which featured in part in the home console releases of OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

    Based upon Yu Suzuki's original racing classic, OutRun 2 SP introduced slip-streaming and an American theme. OutRun Online Arcade is a perfect port by Sheffield's SUMO Digital,...

  • Review FIFA 09: Ultimate Team (PlayStation 3)

    Ultimate Team is an extension to the excellent Fifa 09, allowing players to earn coins, buy trading cards and complete a sticker album

    Upon loading Ultimate Team you will be given your first pack of cards featuring some amateur players. From here you can build your team and play matches in order to earn coins. Earning coins allows you to buy new...

  • Review Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists Of Plastic (PlayStation 3)

    Originally developed for the PC by Mark Healey, the co-founder of Media Molecule, Rag Doll Kung Fu is a parody of classic kung fu movies

    The game is a simple arena based beat 'em up, akin to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros., where up to four players select an action-figure protagonist and battle it out on a purposely cliche stage. Rag Doll Kung Fu has a...

  • Review Wanted: Weapons Of Fate (PlayStation 3)

    Set shortly after the ending of the movie, you take control of Wesley Gibson, a smug-faced assassin with the ability to curve bullets

    With the death of his mother burning in his veins, you'll embark on a one-man crusade for revenge, with the narrative flitting between the past and present. Wanted: Weapons Of Fate consists of a 6-hour single campaign...

  • Review The Godfather II (PlayStation 3)

    Obviously taking license from the incredibly successful 1974 movie, The Godfather II is the follow-up video game to 2006's mixed success sandbox adventure

    Deviating sacrilegiously (but necessarily) from some areas of the original movie's plot, you play as Dominic, a soldier under the previous game's protagonist Aldo Trapani. After a brief encounter...

  • Review Buzz!: Brain Of The UK (PlayStation 3)

    Buzz

    is a popular Playstation quiz franchise, providing a satirical look at gameshow culture. The PS3 version of Buzz!: Brain Of The UK plays host to 1,000’s of new questions, alongside the return of online multiplayer and the ability to create and distribute your own quizzes online. Just like Buzz! Quiz TV, Buzz! Brain Of The UK has gorgeous...

  • Review Buzz!: Brain Of The UK (PlayStation Portable)

    Buzz

    is a popular Playstation quiz franchise, providing a satirical look at gameshow culture. The PSP version of Buzz!: Brain Of The UK plays host to 1,000's of questions, a short singleplayer campaign and a couple of multiplayer options. As always, the Buzz! presentation is razor sharp, providing some new "parody" lines from master host...

March2009

  • Review Afro Samurai (PlayStation 3)

    Afro Samurai is a reimagining of the "popular" anime series (we air-quote it because, while we're not anime zealots, we've never heard of it - Ed)

    As a child, Afro Samurai witnesses the murder of his father to the hands of the Number One Headband (the bestest swordsman there is). It's from this moment on that Afro Samurai seeks out the Number Two...

  • Review Stormrise (PlayStation 3)

    Stormrise pitches a moderately engrossing sci-fi plot involving a race of human survivors known as The Echelon

    As human survivors of a failed climate control experiment, they go up against the Sai, an evil tentacle bearing race. The game doesn't exactly do a strong enough job of explaining its premise, but the characters develop enough to create...

  • Review Burn, Zombie, Burn! (PlayStation 3)

    Bruce, a rad quiff-sporting stereotype, was hoping to spend his weekend cozying up to bubble-gum popping spouse Daisy

    Sadly, there's an unannounced zombie invasion issuing him with the task of clearing out the undead. Thankfully Bruce has a stash of crypt crocking weapons available. Burn, Zombie, Burn! is an old school arcade shooter inspired by...

  • Review Vin Diesel Wheelman (PlayStation 3)

    Wheelman puts you in the shoes of Hollywood super-star Vin Diesel, as he tears up the streets of Barcelona posing as Milo Burik

    Finding his feet in the Spanish province, Vin Diesel starts to learn about Barcelona's criminal underground and builds up a relationship with numerous shady locals as a wheelman. Wheelman is an arcade style driving game...

  • Review No Gravity: The Plague Of The Mind (PlayStation Portable)

    No Gravity: The Plague Of The Mind is a space-bound shooter set in the year 8002

    You play as one of the few remaining adventurous pilots, tasked with the mission of scouring space to wipe out the vicious "mind plague". No Gravity's interpretation of space is fantastic. It mainly achieves such gorgeous visuals by the way it fills the screen with...

  • Review Resistance Retribution (PlayStation Portable)

    Set somewhere between the events of Resistance: Fall Of Man and Resistance 2, Resistance Retribution follows new protagonist James Grayson, a British soldier scorned by the death of his brother early on in the game

    Crazed with revenge, Grayson goes on a lone revenge spree against his brothers murderers, the Chimera. The British army, none too...

  • Review Tom Clancy's HAWX (PlayStation 3)

    Tom Clancy's HAWX puts you in the shoes of US pilot David Crenshaw

    The plot is set somewhere in between the events of Ghost Recon 2 and EndWar, though they have little influence. Swayed by the big-bucks of lavish security firm Artemis you quickly wave your goodbyes to the tight-fisted US government and take to the skies as a hired gun. Naturally,...

  • Review Patapon 2 (PlayStation Portable)

    Patapon is a rhythm game that combines elements of RPG and strategy with its beat-matching gameplay

    You use the face buttons to create a beat, of which certain patterns control the angry-eyed Patapon warriors you oversee. On its surface, Patapon feels like basic rhythm game. But as you progress you'll find the game has a lot of depth which requires...

  • Review Killzone 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Killzone 2 is the sequel to the ambitious but flawed PS2-shooter Killzone

    The game details the events that occur during an ongoing war between the ISA and an extra-terrestrial dictatorship race, the Helghast. You play as Sev, a single member of the ISA Alpha Squad. Killzone 2 is the best looking console game we've ever seen. Everything from the...

February2009

  • Review SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (PlayStation 3)

    SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is a compilation of over 40 of SEGA's Mega Drive games

    Included are the likes of Sonic The Hedgehog, Streets Of Rage and many more which helped to define not only the Mega Drive, but also the 16-bit era. A series of interviews are also included alongside some classic arcade emulations to make the package complete...

  • Review Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3)

    Street Fighter is, arguably, the most famous beat 'em up franchise in the world

    In its fourth iteration, developers Capcom have dumped new gimmicks in order to create a focused, balanced and competitive experience based on the elements that have made the game a worldwide success. Street Fighter IV is so well balanced, so well thought-out and so...

  • Review Noby Noby Boy (PlayStation 3)

    Where to start? Created by Katamari mastermind Keita Takahashi, you play as BOY, a small-worm like creature with four legs who can stretch almost infinitely

    His front legs are controlled with the left stick and his back legs with the right.  Essentially pulling the sticks apart will stretch BOY until he reaches the constraints of the randomly...

January2009

  • Review Magic Ball (PlayStation 3)

    The whole concept of the game relies on excellent physics

    Gone are the static "blocks" of old Breakout games and in their place pirate ships, dragons and all sorts of buildings and barrels. Everything is affected by the contact of the ball with some power-ups causing objects to fly across the screen; the wind effect is an excellent example...