12th May2013

‘TMNT: Rooftop Run’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

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Manufacturer: Nickleodeon
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: £1.49
Rating: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run is, like Cannibalt, Inspector Gadget, Jetpack Joy and Mini Ninjas before it, yet another endless runner game for iOS. This time allowing players to assume the role of their favourite Turtle, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, as they outrun the Kraang’s tractor beam, fighting their way across the rooftops of New York in an attempt to save the city from ultimate destruction, battling enemies with Ninjutsu combat along the way. As enemies are defeated, players earn coins that can be redeemed for the usual power ups, weapons and gear.

Players also need to collect energy orbs to fill the Energy Meter and keep the Kraang away, run out of energy and its game over. However once the Energy Meter is filled, the game enters “Turtle Time” – a fantastic special combat mode where game play is slowed down, and players must tap in rapid succession, a la rhythm gaming, striking multiple enemies simultaneously in a thrilling fight sequence to increase coin collection.

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Game features include:

  • Battle hoards of enemies from the Foot Clan, Kraang, and Dimension X
  • Activate Turtle Time to fight up close in a slow-motion combat sequence
  • Outfit the Turtles in exclusive Cyber and Stealth gear
  • Upgrade with weapons, gadgets and boosts like the Laserbot and Turtle Saver
  • Unlock and play as the Turtles’ formidable canine foe Dogpound
  • Earn rewards from the pizza time mini-game
  • Epic Boss Battles

Besides the run, players can visit a Turtle Lair to unlock characters, purchase power ups and upgrade their Turtle’s weapons and gear.  New gear influences coin collection rates, energy meter drainage and refills, builds players’ resistance to certain obstacles and enables them to fast-forward to any section of the game already played, gaining additional coins.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run doesn’t offer anything new to the genre, however there’s a lot of fun to be had in the “Turtle Time” mode, enough to make me want to see more of this type of “combat” game rather than more titles like Rooftop Run. But if you like endless runner games you’ll enjoy this iteration of the now very-familiar sub-genre. Plus kids that love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will lap it up.

Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run is available on the App Store now for £1.49.

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06th May2013

‘Alien Chaos 3D’ Review (3DS)

by Phil Wheat

“Really Shooter and his mother, Mama, run a cleaning and demolition business, and recently saved the world from an alien robot invasion. Now the robots are back and they’ve kidnapped Mama! Whatever they want her for, Really decides to take the fight to the robots, and heads for the nearest house leading up to one of their spaceships. Since he’ll inherit the business one day, Really Shooter has a compulsive habit of cleaning up whatever mess he leaves behind and this is one messy guy.”

AC-3D

A sequel to the little-played 2012 XBLA release Mama & Son: Clean House, Alien Chaos 3D is a download-only title for the Nintendo 3DS from publishers Reef Entertainment that plays very much like Bubble Bobble with guns instead of bubbles and alien robots instead of cutesy animals.

The gameplay is simple – this single-screen shooter sees you blast all the aliens that appear out of various portals scattered throughout each level/screen. However it’s not quite that simple. You see your weapon(s) run out of ammo and the only way to fill them up is to sweep up the broken parts of robots and other trash strewn around the place and push the rubble in rubbish bins, which will then reward you buy dropping bullets for your gun from outlets at the top of the screen. But bullets alone will not save you… No, when the going gets tough, the tough must clean even more! You see Really has a special power that, when unleashed, causes a huge explosion which will wipe out all the enemies within it’s blast radius. However to charge up your special power you must scrub down the walls of the room you’re in to remove the mess left from killing the alien robots – only doing so leaves you incredibly vulnerable to attack!

And so Alien Chaos 3D continues: kill and clean, kill and clean. There is some increase in difficulty as the waves of alien robots get faster and the action more frantic but for experienced gamers there’s nothing here that will be too taxing. Which is a shame, because that also means the game isn’t that long either – it’s easily completable within one afternoon and even with the Challenge Mode and StreetPass options available, I would have still liked to see more game for the money.

Despite the short amount of playtime, Alien Chaos 3D is still a excellent, fun puzzle-shooter – perfect for playing on the daily commute. The game is available to buy now on Nintendo’s eShop from publishers Reef Entertainment.

**** 4/5

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05th May2013

‘Worms: The Revolution Collection’ Review (Xbox 360)

by Phil Wheat

Worms: Revolution, the latest game in the classic turn-based strategy series, is fully loaded with exciting new features and beautiful 3D graphics but still retains the classic 2D gameplay that fans love. Introducing dynamic water effects, exploding physics objects and four different class acts to choose from and customise your game! Worms Revolution brings a whole host of anarchic additions – more single player missions, more puzzles, more customisation and… more worms!

Worms: The Revolution Collection contains this latest game (previously available as a downloadble title) in the best-selling turn-based series, plus all three DLC packs – Mars, Funfair and Medieval Tales – and as an added bonus Worms 2: Armageddon and all five of its DLC packs – including the previously sold separately Battle, Puzzle,Forts, Time Attack and Retro.

Who would have thought that worms were psychopathic little killers who love to go to war? If you don’t know by now they have quite a history of blowing each other up, in a game of course, you won’t be going out into the garden at night to see World War Worms taking place. Worms: The Revolution Collection brings back the underground soldiers to the Xbox 360 in all their explosive glory.

The first thing noticeable about Worms: Revolution is that the graphics have had an overhaul; the worms themselves have more detail to them, more animation in the way they die and have more personality. They also have more weapons with which to kill each other, ranging from the more ordinary missile launchers, shotguns, air strikes and proximity mines to such moves as the Shoryuken from Street Fighter II there are plenty of ways to kill off your opponents. The game features plenty of little homages to other games and movies if you take the time to look for them; which is of course part of the fun. Also worthy of note is the added life in the background of the levels, for example in the training missions the giant rat in the background who goes on living his life while your little worms find the best way to blow each other up.

Worms: The Revolution Collection is split into single player player missions (32 levels) and a further 20 puzzle missions to keep the more lonely player entertained. For those worm enthusiasts who want to play with friends there can be up to four players in Deathmatch, Forts and Classic mode. There are also four different variety of worm (Soldier, Scout, Scientist and Heavy) all with their own customisable clothing and additional objects.

Worms: The Revolution Collection is out now for the Xbox 360 from Mastertronic.

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30th Apr2013

‘House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

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Manufacturer: SEGA
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: £2.99
Rating: 5/5

Based on the 2009 Wii hit, The House of the Dead: Overkill and developed by Magic Pockets (who were also responsible for the iPhone/iPod Touch zombie FPS Undead: In the Last Refuge, The House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels puts fans back into the action with original cast members Agent G and Detective Washington as they fight their way through Bayou City to Papa Caesar’s Mansion in another on-rails arcade shooter.

The game can be played either in Story mode, which sees you fight your way through three levels of carnage or Survival mode, where you face wave after wave of blood-thirsty zombies. Story mode is essentially the same as the Wii iteration of the game, with a graphical update of course, “remixed” for iOS but what makes this new version stand out is the fantastic, and intuitive, control system…

The decision to forgo a control stick overlay in favour of being able to use your fingers/thumb anywhere on the left of the screen means that you can find the position that’s best for you (although this game is so addictive that no matter how you control your crosshair you’re guaranteed to suffer from hand ache at some point). The House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels also features accelerometer compatibility, and the unlockable Frenzy Tap makes blasting zombies a breeze.

It’s not all perfect however, as there are some collision detection issues – namely in attempting to kill the hordes of zombies via headshots alone (yes I know you don’t HAVE to play the game this way, but it makes for more fun). On a few occasions a clear headshot would not kill a zombie and look more like a chest shot, whereas the opposite is also true: a chest shot would on occasion result in a headshot! It’s a small glitch that won’t spoil most people’s fun, unless you’re aiming (pardon the pun) for multiplier-increasing headshot bonus… Like me.

Killing zombies earns you Ka$h, the in-game currency and you can use the money to upgrade your arsenal through in-app purchases – making your pistol to something that really blasts through flesh. You can also enhance your killing prowess with combo extenders, reload boosters, and other game-changing upgrades.

Despite its few flaws, The House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels B-movie style action and over-the-top humor will ensure hours of finger-blasting (and finger-aching) fun. If you enjoyed either the Wii or PS3 iterations of the game, you’ll get a kick out of this portable version.

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25th Apr2013

‘Dead Island: Riptide’ Review (Xbox 360)

by Phil Wheat

Oh my god… Just when you thought Techland’s Dead Island couldn’t get any worse, along comes the sequel!

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I think it’s safe to say gamers were severely burned by the original Dead Island – after all the original filmic trailer bore ZERO resemblance to the finished product, which itself was full of bugs, glitches and issues that rendered the game almost unplayable. Those that did persevere with the game weren’t rewarded for their patience either. So now comes the sequel, Dead Island: Riptide, which developers Techland promises is a much more polished affair.

They lied.

Dead Island: Riptide continues on with the same abominable problems as the first game,  including terrible collision detection that seems to have a mind of its own, ropey graphics complete with tons of screen tear (even in the cut scenes for christ’s sake!), and what look to be unfinished graphics in both the zombies and their surroundings. Of all the problems, the collision detection is my biggest bug-bear with the game. The completely unpredictable way in which you can one minute be hack your way through crowds of zombies with ease, and then suddenly have your weapon literally pass through the same crowd of zombies WITHOUT DOING THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF DAMAGE is so frustrating it puts a damper on any “good” the game may do.

The game sees you once again (following a fantastic first few scenes set on a ship) wandering around the beautiful locale hacking and slashing your way, FPS-style, through hordes of zombies whilst trying to complete various missions, level your character up, build new weapons and basically survive. There have been changes to how the leveling mechanic works but it still takes too long to build up a decent cache of weaponry (the early guns not included). Fair enough, you do get a crowbar in the early stage of the game but the fact you run out of “power” whilst wielding it does absolutely nothing to help bolster any confidence is the combat system.

Characters from the first game are brought back for Dead Island: Riptide, alongside new character John Morgan – whose only admirable character trait is a hefty new kick mechanic that can make close combat and melee situations a little more even-sided. You can, as I did, import your already levelled up character from the first game. But fat lot of good that will do you  when the collision detection is so bad… Although I will say some of the zombies in this game are so ” dead” they have no clue you’re in the vicinity until you lump them on the head with the crowbar! Which means you can, if you choose to, run past all the games stupider zombies.

I can’t stress this enough. Dead Island: Riptide does not correct ANY of the mistakes of the original. If you didn’t have any fun playing the first game, you really won’t like this one either. My advise? Rent or borrow this. Definitely not worth buying, which is probably why Techland/Deep Silver are still offering the controversial “zombie torso” collectors edition for sale – to tempt suckers!

* 1/5

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23rd Apr2013

‘Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut’ Review (PS3)

by Phil Wheat

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Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut is an open-world game set in Greenvale, a secluded rural town in North West America. Playing as FBI Special Agent Francis York, gamers are charged with solving the shocking, ritualistic and brutal murder of a local girl, unravelling the mystery via clues, lies and a trail of bodies. Agent York travels around Greenvale in a variety of vehicles – entertaining gamers with facts about movies along the way – encountering eccentric natives, supernatural creatures and a folklore killer, who stalks his victims in a blood-drenched rain coat.

Having already seen a console release in 2010 on the Xbox 360, you may have heard the rumours surrounding this game, but let me use this review to put the record straight. Deadly Premonition is STILL (even in this directors cut version) one of the best worst games ever made. Ever.

The first thing that struck you about the Xbox 360 version of Deadly Premonition was the terrible control system and the early-2000′s era graphics. Coming across as something you’d see on the original Xbox – the graphics looked lo-res at times and definitely sub-par – especially when compared to the similarly-themed Alan Wake. However this new PS3-exclusive iteration of the game, dubbed Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut to differentiate it from the original, features a completely reworked control system and mappable controls allow for an even better combat experience AND a complete graphic overhaul with new HD textures! Whilst there may be new aspects to this directors cut what hasn’t changed is the fantastically original real time “hygiene” aspect that once again means shaving, showering and eating are essential – Agent York’s level of hygiene actually has consequences within the game as it influences the towns folk’s perceptions of him… Which frankly is a genius idea!

And that’s not the only genius idea in the game – from the level design and character design to the story, Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut is full of superb ideas. OK, some of the ideas may be the work of a completely mad genius but they’re still genius! And the mad genius himself, game director Hidetaka “Swery65″ Suehiro has also contributed a new scenario in this release that will please new and hardcore fans alike.

Thankfully the tweaks to this new iteration of Deadly Premonition doesn’t effect what made the original game so great – the tension, which really grabs you from the get go. Much like Alan Wake before it, and even moreso Dead Space, Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut is friggin’ scary! In fact I don’t think I’ve jumped out of my skin as much playing a video game since the first time I played Dead Space.

If the game doesn’t feature the greatest graphics or controls (which are still a little “iffy” in this new version), what Deadly Premonition has OVER other horror video game titles is the longevity. Between the main game, the side quests and mini-games – such as darts, fishing and collecting trading cards(?) – you’ll be playing this game for anywhere up to a reported 60 hours! I’ll admit I’ve been playing the game for a number of hours now and I still feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of the game. Admittedly you can finish the game without completing all the quests and mini games and just complete the main story, but you’ll miss out on some superb, if sometimes very weird, aspects of the game.

It’s all been said before but, yes Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut  is like playing a console version of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, complete with the same strange scenarios, bizarre characters and just downright eeriness. Buy it now. Seriously. Or I’ll be round to force-feed you pickles…

***** 5/5
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22nd Apr2013

‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

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Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Distributor: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: FREE
Rating: 5/5

Developed from the ground up by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, Injustice: Gods Among Us is a free-to-play mobile game based on the accompanying Xbox 360 and PS3 title, which delivers stunning graphics and a completely unique fighting gameplay experience created especially for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Injustice: Gods Among Us sees players battle in 3-on-3 tag team combat that pits many of DC Comics’ most popular icons such as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Aquaman and more against one another. There are many fighting games available on iOS, so what makes this one stand out from the crowd? Well for a start it’s not you traditional mobile-fighter. Instead of opting for overlaid controls, Injustice: Gods Among Us uses (at least in the iPad version we played) the entire screen surface for the buttons, and there’s no joypad… Yes, you read that right. Instead of an overlaid joypad, the game uses auto movement which turns this into little more than a button-basher. However this is still, without a doubt, the BEST button-bashing fighter available for iOS right now.

The control system is kept as simple as possible: tap for light punch, swipe for heavy punch. You can combo your punches together as well – three light punches will, at times, unlock the knockdown blow command (a simple directional swipe indicated on the screen). Each successfully landed blow also builds your special move meter – which is triggered by tapping on the power bar. You then follow a series of “quicktime-event” style on screen prompts (such as tapping when a moving line hits a certain point on the screen, or rapidly tapping a target, or swiping a certain direction) to unleash a devastating attack on your opponent. You can even defend attacks with a swift two-fingered tap on the screen. Admittedly the control system is very simple but the simplicity makes Injustice: Gods Among Us incredibly addictive – especially if, like me, you work out timings and strategies to inflict damage on each individual opponent the most effectively.

As you progress through the game you characters are automatically levelled up, plus the game also features a collectible card mechanic that sees you buy – using coins collected for winning matches or bought via micro transaction – power ups, unlock new special powers, and increase damage, health etc. If you collect enough coins you can also buy new characters, the most powerful of which cost a HELL of a lot of in-game currency. However if you’ve been playing long enough to amass that many coins, your characters will be much more powerful than any you can buy. It’s not all good though…

Sadly Injustice: Gods Among Us features an “energy” mechanic that limits the amount of play time you can have in any one sitting. At first the “one energy unit per fight” is quite acceptable but as the game progresses the amount of energy expelled increases, so much so that you’ll either spend real money buying energy, or spend a lot of time waiting for your characters energy bars to automatically refill. Thankfully if you do have the patience to wait, which I did, the game will let you know when you can fight again via a handy notification (one of the only times game notifications are actually useful).

Fans who also own the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will be able to unlock content in the console versions that will be available in the mobile game, and vice versa, by registering for a Warner Bros. ID (WBID) account and playing the game. For example, by using the iOS game you’ll unlock certain skins and icons on the console version; likewise, completing certain objectives on the console version will grant you rewards in the iOS game. Apparently the cross-platform feature is not available on the Wii U, so stick to the 360 and PS3 versions.

A superb example of how to translate a console game to mobile, Injustice: Gods Among available now on the App Store.

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17th Apr2013

‘Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad’ Review (PS3)

by Phil Wheat

Manufacturer: 2XL Games
Specs: Xbox Live Arcade | PSN
Rating: 2/5

Based on seven-time AMA Supercross champ Jeremy McGrath’s latest passion: four-wheel offroad truck racing, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad, from developers 2XL Games – who are well-known for racing games like Baja: Edge of Control and 2XL ATV Offroad 2009 and utilises the same proprietary XLR8R engine to create the arcade racing action in 60fps full 1080p HD. Featuring five vehicle classes, six race tracks, online multiplayer for up to eight players, and a career mode that sees you take on 23 courses of off-road action, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad sounds like a race gamer dream but in practise it turned out to be a lot less so…

The Good

This high-octane and addictive racer features deep customization and advancement within four categories of vehicular upgrades and an experienced-based leveling system. Whether it is a rally car or a trophy truck, there are plenty of fully-licensed vehicles to choose from. Players can race four-wheeled, 800-horsepower offroad race trucks with tons of customizable options, as well as five vehicle classes including Rally Cars, Pro Buggies and Pro Lite Trucks

There are six race tracks that include the snowy hills of the Netherlands to the Amazon Rainforest, which can all be played in both eight-player online multiplayer, which boasts dynamic interactions between all competing vehicles so players can see and feel the impact of mid-race collisions; or in career Mode, which sees payers take the role of superstar Jeremy McGrath in his bid for the Pro2 championship within the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series – again, all with real-time online statistic tracking and leaderboards.

The Bad

In the press release for Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad it states that 2XL worked with Stephane “The Flying Frenchman” Roncada (a former AMA East Coast Supercross champion), to utilize his real-world racing knowledge to help with the design of the race tracks and help with the tuning for the various difficulty levels offered so they present a challenge to all level of players as they progress through career mode. All I can say about that fact is that 2XL wasted their money!

Even as someone who plays racing games very infrequently (I can count the amount of racing games I’ve played on one hand), I sailed through Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad. In fact on a second play-through, on the hardest difficulty setting, I timed myself. I completed the entire game in 2 hours with bathroom breaks, came 1st in every race and sometimes won by as much as 30 seconds!

Graphically the game looks OK for a download title and I did have fun playing it. But due to the ridiculously easy difficulty levels, if you’re a racing fan, this is probably only worth buying when the price drops…

Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad is available now on PSN and XBLA.

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14th Apr2013

‘The Croods: Prehistoric Party’ Review (3DS)

by Phil Wheat

Inspired by the Dreamworks animated movie The Croods, this latest in a long line of video game tie-ins tries something a little different to other such games. Whereas many a licensed game will take the plot of the film and shoehorn it into a totally unrelated game or rush production leading to a flawed finished product, The Croods: Prehistoric Party takes a leaf out of the Mario Party playbook and uses the film as inspiration for a prehistoric party game featuring the cast of characters and some of the locations from the Dreamworks movie.

The Croods: Prehistoric Party features 30 mini games including rock bowling, egg football, many of which are also available in the Wii and Wii U versions. – in fact the only major difference between the home console iteration and the 3DS version is the fact that the handheld game is single player only, which defeats the purpose of a “party game” right? Maybe…

Whilst you can play The Croods: Prehistoric Party in single player mode, there is a “Tournament” mode available that sees you take on other members of the Croods in a set of mini games in order to earn Prehistoric points (and win against your opponent) and these points can be used to purchase unlockables within the game – including artwork from the film and bonus mini games.

If you’ve ever played a party game before you’ll know what to expect from The Croods: Prehistoric Party. Bright, colourful and very kid-friendly, the game is perfect for kids who enjoyed the movie.

The Croods: Prehistoric Party is available now on Nintendo 3DS, Wii and Wii U.

** 2/5

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06th Apr2013

‘Bioshock Infinite’ Review (Xbox 360)

by Phil Wheat

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Let me start off by saying I’m not the greatest fan of the first two Bioshock games. Whilst I appreciate their playability and their stories I always felt like there was something missing. Something I hoped I would find in the the game in the series, Bioshock Infinite.

And I was right.

BioShock Infinite puts players in the shoes of U.S. Cavalry veteran turned hired gun Booker DeWitt. Indebted to the wrong people and with his life on the line, DeWitt has only one opportunity to wipe his slate clean. He must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl imprisoned since childhood and locked up in the flying city of Columbia. Forced to trust one another, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond during their daring escape. Together, they learn to harness an expanding arsenal of weapons and abilities as they fight on zeppelins in the clouds, along high-speed Sky-Lines, and down in the streets of Columbia, all while surviving the threats of the air-city and uncovering its dark secret…

In all my years of playing video games there have only ever been a few titles that I have ever eagerly played through, staying up late to finish one last level or passing up on another activity to keep playing “that” game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Super Mario Bros 3 on the NES; Alien 3 (yes, Alien 3)on the Sega Megadrive; Super Mario World 1 and 2 on the Snes; and more recently Uncharted 2 and 3 on the Playstation 3. All games that I have played as much as humanly possible, given the number of hours in a day, to completion. If I tell you that Bioshock Infinite now joins those ranks it should give you some idea of just how damn good this game is. Especially if I also tell you that my relationship with FPS games has always been a strained one…

I was a huge fan of the Doom/Hexen/Quake era of FPS games but fell out with them after the release of Quake III: Arena (which we used to play over the works LAN back in 2000). I lapped up Painkiller when it was released in 2004, but everything else left me a little cold. As for the likes of the Battlefield and Call of Duty franchises – no thanks! So imagine how surprised I was to find Bioshock Infinite rekindling my love of FPS games and that long-forgotten”must-play” itch.

Besides the obvious FPS trappings, what makes Bioshock Infinite such a great game is the attention to detail. From the story, to the graphics to the absolutely astounding sound, 2K and Irrational Games should both be commended for sticking with the game, even at the expense of pushing back the release date, to make sure that the finished product was the best it could be (even if I did find a bug in the game that had me fall infinitely *groan* from Columbia). The quality seeps from every pixel and the love put into the development translates perfectly into the finished game.

This is, in the end, a surprising game. One that touches on religion and racism of America in the early 20th Century; has elements of classic steampunk, whilst blending in magic and demonlogy; is colourful and vibrant, yet feels as creepy and eerie as as the first two (darker) games. It’s a blend of contradictory elements that all come together to form one of the best games released, so far, this year.

Bioshock Infinite is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. And it’s a must-buy.

***** 5/5

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03rd Apr2013

‘Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory’ Review (PS3)

by Phil Wheat

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“Several years after preventing Arfoire’s revival, Gamindustri has remained at peace. The CPUs and their younger sisters have been enjoying their quiet lives for a while… Then one day, the CPU of Planeptune—Neptune—is sent to another dimension. This new dimension feels very much like her own…except it has only progressed to the Gamindustri of the 1980s. In this dimension, a group of villains calling themselves the “Seven Sages” are trying to create a world free from the rule of CPUs. With help from her new friends, including that dimension’s CPU of Planeptune — Plutia — Neptune begins her quest to protect a totally different Gamindustri in her brand-new adventure!”

And so begins Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, the third game in the dungeon-crawling JRPG series which once again follows Neptune, the self-aware star of the franchise, who meets friends new and old after getting transported back to a parallel universe: a 1980s version of Gamindustri. Only this time Neptune is no longer the CPU of Planeptune and her former CPU buddies, Vert, Blanc, Noire, and the “countries” they represent are no longer as friendly as they were in her world so Neptune must now navigate her way through this parallel universe and back to her own.

Much like the Parodius games of the 8 and 16 bit eras, the Hyperdimension franchise has always has one foot in the world of parody – after all, when the four countries in the game are named Lowee, Lastation and Leanbox (after the current-gen console manufacturers) there’s no way you can be taken seriously; and the idea of parody is carried through to the gameplay (and sometimes the music) which often parodies, and occasionally pays homage to, more “serious” JPRGs – especially the granddaddy of them all, Final Fantasy.

Unlike many Western RPGs, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, like the rest of the series, tells it’s story through a combination of visual novel, point and click adventure and dungeon-crawling RPG. Sadly, like its fellow franchise members, Victory spends way too much time “telling” its story rather than letting you play the game; and you’ll often find yourself wading through masses of text just to get to the next playable portion of the story. Thankfully this time round there is the possibility of skipping a LOT of this banal chit-chat (which most of the text portions of this release are) and cracking on with the game!

Once again it’s down to the dungeon-crawling aspects of Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory to rescue what is, in the end, little more than a mundane fan-service visual anime “novel”. Like all RPGs, Western or Eastern, the dungeon set battles are turn-based affairs in which players choose if they wish to defend, use a SP (special) skill, EXE drive, normal attack, activate HDD (hard drive divinity) mode. SP skills tend to just be powerful attacks or heals that use SP;  EXE drive are more powerful attacks that use your EXE gauge, which is built up by fighting.; normal attack allows you to choose from a strong attack, quick attack or attack that focuses on damaging the enemies guard; and activating HDD uses 100 or so SP and drains your SP per turn, but gives your character a large increase to damage.

Winning battles gains you items and experience (no surprise there) which in turn level up your character. Other than the traditional grinding to level up your character, you can buy and equip items to increase your power and of course you can buy new costumes (although they have zero bearing on your abilities). It’s all very much bog-standard RPG mechanics, just wrapped up in a JRPG skin. Which is a shame as I was expecting a little more from a franchise now on its third game…

If you’ve played and enjoyed the first two games in the series, you’ll no-doubt be pleased to hear that Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is more of the same. But for those looking for something a little different (isn’t that the reason we play JRPGs?) you might just be disappointed.

HDNV-3 HDNV-2 HDNV-1

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is out now on Playstation 3.

*** 3/5

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01st Apr2013

‘Sonic Dash’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

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Manufacturer: Sega
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: 69p
Rating: 5/5

Developed specifically for mobile platforms by Hardlight Studios, Sonic Dash comes to iOS with a fully realised 3D Sonic world in yet another (the third released this month) endless runner. The game sees you play as Sonic or one of his friends to take on Seaside Hill, using each characters abilities to dash, spin and jump your way through at high speeds. As per traditional Sonic titles, various hazards, enemies and awesome 3-dimensional loop-de-loops await you as you flick left, right up and down with your speedy fingertips in hopes of getting just that little bit further…

Sonic the Hedgehog would, at least on paper, seem like the perfect candidate for an endless runner game. After all Sonic is all abut high speed gameplay and collecting rings, two things that endless runner games are also known for. Couple that with bold, bright graphics, the usual catchy Sonic soundtrack and a dash of video gaming nostalgia, and you’d be on to a winner right? So why isn’t Sonic Dash as good, or as fun, as it should be?

Why? Because a) Sonic Dash is nothing we’ve haven’t seen before and b) the game is bogged down by an over-abundance of in-app purchases. Essentially the hit endless runner app Subway Surfers in a Sonic skin, the real problem with the game is its reliance on “freemium” content to allow you to progress further and climb leaderboards. In fact such is the reliance of in-app purchases that you can, should you so wish, BUY your way up the leaderboards if you’re willing to but enough red rings that is… Of course there are gold rings to collect, but these only let you unlock  power-ups to help you get further, including head starts, revives and ring magnets  – typical endless runner upgrades.

Graphically the game cannot be faulted and it’s control system is just as good. But, sadly, Sonic Dash is nothing that hasn’t been done before or without such a heavy reliance on freemium content.

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25th Mar2013

‘Mini Ninjas’ Review (iOS)

by Phil Wheat

Hell Yeah Pocket Inferno

Manufacturer: Square Enix
Specs: Requires iOS 4.3 or later (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad).
RRP: 69p
Rating: 3/5

Four years after making their debut on home consoles, the Mini Ninjas come to iOS in a fast-paced, beautifully styled adventure which, whilst updating the gameplay for mobile, stays faithful to original storyline and is just as addictive and just as kid-friendly.

In this new game you play as Hiro as he runs, jumps and slashes his way through the ancient lands in yet another endless runner game (the amount of runner games on iOS and Android is also seemingly getting as endless). The aim of the game is to retrieve the stolen artefact from the dragon, collect Kuji Energy to upgrade and unlock new powers, and rescue your fellow ninjas on the way – ninjas who you can then play as using their unique powers to get through the next portion of the level and help defeat the evil samurai warlord’s magical army who, in the essence of a kid-friendly game, have been transformed from animals into evil minions by forbidden magic.

If you’ve played any other endless runner games – Temple Run, Jetpack Joyride et al – you know what to expect from Mini Ninjas. Yes, it is a lot faster paced than many other similar games but it still features the same familiar game play and comes complete with the same “headstarts”, level “warps” and power ups seen in the aforementioned games. In the end there’s nothing really new here, yet at the same time – thanks to the cutesy graphics and great characters – the game still feels remarkably fresh. Plus I have a soft spot for ninjas!

According to the press info, Mini Ninjas apparently features an extensive range of customisation features, achievements and unlockable content available to users in the Dojo, your game hub and you have the ability to craft items using your collectibles, creating new power-ups and equipment. Also available is an array of customisable outfits and potions, to earn and purchase; however – as per a lot of these endless runner games – a lot of upgrades either a) take a ridiculous amount of playtime to earn the upgrades, or b) are only available as massively overpriced micro transactions… So, like many games of this ilk, I didn’t waste any time buying items – oddly, despite Mini Ninjas‘ overall speed, it seems slow and steady is the way (at least when it comes to customisation and upgrading).

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22nd Mar2013

‘Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams’ Review (Xbox 360)

by Phil Wheat

Manufacturer: Sega
Specs: Xbox Live Arcade (now) | PSN (April)
RRP: 1200 MS Points
Rating: 3/5

Originally funded through Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is the home console debut of the stars of The Great Giana Sisters, the classic Commodore-era “bootleg” version of Super Mario Bros; and a duo whose second game, merely titled Giana Sisters, bizarrely saw an official release on Nintendo’s flagship DS handheld in 2009 – despite, if memory serves me correctly, Nintendo threatening legal action against the original title back in 1987!

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams sees gamers play as two very dissimilar sisters on a journey to a fantastic world in which the sisters’ different abilities are the keys to solving puzzles and defeating terrible monsters. Giana transforms herself with lightning speed to solve puzzles or make use of special abilities. With each transformation, her reality changes, and only players who skillfully apply the right strategy can complete tricky levels and defeat nasty end-bosses.

One of the first things I noticed about Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams after booting up the game was the soundtrack. Chris Hülsbeck, who scored the original game back in the 80s is back once more for this redux, along with the band Machinae Supremacy – and it sounds like they’ve brought the score out of the 80s with them! Soaring guitars, uplifting synths – it actually sounds at times like you’re listening to the final “love theme” from a John Hughes movie. Yet at other times the soundtrack sounds more ominous, with more of an 80s metal vibe. And it’s the soundtrack which, when all’s said and done, remains the highlight of the game…

The dichotomy found in the music continues throughout the game as you jump between realities, and sisters, to complete each level and collect all the available jewels in what is essentially a three-dimensional 2D platformer. Don’t get me wrong, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a great entry into the series, yet at the same time I think it takes away from what made the first two games so great – the fact that they were *traditional* 2D side-scrolling platformers. Of course updating the graphics (which look superb by the way) and the gameplay for the Xbox 360 and PS3 was a necessity and, of course, it helps to remove some of the “SMB clone” stigma attached to the franchise, but I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic for the previous games whilst playing this one. Now where’s my DS?

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is out now on Xbox Live, with other formats to follow. You can find more information about the game at www.gianasisterstwisteddreams.com

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