GamesTM - Issue 90

[prinnysquad]

Reviews (format reviewed in brackets)

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: 9 (360)
Lego Rock Band: 7 (360)
DJ Hero: 9 (360)
New Super Mario Bros Wii: 8 (Wii)
Dragon Age: Origins: 8 (360)
Left 4 Dead 2: 8 (360)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles: 8 (Wii)
Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 9 (pc)
Eufloria: 7 (pc)
Demon's Souls: 10 (ps3)
Rabbids Go Home: 7 (Wii)
Assassin's Creed II: 9 (360)
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games: 7 (Wii)
Saw: 3 (ps3)
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias: 8 (Wii)
Lucidity: 7 (360)


Cover depicts a big 'R' surrounded by Rare characters, which a feature inside about 'What Rare Did Next'. Previews include Dark Void, Epic Mickey, Bayonetta and Dead Rising 2. Features include Proving Grounds, about Ruffian's Crackdown 2, Who Are You?, about the anonymity of developers and lack of celebrities in gaming, and Playstation Paradox, concerning the debatable 'success' of the PSP.
Retro has a Behind the Scenes on Shining Force, Space Invader Hall of Fame, and a feature on Apple gaming.

[fuse]

Aww, was hoping for another 10/10 for Bayonetta

Demon's Souls continues to be the one game making me want a PS3 more than any other...

[losersclub]

Aww, was hoping for another 10/10 for Bayonetta

Demon's Souls continues to be the one game making me want a PS3 more than any other...

Same here Really admire it's supposedly ball crushing attitude to difficulty

[Eight Rooks]

I wouldn't rate it the full ten, but it's still good to see the game getting some more love - European release, someone? I should really go back to my Asian copy sometime...

[Neon Ignition]

Not bad all round except for Saw which I'd have swayed towards a 5. It can't compare to the big releases but as an unbroken game interpretation of the films it's surprisingly successful

[abigsmurf]

Only 1 game under 7.

Rare feature would be interesting, there's no doubt since moving to MS, their reputation and standing has taken a knock.

[gaz@manc]

I found the Rare feature to be an interesting read. Despite what some people thought, I enjoyed Viva Pinata 2 and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts a hell of a lot. I thought they deserved a lot more credit and a lot more success than they received.

The head of studio admits they're 10 months into Natal development with no traditional games under way, and will only return to old IP if they could be 'fantastic' with Natal. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with, although I had hoped for a Perfect Dark sequel.

[Duddyroar]

I found the Rare feature to be an interesting read. Despite what some people thought, I enjoyed Viva Pinata 2 and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts a hell of a lot. I thought they deserved a lot more credit and a lot more success than they received.

The head of studio admits they're 10 months into Natal development with no traditional games under way, and will only return to old IP if they could be 'fantastic' with Natal. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with, although I had hoped for a Perfect Dark sequel.

Glad you liked it. I enjoyed writing it, too.

[Uli]

It'll be interesting to see what they come up with, although I had hoped for a Perfect Dark sequel.

i really wonder what's going to happen to this franchise. is Microsoft going to let it die?

[egparadigm]

Does anyone actually care for Perfect Dark? Or would any spy-based FPS from Rare be welcomed? I didn't actually play Zero, but I didn't like the way they switched from Brit to Yank.

[Uli]

are you serious? Joanna Dark is a great character and Perfect Dark is still ranked among the very best FPS. the franchise has still lots of potential if you ask me.

[Dezm0nd]

Definitely, there's loads of room for that style of FPS. I really miss the Goldeneye/PD/Timesplitters mission structure. With the impending release of PD on XBLA I have hopes for a sequel which shows us what they really meant instead of Zero.

[Eight Rooks]

I can appreciate the quality of the gameplay in the original, but I hated it. Horrible character, totally unappealing, completely unfunny, boring, tedious, lifeless world. The designs behind Rare's early days represent everything I detest about the British videogame industry, basically. Much like Mario, it says a lot for how good the game mechanics are that they could make me keep playing - I never finished it, but I got through quite a bit.

[JazzFunk]

Demon's Souls continues to be the one game making me want a PS3 more than any other...

Yeah, I had a browse of GamesTM in Borders this evening. That screenshot of that giant knight...it just touched a part of my soul in a weirdly orgasmic manner, it humbled me. Not only that, there was this shot of a massive, flying manta-ray type thing, and it wasn't actually a boss....!

I've got a 360 and aren't really that concerned by Uncharted 2, but a 90s-style Jap 1st person RPG with old skool-style enemies but Incredibly Technically Advanced Visuals?...WOW, I am so fcking sold.

I mean, this game is by From Software, and I absolutely *loved* the King's Field/Eternal Ring games, even if nobody else did...

PS: Anyone know the right serial number to look for when buying an old, 'Emotion Engine'-containing PS3? I saw one in Blockbuster tonight for around ?170, I was very tempted to buy after seeing that Demon's Souls review (especially as I had ?210 in my wallet), but if I buy a PS3, it's GOT to be the BC version.

[teddymeow]

Any 60G PS3 will be backwards compatible but I don't think any of the UK machines featured hardware BC, it's all software. Wasn't it only Jap and early US systems that had an EE?