Posts filed under 'Gaming'
Game: Madden NFL 06
Platform: PSP
Publisher: EA
Price: £29.99 (Amazon.co.uk)
Reviewer: Jay Neill (TechSmec.com staff)
American football has never really caught on in the UK. Channel 4 made a concerted effort to get us all talking about gridiron in the mid 80s and for a while it worked, but then the viewing figures started to decline and once again we Brits claimed back the term ‘football’ to refer to a game where the primary way of controlling the ball is actually with your feet rather than your hands.
Of course we have a vaguely similar game in rugby to get excited about (being World Champions and all that - yes, US readers, that’s the whole world, not just the ‘world’ that the NFL ‘world’ champions reside over) so the chances of American football games hitting it big in Europe are slim.
Still, this reviewer must admit to an gameplaying pedigree in this genre. Back in 1988, when the peak of gaming hardware was the Commodore Amiga, I owned Mirrorsoft’s TV Sports Football. This was a game of all style and very little substance, but I loved it, so it was with a tear of nostalgia that I prepared to dive back into the world of gridiron and fired up Madden NFL 06 on my PSP.
First impressions are that the game is slick, benefiting from EA’s usual great presentation. The visuals are reminiscent of the Channel 4 graphics of old and presumably those of current US television coverage. There is the usual pumping EA Trax soundtrack, although the bias is heavily towards rap in the playlist which isn’t necessarily the only music genre I would associate with American football, so it grates after a while.
Starting a game can be as simple as choosing ‘Play now’. If you have already chosen your favourite NFL franchise then you’ll be dumped straight into a game involving that team. You can even select to play as one of the great teams of the past, although as I was playing as the Minnesota Vikings that didn’t leave me with many options (sorry Vikings).
Let’s get one thing straight. It helps if you understand the rules of American football and I don’t just mean the basics. This is a very detailed simulation and you will be lost within seconds if you don’t know your linebackers from your quarterbacks, or your 4th downs from your field goals. Madden NFL 06 pulls no punches when it comes to the terminology, the avalanche of statistics and the myriad of subtle plays. Assuming you get past the kick off stage without having a touchdown scored against you, then you are immediately asked to choose a formation and then a play. Having not a clue what to do at this point I called upon the soon-to-be-heavily-overused function of the game - ‘Ask Madden’. Yes, this is the eponymous Madden of the game title, who seems to be a sort of American Jimmy Hill, only still on TV. Hit the square button and he will immediately suggest the best tactics for the next down, backed up with a remarkably small selection of supporting phrases such as “this’ll stop’em for sure” and “the smart coach would choose this play”. It’s not great commentary and it doesn’t add much to the game.
Once the tactics are chosen you are taken to the field of play. If you are playing offense you control the snap using the cross button. Watch out for the play clock which counts down from the moment the previous play finished. Exceed the allotted time and you will be penalised. Once the ball is snapped back you have control of the quarterback. If you are aiming for a running play he will automatically toss the ball out to the back at which point you take control of that player and it’s time to barrel up the field using all the tricks in the Madden armoury (stiff arms, diving, spinning) to avoid being tackled. If you chose a passing play your quarterback will step back and you have to quickly scan the field for an available receiver. This all happens incredibly quickly and if you don’t make a quick decision you will find yourself being sacked. Each receiver is assigned a PSP key which is indicated beneath them as they look for space. To make the pass hold down the appropriate key and the quarterback will toss the ball in that direction. The longer you hold it the harder he will throw. All being well the receiver will make the catch (there are some things you can do to influence the success or otherwise of the catch, but generally it will either happen, or it won’t) at which point you have control of that player and it’s time to head off towards the end zone for a potential touchdown.
Of course, you can also choose to punt the ball or try for the field goal and these use a control system reminiscent of golf games with a balance to be struck between power and accuracy.
The gameplay in Madden is fairly easy to get into and it won’t be long before you find yourself winning matches. However, there seems to be an imbalance between the ease of playing the running game and that of the passing game. It would be natural to assume that running would be easier, but the scales are heavily weighted in favour of the defence and it’s pretty hard to make good yardage. The passing game suffers from being almost too easy. Bizarrely, passing short can be tricky, but choose a long pass of over 30 yards and it becomes almost impossible to miss - the wide receivers totally outclass the defenders and make catches even when outnumbered. This somewhat removes the satisfaction of winning, especially when the opposition doesn’t seem to be blessed with the same infallible ability to score at will.
The in-game graphics are excellent. The players are exceptionally detailed, but the range of movement demonstrated during play is astonishing and the ragdoll physics are the best seen yet on the PSP. Players bend and twist on impact in a very convincing way. Alas, the stadium graphics are not as good with the crowd apparently composed of grey cardboard cutouts. Mind you, this is an improvement on FIFA 06’s colourful cardboard cutouts that jump up and down and is less distracting, so maybe no progress is a good thing. The game sounds are good with the crunch of tackles being very realistic. However, again the crowd lets the side down with a dull hum of noise except when thew home team does something good (highly pitched hum) or bad (low pitched hum, with a hint of ‘boo’).
The game mode that you will probably play first is ‘franchise’ where you take control of a team and guide them through training camp, pre-season and then regular season. If you choose to go down this route then one thing will start to dominate the game - load times. They are certainly the longest I’ve yet experienced on the PSP and the disc seems to be accessed at every conceivable opportunity. Heaven knows what this is doing for battery life, but at the very least it makes the game disjointed.
Madden NFL 06 is a decent game, solid in most aspects. It saw a surprisingly long amount of playtime in our review PSP, but a lot of this could be accounted for by the rush of enthusiasm when I started winning before I realised that the ‘throw and hope’ tactic was a guaranteed route to success. Once the game was mastered then the desire to return disappeared, unlike other sporting sims like FIFA where the pleasure of playing keeps the UMD close to hand. This could be because of a lack of familiarity with the sport, but is more likely to be because it became repetitive too quickly. Old Madden is repeating his stock phrases before the first game is finished and the after touchdown celebrations only seem to come in one or two flavours. If you are a fan of the NFL then this is a good way of getting your fix on the handheld console, otherwise Europeans may like to borrow a copy in case they get hooked, but certainly don’t buy a copy on the off chance.
Graphics
Player animation is out of this world and TV-style visuals are nice. The only let down is the stadium crowd that looks like a painted wall 8/10
Sound
Good crunching tackles, but stadium noise is a boring hum and the commentary is repetitive - 6/10
Gameplay
Addictive at first, but once mastered there is very little to come back for. The non-expert will find that the game sometimes seems to be happening around them rather than their being a full part of it - 7/10
Verdict
Madden NFL 06 is a solid title that wouldn’t be a bad buy, it just isn’t a great one either. If you’re an NFL fan then this is a must-have, otherwise borrow a copy before you hand over the cash. It may not be your cup of Gatorade. - 7/10
March 2nd, 2006
Don’t let the size of Sony’s 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM) media card fool you. This product has the largest storage capacity of any Memory Stick flash media card on the market.
At one-third the size and half the weight of the standard-size Memory Stick® card, the 4GB PRO Duo media is designed to store large amounts of rich, multi-media content, including movies, music and high-resolution digital photos.
“As we’ve increased capacity, the Memory Stick format has advanced beyond serving primarily for storage of digital still images” said Mike Kahn, senior manager for Memory Stick Media at Sony Electronics. “With our postage-stamp sized 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card, people can store all of their vacation photos and wedding videos, along with their favorite movies, music and even game-scores from a PlayStation Portable device.”
The new media card is compatible with a wide selection of currently available devices, including Sony’s Cyber-Shot T Series and W Series cameras, Handycam camcorders and the PSP system.
For added versatility, all Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo media cards are sold with an adapter for devices with a standard-size Memory Stick® media slot. It also offers the industry’s highest durability with a standard operating temperature range of -13 F to +185 F.
Like all Memory Stick media products, the 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card incorporates MagicGate copyright protection technology to allow for secure distribution of commercial content such as digital music and downloaded movies.
February 26th, 2006
Like your PSP games quirky? We have news of two of the oddest on their way to Sony’s portable platform soon.
First up is LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, the sequel to one of the best-selling video games of 2005 on the PS2.
With a comical take on the Star Wars Trilogy that revolutionized pop culture forever, LEGO Star Wars II follows the Rebel Alliance’s battle to dismantle the Galactic Empire and rebuild a galaxy in pieces. From Darth Vader’s pursuit of Princess Leia aboard her Blockade Runner to a showdown on the reconstructed Death Star, the game includes even more of the family-friendly LEGO action, puzzles and humor that earned the original LEGO Star Wars such popularity and acclaim.
And much more new to offer, it still has. For the first time ever, levels feature vehicles and creatures that players can ride or exit at will. Also, in LEGO Star Wars II’s Free Play mode, gamers can customize more than 50 new playable characters by mixing and matching body parts, to build their own LEGO Star Wars heroes. And on certain platforms, a game save from the first LEGO Star Wars can unlock as many as 56 additional characters for Free Play - that’s more than 100 characters total, plus millions of possible creations! Other exciting additions include the ability to Free Play with vehicles, cool new character-specific attacks and maneuvers, playable mini-kit vehicles, an optional advanced mode for experienced players and more.
If Lego versions of your favourite Star Wars characters isn’t quirky enough for you then look at LocoRoco which was shown at the Tokyo Game Show last year, and as is the way with many a Japanese platformer, seemed destined to not get a release in Europe.
However, Sony has confirmed that the quirky game will get a release outside of Japan in Spring.
It really defies description. The graphics are reminscent of Lemmings, but the object is to roll your jelly-like creatures (the eponymous LocoRocos) from one end of the level to the other by tilting the landscape with the PSP’s shoulder buttons. On the way you pick up objects and other powerups to help you on your way, while avoiding pesky spikes and other traps. At opportune moments you can split your LocoRoco up like some kind of dividing ameoba (with a smiling face) to fit through small spaces.
One to watch.
February 14th, 2006
Specialty PC manufacturer xVx has just put even more power into its most powerful laptop. The company today announced the addition of the brand-new AMD dual-core FX 60 processor to the xVx Monstruo-m A650 laptop
In other words, the Monstruo-m A650 - already a fast machine - is faster than ever. For gamers and those working in digital media, that’s good news. And the FX 60 processor joins an impressive array of features: the Monstruo-m A650 still comes with dual CD-ROM drives and the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX PCI Express 256MB DDR3 - the fastest video card on a laptop to date. For memory, the system offers up to 2GB of DDR400.
Those wanting a little more out of their systems can opt for extra performance in the form of advanced Serial ATA (SATA) technology, which allows for up to 150MB per second. Users can select dual SATA hard drives for RAID 0 or 1 configurations - and with capacities up to 240GB, data is quick to access and even quicker to recover if needed.
A 17-inch ultra-high contrast widescreen display supporting a maximum resolution of 1920×1200 pixels makes the Monstruo-m A650 easy on the eyes as well. Offering the same viewing area as a 19-inch CRT monitor, the display’s fast video response, color reproduction, clarity and contrast are unsurpassed. What’s more, xVx is one of the few companies in the industry to offer a free guarantee of no partially lit or dead pixels during the system’s warranty period.
Just above the display sits a state-of-the-art video camera. Fully integrated into the display, the camera requires no cables, connectors or complicated software and features 640×480 resolution, wide-range shutter speeds, high-quality optics, extremely low light operation capability, auto focus and auto exposure.
As for sound, the Monstruo-m A650 includes four surround-sound ultra-high- fidelity speakers and a subwoofer with Sound Retrieval System®, or SRS. The system also supports high-resolution virtual eight-channel audio output. As with all xVx products, the Monstruo-m A650 includes xVx’s award-winning, round-the-clock lifetime tech support and customer service.
“This unit is all about speed,” said xVx president and CEO Edgar-Joel Intriago. “The xVx Monstruo-m A650 is powerful and portable, providing the functionality of a desktop and the mobility to go wherever you want.”
February 14th, 2006
NVIDIA today unveiled the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld graphics processing unit (GPU) - the industry’s first handheld GPU to enable true, fluid digital TV, high-fidelity surround sound, rapid multi-shot photography, and console-class 3D graphics. For many years, these capabilities have been the domain of function-specific devices such as the home entertainment system, the digital still camera, or the Sony Playstation. Today, claims NVIDIA, this new GPU brings all these features, and more, to the mobile phone.
“High-quality multimedia services are a key revenue growth driver for the world’s carriers and content providers and we believe we’ll see significant uptake of these services in 2006,” said Mario Morales, semiconductor analyst for IDC. “Companies like NVIDIA, whose products deliver compelling and tangible improvements to the overall end user experience of these new services, are well placed to take advantage of this surge in demand.”
The newest member of the NVIDIA GoForce family of handheld GPUs, the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 delivers a host of multimedia features, including:
True, fluid digital TV and video
* The industry’s first handheld GPU to playback H.264, WMV9 and MPEG-4 video up to D1 resolution(1) at 30 frames per second (fps)
* Compatible with major mobile TV standards including DVB-H, ISDB-T, and DMB networks
High Fidelity Surround Sound
* The industry’s first handheld surround sound processor to deliver an immersive audio experience in the palm of a hand
* Crossfade and multistream technologies help to prevent annoying breaks between songs and music cut out when the ringtone is activated
Console-class 3D gaming
* Experience console-class games, such as Quake III Arena, at unrivalled speeds on a handheld device
* 3X the performance of the previous generation(2)
* Sharp, crystal clear digital photography
- Rapid multi-shot capabilities so users never miss a photo
- Support for up to 10 megapixel resolution
* Ultra-low power consumption
- Dedicated low-power hardware design delivers more hours of entertainment on the phone with less drain on the talk time
“The introduction of the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU marks the beginning of a new era for 3G mobile phones,” said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the handheld GPU group at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU delivers high-quality video playback and capture, high-resolution camera support, and stunning 3D graphics — all at impressive performance levels that we believe consumers are going to demand in the next generation of mobile devices.”
Phones based on the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU are expected to be available from key handset manufacturers before the 2006 holiday season.
February 13th, 2006
Business Week has started a raging inferno of internet rumours with an article predicting that Microsoft is to dip a toe deeper into the pool of hardware manufacturing by developing a handheld multimedia device.
At this stage there is absolutely no flesh on the bare bones of the story, with Microsoft reportedly putting together a group to look at the business case for such a move.
Gaming websites have become quite excited over the rumour thanks a comment by Peter Moore (yes, he of the quickly refuted ‘Xbox 360 will get a Blu-Ray drive’ statement last week) who said “Any Microsoft media device would have to leverage the company’s most significant consumer strength, video gaming.”
So we might be looking at something more akin to a PSP than an iPod. A device that combined the best of both worlds would be our favourite.
January 27th, 2006
Electronic Arts today announced March 21st as the day The Godfather: The Game will be on store shelves in North America and March 24th in Europe. Developed by EA, the highly-anticipated open-world videogame is based on the critically-acclaimed book by Mario Puzo and the classic film by Paramount Pictures through a strategic licensing relationship with Viacom Consumer Products. In less than two months, gamers worldwide will step into the Don’s dangerous world of intimidation and negotiation via their PS2, Xbox or PC. The Godfather The Game will also be available for the Xbox 360 and PSP later in 2006.
EA’s The Godfather The Game puts you at the center of one of the world’s most revered stories. In the role of a young man just entering the Corleone family, you create your own mob character and work your way to the top. For the first time ever, you will go beyond the films and book to actually step into the living world of The Godfather fiction throughout 1940s New York City. You will work your way up the mob ranks your own way, choosing just how much force to use as you rise to power. Relive classic moments from the fiction and experience open-world gameplay alongside unforgettable characters from the film such as Luca Brasi, Sonny, Tom Hagan, and of course, Don Vito Corleone himself.
“The Godfather is one of the most exciting, dramatic and memorable works of fiction in the world; for the videogame, we felt it was important to build a complex and responsive open-world that puts you in the heart of the action,” said David DeMartini, Executive Producer of The Godfather The Game. “The deeper you are into the experience the better the game gets,” DeMartini added.
“Our goal has always been to maintain the legacy of The Godfather and empower players to interact in the world based on one of the most remarkable motion pictures of all time,” said Sandi Isaacs, Vice President of Interactive at Viacom Consumer Products. “Electronic Arts has been an exceptional partner and we’re incredibly excited to launch one of the most anticipated games of the year.”
January 26th, 2006
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the booth babe is an integral part of most gaming and technology exhibitions. For some reason (can’t imagine why) the PR companies promoting products to the young male demographic seem to think that they will be encouraged to buy based on the fact that an attractive, scantily-clad lady is caressing the box/console/widget. It’s a ridiulous idea.
E3, the biggest and best gaming expo, are obviously in total agreement with TechSmec.com’s moral crusade on this one as they’ve banned the booth babe from this year’s exhibition.
The handbook from the Entertainment Software Association, the show’s promoter, says, “Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the show.”
Exhibitors who flaunt the rules (not to say bare flesh) will receive a verbal warning and then a $5000 on-the-spot fine.
No doubt some will find loopholes in the new rules, but it seems fairly comprehensive. One wonders how Eidos are going to manage to promote Tomb Raider at all seeing as Lara Croft falls foul of the majority of the issues raised.
January 25th, 2006
Game: FIFA 06
Platform: PSP
Publisher: EA
Price: £29.99 (Amazon.co.uk)
Reviewer: Jay Neill (TechSmec.com staff)
The FIFA series of games needs no introduction. Anyone who has owned a football game has probably owned one of the previous versions, either on the PlayStation or the PC. Now we have a new platform in the shape of the PSP and it was only a matter of time before there was a version of FIFA that we could play on the handheld. The PSP was very poorly served for football games at its launch, with the much-maligned World Tour Soccer the only option. Just like waiting for a bus, two new footie games with big reputations have arrived at once and fans must now choose between Pro Evolution Soccer 5 and FIFA 06. We’ve been spending some time with FIFA 06, so read on for our verdict.
Firstly, portable devices are made for games like FIFA 06, which you can just pick up in a spare moment and play a quick game. For some reason it doesn’t seem quite so appealing to grind out another few levels of a platformer in a stolen moment on the train. There are a variety of game formats in FIFA 06, including standalone matches, where you can choose both teams, their kit, the weather, even the stadium. These will take about 15 minutes to complete on the default settings which feels just about right. If you’re in for the long haul then there are tournament and season modes to keep you busy, in which you work your way through an entire league season, or World Cup style competition. FIFA 06 is also blessed (or possibly cursed, depending on your point of view) with a ball-juggling mini-game. The object here is, predictably, to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible. You can choose a player to control, but this is mere eye candy. The ability to play keepy-uppy is entirely dependent on your ability to press the right key at the right time. As mini-games go its accessible, but not exactly thrilling. We’re more interested in the real guts of the game - playing football matches.
Is your eyesight up to scratch? It will need to be. There’s a lot of pitch packed into the PSP’s screen and the size of each player can’t be much more than 75 pixels high with the standard camera view. As a result there isn’t really anything to distinguish between players until you get closeups after a piece of noteworthy action. At this point you realise that the players are very well modelled and you can generally recognise most of the likenesses. For some reason Robert Pires is spot on, but Frank Lampard leaves a lot to be desired.
The controls are a little fiddly. The analog stick, which you use to control player movement, is a little unresponsive and in moments of pressure it’s all too easy to have you player heading in the wrong direction. Dribbling is made all but impossible and you finish each game with your left thumb throbbing from the punishment it takes. The passing and shooting controls are pretty standard and a good variety of moves can be put together without being a FIFA 06 expert. Once you master the basics there’s a wealth of special moves that can be attempted, but again, beware the punishement this will inflict on your fingers and thumbs, especially after a long duration match.
Player AI is getting better with every version of FIFA, but it’s still not perfect. Your teammates often do a good job of supporting you. They’ll go on runs with their arm aloft to get your attention, or track back quickly when the opposition breaks. Strangely, the opposition AI seems a little flakier. Your opponents will often, when faced with one of your defenders, turn around and run the other way back up the pitch. We’re not complaining though as this often leads to a mistake on their part if you press the player hard.
The commentary is better than average. In the UK version EA have managed to enlist the ’skills’ of ITVs Clyde Tyldesley and Sky’s Andy Gray. Readers familiar with the former’s style will know that he has to be the most scripted commentator in football, never one to miss the opportunity to unleash a 20 second pre-pared witticism. This may be his undoing in live commentary, but it does mean that you hardly notice that you’re listening to a computer commentate and not the real thing. Mr Gray sounds a lot less real than his virtual colleague and starts to repeat himself with alarming regularity. As much as we whinge about football game commentaries, there’s no doubt that they add something to the gameplay and FIFA 06’s isn’t really a bad attempt, despite the inevitable one second lag between a goal being scored and the commentary catching up.
At the time of writing we’ve played around 40-50 matches and the game is still difficult to master, even on the easy settings. Scoring is hard enough to give you a real thrill and we’ve yet to come across a ‘killer’ move that guarantees a goal, the point at which interest generally wanes in football games. FIFA 06 is a solid title and one that deserves a look by fans of the series and casual football fans alike, but it doesn’t reignite the genre.
Graphics
The PSP’s small screen isn’t ideal for displaying the vast areas of pitch necessary to make the game playable, but the odd close-up shows the players to be well modelled. The stadia are nothing short of excellent - shame about the 2 dimensional crowds though 7/10
Sound
Decent attempt at commentary and ambient sound. The crowd’s language-ambiguous chanting get annoying after a while though - 7/10
Gameplay
Bizarrely tiring on the thumbs to play after a while, but great fun while you still have the stamina - 7/10
Verdict
Although Pro Evolution Soccer 5 is a strong challenger, FIFA 06 is a good footie title on the PSP and deserves a playtest. If you’re not a fan of football gaming this one won’t change your mind though - 7/10
January 17th, 2006
SLAPPA have announced the launch of the newest additions to their PSP product line, the SLAPPA HardBody PSP Complete Case and a new version of their already popular SLAPPA HardBody PSP Daily Case.
The HardBody PSP Complete Case offers a storage capacity capable of carrying a gamer’s full PSP collection. A hand sewn UMD storage page holds 6 UMDs, while separate Velcro secured scubaprene storage bags are provided for protecting and storing PSP, extra UMDs, headphones and remote separately.
The white and silver edition of the HardBody PSP Daily Case was created in response to the very well received black model, which was released in the fall of 2005. This case is ideal for the gamer-on-the-go with a storage capacity capable of toting the basic necessities to get any gamer through the day.
Both cases feature a sleek graphite and patent PVC outer design on the xEVA HardBody shell, which provides tough protection without the rigidness of hard plastic. Cargo storage nets for extra accessories, Velcro secured storage dividers, rainproof zippers and dual SLAPPA logo rubber pulls complete these cases, making them a highly protective and smart solution to storing your PSP gear.
“We designed the new SLAPPA line of PSP cases to be the best of both worlds—tough protection and a look as sleek as the PSP itself,” says Dustin Garis, Director of Marketing for SLAPPA.
The SLAPPA HardBody PSP Complete Case is now available for preorder for only $19.99. The SLAPPA HardBody PSP Daily Case in white and silver is now available for preorder for only $19.99. Both are available at www.slappa.com and will ship to customers on January 25th.
January 10th, 2006
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