The videogame market is rife with copycats, and always has been. It would be impossible to count the number of Pac-Man clones released in the Atari era, or games that looked and smelt like Space Invaders. EA acquired the Godfather license; Vivendi went and got Scarface. THQ followed suit, bringing home The Sopranos. But should …
The conception of the annual summer blockbuster was back in June 1975, when the original Jaws movie was released. So in effect we have Jaws to blame for the deluge of licensed pap that finds its way into our consoles every summer. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and Fantastic Four last year; Monster House, …
Rockstar once said that Bully is just a light hearted looked at school life, much like Harry Potter, Just William and The Beano. We certainly don’t recall Dennis the Menace smacking Walter the Softie with a baseball bat, then calling him a prick before rubbing spit into his face though. And we don’t recall Harry …
There was an article in a Sunday newspaper a few weeks ago, which reported that big name footballers were planning to store sperm samples to create clones of themselves in the not too distant future. We can’t vouch for the reliability of the report, but if such a thing were to happen then it would …
We all know what WTF really stands for, but in D3’s little world – or at least for this mini-game compilation – it has an all new meaning. That’s because the game is intended to be played during the odd ten minute break, or while waiting for the photocopier to finish fusing carcinogenic toner to …
We’re continually surprised by the number of 2D shooters released in this day and age. Fair enough, there aren’t as many around as there are, say, first person shooters, but there have probably been more released on PlayStation 2 in Europe than on PSone. So much for a genre dying on its arse. Although not …
A shopping mall full of zombies isn’t a scenario as far fetched as it initially seems. The ones we visit are always packed with pasty-faced youths, hanging around in crowds wearing torn clothes, mumbling to one another and scuffing their feet, and elderly sorts blocking doorways and aimlessly wandering around. As much as we’d like …
The sub-heading relates to the four enhanced PSP-exclusive retro revamps of Balloon Bomber, Crazy Balloon, Cameltry and Legend of Kage. We can’t say they’re titles that we would have picked to receive a new lick of pixel paint, but then the games that we would have chosen – Elevator Action, Bubble Bobble, New Zealand Story …
Soundvoyager is the only game we can think of that’s vastly improved by lying down and closing your eyes to play it. That’s because it is, essentially, an entirely audio game. So it’s instantly an interesting curiosity, and the most unique of Nintendo’s bit Generation series of accessible Game Boy Advance titles. But it doesn’t …
This compilation – known as Clubhouse Games in the US – sadly isn’t a collection of memorable NES games, but instead traditional games like Blackjack, Chess, Battleships, Dominos and the bored secretary’s favourite Solitaire. There are some non-traditional ones thrown if for good measure though, such as Balance – in which players place blocks on …
This review nearly didn’t happen. Not because we couldn’t be bothered, but because we felt that it’s almost impossible to apply a score. After much deliberation, however, we came to the conclusion that, retailing at a measly tenner – or £5.99 if you shop at Morrisons – it represents good value for money. How long …
It’s not hard to see why the Guilty Gear games have built up a cult following over the years: the animation is impeccable, and the range of fighters is as varied as they come. Our favourite has to be Faust, a tall gangly fellow with a paper bag on his head, although a petite girl …
Japanese RPGs do, of course, have a place in this world – and that place doesn’t have to be just Japan. But there are certain unbecoming characteristics which too many have: stories told through overlong cut scenes and random battles being two fine examples. Enchanted Arms, delightfully, has both. The action-based cut scenes are tolerable, …
With the likes of Sim City 2000, Theme Hospital, Civilzation II and Transport Tycoon, the PSone was pretty well off for God games. The PlayStation 2, however, hasn’t been quite so fortunate, with only Theme Park World, Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis and the little-known Metropolismania. Thanks to Aqua Pacific – the 97th most profitable developer …
We can’t deny that there’s a low budget feel to this quirky cooking sim – not surprising considering it’s available on US import sites for as little as £12.99. Cheap as chips, you might say. If you buy very expensive chips. It’s basically Wario Ware: Cooking Edition; you pick a dish, then create your meal …
