Liverpool.com Blog – Cul-de-sacked

http://www.liverpool.com/blogs/neighbours…-everybody-needs-good….html

Ever wanted to re-enact the moment Jimmy Corkhill was locked in his own bedroom suffering from the effects of cold turkey? Well, now you can-for a measly half a mil. The famous Brookside close where so many happy and poignant memories took place is up for sale, with house prices ranging between £550,000-£600,000 which seems a bit steep in today’s financial climate, especially as most of them have overgrown gardens and are in dire need of repairs. Still, it’s a slice of TV history. You can always claim Trevor Jordache died in your kitchen and was buried under your patio! The auction takes place on 17th December at, you guessed it, Brookside close. Let’s hope there’s some hilarious quips like when Ron Dixion heard the Simpson’s had bought No.9 in ‘96. “Which one? Baaaaaart or ‘Omer?”

Preview Round Up – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 206

AFRO SAMURAI
360, PS3 – FROM: ATARI UK, OUT: JANUARY 2009
Afro Samurai’s visuals look spot on (think an urban Okami) while the combat promises to be anything but button mashing, with the promise of enemy AI being influenced by the surrounding hip hop beat and the ability to chop enemies into thousands of pieces. Developers Namco-Bandai are introducing some fresh ideas for this action romp, we’re waiting to put Afro to the test.
MOST WANTED RATING: 4
Afro could be a new breed of hero. Samuel L. Jackson is providing voice talents, hence the Mature rating, so it isn’t for the faint of heart.

CAPTION: The graphics have seemingly leapt out from the page of this successful Manga series. Expect buckets of blood.

NINETY NINE NIGHTS 2
360 – FROM: MICROSOFT OUT: TBA
Again, borrowing heavily from Dynsaty Warriors fame is Ninety Nine Nights 2. OK, we might not be looking forward to another game of pure hacking and slashing, but early signs aren’t too bad. New developers in the shape of Feelplus-who co-developed Lost Odyssey-are promising to take the series in a much darker direction. Details are thin so, for now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
MOST WANTED RATING: 2
Probably one for the hardcore fan contingent to keep an eye on, we can’t see Ninety Nine Nights 2 doing anything different to the series.

CAPTION: Ouch. Our thumbs have just healed from Ninety Nine Nights. Can we take another round?

QUANTUM THEORY
PS3 – FROM: TECMO, OUT: 2009
A PS3 exclusive, Quantum Theory is as perplexing as its name suggests. A third-person shooter from Tecmo, it’s uncharted ground for them. Tecmo however are confident they’re on to something with lead character Syd climbing a ‘living tower’ attempting to destroy it. Described as the Japanese Gears of War, details are in short supply, so we’re anticipating a fresh Japanese twist on the genre.
MOST WANTED RATING: 4
An exclusive PS3 shooter can only be a good thing, but Quantum Theory will have to show something new to beat the likes of Gears and Resi 5.

CAPTION: We’ve been told the environment shifts around in real time in the living tower. Just what the Hell are we getting ourselves in to?

NINJA BLADE
360 – FROM: MICROSOFT, OUT: 2009
It’ll obviously draw similarities to Ninja Gaiden – and rightfully so. Ninja Blade plays very similarly to Ryu’s adventures; we direct Ken around modern Tokyo hacking down all manner of demons and huge bosses in our way with huge weapons and QTEs. It’s all a bit same old at the moment; hopefully it’ll sneak up on us and deliver a killer blow.
MOST WANTED RATING: 3
Developers FromSoftware still have some polishing to do, there are camera issues and slight slowdown to sort out if Ken’s to be the top Ninja in town.

CAPTION: Ninja Blade is more going for a cinematic feel to try and separate it from other titles in the genre.

R-TYPE DIMENSIONS
360 – FROM: MICROSOFT, OUT:TBA
Due out for Live Arcade, Dimensions shamelessly mashes together the worlds of R-Type I and II and introduces co-op play with the ability to seamlessly shift to a 3D perspective. Thankfully the gameplay has remained unspoiled with bosses looking beautiful, yet menacing. This classic remake should be a leading candidate for your MS points when released.
MOST WANTED RATING: 4
R-Type always makes our ears prick up, and developers Tozai Games are sticking with the formula that made it such a hit in the first place.

CAPTION: Switching to a 3D view really adds something; it’s on an angle to challenge the most nimble thumbed gamers out there.

RESISTANCE: RETRIBUTION
PSP – FROM: SONY, OUT: SPRING 2009
Resistance on PSP is a third-person shooter, making it immediately different from its PS3 incarnations. This makes controlling it on PSP a lot easier than something like Silent Hill: Origins, which will be a help when we’re ducking and diving Chimera in Western Europe. There’s also connectivity with Resistance 2 on PS3, meaning you can ‘infect’ your game to unlock new features!
MOST WANTED RATING: 3
It’ll be interesting to see how the Resistance story is slimmed down for PSP and how it interacts with its PS3 cousin.

CAPTION: Retribution is looking quite snazzy so far. Can’t wait to see how the rumoured new species of Chimera look…

TAIKO DRUM MASTER
Wii – FROM: NAMCO –BANDAI, OUT: DEC ’08 (JAP)
A hit in Japan, Taiko Drum Master is looking to pull in Western audiences with its scaled down motion-sensing drum plus foot long drumsticks. Looking similar to Donkey Konga, it’s masquerading as an arcade port and features tunes like the first level in Mario World. What, no Chilli Peppers? Still no word on a western release as such, but we’ll keep you posted.
MOST WANTED RATING: 2
It’s hard to get excited about another music game for Wii, but the drum seems very responsive. We’ll see how we feel after giving it a bash.

CAPTION: The visuals are cartoony and will incorporate your Mii avatars whilst you drum away.

KLONOA: DOOR TO PHANTOMILE
Wii – FROM: BANDAI-NAMCO, OUT: DEC ‘04, 2008 (JAP)
Hello Klonoa, long time no see! Over a decade old, this PS1 platformer is being reincarnated on Wii with sharper graphics and, surprisingly, no motion controls. We actually breathed a collective sigh of relief when we heard this though, as the core gameplay is brilliant and should remain untouched. Offering puzzles and the series staple 2.5D aesthetic, it’s great to see Klonoa being introduced to a new audience.
MOST WANTED RATING: 3
The Nights port still leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, but Klonoa doesn’t look to be heading in that direction. Let’s hope it gets a Western release…

CAPTION: Klonoa is going back to its roots which is brilliant news for the series. Are we looking at potential sequels?

Tomb Raider: Underworld Developer Interview – GamesMaster Magazine Issue 206

We want your Job!
Pestering the jammiest jobsmiths in the business.

Lara’s bringing sexy back. Donning a swimsuit is a brave new direction for Tomb Raider, so we thought we’d ask Creative Designer Eric Lindstrom for his thoughts on Lara’s new adventure:

01: Hi Eric, tell us about your role on Tomb Raider: Underworld.

As the Creative Director of Tomb Raider: Underworld, I oversee all creative aspects of the game experience. I’m a game designer by trade, but as the Creative Director I need to keep the overall vision of the game strong, clear, and consistent, be it design, art, audio, or most importantly, the combination of these elements.

02: How did you go about getting the role of Creative Director? Was it sheer hard work or simply a love of games?

I’ve been in this industry for twenty years, and I worked hard for the first five before I got to lead a project. The biggest thing in my favour with Tomb Raider: Underworld was how much I value all aspects of a game, not just the design mechanics. Everything matters, and you need to give everything its due.

03: How much of your own personal creativity goes into games? Is it satisfying seeing the end results in motion?

Because Creative Directors don’t usually make content for games, there is very little I can point at and say, “I made that part.” Much of the framework of what you do is what I established early on with the small pre-production team. Seeing the end result of those images I had in my head early on is very exciting, what I see now is better than what I had imagined at the start.

04: Are you pleased with this latest imagining of Lara’s world? How much further can you take Lara?

We made her world bigger, better, more lush, and more exciting than ever before, and she can do a lot of amazing things. We did this by magnifying everything people had seen so far in the past couple games, so there are still plenty of different and intriguing places Lara Croft can go in the future.

05: Any advice for young mavericks looking to get noticed in the world of games?

Young developers have great ideas and we need them, but it takes a lot more than good ideas to make a great, successful game. If you’re smart, hard working, and willing to learn, you’ll get noticed. If you want to succeed, bring your brains, your energy, your love for games, and a desire to learn what the industry already has learned, and you’ll be in the best position to jump on opportunities when they come.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

01: Lara Croft: her watchful eyes keep me honest.

02: Water: I drink a lot of it.

03: Notepad: still the best organizer around.

04: Origami: folding paper quiets the mind and keeps me sane.

05: Guinness: ’nuff said!

CAPTION: Look at all that Origami! Maybe Eric should start his own paper-view channel…

GamesMaster Magazine Issue 206 – Cheatmaster + Coming Soon Boxouts

Cheatmaster Boxouts

INTRO

We found a cheat in the office this month, a real live one. It was a rare one too, an undiscovered form of big head mode. Unfortunately, the results weren’t too good and half our staff had to be treated for Giganticism. Michael Jackson tried to buy some of us and put us in a pen at Neverland Ranch until, luckily, we discovered the code also worked in reverse. The office was a sight for sore eyes for a good few days, with thermometers sticking out of mouths and ice packs replacing the knotted hankies on our heads. We soon learnt a valuable lesson; cheats aren’t safe and should be confined to pages such as this month’s CheatMaster.

—

GREATEST CHEATS EVER!

GEESE-Y DOES IT

ART OF FIGHTING 2 (NEO GEO)

PUBLISHER – SNK

YEAR OF RELEASE – 1994

The Neo Geo was the ultimate arcade experience in the early 90’s – for those who could afford it. One example of home brewed arcade genius was that of Art of Fighting 2, one of the toughest brawlers in history. There was a special treat for the hardest of the hard that could go through the game without losing a single round, after the final fight against crime lord Mr. Big you were ushered by helicopter to South Town’s police headquarters to face off against the corrupt commissioner himself – none other than a young Geese Howard! The SNK legend would then proceed to well and truly cook your goose, turning you inside out. If you could beat Geese, then you were either branded a gaming hero or a filthy liar.

CAPTION: A colourful cast and ridiculous special moves. What more does a fighter need?

—

THE HARDEST GAMES IN THE WORLD

COMMANDOS: BEHIND ENEMY LINES (PC)

PUBLISHER – EIDOS

YEAR OF RELEASE – 1998

Stealth wasn’t just confined to consoles. Commando’s for PC is one early example, you led a team of six soldiers through WWII; an Irish Green Beret, Sniper, Driver, Spy, Demolitions expert and a Marine. Success depended on how well you utilised your team, but the margin for error was incredibly slim. Guards’ field of vision would cover every possible route and angle, and if you got caught sneaking just once, a team of Nazi’s would arrive within seconds to blow you apart. Not good, as the entire team had to survive the mission for you to progress further. Cue hours of trial, error and self sacrifice to discover the best way through the levels, whilst the politicians sat at home twiddling their thumbs. What a lovely war, eh?

CAPTION: You were armed with a knife, and you had to take down the entire Third Reich. Easy peasy!

—

SPOILER

STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED

Want to know what happens if you tread the path of evil? Read this in a mirror:

After killing Vader, Starkiller is told by a delighted emperor to slay the wounded Kota to finally become his apprentice. Starkiller hesitates, then spins around and tries to kill the emperor with his saber, only for the emperor to counter his attack and knock him onto the deck. The emperor then uses the force to bring the Rogue Shadow crashing down on top of Starkiller. We then see him waking up on an operating table, his now robotic body getting its finishing touches. The emperor sneers that Starkiller will now be used as his personal assassin whilst he searches for a new apprentice, effectively changing episodes 4, 5 and 6.

—

GM’S TOP 5 MOST WANTED TIPS

GEARS OF WAR 2

The first Gears was lacking in the cheats department… has this been rectified in the sequel?

FALLOUT 3

Nuclear Nihilism aplenty in Fallout 3. Any quick ways of levelling up or unlocking all the weapons?

GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR

We’re rocking out with the new Guitar Hero. Are there any secret songs we have yet to come across?

TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD

We’re all at sea with Lara Croft. Do you have any hints on how to navigate these tough tombs?

CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR

The last game had some hilarious cheats to find. Tell us what you’ve come across in this fifth instalment.

—

CONSOLETATION ZONE

GM – coming to the aid of stuck gamers since 1993!

MEGA MAN 9 – Wii, PS3, 360

Dear GamesMaster,

I’m tearing my hair out with Mega Man 9, I’ve never played anything so hard in all my life! I’m finding the robot masters difficult to beat; are there any invincibility cheats or anything like that I can activate?

Matthew Barnes, Plymouth.

Shame on you Matthew! You’re going to have to prove your credentials as a gamer and beat the game yourself, we’re afraid. What we can offer you though is an order to tackle the bosses and the weapons to beat them with:

01: BOSS: Galaxy Man
WEAK AGAINST: Mega buster

02: BOSS: Jewel Man

WEAK AGAINST: Black Hole Bombs

03: BOSS: Plug Man

WEAK AGAINST: Jewel Satellite

04: BOSS: Tornado Man

WEAK AGAINST: Plug Ball

05: BOSS: Magma Man

WEAK AGAINST: Tornado Blow

06: BOSS: Hornet Man

WEAK AGAINST: Magma Bazooka

07: BOSS: Splash Woman

WEAK AGAINST: Hornet Chaser

08: BOSS: Concrete Man

WEAK AGAINST: Laser Trident

Dr. Wily is a different kettle of fish altogether. We recommend a mixture of Mega Buster, Plug Ball and Concrete Shot. Good luck!

CAPTION: Look at all those mechanical mug shots. They’ll teach you new ways to die…

TOO HUMAN

Hello GamesMaster,

I’m having real trouble killing the guardian dog of Helheim called Garm. I keep getting close to him to destroy his armour but he keeps on taking me out. I’m getting really frustrated because I must be close to the end of the game by now. Please help!

Joey Bragg via Email

Well Joey, all we can offer you is a strategy. If you stay outside of his melee range then he will just fire his missiles at you in a semi-circle fashion. These are easily dodged and allow you to run around the outside of Garm, hitting his armour until it breaks and exposing his weak spots. One idea is to equip a laser rifle as they’ll cause him the most damage the longer you fire at him. If you get too close, he’ll simply batter you and take away most of your health, our advice is to keep away, roll and dodge his missile attacks and use ranged weapons to wear him down. Defence is the best form of offence in this situation!

CAPTION: Look what I found in my cereal this morning. Compensation ahoy!

GOT A PROBLEM? STUCK IN A GAME?

WE CAN HELP! EMAIL IT TO US AT GAMESMASTERTIPS@FUTURENET.CO.UK, SUBJECT CONSOLETATION OR WRITE TO CONSOLETATION ZONE, GAMESMASTER, 30 MONMOUTH STREET, BATH, BA1 2BW. IF WE CAN’T HELP – YOU’VE HAD IT!

—

Coming Soon Page

COMING SOON

NOVEMBER

21^st – Tomb raider: Underworld – DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, 360 – Eidos

21^st – Left 4 Dead – PC – Akella

21^st – Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zahir Expansion Pack – PC – Atari

21^st – Alone in the Dark – PS3 – Atari

21^st – Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe – 360, PS3 – Midway

21^st – Need for Speed: Undercover – DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360 – EA

21^st – The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon – DS, PS2, PS3, Wii, 360 – Sierra

21^st – Naruto: The Broken Bond – 360 – Ubisoft

21^st – Skate It – DS, Wii – EA

21^st – Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome – DS – Awem Studio

21^st – Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked – Wii – Konami

21^st – Ninjatown – DS – SouthPeak

21^st – Mushroom Men – Wii, DS – Gamecock

21^st – Metal Slug 7 – DS – Ignition

24^th – Grand Theft Auto IV – PC – Rockstar

25^th – Chrono Trigger – DS – Square Enix

28^th – Resistance 2 – PS3 – Sony

28^th – Motorstorm Pacific Rift – PS3 – Sony

28^th – Diablo III – PC – Blizzard

28^th – Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers – Wii – Square Enix

28^th – Silent Hill: Homecoming – PS3, 360 – Konami

28^th – SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEAL’s Confrontation – PS3 – Sony

28^th – Lips – 360 – Microsoft

28^th – Scene It? Box Office Smash Solus Software – 360 – Microsoft

28^th – Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party – Wii – Ubisoft

28^th – This is Vegas – PC, PS3, 360 – Midway

28^th – Heist – PC – Avalon

28^th – Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Dungeon – Wii – Square Enix

28^th – Ghostbusters – DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, 360 – Sierra

28^th – Dark Void – PC, PS3, 360 – Capcom

28^th – Spyborgs – Wii – Capcom

28^th – Shellshock 2: Blood Trails – PC, PS3, 360 – Eidos

28^th – Shaun White Snowboard – DS, PSP, PC, PS3, 360 – Ubisoft

28^th – Neopets Puzzle Adventure – DS, PC, Wii – Capcom

28^th – Moto GP 08 – PSP, Wii, PC, PS2, PS3, 360 – Capcom

28^th – Football Director – DS – Pinnacle Software

DECEMBER

5^th – Animal Crossing: Let’s go to the City – Wii – Nintendo

5^th – Prince of Persia – PC, 360, PS3 – Ubisoft

5^th – Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking – DS – Ubisoft

5^th – Prince of Persia: The Fallen King – DS – Ubisoft

19^th – X-Blades – PC, PS3, 360 – SouthPeak

30^th – Lifesigns: Hospital Affairs – DS – JoWooD

JANUARY

9^th – Aliens: Colonial Marines – PC, PS3, 360 – Sega

9^th – RACE Pro – 360 – Atari

9^th – Alpha Protocol – PS3, 360, PC – Sega

9^th – Bionic Commando – PC, PS3, 360 – Capcom

30^th – Starcraft 2 – PC – Blizzard

30^th – Halo Wars – 360 – Microsoft

30^th – Alan Wake – PC, 360 – Microsoft

30^th – Aion: Tower of Eternity – PC – NCsoft

30^th – Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia – DS – Konami

30^th – Mad World – Wii – Sega

30^th – Tenchu 4 – Wii – Ubisoft

30^th – Tom Clancy’s HAWX – PC, PS3, 360 – Ubisoft

30^th – House of the Dead: Overkill – Wii – Sega

30^th – Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – DS – Rockstar

30^th – Lost in Blue 3 – DS – Konami

30^th – Darksiders: Wrath of War – PS3, 360 – THQ

30^th – Sonic and the Black Knight – Wii – Sega

30^th – Infinite Line – DS – Sega

30^th – Battle Fantasia – PS3, 360 – 505 Games

30^th – Bayonetta – PS3, 360 – Sega

30^th – Stormrise – PS3, 360 – Sega

30^th – CID: The Dummy – DS, PC, PS2, PSP, Wii – Oxygen

WATCH OUT FOR…

Look out for these latest games to hit the shelves…

THIS MONTH

RESISTANCE 2 – PS3

The sequel to Fall of Man touches down this month and this time, we’re blowing up some American Chimera!

NEXT MONTH

PRINCE OF PERSIA – PC, 360, PS3

Just like the singer, Prince has reinvented himself once again. We can’t wait to see some of his new tricks!

3 MONTHS

CASTLEVANIA: ORDER OF ECCLESIA – DS

A new Castlevania makes the hairs on our neck stand on end. We’re desperate to see the new beasties on offer.

FUTURE

HEAVY RAIN – PS3

We’re keeping a keen eye on this one. We get the same feeling with Heavy Rain as we did just before Shenmue came out.

Heed our warning:

Here at GM we endeavour to bring you the most accurate release dates around. But the games industry is a fickle beast so bear in mind that the info above is constantly on the move. If it doesn’t come out when we say it does, blame someone else!

Liverpool.com Magazine – December ‘08 Issue

Pieces I’ve done for the final issue in this Capital of Culture year. Includes contents page, Masterplan for the month ahead, Buy it! page and assisted with sourcing images for the 50 greatest Liverpool albums.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon Wii Review – D-PAD Online Magazine

http://www.dpadmagazine.com/2008/11/14/final-fantasy-fables-chocobos-dungeon/

Mystery Dungeon has reared its head again lately, but most people will probably recognise it more for its latest Pokemon incarnation. If you haven’t played one yet then the idea is simple. You localise around a hub, usually a town, and have to explore surrounding dungeons. The selling point is this, the dungeons are randomly generated each time and the difficulty levels are extreme. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer on DS for example will allow you to grind your character up to, say, level 10, only to strip you of everything you’ve collected-including experience-should you die at the hands of an aggressive foe. A lot of dedication is needed when taking on any Mystery Dungeon title, so does it blend well with a Final Fantasy formula?

The premise is such; you are Chocobo, treasure hunting with Final Fantasy mainstay, Cid. You come across a tower in the sand, which pleasingly turns out to be an excellent tutorial of the games dungeons and battle mechanics. When completed, you’re then banished to a town called Losttime and must solve the mystery of why all the townsfolk have their memories erased when the clock in the bell tower strikes, and the origins of a baby that has hatched from an egg which fell from the sky. All set up for an interesting Final Fantasy fable, right?

Well, seemingly. It all depends on how old you are, the opening cutscene following the tutorial is at least fifteen minutes long and it’ll no doubt leave a lasting impression on how you treat the game. The script and voice acting are terrible throughout the game and-combined with the intense, cutesy visuals-make you feel, like, totally pre-teen. But don’t forget, at heart this is still Mystery Dungeon and there are times when it can still be bone crushingly difficult and unfair, so who’s it aimed at? According to the box, it’s aimed at everyone, yet this is a serious mistruth.

For the hardcore lot that have ploughed through Mystery Dungeon’s left right and centre, they’ll find there’s a good little RPG here beneath the surface. It’s possible to level up your character, and the new addition of job classes adds something that’s been missing from the series for a good while. You can level each job up as you progress, which include Knight, White and Black mages and Dragon amongst others. But again the game shoots itself in the foot; you’re only allowed to choose a job BEFORE entering the dungeon, meaning your whole journey will be based on fluke rather than careful selection or tactics.

Dungeons are disappointing, all are muddy and boring despite being randomly generated and, of course, laden with traps. It’s more or less impossible to spring them however, leading each journey down a frustrating trial and error route. It’s not all bad though as some dungeons have great challenges. One that really sticks out is the ‘1hp’ dungeon where you and the surrounding foes all have 1hp, one hit will determine the outcome, leading to a lot of strategic thinking. There are other fun distractions such as card games which you can take online and collectibles like any good RPG.

The hub town is also very helpful, there are chances to upgrade weapons, deposit items (which can be handy as you lose everything in your inventory if you die), money and meet helpful friends including a bizarre band of Moogle’s offering advice along the way. The pointer on the cute-o-meter hits 11 with Chocobo’s Dungeon, despite some frankly poor Dreamcast day visuals and anti-Wii controls (think Paper Mario).

Chocobo’s Dungeon is a mixed little package. It’s obviously trying hard and can be addicting at times. It’s the only thing of its kind on the Wii right now and by giving it a lot of time, Mystery Dungeon fans will get a lot out of it if they don’t mind the cruddy presentation. Sadly though, it does what it does best in one area only, the Mystery Dungeon area and people unfamiliar to the formula will more than likely struggle to get into things. Chocobo’s Dungeon though, is a great introduction to the mechanic and what it’s all about. If you’re feeling brave enough, give it a try. It might just be the Golden Chocobo you’re looking for.

SCORE:
3/5 STARS

FORMAT
Wii

PUBLISHER

Square Enix
DEVELOPER

Square Enix

‘Buy It!’ Page – Liverpool.com Magazine November 2008 Issue Double Spread

Phone skills are paramount for Buy It, on this occasion I had the near impossible job of contacting Disney and Samsonite for product images. My perseverance paid off though, as you can see below!