I wonder what Mother Brain's age is?

Okay, so I was all set to go and buy Daxter, but when I got into town I was horrified by the asking price - £35! Honestly, we really do get ripped off for our games in the UK.

So I'm going to hold out until the price goes down, and in the meantime I have ordered an import copy of Metroid Prime Hunters for £22 and also Brain Age for £15. The multiplayer options in MPH should keep me occupied for most of my holiday, and Brain Age will help to keep mine brain from turning to cottage cheese from watching too much day time television.

Considering I'm still not that far through Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, or have even started Wild Arms 4, Shadow Hearts 2 and quite a few other RPG's in my collection, I should be all set for holiday entertainment now! I'll try and put up a couple of new posts while I'm off work, so remember to keep an eye on the RetroModern Gaming blog!

Hidden Gems - Pikmin 2

Although Pikmin 2 has managed to earn itself an average rating of 89% on www.gamerankings.com, I'm willing to bet that it has been overlooked by many gamers out there, myself included until just recently. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that the new look Official Nintendo Magazine was giving it away free with a subscription, I still wouldn't be aware just what a finely crafted sequel it really is.

The first game was one of the very early games on the Gamecube, and it was packed with originality and clever ideas, but ultimately it was very limited. You only had 30 gaming days to try and find 30 items, so if you didn't bring back at least one a day you would have trouble. Nintendo have really worked hard to remedy this though, and the result is one of the most captivating games I have played in some time. It really has that special "Nintendo touch" that many of their best games have.

If you're not familiar with the way the game works, basically you control a little spaceman from the planet Hocotate in a mission to scavenge as many valuable items as you can, in this case to try and prevent his company from going bankrupt. You can't interact with anything in the word directly however - instead you have to enlist the help of the Pikmin - little plant/ant dudes. Soon after starting the game you will discover a few red ones, and then you can propagate and harvest more by cutting down flowers and killing enemies, and then taking them back to the "onion" to be used as fertiliser to grow more. There are many environmental hazards that you will have to find a way around, including water, fire, electricity and giant Pikmin munching insects to name just a few. This is where the different Pikmin types come in to play - red ones are impervious to fire, blue ones can swim, yellow ones are safe from electric shocks, purple ones are as strong as 10 normal guys, and the little sick looking albino white Pikmin are both immune to poison and poisonous to anything that eats them.

The Pikmin crew score a very valuable rubber ducky!

You will be required on many occasions to sacrifice some of your Pikmin to serve the greater good - either in battle with a ferocious bed bug, or offering one of your white ones up as a sacrifice in order to poison your enemy. In this way Pikmin is rather brutal, but then nature so often is in real life too. However brutal the single player mode can get though, it's nothing compared to the multiplayer mode. Some of the epic 50 on 50 Pikmin fights that can take place here rival the battle of Helm's Deep in the Lord of the Rings! The multiplayer mode really helps elevate this game to classic status. There are around 10 different maps each with their own quirks that you can do battle in, with the aim being to either bring back 4 yellow marbles, or the enemies main marble which can be found in their base. You can also lose by having all your Pikmin slaughtered by bugs, or if your spaceman dies. Once both players have a good grasp of how the game plays (which can take a while due to the unique controls and the way the game is set up) things really hot up and some really close tactical battles ensue. I can see myself coming back to this mode for a long time to come and it will most likely rival Mario Kart DS, Super Monkey Ball or Mashed as one of my multiplayer favourites. When you reach a certain stage in the single player mode you also open up a Challenge mode which can be played cooperatively with another player, adding even more depth to the game.

Something else that really enhanced the game is the use of real life objects for the artifacts that you have to find. These include a Nintendo Game & Watch, a Duracell battery, and a 7UP bottle cap. I know many people find the idea of advertising in games abhorrent and usually I would agree with them, but it really works in this context, and the funny alternative names that the sentient ship comes up with for the items really adds character. For example, the bottle cap becomes a "quenching emblem" and the Game & Watch becomes a "Dream Sculptor".

The game has been out for a fair while now so you can probably expect to find it for around £20 new and less than that used. While the Gamecube only came third in the sales battle, it is home to many brilliant games and in my opinion it was the machine with the most consistent level of high quality titles of its generation. Pikmin 2 is yet another example of this, so if you have a Gamecube, check it out!

An army of reds get ready to enter one of the many dungeons.

The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion review

Time go off on another epic quest, this time on the PSP with my Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion review.

Format: PSP
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Falcom
Genre: Turn based RPG
Region: NTSC (USA)
Price: £20-£30
Where to buy: www.videogamesplus.ca, www.dvdboxoffice.com

Like the Dragon Quest series, the Legend of Heroes (also known as Gagharv Trilogy in Japan despite this being the sixth game in the series) hasn't been very popular so far in the west. However, Bandai spotted an RPG shaped gap in the market for the PSP, and decided to localise and release the game in the US. Is it good enough to satisfy PSP owners who are getting tired of all the PS2 ports and generally poor titles, and who just want something with a bit more depth? Personally, I would say yes, though the game isn't without it's faults. Read on to find out what I mean.

Graphics: 8 out of 10

While the visuals in Legend of Heroes are by no means poor, they could be a little better. Specifically the architecture of the buildings in the many villages is rather square. On this evidence you'd almost think that the PSP can't do round surfaces at all, but that's not the case. Maybe this strange style of civil engineering has something to do with the game being an update of a much older game for a much lower spec system. In those days it was quite an achievement to even produce believable villages in a game, but nowadays punters expect a little more.

Character portraits go a long way towards rescuing the situation however. Every time a character speaks, you get a screen-filling hand drawn painting of the character, in various different poses to suit the mood of whatever the character is saying. This is some beautiful art work, really helping you connect with the characters far more than a simple sprite would ever be able to do. If you've ever played any of the Ys games (also made by Falcom) then you will recognise the style.

Other wise, the characters are portrayed by cute 2D sprites, the like of which you'll have seen many times before if you were playing RPG's back in the SNES era. That's pretty much it for the graphics, apart from some quite nifty lighting effects for spells, sun glare and caves which all contribute towards creating the right atmosphere for the game.

An example of the characteportraitsts, with a boxy inn in the background.

Sound & Music: 9 out of 10

This score is pretty much on the strength of the music alone. It's fantastic - there's some really great tunes in here which can help heighten the atmosphere of scenes which depend a lot on their emotional impact. This game doesn't rely on voice acting or glossy cut scenes to get across what the characters are feeling so it's up to the old fashioned techniques of music and the character portraits to achieve this instead. What's more the tunes don't start repeating until well over halfway through the game, and there are several different battle tunes, so you won't tire of them as fast as you can in some games.

The sound effects are nothing special, just your common spot effects for sword swings, spells, etc but they do the job, and there is no voice acting at all - which some would argue is a good thing as at least then you don't have to suffer poor acting or irritating voices for the whole game. So overall, at best you will find the music to be really well composed, or at worst you will find it inoffensive and won't rush to turn the volume down the minute you start up the game. As always though a decent set of headphones is recommended to get the most out of the PSP's audio - the weedy speakers just don't do it justice.

Plot and Character: 7 out of 10

Legend of Heroes features a large cast of colourful, interesting characters. These are headed up by the Hero, Avin, and his lifetime friend, Mile. You really believe in the bond between these two and the realistic portrayal of friendship goes a long way towards sustaining your interest throughout the course of the game. These two characters are backed up by around 10 other characters who drift in and out of the story/your party, but you will almost always have four people in your party. As soon as someone leaves, you can pretty much bet that someone else will turn up. While the supporting characters are interesting, because they never hang around for long it's harder to become attached to them, but I do like the idea of people that can't just drop everything and travel around the world with the hero, and have other commitments they need to attend to. It makes the world feel more real.

Personally, I rather enjoyed the plot. Other reviews I've read have called it cliched, but as long as a cliche is done well it's still entertaining from my point of view. Look how many books have borrowed the basic fantasy template from The Lord of the Rings - many of them are good in their own right and shouldn't just be dimissed because they got the idea of orcs from Mr Tolkien. There were several twist in the game that kept me interested and wanting to know what happens next. Plus the fact that there is such a fast turnover of characters makes you play on a bit longer to see who will join up with the party next.

One area that really lets this game down is the rushed localisation - there are many grammatical mistakes, sentences that stop half way and examples of "Engrish" throughout the game. For example when you level up and gain a new skill, you're faced with something like "Mile has Demon Flash mastered!". However, despite all this I still enjoyed the story, and when localisation was working well it was actually quite entertaining and witty. A bit more quality control would have been nice.

Game Mechanics - 6 out of 10

If you're familiar with the two Lunar games on the PlayStation, you'll already feel quite at home with the mechanics of Legend of Heroes. It uses the turn based format that so many others have used with one main difference - the distance you are from your target makes a difference. For example, if you choose to attack an ememy all the way accross the screen and your character is holding a sword, he won't have enough strength to get there and will most likely stop halfway across the screen. If he is a magic user or is armed with a bow, his reach is increasesignificantlyly. This brings some basic tactics into the gameplay - it is often better to defend and let the enemy come to you for example, than it is to get halfway across the screen and get spanked as a result.

Battles aren't random in Legend of Heroes, you can see the enemies wandering around on the map. Early in the game you also get a pet, either a rabbit, a cat, or a dog, and if you feed it and pet it, it will find beneficial items for you during your exploration. This did tend to make things a bit easy, as I never had to buy healing items because my dog was constantly supplying me with them. If you are mean to your pet, it goes beserk and sets loose all manner of whoopass on your foes. So either way, you get something out of the partnership, and there's no sign of an in game version of the RSPCA to haul you off to prison for virtual animal cruelty.

So really the mechanics are pretty much like every other aspect of this game - solid, but nothing new or especially remarkable.

Innovation and Cleverness - 3 out of 10

Now I'm going to give Legend of Heroes a few points here for being the first proper RPG on the PSP. Granted, we now have quite a few to choose from but this game got the first and helped fill a niche during the early days of the console. Apart from that, there really isn't anything particularly innovative about the game. I like the way that it's just one part of a bigger, six part story but even that idea has been used before and it's not as if any of the other games in the series have been released in the west anyway (and nor are they likely to be). I've already compared the game to the classic Lunar series, and ironically it does a far better job of capturing the spirit of that series than the official sequel Lunar Dragon Song for the DS, in which the innovation was actually detrimental to the game. I mean, you lost health if you decided to run, even in towns, for god's sake!

Value and Replayability - 6 out of 10

Although the game doesn't actually keep count of how long you've been playing unlike many others, I'd have to say it took me about 30 hours on and off to finish Legend of Heroes. This might not sound very long especially compared to the recently reviewed Dragon Quest 8, but for a handheld game it's actually very substantial.

Of course, being a console RPG the games is really very linear in nature. There isn't even much in the way of sidequests either, and I don't really think the story is really strong enough to warrant playing through again. It's one of those games which is entertaining at the time, but probably won't be remembered very much about a year down the line.

Overall - 6 out of 10

I'd really like to score this game higher, as I did enjoy it at the time and I was very grateful to Bandai for releasing a half decent RPG for the PSP. However, looking over what I've written above, and taking the competition (Tales of Eternia, Popolocrois, Breath of Fire 3) in mind, I've come to the conclusion that Legend of Heroes doesn't deserve any more than a 6. If you see a preowned copy lying around I would certainly consider picking it up, otherwise go for one of the other three games I've just mentioned - they all have better production values, better storylines, and more innovative gameplay.

Ah, but what you didn't realise is that my monster cart is the new XR3i Turbo-Nutter-Bastard edition!

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King review

It's been a while but finally it's time for me to share my thoughts of Dragon Quest VII: Journey of the Cursed King for the PS2. I am also introducing a new more detailed ratings system with this review and splitting the review into several different criteria. Without further ado, let's get on with the review shall we?

Format: PlayStation 2
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Level 5
Genre: Turn based RPG
Region: NTSC (USA)
Price: Around £10

The Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior) series is one of the pioneers of the console RPG scene. Together with the Final Fantasy games in the mid 80's, it set the template for the entire genre that followed. Unfortunately, apart from the occasional US release that was appreciated by fans but pretty much overlooked by everyone else, western gamers have had to go without. At last Square-Enix have seen the error of their ways, as the US release of DQ8 shows. It is actually even better than the Japanese game, due to a soundtrack that has been completely performed by a full orchestra (the Tokyo Philharmonic no less), a brilliant localisation, and improved menu's. Not only that, but Square-Enix recently announced that it is going to be released in Europe, which marks the very first time that we have ever received a game in the series. I beg, urge, plead, beseech, implore you to go out and buy a copy of this game if you are in any way interested in the RPG genre and a PS2 owner. It was incredibly close to being my favourite game of 2005 (and if it wasn't for Resident Evil 4, it would have been).

Graphics: 10 out 10
As you can see from the screenshots, DQ8 looks amazing. After around 70 hours of playing the game though, you will be even more in awe of what Level 5 has managed to produce on the aging PS2. It's the attention to detail that really grabbed me. In other games that feature huge worlds where you're free to go where you want, such as World of Warcraft, the sense of realism is let down by the repetition of the architecture. Every Night Elf settlement is basically made up of the exact same building, for example.

In DQ8 though, every town has been created thoughtfully by hand, so each inn, church, shop, or whatever looks different to all the others. Even decorative items like paintings, carpets, and flowers blowing in the wind have been painstakingly placed down, which makes the world feel real, and makes you want to explore the world all the more to find out what surprises lie around the next corner.

There is also a wide variety of monsters to encounter, ranging from the creepy to the silly, and each one has their own range of attack animations. Really and truly, the graphics is the main area that DQ8 differs from all the other games in the series. Everything else about the game has been left intact, but Level 5 has brought the series visually right up to date at the cutting edge of what you can achieve on the PS2.

Sound and Music: 10 out of 10
Yes, that's right, another 10 out 10. Get used to it folks, this game really is that good. To be honest though, you may not agree with me on this one if you absolutely hate classical music. That's not to say I'm a classical fan boy, but when it is appropriate and done as well as it is here, a composition of a more symphonic nature really enhances the overall product. Noisy death metal or hip hop just wouldn't have worked. The music does tend to repeat a little bit (which is hardly surprising given the games length) but personally I never got tired of it.

Square-Enix went above and beyond the call of duty when they localised DQ8 for the American audience. Whereas other lesser companies may have been content just to translate the text (sometimes extremely badly), S-E not only enlisted the talents of the Tokyo Philharmonic to rerecord the score, but they also hired the UK studio Side. Thanks to Side's commitment to delivering quality voice work and finding new voice talent for each project, the characters in DQ8 really come alive. My particular favourite is Yangus, who kind of sounds like a seedier version of Bob Hoskins. The only voice that can tend to grate after a while is King Trode, but by the end I even found him quite likeable.

As for sound effects, Level 5 took the clever approach of keeping the classic effects from the old NES and SNES Dragon Quest games, which helps cement the feeling that Level 5 haven't just created an RPG and slapped on he Dragon Quest name, but they've really looked at what made the old games so special and somehow managed to capture the essence and reproduce it here in this game. This feeling is present in every aspect of the game, from the monsters, the music, the wondrous world, right through the menus and battle system. It really is one of the greatest 2D to 3D transitions the gaming world has ever seen (up there with Zelda Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64 and Metroid Prime in my opinion).

The amount of detail present on the character models still impress today despite the prevelance of HD.

Plot and Character: 8 out of 10
DQ8 only has four playable characters, which is considerably less than most modern RPG's. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, far from it. What is allowed Level 5 to do is focus more on those characters and give them enough depth for the player to form a connection with them. Alongside the hero, Yangus, Jessica and Angelo are King Trode and the princess, however. These two characters are the catalyst for the whole plot - when the kingdom of Trodain is cursed by the jester Dhoulmagus, they set out to try and track him down and reverse the evil effects of the curse. These include turning King Trode into a green toad-like thing and the princess into a horse, as well as covering Trodain Castle in vines and turning the population into stone.

The main character is a member of the royal guard and the only other person apart from the King and Princess not to be turned to stone. He valiantly agrees to continue to protect the royal family on their journey across the world, and reformed criminal Yangus decides to go with him. Yangus has a habit of calling the main character "Guv" all the time, and it is clear that some event in the past ties the two together. Along the journey the party will encounter Jessica, a spirited and "well endowed" young woman who is adept at magic, and Angelo, an orphaned Templar Knight.

While the plot is rather traditional and it doesn't really hold that many surprises for experienced RPG players, the colourful characters are more than enough to sustain your interest. As well as the main six I've already mentioned, you will also meet people like Morrie (owns a Monstrous Pit) and many many others throughout all the towns you will explore. There is definitely something of a storybook charm to the plot, it's like a lost Grimm Fairy Tale.

Game Mechanics: 8 out of 10
DQ8 sticks with the tried and true random encounter model for initiating battles, which some players can find rather tiresome but I don't really have a problem with. The only time it can be a nuisance is when you need to go out or go to bed and you're trying to get back to somewhere that you can save, and the pesky monsters keep attacking you.

The battle system itself initially seems rather basic but the further you get into the game the deeper it gets. It's a traditional turn based set up whereby you tell each character what to do and then sit back and watch as both parties take turns whacking each other. As the characters level up you have to decide which of four areas you want to level your characters in, which differs depending on the character. For examples, Jessica has Whips, Fists, two other weapons which I forget... and Sex Appeal. I personally spent half of my points in a particular weapon proficiency and the other half in each character unique ability - in this case Sex Appeal. As her sexiness got higher, more and more monsters would simply stop and stare longingly at her instead of attacking. Brilliant!

Then there is the tension gauge, which can be increased up to 100 and muliplies the amount of damage you can do to an enemy. Combined with Jessica's Oomph spell this can be devastating, and is a great help against many of the bosses. Don't think you can simply use the same technique all the way through the game though, as quite a few bosses have a special move which wipes out any positive status effects on your party in one go.

Before buying the game I had heard how tough it is, and it very nearly put me off buying it. I'm glad I put my fears aside however, as while the game is indeed difficult, it is fairly so. This means that as long as you don't skip battles, keep your equipment up to date and keep your wits about you, most battles can be won without too much hassle. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security however as even some of the lowliest monsters have abilities than can kill your party members instantly.

One thing that did irritate me about the mechanics of the game though is the menu and inventory. I just found it a bit cumbersome do use and not as well designed as it could have been. Apparently it has already been improved since the Japanese version, but on this evidence not quite enough.

All in all Dragon Quest VIII is very much a traditional RPG under the hood. There are a few new ideas to help give the old formula a bit of spice but most of the mechanics can be traced back all the way to the first game in the series. This is by no means a bad thing, as it helps the game keep the feel of the series that has made it so special to fans over the years. It may be a bit harsh for those just starting out in the world of RPG's however.

All four playable characters: Yangus, the hero, Jessica, and Angelo

Innovation and Cleverness: 7 out of 10DQ8 doesn't score all the highly on the innovation front - like I said before most of what you can find here has already been done elsewhere in the genre, or even the same game series. What makes DQ8 unique though is the sheer polish and attention to detail the developers have lavished upon it. It runs throughout everything - the graphics, the music, the voice over work, the length of the game, the plot and its side quests. A Final Fantasy game may look pretty, but it can't compete with the professional job done here. These things considered I believe DQ8 deserves a 7 in this category, not because it's particularly innovative, but because of the clever way it pulls everything off.

Value and Replayability: 9 out of 10

DQ8 took me 73 hours to complete. 73 hours! I can't remember a game that took me that long before (Skies of Arcadia comes close at around 60 but still doesn't quite match DQ8 for sheer size). Now if half of those hours were spent wading through tedious gameplay, then the game may as well have been half as long. However, for me at least, DQ8 managed the difficult task of remaining fun to play all the way through to the end (and beyond).

This 73 hour run did include some side quests, but I'm fairly certain I didn't do all of them. The main side quest in the game is the Monster Arena, where you can defeat certain special monsters in the overworld and recruit them in your personal Monster Team. Like in other RPG's that feature a monster arena (Arc the Lad 2 for example) you don't have direct control of the monsters themselves, so you just have to sit by and hope that the monsters are strong enough/clever enough to defeat three other teams on their own. Moving up through the ranks gives you various benefits, including many specials items, and the ability to summon your monster team in regular combat, which can be very useful indeed against the more vicious bosses in the game. The owner of the Monster Area, or Monstrous Pit as he refers to it, is one of the most colourful character in the game, and even side characters like him are given the full voice over treatment.

Then we have the Mini Medals, which have been a staple in the DQ series for many years now. You can find these things every where throughout the world in chests, pots, barrels and bags, and you can trade them in for special equipment at Minnie's Castle. This encourages you to thoroughly explore the game world (as if the beautiful graphics weren't enough encouragement) and seek out every last one. Trust me, the later items really make the task worthwhile.

While this is truly an amazing game, one of the best the PS2 has ever seen, whether you will come back and play it again is debatable. This is mainly down to the huge size of the game. Maybe in a year or two you will come back and play it again, but personally I hardly ever play the same RPG again, unless it's one I really love (Skies of Arcadia and Shenmue being examples).

Overall: 9 out of 10

While there are a few niggles with the menu's and the challenging, lengthy nature of the game could well be off putting for some, I have no doubt that this will be remembered as one of the crowning glories of the PS2 era. The quality of Final Fantasy X doesn't even come close to this game. So what if it doesn't really shake up the classic Dragon Quest formula? That's not what fans of the series want. Level 5, Yuji Horii and Square Enix have worked miracles with this game, producing breathtaking visuals and sound, backed up by deep and absorbing gameplay. If you're looking for a quality quest for the PS2 to get your teeth into, there are many choices available, but Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King should be at the top of the list.

Series overview - Wild Arms

The Wild Arms series has been around since 1997 in Europe, but it wasn't until I happened upon a preowned copy of Wild Arms 3 for £10 that I realised just how great these games are. I had previously dabbled with the original (in fact it was the first turn-based RPG I ever played) but I got stuck on a certain boss battle, and then Final Fantasy VII came along and the game was forgotten for quite some time.

After playing WA3 through to completion though, I went back and completed the original and WA2 as well. Now I'm working my way through Alter Code F, and have a copy of WA4 waiting patiently for me afteward. Seeing as this year is the 10th Anniversary of Wild Arms (in it's native country of Japan at least), I decided to do a little special feature on each of the games in the series.

Wild Arms - PlayStation - released in 1997 (Europe)
As I said before, I never got around to finishing the first game in the series when it was released. Looking back, I'm not really sure why I found the battle with Zed so difficult, as upon replaying the game a few years ago I breezed through it. I guess it was down to my overall lack of experience with this type of game.

Anyway, the first Wild Arms introduced us to the world of Filgaia, and the characters of Rudy, Jack and Cecilia. The dungeons featured some fun (but not too taxing) puzzles which made use of various tools that the characters have, including bombs, a wind mouse named Hanpan and a flame rod. The battle system was fast and fun but the graphics let the side down a bit even at the time of the games release, plus there were some really bizarre sound effects for the various spells. The music however was amazing (something that would go on to be a series trait). If you see a copy on sale for a bargain price, by all means consider picking it up, but you may want to purchase the newer (and pricier) remake, Alter Code F, instead.

Jack as he appeared back in 1997.

Wild Arms 2 (2nd Ignition) - PlayStation - never released in Europe, released in 2000 (US)
WA2 is generally regarded as the worst game in the series, but personally I enjoyed it just as much as the first. The graphics can look a little rought at times (2D sprites and 3D backgrounds never seem to mesh well) and the translation leaves a lot be desired, but the game is very enjoyable to play, and the plot is slightly different from the other games in the series.

WA2 also featured several additions to the gameplay, including the ability to skip battles (at least until your encounter bar runs out and you're forced to fight) and a radar that you have to use to discover dungeons and towns before they will actually appear on the world map. This last idea is a bit strange and can be frustrating, not to say unrealistic. I mean, just because you don't know a huge great tower exists, doesn't mean you can't see it does it?

For some reason the game was developed by Contrail instead of MediaVision, who developed all the other games in the series. Contrail are perhaps more well known for making the awful Alundra 2.

Unfortunately the game was never released in Europe so if you're really determined to play it you'd have to import it. Copies can still be found quite easily on ebay, but it's up to you whether you can be bothered to go to the trouble of having it shipped over.

The Wild Arms games are well known for their beatiful intro's, and WA2 is no exception.

Wild Arms 3 (Advanced 3rd) - PlayStation 2 - released in 2003 (Europe)
I would have to say that this is definitely my favourite game of the series. Everything just seems to come together so well. The graphics use a kind of cell shaded technique which have a kind of "hand painted" look to them which I think works very well, and the music is the greatest of all the Wild Arms games.

Also included were a couple of truly gargantuan side quests, including the 100 level Abyss and dozens of tricky Millenium Puzzles to solve. Completing these quests as well as defeating extremely tough optional bosses gave you EX File Keys, whch could be used to unlock more features once you'd completed the game, most of them with a second play through in mind.

While the plot is basically a rehash of the original game, the new characters are charming and the story kept me interested to the end. Sony got Squaresoft to do the english translation for them, and they did a very good job. This time, Ubisoft decided to pick up the game and publish it in Europe. My top 5 RPG's is constantly shifting and changing, but Wild Arms 3 continues to stay on there (along with Skies of Arcadia). What put the icing on the cake is that I bought the game at the bargain price of £10 brand new, and that's incredible value for money!

The heroine of Wild Arms 3 Virginia Maxwell is a descendant of Calamity Jane Maxwell from the first game.

Wild Arms: Alter Code F - PlayStation 2 - not yet released in Europe, released in 2005 (US).
WA:ACF is a remake of the original game, with the graphics, sound, gameplay and story all brought up to date for the PS2. While the plot still follows the basic outline of the PS1 classic, extra scenes have been added, characters which were part of the supporting cast are now playable, the music has been re-recorded (with mixed results, sometime I prefer the orginals). The visuals have also been given a fresh lick of paint, but personally I don't think they're as good as WA3's. Finally, new gameplay ideas that were introduced in the 2nd and 3rd games have been added to ACF and the The Abyss and Millenium Puzzles have been brought back. If you have fond memories of the original game, then ACF is well worth a look as it is new enough to get you interested again, yet familiar enough to have you smiling with nostalgia.

Jack as he appears in the remake.

First Impressions
Wild Arms 4 (4th Detonator) - PlayStation 2 - not yet released in Europe, released in 2006 (US).
I haven't had time to play Wild Arms 4 properly yet, but I have played enough to try out the new gameplay ideas and get a general feel for the ways things work.

Basically, WA4 is the biggest overhaul the series has had so far. The old gameplay and battle system have been completely jettisoned. Instead you get something that resembles a platform game, complete with double jumps and bottom bounces, and then a highly tactical battle engine which uses hexagons to divide up the play area. It's a bit of a strange mixture but it seems to work so far and is a much needed breath of fresh air for the series.

The music is not quite up to the same standard as the other games in the series because unfortunately the regular composer Michiko Naruke fell ill while the game was being made and two other composers were hired to finish the project while she was recovering. While their music isn't bad, the styles change a bit too much from one tune to the next which messes up the feeling of continuity somewhat.

From what I've heard the game is much shorter than previous games, clocking in at about 25 hours maximum, which is a bit of a shame, but long term fans of the series should definitely give the game a try.

Wild Arms 4 brings some very interesting new ideas to the series, including special team-up attacks.

Just announced
Wild Arms V (the Vth Vanguard) - not yet released in any territory
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the series, Media Vision have recently announced the 5th game in the series. Very little is known about it yet, so it could return to the more traditional gameplay of the earlier games or continue in the same vein as the 4th game.

Rumoured
Wild Arms PSP
In a recent interview, the head of Media Vision said he would be very interested in making a PSP version of the Wild Arms series, which is very exciting for fans of the series. Let's hope it becomes a reality soon.

Spin offs
Wild Arms: Twilight Venom
ADV made an anime series a few years ago, and the first episode was given away free with Alter Code F. Unfortunately it wasn't very good, but if you're a die hard fan of the series you may want to track it down.

Next time I write a series overview it will be on the Metroid games, so keep a look out for that one!

Plans

I just thought I'd drop in and share what I have planned for this little blog in the future. Well, over the weekend I finally completed both Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King on the PS2 and Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion on the PSP, so expect reviews for both of those. You can also expect a review of Metroid Prime Pinball for the DS, and a feature on the Wild Arms series, including my first impressions of Alter Code F and Wild Arms 4 (it's too early for full reviews).

I won't make any promises about when exactly you can expect to see these articles but I hope to get them all done and dusted with the next week or so.

Before I go, I recently discovered the wonders of RetroGaming Radio, a monthly web based show hosted by Shane R. Monroe. While my opinions differ quite strongly in certain areas (he loathes turn-based console RPG's, whereas I absolutely love them as I'm sure you can tell), on many other topics we are on the same wavelength. He also has a new project on the way which is very exciting - Dual Screen Radio. a new show devoted to the amazing Nintendo DS. I'm really looking forward to it!

The RetroModern Gaming Blog 2005 Awards

Here are the highlights of 2005 for me. The games featured year didn't necessarily come out this year, but I did play them this year. Tomorrow I will be giving out awards for the disappointments of 2005, but for today, it's all good!

GBA Game of the Year - Riviera: The Promised Land
A great little RPG which combined plenty of humour with an interesting battle system and some of the best graphics on Nintendo's diminutive handheld. It didn't get a release in Europe and there were only fairly limited quantities on sale in the US, so it might be quite hard to come by now, but it's worth picking up if you can find it.

Runner up - Racing Gears Advance
Not many people are aware if this little game but way back in January of last year it was constantly in the GBA slot of my DS. Imagine a game like Micro Machines or Mashed on the GBA and you'd be on the mark. This is the ideal sort of game for a handheld.

DS Game of the Year - Mario Kart DS
Without doubt this is absolutely the best game on the DS so far. Every thing you could ever possible want from a Mario Kart title and more (who would've expected the Mission mode?). The Wi-Fi Internet mode is the icing on a particularly scrummy cake and combined with the regular multiplayer mode ensure that this game will be a favourite for a long time to come.

Runner up - Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Another inventive and witty entry in the Mario RPG series. The DS has been starved of quality RPG's since it was released by now Mario & Luigi are here to keep players entertained for at least 20 hours of quality gameplay.

PSP Game of the Year - Ridge Racer
I'm possibly a little biased here - Ridge Racer has long been a favourite series of mine, but these are my awards so never mind. The classic RR gameplay was given a boost (pun intended) with the addition of a Nitrous gauge, and many of the best tracks from past games were dusted off and given a thorough going for this PSP "best of" update.

Runner up - Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion
It took a while for a decent RPG to appear on the PSP, just like with the DS, but finally Legend of Heroes was released back in November. It has a less than perfect localisation, but that hasn't prevented me from enjoying the story and all it's many twists and turns. It's refreshing to play a game where many different characters drop in and out of the story, rather thing joing with the protagonist and following them all the way around the world.

Gamecube Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4
I've been partial a bit of Resident Evil for a long time now, but even I was starting to tire of the clumsy controls and cliched formula. Capcom took a long hard look at the series and finally gave gamers RE 4. No one could have predicted just how good this game would be. Every chapter is crammed full of inventive and exciting set pieces and the amazing soundtrack makes sure you are constantly on the edge of your seat, all the while holding your breath.

Runner up - Batallion Wars
When it was announced that British developer Kuju games was making a Gamecube version of the Advance Wars series and changing it from a turn based strategy game into a third person action game, fans of the series were horrified. After all, Kuju's track record has been average at best (Reign of Fire, Lotus Challenge and War Hammer: Fire Warrior were all less than amazing). Nonetheless, the managed to deliver a very solid and fun little shooter which even reminds me of Halo at times (the chatter of the troops, and the vehicles). Well worth checking out.

PlayStation 2 Game of the Year - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King.
This game is amazing, spellbinding. I knew Level 5 were adept at getting the most out of the PS2 hardware from past experience with Dark Chronicle, but I never imagined anyone could cram a game that's this long, with such brilliant graphics, a stunning orchestral score and fantastic gameplay, on to one single DVD ROM.

Runner up - Shadow of the Colossus
This also achieves things that I never thought possible on the aging PS2 hardware, but sometimes the cracks show through. The frame rate can get quite unstable when the action hots up which prevented me from ever getting completely immersed in the game. Still one of the most beautiful things I have seen all year though.

Xbox Game of the Year - Jade Empire

Many people weren't overly keen on this game, especially after playing Knights of the Old Republic, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and found the action based battle system to be a refreshing change. The mythical Chinese style setting was wonderful too.

Runner up - Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
It's sad that this game never sold as many copies as it deserved to, as it was well worth it. A western style game set in the bizarre Oddworld, featuring the same sense of humour from the Abe and Munch games. I saw a pre owned copy for £10 the other day, and if you should comeacrosss a cheap copy you should snap it up.

PC Game of the Year - The Movies
This is the best game Peter Molyneux and his team have delivered since Theme Hospital came out all those years ago from Bullfrog. It can get rather tough after a while as you a juggling stars and directors throwing petty tantrums with trying to make the best films you can and managing not to go bankrupt. The movie making aspect has seen a huge community build up already, where you can upload and download home made films for your own entertainment.

Runner up - Sacred Gold
This is an action RPG in the Diablo mould, with plenty of character classes to choose from, some very nice graphics and a verylengthyy quest to work your way through. This Gold edition also includes the Underworld expansion disk which adds about another 15 hours of gameplay.

Overall Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4 - Gamecube
It was a close call but for me, the best game of 2005 was Resident Evil 4. It's now also available on the PS2 with even more content.

Runner up - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - PlayStation 2
I very nearly decided to place these two games the other way around, but in the end RE4 had more innovative touches (DQVIII is verytraditionall at heart, but that has a lot to do with why it's so good).

Come back tomorrow for part 2, where I list my worst games of the year, my mostdisappointingg delay, best hidden gem and best retro game.

Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy review

Format played: PS2. Also available on: PC, Xbox. Current prices: £20 new, £15 pre-owned.
Where found: In Gamestation, as part of there "£20 if bought with anything else in store" offer.
Developer: Quantic Dream. Publisher: Atari. Genre: Adventure.

A few years back, when the Dreamcast was still a relatively new format, a developer by the name of Quantic Dream created a rather ambitious adventure game by the name of Omikron: The Nomad Soul. It's most notable feature was that it contained the music and tlikewiseise of David Bowie, and despite not quite living up to the promise it was (and still is) a decent game and would be well worth checking out if you found it pre owned for about £5.

Nothing has been heard of Quantic Dream for quite some time, until now, with the release of Fahrenheit (or The Indigo Prophecy as it is known in the US). I first became aware of this game around last July when the Next Gen Videos E3 DVD box set was released. The director, David Cage, talked viewers through the opening part of the game, which shows a man in a tracommittingting a brutal murder in the toilets of a New York diner, only to come to and realise horrificrifc act he'd just done. This is where players take control of Lucas Kane, the game's main character and the catalyst of the story. You have to quickly decide whether to clean up after yourself, or just get out of there as fast as you can. You must make sure the cop in the diner doesn't catch you though. The game takes a stylistic leaf out of 24's book, with split screens showing what's happening simultaneously at once. It works really well, and really builds up the tension and atmosphere in the game.

Another factor which is always very important for the general atmosphere of a game is the soundtrack, and Fahrenheit gets top marks in this respect. The haunting style of film composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, A Very Long Engagement) can be heard in the main theme of the game. Unfortunately, he only composed a couple of tunes and they get re-used all the way through the game, so by the end the impact is lessened somewhat. There is also an array of licensed tunes - not your usual stuff either, a surprisingly eclectic mix of classic funk and dance tracks, and some pretty average "rock" from a new band called... oh er... I forget their name they're that memorable. Anyway, apart from the naff rock, the soundtrack is very competent. Voice acting is generally top quality too, which is quite important when you're going for a moody, atmospheric tone for much of the game and your characters have to sound believable. Not that there isn't any humour in the game, there's quite a few little jokes to make you chuckle along the way.

Graphically, Fahrenheit is by no means the best I've ever seen on the PS2, but it isn't bad either. Animation, lip synching, the afore-mentioned split screen effects and particle effects for weather all help to uphold the believe that your taking part in a Hollywood film (or, *shudder* an Interactive Movie). Some of the textures looked a little drab and low detail sometimes and the characters have a rather chunky look to them though, so it loses a few marks there.

Now I'm afraid I must get on to the negative comments. The controls, while quite "innovative" are often quite horrible and a real struggle to use. The method of choosing whconversationtion tree to go down or what object to look at by pushing the right stick in various directions works fine, but the camera can be really annoying. Many times the camera angle shifted on me and I ended up walking in a different direction than the one I was trying to go in. You can hold down the L1 or R1 buttons to rotate the camera (in theory) but I found it would just shift back to where it was as soon as I let the button go, which is less than ideal.

Then we come to the story. I loved the first half and the whole mystery surrounding the murder. The other controllable characters (that's right, Lucas isn't the only one) are likeable and well crafted. But then the whole story tends to go up its own arse in the second half and it's almost as if the director was trying to create the gaming equivalent of The Matrix trilogy. If by that you meapretentiousious, over hyped, ludicrous pile of drivel then you'd be right (I'm not to keen on The Matrix, apart from the first film, as you can tell). There is also something else that happens in the story that really annoyed me, but I won't mention it here as it's a major spoiler. Check after the pictures if you have completed the game already and see if you agree with me.

Finally, the game doesn't really pose much of a challenge and is fairly short. It would probably only take you a few evenings of effort to complete the game. While there are a few diverging paths you can take and a few different endings, the game is nowhere near as free as openingeing chapter might lead you to believe.

All these thiconspirepire together and detract from the good things about the game. If you're looking for a good adventure for the PS2 or Xbox there isn't really much else on offer, so this is worth a look. If you are a PC owner though you have much more choice and there are many better games available. If I had paid full price for the game I would have been very upset, but as it is it only cost £20, which I still think is a bit too much. Maybe in a year or two, when it has gone down to £10, would it really be worth the money. As it is, if you like the sound of Fahrenheit, I would suggest that you rent it.

The RetroModern Gaming Score: 7 out of 10.

The opening chapters are probably the best part of the game.

There are various mini games and action sequences, but most of them boil down to a simple "Simon says" style. Fun once maybe, but gets rather old on repeated plays.

Spoiler Warning

Near the end of the game, Lucas and Carla (the female cop that's been on his trail most of the game) decide to call a truce and try to work together to find out what's really going on. Seemingly moments after agreeing to work together, they are shagging in the back of a derelict train! I found this very far fetched, out of keeping with the character that they'd portrayed for Carla for most of the game, and rather gratuitous. Plus the fact that Lucas was actually dead when they did in, which would make Carla a necrophiliac. Eww.

Happy New Year

Hello there! I realise that this blog has been inactive for quite some time now, and this week I plan to remedy the situation. I can't promise 5 posts a week, but I shall try for at least 3. I plan to include more diary style posts from now on alongside the reviews and articles that I have been writing in the past. Let's start right now, shall we?

An otherwise dull and dreary Monday morning was brightened up earlier today by a belated birthday present from my work colleagues - a GAME Gift Card with £10 on it. This is the second Gift Card I have been given, but I'm not complaining. I plan to start putting a small amount of money aside each month until I have enough for one of the next generation consoles. I'm not entirely sure which one yet, although I am a big fan of Nintendo so the Revolution would be the preferred choice. It all depends on how long it takes to save up enough money, and when the Revolution is actually released.

I am now going to detail all of the game related birthday and Christmas presents I received, along with all the games I bought with money I was given, or my Christmas pay. This is a good indication of what I am likely to be writing about soon, but I doubt I will get around to writing about all of them.

Birthday presents:

Moto GP 3 - Xbox - from my best friend Kim. It has my name in the credits - yay!
Popolocrois - PSP - I am really looking forward to playing this properly. Just as soon as I'm finished with Legends of Heroes I shall get started. This was from my mum.
Final Fantasy I & 2: Dawn on Souls - GBA - from my brother Kevyn. I've been meaning to play the games that started the whole FF saga for quite some time, and this year I plan to do just that.

Xmas presents:

Advance Wars Dual Strike - DS - also from my mum.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - GBA - another one from Kevyn. This was one of the finest games to be released last Christmas season and now I finally own my own copy, which leavesTwilightt Princess as the only Zelda game I don't own (apart from the crappy Philips CDi ones).

December pay purchases:
Dragon Quest VIII - PS2 - This is it, the big one, the one game that has sucked up most of my time lately. I'm almost 50 hours into it and probably only about halfway done with it. It never gets old. Definitely a contender for my Game of 2005 (more on that later in the week).
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - DS - from what I've seen of this so far it's just as smart and funny as the original was on the GBA, but controlling four characters at the same time can mess with the mind somewhat.

Birthday money and Xmas money purchases:
Capcom Classics Collection Volume 1 - 20 or so retro classics from one of the mostconsistentlyy good companies in the business. At last, an arcade perfect console port of Final Fight. Also including are 3 versions of Street Fighter 2, and many many others. No Strider though, which is a shame. Oh well, roll on Volume 2!
Taito Legends Volume 1 - A similar deal to that above, only with Taito games instead of Capcom, obviously. Worth it for Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and The New Zealand Story alone, but the others are worth a look too. I can't wait for Volume 2, which will have over 40 gamesincludingg Elevator Action Returns.
Ratchet & Clank 3 - I always seem to be one step behind with the Ratchet series, but this year that's actually a good thing as I don't really like the direction that Ratchet: Deadlocked has headed into. It also means that R&C was only £20 as part of the Platinum range. It's as polished as ever with absolutely tons of stuff to do.
Sonic Rush - DS - this is definitely a return to form for Sonic, as the series goes back to its 2D roots and puts the emphasis back on speed rather than frustratinplatformrm puzzles. The Altitude Limit stage is a real bugger though - I usually get there with about 15 lives, and lose them all.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - DS - I haven't really had time to try this out yet, but I've been meaning to play a Castlevania game ever since Castlevania IV on the SNES. These days they follow the Metroid formula, but that's no bad thing really.
Xenosaga: Episode 2 - PS2. Part 2 of Namco's epic RPG series. Apparently the series has been shortened down to 3 episodes rather than the 6 originally planned. These multi-game series never seem to be able to last can they? Still, at least Xenosaga will get a proper ending, unlike Shenmue.
Jak X: Combat Racing - PS2. Despite the extremely negative review in GamesTM I decided to buy Jak X and I'm actually really enjoying it so far. It does take time to warm up but after you've tuned youvehiclele up a fair bit the game becomes less frustrating. I'm not that keen on the mulitplayer mode, but then I've been spoiled lately with having not one but twscreenssn to myself in the sublime Wi-Fi mode of Mario Kart DS.
Fahrenheit - PS2. I completed this adventure game yesterday, and I plan to post up a review tomorrow. There's nothing else really like it on the PS2 at the moment, and that alone is enough to make it worth a look. It's by no means perfect though. Find out why tomorrow.

Finally, I just want to mention that I have entered the Wifikarts.co.uk League. This is a Mario Kart DS league that will be going on for 9 weeks. All I hope for is that I don't finish last in my group, although that really depends on how many "snakers" there are". The user name I am entered under is Wibblefish, so wish me luck! Also, if you have a DS with Mario Kart DS and access to a Wi-Fi connection, why not enter yourself? There's still a few days left.

Tales of Symphonia Review

Tales of Symphonia is the first game in Namco's Tales series to be released in Europe, and if it is a good representation of the series as a whole then I can honestly say it's a great shame that the others never made it.

Each of the games in the series share certain aspects in common - most noticeably the real time battle engine. Instead of your typical turn based RPG battles where you keep pressing the A button and just sit back and watch, the fights here are much more hands on. In the original Tales of Phantasia, the battles were purely from a side-on perspective, much like a 2D fighting game like Streetfighter 2 or Mortal Kombat. However, you're not on your own - you have up to 3 other characters in your party that fight alongside you. While you don't control them directly, you can command them quickly and efficiently to use certain special moves or items thanks to the intuitive menu that can be called up with the Y button. In the battles with regular monsters, you probably won't need to use advanced tactics, as mashing the button generally works, but against the bosses you will need to keep a close eye on the HP of yourself and your allies and be ready to jump in with a heal command.

The more recent entries to the Tales series, Symphonia included, have introduced a new semi-3D version of the battle engine. While you are still locked on a 2D plane with the enemy you are targeting, your enemies and allies are free to run around the 3D battlefield. When you want to change targets all you have to do is hold down the R trigger and select someone else to beat up. At the end of a battle, you are graded depending on how much damage you took, how quick you were, etc. These grade points can be saved up and spent on items at certain stores, or held back until you complete the game. Once you finish the game you can start a New Game+ with your old save file, and buy various things such as double xp, the ability to retain your "titles" and many other things. Throughout the game you will earn various titles for you characters, either at certain parts of the story, or for completing sidequests, or for fulfilling certain criteria in battle. These affect how your characters stats improve when you level up, so you can choose a title that boosts HP, TP (required for magic or special moves), Intelligence or many other stats.

Visually, Tales of Symphonia is gorgeous. It's like the pages of a manga book have come to life. Characters are all very well designed, and the towns and dungeons have a very solid and consistent look to them. The one thing that lets the graphics down a little is the overworld map - it's extremely basic and the monsters that randomly walk around all look the same, giving you no indication what you will actually have to fight should you happen to touch one.

The music is composed by Motoi Sakuraba (I hope I've spelled that correctly), who has been very prolific lately, having written tunes for Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Baten Kaitos, the Golden Sun series and more besides. It would have been nice if the music was fully orchestrated rather than synthesized, but that's not to say the music isn't good stuff. It's nice and varied too, and after a certain part of the game you will get new battle and overworld themes which helps to stop the game getting too monotonous. Voice acting in ToS is spot on, but with the range of talent providing the voices it's only really to be expected. The usual suspects (Cam Clarke, Jennifer Hale, etc) put in very solid performances, as do the other actors who I'm less familiar with. I'm especially fond of Collette's voice over.

I have read in other reviews that the plot is quite weak, but actually I think that's nonsense. While the story might start off quite cliched, it soon develops it's own path and there are many interesting twists along the way. Personally I don't think it matters too much if a story has been told before, as long as it's told well, and Tales of Symphonia certainly is that. What really makes the game enjoyable and keeps the plot from becoming boring, are the characters. They are all very well fleshed out, with decent lines and plenty to say. There are hundreds of optional "skits" that can be viewed during the game, most of which offer insights into the personal lives of the characters and help to develop their relationships with one another.

Tales of Symphonia is also one of the longest RPG's I've played in quite some time, clocking in at least 50 hours even if you just follow the basic outline of the story. If you add in all the sidequests, that time can easily be pushed over the 80 hour mark. There's quite a lot of freedom in the order you can tackle events as well, and certain plot strands could be skipped altogether, which adds to the replayability of the game.

All in all, Tales of Symphonia is one of the greatest games on the Gamecube, and I really hope Namco decides to bring future games in the series over to Europe. They currently have no less than three in production - Tales of Legendia and Tales of the Abyss for the PlayStation 2, and Tales of Eternia for the PSP, so the series shows no signs of stopping now.

Lloyd Irving, hero of the story

Collette Brunel, Chosen One, angel, love interest and heroine of the story.

In the works...

I know, I know, I've been missing for a long time. However, I do have some new content planned for the next few weeks. Reviews of Riviera: The Promised Land (GBA) and Tales of Symphonia (GC) for one thing, as well as some first impressions of Radiata Stories (PS2) and Burnout Legends (PSP).

The usual features, such as Hidden Gems and Greatest Game Ever, will be back, but I will also be adding some new semi-regular features. Firstly is Imports of Import... which as you can probably guess is all about the latest US releases of note, and then I will also be pointing out some of the best games from the current generation of consoles, starting with the PS2.

I am aiming to have the first update posted by Tuesday at the latest (the ToS review I mentioned), so see you there!

Hidden Gems 2005 Volume 5

First up is another entry to my Hidden Gems series - Drakengard for the PS2. You may recall that I posted some time ago that I had bought Drakengard along with several other games at bargain prices. I paid £5 at the time, took it home, had a quick go, and then it got consigned to the "must play some day" pile that so many games never come out of.

Last weekend, World of Warcraft was beginning to drag a bit and to quote Dr Evi I was surrounded by frickin' idiots, so I decided to have a break. As it turns out, Drakengard was the perfect choice for de-stressing myself and just generally having fun, which is surely what gaming is all about. Basically you can describe the game as a cross between the flying sections of Panzer Dragoon and the epic battles of Dynasty Warriors, wrapped up in a fantasy RPG setting. Each gameplay style isn't quite as good as the game that inspired it, but together they create a unique, enjoyable game. The variety in the levels is quite important, as I could see myself getting bored of level after level of hacking or shooting. Instead, they alternate, and during some ground missions you can even press Select to jump on to the back of your dragon and continue the battle from the sky.

Being a Square-Enix title, Drakengard's presentation is generally top notch. The music can be described as epic and stirring, and the FMV's are as good as anything from the Final Fantasy series. The actual in game graphics let the side down a bit, however. In an effort to keep the framerate up, the same enemy types are repeated many many times during the battles, and there is quite a short draw distance. To make matters worse, the levels are often quite bland and monochromatic, for example entirely grey or green. This is a bit disappointing, but on the other hand slaying and burning hundreds of enemies is such good fun you're not likely to mind too much.

The game is also quite short, rolling in at about 6 hours on your first playthrough, but it makes up for this with it's immense replayability. There's 50 different weapons to find, each with their own unique magical attack, and each is capable of being leveled up multiple times. The central character, Caim, and the Dragon also level up, and you can take part in a Free Expedition in between story levels to make yourself stronger and find new items if you wish. Then there's the fact that there are 5 different endings, and different paths that unlock on subsequent journeys through the game.

The gameplay, whether in the air or on the ground, mainly consists of taking out certain targets on your map, then being given new targets and starting again. On foot you have on standard attack button and a magical attack which you can use when you're meter is filled, and in the air your dragon has a standard fireball attack, the ability to lock on to multiple targets (which is very similar to Panzer Dragoon), and a burst attack which kills everything on screen). You can also do a speed boost, a 180 degree turn, and press R2 to centre the screen your nearest enemy. The controls are generally pretty good, but the camera can make life a little difficult at times.

Drakengard is best taken in short bursts between stodgier games. If you play too long you're likely to tire of all the killing, but when you just want to destroy something at the end of a bad day, it's the perfect way to spend an hour or so. Don't let the relatively low average score on Gamerankings put you off - the most trustworthy sites gave it around the 75% mark, which I think is about right. Also, you have to consider just how cheaply you can pick up a brand new copy of the game.

Square-Enix will probably improve upon every aspect of Drakengard for the forthcoming sequel, but whether it will be released here remains to be seen. The original didn't sell very well, hence the low price, so maybe they'll decide it's not worth it. That would be a shame, because I'm quite looking forward to seeing how Drakengard 2 (or Drag-On Dragoon 2 as it's called in Japan) turns out.

Shall we dance?


Behold the mighty Red Dragon

We're back!

Or rather, I'm back, seeing as I'm the only one who writes this. I have been missing for quite some time I know, and there are various reasons for this. The main one is that the vast majority of my gaming time has been taken up by War of Warcraft lately, so I haven't been playing anything else very much. Over the last week I have varied my gaming diet though and I now have a few things to share with you. So let's get on with it shall we?

Hidden Gems 2005 Volume 4

For this edition of Hidden Gems I will once again turn my attention to the PC, and little game called Mutant Storm. Recently re-released on the Sold Out budget label, it can be snapped up for £5 on it's own or as part of their 3 games for £10 offer. What's it all about? Well, Mutant Storm successfully combines all that was good about arcade games and shoot 'em ups in the 80's and 90's, and brings the visuals up to date.

Those of you who are familiar with Midway's Robotron or Smash TV (either you're old enough to have been their the first time, or you may have played them or the Midway's Greatest Hits disc) will know roughly what to expect from this game. Basically you control one ship in the middle of an arena, and a constant stream of enemies warp in and try and destroy you. If you survive, you warp on to the next arena, and so on. What made Midway's games unique was the control scheme - the arcade machines had two joysticks, one for movement and one which fired your weapon in whatever direction you pointed it. PomPom, the developers of Mutant Storm, have successfully replicated this if you have a twin stick pad for your PC, and the game is also perfectly serviceable on an 8-button pad. If all you have is a keyboard however, I would suggest you treat yourself to a pad of some sort if you're serious about those high scores.

PomPom have thrown a few more ideas into the classic mixture. These include the complex high score system and scaling level of difficulty. Basically, the longer you can go without dying, the higher your score multiplier will get, and therefore your score at the end of the game will be higher. As you rack up points, you will a kind of experience bar, and once it is completely full, you go up a belt. These belts are similar to martial arts belts, and range from white through to black. The higher you get the more the odds are stacked against you, and only the true masters will live to see the end of the black belt levels.

Once a belt is unlocked, you can play the game from the beginning on that difficulty setting. These means you can customise the game to your abilities. While you're still getting used to the game and honing your reflexes, you will probably want to stick to the white or yellow belts, but as your confidence increases you can step up the challenge a notch and challenge the best.

Once you achieve a high score you can connect to the internet and upload it onto the official Mutant Storm scoreboard, but you will have to put some serious practice in if you want to challenge the best.

Graphically, Mutant Storm is extremely smooth, fast and is crammed with bright colors. In the more hectic levels the entire screen can be covered in mutants, bullets and explosions, yet you don't need a powerful PC to run the game at a decent framerate. The sound is a bit more functional, but it suits the style of the game and is reminiscent of the sounds of the classic arcade machines.

If you hunger for simple but challenging gameplay, and you have a love of retro shoot 'em ups, then Mutant Storm is the ideal game for you. If you've never tried a game like this, and you think you might like it, then it's well worth the risk finding out for the paltry £5 asking price. I look forward to PomPom's next game with great interest.

Eat laser death, alien scum!

Jade Empire review

I have long been a fan of games or films in a mythical chinese setting, from John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China, Yu Suzuki's Shenmue, through to Bioware's Jade Empire. However, whereas Big Trouble and Shenmue were fictional tales set in the real world, chinese myth was the inspiration for the fictional world of Jade Empire. So while you will see emperor's, pagodas, temples and many other things that you may expect, you will also see gods, demons, magic and many other fantastical elements. What all three works share in common though are their gripping stories and interesting characters.

Jade Empire begins in a martial arts school, where you character is under the tutelage of Master Li, the founder and head of the school. Fans of martial arts movies will recognise the wise old master stereotype straight away. In fact, a great deal of the game is like a love letter to the Hong Kong martial arts genre in general. Real life fighting styles such as Drunken Master are included, along with some fictional styles like Thousand Cuts or Paralyzing Palm. However, hand to hand styles are just the beginning, because throughout the game you will also acquire weapon styles, magic styles, transformation styles and support styles. These are mostly self explanatory, except for the last two. You gain transformation styles as you slay certain demons - for example the Horse Demon, and you can then turn into that creature for a certain length of time. Support styles don't do damage directly, but instead can freeze, shock, or drain your opponents. The Spirit Strike style for example, can be used to extract some Chi (magic), which can save your life. The white button can be pressed to change any spare Chi into health.

Some reviewers have attacked Jade Empire because the combat is too basic, but personally I found it accessible and quite refreshing to not have to wade through complicated menus for a change. Four styles can be mapped on to the d-pad, and you can change quickly and easily from one style to another in mid-flow, which you can use to set up Harmonic Combos. While it's true that you only have one basic attack button, one heavy attack button and a block/dodge button, you are free to mix up attacks whenever you want, and in fact you have to on many occasions. You see, different enemies are immune to certain styles of attack. For example, spirits cannot be harmed with weaponry. I have read in several places that the battles are to easy as well, and while this is true in some cases, there are challenging battles to be found, especially when you're up against a whole room of opponents. In any case, if you find the default setting of Master too easy, you could just change it Grand Master on the options screen.

In addition to all these styles, you also gain the support of many followers as you work your way through the story. You can either have them fight beside you (very useful when you are outnumbered) or you can put them in a support role. What they do in the support roll varies from character to character but includes refilling your various energy bars or throwing you bottles of wine (required for the Drunken Master style).

Speaking of energy bars, there are three - Health, Chi and Focus, which are increased by spending points on Body, Spirit and Mind when you level up. Chi is your magic power, and you use it to cast spells, heal yourself and make attacks more potent by using Chi strikes. Focus is used to slow down battles, and is also used when you use weapon styles. The Body, Spirit and Mind statistics also come in to play in conversation. For example, if you choose the Intimidation option when talking to someone, your foe will either run away in fear if your Body stat is high enough, or they will laugh in your face if you're a magic using weakling.

Conversations and missions play out in a similar fashion to Knights of the Old Republic, where you are given multiple choices and it is left up to you what the best way to proceed is. Instead of Light Side and Dark Side, in Jade Empire there is the Path of the Open Palm and the Path of the Closed Fist. While the Path of Closed Fist isn't necessarily evil (they consider strength to be the greatest virtue, not patience or humility), the two ideals often go hand in hand. So you could decide to be a do-gooder, helping out everyone you find, or you could create chaos and disharmony throughout the land, leaving many live's shattered. The choice is yours.

Of course, you could always do both, which is one of the great things about Jade Empire and KOTOR before it. There's is a high degree of replayability, both from the character you choose, the Path you tread, the styles you use, the quests you complete, and the supporting characters you decide to develop a relationship with. There is a lot of scope for experimentation, and I personally found this the most rewarding aspect of the game.

What of the storyline, and the game's length? On the whole, I don't think the story of Jade Empire is quite as strong as KOTOR. Certain parts of the game were quite atmospheric, but overall it doesn't quite have the same impact as the Star Wars game did. As for the length - the first time I played the game I spoke to everyone, finished every side quest and explored every area, and I finished the game in about 28 hours. I have heard of people finishing the game in 12 hours, but they must have really been rushing their way through. I don't know about you, but to me that kind of defeats the point of playing an RPG in the first place - especially one that looks and sounds as good as this one.

Which brings me nicely to the graphics and the sound. Visually, Jade Empire would be unsurpassed on the Xbox if it wasn't for the odd stutter and lapse in framerate. This is most noticeable in battle when to try and jump gracefully and the game freezes for a second before you suddenly reappear on the other side of your enemy. When you are just walking around exploring the games environments however, the graphics are breathtaking. Like in KOTOR, you can click the right thumbstick in at any time and go into a first person view, and really take in the details.

Jack Wall has done a fantastic job with the musical score - it sounds like authentic Chinese music should sound. I'm no expert in the field, but the soundtrack really adds to the atmosphere that the graphics conjure up and the two combined make for a very memorable experience. Finally we come to the voice acting, and I must admit it took me a while to get used to Americans and Canadians playing oriental characters. However, the quality of the acting cannot be faulted. You will hear the voices of video game veterans Came Clarke (Liquid Snake from Metal Gear Solid), Kim Mai Guest (Mei Ling from MGS), Paul Eiding (the general from, you guessed it, MGS) and Quinton Flynn (Raiden from MGS 2), as well as celebrity voices from John Cleese, Nathan Fillion (Captain Mal Reynolds from Firefly) and Armin Shimerman (Quark in Deep Space Nine, or Principal Snyder from Buffy). All these people and many others put in spot on performances and really add to the overall quality of the game.

If you are fan of RPG's, martial arts films or just appreciate a good story, I can recommend Jade Empire to you without hesitation. The more impatient of you may find that conversations go on for a tad longer than you'd like, but at least the quality voice work and well written script makes them worth listening to. Better than KOTOR? Not quite, but it is of a similar standard overall and benefits from a more immediate battle engine. Highly recommended!

The RetroGaming Score: 8 out of 10.

Amazing visuals can be found all throughout Jade Empire.