Game Review: Mario Kart 8

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Racer

Platforms: Wii U

Website: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii-U/Mario-Kart-8-765384.html

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

When I got my Nintendo Wii U, I bought a copy of Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed to go with it. I’d learnt people involved in making games such as Split/Second, Blur and one of my favourite racing games of all time, Project Gotham Racing 4, had migrated to Sumo Digital after their old studios had been unceremoniously shut down by Disney and Activision respectively.

In Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, Sumo Digital made a fantastic kart racer that was imaginative, balanced and varied which was not only a lot of fun, but good enough to challenge the all-time master of the kart racing genre; Mario Kart itself.

Mario Kart 8 has a lot to live up to, not least of all as many people still need a reason to actually buy a Wii U. Can Mario Kart 8 live up to the enormous challenge before it?

Game Review: Batman Arkham Origins

Developer: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Publisher: Warner Bros Games Montreal

Genre: Action

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC

Website: 

Age Rating: 16+ (PEGI)

Who is the Batman? Why is he here? What forged him? What drives his lust to destroy the corruption of

Gotham City? What sort of man dons a mask to go out at night like that?

Batman is one of the most iconic super heroes there is and in the world of video games, by far the most successful. Rocksteady’s Arkham series has provided dark and flawless opportunities to control the Dark Knight himself as he hunts down familiar and lesser known threats in a beautiful combination of action, stealth and puzzle solving.

After two successful games, Rocksteady seems to have their sights on the next generation, so Warner Bros has enlisted their own studio to develop the latest entry in the series, a prequel to Arkham Asylum.

Game Impressions: Titanfall Beta

Developer: Respawn Entertainment

Publisher: EA

Genre: Shooter

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Website: http://www.titanfall.com/

Age Rating: 16+ (PEGI)

Xbox One’s gotten off to a very rocky start. It’s stripped out DRM and not exactly stellar hardware has made it the butt of many online jokes and many of its games aren’t quite as stellar as they could be.

In walks Titanfall, a game with an interesting history as the guys who created it once created the shooter that defined the previous generation of games: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. They were famously ousted by Activision as the series went into it’s downward, annual release spiral and have since started Respawn Entertainment and gotten into bed with EA (because Activision wasn’t bad enough, apparently).

Out of all the games shown for the new systems so far, Titanfall has gained the most attention, probably as it’s a Xbox One exclusive from EA, of all people. Having been invited to the closed Beta (which became an open beta the next day for no apparent reason), I thought I’d give it a go and see what all the hype’s about.

Console Impressions: Microsoft Xbox One

Long ago in the mists of time where lies the year 2002, I happened to be at a relative’s house for a Christmas family get together. My cousins were all upstairs, playing four player on Halo: Combat Evolved on the Microsoft Xbox. Being a PC player living in the middle of nowhere with terrible internet access, I rarely got the chance to play with more than one other person (and that was only if the network between our two computers was in a good mood).

I’d played console multiplayer plenty of times in before on Nintendo 64s, Playstations, SNES’ and NES’, but never owned one as parental logic dictated I didn’t need one as I had a computer. At 16 as I was that year, I had my own money to buy a games console and took advantage of the slightly clueless Woolworths to get an Xbox with three games (Blinx: The Time Sweeper (which was rubbish), Sega GT 2002 (which was ok) and Jet Set Radio Future (which was awesome)).

Through Halo, Crimson Skies, Ninja Gaiden, Project Gotham Racing, Rallisport Challenge, Amped, Conker Live & Reloaded (a good port if you only play the single player), Dead or Alive Ultimate, Jade Empire, MechAssault, Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus (a pretty cool beat ‘em up), Splinter Cell and Unreal Championship 2, I came to love Microsoft’s black block and with the Xbox 360 bringing fantastic games such as Kameo: Elements of Power, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect, Gears of War and Shadow Complex to name but a few, it seemed the X marked the spot for greatness.

Fast forward to 2013 with the release of the Xbox One and I’ve only got one major thought in my mind: What on earth happened?

Game Review: Super Mario 3D World

Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Platformer

Platforms: Wii U

Website: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii-U/SUPER-MARIO-3D-WORLD-765385.html

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

I made a bold statement not long ago that Rayman had knocked Mario off his perch. In all honesty, that’s only half true, with Rayman being the best 2D platformer while Mario still reigns supreme in the 3D space. I mean, look at Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii and Super Mario 64 before that on the N64. Sublime games with plenty of imagination and silky smooth controls that seem to get better all the time.

With the Wii U now a year old, a full scale Mario game is slightly overdue and somewhat needed in the face of the Xbox One and Playstation 4, but the fact it seems to be a somewhat upgraded version of a fine Nintendo 3DS game hints at potential imagination bankruptcy. Is Super Mario 3D World the game the Wii U needs?

Game Review: Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Action/Adventure

Platforms: Wii U

Website:  http://www.zelda.com/windwaker/

Age Rating: 7+ (PEGI)

There are many great debates in this world, each with their own points and counter points to be made. This being the internet, however, debates tend to turn into unreasonable, scathing attacks on each other’s sexuality for some reason so I’ll just throw this statement out in the open: Wind Waker is the best Zelda game there is.

If you’re not seething with fury and preparing statements filled with name calling instead of punctuation, willing to listen to my argument or just have plenty of free time on your hands, hit that ‘read more’ button and I’ll tell you why.

Oculus Rift Impressions

There are moments in all entertainment mediums that stop you dead in your tracks, mouth hanging open in pure, awe struck amazement. I usually think my standards are slightly higher than most as while I considered Quake, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Assassin’s Creed very impressive to downright amazing, I didn’t sit, stare and go ‘wow’.

The first time I saw something in a video game and said ‘wow’ was watching footage of Super Mario 64. It was certainly impressive, running around a fully realized environment so fluidly, but the moment I went ‘wow’ was when Mario jumped into a painting and seeing it ripple like water from the point he jumped in.

Physics and details tend to be the things that really get me going wow. The next time I felt such a ‘wow’ moment was playing Unreal Tournament 2003 in Bombing Run Mode. I scored and immediately fell down a pit directly underneath the goal and watched in awe as my dead character bounced off all the poles spread across said pit as he fell, bouncing off each and every one. Next came Half-Life 2, which wowed me twice with fully expressive and realistic characters and fantastic water effects. 

Now, I’m adding a moment in iRacing.com while using the Oculus Rift.

Checking in + mini-Singapore review

I've noticed on a few considerably more popular blogs then this one if the author suddenly doesn't update the thing, people start to come up with ideas about how they met their grisly end. Luckily for me, I haven't met it yet, I've just been a bit ill.

Just so you know, I didn't avoid writing a review for the Singapore GP because Vettel won by so much. I do have chunks written about how the whole was was a simple equation: 

Best car + moulded around one of the best drivers / opposition in clearly inferior cars and unable to push * Vettel in a position where he could push 100% (which these days rarely happens) = very easy win.

I was surprised he got venomous boos in a place not renown for it's F1 passion, but the fact he has to separate literally every win as if it was his first and/or most challenging is grating on a lot of people. As for the idea the Red Bull has something potentially illegal on it, it's more likely to be something that's not actually covered by the rules then out right illegal.

Anyway, blog. I've decided I'm not going to do individual reviews of the races for the rest of this season to focus on some story writing, some of which might just make it here. I'll do a season review after Brazil (which likely won't have much to do with Vettel besides acknowledgement of him being there as he's very much the uninteresting part of this season) as well as a few game reviews then I can pull myself away from them.

So there you have it, I'm still here and I will be continuing to update this thing. In the mean time, be good!

Game Review: Guacamelee! Gold Edition

Developer: Drinkbox Studios

Publisher: Drinkbox Studios

Genre: Platform Adventure

Platforms: PC, PS3, Vita

Website: http://guacamelee.com/

Age Rating: 12+ (PEGI)

The current indie game craze has been picking up a hell of a lot of steam since Minecraft hit it big. Smaller, more imaginative games are giving big budget, ‘AAA’ studios and publishers more than a run for their money and even embarrassing them on a regular basis.

Of course, with so much money pumped into these ‘AAA’ titles the execs who look to profit are always nervous so fewer indie developers can take are taken. After all, could you see Activision or EA making a 2D ‘Metroid-Vania’ game based on Mexican folklore with a complex and challenging beat ‘em up combat system?

Game Review: Rayman Legends

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Publisher: Ubisoft

Genre: Platformer

Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, PS Vita

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

Deep within the ancient mountains of gaming, stood upon it’s tallest peak, stands a legend among legends: The plumber called Mario. Throughout his long years, he has been on many adventures, defeated many foes and fended off many rivals.

They may have speed. They may have technical prowess. They may have talkative companions. But they still can’t stand up to Mario’s charm, challenge and ability to adapt to the ever shifting paradigm of gaming.

Yet one remained determined and steadfast. A French rival with a cult following from the days of the Playstation and Saturn who possessed no limbs yet inexplicably still had hands and feet. He too possessed the ability to adapt to change, yet he also had the ability to see flaws in his opponent, see where they were weak and capitalise.

It has taken so long, but Mario, master of the platformer, has been defeated.

Formula 1 - Round 12: Italy

The dictionary definition of Passion is “A state or outburst of strong emotion” or “An intense enthusiasm for something”. If you’re still not 100% sure of the world, then the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on a grand prix weekend will make you fully understand the word.

In the almost holy trinity of Formula 1 circuits, Monza stands apart from Monaco and Silverstone as not only is it a high-speed wonder, it’s also home of the sport’s longest running, ever present team: Scuderia Ferrari. Long running legends of racing at one of the greatest circuits in the world. Sadly, in this era of Red Bull and Vettel dominated ‘racing’, even the Cathedral of Speed itself can’t provide.

Formula 1 - Round 11: Belgium

I think I’ve broken one of my records. I’ve played it a few times whenever Formula 1 goes to a track with legendary and classic credentials, but almost every time I play it something goes wrong and it starts playing the German national anthem for some reason (and I get the words ‘Deutschland, Deutschland über alles’ or whatever it is that isn’t really the first line of the anthem). I suppose it’s the only needle I have that fits the record player and works consistently, but it’s still annoying when a record that has previously been amazing plays out the same dull slog.

I’ll probably put the record away in storage for now while throwing out the one where I say I’m going to get these out for a particular day, mainly because I have little urge to play that one. But it seems in the Ardennes Forest, its business as usual as Formula 1 returns from its summer break.

Formula 1 2013 - Mid Season Musings

So here we are after ten races at the official half way point of the 2013 Formula 1 season. After ten races and two enormous breaks between races because Bernie Ecclestone couldn’t be bothered to replace the New Jersey race with another fully prepared venue we’re at the point where the teams can have a proper break, with the factories required to be completely shut down for two weeks.

A lot of things have happened so far, many of which weren’t expected and a few that were, of which I’m going to do a brief run down.

Game Review: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros

Developer: AlphaDream

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: RPG

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS

Website: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

I love the Paper Mario series. Thousand Year Door on the Gamecube is among my favourite games and when Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was released on the Gameboy Advance, I decided to give it a go. What was essentially the third series of Mario RPGs (including Super Mario RPG on the SNES and of course Paper Mario) was every bit as fantastic with even more active combat and an insane set of characters and worlds.

Thankfully, Nintendo has allowed AlphaDream to keep working on the series, now producing the forth entry in the series and the first entry on the 3DS. After the disappointment that was Paper Mario: Sticker Star, can the brothers prove they’re still among the best in the RPG business?

Formula 1 2013 - Round 10: Hungary

Hungary has never been spoken of in hallowed tones within Formula 1 circles. The Hungaroring, sticking with classic design, hasn’t provided many classic races, but it has provided some classic and significant moments.

Hill nearly winning in an Arrows comes to mind, along with Massa’s horrifying accident, Button’s first win after a series of chaos and most of the wet races here, there’s been plenty of interesting moments but never enough to string into a race because the track is so difficult to pass on.

That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s a good show of driver skill and how good a car is and with the latest rendition of the 2013 Pirelli tyres, things could certainly be interesting.

Formula 1 2013 - Round 9: Germany

The Nurburgring is a legend in itself. Miles upon miles of twisty, torturous roads of the Nordschleife have written tales and myths aplenty and defined the old era of Formula 1. The current grand prix track which alternates with Hockenhiem also defined an era of Formula 1 with its long flowing corners and huge undulations.

The last few times Formula 1 came here, we saw Hamilton, Alonso and Webber duelling for the win, Webber recovering from a drive through penalty to take his first win and Markus Winkelhock leading during a massive deluge of rain that caught out the rest of the grid at the start. Clearly this place breeds legends. Sadly, this year seems to be the runt of the current litter.

Formula 1 2013 - Round 8: Great Britian

This is where it started. Over 60 years ago, people got together with their cars and raced around an old WWII airfield across the border between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. This is where the first Formula 1 race took place.

There was a different set of issues back then, when tracks were lined with straw bales and drivers weren’t strapped into their cars for what equated to a safety reason (better thrown away from a burning wreck then be stuck in it), but Silverstone remains another highlight of the sport.

I said that about the last race. After that, things can only really get better in terms of interesting racing, so what will be dealt this time?

RIP Allan Simonsen

I love Motorsport. I competed in kart racing when I was younger and watch as much of it as I can. These men and women are top class athletes and brave/nuts beyond imagining. Marshals too are amazing people, enduring the elements to keep the sport going out of pure enthusiasm.

So when Death reaches his icy fingers into our domain, I always take a moment to stand and salute. Marshal Mark Robinson lost his life in an accident at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix.

Sadly, his death was followed by that of Danish driver Allan Simonsen, who tragically died on the third lap of the Le Mans 24 Hours when his Aston Martin struck a barrier going onto the long back straight at high speed. The exact cause of death is unknown as of writing, though that's not really that relevant, seeing a fellow racer die still pains me to my very soul.

So, mad as it sounds and looks, I'd like you to stand and salute the drivers on the track and the watchful and ready marshals behind the barriers. They may have lost their lives to the sport they love, but they will not be forgotten.


RIP Allan Simonsen

RIP Mark Robinson

Formula 1 2013 - Round 7: Canada

Thought I'd forgotten, eh? I have to admit, I've been in an odd state since this grand prix, not quite able to get my head together to write. I think it's just what happens when a certain individual disappears into the distance to win. Anyway, blog writing ahoy!

Every year, I look forwards to a few things. Nintendo games, Christmas and the Canadian Grand Prix. Year in, year out, the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve gives us an amazingly close race that can’t be predicted.

Its unique nature within the F1 calendar makes it exciting, though the FIA didn’t bother thinking about that when they demanded tyres that degrade quickly after the 2011 race. With tyres continuing to be a talking point, this looks set to be another banker track. Sadly, it was anything but.

Game Review: GRiD 2

Developer: Codemasters Racing

Publisher: Codemasters Racing

Genre: Racing

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Website: www.gridgame.com

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

Codemasters are amazing. They’ve been around as long as I can remember, the earliest memory of them being the Dizzy games (none of which I actually managed to finish) before loving the Toca Touring Car and Colin McRae Rally games.

Since the start of the current generation of systems with Colin McRae: DiRT, Codies has been a shining light in the racing genre. Race Driver: GRiD stands as one of the best racing games this gen along with PGR4 (in my mind), joined by the ever improving DiRT series (with the exception of Showdown) and when GRiD 2 was announced, I nearly blew up with excitement.

The question is, can the renamed Codemasters Racing top the sublime original?