BlackKnight

All versions of MAME 0.116u2 and up work fine for me. I use MAME Plus! 0.117 atm. Get it here; http://mame.emu-zone.org/

Judging by what is written this forum and elsewhere, of course accounting for people from other countries, I'd say even 70% is an optimistic figure. I don't think the internet helps kids mature out of a certain lexicon. And if you're just now coming to grips with the idea that the government exerts some measure of control over you, then where has your head been at all this time? I would assume authoritarian heavy-handedness wouldn't be a foreign concept to someone from Palestine, going from checkpoint to checkpoint and all. The real question is what can anyone really do about any of it?

1 member is celebrating his/her birthday today Fatal Rose(24) Happy birthday there Fatal Rose.

Had a quick glance at the forums there but didn't find anything. I've kinda given up since the Nebula Model 2 Emulator gives me the same sound trouble. I figure its some setting somewhere on my end thats throwing it off, but have no idea where to start. Bah, I'll just use MAME for now.

I finally got round to making a blog here. I posted up my reviews, and some game videos I took. Aint got no comments yet so someone write something~ Click here.

I liked the soundtrack so much that I got abit upset when a record of the official score was most heinously used as a weapon against zombies in Shaun of the Dead! Luckily it wasn't the official 'score'- it was the incredibly campy 'soundtrack' by Prince, which released separately. At least I'm pretty sure the one they chucked was Prince's. If it had been the score, I would have been royal pissed.

Here are some videos I recorded recently of Sonic 2 & 3. I use the alias Ichorid4 on Youtube - visit my channel for more retro game videos. Hidden Palace Zone This Zone was ultimately axed from the the final version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, sometime late in development. An unfinished, buggy version of this Zone can be found in the infamous 'Sonic 2 Beta' rom dump, although this version used the same BGM track as Metropolis Zone and featured no apparent way to complete it. The following video was taken of Sonic 2 Long, one of the best rom hacks in existence. This completed Zone incorporates an unused track featured in the sound test menu of the retail Sonic 2 which was presumably for Hidden Palace before it was cut. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> Death Egg Zone (Sonic 2) As the final stage of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Death Egg Zone was particularly daunting to the newcomer due to its 2 consecutive bosses and prominent lack of rings. in other words, everything was a 1-hit KO in this Zone. A few seconds could probably be shaved from this run in a few places. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> Death Egg Zone (Sonic & Knuckles) This Zone is the de facto final stage of Sonic 3 & Knuckles in that it features Robotnik in his Egg-suit and is a conventional boss level, even though it is only the last stage for Sonic & Tails, and even then only if Sonic has not collected all Super Emeralds beforehand. As with its Sonic 2 counterpart this boss area of Death Egg Zone does not contain any rings. However this time rings will carry over from the previous area. Incidentally this stage is not as difficult as its predecessor. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> Remember to visit my Youtube Channel for more videos.

As for the sound, no its not just you. The sound sucks for me as well when using ElSemi's emulator. However, when I use any MAME build, the sound is fine. Give MAME a try.

You got that right about the soundtrack- it is easily one of the finest ever written. My personal favourite extract from it is Attack of the Batwing. I love the way it mixes up Batman and the Joker's themes, and works up to a tragic climax. In that aspect, the original film easily trumps the rest.

Yeh same day... pretty ominous. Hope it was a good one fellas.

I actually overlooked this simply because I thought it would be sh.t.Better give it a try now though. Shame its sequels have all been cancelled... Im quite a fan of the original texts.

Did you guys take videos of your matches?

I can confirm that it works as well. I've installed it without any problems or noticeable bugs so far.

Rubber nipples ... enough said. Rubber nipples were in Batman Forever. I consider that movie, as well as the last Schumacker effort even on the camp / ghey scale.

Even though I won't be participating, my vote goes for Zero / Alpha.

Dunno. Thats a tall order to live up to since its bland looks and questionable manufacturer arent doing it any favours.

Here it is- the first 3.51-based Custom Firmware; Source / Download Remember M33 is new on the scene so whether you want to trust them and install this is upto you. Bear in mind, as with all flashing apps there is a real risk of BRICKING YOUR PSP when using this, so be careful. Considering the 3.51 firmware is of a vastly different arrangement than 3.40, making this CFW was no easy task. Could the PSP scene have found itself a new Dark_AleX?

[7/15/07] Resident Evil: Dead Aim for PlayStation 2 Game: Resident Evil: Dead Aim (PAL/NTSC-U) / Gun Survivor 4: Biohazard – Heroes Never Die (NTSC-J) System: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM Emulators: None Light-gun games have a sketchy history on the PlayStation 2. Capcom’s efforts in particular have been met with everything from mild indifference to outright derision by the gaming public. Luckily, in most ways, Resident Evil: Dead Aim succeeds where its predecessors have failed. It effortlessly combines patented Resident Evil-style 3rd-person survival horror with 1st-person light-gun action and the result is an experience far more satisfying than similar games to date have been. The storyline is ludicrous, the voice acting is just plain terrible and while slightly on the short side, Dead Aim is a very recommendable light-gun game, easily on par with any of its rivals on the PS2. Dead Aim handles, without exaggeration, marvellously. Resident Evil, the franchise that put survival horror on the map, branched out into action with Resident Evil: Survivor - essentially a free roaming 1st-person shooter – to little fanfare. Maybe this was in part due to the Columbine shootings nixing light-gun support for the title in the United States, but really it was down to the mechanic driving the game being clunky, and unrefined. For aiming and shooting, things were fun, but navigating a 3d world riddled with hidden with hidden items and teeming with enemies, while only looking left and right is bound to go wrong somewhere. Dead Aim avoids these pitfalls by throwing those ideas out entirely, and using the tried and tested Resident Evil gameplay for exploration, and shifting to a point-of-view interface for combat. The game allows you to either use both a Dual Shock 2 controller in tandem with a G-con45 / Guncon or G-con2 / Guncon2, or just a G-con2 by itself. The former is more comfortable to my tempered hands, but either configuration is a matter of preference. The d-pad and analogue stick control characters’ movement, and all buttons are mapped to confirm / interact. This allows a controller to be easily held in the left hand, with a thumb on the stick, a finger positioned above L1, and with a gun in the right, providing complete control over the game while doing so. Pulling the trigger on the G-con will shift from 3rd- to 1st-person perspective, while shooting off-screen reloads. Lurching zombies can usually be dispatched by drawing a weapon and scoring a clean headshot, while others, such as the frog-like Hunters, will require some moving around in-between taking shots. None of this is cumbersome, but while the game can be played solely with the Dual Shock 2, it is not recommended. Overall, the control scheme in Dead Aim is remarkably simple, but effective, and allows the player a great deal more agency in the gameworld than in any of the previous Gun Survivor games so far. Dead Aim’s polished presentation extends to its graphics. Not in the same league as Resident Evil 0 for the GameCube, or Resident Evil 4, the game’s graphics are clean and clear, and almost consistently running at a silk-smooth 60 frames. Almost no slowdown bogged the game at any point, and there are instances where veritable legions of zombies will obstruct the player’s quick exit. The interior of the Umbrella cruiser is especially well realised, as much of the architecture above deck, as well as the engine rooms below, bear strong familiarity to their often-seen film and TV counterparts. Without any doubt though, the full-motion-video sequences in the game are almost without peer on the PlayStation 2. Consider this game’s age, and the stiff competition on the platform, this is not a statement that can be made in passing. Although in some ways a throwback to the old Resident Evils, Dead Aim is completely separate from them in terms of plot. Set in 2002, years after the Racoon City events of the first three games, it follows a CIA agent, Bruce McGivern, who has to reclaim a hijacked Umbrella Corp. cruise ship from renegade scientist Morpheus Duvall. Unbeknownst to Umbrella, however, is that Morpheus has secretly stolen a new hybrid G/T-Virus, and infected everyone on board the liner. This conveniently sets the stage for wanton zombie-shooting mayhem, as the player fights their way through the ship, searching for keys and unlocking their way to Morpheus. Eventually the fight is taken to an abandoned Umbrella facility where the plot reaches its unspectacular climax. In truth, the story is pathetically contrived, but is most disadvantaged by its voice-acting. While the narcissistic Morpheus is suitably effeminate sounding, Raj Ramayya, the voice of the protagonist, oscillates equally between a heavy-south accent, and something more mainstream. Claire O’Connor, who plays Chinese agent Fong Ling, puts forth, without exception, the worst bunged on Chinese accent I have ever heard. As if the already painful-to-watch cutscenes needed any more help sucking, the subtitles never match the spoken dialogue. Obviously one follows a more literal Japanese translation, but the combination of the two actually manages to further obscure what is already a poorly thought out sequence of events. There isn’t that long of a story to suffer through, fortunately, as the game is as short as its story is poorly conceived. All up a run through can take less than an hour, but there are more serious content-related grievances than that. While there is a standard survival horror fare of weapons and items, including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, as well as herbs and sprays, there is not a huge roster of enemies. The vast majority of time will be spent wasting the run of the mill zombie, but there are only really hunters, ‘torpedo kids’ and three bosses to deal with other than that. Once you can easily get off three running headshots on the zombies, you are pretty much set for the rest of the game. Crimson heads, lickers and Mr.X were nowhere to be found, which was quite disheartening. Rewards for completing the game are sparse too. Depending on difficulty and rank achieved, a clear save will allow access to either all weapons from the start, or infinite ammo. The ability to control Fong Ling, who is no more than an alternate model, is little incentive to play through a second time. She plays through the same story as Bruce in any case. On the whole, Resident Evil: Dead Aim is the first game to successfully blend free-movement and explorative elements with a light-gun shooting mechanic. Admittedly it doesn’t stand shoulder to shoulder with the masterpiece that is Resident Evil 4, but Dead Aim is easily the best game in the Gun Survivor series, and one of the best light-gun games available for the PlayStation 2, if not the best off-rails light-gun game ever made. Its short length is a pity, considering how well the it plays, and the script could use a lot of work. Nevertheless Dead Aim is a very capable title that all G-con owners should consider, if only as an excuse to clear off all the dust that has settled on it over the months of disuse. Of course, you could just play the game with a Dual Shock in tow... but where’s the fun in that? Control: 10/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Graphics: 8/10 Extras: 1/10 Overall: 7/10 Grade: B

Game: Resident Evil: Dead Aim (PAL/NTSC-U) / Gun Survivor 4: Biohazard – Heroes Never Die (NTSC-J) System: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM Emulators: None Light-gun games have a sketchy history on the PlayStation 2. Capcom’s efforts in particular have been met with everything from mild indifference to outright derision by the gaming public. Luckily, in most ways, Resident Evil: Dead Aim succeeds where its predecessors have failed. It effortlessly combines patented Resident Evil-style 3rd-person survival horror with 1st-person light-gun action and the result is an experience far more satisfying than similar games to date have been. The storyline is ludicrous, the voice acting is just plain terrible and while slightly on the short side, Dead Aim is a very recommendable light-gun game, easily on par with any of its rivals on the PS2. Dead Aim handles, without exaggeration, marvellously. Resident Evil, the franchise that put survival horror on the map, branched out into action with Resident Evil: Survivor - essentially a free roaming 1st-person shooter – to little fanfare. Maybe this was in part due to the Columbine shootings nixing light-gun support for the title in the United States, but really it was down to the mechanic driving the game being clunky, and unrefined. For aiming and shooting, things were fun, but navigating a 3d world riddled with hidden with hidden items and teeming with enemies, while only looking left and right is bound to go wrong somewhere. Dead Aim avoids these pitfalls by throwing those ideas out entirely, and using the tried and tested Resident Evil gameplay for exploration, and shifting to a point-of-view interface for combat. The game allows you to either use both a Dual Shock 2 controller in tandem with a G-con45 / Guncon or G-con2 / Guncon2, or just a G-con2 by itself. The former is more comfortable to my tempered hands, but either configuration is a matter of preference. The d-pad and analogue stick control characters’ movement, and all buttons are mapped to confirm / interact. This allows a controller to be easily held in the left hand, with a thumb on the stick, a finger positioned above L1, and with a gun in the right, providing complete control over the game while doing so. Pulling the trigger on the G-con will shift from 3rd- to 1st-person perspective, while shooting off-screen reloads. Lurching zombies can usually be dispatched by drawing a weapon and scoring a clean headshot, while others, such as the frog-like Hunters, will require some moving around in-between taking shots. None of this is cumbersome, but while the game can be played solely with the Dual Shock 2, it is not recommended. Overall, the control scheme in Dead Aim is remarkably simple, but effective, and allows the player a great deal more agency in the gameworld than in any of the previous Gun Survivor games so far. Dead Aim’s polished presentation extends to its graphics. Not in the same league as Resident Evil 0 for the GameCube, or Resident Evil 4, the game’s graphics are clean and clear, and almost consistently running at a silk-smooth 60 frames. Almost no slowdown bogged the game at any point, and there are instances where veritable legions of zombies will obstruct the player’s quick exit. The interior of the Umbrella cruiser is especially well realised, as much of the architecture above deck, as well as the engine rooms below, bear strong familiarity to their often-seen film and TV counterparts. Without any doubt though, the full-motion-video sequences in the game are almost without peer on the PlayStation 2. Consider this game’s age, and the stiff competition on the platform, this is not a statement that can be made in passing. Although in some ways a throwback to the old Resident Evils, Dead Aim is completely separate from them in terms of plot. Set in 2002, years after the Racoon City events of the first three games, it follows a CIA agent, Bruce McGivern, who has to reclaim a hijacked Umbrella Corp. cruise ship from renegade scientist Morpheus Duvall. Unbeknownst to Umbrella, however, is that Morpheus has secretly stolen a new hybrid G/T-Virus, and infected everyone on board the liner. This conveniently sets the stage for wanton zombie-shooting mayhem, as the player fights their way through the ship, searching for keys and unlocking their way to Morpheus. Eventually the fight is taken to an abandoned Umbrella facility where the plot reaches its unspectacular climax. In truth, the story is pathetically contrived, but is most disadvantaged by its voice-acting. While the narcissistic Morpheus is suitably effeminate sounding, Raj Ramayya, the voice of the protagonist, oscillates equally between a heavy-south accent, and something more mainstream. Claire O’Connor, who plays Chinese agent Fong Ling, puts forth, without exception, the worst bunged on Chinese accent I have ever heard. As if the already painful-to-watch cutscenes needed any more help sucking, the subtitles never match the spoken dialogue. Obviously one follows a more literal Japanese translation, but the combination of the two actually manages to further obscure what is already a poorly thought out sequence of events. There isn’t that long of a story to suffer through, fortunately, as the game is as short as its story is poorly conceived. All up a run through can take less than an hour, but there are more serious content-related grievances than that. While there is a standard survival horror fare of weapons and items, including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, as well as herbs and sprays, there is not a huge roster of enemies. The vast majority of time will be spent wasting the run of the mill zombie, but there are only really hunters, ‘torpedo kids’ and three bosses to deal with other than that. Once you can easily get off three running headshots on the zombies, you are pretty much set for the rest of the game. Crimson heads, lickers and Mr.X were nowhere to be found, which was quite disheartening. Rewards for completing the game are sparse too. Depending on difficulty and rank achieved, a clear save will allow access to either all weapons from the start, or infinite ammo. The ability to control Fong Ling, who is no more than an alternate model, is little incentive to play through a second time. She plays through the same story as Bruce in any case. On the whole, Resident Evil: Dead Aim is the first game to successfully blend free-movement and explorative elements with a light-gun shooting mechanic. Admittedly it doesn’t stand shoulder to shoulder with the masterpiece that is Resident Evil 4, but Dead Aim is easily the best game in the Gun Survivor series, and one of the best light-gun games available for the PlayStation 2, if not the best off-rails light-gun game ever made. Its short length is a pity, considering how well the it plays, and the script could use a lot of work. Nevertheless Dead Aim is a very capable title that all G-con owners should consider, if only as an excuse to clear off all the dust that has settled on it over the months of disuse. Of course, you could just play the game with a Dual Shock in tow... but where’s the fun in that? Control: 10/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Graphics: 8/10 Extras: 1/10 Overall: 7/10 Grade: B

Game: Odin Sphere System: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM Emulators: None A game that does as conventional things in as remarkably unconventional ways as Vanillaware’s Odin Sphere, and succeeds, is a special kind of rarity that PlayStation 2 owners are lucky enough to now laid before them. Odin Sphere is an action / role-playing hybrid framed by a compelling and tight nonlinear narrative, and presented with high-resolution 2d graphics and extraordinary production values. While it may get off to a slow start, and it may be blisteringly difficult to the newcomer with some area for improvement in controls and inventory mechanics, this game is only a very slightly flawed masterpiece. I cannot adequately stress the enormous disservice any PS2 owner is rendering themselves by neglecting Odin Sphere. Please note that SPOILERS are a necessary part of critiquing the game’s storyline – I will use spoiler tags for that section and keep the rest of the review spoiler-free. What most prominently sets Odin Sphere apart from its contemporaries is its enchanting 2d presentation. Although technically only in standard definition, the sprites in this game can honestly be described as ‘next-gen 2d’. They are enormous, incredibly detailed, and well-animated – so much so that the images used during gameplay are strong enough to carry the cut-scenes and story segments on their back – the two blend seamlessly. Considering the PS2’s memory constraints this is no simple feat, but the game rarely suffers from any kind of slowdown, even when a seeming legion of enemies appear onscreen. Character and enemy sprites are top-in-class efforts, easily beating out the likes of Guilty Gear X in both detail and clarity, even when scaling effects are being utilised. But they still pale in comparison to the bosses, which are so big and so detailed that they leave no room for any doubt that Odin Sphere is the best looking 2d game ever made. The Raging Dragon, Belial, the first boss encountered, is perfectly illustrative of just how impressive this game looks, but not just by the size of its sprite. The aesthetic charm comes from equal parts technical accomplishment, and a very deliberately whimsical visual style. Artistically, the game is gorgeous. As empty a statement as that sounds, what is seen in Odin Sphere could generally be mistaken for the kind of artwork used to embellish other games in instruction manuals or concept art, except that here it is alive on screen. Reminiscent of an animated fairy tale, Odin Sphere avoids the stylings typical of Japanese RPGs and finds a niche for itself. Since it is (loosely) rooted in an amalgamation of Teutonic and Scandinavian literature and mythology, a lot of the inspiration for everything between in-game architecture and interface elements can be traced back to classical European form, which helps imbue the dazzling sprites with a distinctly elegant flavour. The Kingdoms of Ragnanival and Titania seem to draw from gothic and Norman eras respectively, while Ringford and Valentine appear more Tolkienesque. The visual style provides both an emotional grounding and subject matter for the admittedly jaw-dropping presentation. In keeping with the theme established in the visuals, Odin Sphere’s soundtrack is equally as impressive. More ambient than your average Uematsu offering, the designers succeed in giving the game a more filmic, epic scope through orchestral backing of boss encounters and generally mood-setting pieces everywhere else. More striking than the score, however, is the fact that the entire game is dubbed, start to finish. The voice acting on display is largely varied, if for no other reason than the enormous number of parts, but on the whole adds to the experience instead of detracting from it. This is of course speaking for Atlus’s English dub, which was released almost simultaneously alongside the Japanese version. The Demon Lord Odin himself is suitably menacing to his enemies, while showing more humanity to his kingdom (both sides of which are faced during the various plotlines), while other more dastardly characters, like the evil wisemen Urzur, Beldor and Skuldi, feature aptly stereotypical villain voices. Jennifer Sekiguchi, who plays the impetuous child-queen Mercedes does a particularly noteworthy job, as does Michelle Ruff, the voice of Princess Velvet (both of whom are playable heroes). Unfortunately some key roles, such as Gwendolyn and Oswald, arguably the main characters, are met with weak and insipid performances. Gwendolyn in particular is unable to provoke as much sympathy as disdain from the player, who will quickly grow impatient at the controls of such an indecisive Valkyrie. Odin Sphere’s narrative is one of its greatest strengths, although the player may think otherwise throughout the entire first chapter. The plot picks up during the final climactic battle between the demonic Aesir kingdom of Ragnanival, lead by the Demon Lord Odin, and the Vanir faerie kingdom of Ringford as they fight for control of the Crystallisation Cauldron, an artifact that mentioned in a five-part prophecy scrying the world’s end. The problem with this is that almost none of that will make any sense until the game’s final moments – likely a good 30 or so hours later. Any familiar references to Norse mythology won’t help unscramble the confusing affair either- names like ‘Odin’ and ‘Yggdrassil’ are presented for flavour only. Ironically some symbolism regarding the Armageddon is spot on, but in those cases the literature is scribed from different bodies of mythology, an example being the enormous ‘world serpent’ that wraps itself around the Earth being here mislabelled as ‘Levanthan’ (itself a likely misromanisation of Leviathan). However neither its loose ties to its mythological roots, nor its apparent confusion throughout most of the game can change the fact that this story is marvellously written. You play as five heroes, Gwendolyn the Valkyrie, Cornelius the prince, Mercedes the faerie, Oswald the shadow knight and Velvet the witch. The course for each character takes place during roughly the same period of time, and they run into each other on occasion as well, although only one will ever be under the player’s control in such instances. Each story is played through completely before the next is unlocked. Consequently, for much of Gwendolyn’s game, a lot of the mentioned terms, character interactions and backstory will be lost on the player. However, as the various characters’ chapters are played, an intricately interrelated set of events unfolds, revealing more about the scenario in general, but also more about the people previously played as. Odin is a somewhat gruff and distanced father figure to Gwendolyn, but is a fearsome tyrant when faced by Mercedes. Oswald is seen as a cold killer for most of the game, but this is shown to simply be out of debt to the man who raised him and to whom he regards sole loyalty. By the end of his story, a great deal of sympathy is attached to his tale, although somewhat unexpectedly given what is shown of him beforehand. Similarly events take on a different light when put into context by new information. Why did pages from the Book of Transformation go missing during Cornelius’s story? Because the Ingway sought to use the Beast of Darkova spell to get atone for using the Cauldron to save Odin (revealed in Velvet’s chapter), his father, and consequently destroying the kingdom of Valentine. Where is the elder dragon Wagner when Lord Brigan goes to Horn Mountain to offer sacrifice in Gwendolyn’s chapter? He was off protecting the Ring of Titrel given to him by Velvet, but before discovering his brother Hindel has been murdered by Oswald, at which point he returns to the mountain only to encounter Mercedes in her storyline. Convoluted? Only a little. To this end, all story elements are easily re-watchable at any menu, and are arranged in chronological order, making it easy to see what one person was doing while the player was busy with another. This is a very useful addition that most will come back to several times will figuring everything out. The end result is ultimately satisfying and the vague references, and indirect exposition offered through the game are more than made up for by the grand epic left when all the pieces fall into place. Not at all the first game to combine role-playing elements with realtime action, Odin Sphere takes a new approach, both hitting and missing in doing so. The best way to imagine it is as a side-scrolling platform game, except with no platforms as in, say, Sonic the Hedgehog, but no beat-em-up style depth of field either, as in Final Fight or Golden Axe. Basically, it comes down to running left and right, jumping, and hitting any enemies that come at you. Here’s the catch; stages are arranged in circles. Eventually running in one direction will lead back to the starting point. This aspect is the origin of ‘Sphere’ in ‘Odin Sphere’ by the way. Once all enemies in a given ‘stage’ are beaten, an exit appears, leading to yet another circular stage with a different configuration of enemies, or maybe a boss, but the same music and the same scrolling background. Chapters are arranged thus in a web-like network with the goal being to reach the final boss stage, at which point the chapter ends. Each character’s session is comprised of 6 such chapters, bookended by story segments at both the beginning and end. This arrangement is repetitive to say the least. At worst, it can be a tedious trial that will turn away players before the intriguing plot starts to take hold. The reason is that although there are 6 chapters to a character, there are only 10 grid-like stages in total and maybe 20 backgrounds (considering the backdrops for story scenes) all up. This means that the same places will be visited more than once- Elrit Forest is somewhere that the player will have to venture 5 times – once with each character. The bosses and enemies don’t ever change and so although there is quality content in this game, there is a shortage of it, or a nominal amount stretched across many hours of gameplay, depending on how you choose to look at it. The battle mechanic itself is largely dependent on the character being played as too. Their attacks are all unique and some have certain special abilities. Mercedes, being a faerie, can fly freely while Gwendolyn can glide and Oswald can shift into a more powerful ‘shadow’ form for short periods of time. As attacks go, though, all that really changes is the timing, as fighting will always boil down to repeatedly pressing the square button and hoping the attack will either knock down, or out-prioritise the enemy’s before they get a chance to strike. Things will definitely not fall with one blow and so anyone expecting Symphony of the Night-style action should consider themselves warned. Despite the dull nature of combat in Odin Sphere the responsiveness of controls is an even greater hindrance. Timing and foresight are obviously the foci of battle, but the controls are simply too heavy, and too slow, to make fighting anything but a chore. Everything but the lightest poke will leave the character open for massive retaliation against most monsters, and trying to get a 4-hit string off against one of the larger bosses is tantamount to suicide. Progress will either come as a result of a Rambo-approach, along with some heavy level grinding before and after, or of extreme patience during battle since those big bosses will take short eternities to down. Both paths involve enough time spent for this to become a tedious exercise, but there is unfortunately no third way. To the game’s credit, by the end encounters will be a breeze, but this will inevitably be down to exploitation of A.I. habits rather than actually getting better at the game. In other words this is a noticeable issue early on, but gets easier and easier to overlook once things start rolling. Item management and levelling-up are both interesting aspects of Odin Sphere but are also more failed experiments than well-executed features. Items are stored in bags as icons. They cannot be sorted and there is no quicker way to use them in battle then to set one’s weapon down and rummage through one’s bags looking for the item needed. This is a problem only because healing items and alchemic spells are needed frequently during battle, and trying to find what is needed at any given time slows down the pace of action significantly. A Kingdom Hearts-like system here would have helped immensely. The alchemy mechanic is marginally useful because levelling up involves independent statistics for HP and attack – the only attributes that ever rise. Attack value rises with ‘Phozon Level’, which gauges up by absorbing the released souls (Phozons) of slain enemies (pretty macabre isn’t it?). HP on the other hand only gets raised by repeatedly eating healing items or using mixed potions. Cooking recipes come in handy for this, as do alchemy mixes, which additionally serve to make potions with special effects, such as the ‘Cooler’ mixture, which keeps the player from sustaining intermittent damage while in the Inferno Kingdom. Both make use of a system that allows the player to combine items they have to make something more useful. The concept is novel, but becomes problematic considering the limited inventory space in bags, and the often staggering number of things needed to administer a simple recipe. As a result these features will not be used as frequently as were probably intended. Like the battle mechanic, items and levels come off as more clumsy, extraneous implementations than anything else. In the end, the player’s experience of Odin Sphere will be defined by its interwoven storyline and extraordinary visuals. The game wrapped around these things is not void of good ideas, but needs a great deal of tweaking before it can honestly be considered fun to play on its own. Battling is a repetitive affair that will involve a greater struggle with the controller than with the in-game resistance, and item management is quite honestly a pain in the ass. Still, the narrative comes together better than expected, and stands shoulder to shoulder with the best I have ever seen in a game, with all the suspense of Metal Gear Solid and all the exploration of cause and effect in Shadow of Memories and then some. To be sure, this is one of the most, if not the most captivating RPG I have ever come across. But if Odin Sphere’s story is impressive, its graphics are nothing short of astounding. This game is not only evidence that 2d is not dead, but that it can have a character and appeal greater than anything in 3-dimensions. The fact that Odin Sphere diverges from the beaten track in terms of both presentation and storytelling is reason enough to check it out, but that it is such a remarkably satisfying game to see to the end, despite its faults, makes it a must have in my opinion. Gameplay: 5/10 Graphics: 10/10 Story: 10/10 Sound: 9/10 Overall: 9/10 Grade: A Odin Sphere is really an odd thing to see on the PS2. As I say, it is riddled with problems, but once you get past them it is really such an engaging and rewarding experience that it wouldn’t have mattered if you were forced to fight using dance mat and the repetitive stages were 10 times longer. I wrote an extremely scathing review for this game 2 weeks ago, after just finishing the first section of 6, at which time I absolutely hated it. I thought the controls were bad, the story was going nowhere, and I had seen the best of the 2d animation I was going to see. I am so glad I decided to stick with it a little longer before posting that up, because boy would my face have been red once I realised this was likely one of the best things I’d ever played. Sincerely my opinion was changed that much between finishing Gwendolyn’s story and the end of the game. It really does come together that well. If Odin Sphere really fails, it is in not putting its best stuff right at the start. Bad first impressions, along with an absent PAL release and the end of the PS2 era will deny this game the success it really deserves, and I can’t help but think that is a tremendous shame.

Game: Guilty Gear XX ^Core System: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, NAOMI Arcade Board GD-ROM Emulators: PCSX2 The Guilty Gear X/XX series from Arc System Works has been placed alongside the legendary Street Fighter II in terms of illogically-named incremental upgrades and Guilty Gear XX ^Core does little to break the trend. As the third revision of Guilty Gear XX, ^Core (pronounced ‘accent core’) only features a few new special moves and new mechanics that do not go far to significantly differentiate the core (get it?) gameplay from its predecessors. Its balance changes and interface overhaul will breathe some fresh air into the franchise for those who still adhere to its hi-resolution, anime-inspired madness, but the stale taste of an old game will be all the average player feels toward this necessarily conventional reprisal. Guilty Gear XX ^Core is essentially a retooled version of Guilty Gear XX Slash, itself an update of Guilty Gear XX #Reload which originally expanded on Guilty Gear XX. These 2d fighting games stood out from the pack with hi-resolution VGA (640x480) graphics, fast-tempo combat all wrapped in bizarre heavy metal-themed, anime styled universe. By Slash, the series’ roster had expanded to more than 25 unique characters with their own specials, ‘tension’ based super moves, and even instant-kill techniques. While crafted in superficial homage to Street Fighter and Marvel Vs. Capcom, GG quickly became the most fully-featured and polished 2d fighter still in production. The intricate system involves fighting mainstays like jumping, dashing and 4 main command buttons, but also allows more advanced techniques. Some include the ability to ‘Roman Cancel’, or recover instantly from attack animations, to defend without taking damage, or to retaliate with what is termed a ‘Dead Angle Attack’. These abilities, and the character’s fighting capacity at large are monitored by a variety of gauges apart from the standard Life and Guard. ‘Burst’ affords certain special moves when active and many of the specials mentioned are payed for with ‘Tension’, a ‘super’ meter, the amount of which increases with every action taken, but can be completely drained by idling or playing defensively. Ponder that Johnny, A.B.A and Order Sol have even more specific commodities to manage and conclude that the GG system is as intricate as they get. On top of all that, each character’s ‘Dust’ move launches the opponent into the air and allowing the exhibitionist to take advantage of the series’ simple yet intuitive air-combo system to the fanfare of a psychedelic backdrop (unique for each character in ^Core). As a largely unchanged instalment, ^Core benefits from all these tried and tested mechanics, but introduces some new ones to the fray for good measure. A significant difference between ^Core and every Guilty Gear upgrade previous is that it introduces no new characters. In the spirit of competitive gaming, balance has been completely reworked across the board. Every returning cast member has received at least one new standard special in complement to a new ‘Force Break’ attack (more on that later). These are changes which will no doubt aversely alter the effectiveness of characters in high-level play – Order Sol, for example, is now considered ‘top-tier’ despite his debut one game earlier seeing him as one of the weaker fighters. Other characters play completely differently. There will almost certainly be a ‘wtf’ moment when Sol Badguy’s Grand Viper no longer trailblazes into the air and instead launches with an animation resembling CvS1 M. Bison’s Psycho Crusher. Lamentable it is then that no fresh faces appear this time. Raven, a mysterious antagonist throughout the series, had been rumoured to compete in-game for the first time in ^Core but has apparently been overlooked. Newcomers introduced in Slash, A.B.A and Order Sol, join the old crew for another round, but an entirely new cast member would have made ^Core especially appealing, if slightly counterproductive to the game’s balancing efforts. New mechanics almost make up for the lack of new blood in ^Core. ‘Force Break’ attacks provide another way to spend Tension during a match. They come out almost instantly and hit hard albeit at the cost of 25% of the Tension gauge. Think of them as level 1 supers, in contrast with real Tension or Overdrive attacks which typically cost 50% of the meter, or 100% for top-end techniques like Gamma Ray. Normal hits now have new properties to work with too. Before a hit could knock back, knock down, launch or dizzy, but now can also slide an enemy across the stage, or knock them up against the walls at the sides of stages. Wall-stuns are particularly dangerous as they open the victim up to free hits, which are easier to land than if they were during a juggle. A final change to the system concerns throws- they are now escapable and counter-able. If one were to somehow miss the fact that there are no new characters and that the engine has only been advanced in paces, and not leaps, (not to mention the sprites dating back to 2000’s Guilty Gear X) they might be forgiven for mistaking this for Guilty Gear XXX (as in X3, not pr0n), so severe are the superficial aesthetic facelifts. First off, the entire main-menu layout is vastly rearranged from previous ports, but this is only a matter for the PlayStation 2 owners. The game opens with a new introduction sequence using the art style of each character’s redrawn ^Core profile pictures. Interface elements are completely redrawn, and after so many years of seeing ‘Heaven or Hell’ and ‘Destroyed’ written in certain ways, they might come as a slight shock. Not as much of a shock, however, as the new voice-over work. Every single in-game cue has been rerecorded. ‘Round 1’ sounds different. Character voices are different. Bridget sounds more like a girl. These changes are ultimately for the worse, and almost none of them properly match the mood or feel of Guilty Gear. Admittedly they are easily warmed up to, because players will likely be paying more attention to the new stages in ^Core than the dodgy voicework. Most have been recoloured (yet again) but all have been changed to varying degrees, and new ones added to the line-up. Paris, Sol and Ky’s stage, is all new. Although it is set in the same highland chateau, it is an original area, and contains the link to A.D. 2172. The Hell stage is entirely changed too, and as morbid as its old version was, its ^Core incarnation is unreservedly better. Minor cosmetic changes like these will not impress the sceptics, but this is without a doubt the most extensive visual upgrade the franchise has seen since the jump from Guilty Gear: The Missing Link to Guilty Gear X: By Your Side. Too bad that, like Slash, only 2 tracks from Daisuke Ishiwatari are original here – one of which, the opening theme, is especially noteworthy. It is a shame because the music is generally one of the series’ strengths. The rest of the soundtrack has aged well, but will be deplorably overheard to most all GG veterans. Naturally ^Core ships with all the standard modes. Arcade, Vs, Survival and Training, all obligatory quantities, are joined by the inept M.O.M. mode from Slash, but not its Mission mode or the text-heavy Story Mode from #Reload. A tip of the hat has to go out to the Vs CPU mode where you can lay down the gauntlet against any opponent on your own terms. It is a simple yet appreciated feature for any fighting game that is all too scarce these days. Where ^Core surprises is in its original ‘Guilty Gear Generations’ mode. A nostalgic avenue not dissimilar to Street Fighter Alpha3’s X-ISM, Generations allows you to pick the game to play under, and modifies the movesets (and game system) accordingly. The options available are ‘Guilty Gear’, complete with all those sneaky countering one-hit-kills, ‘Guilty Gear X’ with its older commands, and of course ‘Guilty Gear ^Core’ and its most recent errata. Although not all that useful beyond its novelty, Generations is a welcome feature. Still, like the collection of art in the Gallery mode, it will have to be unlocked the old-fashioned way. It will be hard to get over the fact Guilty Gear XX ^Core is just another upgrade to Guilty Gear. Worse still, it is the first such upgrade to not add any faces to the line-up. Once that ostensible obstruction is overcome there is a tight, finely-tuned game to be discovered. Not a significant amount has changed, even though the new interface elements and voices would have you believe otherwise, but that does not stop ^Core from being a satisfying game. It is easily the best version of GG to date and a definite essential for those with an import-ready PlayStation 2 looking to do their due diligence to either 2d fighting or import gaming cultures. For series diehards, there are assuredly enough new mechanics to make the game feel ‘fresh’, but probably not enough for the layperson who picked up #Reload at retail a few years ago – they will likely be unable to tell the differences. Standing on the strengths of its previous iterations, Guilty Gear XX ^Core is a strong title. Justifying its purchase against Slash or#Reload already being owned (or the fact that #Reload can be had for a bargain price) is, unfortunately, a harder call to make. Gameplay: 10/10 Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Extras: 6/10 Overall: 8/10 Grade: B So yeh, ^Core is fun and all, but I wouldn't buy it. Unless you're hard up for the little changes, #Reload is going for a lot cheaper and with its Story Mode (in English) you can't go wrong.

Game: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Tag Force System: PlayStation Portable Emulators: None Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Tag Force is the first game in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise to be released for the PSP. While other conversions of the curiously popular card game have suffered from poor presentation (World Championship 2007), or abridged rulesets (Forbidden Memories), Tag Force delivers a faithful and vibrant adaption and supports, as its namesake would suggest, tag duelling as well. Additionally, the plot follows the GX anime’s first season incredibly closely, offering both overt and subtle fan-service throughout. Although card animations are sparse, and despite the narrow scope of the game the sense of aimlessness is prevalent, this title can be squarely recommended to fans of the anime or of card games in general even though others should take the ‘rent-first’ approach. While there is an RPG tacked onto it, Tag Force is first and foremost a card game simulation. As a new student at the illustrious Duel Academy, you have the ability to explore the island on which it is situated and mingle with the likes of Jaden, Zane and so forth. The player is denied complete freedom though, as exploration is limited to places of particular importance- a map screen of nodes allows you to zip around but not take the more picturesque routes. Encounters with characters are one-line back and forth affairs but what is said is both dependent on what pre-canned question you open with, and the context of the situation, so there is a fair amount of dialogue in there... somewhere. The fact is, apart from during the first scenario in which you have to intentionally make friends with your future tag partner by talking to them a lot (you can choose any of the student duelists on the island), there won’t be time for much chit-chat at all amongst all the duelling you will have do to. A clock is ticking behind the curtain as well, and every warp between locations or duel ticks off 15 minutes from the current day- and you only have 99 days to recruit that partner of yours else its game over. The second and third parts of the game are concerned mostly with the tag tournament itself and battling the evil Shadow Riders from the cartoon, but at its core, the game is always just about duelling opponents. Duelling itself, the somewhat pretentious term for playing cards with other children, really makes the world go round in Tag Force. The concept is simple- reduce your opponent’s designated number of Life Points (LP) to 0, using Monster cards Summoned or Special Summoned to the field, which can attack or defend against the enemy monsters and unguarded opponents themselves (should all their Monster cards be destroyed). Magic and Trap cards each have unique effects that add diversity to the gameplay. Unfortunately the system lacks the depth of other TCGs, CCGs and the like, and winning duels often comes down to outmuscling the other player with a stronger, more consistent stream of good draws. Victory will inevitably consist more of what cards your deck contains than how they are played. The mechanic is what it is, but Tag Force uses 3d-animation sequences for characters and a limited number of key Monster cards to keep battles more interesting than they might otherwise become. Since they interrupt the flow of battle, you’ll likely end up turning them off. Too bad, then, that the voice-overs by the cast of the anime, present in the Japanese version, are also replaced by bland subtitles in the English release. Finally, the same background and music for each battle will become more monotonous than grinding the same area in an old Final Fantasy ever was. Considering the game is all about duelling, you will definitely notice a few key themes permanently become etched into your memory. All in all, the game flounders in trying to ‘spice up’ the core card game, but that is likely all most people will pick up this game for anyway. Yu-Gi-Oh! is nothing without cards, and luckily Tag Force (at least as of its release), contains the largest collection of cards of any video game adaption. While more of the common GX cards will be all you’ll see for a while, classics such as the Red Eyes Black Dragon are there to be found after a bit of digging. Duels reward ‘GP’ for both wins and losses which can then be spent at the card shop to buy booster packs of cards. Each is from a unique set and contains only one rare from that selection of cards as well. If your deck demands 3 of a certain rare card, you’ll be buying packs in rapid succession, but they are cheap enough for it to be viable to do so. New sets are unlocked after completing specific objectives ranging from befriending certain characters to acquiring a set percentage of cards from the previous set. Up to date rules also limit the game in certain ways- overpowered cards like ‘Raigeki’ are banned and stronger cards such as ‘Jinzo’ are limited to one per deck. There are still a few poignant exceptions to the card roster- you won’t find the legendary god cards in Tag Force for example. Managing the thousands of cards in your possession and constructing decks is breeze thanks to an intuitive interface for cycling and sorting cards. The 40-card deck provided at the outset will quickly be augmented with bought cards, or the free cards handed out every time you attend one of Dr. Crowler’s lectures, but the first deck need not be lost as an infinite amount of ‘deck recipes’ can be saved and reconstructed instantly. If anything, browsing a library of cards sometimes makes you want to shell out 10,000GP on Machine packs just to get the rare ‘Cyber Dragons’ you need to complete your collection, but realistically searching for all the cards can take a lifetime. As if that wasn’t enough, Konami also offers card downloads via an infrastructure connection, but this feature has so far been used to ill effect and, considering the looming release of a sequel, seems unlikely it ever will be. The card game’s translation may be strong, and the presentation mediocre, but Tag Force has some serious shortcomings in other areas. It attempts to follow the storyline of the anime, and, to its credit, manages to quite well, but has an awful pacing. You have almost one hundred days to find a tag partner. Considering that you can manage to do a hell of a lot in one day, and that you must manually ‘go to sleep’ to end the current day, navigating through months of in-game time is tedious to say the least. Also, since it is not unlikely that you will put together a deck competent enough to see you to the game’s end in maybe 20 or so game-days, the question of what to do for the rest of its time is very prominent. The inept attempt to wrap an RPG around a card game becomes obvious in the shocking amount of time you have to amuse yourself. Talking to, and duelling, the same people over and over again is no fun at all. There are some sideplots and time-based events, but the sense of aimlessness will definitely get to you. It doesn’t help that, as mentioned, battles take the same course (and to the same music) again and again. Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! and those that like the idea of skilling up in a collectible card game without dishing out hard-earned cash for countless booster packs, or without similarly-minded friends to trade with, will find Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Tag Force right up their alley. For the rest of you, this could inspire a card-collecting obsession or deep-seated resent at being fleeced out of the RRP. Tag Force does what it needs to do right well- it boasts a solid card-collecting and card–playing mechanic as well as a tacked-on RPG that, while inept, at least holds some value for those who are familiar with the anime. While more and better-integrated battle effects, and a little voice-over work, could have done something to convert the non-believers, this game is what it essentially needs to be, and is perhaps the most accomplished specimen amongst all the Yu-Gi-Oh! video games available at the moment. Ultimately this game is a not-to-be-missed title for those inclined toward this kind of thing, but a ‘try before you buy’ prospect for everyone else. Gameplay: 8/10 Graphics: 7/10 Sound: 5/10 Extras: 8/10 Overall: 7/10 Grade: B The good thing is, if you find that Tag Force is your thing, there are hours worth of play to be had... and you’ll know pretty soon in whether it is or not.

Game: The King of Fighters NESTS Saga System: PlayStation 2 Emulators: PCSX2 The latest instalment of SNK’s NeoGeo Online Collection, The King of Fighters NESTS Saga, continues the tradition of classic fighting games bundled together with online play for the PlayStation 2. This seventh release, which features King of Fighters games ’99, 2000 and 2001, makes the additional boast to include home conversions as well as the NeoGeo ports for the first time. The sad truth is it fails to deliver on its promises – a few bugs and omissions that are in themselves small oversights almost completely ruin the collection. It provides all the arcade-perfect goodness that the series is known for, but falls short of its predecessor, Garou Densetsu Battle Archives Vol.2, which was arcade-perfect and then some. The King of Fighters series has undeniably had its ups and downs over the years and the games that span the period from 1999 to 2001 are subpar, to say the least, no matter who you ask. Nevertheless, their collection here means that now all titles in the core series are available on the PlayStation 2 (with the exception of ’98, the release of which is to be announced). They follow the rise of the maniacal NESTS syndicate which has risen to power since Orochi’s decline. The saga marked the introduction of KoF mainstays like K’, Kula Diamond, Whip, Maxima and others. It also saw the introduction (and retirement) of the much maligned ‘striker’ system, which was used to summon uncontrollable teammates for one-off attacks similar to the mechanism already used in the CPS2 fighter Marvel Vs. Capcom. Unlike that game, the strikers were otherwise normally selectable characters with a few exceptions. The infamous Ron is one of the only characters in KoF cannon to only ever appear as a striker for instance. Although not altogether well adopted, the system was open to some abuse by players, and certainly was used as such by the legendarily cheap boss, Zero. Further consolidating their distaste amongst the community, 2001 and 2002 featured bosses that were so overpowered that Igniz and Zero are often used to illustrate the ridiculousness of the so-called ‘SNK boss syndrome’. Despite all this, the games have their place in modern collections if only because most of the game mechanics they used, such as strikers, have been dropped from current series entries and cannot be seen anywhere else. Marked ‘Vol.5’ on the cover, NESTS is actually the seventh release (Garou Densetsu Battle Archives Vol.1 bore ‘Vol.5’ on its jacket as well) in the NeoGeo Online Collection and consists of a similar feature set to its forerunners. Online play is offered through a Japan-only network – so importers will be out of luck - but otherwise there is plenty of stuff to fiddle with. The now-compulsory arranged soundtracks are available for all games although particular note goes to the music of The King of Fighters 2001 which is all-new, as compared to those from the previous games which have either been featured in Dreamcast or PlayStation 2 ports previously. Colour-edit palettes can be assigned to characters and each game is complimented by a full in-game movelist – a very welcome addition since its debut in volume 6. Finally, all bosses (ostensibly not the first form of Krizalid in ’99) are unlocked in standard play from the get-go. Still, what makes the NESTS Saga different is its inclusion of ‘arranged versions’ of games. Essentially the versions of games that were shipped to home systems, these replace the NeoGeo ports by default, although the older games can still be chosen from a submenu. From the way in which they were integrated into the main select screen, it can be assumed that these versions are intended to supplant the originals in casual play. Like previous collections in the series, The King of Fighters NESTS Saga’s NeoGeo ports are arcade perfect. That is to say they contain the exact presentation and timing as the arcade originals. The origin of the ‘arranged’ home versions is far more difficult to determine. According to the printed material, the game The King of Fighters ’99: Evolution is based on its Dreamcast counterpart, where 2001 and 2002 seemingly derive from PlayStation 2 versions. On further inspection though, they all seem closer to their respective Dreamcast incarnations. Bonus and unlockable striker characters that were added to the PS2 version of 2001 are notably absent here, as are certain additional stages found only in that release. The particularly prominent redrawn lifebars, versus screens, and other interface elements that characterised it are also not included. Modes specific to the DC games, like ‘party mode’ and the infamous bonus puzzle game, both unfound in the PS2 ports, are also here. In the end the fact that all characters are unlocked from the outset and that various tweaks not to be found anywhere else (portraits for former-secret characters Kula and Zero) are part of this package means that these games are not so much console ports as much as new compositions altogether. Certainly they show that at least some effort was vested in this project by SNK. Numerous bugs unfortunately detract from the overall appeal of this collection, which is curious considering that more time was spent on The King of Fighters NESTS Saga than any other entry in the series (it has been delayed almost a year from its original projection). One thing that is impossible to miss is the inability to make custom button-maps for the original NeoGeo games – the main menu’s configuration screen services the new ports found on the title screen only – not those in the NeoGeo menu. People with arcade stick-style controllers are squarely out of luck if they had intended to use the Advanced Entertainment System’s original four-in-a-row button layout. Also there are problems with sounds all over the place. Both effects and background music in the arranged games are muffled at best and nothing can be done to alleviate the situation in the menu. Conversely, the native NeoGeo audio playback is nearly flawless, but the arranged music cannot be played in the old games - particularly curiously as it was possible to do so in each collection prior to this. That is not the only expected feature missing. Despite the fact that every console port SNK has developed in recent memory has contained a video filter or ‘softening’ effect of some kind, NESTS has none. The severity of this omission is largely dependent on the display being used to play the game, but consider that any variety of HDTV will unavoidably look pixelated to a greater degree than it should. One last thing is that customised colour-edit loadouts will also not work with the NeoGeo games and this is again something that has been enjoyed by everything from The Last Blade to Art of Fighting. At its most basic level, The King of Fighters NESTS Saga features the arcade-perfect ports players have come to expect, but this time with more extra stuff to go along with them. The tipping point comes when the arranged games, that are the main angle for this release, end up costing it some of the features that have made the NeoGeo Online Collection such a great series so far. While lack of arranged soundtrack integration and edit colours are negligible, being unable to customise your NeoGeo controls is inexcusable. It doesn’t help that this group of games was not at all the highlight of the franchise to begin with. This compilation is serviceable, but does not stand up to Garou Densetsu Battle Archives Vol.2 which came before it in terms of quality and should stand as a reminder to SNK to not allow such absent-minded bugs and technical issues mar their upcoming Samurai Spirits and World Heroes collections. By all means, get this game if you’re a KoF fan, but just know what to expect beforehand. Port Quality: 9/10 Graphics: 5/10 Sound: 6/10 Extras: 4/10 Overall: 6/10 Grade: C The King of Fighters NESTS Saga just makes you think SNK got lazy with this one. Without the bugs it has, this collection could have been a real contender and maybe even the best in the series. Let’s just hope they get the next few compilations right.

Game: Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition System: PlayStation Portable Emulators: None The original Final Fantasy is a legendary title that has commanded countless ports and remakes since its original appearance on the Nintendo Entertainment System two decades ago. In celebration of the franchise’s twentieth anniversary year, Square-Enix is releasing the first two titles in the series for the PlayStation Portable. Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition is essentially the most recent in a line of remakes, but stands out as being the most proficient and best executed of the lot from both content and technical standpoints. Unfortunately it is ultimately just another rehash of FFI, so to those who have played the original or one of the myriad other rereleases, you may not find ample cause to pick this game up now. Conversely, players who have been groomed into the RPG fold by the likes of Final Fantasy VIII, will find much of the character, convolution and technical exhibition gone from this invariably aged game. What will likely be the most noticeable departure from the FF series of late to newcomers is the lack of character development in Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition. Instead of being thrown into the middle of a political upheaval, heated rivalry, love triangle or worse, the game opens with a bland ‘pick a team of four people and enter their names’ screen, typical of the console RPGs of old. Consequently, the plot in the first Final Fantasy is more concerned with destiny than any character relations or drama. The team you assemble at the outset are the fabled ‘Warriors of Light’ whose goal is to power-up magic crystals across the landscape to rid the world of monsters. Along the way, the band stumbles upon new weapons, magic and towns. Each town is pretty much a one quest affair- heal up at the Inn, buy whatever new things are being sold in town, and then head out to kill the evil wizard, recover the item or what have you. It’s pretty basic, but there is some nostalgia in seeing the first use of Fire, Cure, and Phoenix Downs in a game. Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition has, however, the updated thematic elements seen in other ports. Names and places have been slightly altered in some places, or completely thrown out in others. The kingdom where you first start out is called Cornelia – is was misromanised as ‘Corneria’ in the original NES version. I mentioned ‘crystals’ but even these were actually ‘orbs’ back in the day. Also the sprites, having been redrawn twice since the NES incarnation, bear only little resemblance to the originals. Fans of Final Fantasy IX will immediately notice that most of the cast from that game (themselves harkening back to the earlier games) are nigh identical here. The White Mage and Black Mage almost everyone will start with are mirror-like semblances of Princess Garnet and Vivi Orunitier from FF9 respectively. High-end bosses of the Anniversary Edition have had their sprites retooled along the same stylistic lines as their appearances in future Final Fantasies. The Lich, Hades, Tiamat and more bear more overt visual connections than simple namesakes. These have been common throughout the recent remakes but are more pronounced on the PlayStation Portable’s superior resolution. Speaking of resolution, the brilliant 480x272 display shows no signs of stretching or skewing in Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition, suggesting the graphics were not only redrawn (or existing hi-res assets retooled) but reworked for the new widescreen aspect ratio. This is assuredly the game’s strongest selling point over previous iterations, but it also combines the unique content of the two previous efforts. A few years ago the PlayStation featured the first Final Fantasy as part of Final Fantasy: Origins whose special boasts were the high-resolution (if not high quality) full-motion video segments. These prevail in the PSP version, but are complimented by the bonus dungeons found only in 2004’s Final Fantasy I & 2: Dawn of Souls in addition to yet another bonus dungeon, this one a PSP exclusive. Sadly this is the extent of the gameplay bonuses. While there are graphical effect tweaks and such that may be noticeable only to the veterans, not a great deal else has changed since the 2002 Origins release, or even the WonderSwan release before that. As a side note, the beautiful arranged soundtrack from Origins returns with a few new themes, but is only worth minor mention. Extra content attempts to fill the gaps in some places. There is the now-expected bestiary feature, allowing you to review the stats of slain monsters, and an art gallery equipped with an illogical time-release mechanism that, so far, feels extremely unrewarding. To make things worse, the art unlocked hardly fits the visual style that the game has going for it otherwise. The facetiously difficult and labourious exclusive dungeon, ‘The Time Labyrinth’, is no more an exercise in masochism, if you ask me. One unexpected bonus, however, that was extremely pleasing was the inclusion of a fully English text mode. In addition to this option, Japanese can be selected with full use of Kanji, or all in Hiragana – no doubt a great suit of alternatives for all the budding Japanese amateurs who imported the game. Everything about Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition is acceptable to mildly-impressive until you consider the price. At $39.90USD for the Japanese version, or $29.95USD for the local release in June, the game is overpriced, firstly because this is a remake of an extremely dated game, but more importantly because every other time it has been rereleased in the last 5 to 10 years (depending on region) it has shipped alongside a remake of Final Fantasy II and bundled for less than $29.95USD. If you wanted to get really upset about this, you could even argue that the large number of Final Fantasy remakes as of 2007 have saturated the market – even more reason to make the price lower. There was also a missed opportunity to pack this game in with a bunch of collector’s items to help warrant the asking fee. A cheap soundtrack CD would have been an acceptable show of good faith, as seems to be all the rage nowadays. Square would almost certainly turn a profit no matter what sum they charged at retail, so paying out $30 for this as it stands (and another $30 for the Final Fantasy II: Anniversary Edition in a month’s time) is unjustifiable to me, and anyone else who thinks it through long enough. The bottom line is this; Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition is a very conditional purchase. It is without a doubt the best version to date of a classic RPG, and its pixel art and remastered soundtrack are still captivating. To be sure, there is enjoyment to be had. However, it hinges on expectations not being as high as they would necessarily be for a contemporary Final Fantasy, the player not having played through this game once (or perhaps more times) already, and the willingness to overlook the fact that the same game can be found as a bundle, and cheaper, on the PlayStation and GameBoy Advance. The only true advantage Anniversary Edition holds over its predecessors is the higher-resolution display. Whether or not that alone is worth the steep asking price is up to you. Story: 5/10 Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Extras: 4/10 Overall: 7/10 Grade: B The grade would be higher were the pricing for the game not so ridiculous. As it stands, as remaking old games go, this is as well done as they come. There aren’t any artbooks, soundtrack discs or other paraphernalia to make this a celebratory collector’s edition, but the game itself is solid and looks and sounds better than it ever has before.

Game: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars System: PC DVD-ROM Emulators: None In a return to form for the ailing Command & Conquer franchise, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, a 3d real-time strategy game, is the first in almost 6 years to use the series’ patented mechanics since 2001’s Red Alert 2 and the second to use the 3d SAGE engine, after 2003’s Generals. It also returns to the fundamental roots that made the original game so popular more than 10 years ago –a fast and frantic style of play complemented by live-action cutscenes and an over the top presentation. It has been criticised for a faulty online infrastructure and significantly simplified gameplay, but these claims carry little weight when compared to the list of things C&C 3 does right. The unit designs are fantastic, the missions are varied and compelling, the graphics are gorgeous even on modest hardware setups, the production values are unparalleled and the game is ultimately a joy to play. It is not without its faults, and it consciously sets itself up for an expansion pack, but Tiberium Wars is nevertheless one of the most fun and accessible RTS titles in a long time, and a worthy successor to the Command & Conquer mantle. Please note that this review will focus on the ‘Kane Edition’ in scoring, only one of 3 released stockkeeping units, and that it will contain content and plot SPOILERS for the both this game and its predecessors. Traditionally, conflict in the Command & Conquer series has been played out by the Global Defence Initiative, an UN-like military entity, and The Brotherhood of Nod, a worldwide terrorist network financed by its monopoly of the alien substance ‘Tiberium’ that landed on Earth 50 years prior to Tiberium Wars. However this new entry brings with it a new alien race, the Scrin (a name which is never used in the campaign- they are merely referred to as ‘visitors’), which may or may not be the creators of Tiberium (or as they call it, ‘Ichor’), but have certainly arrived on our planet to harvest it. Each faction’s identity is well defined, and while they might be initially reminiscent of the 3 species in Starcraft, those similarities are only superficial. The conventional GDI relies on advanced technology and military strength to fight its war. It tanks are stronger, its bombers are faster and it can trigger a strike from the orbital Ion Cannon to annihilate a point on the map. The flagship GDI unit is the Mammoth Tank, returning in its original form, and is unmatched on the battlefield, boasting both ground and anti-air capabilities. Nod lacks the strength of GDI, and has to use its stealth technology, numbers and various Tiberium-based powers to win. Its Catalyst Missile devastates fields of Tiberium, the sole resource that all sides rely on by starting a chemical chain reaction. Thus entire bases situated around the mineral, or clustered around Tiberium Refineries and Silos are always vulnerable to Nod. They also have access to tactical Nuclear Warheads that are largely unchanged from their Red Alert 2 and Generals incarnations. New to the fray, the Scrin utilises outworldly sciences to overcome the human sides. Connections will immediately be drawn to the Protoss, whose arsenal also includes Photon Cannon base defense, conjurable Ion Storms, a powerful Carrier air unit, shield generators as well as interstellar gateways as means for summoning troops, but they are actually significantly different. Scrin forces are extremely fragile, and depend emphatically on their enormous damage output and air dominance to survive. They also are the most adept at Tiberium use, and can harvest it much more effectively than the other sides. An interesting detail too is that now infantry is trained as squads, rather than single soldiers used to represent squads. The differences between the sides are illustrated further by the visual group dynamic and behavior of a bunch of GDI Rifleman as compared to the hunched Nod Shadow Teams, and the insidious Scrin Buzzers. Overall, this triangular relationship keeps the sides different enough, but offers each the right tools to conceptually be able to deal with any threat put forward by the others. There is a return-to-roots vibe that pervades every element of Tiberium Wars. Many features that were missing from the series departure, Generals, are back, such as the mentioned live-action cutscenes. Most satisfyingly, the trademark Command & Conquer sidebar interface has returned, putting the decidedly Blizzard-esque system used in the last game to rest. The methodology is like this- buildings and units can be queued up using a panel on the right- there is no need to select production structures or worker-units on the field to achieve this. Construction is thusly limited to a field around any existing structures already placed. One resultant implication is that you can capture an enemy building with an Engineer or a Saboteur, and then immediately lay down a Sonic Emitter defense next to it, inside the opponent’s base, without having to bring over a bulldozer unit to build it! The system is extended this time though, allowing you to have multiple unit and structure building queues based on the number requisites you have. For example, in Red Alert 2, even if you built 2 War Factories, you could still only order up one tank at a time, and you would have to designate one Factory as the primary operational one. Not anymore. The same is true of buildings in Tiberium Wars, except you can get by without 2 Construction Yards. Cranes offer a cheap alternative to a full ConYard and allow you to line up 2 orders in unison. Expanding a base has also been given a kick in the pants this time- it no longer needs another expensive MCV either. Surveyors can be bought at a fraction of the price and can quickly go over to a Tiberium field and deploy, allowing you to immediately drop a pre-built Refinery next to it. As you can tell, there isn’t a lot of time spent establishing an economy or creeping in this game- you get to the action straight away. The presentation is top-notch too. For those with medium- to high-end PCs, this will be likely the best looking RTS on the market. Surprisingly though, it is more than serviceable on even dated machines. It especially runs like a dream when compared, side by side, to its main rival, Supreme Commander- there is essentially no contest. Menus are lively enough but the theatre of war maps are stunning and animated superbly. Technically speaking, Tiberium Wars is a landmark achievement across the board, and, despite the immense volume of assets at work here, loads faster than anything else I’ve seen, even on my modest 1Gb memory setup. The only area in which it is not jaw-droppingly impressive is the music- series mainstay Frank Klepacki does not return and the score suffers for it. It is still above average as RTS games go, but his scores, particularly for Red Alert were legendary. Fans of real-time strategy may be immediately drawn to the multiplayer arena, but Tiberium Wars boasts an impressive 35-mission-long singleplayer outing, spanning branching campaigns for each side that are sewn together by impressive star-studded cutscenes which were curiously removed from Generals (to much fan backlash). While cheesy, camp and honestly not up to Hollywood standards, they are a pleasant addition, even if they take themselves too seriously. Of specific note is the sheer volume of film and TV stars that have been assembled in this game. The ensemble cast stretches from Lost’s Josh Holloway to Michael Ironside, known for his similar role in Starship Troopers, and even Joe Kucan, Command & Conquer’s original cinematics director, who reprises his signature role of Nod leader Kane. Although not as lighthearted as those in Red Alert 2, these cinematic interludes certainly help immerse the player into the scenario. There is no denying the narrative lacks depth, but there is enough in it to get you emotionally engaged in the war. Missions themselves are well crafted and put most every unit and strategy to good use at one point or another. Knocking down impenetrable defenses, going guerilla in urban environs with a commando, making pinpoint strikes with bombers and artillery and even struggling against 2 entrenched opponents at the same time is all business as usual in the campaigns. Confusion as to what must be done next is a non-issue as the missions are interlaced with an unprecedented number of video cues from your communications liaison. Each group of sorties is divided into a real-world geographic ‘theatre’ which gives foundation to the objectives achieved in one area, as they directly affect options available in another. Victory is rewarded with a bronze, silver or gold medal, depending on difficulty, and additional decoration comes from completing side-quests or reaching particular milestones in battle. This is ample incentive to go back and give a completed mission 110%, even if these merits do not translate to any unlocked content. There are only 2 complaints to be had with the singleplayer portion of Tiberium Wars. The first is concerning the Scrin campaign. Despite being arguably the most interesting addition to the series, their campaign is cut short at only 4 missions compared to roughly 15 a piece for the other sides. Additionally, while the GDI plot wraps up well, the Nod story is left deliberately open-ended with Kane, the player, and his Inner Circle about to ‘ascend’ using a Scrin structure acquired in the final mission. This, and more, practically beg for the obligatory expansion pack that all Command & Conquers thus far have received. Tiberium Wars is without a doubt a fitting sequel, but there are many gameplay and plot threads from Tiberian Sun which have either not been followed up on, relegated to background details or just plain forgotten about. Although the existing factions have not been markedly changed on the whole, Nod has received a major overhaul since Tiberian Sun- the only recognizable aspects are the attack bikes, the Obelisk of Light and the Nuclear Missile. Most of the old units have been cast aside- the Tick Tank is replaced with a generic Scorpion Tank, the Artillery Platform is gone in favour of the very Prism Tank-like Laser Cannon and the burrowing Devil’s Tongue Flame Tank is now just a plain old flame-throwing Flame Tank. The Banshee has gone over to the Scrin side, understandably, but what of the Cyborg units, a mainstay of the Nod force of old? Indeed Cyborgs are not the only curious omissions when it comes to units. Mutants are merely paid lip-service in Tiberium Wars and are now relegated to a neutral faction consisting of only one unit- the Mutant Marauder, and are, even then, only to be found on a number of maps that can be counted on one hand. What of Tiberian Sun: Firestorm’s titular Firestorm Defense? Even Red Alert 2 had a similar feature to defend against Super-Weapons, but here there is none. GDI has been scarred to a far lesser extent. The previous game’s Juggernaut returns, albeit a shadow of its former self, as a long range bombing walker. Mammoths return as tanks, not mechs, and the Ion Cannon is a lot more useful than its dismal point-and-shoot versions in the past have been. Plot holes also abound here. Screen-filling Ion Storms? Sorry, Earth just stopped having those a while back (despite the cause – Tiberium – reaching critical concentrations everywhere). There are no mentions of CABAL, the artificial antagonist of Firstorm, or of any old characters either. Kane is not only alive after his apparent death, 30 years ago, but he seems to have not aged a day. The curiosity of this is compounded by the allusions towards him being either a cyborg himself, an alien, or a series of clones that were strewn throughout the previous literature being all but abandoned here (no other explanation for his survival is given or hinted at). The course of Tiberium Wars, if anything, only serves to reiterate that Kane is just a normal human being. His enigmatic agenda for Nod is also given a rather simplistic closure with his intention to summon the Scrin based on information gleaned from the Tacitus. However, this begs the question of the purpose of the first Tiberium War- apparently Nod had no knowledge of the alien species at that time, which, when considered, renders that conflict illogical. To its credit, there are a vast number of Intel datasheets scattered throughout the game that enrich its own mythology. It simply requires exercising some liberalism with regard to the old canon in order to be enjoyed. It is a sad thing to report that Tiberium Wars’ multiplayer offering is plagued by minor problems that combine to render it a less than satisfying experience. Cosmetic oversights, such as the inability to toggle Super-Weapon use on or off are made blatant by their inclusion in every title previous to this. Also no nations (as in Red Alert) or generals (like in Generals; Zero Hour) exist to diversify the core factions, gravely limiting the variety of tactics one is likely to encounter on the field. This, like the open-ended Nod campaign, scream for an expansion in my opinion. An uproar has developed in the few weeks since release over the prevalence of tier-1 tanks in online matches, due mostly to the ratio of temporal and monetary investment in creating a battalion of them, as compared to defending, teching, or spending cash on different units. Natural counters to the ‘tank rush’, like anti-vehicle defenses or Missile Squad infantry simply do not do their job- it takes almost a 2:1 ratio (based on money spent) of these counter units to stop a force of tanks. Consequently, the GDI Predator Tank is, at the moment, the most popular unit online, and some of the more obscure combatants are never seen at all. Online, I have not seen the anti-air Pitbull buggy used. Not even once. In contrast, the skirmish mode is fantastic- it has more customization and A.I. tweaking options than I have seen before. You can alter the difficulty, attack pattern, resource-gathering techniques and more. It is worthy enough of a substitute until the online play gets its act together. There has been suggestion that Electronic Arts has shown little interest in supporting its products post-release. Still, considering that Generals evolved, eventually, into a deep and balanced strategy game (if only after 5 major patches and an expansion), there is at least a glimmer of hope that the same attention will be paid to Tiberium Wars. Balance problems inevitably plague all games of this type (Starcraft, Warcraft III anyone?) and are usually remedied over the course of the game’s life. However bugs still prevail in other areas. The online competition channel goes through GameSpy, and not EA-owned servers. Some have attributed the unnatural level of latency involved in playing to this decision and various petitions are active right now imploring EA to host the games themselves. Luckily, it is not an enormous stretch to imagine that there will be support for these things in the coming weeks. EA has even pledged themselves already to the development of a couple of additional features that should be turning up soon. These features will likely set Tiberium Wars apart from the pack, even if it is never going to be the most detailed RTS out there. First is the standard World Editor that has been marked for an ‘early-April’ release. Even though it was built on the same engine as Generals and the Battle for Middle-Earth series, the SAGE editor that facilitates customisation of those games is not usable here, the reason being that the EA Los Angeles team plans to make the Tiberium Wars editor ‘unlike the [programs] that have been shipped with games so far’. This is at least encouraging, if ambiguous. Secondly, the BattleCast system aims to turn the game into a veritable online spectator sport. BattleCasting, so to speak, is the ability to broadcast and watch matches live, as they are being played, or to view old matches as archived at CommandAndConquer.com. The real draw here is that you do not even need the retail game installed to view these- the BattleCast client will be freeware and made available in the next week. To consolidate the new game-as-sport concept, commentators will be able to offer their insights on the match as it progresses, and, if EALA has anything to say about it, meritorious commentators will be ranked, made famous, and invited to host sponsored tournaments and leagues in the future. All interesting in theory, it is impossible to properly critique these as-yet unreleased features, but keep in mind there are some ambitious things in store for the latest C&C. After finishing the campaigns, whether one bothered to complete all the side-objectives or complete the missions on ‘hard’ difficulty, there is very little unlockable content to signify the achievements. Tiberium Wars, by default, comes with no bonus content whatsoever. The cutscenes can be unlocked, and there may some incentive in completing campaigns a second time, making different decisions in order to see them all, but that is about it. Finally, both GDI and Nod must be taken to final victory in order to open up the Scrin’s mini course. For those left wanting more, you had better hoped you picked up one of the 2 editions of the game other than the basic one- they all contain everything described so far, and more. One alternative to the vanilla release is the ‘Special Edition’. Ironically it is never called that- in the United States this is referred to as the ‘Pre-Order Edition’ or, at some retailers, given separately as a pre-order pack before release of the main game. Luckily Europeans and Australians got the best deal this time- this version is actually our default retail release. Anyway, this box contains the game, an additional DVD with previews of a making-of featurette, a Tiberium Wars trailer, and a GDI strategy video. Even better, it comes with a second bonus CD that contains Command & Conquer: Gold Edition, comprising the original game and its Covert Operations expansion pack. The catch is that it is not an updated version for Windows XP and Vista- this is the same release from 1996 and will require a lot of fiddling with compatibility modes to run on your machine, assuming you are running one of those newer operating systems. The second alternative is billed as the ultimate version and comes with a significantly marked up (depending where you live) retail price – the ‘Kane Edition’. This is definitely a more complete version for those who don’t mind shelling out extra cash- it is missing the original C&C but has a treasure trove of video content on a bonus DVD video disc, awfully like the recent God of War II. It has behind-the-scenes, a blooper reel, and a series of strategy videos from the developers, covering not only GDI, but Nod, Scrin, Singleplayer (only 1 mission really), Multiplayer and general tactics. They offer enough of an insight to franchise veterans about the nuances of the retooled factions in Tiberium Wars but are also an excellent crash course for anyone new to Command & Conquer or even RTS at large. Even if you think you know all there is to know about the game’s intricacies, it is still funny to see how excited screen actors like House’s Jennifer Morrison or even Billy Dee Williams get about breaking the fourth wall with the direct to camera performances the game requires. Regardless of what he says, I cannot see this being the game for Williams, but hey, it’s all good. Not that I ever noticed, but this version also has some unique skins and 5 exclusive maps in the main game too. Not game-breaking stuff, but worth mentioning. While a miniature Avatar War-mech or Hand of Nod figurine would have been a great cherry on top, the Kane Edition is definitely my recommendation, assuming you don’t have to pay through the nose for it. There were only 100,000 copies of it made (all are numbered too), and so if the price goes way up on eBay, that’s likely why- forego it in that case. In Australia I was lucky to find one at less than the RRP of a normal game, but then it is still likely more than Americans would pay anyway… Tiberium Wars has all the makings of a great Command & Conquer. It has fast gameplay, a beautiful presentation, and the classic cheesy cutscenes intact. However, it is still not a very deep game when compared to its main competition, Supreme Commander, classics like Starcraft or even its direct forerunner, Command & Conquer: Generals, and this is the source of most of its criticism. I believe this to be a deliberate design choice though. There is no doubt in my mind that a few patches and a likely expansion will propel it to surpass Generals and Zero Hour and stand alone as the undisputed best title in the series. Its unique features, once rolled out, will make it stand out amongst the other franchises as well, and, if executed better than the failed ‘UnrealTV’, BattleCasting could become the observation and replay-sharing mechanism to revolutionise the RTS genre. The Kane Edition offers all the content needed to make this a great package and a worthwhile investment for when the online portion is cleaned up. Even if that isn’t your bag, the campaigns are long and involved enough to keep you satisfied and the skirmish mode offers more customization options than I’ve seen before. In all, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars does not disappoint, and is definitely worth picking up if you are at all inclined toward this type of game. Controls: 10/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Graphics: 9/10 Sound: 8/10 Extras: 8/10 Overall: 9/10 Grade: A To be honest, I can’t see the appeal in games like Supreme Commander. I wasn’t even particularly taken by Starcraft in its day- the game that got me into RTS was Red Alert 2. Not sure what exactly it was about the game… but everything from the mission briefing installation sequence to the trained dolphins appealed to me. While I played and enjoyed Generals and Warcraft III, this is really the game I have been waiting for. It’s not perfect, but anyone who has missed games like RA2 and been bored to tears by the needlessly complicated RTS offerings of late will definitely find their money’s worth in Tiberium Wars.