Walking Leaf

I haven’t played The Sims 2 for quite some time – around two years – but since I have purchased all the expansion packs, I’ve decided to install all these onto my PC and experience the new game playing features in my favourite life simulation video game.

Playing The Sims 2 is a fantastic experience. I love the social interaction by controlling each of the little characters. Yes, sometimes I can be a bit cruel by finding amusing ways to kill off unwanted Sims… But it is part of the game’s charm. The ability to manipulate each Sim to your own action in making friends, working in jobs and buying stuff is part of the appeal.

The latest expansion pack is Seasons and for the first time ever, the Sims environment is affected by different weather conditions. In the past, a typical day in the life of a Sim is usually bright and sunny… Pretty dull to be honest, but this new feature gives a realistic feel to the changing of the four seasons.

In addition to the Seasons, the ability to have pets brings a whole new set of game play to the popular Sims. I believe the success of Nintendogs on the Nintendo DS has made EA (the developers of the game) to add this in to make it even more lifelike. The AI of the dogs and cats are pretty impressive, mimicking the behaviour of the real life animal (from scratching the furniture to chasing the postman)!

One thing for sure, without the lasting appeal of The Sims, I wouldn’t have got into Animal Crossing! Both of these games are similar in concept. Don’t have any goals to complete and yet, compelling to play and addictive.

This truly magnificent game from Clover Studios is a masterpiece. Ōkami is unlike any role-playing game you have come across on any platform.

Set in the Nippon region in an unspecified time in the classical Japanese era, Ōkami combines several Japanese myths and legends to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess named Amaterasu, who has taken the form of a white wolf.

The game playing experience is very similar to The Legend Of Zelda, with dungeons to explore and side-quests. But the game set itself apart with a distinct sumi-e-inspired visual style (that looks like it is lifted straight from a Japanese painting) and the Celestial Brush (a gesture-system to perform miracles).

With the Celestial Brush, you can call up the canvas in any point of the game and ‘paint’. This is a unique feature in Ōkami as your brush strokes can unlock secrets, solve puzzles and even attack enemies.

So far, I have played over 25 hours and every moment in this beautiful cel-shaded game has been a joyful experience.

Sony has finally reveal the much awaited European launch date and price for the PlayStation 3. The next generation console will be available on March 23rd with a nice price tag of £425(!)

Yes, four hundred and twenty-five pounds… This console has become the most expensive and at that price; you can purchase both the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360.

So will I get one? Hard to say as I would like to buy one but the cost of owning the most powerful and advance video game machine (featuring that CELL processor and Blu-ray player) is simply ridiculous. In addition, I will need to purchase a brand new High Definition television to play this on, as a standard TV won’t do any justice for the photo-realistic visuals.

As for the launch games, there are around 30 titles on offer with the likes of MotorStorm, Formula One Championship Edition, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, flOw and Virtua Tennis 3.

So what’s my decision? To buy one on launch day or wait six to nine months later featuring better games and possibly a price drop? Or should I avoid the trouble of owning the PlayStation 3 and go for Xbox 360, which has the awesome Gears of War and fantastic Dead Rising?

Whatever the outcome, I should start saving up now…

The most amusing and surreal game from Nintendo is now on the Wii, with WarioWare: Smooth Moves. This intense and crazy party game features around 200 micro-games that require the full use of the Wii Remote.

The randomness of these levels always cause you to smile as you complete the five-second game such as carefully guiding fingers into giant polygonal nostrils, slapping sleeping people until they wake up, or grating cell phones to bits with a cheese.

The challenge is to see how many micro games you can do as it gets faster and faster… To play, you have to use the Wii controller in a specific way such as holding upright like an umbrella or sideways like a handlebar. Each game requires holds (or as the game calls it ‘forms’) to play. A little display box indicating how to ‘form’ and prepare the Wii controller is shown before the upcoming micro game. The forms themselves are quite amusing such as holding the controller in front of your face like an elephant or positioning above your head like a Mohawk.

Playing through the main game in story mode is straightforward and can be completed in a couple of hours. But the variety on offer and the different types of challenges will reward you with enthusiasm to continue playing even though you finished most of the different characters set scenarios.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is definitely the perfect game that really shows off the full range of movement you can accomplish with the Wii Remote. In addition, it demonstrates the Wii’s technology with its accurate motion sensors.

You will never experience as much fun and laughter with WarioWare: Smooth Movies. This is an essential purchase for your Nintendo Wii.

The original Super Monkey Ball on the Gamecube can be consider as the best in the series. The simple concept of rolling around collecting bananas and avoiding the many dangers in the cute monkey world made it appealing and addictive. A sequel soon followed with more puzzling levels and entertaining multiplayer games.

But then came Super Monkey Ball Advance for the handheld console (Game Boy Advance), which ruined the unique control system and game play. The simple fact was Monkey Ball just doesn’t work well on a portable system – just look at the horrible reaction for the ill-fated Nokia N-Gage version.

And yet the monkeys are back with Banana Blitz. The new game uses the Nintendo Wii motion-sensor controller to aid the adorable monkeys around the level. The control system might feel strange at first – the player had to twist and tilt to move – but after a short while, becomes more natural to the user.

The challenge of Monkey Ball was about managing your movement and momentum around a tight and twisty stage. These involve narrow ledges, moving floating platforms and numerous nasty obstacles designed to knock your monkey right off the course and into oblivion.

A strict time limit is also added to the game play experience, ensuring a more urgent involvement to complete the level. These basic elements made Super Monkey Ball a rewarding game for the player. The ability to navigate a set amount of courses with the quickest time or the most bananas made the game a lasting appeal.

With Banana Blitz, the magic monkeys have the ability to jump over obstacles. This can be done by pressing the A button on the Wii remote control. It sounds simple and yet, changes the whole game dynamically. The levels have undergone a slight alteration including some platforms to jump onto, and even though it feels intense, it’s not as challenging as the first two Super Monkey Ball games.

As you progress through the eight different worlds that compose the single-player mode in Banana Blitz, you’ll encounter the end-of-level boss. These usually involve taking on a larger-sized enemy with a single weak spot that you have to figure out how to exploit. The most frustrating aspect in this new boss fight can be experienced with the inability to control the game’s camera… Due to the way it locks onto the boss during these sequences.

Moving on, the multiplayer mode was the best part of any Super Monkey Ball with a collection of fun and crazy sort of games to test your skills. These include such favourites like Monkey Golf, Monkey Race and Monkey Target. But with Banana Blitz, there are now 50 different types of multiplayer games on offer. Great you think - but quantity doesn’t always count for quality…

Despite that, there is a nice variety in the mini games. All of them require the use of the Wii remote, with a number of them also requiring that the Nunchuk be attached. But in some of the games, the controls aren’t responsive enough to support the mini game concepts, and you get the occasional mini game that isn’t much fun to play…

On a whole, the new Super Monkey Ball for the Nintendo Wii is still great fun with the innovative controls. The presentation of Banana Blitz seems more cartoon-like with bright colours and flat shading on the monkeys and the environment. When viewed in High Definition mode (480p), the visual quality gives the game a nice look.

Even though the multiplayer mode suffers between good ideas with bad control system, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is definitely one highly recommended launch game. These monkeys still have the magic to entertain.

As we enter the New Year, my sister and I are still recovering from playing far too many video games during the Christmas break (the best way other than watching the usual drivel on TV).

I am still playing Animal Crossing: Wild World determined to collect all the fishes in Leaftown, so that I can get that elusive golden fishing rod! (Only one fish left now)

Meanwhile my sister was convinced that she can finish two Zelda games before starting work at Nintendo Europe in January. She just completed the epic Twilight Princess after a mammoth 39-hour ‘two-dungeons-a-day’ session and was impressed by how beautiful the game playing experience was in this latest Link adventure.

As for Ocarina of Time, she can play this on the GameCube in another time…

Besides playing these, we also had fantastic fun playing in co-operative mode with Guitar Hero II. I recently brought a limited edition cherry red Gibson SG guitar controller and together we were ‘The Noelling’ (named after the television host of Deal Or No Deal – Noel Edmonds)! The two-player mode worked great as it feels like you were performing as the bass and rhythm guitar leads.

But alas, our rock band will be split up as she begins work in Germany working for Nintendo. I am going through some mixed emotions at the moment… I’m happy for her to get a dream job play testing all DS and Wii games, but at the same time sad as we are very close. Anyway, I wish her the best of luck in the new role.

After purchasing my new electronic toy on Friday, I wasted no time setting up the Nintendo Wii and playing the four great games all weekend.

My sister and I created a series of Mii characters including Noel Edmonds from TV’s Deal Or No Deal! The look of these cartoon-like figures is very cute and my Mii character (above) can be seen ready for bowling.

Wii Sports proves to be the most popular with my family as we had enormous fun in bowling and tennis. Even though my parents are not fans of video games in general, it was surprising to see them having fun and enjoying the experience.

As for stories regarding ‘Wii damaged’ due to the controller flying out of the player’s hand and breaking something expensive, this has happened in our household! My sister got too excited when she bowled a 10-pin strike in Wii Bowling that she raised her two hands in the air in triumph and ‘accidentally’ breaking the chandelier!

The Wiimote still works but the tell-tale signs of the destruction can be seen by two dent marks near the ‘B’ trigger…

Anyway, back to the games. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz proved to be more challenging to play than the original GameCube version, as you had to tilt and twist the Wiimote to move the gorgeous monkey around the stage. At first, it was quite tricky to control, but after a while, you become more confident with your wrist action in the single player mode.

As for the 50 party games in the new Super Monkey, some of them seem to be ‘hit and miss’ in terms of game play. Monkey Race, one of my favourites in Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 has now lost it’s ‘magic’ in the new Wii version. It doesn’t feel the same as you rotate the controller left and right to move in those directions. And what have they done to Monkey Target? It’s feel more complicated with the added bonus ball…

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the best-looking game currently on the Wii and even though I haven’t played a single Zelda game on the past Nintendo system (yes, shame on me really), I am intrigued by this new Link adventure game.

My sister adores the Zelda series and she feels very excited by Twilight Princess. It will take her quite a while to play this epic RPG I reckon.

And the last game we played over the weekend was the disappointing Wii Play. I had to buy this game to get the extra Wiimote as no shops (online and on the high street) sell the controller as a standalone product.

Wii Play is a series of short mini games introducing key functions on the Wiimote. The games are quite basic focusing on your ability to point, twist and turn the motion-sensor controller.

Yes! I finally got myself a Nintendo Wii today along with three games for my new video game system – Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Play.

I was not surprised to hear that all the Wii units were sold out on Friday as it proves to be the ‘must have’ Christmas gift this year.

Finding the accessories for the Wii proved more difficult than getting the console itself for those who didn’t pre-ordered… There were no stocks of the Wiimote or the Nunchuk controller, but luckily I managed to get one against the odds during my shopping trip in Central London.

Can’t wait to play the multiplayer games against my sister and family in Wii Sports!

RedOctane’s Guitar Hero was a surprising hit on the PlayStation 2 in which you use a mini Gibson SG guitar as a controller to strum to a collection of fantastic rock songs.

As with all rhythm games, pressing the right buttons at the right time is crucial when playing in Guitar Hero II.

For those who haven’t experience the wonders of this guitar-based video game, let me explain how to play. There are five coloured ‘fret’ buttons on the neck (green, red, yellow, blue, and orange in descending order) with a “strum bar,” and a whammy bar. Each rock song is presented as a set of five columns that scroll constantly. The five columns correspond to the five fret buttons.

To play a note, you must hold the correct fret button and press the strum bar. If you mistimed the strumming too early or late or not at all, then the three-staged “Rock Meter” will decrease…. The Rock Meter is an indication of how well you are performing and the crowd’s general opinion of your rock act. The meter’s stages are coloured red, yellow and green, in order of success. If the meter goes too far into the red, it will begin to blink red as a means of warning. If the meter is totally diminish, then you have failed the song… The meter can be restored little by little by playing notes correctly.

To play the single notes, all you need to do is to strum once. But for longer notes, an initial strum followed by a continued depression of the fret button is needed - as long as the note lasts.

As for chords this involve pressing two or more fret buttons at a time. Additionally, Guitar Hero II supports common guitar concepts such as the hammer-on and the pull-off just like playing the real instrument.

To enhance the gaming experience further, a new feature named ‘Star Power’ involves tilting the guitar controller upward, enabling more bonus points.

To reach this mode, you must accumulated from either successfully playing a sequences of special Star Notes or using the whammy bar on long Star Notes.

So we covered the basis of learning to play, now what about the selection of rock anthems to play in the new game?

To be honest, I find the choices of songs lacking compared to the original. In the original there was a magnificent range of tracks on offer including Deep Purple, Boston, Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimi Hendrix and Ozzy Osbourne. But with Guitar Hero II, it seems to be missing that magical ‘edge’… This is surprising as there are some great bands featured in the new version like Rage Against the Machine, Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Megadeth, Foo Fighters and Nirvana.

So what’s new in Guitar Hero II? Well, there’s a practice mode that allows you to prefect a specific section of a song you want, at any speed you want. The songs are broken down piece by piece, and you can pick any starting and stopping section you choose to wish.

As for multiplayer mode, this has been improved significantly - but it still lacks online play…. Nevertheless, playing with a second guitar creates more fun and instead of trading off sections of a song with one another, the new version lets both guitarists perform through the entire song together –as a lead and bass.

In terms of game play, Guitar Hero II feels the same. And yet, I must admit the encores - when the crowd demand that one final song – is a nice atmospheric feature.

The only criticisms will be track selection and the difficulty level when advancing through (it becomes harder for even the most experienced Guitar Hero fans). Despite that, if you looking for an entertaining rhythm based party game who enjoy the rock and roll scene, then pick up the ‘axe’ and prepare to rock to your heart content!

As a keen video game fan of Nintendo, I am pleased to have someone in my family working for this gaming giant in the New Year. My sister will have the unique opportunity to work in Germany as part of Nintendo Europe and be responsible for developing and playing the latest titles on the Wii and DS consoles.

My love affair with Nintendo started when I played that amazing light-gun shooting game – Duck Hunt – on the classic NES system. Back then the experience was truly astounding and it’s impressive to see over the last three decades that Nintendo are still going strong (compared to Sega) with innovative and fun games.

In addition, the handheld gaming system Game Boy was an absolutely delight when I played it back in 1989. I became addictive to Tetris so much that the famous music started ringing inside my head!

With the DS Lite, the enthusiasm continues with the stupendous Animal Crossing: Wild World. When I have the chance, I will play this great game everyday and spending hours collecting Bells and going fishing!

As for the consoles, I am particular fond of the GameCube, even though it did quite poorly in terms of third party software. I believe the quality of the games were better and more entertaining than the Sony PlayStation 2. Pikmin introduced cute little characters and it’s a joy to play. As for Super Monkey Ball, this is by far the most addictive game to play featuring adorable simians!

Now with the Wii coming out in Europe on December 8th – after two successful launches in the past few weeks – I am looking forward to a new gaming experience.

One of the titles I am particular interested is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. My sister is a big fan of this series (besides Super Mario and Metal Gear Solid) and can’t wait to sample the new motion sensor controller in the new adventures of Link.

As for me, I believe the future of Nintendo is bright and with my sister working for them in January, it will be fantastic period to see the Japanese game manufacturer back at its element of offering players creative and enjoyable games.