Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit – Written Game Review

When you hear that EA are teaming up with Criterion Games for a Need for Speed title, it’s time to get excited. Criterion are of course the guys and gals behind the multi-platform “Burnout” games, including “Burnout”, “Burnout 2: Point of Impact”, “Burnout 3: Taken”, “Burnout Revenge” and “Burnout: Paradise”. Now Criterion bring us the latest game in the “Need for Speed” franchise, that of “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit”.

If the name sounds familiar you’re clearly a veteran gamer with a game titled “Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit” releasing way back in September 1998. Criterion have taken the franchise back to its roots in more than name only, with more exotic cars and of course awesome police chases.

“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” takes place in Seacrest County, an open world with a single player mode of around 14 hours length. Needless to say, most of the gameplay is based around the cat-and-mouse shenanigans of police chases, some of which you are the cat (chasing the mouse) and some vice versa. “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” features some of the sweetest vehicles you’re likely to see in a racing title, tricked out police cars with EMP pulse weapons and spike strips to make any hoons night more of a nightmare.

Chasing down an assailant in a tricked out cop car is awesome and the detail in the vehicle models is great, right down to the rims. Of course running from the cops in a tricked out sports car is also a lot of fun, both of these ‘careers’ are accessed via a map system in which you choose the next event to take part in. Progression is simple enough, do things in a certain time and it will of course unlock new vehicles and modes of play.

A cool addition to “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” is the “Autolog” which sees your friends times appearing after each race, telling you who of your friends you beat, or if their time was better than yours. This addition was likened to being Facebook for Need for Speed, given it’s essentially a social feature that shows you how your friends are doing on the same events. This means you can compete with your friends without actually ever racing against them online, though that is always an option too with multi-player.

This being a Criterion title there is oodles of replayability. Events you have already done can be revisited at any time and you can try and better the score / medal gained and this will be updated on the Autolog.

Graphics and sound in “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” is superb, the navigation and map system works a treat, though lacking the panache of say “Midnight Club: LA”. The environment of Seacrest County is huge (allegedly 4 times the size of “Burnout Paradise”). Locations feature some truly stunning detail, from the distance vistas, to the forests and coasts, everything is polished to within an inch of its virtual life. Audio too features a 5.1 soundtrack featuring great music and sound effects, with police banter adding to proceedings.

Female Gamer Angle on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit:

Given this is a racing title, there’s little female input, all the artwork for the game seems to suggest you’re male, as does the ingame cues. However, as this is a racing game, there could be anyone in the hot seat tearing up the road, so it’s really a double edged sword. Given the cars are the playable characters as it were, there’s no point in whining there’s no playable female, anyway aren’t most cars named after women.

Anything negative to add? Well, not much, controls can feel a little skittish until you get used to the art of drifting around bends, it also would have been nice to have the “takedown” feature since sideswiping other vehicles will generally see you lose control as they carry on their merry way as though it were a small nudge. There also isn’t much in the way of vehicle upgrades, so people who enjoy tweaking their cars to the enth degree will probably be disappointed, for me though this didn’t affect the game too much. Overall though “”Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” is a sweet ride and a great example of how to do an arcade racer the right way.

Here we go again people. It’s movie tie-in time. X-men Origins: Wolverine, which – like the film – covers the Wolverine back-story in some detail, with plenty of gore and over the top violence. If you like fighting combos Wolverine has them in droves, it’s just a shame the game is all so repetitive that it can become a little dull. Dodge, fight, dodge fight, dodge fight. Of course if you love the X-Men that isn’t to say you’re not going to enjoy the repetition, as it does have a few sweet effects. Essentially what we have here is a linear third person hack and slash, but with Wolverine doing some sweet moves. For those that enjoy the X-Men universe and particularly Wolverine, wait a few months until it’s on sale and snap it up because it is pretty cool.

Boom Blox immediately garnered the attention of the press because it had the name Steven Spielberg attached to it. Mr Spielberg you see is a fan of video games, but not the violent ones. With his guidance and ‘direction’ (haw haw) EA has come up with Boom Blox, a Wii puzzle game that takes full advantage of the Wii motion controls.

The gameplay of Boom Blox is a fairly simple premise – you (armed with your Wiimote) use a variety of ammunition (baseballs, bowling balls, laser guns) – figure out the best way to knock all blocks down out of a series of Jenga like puzzles. The block might be neatly stacked, intricately stacked or even part of larger multi-faceted puzzles.

The real beauty of Boom Blox is its Wii sensibility, this title was made for the Wii and it never feels like a game that would sit comfortably on another format. If you’ve played Wii Sports you’ll know what that feeling is, a fluidity that you don’t get with a lot of Wii games, because they could easily have appeared on non Wiimote controlled hardware.

Physics, hated it at school, love it in Boom Blox. The games physics are really the cornerstone of play and gravity is either your dear friend or arch enemy. It’s your job as player to utilize this aspect to your best advantage. Blocks fall and tumble as you would expect were they actually stacked on your coffee table.

Graphically speaking Boom Blox isn’t going to blow your socks off, but it is charming and certainly the lack of over the top flashy graphics doesn’t detract from what is fantastic and addictive gameplay. Sound too is nothing awe inspiring, but what is there suits the game and doesn’t detract in any way from the fun being had by all involved.

For the Ladies… There’s no female characters playable in Boom Blox to speak of, well other than that one penguin we saw lurking in the background, we’re pretty sure she was. The thing is, because there’s no human characterization in Boom Blox, it doesn’t really matter there’s no female characters, or anything else for that matter. There’s monkeys, cows, chickens, pigs and other creatures and they’re all so adorable gender complaints tend to go out the window.

Overall Boom Blox is a great little title, a simple concept that is so well executed you’ll be playing for hours. The addition of multiplayer modes means you can play with or against friends, be they beginners, or veteran gamers. Boom Blox is truly a game for gamers of all levels of expertise and it is this accessibility that adds yet more flavor to an already delicious title. Boom Blox wasn’t made by Nintendo, but it feels so well polished that it may well have been. That’s not to say the game can’t be excruciatingly frustrating at points, but it is one of those titles that will see you continue playing, even in your darkest puzzle stumped hour.

Review by Angela

Tomb Raider: Anniversary is inspired by the first Tomb Raider title, released way back in 1996 (yes it truly was that long ago some of us popped Lara into our Sega Saturns and were wowed). The title now has a fresh coat of paint, thanks to Crystal Dynamics, the company that managed to breathe new (and much needed) life into the Tomb Raider franchise, when they released Tomb Raider Legend. Is Tomb Raider Anniversary worth the money, or is it simply just a prettier version of its former self? Let’s take a look…

At the time of release, the original Tomb Raider was revolutionary. Not only did it feature one of the first cool female protagonists in a video game, but it also featured graphics and sound that had gamers agog. As the franchise went on however, it seemed to get a little worse for wear, all culminating in the abysmal Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. Eidos seemed to have completely dropped the ball; enter Crystal Dynamics.

Thankfully when Crystal Dynamics took over Tomb Raider development duties they knew what had gone wrong in Angel of Darkness and remedied the problems in the release of Tomb Raider Legend. Now they’re back with what is essentially a retelling of the original Tomb Raider title. The story is the same, along with the majority of levels, though they’ve all been given a new graphical sheen and brought bang up to date. Along with the graphical and sound mark-up (easily playable by the deaf or hard of hearing gamer, with only the click of timed puzzles perhaps a tiny hindrance), Tomb Raider: Anniversary also features a much improved control mechanism, along with new moves and the same massive and beautiful level design of the original. There’s also some nice little touches along the way, such as glistening skin when exiting water, smoke trails from a gun or just the overall look of those gorgeous levels, each detailed superbly by comparison to the original.

The gameplay in Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a doddle for those already familiar with the franchise and particularly those that played Tomb Raider Legend more recently. The only real downside of the title would be a few tricky sections on levels where camera angle and movement sequence really don’t do each other any favours. This can lead to a few extremely frustrating moments as Lara back-flips her way to her doom, but overall this niggle should in no way hinder all the fun.

The Female Gamer angle on this one is of course superlative, this is Lara Croft after all. Yes, of course, as we’ve mentioned in previous Lara outings, she is overtly sexualised, though still one hell of a tough gaming babe. She’s more lithe than Indiana Jones, better looking and has a cool edge that few games characters can get away with. Tomb Raider: Anniversary sees Lara return to her roots, the place it all started and she’s even cooler for it. Gone are the sexy oohs and ahhs, the triangular breasts and the ridiculous sexualised hype. Lara Croft is now a legend, in the gaming arena, movie arena, marketing arena and then some. Female gamers are damn lucky to have her and younger female gamers are even luckier to get the chance to relive her old days. It may essentially be a rehash, but who cares. Girl gamers unite in yelling from the rooftops that Lara Croft is and always will be their number one female games character.

Overall Tomb Raider Anniversary is an old game redone, and in this case at least, that’s no bad thing, and this coming from someone who pretty much despises it when they remake classic movies. You’re never going to get back that thrill veteran gamers of a certain age (yes myself among them), felt when they first played the original Tomb Raider title on the PS1 or Saturn, but this is a lovely attempt. It’s great to relive all of those moments, with a better control system, gorgeous graphics and enough changes to make this feel like a whole new game. Chances are the only gamers who are not likely to love this title are those already adverse to it and to those we say Meh!

What are you waiting for, go buy Tomb Raider: Anniversary now, it may well be the best in the series so far. Now if only the Xbox 360 version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary would hurry up and sate all those Tomb Raider loving Xbox 360 owners.

Review by Angela

EA boasts that The Sims 2 is the best-selling PC title of all time, and, as the publishing giant continues in its efforts to conquer next-gen consoles it’s seen fit to release The Sims 2: Pets. As the name suggests, in this new title your Sims can have pets. These come in the form of various cats and dogs and gerbils. These creatures have individual personalities and, much like your Sims, they have wants and needs that must be satisfied. A huge aspect of this title is that you have to teach, train, discipline, and praise your pets. If it sounds like a lot of work—that’s because it is. Of course, that’s not to say that it’s not good fun too, but it just takes a lot of time and patience to get that perfect cat or dog.

Gamers who already own The Sims 2 on PlayStation 2 will realize that The Sims 2: Pets is really the same game just with a new expansion. Those gamers who haven’t owned the previous title, well, this game is for you. There are plenty of new and creative aspects that will also keep serious fans happy. There are new elements in the form of a park, and new shops, where you can buy accessories and buy your pet’s bling. In the park, your dogs can run free and socialize with other pets, your Sims will also have the opportunity to make friends and possibly find love.

As you have complete control over the characters, you can choose to be male or female. You can choose to have a large family, small family, or even be a single parent. The possibilities with The Sims 2 are really endless. The Sims 2 isn’t prejudiced and you can have same sex relationships, you can even have aliens living in your neighborhood. You can even have alien babies! To be honest, it’s great to have a title that isn’t about killing and zombies. This game is a non-violent and entertaining title.

I don’t know if it’s because I normally play The Sims on the PC, but I found the control system on the PS2 to be a little clunky and more difficult to acclimatise to. I feel that the button layout isn’t as simple and it takes a while to use the buttons instinctively. I also feel that this is the only thing that lets the console game down. I would rather suggest to someone to buy The Sims 2 on the PC; although this is a negative, it is the only negative that I could foresee.

Seeing as The Sims titles are universal in terms of dialogue, your Sim(s) will never speak a word of English. They speak in ‘Sim’ gibberish, and it is always entertaining to listen to them hold conversations with other Sims. When listening in you can almost understand what they are saying. I’m sure that in years to come there will be universities that teach Sim…much the same as universities that specialise in Klingon (oh, dear—Ed). Sadly, because of this, there are no subtitles for hearing impaired gamers. However, it’s unnecessary to have subtitles though.

The graphics in The Sims 2: Pets are fun and colourful. They also have amazing options when creating your characters too. The attention to detail that’s gone into the clothing is astounding. Not only do you have an amazing range of fashion to choose from, you can also crop the length of skirts, shirts, and jumpers. To give you an idea of how detailed this title is you are given the choice of 12 different skin tones. Each of these is lovingly detailed with moles, freckles, and other real life characteristics.

When selecting your new furry friend(s) you can create them and change them through a wealth of design options, to the point where you can even change their size and shape. You can individualise your pooch, kitten, etc, by changing its fur and colours—there are fantastic colours to be unlocked during the game. The choice of dog breeds is amazing also; think of almost any dog breed you like and it’s more than likely that you’ll find it there. There are also fantastic new animations and you have the joy of teaching your pets tricks too. I strongly suggest teaching your cat or dog to play dead, it’s hilarious.

Inexperienced Sims fans will be amazed by this title, it is a fantastic game and it offers so much more than its predecessor. However, as I mentioned earlier, fans going from PC to the PS2 might find the control system a little difficult to get used to. Other than that though, The Sims 2: Pets is an amazing title and it does then pose the question: where will The Sims take us next?

Review by Amanda

It seems everywhere you look these days, there’s a game being made to coincide with the release of a big budget movie. They are released on as many platforms as possible to maximize sales, and usually follow the plot of the movie pretty closely.

The Simpsons Game for PS2, while admittedly being released a little later than the movie, does little to break the mould, unfortunately. What makes it interesting, though, is that it knows just how cliché it is, and makes fun of it. Each level has a number of “Video Game Cliché’s” to collect, each with a quote from our favourite Comic Book Guy. It also parodies many popular games, and games characters, in the typically irreverent humor you find in the show.

I was surprised though that the game didn’t follow the plot of the movie. It’s a bit like a clip show, the game play of each level being interspersed with animated cut scenes, some you may recognise (Homer in the Land of Chocolate) many others a variation on an old theme (Mr Burns’ new “eco friendly” company).

The ‘plot’ holding them all together is pretty flimsy. Bart finds the game manual and gains “video game super powers”. He then bribes or coerces the rest of his family into joining him on a rampage of violence. Enemies include anyone from Jimbo and Curley to Kang and Kodos. Along the way, though, the game manages to make sufficient fun of itself to forgive the blatant 4th wall breach, and have you chuckling as much as playing. The sound bites from characters can be particularly funny; “I’ll diet when I’m awake!” “With my courage and your ability to be fat and stand in place, we can do anything!”

The rest of the sound is of a quality you’d expect from a Simpsons title. The voice acting is excellent, and everyone is voiced by their voice actor from the show – there isn’t an unrecognizable voice to be found. The music is of above average quality, changing each level to suit the surrounds the characters find themselves in.

The unfortunate thing is, though, that the game play is poor. Mildly annoying jumping puzzles become increasingly frustrating as the camera gets stuck on the environment, or swings the wrong way at the wrong time. The controls are clumsy and combat sinks into little more than button mashing. Attempting to strategise is wasted effort, as more often than not you’ll be hit while charging your ‘super power’, causing you to stop and try and charge up once again. It’s a short game as well; a good day’s worth of gaming and you’ll be easily finished. Though the collectibles and time trials on each level will keep you playing for a while longer.

Aside from all the jumping, the rest of the puzzles are refreshing. More often than not you’re teamed up with another Simpson, and pressing any of the game pad’s directional buttons will swap you between them. Each has a special power that is activated by pressing the R1 button, and usually key to solving different points of the puzzles.

The graphics during game play are also less than spectacular. I imagine they might have been crisp and sharp on a more advanced platform, yet on the PS2 they are a little chunky and jagged. It might have been a lot better if they had designed the graphics with the PS2 in mind, but since the game spans so many platforms the point is moot.

Another unfortunate thing is that the girls get less game play than Homer and Bart. Marge especially, she only gets to play in 6 of the levels. What makes it doubly disappointing is that Lisa is quite fun to play. Her saxophone stuns enemies, and her punching and kicking is surprisingly powerful. It’s easy to forget about the poor game play when you’re playing her. I found myself resenting the levels that she wasn’t in, and rushed to complete them so I could see if she was in the next one.

In short, and far from being a grrl gamers dream, The Simpsons Game as a PG title, is probably best enjoyed watching while the kids play.

Review by Teh Spikey

For those well versed in the Need for Speed universe, its breakneck street racing, police chases, shoehorned narrative, and wafer thin annual premise—all of which justify the series’ ongoing (lack of) evolution—won’t find very much that inspires within the gameplay folds of Need for Speed: Carbon. And those who’ve never spent hard-earned money on a Need for Speed game before would perhaps be advised to rewind twelve months and pick up Need for Speed: Most Wanted instead. Okay, that’s the summation, now let’s Tarantino everything and go back to the beginning.

In the beginning, there was Electronic Arts and its street-racing game Need for Speed, a potent mix of white-knuckle car-based clashes across sprawling city environments. Then there was Need for Speed: Underground, and Need for Speed: Underground 2 expansions of potent white-knuckle car-based clashes across sprawling city street environments. Then came Need for Speed: Most Wanted, you get the drift here, yes?

The only thing that has changed from Need for Speed through to Need for Speed: Carbon is the amount of cash that EA has reaped from the pockets of oh-so willing gamers, and the level of pure consumer apathy exercised by those gamers in accepting the same experience over and over and over again. Though, that said, repetition is EA’s particular speciality of profit growth…one need only look at the endless success afforded to the FIFAs, Medal of Honors, NBAs, and NHLs of the world.

But let’s allow for degree of explanation, shall we? Need for Speed: Most Wanted partially redefined the series by enabling the player to roam impressive environments while pursuing a cell-tinted live action narrative finale, a successfully nurtured race reputation, an ever widening garage of performance motors, and an infamous rap-sheet with the local police force. However, while Most Wanted portrayed a modicum of effort in directing the series down an ever-so slender path of progression, Carbon pretty much rests on established laurels while hiding behind the typically slick EA presentation and aesthetically polished delivery.

In Need for Speed: Carbon, the player’s nameless, faceless, voiceless, point-of-view character makes a return from Most Wanted and participates through sporadic tacky live action segues through sight alone, as stranded and uncomfortable ‘actors’ talk directly to the camera/character with all the belief and subtlety of an ensemble cast from Prisoner Cell Block H. The player’s character has come back to Palmont City after fleeing from Most Wanted’s Rockport—for reasons far too clichéd to go into—and, as per usual, must start from the bottom rung of racing reputation in order to regain the respect ‘he’ once had. Although the character is meant to be faceless and genderless, the fact that females (including an overly soft focus Emmanuelle Vaugier) approach with battering eyelids, whereas males generally approach with arrogance and animosity, hints that the person behind the wheel is considerably more male—which won’t come as any surprise to beleaguered and largely ignored girl gamers.

In short, gameplay set-up sees Palmont City based around four separate gang-controlled regions as well as the winding and perilous Carbon canyons. The player must conquer each of the city’s regions through completion of related races and challenges based within each—at which point the region transfers to the player’s control—and then ultimately race for absolute gang superiority in the canyons. Riveting stuff, eh? Sadly, any longevity and challenge is all-but erased thanks to two annoyingly easy features. The first of these is that, regardless of how many races are based in a gang’s territory, only two challenges need to be completed for the area to fall into the player’s control—and they can be freely chosen too. Though, to be fair, player-controlled areas can be wrestled back through gang challenges, which does add a little freshness—but little difficulty. The second is the newly implemented ‘Wingman’ feature, and a new paragraph is required for this…

That’s right, dear easily pleased reader, Carbon sees the woefully ill-fitting introduction of team-based racing. The Wingman assists in races and the player can issue specific orders to have the wingman help in certain situations and race conditions. The wingmen are available in three interchangeable ‘disciplines’, which are Scout, Blocker, and Drifter, and each brings a different angle of possible advantage to the race(s). However, while the wingman mechanic could have worked extremely well in providing a shared sense of achievement through difficult encounters, it’s often the use of wingmen that renders races ridiculously easy. Plus, if the A.I. wingman should win a race then, as the player’s team mate, the race is won without any degree of struggle or racing evolution on the player’s part. And, as the game progresses and the player purchases better cars and grows more attuned with the racing itself, then it’s often the case that the wingman simply gets in the way during races and becomes more of a (vocal and physical) hindrance than an able assistant.

Needless to say, Carbon is crammed to the rafters with the usual array of bizarrely in-depth customization tools, and racing purists, geeks—and those who like nothing more than building Tower Bridge out of matchsticks without stopping for sleep, food, or toilet trips—will have an absolute blast sculpting and engineering their vehicular (wet) dream. Personally speaking, it’s a complete waste of time, especially as owned cars change so frequently as to render customization almost pointless beyond the appeasement of shallow self-gratification.

In terms of graphics prowess, Need for Speed: Carbon, while as outwardly polished as you’d expect from EA, does struggle to whip up a believable storm on the ailing PlayStation 2. And an occasionally extreme stuttering frame rate certainly indicates that perhaps Sony’s workhorse is running lame and needs a mercy bullet between the eyes as the thoroughbred stallion PlayStation 3 trots arrogantly from the consumer electronics stable. Musically, the soundtrack is pumping and well suited to the racing—though it’s often ruined by the incessant wingman chatter—and the in-game effects are decent enough without expanding on anything you’ve already experienced. Deaf or hard-of-hearing gamers can follow the (wince-inducing) narrative segues through full subtitles, and the in-game pointers arrive through text messages.

Ultimately, Need for Speed: Carbon follows the blueprint laid down by Most Wanted, while introducing largely worthless and unnecessary additional gimmicks. However, if the wingman and territory additions were not there, wouldn’t Carbon be merely a repeat performance and another innovation-free EA product? Yes, it would, but the ‘new’ elements in Carbon do not complement the gameplay, they detract from it. The narrative is tired and clichéd, not far reaching and interesting, and the usually thrilling races and police chases—the core of Need for Speed—have devolved into forgettable fillers between bad acting, banal garage expansion, and ridiculously complicated decal immersion. The race, the thrill, and the heart-pounding speed—all vitally important elements—are sadly not given any consideration around the favor of peripheral distractions and tacky gloss.

Review by Stevie

A bundled videogame that comes free with a console? Surely it has to be bad. Strange that Nintendo opted to include Wii Sports with the Wii console and not as a cheap stand alone product. In some way that decision may have marred the game’s respectability, or at least until you load it. You then realize that Wii Sports is actually a brilliant game and one that you’d have been happy to pay a little extra for. No, it’s not graphically stunning—as we’ll shortly examine—nor is it an aural assault on the senses, and there’s very little depth to be had. Yet Wii Sports is still a slice of absolute genius. Let’s examine why.

More than anything else, Wii Sports does one thing amazingly well, it shows gamers what the Wii remote is capable of delivering, but it does it in such a clever and fun way, it makes gaming accessible to everyone—even non-gamers. Perhaps this is why Nintendo chose to include it with the Wii console. Wii Sports includes simplified versions of Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Boxing and Baseball. Each of these sports will see the Wii remote utilized as though it were a bat, racquet, club, ball, and boxing gloves. This is what makes this title so much fun to play, and also so appealing to those people in your family that don’t usually partake in your gaming hobby. Wii Sports lacks the confusion of a title like Zelda, or many other in-depth games, instead getting down to the nitty-gritty of what gaming is about, fun with a capital F.

All of the sports in Wii Sports use the Wii remote, with the exception of Boxing, which uses both the Wii remote and Nunchuk, one in each hand, each mimicking the movements you’d make in the ring. This aspect of the Wii control mechanism will surprise many who believed the Nunchuk was merely a regular controller add-on to the motion sensing ‘Wiimote’ controller. Sadly, despite the cool factor of the boxing section of Wii Sports, it’s the one title in the compilation that feels a little hampered; though it can still be fun.

Where Wii Sports excels is in its curiosity factor. Whilst reviewing this title, two family members entered the room—who’ve never played a videogame, and also think an interest in such things is less than infantile—and they watched inquisitively, and then asked for a try. And the result of said foray into the unknown? “That’s very clever isn’t it? Could we get together at Christmas so everyone can play it after dinner?” This type of response is exactly what Nintendo has been hoping for. The accessibility of Wii Sports encourages even the most ardent of non-gamers to want to give it a try, and the experience is so enjoyable that they soon want another go. Add to this that the ease of play makes it so instantly accessible and you’re onto a winner. On the other hand, had The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess been loaded up and proffered, there would have been utter confusion, no gaming joy, and the swift passing back of the controllers.

If Wii Sports is going to have any criticism aimed at it, it’s probably going to be that it lacks depth. To this we say, “So?” Who needs depth when you’ve got a game that is fun, hilarious, and a true family experience? When a four-player game of bowling has you whooping and cheering—much as you would were you actually at the local bowling alley—or a game of tennis has you exerting as much grunting energy as Monica Seles, then who cares about depth? The immersion factor of Wii Sports is absolutely astonishing and it’s all down to the ‘way you play’ it. Sitting on your behind to play the deep and graphically resplendent titles such as Top Spin or Tiger Woods is one thing, getting off your behind to forehand and backhand like a pro, or chip in from the bunker—even with modest graphics—is an entirely new world, a wonderful world, a world we like, and a world you’ll like too.

It’s difficult to criticise Wii Sports for anything else other than its lack of depth. Sure, the games are simplistic, as are the graphics—extremely simplistic in comparison to other next-gen consoles—but all of this is of little consequence because Wii Sports arrives as a free game bundled with the hardware, and it is an absolute blast to play. Regarding replay value, Wii Sports has it in abundance in both multiplayer and even in single-player modes. You can aim at becoming a pro by accumulating points; the more points you get, particularly in tennis and boxing, the harder your opponents will become in order to keep the experience challenging. This ramping up of difficulty works well because it keeps you interested and increases so gradually that even non-gamers will have become adept by the time real difficulty creeps in—it certainly won’t ruin the gameplay.

There’s also another little section in Wii Sports called Wii Sports Fitness. This is essentially a little add-on mode that’s similar to Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training on the Nintendo DS, although this is meant for fitness. You’ll be asked to play through a series of tasks that will assess your agility, balance, and stamina, and then the results will be gathered in order to give you your Wii Fitness Age, which will be stored in a chronological graph format so you can chart your ongoing progress. It’s not a huge addition, but it’s still fun—and the reappearance of the ‘f’ word pretty much sums up the title overall.

So, there you have it, Wii Sports is free game that comes packaged with the Wii hardware, and it offers more fun than you’re probably going to have on many of the ported full-priced titles. Furthermore, this review didn’t even see us needing to add our usual female gamer angle, because Wii Sports is for one and all. And, as all the sports games use a representative ‘Mii’ which you can create in your own image (or someone else’s if you desire), it’s completely balanced in terms of gender. It’s also a rare title that will have that ever elusive ‘girlfriend market’ desperately wanting to take a turn—hell, the mom and grandma market too. Wii Sports is tempting to all of those groups, and non-gamers in general because of its instant accessibility, and it’s also a joy for the veteran gamer because of the innovative control method. Wii Sports is, in a word, ‘amazing’.

Gone is the complexity inherent in the latest EA or 2K franchise sports titles, this is bare boned sporting goodness and it can be made all the more enjoyable by the Wii’s ability to create a Mii. Yes, create a Mii character based on yourself, get your friends to do the same (actually you won’t have to get them to, they’ll want to) and let the games begin. You’ll probably spend most of your time playing tennis and bowling, but the other sports are also fun in short bursts; boxing is the only one you may not play for long. The Wii is a new console full of great promise, and its innovation is incomparable to its next-gen counterparts. Trust us, depth or no depth, you’ll still be playing Wii Sports in a year, be it at family parties, when you’re bored on a rainy day, or just when you want a little fun-filled exercise. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is a sore shoulder for a day or two from all the effort the experience coaxes out of you. Wii Sports rules!

Review by Angela

Trauma Center: Under the Knife on the Nintendo DS brought the stress of the operating theatre right into your pocket, and now Trauma Center: Second opinion on the Nintendo Wii does it all over again, but this time on the home console format.

As you can probably imagine, the Wii’s new innovative style of game control is superbly suited for the Trauma Center games, just as the touchscreen was ideal for it on the handheld format. The use of both the Wiimote and Nunchuk controllers as you perform delicate operations is both clever and intuitive—though not without a few problems. The game essentially revolves around you being fast and precise, and, as you’re no doubt aware, these are two things that generally find themselves at odds with each other. However, this does add to the overall tension of the title, and it does feel good to be able to switch between instruments with the Nunchuk and put them to use with the Wiimote pointer.

You start off playing as young Dr. Derek Stiles, fresh out of his residency only to be dropped smack bang into the middle of a strange conspiracy as the story unfolds. We won’t spoil the plot for you here as, let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than major narrative points being given away in a games review, suffice to say there’s more to the story than a little slice and dice and the overarching thread emerges as fairly interesting.

Despite the game’s rather gruesome premise, Trauma Center: Second Opinion isn’t really a gorefest. Sure, you’re opening people up, suturing, fixing broken bones, and more, but the style of the graphics tends to stray away from anything overtly realistic. You can still tell what you’re doing of course, but it’s all relayed with pretty pink and purple hues and waxy looking cadavers (okay, so they’re only cadavers if you totally screw it up). The Wii has taken quite a bit of backlash for its modest graphics when compared to those on offer from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but Second Opinion does the job it sets out to do and doesn’t really lose anything just because it’s not a high-definition and realistic jaunt into the tension of the operating theatre. The game follows a comic book style with regards to the storyline and the majority of it is portrayed via flat comic/Manga styled images and accompanying text.

Sound in a game can really add to the overall atmosphere of the experience, either via the orchestration or the voice acting. Sadly, Trauma Center: Second Opinion doesn’t really excel in either area, but again that doesn’t overly detract from the game either, other than repetitive comments such as, “Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!” That said, the voice acting is done well enough whenever it appears (there’s far more text than there is speech—which is handy for the deaf or hard of hearing gamer), though, as mentioned, you’ll sometimes wish there was even less. Orchestration pretty much consists of a standard track that plays throughout the operations and is heightened by the odd additional sound to dramatize proceedings when things get hairy—most notably through the fluctuating heart-rate monitor that accompanies each operation.

In Trauma Center: Second Opinion you’ll not only play as the Dr. Derek Stiles first encountered in the DS version, but also as a female doctor by the name of Nazomi Weaver. Along with Dr. Weaver there are the usual irritating nurses littered throughout the story. Why on Earth the doctors put up with their smart mouthing is beyond this reviewer, you certainly don’t see that in ER. Dr. Weaver’s story is actually more interesting than the one unfolding around Dr Stiles—at least I thought so—did I mention the whiny nurse?

At time of writing Trauma Center: Second Opinion is only available in the United States, which ranks as yet another case of European gamers having to wait who knows how long until it’s eventually released this side of the pond. Why that happens is beyond logic. However, as Wii launch titles go, Trauma Center: Second Opinion is exciting on a couple of levels. For one thing it’s a launch title and therefore things should (all being well) only get better. It also highlights just how clever the Wiimote can be when used in conjunction with the Nunchuk. If you’re looking for something different to the other Wii launch titles, and something you’ll need to concentrate on a little more than insane rabbits, super monkeys, and boys with bows, then Trauma Center: Second Opinion could be just what the doctor ordered (yes, I know, that was a bad one).

Review by Tracy

As a long time love of all things Sims, I looked forward to reviewing Sims 2 Castaway. The continual release of Sims expansion packs and spin-off games never fail to impress me and always seem to sell well in general. People clearly love Simming and why shouldn’t they. With The Sims 2:Castaway being released on every possible format under the sun (other than PS3 because let’s face it nothing gets released on that), let’s take a look at the Wii version and see if it can live up to high expectations.

At the beginning of The Sims 2: Castaway you get to create your ‘crew’ – this is essentially the character creation section where you make the character(s) that will become stranded. You can choose gender, occupation, overall look and physical attributes. There isn’t much new here as Sims games go, but that’s good as you can throw a character together in next to no time. Occupations chosen will dictate what sort of island skills that Sim will have. I personally prefer the ‘ranger’ because let’s face it when you’re stranded you want someone who knows how to make a house with marble columns in it out of some bamboo and vine. The story then continues that you are shipwrecked and wash up on a deserted island. You lose your crew but your aim is to find them at a later point and of course try to get off the island. Now, there are just too many obvious Lost jokes here, so I’ll avoid them, but let’s just say at the beginning you have more skills than say Charlie and less than Kate.

You are taken through the tutorial on the first beach you arrive at and here you’ll learn how to collect food, construct furniture, shelters and more. You can also learn to fish, make tools and start fires – all the essential skills needed on a desert island. From here you can go exploring and like any Sims game, you need to carry out certain tasks to ensure your Sims well-being. The tasks are similar to all the other Sims games, only here your social meter is boosted by buddying up with some chimps. Yes, the chimps are a captive audience and will even help you gather food if you’re nice to them. Overall, there is plenty to do and the goal-oriented focus of the game really keeps it trundling along. You can of course choose to take your time in trying to get off the island, by creating excessively or meandering through the desert, it’s all up to you and your own personal preference.

One of the most disappointing aspects of The Sims 2: Castaway is the lacklustre graphics. Even on a component connection on a high def TV the graphics in the title appeared blocky and jaggy in places and really showed the age of the engine powering them. They were bright and engaging however and the interaction between objects and your Sim was fairly good. Still, it does feel a little dated, especially on the Wii and would have been nice if there was a little more depth to the graphics.

The sound in The Sims 2: Castaway was of course the same as most Sims games. It was gentle easy to listen to background music with the usual Sim speak. There’s nothing here overly to brag about, but you get the stock standard Sims tunes and that’s good enough for most Sims fans.

As always in any Sims title, there is the chance of playing either a male or a female character. This of course means you can have chicks hooking up with chicks, guys hooking up with guys, as many strong Amazon women as you like and it’s all fine. For any female gamer out there, the Sims games are always a good place to start if you’re looking to play a female character and this is no different.

Overall, The Sims 2: Castaway is a fun game that allows the players to take the usual Sims games in a slightly different direction. If anything, it’s most closely related to The Sims 2 Pets in it’s style and gameplay. The need to complete tasks in order to progress and to keep your Sim happy is definitely fun and entertaining. The difficulty level is just right for both seasoned Sims players and newbie’s so it’s a game that anyone can pick up and play. The controls leave a lot to be desired at certain points and the wiimote intrusion can be annoying, but just remember it plays better if you point it away from the screen. If you’re looking for a game that you can explore and not take too seriously, you could do far worse than picking up The Sims 2: Castaway.

Review by Tracy