Title: Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

From: Capcom

For: PSP

If you’ve been following the Monster Hunter series then you might already know that Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has been out in Japan for quite some time as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which was reportedly the must-have game of last year. Its success has prompted Capcom to release it to the rest of the world.

Monster Hunter’s origins are based in the hack & slash genre, and that’s evident in Unite. But it also has one big fat bloodied foot planted firmly in the RPG camp. The actual hunting and killing of beasts, while essentially the name of the game, is almost an aside to the gathering, farming, crafting, talking, exploring, buying, selling and upskilling. Unite is certainly not a game for those with short attention spans, this is one you need to invest a lot of time in either solo or with friends to get the most out of.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is essentially Monster Hunter Freedom 2 but with several brand new monsters and far more interesting and varied quests. If you have favourite characters saved from Freedom 2 then you can import them readily into Unite or alternatively use the character creation feature to make a new one.

The single player campaign is long and extremely difficult, in fact the world is so large and the monsters so fierce later in the game that I would hesitate to say that it’s almost impossible to beat solo, even utilising the available help. It will take you a day or two of constant game time to really feel like you’re getting somewhere in the game. You have the ability to hire, train and level up Felynes (catlike creatures) to fight alongside you. While they won’t do your dirty work for you, they do serve a purpose and can compliment your efforts with some solid attacks. As always, you can still use Felynes to cook you up special meals in your kitchen.

But as with the other games in the Monster Hunter series, Unite really hits its straps when played with other people. The multiplayer aspect has become so huge in Japan that there are gaming cafés dedicated to gatherings where Monster Hunters can join together and embark on group raids, not too dissimilar to Phantasy Star Online. It’s quite a satisfying feeling to embark on a quest with several others of varying skill levels as unlike some MMORPG games, higher level characters can help out the lower ranked because the main element to success is the quality of your equipment. If you need a hand slaying a certain monster then get one of your levelled-up friends to dish out the damage. All members of the group receive the same amount of reward money, so it pays to work as a team whenever possible.

Graphically the game is decent enough, especially in the cut scenes and in battles with the larger monsters. It’s by no means up to God of War’s standards on the PSP, but where Unite shows its graphical flaws and collision problems doesn’t really matter or affect gameplay or the enjoyment of the game in any way. For example you can walk straight through the carcasses of slain beasts before you harvest meat from them – there’s no collision detection whatsoever. But it just doesn’t matter in the great scheme of things.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an enormous game for a handheld console. It’s a game where you will get well rewarded for putting a lot of effort in. It’s easily the best release so far in the Monster Hunter franchise and bodes well for the eventual release of Monster Hunter 3.

Pros: This is all about the multiplayer. Playing it solo will start off fun but before long you’ll realise it’s an exercise in futility.

Cons: There’s a lot of dialogue and time spent in menus if you play the game correctly, so Unite is not for the impatient.

Score 90%

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Title: Pikmin 2

From: Nintendo

For: Wii

I might just be the only GameCube owner alive who has never played a Pikmin game. It’s just one series that slipped through the cracks for me. Thankfully I managed to track down the GC originals and they both stand the test of time. However Pikmin 2 was by far the most polished of the two and outshined the original Pikmin in every facet. Not long ago, Nintendo re-released Pikmin for the Wii and now, hot on its heels comes the remake of the sequel – Pikmin 2.

While there is no official word on a Pikmin 3, personally I see re-releasing the GC originals as a smart move to gauge interest considering a relatively small section of gamers would have played them first time around.

Of course no Wii game can be complete without utilising the motion controller in one way or another and Pikmin 2 makes very good use of it – to the point where it actually improves gameplay considerably from the GC version. There’s no waving your arms around like an idiot, just a simple point and click interface which makes playing the game a breeze.

This time around Captain Olimar returns to the planet of the Pikmin to pillage the world for any salvage of value to earn what extra cash he can to save his ailing haulage business. Thankfully gone is the dreaded 30 day time limit from the original Pikmin game and instead the pace is far more relaxed as you explore all the open and hidden areas the planet has on offer. There is still the day/night cycle you need to watch out for, which means any of your Pikmin minions left outside after sundown will be brutally ravaged by any number of wild monsters. Plunder the wide open landscapes and make it back to the ship before dark, but before long you’ll need to venture out further and into underground caverns and tunnels which make up the majority of the game.

You need 10,000 Pokos (dollars) to save your company from liquidation and once this is earned you are able to carry on exploring the planet to clean up anything you’ve missed if you happen to be one of those 100% freaks.

If you’ve ever played Overlord (and to a lesser extent Lemmings) on other consoles then the gameplay of Pikmin 2 is similar. You have an army of little Pikmin at your disposal and different kinds have very different powers and abilities. So the challenge comes from using the right Pikmin for the job at hand whether that be moving objects, smashing things or attacking enemies. You do have the ability to fight too in Pikmin 2 and fight quite well, so if you’re not keen to lose any of your valuable Pikmin in battle then you can keep them out of harms way and do the deed yourself. You will struggle against the bigger enemies – of which there are many in the underground caverns. They require a bit of trial and error to work out their weaknesses before defeating and carrying them back to your ship. Herein lies the main enjoyment and challenge of the game.

There are two new Pikmin available this time around – purple and white which provide strength and poison respectively. You are not alone in Pikmin 2 either – you have another commander named Louis alongside you which means you can split your Pikmin army into two groups and switch between commanders to better reach your goals.

As you encounter new creatures they are added to the Piklopedia which serves as a reference at any time. You can observe the creatures in a zoo-like environment and make them react to certain actions. Everything you collect is recorded for future reference which makes Pikmin 2 a rewarding game for the hoarders among us.

Included also is a challenge mode which lets you play specifically designed levels with a time limit to achieve your goals. A second player can join in and control Louis which is great fun. Let’s not forget the versus mode which pits two players against each other battling for control of some precious marbles.

Overall, Pikmin 2 is a hugely rewarding and highly addictive game. I have no doubt that this re-release will spark new interest in the series and spur Nintendo on to producing a new and updated Pikmin game.

Pros: If you love exploring and collecting then Pikmin 2 will consume you. New control method is well done.

Cons: If you’ve played it before, then you’ll find nothing here to really spark your interest again.

Score 88%

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Title: inFamous
From: Sucker Punch
For: PS3

Empire City has been partly decimated by a mysterious electrical bomb, leaving a huge crater and ruined buildings around the blast zone. The government quickly moves to quarantine the city and before long the gangs fight for control over a panicked society.

Cole (you) finds himself at the site of the blast and unsure as to how he got there or how he survived it. What he does know is that he’s now got special electrical powers and sets out to find out what’s going on. These electrical powers are your sole weapons in the game, but amazing weapons indeed. They basically cover the gamut of conventional weapons, but look far more spectacular. When Cole’s electrical power gets low, he is left with some basic attacks so keeping charged-up is important to dishing out maximum punishment. Luckily electricity is everywhere, in large and small doses so it’s not too hard for Cole to replenish his stocks throughout the game.

Cole can roam anywhere in the city at will in a very similar way to the 360 game Crackdown. You can climb buildings, leap from rooftop to rooftop and use your electricity to affect pretty much every object in the game. Being this mobile is essential as cars have a tendency to explode when Cole gets in them.

What makes inFamous stand out from similar free-roaming games is how everything you do and every decision you make dictates how the rest of the game plays out. Will you be good, or will you be evil? The choice is entirely yours.

Ultimately, for a relatively formulaic game, Infamous is one of the best of its kind across all formats. There’s a smattering of collision problems, which is par for the course in an open game like this, but nothing that detracts from what is an amazing game.

Score 92%

Title: The Sims 3 Collectors Edition
From: Electronic Arts
For: PC/Mac

I’ve got to be up front and admit that I’ve never played any Sims game longer than the time it took to learn enough to review them. Once the review was written I never went back to them. Now that’s not because I didn’t like them, it’s because I was afraid of the consequences of liking them too much.

You see there’s a very good reason that for the last decade at least one Sims game has been present in every gaming top 10 list – they’re incredibly addictive.

Sims fans will feel right at home with the latest release – The Sims 3 as the basic premise remains exactly the same. Make a character and, well, just live their life.

Electronic Arts have taken a proven formula and given it a well deserved upgrade without going too crazy and overhauling the whole thing (hopefully leaving some goodies for eventual expansion packs).

To begin with, the whole world is on a grander scale. There’s more to do and see and you can sit and watch other Sims go about their day to day business. There’s also advanced design options for decorating your Sim’s residence.

The whole game just has a more polished feel to it, especially in terms of performance. There are little to no framerate issues even when there is a screen full of animation. The graphics aren’t a huge leap from The Sims 2 but upon closer inspection the character models are smoother and the attention to detail in the world around them is visually stunning.

EA haven’t reinvented the wheel here, but have clearly laid down some solid foundations to take the series forward. There’s so many directions they could take The Sims, it is after all simulating life itself.

The Collectors Edition costs a little more than the standard version but comes with a 2GB USB drive in the shape of a green jewel with a matching carabiner. Your character is also gifted with a sports-car. They’re nothing spectacular in terms of extra value, but any true Sims fan will get a kick out of them.

Score 90%

Title: Virtua Tennis 2009

From: Sega

For: Xbox 360

The blurb on the back of the Virtua Tennis 2009 cover states “The World’s No.1 Tennis Series Returns” – but the big question is: Does it return with anything new?
The answer is no, nothing worth making a song and dance about anyway.

With tennis games like Top Spin and Smash Court Tennis showing us just how realistic a tennis sim can be, Sega have decided to stay true to the Virtua Tennis franchise and keep the arcade feel to the gameplay while showcasing impressive graphics and fantastic player animations. This will polarise fans. Some will love the fact that it’s still essentially the same game as it’s always been, while the rest will spurn the game for being exactly that.

Virtua Tennis 2009 is a bit of a contradiction in itself. In some ways Sumo Digital have gone out of their way to make things as realistic as possible and yet the gameplay itself is about as close to playing the real thing as Wii Tennis is. Take the player animations for example; there’s excellent attention to detail, especially when the player changes direction in a hurry or gets wrong footed. On clay and grass courts you’ll see them slide and stumble trying to recover from being sent the wrong direction. But then the gameplay is ridiculously easy, even at the hardest level. All that is required to blitz the opposition is a basic knowledge of tennis. At the easier difficulties rallies rarely last more than 5 or 6 shots and at the hardest it’s just a matter of a few more angled shots until the opposition is far enough out of court to hit the clean winner.

After playing through three seasons of World Tour Mode I’ve not once hit the ball out of court and I’ve only had half a dozen winners hit against me. That’s not a statement I could make in any other tennis game.

But let’s backtrack a little and take a look at the character creation feature. There can be no argument that Electronic Arts are the masters when it comes to comprehensive character customization, but the one on display in Virtua Tennis 2009 is on a par with the best. It’s comprehensive to say the least, with the full range of cosmetic options available as well as physical characteristics like receiving stance and serving and forehand styles. Ordinarily I try and make a character bearing some resemblance to myself, but this time I decided to go all out and made a 7ft tall, dark skinned male with a face like Abe from Oddworld and a ginger mullet. Of course I could have just chosen Andy Murray, but this was more fun.

If you want to dive straight into a match then there’s a decent list of current top ranking professionals at your disposal. Federer, Nadal, Murray, Nalbandian, Sharapova, Hantuchova… ok those last two are just top looking rather than ranking, but you get the idea. In the opening scenes I saw a flash of Stefan Edberg which suggests that there are some classic players of yesteryear available as unlockables. The likenesses are pretty good although the harsh contrast at times gives their faces a bit of a Michael Jackson appearance.

There’s a good range of game modes to choose from, all of the standard tennis matches – singles, doubles, mixed etc. Plus a solid World Tour/career mode, which isn’t as linear as it might seem at first glance. You actually have plenty of choice as to how you want your career to progress, in that you can pick and choose which events to enter or whether to rest for a week or two to regain stamina. You can choose to focus on singles, doubles or both, gain/drop double partners and develop friendships off court. In your downtime you can play practice matches, train at the Tennis Academy or play some tennis-themed arcade games which all serve to boost your stats and abilities.

The arcade games available during World Tour are used to develop your skills and therefore seem like a chore rather than fun. There’s a ‘Breakout’ style game, one where you have to sink Pirate Ships and another where you run around the court picking up groceries while dodging tennis balls. However outside of tour mode there are more games available all of which require tennis shots to be made (usually serves) but see the court transformed into the likes of a curling rink or pool table for example. Most of these are a welcome diversion and actually work quite well.

Virtual Tennis 2009’s AI runs on a par with its difficulty. Some opponents will run to the part of the court where you’re likely to hit the next shot and others will get it completely wrong. I’ve had players who are Serve & Volley exponents not approach the net once in a match and some baseline brawlers who charged it at every opportunity – I don’t believe it was the AI adapting to my own tactics either – they’re not that smart.

I saw marked improvements in doubles matches however. Your partner AI is excellent and in fact they can often do most of the work. They intelligently swap sides if you end up running amok and they definitely make a better job of splitting the opposition with well-placed volleys. Even in easy mode you can get some decent rallies going in doubles matches.

But as with most sports titles, where Virtua Tennis 2009 shines is in multiplayer modes – playing against unpredictable humans instead of sub-routines. The arcade-like gameplay comes into its own here and makes the game accessible to all-comers. Online I found no lag whatsoever (which would be the death knoll for any online tennis game) and you can play random games or compete in tours complete with world rankings.

I have one major beef with Virtua Tennis 2009, and if the game had been more of a challenge all-round then this would have resulted in me using the disc as a new beer coaster. During play, you can basically play the ball where you want to easy enough, but if you see your opponent suddenly bolt to where you were going to hit it in advance, you don’t have the ability to change your shot direction at the last second. If you do then the ball gets hit down the center of the court as if you hadn’t aimed at all. In Top Spin and Smash Court

Tennis you can set up to do an inside-out cross-court forehand and, if you see your opponent heading over to cover it, suddenly change to a top-spin winner down the line. You can’t do that here. Not that it really matters as you’ll win the point anyway – but it gives you an example of the difference between a tennis simulation and a tennis game like this.

So as long as you go into it knowing that while Sega is claiming that it’s “The World’s No.1 Tennis Series”, Virtua Tennis 2009 isn’t the greatest looking or most accurate game in the tennis genre, but it’s definitely worth playing, has some excellent arcade diversions and provides quality multiplayer enjoyment.

Pros: The arcade games, especially pool are a nice inclusion. Multiplayer is where the most enjoyment is to be had.

Cons: Amelie Mauresmo is included. Inability to make split-second shot changes a minor annoyance.

Score 75%

Watch the trailer

Title: EA Sports Active
From: EA Sports
For: Wii

While fitness ‘games’ have been around for a while, the Wii, with its motion sensing technology has made them popular. EA Sports have jumped on the bandwagon and have created what could be best described as a cross between Wii Fit, Wii Sports and EyeToy Kinetic.

EA Sports Active comes packaged with a resistance band (like a Dynaband) and a leg strap which holds the nunchuck controller when it’s not in use. There are several customisable features including calisthenics, marathons, sports activities and cross training. There is also a 30 Day Challenge that tracks your exercise progress, nutrition and fitness and adjusts your routines to suit.

EA Active has a higher intensity than Wii Fit but suffers from controller problems that makes many exercised incredibly frustrating to complete. The sports activities are fine due to the more exaggerated movements, but things like squats can often not register at all. I think with upcoming advances in motion tracking controllers for other consoles, we’ll really start to get the most out of games such as this.

Ultimately, EA Sports Active has its moments, but falls short of being a really useful fitness tool.

Score 65%

Vodafone Sonim XP3
RRP $799

In a world where mobile phones are as much of a fashion accessory and/or multimedia business tool or mini laptop, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a new mobile that features… well, bugger all really. Vodafone’s new XP3 handset (manufactured by Sonim) isn’t a phone designed for the office, shop or club. It’s not meant for the café, gym or for teenagers. No, the XP3 is purpose built for the outdoors, the tradesman, the construction site or the farm.

It won’t win any prizes for style, in fact most people would call it bloody ugly, but the XP3 was made for those who couldn’t give a rats-arse what it looks like. If you’re someone whose only requirement from your mobile is that it makes calls, sends SMS text messages and doesn’t crap itself if it falls out of your pocket, gets left out in the rain all night or falls into your jug of Waikato Draught, then the XP3 is the dependable working tool you’ve been looking for.

Heralded as the toughest mobile to date, the XP3 is designed to withstand the wear and tear of everyday life. It’s built to survive 30 minutes submerged to a depth of 1 metre, is certified against salt corrosion (making it the perfect mobile to slip inside your wetsuit if you’re a surfer), and be resistant to humidity, heat (-20C to +55C ideal for the beach or mountains) and shock. It can even survive a 2m drop onto concrete.

With a hardened rubber, non-porous exo-skeleton and antiglare, scratch resistant screen, the XP3 measures 119mm x 56mm x 24mm and weighs in at a hefty 140g. So comparatively, the XP3 is a brick. Hold it in your hand and you know that your holding something that’s built to last. It satisfies that primal feeling of holding something solid, something robust, something you could bludgeon a Sabre-tooth Tiger to death with.

The XP3 isn’t completely featureless, so let’s take a glancing look at what’s on offer:

• GSM.GPRS tri-band (900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Support for more than 20 languages
• Dedicated alarm button to send alarm messages to PoC server
• Bluetooth 1.2
• WAP, SMS and Polyphonic ringtone support
• 6 hrs talk time and 320 hrs standby time
• 2.5mm headset port and Mini USB for charging
• 128×160 resolution and 65,000 colours
• Opera Mini-Browser (Access to any webpage, landscape viewing, full screen rendering)
• Charger and belt-clip (car charger available)

Considering the nature of the XP3 and its intended target market, I’m surprised that the XP3 doesn’t have built in GPS or an FM radio. But other than that – everything a boatie, chippie, builder or outdoors lover would need in a mobile is right here.

So confident are Vodafone and Sonim in the construction of the XP3, that if you do manage to break it with everyday use in the first 3 years, they’ll replace it completely. How can you possibly lose?

Check out the NBR’s videos of the XP3 as they put the phone through some vigorous testing: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisKeall

Title: Ultimate Band
From: Disney Interactive
For: Wii

It’s an unfortunate fact that any game that simulates musical instruments is going to get compared with the Guitar Hero and Rock Band. But games like Disney’s Ultimate Band aren’t looking to compete with the aforementioned industry standards, they have a target market and that market is the younger gamers.

Ultimate Band utilises the Wii remote and nunchuck controllers to simulate the rhythmic movements of playing lead or bass guitar, drums or the band front-man. It’s easy to pick up and play with a very shallow learning curve.

There is no singing involved – the front-man must instead pose, clap and gesture to the crowd by using the controllers.

There’s over 30 covers of popular songs from the likes of Weezer, The Jonas Brothers, White Stripes, The Who etc, but many are very average covers indeed.

As the difficulty ramps up, the accuracy of the control method becomes a huge frustration and for me proved to be the game’s downfall. Ultimately, there’s fun to be had for the kids and the interaction between the Wii and DS versions is clever, but veterans of other band games should steer clear.

Score 55%

Title: Trash Panic
From: Sony Online Entertainment
For: PS3 (on PSN)

I guess if I were to have to compare Trash Panic to anything, the likes of Tetris and Lumines comes to mind. But there’s so much more to Trash Panic than dropping the right shape onto the right gap or matching colours, there’s some serious planning and strategy involved which might just put off all but the most patient and determined people.

You are charged with an empty trash can in which you must place objects that arrive on a conveyor. These objects range in size, weight and composition and act accordingly. Your job is to think about what object you place where and what to put on top of it so it will compact down. Light bulbs will break easily while steel safes will take a few hits from heavier objects. Flammable objects will burn if you drop fire and inflatable things will burst with something sharp. There are so many variables which makes planning essential and there will be a lot of trial and error (and bad language) before you come to grips with the game. If three objects fall from your bin then it’s game over, but if you pack things correctly then you’ll progress to bigger cans and even bigger objects.

Score 78%

Title: Resistance Retribution
From: Sony Computer Entertainment
For: PSP

I was understandably hesitant at the thought of playing another 3rd-person shooter on the PSP as the console doesn’t lend itself to moving, strafing, aiming and shooting simultaneously very well. But Resistance Retribution succeeds in making it relatively easy where others have failed miserably (I’m looking at you SOCOM).

The game uses a lock-on auto-aim system which seems all too easy at first but quickly becomes necessary as you need to dodge Auger fire while strafing, turning and taking out enemies with headshots. But as handy as it is, the auto-aim doesn’t intelligently lock onto the most pressing threat, rather than the one closest to the previous. You can flick between targets manually though. The AI is inconsistent too and barely reacts to getting hit which can be misleading.

If you connect your PSP to your PS3 with Resistance 2 then it will unlock content in Retribution. This also allows you to play it on your TV with a DualShock controller.

Graphically the game is about as good as this genre will get on the PSP and some niggly problems aside, Resistance Retribution is easily the best of its kind on the console.

Score 80%