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Metal Gear Acid 2
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Studios
Genre: Action
Players: 1
Reviewed by gdf

Coming across like a bizzare cross between Advance Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh and the original Metal Gear Solid, Acid 2 is the second MG game on the PSP. Following on from the original Acid (though not plot wise), numerous changes and tweaks have been made and new features added. The basic idea is that you have a deck of cards and each turn you have to use those cards to perform various actions, such as moving, shooting, healing and disguise. At intermisson you can edit your deck and add new cards you have found in game.

Acid 2 is a very tactical game. You have to decide which cards you will sacrifice for movement most turns as the dedicated movement cards are pretty limited in number. This is where the AW comparisons come in. The areas are split into blocks and you can only move so many at a time, and when you engage in battle the camera zooms into the action. Mostly the gameplay is good enough fun and particularly good for long journeys because of the slow burning nature. There is a surprising amount of skill involved in negotiating the levels and avoiding being spotted, along with fair supplies of luck and strategy.

Sadly it isn't really Metal Gear. The plot is stand alone and is pretty weak if the truth be told; It is something to do with Snake having amnesia and...snore. In comparison to Solid, the story is really uninvolving and dull, with the famous cutscenes replaced by speechless drawings. There isn't even much movement to watch, just scrolling text, and after a while it becomes easier just to tap square and skip the scenes all together. Fans of MGS will feel disappointed as the plot doesn't fit anywhere into the complex timeline; it could be anything, even a VR training program or Raiden's wet-dream. Surely filling in the backstory of a character like Revolver Ocelot or Vamp (or even Liquid), or covering the events in the period between MGS3 and the 1 would have been preferable, if just to appease MGS fans. Some would argue that the game isn't called Metal Gear Solid, so therefore doesn't need to be part of that series and while this is true to an extent, anything with the name Metal Gear comes with certain expectations of plot and production values and Acid doesn't satisfy in those areas.

One thing you will notice is the striking visual style. In a departure from the serious look of Acid 1, the game looks like a cartoon. The cel-shading is very nice looking and helps the game feel more fun overall, if only because you are slaughtering characters that look like refugees from Gundam. The colours look quite odd to start with, all black, yellow and purple, and while at first you can be irritated you will soon get used to it. Overall the graphics are one of the best elements and help give the game a distinct identity, unlike the very grey Acid 1.

Thankfully there are more positives to be found in the gameplay itself. Given the deeply tactical, turn by turn style of play, Acid is one of those "Dip-in-dip-out" games that games journalists seem to clamour for on PSP. Play it for five minutes and get bored? Put the console to sleep and come back in half an hour. Another good thing about the game is that, aside from the first Acid, it is a very unique experience. It isn't quite an RTS, but then it isn't an Action or Card Game either. For tactics fans it is one of the only options on PSP too.

As mentioned previously, there are numerous changes and tweaks over the original. Forgoing the obvious visuals, the gameplay has been subtly changed to make it a little more friendly. For starters you can now pretty much move as you like, crouching and crawling away. Elsewhere more cards have been added in order to vary the gameplay a little. There are some neat bonus features like the "Solid Eye". Basically a pair of 3d goggles, they let you view movies so they appear to have depth. This is all very well, but sadly the twat who traded the game in forgot to put the goggles in the pack, so when I boughty it I never got them. Crossing my eyes gave me an idea of how it should look, if a slightly blurred, pupil cramping idea...

In intermission you can buy cards from a shop, either as individual cards or full theme packs (MGS3, for instance, contains things like "The Fury" and "The End"). From there you can organise your deck to include which cards you want, with a minimum limit of 30 cards and a maximum that changes as you progress. Sound in the game is a mixed bag, with some neat effects hampered by the total lack of dialogue. The game will keep you going for a while and it is worth returning to levels to find all the cards or complete them in a different way. Overall MGA 2 is competent enough and well worth a look, especially as you can find it quite cheap ...

Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Vegas
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Genre: First Person
Players: 1
Reviewed on Xbox 360 by gdf

Rainbow 6 Vegas is somewhat a redemption for French developer/publisher Ubisoft. Two years ago, the Rainbow series took a turn for the worse with the terrible and shamelessly mainstream Lockdown. Hardcore veterans were left cold as numerous compromises were made and the game turned out more like Project Snowblind than a tactical, tough to beat Rainbow game. For its first next-gen outing the series has raised its game cosiderably, managing to please both the old guard and new blood whilst still proving a challenging and absorbing FPS; Vegas is a fantastic game.

The training is set in Mexico City (possibly a homage to GRAW, another big Clancy franchise?) and lasts for slightly longer than you would probably like. You are introduced to the mechanics of the game and the streamlined command controls prove much more accessible than those of GRAW. So for around three hours (told you it was long) you charge round the impossibly dusty town, tactically pwning those Filthy, Freedom-Hating Wetbacks. So far, so Clancy, and the game continues like that throughout, playing "Rousingly patriotic" music from time to time. America, **** YEAH(!) and so on. Just as you begin to wonder when it will in fact live up to its title and actually go to Vegas, you are whisked away in a chopper and dumped onto the Strip. From here on in it's all good.

The game feels familiar, reminiscent of Rainbow 3, yet somehow fresher and more accessible whilst retaining its depth. One of the things you'll notice, especially in the casinos, is the variety of ways you can complete the level. There are usually a few routes to each objective and when you reach a room filled with terrorists you can enter in numerous ways. For instance, you could set your men up dangling above a window and move round to a door, using the snake cam to pick out priority targets then giving the order to flash and clear while chucking in a smoke grenade yourself, throwing on your heat goggles and providing covering fire for your teammates as they crash through the glass and into the fray. All of this takes place in the space of around 5 seconds. It really is exhillerating stuff when you pull off a perfectly executed move and have the room cleared before you can say "Fourth of July".

A new cover system has been implemented and proves far more useful than the old leaning trick. For a start it actually works. Akin to, though not quite as smooth as, the system used in Gears Of War, it manages to let you see round and over the object, blindfire, pinpoint shoot, throw grenades and snipe from your position. How so you ask? This is a first person game, so it must be impossible right? Wrong. The camera cleverly zooms out into a third person view, retaining the crosshair and, magically, not disturbing your play at all. It feels like a natural transition, as if you are still viewing in first person. You'll never notice it, and it is second only to the mighty Gears.

The firefights themselves are intense as you try to second guess the enemy and outflank the scumbag without letting him do the same to you. Clever use of grenades works much of the time, but not as you would expect. Smoke and flash grenades aren't as impotent as in other games and often work better than a frag or incendiary, as your enemy loses his accuracy and you can pop out to shoot his face off quite easily. Though the game isn't gory, it is extremely violent, with blood splattering up the walls as a foe falls in an excellently mo-capped action. The same can happen to you just as easily however, especially on Realistic mode, as your enemies will go for the headshot and a few hits can be deadly. It isn't quite as punishing as GRAW, as you have a Gears/CoD vision blur thing going on instead of a health bar; just sit for a few seconds and you are good to go.

The guns are very well thought out, each handling in a different way. There are several categories of weapon too so it's good to mix and match. In the end I plumped for an MP5N Sub-Machinegun fitted with a rifle scope as primary, a pump action Shotgun as secondary and the Raging Bull revolver as my pistol. You can add different scoped and attatchments to your guns which helps you create your own custom weapon set. The graphics in Rainbow are great, Ubisoft's trademark excellent lighting used to good effect throughout. An improvement on GRAW is that the screen is less cluttered with markers and arrows etc. so even when you get a video feed to your cross-com you can see the cation perfectly. The sounds are convincing to say the least, though the music can get repetitive from time to time because of its annoying American patriotism.

Rainbow 6 Vegas is a stunning return to form for the series ...

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Genre: Sports
Players: 1
Reviewed on Xbox 360 by gdf

Where to start? Where on Earth can you begin a review concerning one of the most vast, ludicrously freeform games of all time? Well, you start by rambling on like this, then saying how absolutely immense it is. Yeah, that should do, because Oblivion is something of a phenomenon. Out on 360 and PC for just over a year now, with a PS3 version due soon, developer Bethesda Softworks has tried to reach as many people as possible with their game. This may seem at first like a ploy for more cash, but with such a masterpiece, it most definitely excusable and very correct of them to do so.

So what makes it so good? Well, for starters, it is the biggest game ever created, bar none. The sheer size is enough to give anyone a headache and to call this "Sandbox" or even "Free Roaming" is an insult to the game. It laughs in the face of even the mighty GTA, and though Oblivion has been surpassed in terms of square miles of game area, the games that have done this were much shorter (Oblivion is at least 100 hours if you stick at it) and usually had some kind of transport faster than a horse. Yes, Oblivion is very much a traditional text based adventure at heart, but is brought to life with great vibrancy. The Medieval esque world draws unashamedly from these ancient games, but can also give credit to LOTR and D&D. Hardcore beards will feel right at home, and will positively savour ludicrous character creation options such as "Nose Bridge Depth".

The level of freedom is astonishing. It is entirely possible to do whatever the hell you want, whenever the hell you want. I tend to go for the more murderous, thieving side of things, rather than the goody two shoes complete-every-quest-to-a-tee approach, and who can blame me; being a badass is fun! The game is deeper than the ocean and once the (slightly unconvincing) training level is finished you are thrown out into it. With nothing to keep you afloat. Carrying a dead albatross. Naked. The game really starts there and you can pursue the main quest, indulge in a spot of crime, chat with the locals or just run off into the wilderness. The locations are very well made and the vistas are nothing short of breathtaking. The draw distance is HUGE. On a clear day, you can see for miles and can sometimes spot several villages from one viewpoint. It is these times that the "Go anywhere" element truly comes into play. It is a joy to just pick a spot in the distance and head off for it, unsure of whom or what you will discover or what great treasures you will stumble across. Sometimes stalking a random stranger whets the appetite; Like the look of that guy's dagger? Follow him then stab him in the face when nobody's looking!

There are a few guilds to join that each have their own quest line. You try to go up the rankings by doing ever more risky missions until you are the guild master. Some will enjoy the Arena Battles or the Fighters Guild knight style missions, others will prefer to complete tasks for the Mages Guild, but for me it has to be the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. As I said, I'm a sneaky, murderous kind of guy. Anyhow, completing the guild missions is fun, but I wouldn't recommend breaking the rules... (Anyone fancy collecting 20 Dragon Tongue to get back in the Mages Guild?). You can get missions from the public as well, through either talking directly to people or overhearing conversations. These all go in your quest log and can be picked up any time, great for when you get bored of another quest or just wandering about all the time.

Throughout the game there a few little minigames. The lock picking in particular is entertaining, with convincing (or bribing) people to like you worth an honourable mention. Even in the simplest task there are numerous skills and factors which affect your performance. Buying goods (even though stealing is better) can turn into a guessing game of haggling and bribing in order to get the best deal. As with all RPGs, the devil is in the detail.

The in game character menu seems daunting at first. It has four sections, each with several sub-sections which are filled with stats or items. After you get used to it, managing your character is a cinch and you can actually enjoy trawling through the list, deciding which items you should drop so you can carry that shiny blade over there. The weapons are a great part of the game. You have to maintain them yourself for maximum performance, but when you are wielding a fully magically charged Glass Warhammer of the Dynamo, that Faded Wraith round the corner doesn't seem nearly as much of a badass. The combat itself is fun and feels much more direct and enjoyable than most other RPGs. The game is a first ...

In the words of the immortal......screw it. Halo 3 f**ing rocks. End of story.

Or it would be, if I didn't want to explain why. Halo 3 as you know is probably the most highly esteemed and hyped game in the history of games, weighing in at a massive 1.5 MILLION preorders. Following the obviously badas* Master Cheif, the last of his kind of warrior-race, he and the rest of humanity continue their desperate attempt to finish the fight against the alien invaders, the Covenant.

Now as far as graphics go, they are pretty stunning. Great textures, framerate almost never misses a beat, and I have yet to see a graphical glitch. That said, they aren't as good as maybe Gears of War and Bioshock, but they hold a huge candle to pretty much any other game. Huge improvement over Halo 2, as character models are much, much, MUCH more detailed as well as the environment.

Sound...its Halo. You get what you expect, and what you expect, is pure awesome-ness. So you get it.

Gameplay, the greatest part (obviously) of the game. Plays almost exactly the same as Halo and Halo 2, but with revamped controls which I personally am not too fond of. Halo 3 brings the same excitement and thrilling addiction that the first 2 did, and as usual you just can't put your finger on just what makes it so fun and awesome. Well, it is. I could try to explain for 3 weeks and you'd still have to actually play the game to know what I'm talking about. And multiplayer....the only multiplayer yet holding a candle to this is Gears of War. No question. Still, expect people who can head shot with they're eyes closed. You get that from the Halo series which spawns tons and tons of people who live, breath, and eat Halo. Maybe even crap Halo, you never know. Guns are great as usual. Even though some are still lackluster such as the assault rifle, nothing quite beats the enjoyment of just smashing a brute in the face with the gravity hammer. AI is better then ever, such as the AI's new cover system. ya know, they cover and shoot around walls from time to time? Yeah. Your teamates are still dumb as he** and drive like they're drunk, but they're witty banter and helpfulness in combat more then makes up for it.

Well, conclusion time. Short, eh? Well, thats why its called a Miniview.



Like I said, its extremely hard to say just what makes Halo 3 so gosh-darn fun to play. Graphics are great, sound is great, replay value is off the charts, and gameplay is stunning. Whoot! :thumbup:

if you have a 360, don't waste time. Make your 360 happy too by buying Halo 3, and for cryin' out loud, Finish the Fight. ...

Before I do the miniview, lemme tell ya something--

Miniviews are a new idea for reviews that I'll be making after I get a game and wish to impart knolwdge that I have from its gameplay thus to the public. Like the title says, its a "mini" review. So yeah. CAW!

Coded Arms, the original, I got it when I got the PSP. While I wasn't impressed it was pretty fun, but the shortcmonings were obvious: Lack of Story, screwy scenerios, and the ****-awful controls. Well, while the controls haven't changed, this game certainly has gotten much more depth to it. For instance, now there seems to be a nice story (Im 2 hours in ) that blends well with the Coded Arms franchise, ya know, the virtual world thing? Great cinematics, and the voiceovers are near top notch. New guns, new enemies, and something really cool--

The upgrade system. You will get points in the game and throughout it that allows you to continually level up your weapons fire rate, damage, clip, ect. You are even able to upgrade your health, your scanners battery life, among other things, with these upgrade points. In this game, though, you actually hack. When you find a turret or door you can hack it through a series of number coded hacks. (Turret and door, sound fumiliar? Cough cough Bioshock.)

Overall its been a great game for the PSP so far. I'd give it somewhere around an 8.5-9/10
If you liked Coded arms, then you will like this even more since its everything Coded arms SHOULD have been.

THE MINIVIEW HAS SPOKEN!!! ...

Let me first say that this is only the demo, as I'll be Miniviewing fairly often. Who knows what they will do with the full game...

The demo starts off nicely, with a cutscene that looks almost movie quality. Ya don't really know whats happening, only that Spiderman is getting ambushed by practically all his foes at once. After he's done thoroughly pummeling them (with the help of the New Goblin) he and the villians are surprised to find a new enemy--so called phantoms--appear. They are then teleported off to a ship or more of a UFO.

The begining of the demo doesn't go in-line with the cutscene in the least. Your sucked up into a spaceship then you appear in Tokyo with Venom as your sidekick. I didn't really care too much for that, seeing as I had an extremely low expectaion to begin with.

Then came the fighting. Let me again first say that for the passed few weeks I've been absolutely obsessed with God of War. And this game tries very hard to be God of War. And the surprising thing is, it starts to do it well. You have a good deal of combos you can use using the A and B buttons. However, thus far I have yet to see a cooperation between the 2. Ya know, like a combo involving both A and B? You can use charge attacks for all of you RB and LB web specials (Which really did come in handy). Another neat trick for some enemies is, after you knock em around a little, you'll be able to use a Button Sequance attack, identical to God of War. Like a little cutscene where Spidey messes up the enemy in one fell swoop. You also get temporary upgrades such a Max damage and invincibility.

Now for the problem with these combos: They lack flavor! They lack the punch and slam that we want. They are simply punch punch punch instead of BAM ZOOM BOOM! If you didn't catch my meaning, I mean that they really are not interesting in the least. Well, with 13 playable characters all with they're own combos, its does give the user quite a bit of variety, if bland variety. Now this is real annoying problem with this game:

You can't lose.

No matter how many times you die, it seems as though you just keep coming back again and again and again. ( Trust me, I launched myself off the rooftops more then enough times to know this)

But unlike God of War, this game has a really nice feature: drop in co-op. This co-op is exactly like Lego Star Wars co-op down to the nail. I don't know about you, but I liked that kind of co-op. But don't worry, no two screens needed. SMFoF has the camera like its a movie, also from games like Lego star wars, God of War and Too Human.

The graphics...could use work to say the least. But I don't really think they were going for an amazing style of design. It kinda looks like it came out of a comic book. I'm still wondering how Spidey landed in Tokyo, though...

Well, all in all, its probably a game I'm gonna rent at one time or another. I guess I'd give this game a 3.5/5. Probably too lenient but I really do think this title will deserve more then a 3...

Overall:

NOTE: Don't forget, this is JUST THE DEMO! We have no clue how the real game will be! ...

Fun...fun...erm, yeah.

I'll just start off out here telling that I'm sadly not the greatest of Yu-Gi-Oh fans when i got this game. So I guess to say I can only speak for the casual card gamer, even though its been about 2 years since I last laid eyes on a Yu-gi-oh card.

Now I had very very little expectations for this game when I got it. I have been surprised and must say that I initially underestimated this game. To the review, shall we?

You start out as a newcomer to the dual academy, an isle dedicated to teaching the arts of Dual Monsters (Pft, its Yu-Gi-Oh. Theres no difference, just name.) When you first arrive, its a pretty fun game. Exploring, meeting the characters of the hit show, yadda yadda. Now the highest point of the game (and I'm extremely confident about this) is the actually card battles. This is as close as your gonna get a to a real card battle in a game system. Everything looks as it should, and all the cards are easily read and seen. the AI isn't stupid when it comes to these battles. Which makes it challenging, but not annoyingly hard. Don't forget, this aspect of the game literally governs it, so I think its fair to say this is a fun, fun aspect.

And who wants to battle if you don't get a little something for your trouble? Depending on how you play, once you win, you'll be rewarded with a good number of DP (dual points, I guess) which you can spend buying booster packs. Yes, booster packs. There is a bit of fun here, but very, very much frustation too. Its about as easy to find super rare cards in the game as it is in real life, if memory serves. But fear not! There are still 3 good aspects to this:
1) Save whenever you want, so if you don't find the card your looking for, turn off the game, and go back and rebuy that same booster pack.
2) They cost very little DP. Very, very little. With one dual you can get up to 7 packs!
3)Its hard to get ultra rare cards, but its not like that till after you buy around 12 of that booster pack. Besides, theres an obscene amount of great cards that aren't even rare, so your cards won't lack any heat needed to take down the other guy.
Also, after you beat certain people, such as the main characters (I'm 4 hours in, I've beaten all the shows main characters with ease. Real ease.not that the games short [I'll get on that soon], but that you can challenge these guys anytime you want. You got to school with 'em after all.) you will be able to buy new types of booster packs. There 48 unlockable booster packs in all. I'm gonna say there is upwards 3000 different cards in the game, so don't worry about never finding something new.

Graphics. Which shall I do first, in battle or out? Mind as well out. They SUCK. There are no better words then that. Outside battle, everything is drag, plain, and boring. Some buildings don't even have textures, so they cover that up with a single bland color. Oh look at that purple building! Which purple building? Theres like 7! Oh well. They do what they are supposed to. Now, as for in CARD battles, they can't get better. This is mostly due to most of the pictures being sprites. However, they sometimes look like 3D models. They look exactly as they should, except they aren't jumping off the screen like in the show. They are simply cards, as they were meant to be. All the menus are easy to navigate, and it gives you the ability to use any card at the time it would be necessary. This doesn't sound like much, but given the scenerios, its helpful.

Im about 5 hours in, and only on the 4 out of 87 "virtual" days in the game till the Tag Force Tournament. I know there is a plot in the game that goes almost hand in hand with the show, but I'm still on the part about the teacher blabbing about dual monsters. Now if I wanted to, I could fly right through those days with a hit of the X button, so if you want to get right into the nitty, gritty, stuff, you can. I've so far fought about 32 duals for the DP and I've pretty much just been updating my deck, turning it into a beats before the game really even starts. Its safe to say that when it comes to replay value, theres little better. However, everything you do outside the duals is usually just flat out boring. If I've heard right, you need to find partners for the Tag Force, and they can be real pains in the a**es. I haven't got there yet, but when I do, I'll be sure to put it in this post.

Conclusion: Fun game. NOT a fun game if the only game you like is God of War, which is insanely awesome, but practically the opposite of this kinda of strategy tactics game. If you are a fan, this is an absolute must. If your a *meh* fan, still oughta check this out. I'd say...

3/5

I took a full point off for what I hear will be a pint, the Tag force dualing. If I were to determine it off what I've seen....

3/5, for ...

A most anticipated game from the creator of undying, a freak the **** outta-you horror shooter, Clive Barker. People have been really hoping that this title is more then a POS outcast with high production values. What did they get?.....Silver. Half gold, half silver, all fun as the place that the monsters you battle are from. Cookie to the one who gets that joke.

The story begins as you, Capt. Devin Ross, wakes up to a call, apparently to get together with the rest of the Jericho squad for a mission tougher then any they've ever seen before. You arrive at the ancient city of Al-Khali, which has revealed itself, that being a very ominous sign. Through the game, you, Cpt. Ross, is killed in action by Arnold Lech...leach.... whatever his name is, the evil guy. Dying in the hands of your teammates, you somehow manage to transfer your life force into fellow teammate Frank Delgado. In the game you can transfer your "soul" between your six teamates, utilizing their unique talents and weapons. You soon find yourself trying to find a creation-gone-wrong called the Firstborn. You'll fight Crusaders, demons, cut in half ghosts of children, and pretty much anything else you can think of freaky as he**.

This game is seriously fun, whether be you an action fan or a horror fan. Although this game can hardly be called horror, it has some things simply freaky. Not horrifying, but freaky. The enemies are the creepiest things in Jericho by far. In fact, I've never seen another game with the creatures as twisted or horrific as this. if you don't think so, just wait till you fight the ghosts of the children crusaders. The horrific creatures also translate into the story, as every detail of it is splashed with horrific ideas of impalings, demonic nazis, floors covered in organs, flesh and blood. Pretty much any hellish texture, creature or idea you can think of, so did they.

However, don't think for a minute that this means its extremely scary or far too freaky for you action fans, and not so much horror (if your a horror fan, trust me, this game will do it great for you too.) Now the reason this isn't the scariest game on earth is because the atmosphere just isn't scary. Some parts are a little creepy, others disturbing, but just not horrifying. there are a couple reasons for this. When you constantly have 6 teammates with you, and they are always cracking jokes or calling a certain sniper a lesbian, its really hard to get scared. Another scare less aspect is the music. The music is sometimes pretty creepy, but when it comes to the massive battles in Jericho, light rock plays rather then haunting tunes.

You can switch between 6 different characters at the blink of an eye during the game. Each character has his or her own special weapons and abilities. Before you say anything, no there are no weapons to pick up or swap out. Trust me, there is absolutely no need whatsoever for extra weapons. Each characters has a wide variety of weapons and powers to take out the enemies. From wielding a katana to slowing down time, to throwing out blood circles to trap enemies, this game truly has inspired weaponry from every angle you can look at. The jokes that keep throwing out help to bring up the spirit while getting attacked by hordes and hordes of monsters. The levels are a fairly simple design, but if you didn't know what it was, you probably would see a very diverse environment of levels. Some are slightly more bland, and others are extremely detailed. The levels are fun, nonetheless. A personal favorite aspect is how the screen moves depending on the actions you take. This doesn't sound like much at all, but it really gives you a better feel for the characters, more life-like. Every cut-scene you'll find, you will always be playing it in 1st person, never seeing it from a 3rd person point of view.

Graphics are fairly splendid. They aren't Gears of War or Bioshock (Nothing really is) but they are very nice, especially on HD. the blood splattered walls, the nailed to walls bodies and the organs on the floor, they all looks great. The character models are really detailed, with blood dripping from they're eyes and even missing teeth, the character models range from fair to amazing.

Long story short, If you fit the bill of an action fan, horror fan, or FPS fan, missing this game would be a crime. It isn't terrifying, but it is a game that makes the adrenaline rush from time to time, and can even creep you out quite a bit if you've got the right mood set...

Final score: I can't understand a lower score then this, unless I only have 3 hours left. (Which will greatly lower the replay value, not yet added into the score.) I've played about 6 hours so far, and I'm loving every second of it. For those of you wondering about replay, I don't think it has multiplayer, but I've "unlocked" characters, during the game. ...

Loco Roco
Publisher: Neversoft Entertainment
Developer: Activision
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-4
Reviewed by gdf

Loco Roco, released last summer on Sony's portable, is without a shadow of doubt the happiest game ever made. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise and if you happen to disagree then you really have no soul. It is a game made of Happy, the idea being to roll a happy ball creature around the happy levels on their happy little planet. The plot is a stripped down version of the traditional battle of good versus evil; the planet is being attacked by evil alien invaders called Mojas, and it is up to you and the friendly fluorescent testicle things to save the day.

The control scheme is simple but effective, doing away with the d-pad and nub and using the R and L buttons to allow the player to rotate the world right and left. You press both at the same time to make your Loco hop, and circle to split it into all its little parts, providing you with the means to get through small spaces. As you progress you will come across red fruits, which you eat to add another ball to your main one. This means the next time you split it, there will be more Locos and you get points at the end of the level for collecting them. You can lose the poor things if you fall on a spike or get sucked up by a Moja and you will be terribly distressed by their little screams as they are separated from the others.

The levels are packed with fun features and secret areas. Some creatures you meet will help you out, for example giving you a boost up to a higher platform. Other objects are to be found throughout the world, with trampolines and air streams particular highlights. These are all useful and will have you smiling with childish glee. Secret areas often house fruit or Mui Muis, the Locos' friends, and can be fiendishly hard to find. This ensures you will keep coming back to the same levels in order to find all 20 Locos and all the Mui Muis. The game itself is quite short however, with 5 worlds of 8 levels each. Considering the longest time it takes to complete a level is ten minutes, it can be over and done with in a few hours. Bonus games and level editors help, but fail to add much longevity to the game. The length poses a real problem, as though the game has buckets of replay value, it is so damned addictive that you can end up running out of stuff to do in a week.

Fortunately, this is one of the only weak points of the game, and doesn't detract much from the overall experience. An area it really excels in is the sound. The music fits the backgrounds brilliantly and really contributes to the overall feel of the game; you can't help but grin when you see your Loco sing along to the sprightly tunes. Aside from the music, the visuals are impressive, managing to look cute and sharp at the same time. It all looks like some kind of surreal cartoon, but it is very well done and neat. The graphics make it very accessible; gamers and non-gamers alike will lap it up and rightly so, because it works for everyone: Kids will enjoy the cartoony looks, girls will love the cuteness factor and gamers will play it to death trying to find all the Muis and fruit. It really is one of those "Family" games, but not shit like Buzz.

Sadly, there is no Multiplayer, but level sharing is available. I would love to have bashed around the world with a mate, but the next best thing is the game sharing, which allows your friend to sample the game on his/her PSP. This is great as it allows you to share the joys and spread the love. The game can be pretty psychedelic at times, which can only be a good thing. There are five colours of Loco to unlock and you find them as you progress. Each has a distinctive look and their own little antenna thing (a la Teletubbies), that wags when you are near something important. Occasionally, your Loco will split up and sing a song to help one of the other creatures feel better, and if that doesn't brighten up your day then your heart is actually made of coal from the fiery pits of Hell. That has been shit out by the devil. Into a...you get the picture.

Loco Roco is a quality example of how things should be done on the PSP. Originality is the keyword here, and although it isn't the first ball rolling game ever (Check Super Monkey Ball and Katamari Damacy for that) it is one of the best games on the system. It is a perfect fit and highly recommended for all ages. Loco is more what would be expected on the DS, but it proves that cute can be done on any hardware. If Sony don't do a version of this with motion sensitive controls on PS3, then they are seriously screwed in the head. A great 2D platformer.

Replay Value 3/5 Hampered by a short lifespan.
Sound 5/5 Well judged and in the right tone. Perfect.
Graphics 4.5/5 So cute it makes you want to cry tears of joy. ...