So Ziggy 2011 has been quite a year for you. What would you say the highlight has been so far?

The gigs I’ve done. Its been a great year for performing live… ever since February started I’ve literally had a massive surge of gigs and performances at really cool conventions. Including Summer of Sonic which was an absolute blast.

Aside from that I’ve managed to get a lot of material out. I’ve really expanded my career this year

Who’s your favourite Sonic character?

Aw, well, I’m going to be predictable and say no one beats Sonic, I mean, come on! He’s just a legend, he speaks for himself.

What age did you begin singing?

Basically I’ve been singing for as long as I remember, before I was 5 for sure. I always used to hum along to songs. Sonic the Hedgehog songs I used to listen to and sing along to…

 What was the first cassette you ever bought?

That was the Spice Girls album. I remember not having any pocket-money and saying to my mum “please let me buy the album”! *as a Spice Girls fan myself I decided to probe further* My favourite songs on it? I had a few ; ‘Wannabe’s a classic, ‘Say You’ll Be There” was great too and you can’t forget “Love Thing”!

You’ve been quite involved in the organisation of the London Gaming Con. Now the big day’s here, how do you feel its going?

I think its going absolutely brilliantly. A lot of us were worried, because it is a new convention, about the turn-out, plus its the first time the Anime League has branched off into gaming rather than just being an anime event, so its been a massive challenge for us. But its turned out absolutely brilliantly, and the guests have been absolutely amazing. I think everyone’s having a great time so we’re just really, really thrilled and hope it goes well for the rest of the day and that we’ll do it again soon.

What are your hopes for 2012?

Well I hope 2012 will be even better. Hopefully another run of gigs, more new songs etc. I’d like to branch out in travelling internationally if I can. I’ve currently got an EP out but I’d like to get the full LP out if possible…

2012 is also the debut of CamCon which is my own convention so it’ll be really challenging but amazing year so I’m looking forward to it

CamCon : Ziggy's con

Tell us more about CamCon

CamCon is a new convention taking place in Cambridge which I am personally organising. Its an anime/comic/sci-fi and gaming convention including, of course, lots of cosplay. We’ve got Sonia Leong and Emma Vieceli from Sweatdrop Studios attending aswell as Akemi Solloway.

Basically its a varied, one-day events, which is running at the Junction in Cambridge that is open to all ages. There are lots of cool things happening ; we’ve got talks from comic artists, workshops, karaoke and gaming events, including a tournament area and a massive tournament on the stage. There will also be live bands, so yea, it should be a really good event.

I hope its going to be a really big success and I’m looking forward to it.

To find out more about Ziggy you can find her on the following sites :

Website : http://www.zonicmusic.com/
YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtyGirlZiggy15
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/Zonicoffical

To find out more about Camcon please visit :

Website : http://thecamcon.com/
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/CamConCambridge
Article on Anime Picks : http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/10/another-new-convention-camcon/

~HelenBaby

PlusXP team. L-R HelenBaby, RandomMan, Garvaos, GuitarGirl

First of all I want to say that the special guests were an absolute joy. Perhaps because of the con’s relatively small size, they were really able to get in and amongst us mere con-goers. The ultimate superstar had to be Zonic (aka Ziggy Newman) who was running about  both days doing a million and one different things. She could be seen greeting new arrivals one minute, onstage taking part in sketches the next, and then you’d turn around and see her making sure everything was Ok on the shop floor, while all the while exhibiting the most cheerful attitude you can imagine. She also made me smile by kindly introducing me to one of the other big guests : Brentalfloss.

Brentalfloss with Kevin Eva from Sonic Wrecks. Taken with my 3DS camera, please excuse the quality!

You may not all recognise the name Brentalfloss, dear readers, but I dare say most of you would recognise his music. Brentalfloss is a comedian and song-writer who changes the words to video game music to create hilarious ditties. He is the man such YouTube greats as “Dr. Mario WITH LYRICS” and “Tetris WITH LYRICS”. I didn’t manage to catch his show at the event unfortunately, but judging by the buzz about it from guests afterwards I can only assume that he went down a storm. He’s also a rather lovely bloke. So thanks for that Ziggy!

Sonic fans were in for a particular treat on Sunday evening when the RadioSega boys did their sets (shout-outs to Svend and Gavvie!). It was refreshing to hear all the old classics, and the dance floor was simply full of Sonic fans getting their grooves on to those delectable beats.

 Of course, as you’d expect from a gaming con, there was a plethora of games on show on the convention floor. Sadly none of these (as far as I could tell) were unreleased exclusives, something which really does undercut the con when compared with the likes of Eurogamer. The fact all the games that were featured were utter gems is some consolation, however. These included a strew of the old Megadrive-era Sonics, Goldeneye 64 and Halo Anniversary Edition, to but scratch the surface. The big tournaments focused around such fan favourites as Mario Kart, Smash Bros Brawl and Street Fighter 4.

3DS owners were, naturally, accosted with StreetPass hits aplenty. I wasn’t there for long on either Saturday or Sunday, but somehow still managed to pick up about 40 during the course of the weekend. 3DS players could often be seen dotted around the comfy seating area downstairs, many playing Mario Kart 7 (which was released the day before the con).

Look! Raving Rabbid plushies!

Something that particularly impressed me about the con was the quality of the shops. They really did offer genuine good quality, which is something you just don’t expect to find at a convention. I even managed to pick up a Sega Saturn for just £20!

The contents of the stalls were just delightful ; old consoles still in relatively good nick, endless Master System, PS1, Xbox 360 (etc) titles in tidy stacks, Raving Rabbid plushies, you name it. Many of the stalls represented actual games shops, both from online stores and from physical shops located around the country. One example is the Retro Gaming Base (as pictured), who had a very nice selection of Sega Saturn titles (you can find them online here : http://retrogamebase.co.uk/ )

The Retro Game Base stall

So in conclusion the London Gaming Con was a jolly fun day out. I bumped into plenty of people I knew from around the London gaming scene (including some big names), got a slew of StreetPass hits, and found there was always something to keep me entertained. Sure the London Gaming Con isn’t on the level of the Penny Arcade Expo. Yet. But it is the con’s first year, and given the team’s prior knowledge and ambition I wouldn’t be surprised if they had the likes of PAX watching their backs in a few years time. I’m definitely planning to return if a follow-up is announced.

~HelenBaby

Sorry for the delay with the Sonic Generations review, truth is its such a good game its been near impossible to tear myself away! I hope to make up for this by providing not just a regular review of this title, oh no. What you have here, indeed, is a level-by-level synopsis.

Released on the 4th November 2011, Sonic Generations brings together and ties 3 major periods in Sonic’s lineage : the first being the 16-bit era, the second : 2000-2004, and the last being everything since. There are 9 regular levels, which are further supplemented by numerous boss battles, trials and other little bits.
Sega have confirmed that the pre-order figured for Generations is a new record for the franchise which I, as someone who has played the game through to the end, believe is nothing if not deserved.

Green Hill

The title starts off with a bang in the series’ most iconic level. And, gosh, let me tell you, you’ve never seen a Green Hill Zone quite like it! Never before has our beloved verdant haven exhibited so much variety. You’ll find twisty loops, rails, dash rings and more! All meshed side by side with the traditional sites of Totem poles, Crabmeat badniks, and of course, those unforgettable chequered hills!

One thing that really impressed me is not only the sense of deja-vu I get from the days of playing Sonic 1 on the Megadrive, but also how this level brings my mind back to other Sonic games I have loved in the past. For example, the darkened little enclave towards the end of Act 1 instantly (whether intentionally or not) reminded me of the tropical Jungle Zone from the 8 bit Sonic 1. Where as the roses Sonic runs past a little earlier in the Act remind me of the joys of playing the first level of Sonic Advance as a teenager.

The music is fabulous beginning with the housey/basey Classic rendition of the classic green hill zone tune then evolving in to a stomping Ska piece. Very fitting opener that instantly draws you in.

Chemical Plant

At first I was surprised to hear that Sonic 2′s Chemical Plant had been chosen for a Generations remake, thinking it a little too ambitious. Then I remembered that mecha levels (particularly in 3D) is something Sega excel at! They have the benefits of near-enough 20 years of experience making games since Chemical Plant’s original inception, and it shines through quite clearly. Sega have really done well to breathe new life into this old gem.

The 3D level, for example, has clearly taken many nods from levels such as Sonic Adventure’s Final Egg and Heroes’ Final Fortress. Neon-lit tunnels are in abundance, as are mesh flooring and hazards galore (but don’t worry, you now have Omochao to patronise help you!).

The blobbish blue poison, one of the level’s signature features, has been used in some interesting new ways. The 3D level, interestingly, incorporates it as avoidables for when skydiving, where as the Classic level features vats of the stuff, swirling away like the most ominous of lava lamps. The music’s pretty groovy too.

Sky Sanctuary

I want to begin by saying that the 3D level in Sky Sanctuary was my most pleasant surprise while playing Generations, and also my favourite level. So masterfully have The  Sonic Team managed not just to re-create that Star Wars-esque sense of anticipation, but also to weave that in with an eye-watering 3D rendition of the Athenian backdrops of the original. It boggles my mind quite frankly! This Act’s music was also drop-dead gorgeous, full of nifty electronic bits and sparkle, while also sounding slightly on the classical side, if that even sounds possible!

The 2D Act wasn’t quite so good… the music was poorer for a start. Aside from that it just felt like an amalgamation between the original stage and the 3D level found here, which was disappointing and, thankfully, something not found across the game as a whole.

Speed Highway

Speed Highway was perhaps my biggest disappointment in Generations. Sure its got the twisting roads, the floodlights, the rockets, the rails… even the helicopters of the original, and in many ways its better. However I felt it just didn’t have the same magic. Maybe its the absence of that glorious purple sky, or the simplicity of the original, but I think the main thing that makes this version less enjoyable than its Sonic Adventure incarnation is the removal of ‘Speed Highway at Dawn’, the much-loved mini-level at the very end of the original.

If I judge Speed Highway purely on its own merits, however, I cannot deny that it is a very fun stage! Among the things it manages to carry over and improve on is the flow of the level, which serves to demonstrate momentum-based platforming at its very best. It also needs to be noted that no effort was spared on this level’s visuals, and at any one time the screen is filled with a multitude of exciting things going on in the background.

City Escape

Its easy to see why this was chosen as a demo level for events like Eurogamer : it really is an outstanding piece of both art and of level design. The original City Escape itself couldn’t have come at a better time being smack bam in the middle of the Dreamcast era. Ah the Dreamcast era : a time when Sega were really out-doing themselves, particularly in the field of recreating bustling metropolitan scenes (see Shenmué and Jet Set Radio) the result was as it only could have been : the best level in Sonic Adventure 2.

As you might imagine from my enthusiasm, the Generations version actually manages to improve on this, not an easy task. The Generations version manages to squash more ideas into what feels like the same amount of time, with expanded parks, actual choice when encountering crossroads and an even more sinister and invasive evil monster lorry (atleast during Classic Sonic’s level. Meep!). The fan service featured in this level is unrivalled it has to be said. That’s quite a claim given this is Sonic Generations we’re talking about here! References include, but are not limited to, WANTED posters featuring Bark the Polar Bear, Bean the Dynamite, Fang/Snipe the Weasle, among others. There are also buildings entitled things such as ‘Coffee-Blaze, ‘Tails’ Pizza’ and ‘Amy’s Market’.

Music-wise I must say the tune featured in the classic level is one of my absolute favourites in the soundtrack. But I don’t think the 3D level’s track works so well. Laid back, almost country-ish rock can’t do justice to such an upbeat track as ‘Escape from the City’. Atleast not in my opinion.

Great level.

Seaside Hill

Oh, Seaside Hill. Its up there with the Green Hill Zone as one of the most featured level in the series’ entire lineage, despite being a poor man’s Emerald Coast. Its featured in at least 5 games so far, and will no doubt feature in many more. As you may be able to tell, I’m a little bit sick of Seaside Hill, so can’t say I particularly enjoyed this level. Particularly the 3D stage, which was very similar to the original (although at least this time you’re not restrained by Sonic Heroes’ seriously annoying play style).
The 2D version is a little more original. Its a traditional water level with a temple-inspired background. It actually has some nice touches, such as when the whale propels you up by the stage by head-butting you. The music’s also good, a housey update.
All in all not an appalling experience by anyone’s standards, but certainly my least favourite level from the selection thats on offer here.

Crisis City

I laughed when reading SonicYoda’s review of Sonic Generations on SegaDriven.com. He wrote : “It should… be commended that Sonic Team made a Sonic ’06 level enjoyable!”.
Enjoyable it certainly is. Crisis City is a brilliant, suspense-filled jaunt through a high-rise city in lava-quenched peril. At times it reminds me of the first level of Shadow the Hedgehog, other times Chaotic Inferno from Sonic Rivals 2.
The music is somewhat reminiscent of that found in the Bowser castle levels from the original Mario Bros games. Oh the irony Its quite up-beat and housey, despite the impression of impending doom it simultaneously manages to convey. Brilliant.

Rooftop Run

Rooftop Run is based on the joyous, sunny level Spagonia from the mighty Sonic Unleashed. It’s quite an impressive home-coming it has to be said! Act 1 sees you navigating through buildings and streets built in that Western European many of us have missed so, while a continual flow of confetti descends from the sky, creating a really jubilant, summery feel. Later in the level you work your way up a glorious clock tower, which invoked in me happy memories of Nights : Journey of Dreams.

Act 2 looks a lot like the original level from which this was based, except more colourful, with an abundance of hot-air balloons! There’s also the breath-taking moment when you’ve finished running up this really high building and suddenly begin sliding down, spying a million tiny rooftops in the distance.

The music on both Acts is really good, and overall I’d say this is one of my favourite stages.

Planet Wisp

Like Seaside Hill, Planet Wisp doesn’t show a massive amount of deviation from the level from which it was originally inspired. Which, given how recent Sonic Colours still is (it was released in 2010), might not be that surprising.

Planet Wisps sees you strewn into what seems like an endless valley of flowers and mint-green grass, which soon gives way to a devious mecha red jungle. Like the Colours’ version (and, indeed, that whole game in general), it is actually quite challenging, and one you’ll certainly need to use your brain to get through. The 3D level also, unforgivably, has a bad case of Bottomless Pit Syndrome.

Not one of my favourite levels, but it was good to see the return of Wisps, the little creatures from Colours who’s fondness for I didn’t even realise until I saw them return while playing this! An interesting return to Eggman’s Amazing Interstellar Amusement Park.

So in conclusion what you have here are a wonderful set of levels that really draw successfully on, and exhibit well, the long history of Sonic, if not indeed Sega itself. The variety is top-notch, and gamers will find plenty of different play styles to keep them amused as they traverse these 9 fields of home.

I’ve got heaps more to say, but quite frankly it would take me another 1900 words and quite frankly I’m exhausted now. Instead I’m going to be cheeky and do a bit of a journalism no-no : just summarise the rest of my thoughts among the Pros and Cons section below.

Pros:
+ Jaw-dropping visuals that improve on everything that’s gone before.
+ Implements old ideas in awesome new ways
+ Nothing has been spared on the fun factor
+ Many different ways to play
+ Fan service is immense
+ Brilliant sound track

Cons:
- Some of the levels not quite as fun as others. But thats more me being nit-picky than anything
- The 2D levels don’t revert to 3D, so its annoying how the 3D levels go back to 2D sometimes

Score: 9.5/10 – Honestly the best-looking, best-sounding and, most importantly, funnest game I’ve played this century so far. No Sonic fan should be without this, heck, buy an Xbox/PS3 if you have to!

~HelenBaby

Wherever you have characters, you have character traits, and whenever you have character traits, you can put these together to form an idea of what star-sign that character is. This article looks at the twelve different star-signs of the Tropical Zodiac and provides readers with a gaming character who either has a pre-determined birthday that matches that sign or, in the absence of this, has been assigned a star-sign by me in accordance with what I think suits them. I hope you enjoy this article, but I must add that its not meant to be taken too seriously!

Ready.....FIGHT!

The video games I have grown up with have mainly been platformers like Sonic The Hedgehog or FPS games such as Doom or Duke Nukem, most of you out there who have read Plus XP for a while have probably noticed me saying this again and again so I won’t go into details for the forty millionth time. But when I was about ten years old I was given a copy of Super Street Fighter II Turbo on the PC. I had no idea how to play the game and as much as I mashed the keyboard the game wasn’t doing anything for me, so I put it down and said goodbye to my brief stint with Street Fighter and had never thought to go back.

So from the ages of ten to about fifteen I never really liked fighters, until I got my hands on Soul Caliber II and Tekken 4. This then gave me the gate way back into the fighting genre and fighting games grew on me again once more, it wasn’t until Uni I picked up Street Fighter IV and have loved Street Fighter since, this triggered me getting my PS2 back and buying Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Capcom Vs SNK 2. So I now have a pretty big fighting collection. So, what makes a good fighter?

Well Thought Out Moves Set.

This is the bare bones when it comes to fighting games, A fighting game needs a very well thought out moves set to survive. With my experience of fighters there is two good moves sets that work. Something I call the juggling move set, which is based on button combos to juggle your enemies (by juggling I mean having you opponent suspended in mid-air not moving because your throwing that many combos at him/her), much like the moves you get in Tekken and Soul Caliber . Tekken and SC fans will probably flame me when I say this but it is like a well though out and controlled way of button mashing *flinches*. Getting your appoint into a state where they can’t fight back is pretty imperative when it comes to theses sorts of games. This move set works more on the 3D fighting plane, this is probably because if you do get an over cocky player who just combos like hell you can simply just side step him and laugh as he combos his way to the other side of the screen hitting nothing.

The other type of moves set is based more on super moves which use both the joystick and the buttons, I personally don’t have a name for this move set so lets just got with dragon punch move set (due to the fact that one of your basic special attacks in this move set in the simple shoruken from Street Fighter, which in layman’s terms is a dragon punch) This move set works better on a 2D fighting arena due to the fact that most of the attacks like to move from one side of the screen to the other. The one thing I do love about this particular way of fighting is that everything generally looks shinier and more powerful. You do also have the option of comboing with this move set if you are stupidly good so it is one of those things that is easy to learn but difficult to master.

There is one game that springs to mind that has the best of both worlds and that is Marvel Vs Capcom. This game lets you juggle your enemies with insane combos on a 2D plane but also utilizes all the shiny dragon punch move set moves to do this. MvC is also stupidly ridiculous when it comes to its special moves thus giving a perfect balance  of both move sets.

The Perfect Roster

When it comes to fighting games, Roster is defiantly key. Take Street Fighter for instance, sure you do have a fair few characters who have the same fighting style but they do take power into consideration. If you pit the likes of Akuma against Dan, you have a fight with two characters with the same fighting style and similar moves but you have a Akuma who is god like in power and Dan who is pretty much just a Joke in the SF roster due to the fact his moves are quite weak. The balance of power is key really. If you take Tekken as an example you have a good variety of fighting styles, meaning you can experiment more with different characters, sure you are still gonna get people who are similar such as Jin and Heihachi. But the similar characters are fewer and far between.

So for a good fighting game Roster you need a good balance of power and variety, but if you have someone too powerful or indeed to weak you are going to have problems.

Variety

As I have pretty much said in the last two sections, variety in any fighter is key. Wether is it the amount of fighting locals in the game, or the amount of different character variants you can have, like costumes or colours or indeed taunts. Variety in any fighting game keeps the game fresh. Hence why Tekken, Street Fighter, Marvel Vs Capcom and Soul Caliber are more successful games as they bring in the variety and give you the opportunity to mix and match. Soul Caliber is prime example of this due to the fact it has great character customization and creation. If you give gamers a great playground they are going to use every single corner of it.

When I was younger I never really saw the appeal of fighting games, now at the ripe old age of 22 I can see that fighting games have so much more than just lets hit this guy in the face and laugh at them. You just need the right balance of stuff really. If you have nailed these three points then you have pretty much got an awesome fighting game.

Oh and I am stupidly excited about Marvel Vs Capcom 3.

Garv.

If you have ever wondered what ELSE happens at the Eurogamer Expo then watch below. After all, even Rocky had a montage.

There you have it, the Eurogamer expo. If you liked anything that you have seen and want more there is lots of Eurogamer coverage available to view on the site, just use the search bar on the home page to navigate.

I suppose this video is a little like my own personal geeky holiday snaps…Ahh good memories…

Until Next Time,

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P.S. Due to a massive, inconvenient, epic headache of a mistake with our you-tube channel we have now moved. PlusXp still exists as a channel, but will no longer be updated. You can find us (along with all of our videos old and new) here at our new channel PlusXpGaming.

With Christmas fast approaching many of us are now facing one of the biggest challenges of the festive season. I am of course talking about the seemingly endless mission that is Christmas shopping. Whereas some make lists and some are just plain easy to buy for there will always be others who prove more difficult. Yes, I am taking about the gamer who has everything. If your the type who buys every game you want on its release date and is less than amused with the standard gifts of soap and socks then I am talking about you. Though for much of the year you are the much loved provider of hand me down games, at the years end you are the biggest challenge on our need to buy list.  If like myself you have a couple of gamers who have everything on your list this year then never fear, the solution may just be here. All it takes is a little help from our alien friends.

Aliens stole my console is a new website which offers custom finishes for consoles and controllers. The concept is simple. First you use the tools on the website to create your perfect console. As well as changing the base and component colors you can also chose from a selection of decals or even request your own logo or design.  Once you have your design, your console is whisked away by courier (or Aliens) to be transformed. The transformation happens in three stages. The console is carefully dismantled before having each individual component covered in a specially formulated coating which not only adds extra protection but is also Uv resistant to prevent fading. Once the coating has been applied the console is put back together before being couriered back into your waiting arms. Its a little like the pimp my ride of the gaming world really, only without the big unveil and the over exaggerated screaming.

If you don’t fancy sending your own (or your friends) console to be pimped Aliens stole my console also offer a variety of new consoles and controllers which can be customized. The service is currently available for the X-Box 360, Wii and PS3 with both controllers and consoles available for the Alien treatment. The process usually takes under 14 days, and though I am not sure I could go that long without my console if you can you will be rewarded with something which is not only incredibly hardwearing but also quite unique.

One small footnote about the service. If you send your console away to be customized it will void the warranty. Aliens combat this by offering their own 90 day to 1 year warranty on consoles abducted but this is still a factor which must be considered by anyone wishing to have their console match their curtains… If you get what I mean.

So how does this service combat the age old problem of what to buy the gamer who has everything? Well though I would be dubious about sending my own console in for a paint job (mainly due to the warranty being void and red ring of death issues) I do see real potential in the custom controllers. With controllers being abducted for as little as £25 this may just mark the end of tatty controllers with scribbled marks of identification on the back.  Though the website offers limited options for controller customization I have been assured by the Aliens themselves that if you contact them almost any design can be achieved meaning your only limit is your own creativity. Having checked out one of these controllers at the 2010 Golden Joysticks Awards I can say with confidence that the feel and finish is first class giving them great potential as unique gifts. With the festive season almost upon us what could be better than to rock up at this years Christmas party with a personalized controller which not only looks the business but is also easy to find and defend should the need arise. Now all I need to do is convince them to pimp out my Guitar Hero controller… I’m working on that one…

Check out the site by visiting  www.aliensstolemyconsole.com

Until next time,

24

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Want to see what our friends at Gaming Lives, Robot Geek, Life’s a game and We are Arcade really thought of this years expo? Want to see which new releases we just can’t wait for, and which are doomed for the gaming bargain bin? Then watch below.

P.S. Apologies for the dark filming. They always make expo’s so dark… Why are they always so dark…I guess its so there is no light reflecting off of the screens… Still annoying though…

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How far would you go for a promotional copy before its release? Would you endure hours of tedious Queuing? How many miles would you travel out of your way? Perhaps you would partake in a painful chilli eating contest? Or even a day of political protesting? Well one Zombie themed protest later and I was not only the cure party’s new poster girl (Don’t believe me, see here) but I also had my very own copy of Dead Rising 2. You see here at PlusXp.com our staff writers go the distance, but what of my reward? Was Dead Rising 2 worth a whole day of holding placards and moaning pro-zombie slogans?

Dead rising 2 follows the story Chuck Greene and his infected daughter Katie. Our story starts in the flamboyant Fortune city where Chuck is risking his life in the brutal reality Tv show “Terror is Reality” hoping to win big money. Initially Fortune cities zombie problem seems to be under control, but soon after Chucks arrival there is a highly suspicious zombie breakout which causes the entire city to become infected. As if the hoards of zombies roaming the streets weren’t bad enough, some incriminating CCTV footage surfaces putting Chuck in the frame as the cause of the outbreak. Taking refuge in a safe house under the city and aided by a couple of newfound sexy companions Chuck now has three days to clear his name before the military arrive to rescue the survivors. Can he do it? You will have to play to find out!

As with Dead Rising 1 timing is crucial if you are going to help Chuck clear his name and escape. You have three days until the military arrive and you must use this time wisely in order to escape Fortune city alive. You are free to explore the city as you wish, but with one small glitch, it is now teeming with slow moving yet vicious zombies. Needless to say it is worth putting in a little preparation before you venture too far outside and luckily for you  almost everything in the city can be picked up and used as a weapon. Now when I say everything I don’t just mean the usual suspects such as knives, planks of wood, guns, wrenches, metal pipes etc… Dead Rising 2 goes much further than that. Over the last week I have joyfully maimed countless zombies with a great variety of items including a tea tray, a fire extinguisher, a potted plant, a drill, a spray paint can, a ketchup bottle, a broom, a parasol, a park bench, a bin, a chair, a guitar… well you get the idea. You are also given the chance to combine your found objects to create exciting new combo weapons which not only kill more zombies but also give you more PP per kill. Nice. Its worth noting at this point that your timer will keep counting down even if you are just roaming the streets mindlessly slaughtering for fun, so you must prioritize carefully in order to ensure you make the most of your time in the city. Shame, I was quite enjoying the mindless massacre but as they say time waits for no man.

Alongside the main story line there are several other objectives you must complete in order to finish the game and get Chuck and Katie to safety alive. Having previously survived a Zombie attack Katie is now carrying the dreaded Zombie virus. She is therefore reliant on the miracle drug ‘Zombrex’ which Chuck must find and give to her every 24 hours in order to stop her becoming infected. If Chuck fails to bring Katie the Zombrex its game over, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on. Alongside the mandatory missions there are also multiple side missions which appear in the main menu when you check your watch. These quests can be used to fill in your time whilst you wait for more information about your main missions and often involve rescuing the bemused and brainless survivors who are scattered around the city awaiting rescue.

Though these side missions are good for gaining extra experience they are also on a timer and after a few hours of play I began to realize the importance of checking the time gauge before setting out on a quest. It is extremely frustrating to embark on a mission which later proves impossible to complete, especially when you know that you have wasted your precious time which could have been used to complete another quest. Though the timed aspect of this game made it more realistic I definitely found that the consistent focus on time combined with the severe lack of save points greatly added to the level of stress I felt when playing this game. With some very tricky bosses quite early on, Dead rising 2 has a steep learning curve and the need to level up quickly often clashes with the pressure of preserving as much time as possible. Having some indication of time within a game is good, but I felt that the heavy focus on time and urgency in Dead rising 2 made me very quick to frustration, taking some of the initial fun out of the game. Alternatively you can always just ditch the extra missions and choose to follow the main story line spending your extra time going on random killing sprees and leveling up. I vote for that.

Though I often found the clock watching element of this game frustrating I had to admire the level of detail that has gone into creating Fortune city. Not only can you attack the zombie hoards with almost anything, you can also pick up and use many of the objects which you find along your way. As with many games you can regain health by eating found items of food and drink, but in addition to this you can also use the blenders in the cafe’s to mix your own drinks giving you an added boost. Add to that the level of detail which has gone into the items available, the shops and even the actions and movements of the zombies and the city is your own private playground. That said these things pale in comparison alongside what to me has to be the true highlight of this game. Based in a shopping mall Chuck is free to explore the shops and try on any clothing that he desires. Now this may seem pretty standard, but when you run into a store and try to pick up something sharp to throw at the vicious drooling horde behind you and instead change into a fetching pair of women’s hot pants and checked bra top, well, thats quite something. Better than that your chosen outfit remains the same in all of the cut scenes. Looking good Chuck!

Only a real man could pull off this look...

Dead Rising 2 has several new multiplayer modes which can be explored Via X-box live. If you need a break from the clock watching you can rev up your motorbike and enter the arena for a round of popular reality Tv show “Terror is Reality”. Here you are able to compete with other online players and if you are lucky win prize money which Chuck can then use in the game. In addition to this Dead Rising 2 has an interesting form of Co-op mode in which players can dip in and out of each others main games at any point via Live. If at any time you see a friend fighting their way through Fortune city alone you can choose to join them in their virtual massacre. Personally I found this mode a little confusing, for example apparently I had someone I didn’t know fighting alongside me for a good ten minutes and didn’t notice. However if you get used to this feature I think it could prove to be a lot of fun.  Fancy popping in for some non committal zombie slaying with your friends? Well now you can.

So was Dead Rising 2 worth the protesting? Well yes, but not in the ways I expected. I loved the variety of weapons offered by this game and the creativity which had gone into Chuck surroundings. A zombie massacre is always fun, but a zombie massacre armed with a wheelchair a tea tray and a bow and arrow? Truly inspired. Despite loving the detail and creativity that had gone into creating Fortune city I am sorry to say that I personally found the time limits more than a little frustrating and the learning curve a little too steep. Everyone likes a good zombie massacre but with a time limit? No thanks. I think this game is very good for ten minutes of zombie slaying fun and could have some potential for playing with friends over Live but for me the timed aspect associated with the missions was simply too frustrating. If I had an endless supply of controllers to throw at the wall in rage I think I would be able to complete all of the missions in Dead Rising 2, but I don’t. Never mind.

Until next time,

24

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"Brains"

Summer was almost over and my lone surviving Chili plant christened Stephen was not doing so well. Despite daily waterings, several hasty relocations and an inspiring word of encouragement or two only a single Chili remained; and even that was beginning to look weary. As is usual in these type of situations several ‘Helpful’ friends offered various chipper solutions to my botanical problem. Often when standing over the bedraggled Stephen I was met with a chorus of “Re-pot it with new compost”, “Take it out of the direct sunlight”, “Give it more sunlight” and “Find a bigger pot”. All valid suggestions perhaps, but in central London? For a start my modest (Ok cheap…) flat only has one sunny windowsill and I seriously doubted weather any of my friends had actually ever tried to find a garden center in central London. Not easy. I thought hard about creative alternatives but in the end I didn’t really think the council would appreciate me digging up their flower-beds for compost and lets face it I can’t really run that fast. There had to be a better alternative,an easier alternative, a cheaper alternative, a virtual alternative.

Having long been a fan of the Cooking Mama series I was hopeful that Gardening Mama would be able to solve my city gardening problem once and for all. No longer would my plants wither and die before me, no longer would my efforts be fruitless. However as always the question remained. Could virtual gardening live up to actual gardening? Would Mama be able to satisfy my thirst for gardening as she had for cookery? It was time to pick up my virtual trowel don my virtual wellies and find out…

Like the highly popular Cooking mama series (505 games) Gardening Mama is comprised of a series of simple yet addictive mini games. The basic concept is easy enough. Use a combination of tapping, blowing, rubbing and drawing to guide a variety of gardening tools to complete a number of varied gardening themed tasks. Armed with your trowel, fertilizer, seeds, pots and hose you must navigate your way through a series of gardening challenges battling with the elements to ensure the survival of your growing’s. Oh and its also very cute, did I mention cute?

Though similar in theme to the Cooking mama series, it would seem that a lot of effort has gone into Grading Mama to ensure that it is not simply the same old mini games re-branded. Gardening mama instead has a wealth of new mini games to explore, many of which I found more complex and challenging than the Cooking Mama series. One of my favorite new additions had to be using the trowel to measure out exact amounts of compost either onto a scale. Though this task appeared very simple it actually proved quite tricky and I am not ashamed to say that on several occasions Mama had to fix it. I must clarify that when I say words such as “challenging” and “tricky” I do not mean impossible. This game is partially aimed at children and thus almost impossible to fail. I do however mean that if you are a perfectionist like me you may find it hard to get gold medals, and lets face it its all about the gold. If you are a fan of the Cooking Mama mini games then don’t worry. As well as the wealth of new additions a couple of Cooking Mama classics have been relocated from the kitchen into the great outdoors. Whereas Cooking Mama asked you to use a tap to add water to a pot of rice, Gardening Mama asks you to use a tap to add water to a beaker and mix to make fertilizer. How is that for transferrable skills? Nice. Overall though the mini games have become more advanced, more creative and more touch sensitive.

Unlike the simple menu based Cooking Mama game, Gardening Mama allows you to walk freely within your colorful virtual gardens viewing their progress. This not also provides you with your opportunities to grow new produce but also gives you the chance to customize your surroundings making your garden truly your own. Starting in the flower garden the game encourages you to first plant, and then nurture your garden until your plants are booming and your work can be judged. Once you have found your green fingers in the flower garden the game encourages you to explore a total of 5 gardens including the Flower garden, Fruit orchard, Veggie garden, Rose garden and finally the mysterious Special garden. These various gardens allow you to grow a variety of different flowers, fruits and vegetables the success of which can be seen at any point by looking at the gardens various signposts or when visiting the harvest shed where your produce is stored. Most exciting of all if you have Cooking Mama 3  you can also transfer your home grown produce into the kitchen and make a tasty virtual dinner for yourself. Mmmmm.

As a new gardener you are not expected to undertake your work alone. You are joined in the garden not only by Mama but also a variety of other family members all full of helpful advice to get you started. If you heed their advice and do particularly well your efforts will be rewarded with new garden items, clothing and even rare plant fertilizers which can have surprising effects. It would seem a lot of effort has gone into making this game as customizable as possible, and though dressing mama up in a bright green T-Shirt with massive flower earrings and a beret may not have much impact on your gardening skill it can be quite fun.

To add depth to the game Gardening mama not only required the initial action of planting your plants, but also requires you to complete additional tasks to keep your growings in good health. For example once you have planted the seeds the game will often call you back from the main menu telling you that your plants are wilting and need attention. You must then complete a variety of maintenance tasks from watering to re-potting and pest control in order to keep your plants alive and gain higher scores. If at this point you choose to neglect your plants they will eventually wither and die. Ah… thats probably where I went wrong with Stephen.  Anyway I found that this process added to the structure of the game, making it less of a collection of mini games and more of a story. Definitely a welcome improvement from the extremely charming but undeniably linear offering of Cooking Mama.

As with most games Gardening mama does come with a couple of disadvantages. The biggest annoyance to me was the speed at which your successful plants died. As with a real garden your plants don’t last forever, and I found that by the time I had reached the final garden nearly all of the plants in my flower garden were gone. Now I know this is what happens in nature, but this is not nature, its a game. Why couldn’t my plants just stay alive and give me the option to re-grow if I wanted to? This made me sad. As for the rest of the game I found few faults. Aside from the quite repetitive music (easily muted) and the fact that Gardening Mama can’t say the word “flowers” this was an enjoyable and fun game. A welcome title for anyone who enjoyed the Cooking Mama series.

Yes, this is Stephen

So is Gardening Mama better than growing an actual garden? Well aside from taking up less space it also proved easier, more colorful and less costly than the real thing. There is also less chance of wasp stings. Just as cute and noticeably more detailed than Cooking mama, Gardening Mama is compelling and addictive whilst at the same time being accessible to many ages and abilities. Of course the disadvantage of virtual gardening is and always will be the lack of fresh air, fresh garden scent and daylight. To truly replicate that green fingered outdoor feeling I suggest taking your Ds on an outing to the park. Play the game whilst surrounded by the sights, sounds and scents of nature. Sure you wont get to eat your own home grown produce at the end of the game but hey, isnt that what farmers markets are for?

Until next time,

24

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Gardening Mama is out now for the Nintendo DS

505 Games