While it’s always good to be up to date with the latest games, sometimes gaming can be quite a financial burden – with new games costing around £40 a pop, it’s easy to get swamped when trying to keep up with all of the new releases. But for when £40 seems like a little too much, that doesn’t mean you need to stop gaming. There are a number of gems out there, all just waiting to be played for under a tenner. Sure, they’re cheap – but most of them I would consider amongst the best classics out there. So here are my top ten games for under £10

10. Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX – PSP

Portable fighters are something rarely done well – often watered down from their console counterparts, or tricky to handle. While it’s true that it’s almost always better playing on a console, fighters are good for short bursts of gameplay when on the move. Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX is a great port of Alpha 3, the 2D graphics working well on the PSP screen, and with a ton of characters it’s easily one of the best fighters on the PSP. Definitely worth being part of any PSP owner’s collection.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX can be found on play.com for £9.99

9. Sonic the Hedgehog Classics - XBLA/PSN

If you haven’t downloaded Sonic 1, 2, 3 or Sonic & Knuckles already, I’d ask why not? If you’ve never even played Sonic, I’d ask where you’ve been for the last couple of decades. Still, there’s no doubt that the Sonic games are timeless classics, and for only 400MSP a pop (240 for Sonic & Knuckles!), they are excellent for low-cost titles, with pick-up and play gameplay, and will keep you coming back for more. The only reason that they’re not higher on my list is that there’s a high chance you’ve already got them.

The Sonic games can be found on XBLA and PSN for around £4 each.

8. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – Xbox 360, PS3

Who says cheap games have to be downloaded or portable? While XBLA and PSN are brilliant for cheap gaming, that doesn’t mean you can’t get hold of some full games at equally cheap prices. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands returns to the Prince from the PS2 POP games, with his time-manipulating powers - and some new elemental powers to boot. The title’s gameplay delivers, although it’s a little short – however, at a bargain price you’ll still get a decent bang for your buck. A Wii version is also available, but as it is a completely different game I can’t vouch for its quality.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands can be found on Xbox 360 and PS3 for £9.99 on play.com

7. Pinball FX 2 – XBLA

Zen Studios are a bit misleading with this one, advertising the “Full Game” of Pinball FX 2 as a free download on Xbox Live Arcade. This isn’t strictly true, however, as it’s simply the hub for the Pinball games that you get for free – you can sample a timed version of various pinball tables they have for sale. However, at 200MSP per table, you can easily get a nice selection for less than £10. Unfortunately some of the tables must be bought in a set of four, but there are a decent selection of individual ones up for download (such as Excalibur, and Street Fighter II Tribute). FX2 is an excellent pinball simulator, with great visuals and realistic physics. Even better, each table notifies you of your friends’ scores and challenges you to beat them as you go. Definitely addictive, “just one more go”-type gameplay and it’s easy to expand your collection over time. Since you can test any table before purchasing, you really can’t go wrong as you know exactly what you’re buying.

Pinball FX 2 is available for download on XBLA, with each table at 200MSP or 800MSP for the 4-table collections.

6. StarCraft + Brood War Expansion – PC

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – StarCraft is a great RTS. It’s straightforward, addictive, and has plenty to do. With the Terran, Zerg and Protoss races all offering a balanced, yet unique style of gameplay, there’s a lot of fun to be had with the game. StarCraft II has been released recently, but to be honest the original has everything you need, and even better – it’s pretty much guaranteed to run smoothly even on a cheap Netbook. StarCraft is my favourite RTS, and it’s a bargain title, too.

StarCraft (including the Brood War expansion) can be found on both amazon.co.uk and play.com for around £5

5. Brütal Legend – Xbox 360/PS3

Things are really heating up now – we’ve had some awesome titles but it only gets better from here. Brütal Legend (or Brutal for those who don’t want to mess around with strange characters) is truly an epic game. Featuring the talent of Jack Black (and plenty of celebrity musicians including Ozzy), the game is a tongue-in-cheek adventure in a world formed by the essence of metal (and by that, I mean the music type, not girders). The real brilliance of the game comes in the envisioning of the world, the humour, and the soundtrack. While gameplay does consist partly of free-roaming around the excellent landscape in Eddie Riggs’ car and battling opponents, don’t be fooled - it’s not advertised well that the game has some pretty heavy RTS style sections, which involve building up a stage and various metal-related troops to take down the opposing stage. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea – but still, the characterization, the world and the music make this game unforgettable.

Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Brutal Legend can be found on amazon.co.uk for £9.99

4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – XBLA

When I think of Castlevania, Symphony of the Night is perhaps the first that springs to my mind. A platformer/RPG, Symphony of the Night stuck to its 2D roots on the PS1 while most developers turned to 3D titles. Following the vampire Alucard, the game involves exploring Dracula’s vast castle, fighting bosses, collecting weapons, items and relics as you go. With a lot of secrets and items to find, as well as multiple endings, it would take a long time to truly discover everything Symphony of the Night has to offer. Supported by one of the best soundtracks of its time (if not of all time), Castlevania:SOTN is one of the series’ best games.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night can be found on XBLA for 800MSP

3. Assassin’s Creed II – Xbox 360/PS3

Assassin’s Creed was an average game, and while it can be found for under £10, it’s good points were a little spoiled by repetitive gameplay. However, Assassin’s Creed II took the fun parkour and assassination elements from the original title, and fleshed the game out into a vibrant and enjoyable game. Following Ezio as he trains to become a master assassin, the game gives the player free-roam over several regions of Italy. With a good story, plenty of side quests, new armour and weapons to obtain, and even a small town that you can upgrade, Assassin’s Creed II has lots to do, and would be a must-buy even if it wasn’t available for a measly £9.99.

Assassin’s Creed II: Game of the Year Edition (Xbox 360) can be found on play.com for £9.99. The PS3 version of Assassin’s Creed II can also be found for under £10.

2. Mass Effect – Xbox 360

If you’re looking for a game to keep you busy, Mass Effect may be the one for you. I was initially unsure what to make of the game, but it’s definitely one that grows on you the more you play. A sci-fi RPG with 3rd Person-shooter style combat, Mass Effect gives you the opportunity to take your own crew of humans and aliens into space to fight an enemy that threatens every species in the galaxy. Although I’m not a huge fan of Star-Trek style sci-fi, Mass Effect does a great job at dialogue, with compelling characters and a decent plot. While the game’s main story can be beaten rather quickly, the sheer amount of side-quests available fleshes the game out into something much larger. With dialogue offering different choices, and being given the opportunity to make several important decisions as the game runs it’s course, Mass Effect really gives you the feeling that you are playing through your own storyline. Better yet, the choices you make carry on into Mass Effect 2, which is also a brilliant game (although not quite reaching that under £10 mark just yet).

Mass Effect: Classics Edition can be found on both play.com and amazon.co.uk for £9.99, and includes the Bring Down the Sky DLC.

1. Final Fantasy VII, VIII, or IX – PSN

Final Fantasy games are renowned for being some of the best RPG’s out there – and there’s a reason for that. With good stories, lovable characters and exciting battle systems, the games offer exciting storylines that have a good length, and plenty of things to do on the side. The three PS1 titles, VII, VIII and IX are all available on the PSN store, and better yet, downloading them will allow you to use them on both the PS3 and PSP systems with no extra cost. While they’re definitely worth playing in their own right, the added portability factor really sweetens the deal, making for some of the best portable games money can buy. Which one you get really depends on personal taste – many regard VII as the best in the series, following Cloud’s battle against the psychotic Sephiroth, while I personally prefer the more medieval style of IX, with its lovable characters and mix of humourous and serious content. Either way, all three games are guaranteed to keep you busy for a good 30+ hours at least, and much, much more if you really get into it.

Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX can be found on PSN for £7.99 each

So there you have it. Got a craving for some gaming but a lack of cash? There’s always something good you can find without having to splash out on something brand new.

-Leon

Being your rock correspondent I felt it my not so solemn duty to visit the Brutal Legend stand at this years Eurogamer expo. After getting hold of the taster demo online, I was keen to see if I could find out any more about this metal odyssey, as well as to see other gamers reactions as they got their first taste of Eddie’s world. So it is without further ado that I proudly bring you the official ‘Girl gamers’ mini summary of Brutal Legend.

For those of you who don’t know, and I am very sorry if I bore you if you do, here is my short breakdown of the story. In Brutal legend you play as the extremely talented but greatly unappreciated Ex-roadie Eddie Riggs. I say that he is an ex-Roadie because in the starting sequence of the game Eddie is tragically killed (or so I assume, who knows) saving a foolish (emo looking) band member. Eddie is a true metal head who despairs for the techno rock world we now live in, so needless to say when he is resurrected into an entirely heavy metal themed fantasy land where he is able to defeat enemies with either this legendary axe or with his electric guitar; he couldn’t be happier. Throughout the demo you get to fight as Eddie, defeating hordes of hooded enemies and meeting his new ally and possible future love interest metal maiden Ophellia.

As you have probably guessed this game is entirely metal themed, something which was met with great excitement at Eurogamer. We know already that the combination of gamers + metal is a winner, but it was not until I was able to observe gamers reactions at the expo that I realized how much this game stood out from all of the other titles on show. Whereas other titles were either for the hard-core gamers with serious themes (Aka AvP or Heavy Rain) or simply quite silly (Aka Rabbids Go Home or Fairytale Fights) this game managed to be playable and funny on many levels, bringing a smile to the face of everyone from kids to hard-core gamers. This is to me entirely down to its strong, tongue in cheek metal theme, which is what truly makes it a winner in this Metal maiden’s books. After-all, Eddie is voiced by the one and only Jack Black, who to me is the absolute best choice for this kind of over-the-top metal adventure. The game graphics and menu screens remind me of a guitar hero title (always good!) with cartoon style, rock imagery being used throughout, and MOST importantly the whole thing is also set to a strong heavy metal soundtrack, which makes the rock theme of this game pretty much airtight.

As well as having a great deal of comedy factor, Brutal Legend is actually a lot of fun to play. The game is fun overall and easy to pick up. On the Xbox 360 most of the initial commands centre around the XYBA buttons, making this game accessible to pretty much anyone. The start of the game consisted mainly hack and slash gameplay, however there was the option to use more complex guitar solo’s to resurrect artifacts, bring down the power of rock upon your enemies and open doors etc, which I think could be interesting. I would liken this ability to the Ocarina in Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘ (Which I seem to be doing a lot recently but never mind) with the right combination of buttons needing to be pressed in order to unlock the guitar’s secret power. These combinations were quite simple in the demos, but I think they will probably prove more challenging during the game’s progression. As well as being able to electrify enemies with his guitar and decapitate with his axe, Eddie is also able to create small earthquakes by jumping, which is extremely useful when surrounded by enemies or in real trouble. I also like the added novelty of being able to choose at varying points in the game whether or not to see the gore, and hear the swearing – or to play a censored game. I have never seen the option to censor a game being presented within actual gameplay before and though I doubt anyone actually chooses the clean option outside of the original Expo showings (I certainly didn’t) I think it is a nice novelty.

An important part of the story tells that Eddie can fix anything, and this aspect of his character comes out during the game as Eddie creates a metal themed car he lovingly names his “Druid Plough’ to mow down his enemies. The addition of vehicles in this game breaks up the action nicely, and my visit to the expo confirmed my suspicions that we have not yet seen the last of Eddies heavy metal DIY. During my time on the stand I was able to see more DIY vehicles and creatures which become playable throughout Eddies quest. The screens to my left and right were teeming with metal inspired creations, everything from intensely cool metal motorbikes to bizarre natural abominations such as Warthogs with bike wheels (Get the irony?). Though I have only has a short time with this game it is clear that you will not be disappointed with the creativity of the level designs, nor the diversity of Eddie’s heavy metal playground.

And there you have it. A fun, loud, metal filled adventure, true to everything that had been promised. Every gamer I saw leaving the stand this saturday did so with a big smile on their faces, and even though it didn’t have the attention of some of the bigger titles (such as AvP and Left 4 Dead 2, the wait for which was enormous!) all of those I found playing it seemed well and truly hooked. It is true that this game was not as complex as some of the others on show, but in my opinion it’s not really about high scores or team battles, it’s about living the metal dream. Personally, and probably not to your surprise I wish I could play as Ophellia (we have a surprisingly similar dress sense already, all I need is a choker….) however that being my only request, this game will definitely be one for my christmas list this year.

More expo posts later in the week, as well as a little video treat. Until then.

GuitarGirl24

Since Eurogamer was huge, we’ve have a ton of info coming in over the expo. To help keep you up to date with what we’ve seen and covered, here’s a list of all the Eurogamer stuff we’ve covered so far! Also be sure to check out the Eurgamer 2009 Videos via the link at the top of this section as we post them.

Garvaos

Alien Vs Predator Multiplayer Preview
Dante’s Inferno Preview
James Cameron’s Avatar And 3D Gaming Preview
Left 4 Dead 2 Multiplayer Preview (With GuitarGirl24)
LittleBigPlanet PSP Hands-on Preview!

Leon

Assassins Creed II Preview
God Of War III Preview
Heavy Rain Insight with David Cage
Red Steel 2 Preview
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Preview

GuitarGirl24

Brutal Legend Preview
Fairytale Fights Hands-On Preview
Left 4 Dead 2 Multiplayer Preview (With Garvaos)
New Super Mario Bros Wii Preview
Rabbids Go Home Preview

Ray

Tutsunoko Vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars Preview

Sam

Mario And Luigi Bowsers Inside Story
Professor Layton And Pandora’s Box Preview

I just have to say this now before it explodes out of my like some sort of hell demon. Brutal Legend captivates, and utilizes Metal Folk lore, brilliantly everything that has been done in this demo, and indeed the game has been superbly thought out with original metal music in mind, we are not talking Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park here, we are talking Slayer, Motor Head and Judas Priest. Now that I have got that out of my system, the start of the game shows the roadie Eddie Riggs, he is the best roadie alive. He can fix guitars no matter how broken they are, he can build colossal metal themed stage sets single handedly and of corse shred some awesome guitar licks which will most likely melt anyones face around. But he is an old school metal fan who has been lumped with a band that is renowned for 21st century rap metal, and he is sick of it.

To cut a long story short, during a gig he saves one of the stupid band members, who thinks its an awesome idea to climb all over the stage set…fail. Riggs saves him but gets crushed to death by the set in the process. But in true metal fashion, his blood awakens the set he has built in the shape of a huge metal beast, which rips apart the band and transports Eddie to another realm, alive and well. Hell of a way to go I must say.

As a side note. Double Fine, the makers of Brutal Legend, put a neat little feature into the cutscenes. Before Eddie swears his socks off you are given the choice to ‘Hear every single nasty syllable’ or ‘No swearing please’. This also goes for gore, you can either have ‘No Gore please’ or ‘Show Me every Gory Detail’. I think this is a great add on meaning anyone can really play it, even though the game will have an 18 certificate.

Anyway so you awaken in this different dimension, realm, whatever it is. You awaken in a temple and for some reason in doing so you have really hacked off some priest demon guys. So naturally you would find a weapon and start defending yourself. Or in this case pick up the ceremonial axe the priest demons were praying around and hack them all up to bits.

Using the A button to use some pretty heft and pretty darn awesome axe attacks you make mince meat out of these guys no trouble, well I did anyway. The melee system in this game is simple but effective, I found myself quite happy hacking these guys to bits with a mixture of holding and pressing the A button for different attacks. Mind you, the battle system got even better when I picked up Eddie’s guitar.

The guitar is the source to Eddie’s magic power, by pressing the X button you can unleash magic attacks, this mixed with the axe attacks gave me a great opportunity to mix, match and experiment with the magic and melee attacks. Later in the game though I was teamed up with an accomplice to do some demon slaying with. If you press Y nest to your accomplice in battle you both then have the opportunity to do a joint attack for greater damage. Yet another great way of attacking for some mind blowing melee combo attacks.

The game then went on, killing demons and just being the most awesome metal music themed game of this generation. I took a minuet out from slaying demons just to look at my surroundings. As I said before, a lot of though and detail has been put into this game, and the landscapes are just brilliant. The whole look of the game could not be better in my opinion.

When I got to about the half way point of the demo I was told to use do a guitar solo. Holding LT down I was taken to a mini menu, Highlighting the solo I was supposed to do and selecting it I was then taken to a fret board with a button sequence going across it. After executing the sequence, Eddie did a massive solo which then summoned up some parts so he could build his huge metal 4 wheeled vehicle, which he then proceeded to construct. It appears throughout the game you can unlock more of these solos, which will do different things, maybe summon attacks will be available? Who knows, can’t wait!

After constructing his new car dubbed ‘The Druid Plough’ I was then driving through hordes of demons, running them down. When I heard about the driving elements in this game I was a little skeptical, seeing as the driving elements in tomb raider for example weren’t the best elements to the game. The driving was surprisingly good and didn’t feel too out of place, even though it’s very simple the level design and the environment just captivated me.

Then it was boss time, not going to spoil it to much here but lets just say it was a great use of the driving element and even though relatively simple pretty inventive.

Brutal Legend is a must play for any hack and slash or indeed metal fan. Jack black does an amazing job as Eddie Riggs, the humor is brilliant and the overall setting is awesome. Even if the driving elements are a little weaker than the fighting elements. Cannot wait for the full game this Rock-tober

-Garv

September 2009

Final Fantasy Dissidia – PSP

Dissidia is the all new Final Fantasy fighting game starring heroes and villains from most of the games of the series, allowing epic battles between FF fans favourite characters in strange matchups such as Cloud vs Kuja and Sephiroth vs Kefka. Boasting a story mode and RPG-esque levelling system, Dissidia looks to be an exciting title with plenty of impressive visuals and fancy battles. Definitely one for the FF fans out there! Dissidia is released tomorrow, so you won’t have to wait for this one!

WET – X360/PS3

A fast paced, third person shoot ‘em up that seems to be the love child of Max Payne and Stranglehold, the beautiful but deadly Rubi is out for blood. Featuring crazy moves and plenty of slow motion shooting, WET’s over-the-top action and Tarantino moments could turn out to be something quite special. The game is currently due for release on the 18th September.

Halo 3: ODST – X360

Everyone’s favourite shooter returns, although with a new hero. Master Chief steps down for a rookie of the ODST unit, in a spinoff title that is set alongside the plot of Halo 3, with an all new campaign mode. However, I’m sure there will be just as much alien-shooting and online multiplayer as ever before, as Halo will no doubt take the online gaming world by storm once again. ODST is due for release in the UK on the 22nd of September.

October 2009

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – DS

A spinoff of the Kingdom Hearts series, 358/2 days is set between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, starring Roxas and covering his own story between his creation, and leading up to his role in the second title. The game will be a full 3D title in the vein of  the main KH titles, with Roxas fighting alongside members of Organisation XIII in various worlds. The game will introduce new styles of character customisation, and offer some form of multiplayer. The game is due for release on the 9th of October; expect to hear more on the title beforehand.

Brutal Legend – X360/PS3

Starring Jack Black as the voice for the game’s lead character, Eddie Riggs, Brutal Legend is a third person title set in an open world where Rock is the law. Eddie finds himself transformed, his rocking abilities giving him supernatural powers as he fights using his guitar, an axe and his self-built hot rod to fight the evil powers that threaten the land, and no doubt save the day. Featuring cameos from rock legends such as Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and The Runaways’ Lita Ford, Brutal Legend looks like a must have for any self-respecting rocker. Brutal Legend is currently scheduled for release on the 16th October.

November 2009

Assassins Creed 2 – X360/PS3

Assassins Creed 2 will take all the good things from Assassins Creed – a free roaming world, stealth kills and parkour-style exploration, and improves upon it in many ways. The new lead, Ezio, is able to swim unlike his predecessor, has dual hidden blades, can use a myriad of different weapons and gets access to a host of contraptions from Leonardo Da Vinci, including the flying machine. Assumedly with an improved AI, and more varied missions, AC2 is looking beautiful and hopefully something well worth paying for. Assassin’s Creed 2 is due for release on the 20th of November.

My next post will cover what there is to look forward to next year, so stay tuned!

-Leon