Nintendo DSi [Black/White] - £119.77 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Nintendo DSi [Black/White] - £119.77
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Nintendo DS Lite [Turquoise/Green] - £70.84
Nintendo DS Lite [Turquoise/Green] - £70.84 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Play TV, PS3 - £46.37
Play TV, PS3 - £46.37 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adaptor - £34.63
Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adaptor - £34.63 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Project Gotham Racing 4 + Microsoft Wireless Wheel, Xbox 360 - £56.16
Project Gotham Racing 4 + Microsoft Wireless Wheel, Xbox 360 - £56.16 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Wii Fit, Wii - £41.48
Wii Fit, Wii - £41.48 delivered
Apply code "ZG310" to get £30 off.
Now, a word of warning. Additions Direct are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Far Cry 2, Xbox 360 - £13.49
Far Cry 2, Xbox 360 - £13.49 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Jericho [Special Edition], Xbox 360 - £9.99
Jericho [Special Edition], Xbox 360 - £9.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Xbox 360 - £19.54
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Xbox 360 - £19.54 in store at Sainbury's
Thanks to plaido for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, PS3 - £19.54
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, PS3 - £19.54 in store at Sainbury's
Thanks to plaido for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Rock Band: Song Pack 2, Xbox 360 - £17.99
Rock Band: Song Pack 2, Xbox 360 - £17.99 delivered
This pack contains 20 songs on the disc, and also comes with download codes to let you put the songs on your hard drive.
Songs on Rock Band cost 160 MS Points, so based on the cheapest MS Points currently available, that is roughly 96p per track. Based on the RRP for MS Points, it is £1.36.
This track pack comes with 20 songs, at £17.99. So that is roughly 90p per track.
The downside is that obviously you don't get to pick and choose which songs you get. But you can also sell on/trade in the disc once you have downloaded the songs.
It's kind of ridiculous that it costs significantly more to get Harmonix to send you some ones and zeros than it does to get them to package up a disc, ship it to a retailer, give the retailer a profit margin, and then post it to you. I guess it is a symptom of the immaturity of the market for DLC.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
1 comments
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Xbox 360 - £11.98
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Xbox 360 - £11.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
BioShock [Collectors Edition], Xbox 360 - £29.99
BioShock [Collectors Edition], Xbox 360 - £29.99 delivered
I've not seen these in stock anywhere for a long time, and this isn't a bad price for it.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, Wii - £17.99
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, Wii - £17.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Klonoa, Wii - £14.99
Klonoa, Wii - £14.99 delivered
Cheers to RetroEd for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
16.5.09
0
comments
Civilization IV: The Complete Edition - £19.21
Civilization IV: The Complete Edition - £19.21 delivered
Civilization IV has had 3 different expansion packs, Warlords, Beyond the Sword and Colonization. Now, just to be confusing, it has been rereleased as "Civilization IV: The Complete Edition" twice. Once with CivIV, Warlords and Beyond the Sword, and then again, more recently, also with Colonization.
At the moment, the game and all 3 expansions is £22.49 on Steam, but it is cheaper to buy retail versions of the game.
Civilization IV: The Complete Edition (minus Colonization), PC - £9.23 delivered
Civilization IV: Colonization, PC - £9.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
15.5.09
0
comments
2,100 MS Points - £12.54
I've not been able to test this one myself, Littlewoods website is being unstable for me at the minute, but I have it on good authority that this should work.
Grab these, then apply code "ZG007", and it should come to £12.54.
Now, a word of warning. Littlewoods are pretty sly, and won't think twice of just charging you more than the checkout process says (which is actually illegal), and making you fight to get the price you were quoted. It will probably work out ok, but I have had bad experiences with them in the past. I would say document the entire transactions with screendumps, just to be on the safe side.
Thanks to Mark for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
15.5.09
3
comments
Telltale games discount
I already posted the Steam special offers, but Telltale have also got a special offer when buying direct from them.
The Steam special offers are better, but you can get physical copies, and various bundles, discounted from Telltale games if you want. Wallace and Gromit is also not included in the Steam sale.
Link
Coupon "247-6LE-8JW-H9Y"
Posted by
LewieP
at
15.5.09
0
comments
Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Xbox 360 - £17.95
Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Xbox 360 - £17.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
15.5.09
2
comments
Twisted Metal: Head On, PSP - £4.99
Twisted Metal: Head On, PSP - £4.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
15.5.09
0
comments
The Conduit, Wii - £26.99
The Conduit, Wii - £26.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, PS3 - Free
Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, PS3 - Free
You have to set up a USA PSN account, which isn't too hard. Offer available until Thursday the 21st of May.
Thanks to Sarge for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Klonoa, Wii - £17.99
Klonoa, Wii - £17.99 delivered
Fantastic pre-order price.
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Telltale games - Half Price
Sam & Max: Season One - £8.49
Sam & Max: Season Two - £9.49
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Season One - £9.49
Half price until Monday the 18th of May.
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
1 comments
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, PC - £14.95
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, PC - £14.95
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Bionic Commando Rearmed, PSN - £3.99
Bionic Commando Rearmed, PSN - £3.99
Half price until Thursday the 21st of May.
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Street Fighter IV [Collectors Edition], Xbox 360 - £29.99
Street Fighter IV [Collectors Edition], Xbox 360 - £29.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Street Fighter IV [Collectors Edition], PS3 - £29.99
Street Fighter IV [Collectors Edition], PS3 - £29.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
House Of The Dead: Overkill [Collectors Edition], Wii - £25.91
House Of The Dead: Overkill [Collectors Edition], Wii - £25.91 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
14.5.09
0
comments
Civilization Revolution, Xbox 360 - £8.89
Civilization Revolution, Xbox 360 - £8.89 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
0
comments
Overlord: Raising Hell, PS3 - £11.89
Overlord: Raising Hell, PS3 - £11.89 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
1 comments
PaRappa The Rapper, PSP - £5.98
PaRappa The Rapper, PSP - £5.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
0
comments
Alien Syndrome, PSP - £4.98
Alien Syndrome, PSP - £4.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
0
comments
New International Track & Field, DS - £10.80
New International Track & Field, DS - £10.80 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
0
comments
Little Big Planet - £8.73
Little Big Planet - £8.73 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
0
comments
Speedball 2: Tournament giveaway
It appears that CD-Action are giving away free downloads of Speedball 2: Tournament. They are giving out serial numbers which you then put into Steam.
Head here, and enter your email address. Or if you prefer to not get any spam, use a disposable email address.
Once you have entered your email, they will send you a serial number for the game, which you enter into Steam in the "My games" tab, under "Activate a product on Steam".
I can confirm that this works, my copy is downloading right now. The game normally costs £13.99/€19.99/$19.99.
Update: Party is over now, looks like they have taken it down. I have a few spares, which I will release in different creative ways throughout the day.
Posted by
LewieP
at
13.5.09
12
comments
Dark Sector, Xbox 360 - £5
Dark Sector, Xbox 360 - £5 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
Burnout Paradise & Trivial Pursuit, Xbox 360 - £14.99
Burnout Paradise & Trivial Pursuit, Xbox 360 - £14.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
House Of The Dead: Overkill, Wii - £17.73
House Of The Dead: Overkill, Wii - £17.73 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
Ridge Racer 6, Xbox 360 - £9.95
Ridge Racer 6, Xbox 360 - £9.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
Gears of War 2, Xbox 360 - £14.98
Gears of War 2, Xbox 360 - £14.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
2
comments
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Xbox 360 - £13
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Xbox 360 - £13 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
LocoRoco, PSP - £6.90
LocoRoco, PSP - £6.90 delivered
If you have a PSP, you should really get this game. It is happy and joyful, fun to play, and is drenched in charm.
Posted by
LewieP
at
12.5.09
0
comments
Gears of War 2, Xbox 360 - £13.49
Gears of War 2, Xbox 360 - £13.49
It's £14.99 in store at GAME, and £29.99 at PC World, get it for £13.49 via their pricematch.
Update: The price in GAME may be pre-owned, I will try to check tomorrow.
Posted by
LewieP
at
11.5.09
2
comments
Soul Calibur IV, PS3 - £11.95
Soul Calibur IV, PS3 - £11.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Soul Calibur Legends, Wii - £9.95
Soul Calibur Legends, Wii - £9.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Armored Core: For Answer, Xbox 360 - £8.95
Armored Core: For Answer, Xbox 360 - £8.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Armored Core: For Answer, PS3 - £8.95
Armored Core: For Answer, PS3 - £8.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Dragonball Z: Burst Limit, Xbox 360 - £9.95
Dragonball Z: Burst Limit, Xbox 360 - £9.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Xbox 360 - £8.95
Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Xbox 360 - £8.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Rainbow Six Vegas 2, PS3 - £8.95
Rainbow Six Vegas 2, PS3 - £8.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion [GOTY Edition], PS3 - £9.95
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion [GOTY Edition], PS3 - £9.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Pokémon Platinum, DS - £23.49
Pokémon Platinum, DS - £23.49 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
2100 MS Points, Xbox 360 - £14.95
2100 MS Points, Xbox 360 - £14.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
1 comments
World in Conflict: Complete, PC - £12.95
World in Conflict: Complete, PC - £11.99 delivered
Includes the original game, and the Soviet Assault expansion.
Update: Cheers to Anonymous for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
1 comments
Endwar + Official bluetooth headset, PS3 - £17.95
Endwar + Official bluetooth headset, PS3 - £17.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Battlefield 2 - The Complete Collection, PC - £4.95
Battlefield 2 - The Complete Collection, PC - £4.95
Includes the original game, Special Forces Expansion Pack, and two booster packs.
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Street Fighter IV - Collectors Edition, Xbox 360 - £34.99
Street Fighter IV - Collectors Edition, Xbox 360 - £34.99 delivered
Review here.
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Street Fighter IV - Collectors Edition, PS3 - £32.99
Street Fighter IV - Collectors Edition, PS3 - £32.99 delivered
Review here.
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Company Of Heroes: Anthology, PC - £17.99
Company Of Heroes: Anthology, PC - £17.99
Contains the original game, Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor.
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Sam & Max: Season One, Wii - £14.99
Sam & Max: Season One, Wii - £14.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, DS - £17.99
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, DS - £17.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, PSP - £17.99
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, PSP - £17.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
10.5.09
0
comments
Street Fighter IV - Review
Street Fighter IV, Xbox 360 - £19.99 in store at HMV (10% Student discount available)
Street Fighter IV, PS3 - £19.99 in store at HMV (10% Student discount available)
Review by Fig-D
Figuring out whether or not you'll enjoy Street Fighter IV is a fairly simple process:
Did you play Street Fighter II?
Did you like it?
Now, just about every game enthusiast born before 1990 will answer "yes" to the first question, but the real question is whether or not you enjoyed it. Did you throw a large portion of your pocket money into a dingy machine peppered with chewed gum and cigarette burns? Did you rent the game for your SNES or Mega Drive and lose an entire weekend beating up your childhood friends? If "yes" then you'll probably get a kick out of Street Fighter IV.
Street Fighter IV definitely appeals primarily to the old Street Fighter II fans. The kind of guys that aren't necessarily a part of the competitive scene, but know their hadokens from their shoryukens. Everything familiar to fans of Street Fighter II is here. The characters, the moves, the music, everything. Old school Street Fighter fans will be happy to hear that the entire cast of Super Street Fighter II is here, as well as a few Turbo and Alpha veterans and new additions Abel, C. Viper, Rufus, El Fuerte, Seth and the in-game debut of Ryu and Ken's master, Gouken. All the characters perform just like you remember from SFII, with the addition of Super Moves and EX Moves from Street Fighter Alpha and III respectively, and the new characters are solid additions to the cast. If you and your buddies haven't played a fighting game since SFII then you can hop right in and play it like it's 1992. In this respect I'd say that the game is "casual friendly," but there is a lot of depth hidden underneath the Street Fighter 2.5 exterior.
New to Street Fighter IV are the Ultra Moves. As opposed to your Super Meter, which fills up as you perform attacks, the Revenge Meter fills as you are struck by your opponent. Once the Revenge Meter is half full your character can perform a dazzling Ultra Move in which the camera zooms around to get the best view of the action as you deliver a series of punishing blows to your unlucky foe. Most Ultra Moves are basically flashier versions of a character's Super Move, but they're all a ton of fun to watch and can really turn the tide of an otherwise one-sided fight.
One of the biggest additions to the game is the Focus Attack system. By holding down the medium punch and medium kicks buttons your character will start an animation in which they gain a black, brushstroke-like outline. This move can be charged by holding the buttons down longer until it results in an unblockable attack that crumples your opponent. While charging this move your character can absorb one hit from his or her opponent, but will be completely vulnerable to throws and special Focus Attack breaking moves. The attack that's absorbed will still do damage, but this damage will be recovered after a couple seconds unless the damage would normally KO you or if you are hit by another attack that you fail you block or absorb. You can cancel the Focus Attack at any time during its charge by dashing forward or backward (quickly tapping forward or back twice). The Focus Attack opens up a variety of options to keep your opponent guessing and gives you some good defensive tools. However, the Focus Attack is not just a defensive mechanism. By using half of your character's super meter you can use the Focus Attack to "Focus Cancel" another move. This is tricky at first, and not all attacks can be focus canceled, but this technique can lead to some very damaging combos.
On the subject of combos, we encounter an aspect of the game that is definitely NOT "casual friendly." I am referring to what the game calls "links." The idea of canceling one attack into another is second nature in Street Fighter. Crouching medium kick into hadoken, for example. You press down followed by the medium kick button and then as the animation for the kick is coming out you do the command for the hadoken (fireball). The hadoken will cancel the end of the kick's animation and the two attacks will combo into each other. Timing is important, but not all that strict. Links on the other hand involve attacking at the exact moment the animation for the previous attack ends. A moment too early and the linked attack won't come out. A moment too late and the linked attack won't combo. Many of these links have an input window as small as one frame. Street Fighter IV runs at 60 frames per second folks, so that's 1/60 of a second. Its not impossible. In fact, if you take the time and effort then you can train yourself to perform these links on command, but most won't bother.
The single player offering in Street Fighter IV isn't bad, but this sort of game wasn't made for the single player experience. The presentation is good and the gameplay is as solid as it is in any other mode but the story is absolutely atrocious, the voices are cringe worthy, the anime intro and outro sequences are subpar and the AI ranges from dumb-as-rocks to Skynet levels of synthetic evil. Extras are about what you would expect from a high profile title such as this one: training mode, gallery, movie viewer, time trials (which unlock titles, colors, and taunts), survival mode (which also unlock titles, colors, and taunts) and "Challenge Mode" in which you are presented with a series of combos that increase in difficulty as you go along (which unlock character specific titles). Alternate costumes are also available as extras, but must be purchased from Xbox LIVE or the PSN Store.
The game's stand out feature is its online play and its where you're going to be spending most of your time. The game is very well balanced. In Street Fighter III the competitive aspect of the game eventually boiled down to using 2 or 3 characters. Capcom took note and made sure that no matter who your favorite character is, you've got a fighting chance. There are some stand outs, such as Sagat and Ryu, but overall it is a much more balanced title than their previous effort. The net code used by SFIV is good, but not up to the standard set by Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Don't even think about taking those link combos I discussed earlier online. A five bar connection is almost perfect, with a spot of input lag here and there. Four bar connections will definitely be afflicted by some amount of input lag, but most fans won't notice and the game remains smooth. Three bar connections can get choppy, while two and one bar connections are basically unplayable. Unfortunately, multiplayer lobbies, a core feature in HD Remix, are not included in SFIV. The recently released "Power Up Pack" has added Championship Mode to the online component of the game, offering tournament-style game play with double blind character selection and the ability to view your opponent's disconnect percentage (a problem that plagued the game's standard ranked online matches), but for some reason lobbies remain absent. This free DLC is definitely a step in the right direction and will hopefully be a sign of things to come.
Gripes and nit-picks aside, Street Fighter IV is a marvelous return to form for the 2D fighting genre. The gameplay is rock solid, the character balance is well done, the graphics are easy on the eyes, the character animation is smooth, the presentation is top notch and most of all, it's fun.
Posted by
LewieP
at
7.5.09
0
comments
Defence Grid, PC - £3.50
Defence Grid, PC - £3.50 on Steam.
Excellent game, incredible price. Buy it.
Posted by
LewieP
at
6.5.09
0
comments
Gothic 3, PC - £5.04
Gothic 3, PC - £5.04 delivered
It's £4.70, but you can get this too to bump it over £5 to get free p&p if there is nothing else you want to order at the same time.
Posted by
LewieP
at
6.5.09
0
comments
Fallout 3 [Limited Edition], Xbox 360 - £24.99
Fallout 3 [Limited Edition], Xbox 360 - £24.99 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
6.5.09
0
comments
Burnout Paradise, PS3 - £11.80
Burnout Paradise, PS3 - £11.80 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
5.5.09
0
comments
Pikmin (New Play Control), Wii - £14.98
Pikmin (New Play Control), Wii - £14.98 delivered
Yes the web site is hideous, but these guys should be trustworthy. It is SoftUK rebranded.
Posted by
LewieP
at
5.5.09
0
comments
Peggle DS - Review
Peggle DS - £19.99 delivered
Review by LewieP
Peggle, in all it's guises, is a funny beast. Dual Shot in particular.
It is a game where you are only actually doing anything a small proportion of the time. There is a 2D board with cleverly arranged 'pegs' dotted around on it, and you shoot balls from a centre point at the top of the board. Pretty much the only input you have is what angle to fire the ball at, and when to fire it.
There are 25 orange pegs, and you have 10 balls, and you have to get all the orange pegs to complete a level. There are several ways to get additional balls, like a high scoring shot. Each orange peg you hit contributes to a multiplier too.
The cleverest aspect of the Peggle design is mystery. At any given time it is very difficult to tell what proportion of how successful you are is down to skill, and what proportion is down to luck. I suspect that this dichotomy is what makes the game both incredibly accessible, and incredibly addictive.
Peggle on the DS should be the definitive version of Peggle. It has the touchscreen controls, which are at least as good as mouse controls. It has, in theory, good enough hardware to do a good job of the audio/visual rewards that Peggle likes to drip feed players, and it can be played in bed, on the loo, at work or collapsed in a gutter somewhere, telling yourself "just one more hit".
Sadly, I'm going to say that the PC version is still the one to play.
The most obvious problem with Dual Shot is the graphics. Peggle DS is kind of ugly. Like bad 90s spritework ugly.
This wouldn't be such a crime, but the iPod nano has a better looking version of Peggle. There is no excuse for the DS version (a dedicated gaming platform) looking worse than a version of Peggle made for an MP3 player. When the game zooms in, you can actually see that the 'ball' is in fact a square. It's a shame, because Peggle really depends on the flashy neon player feedback to work, and on this front, Dual Shot kind of falls flat.
I am also unconvinced by the physics engine. It every now and again behaves in a way that doesn't look quite right, and this has lead to me missing shots that I think I should have made.
A new mechanic to Peggle was introduced into Dual Shot, and I have mixed feelings about it. In previous games, there was purple pegs which would move about the level each turn, and if you hit them, you got a bunch of points. In Dual Shot, in addition to the points boost, when you hit 5 of them, you get teleported to a bonus level. In this bonus level, you can get an extra ball, and a shed load of points. It is certainly an interesting idea.
The problem?
The bonus stages suck.
It always seems to boil down to "try to decipher when you should and shouldn't randomly jab the screen." The luck/skill dichotomy that the main game balances so well isn't present at all.
It creates the odd scenario where I want to collect the purple pegs, because they can give you a lot of points, but I want to avoid them, because the bonus game is horrible to play.
All in all, I can see past most of these flaws. It is a workable version of Peggle, and it contains both the original Peggle levels, and the Peggle Nights levels.
It's just a shame that the DS version (which is also the most expensive version) lacks most of the polish of every other version.
Posted by
LewieP
at
5.5.09
0
comments
Dark Sector, PC - £9.99
Dark Sector, PC - £9.99 on Steam
On offer until the 11th of May.
Posted by
LewieP
at
5.5.09
0
comments
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller [Black] - £17.98
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller [Black] - £17.98 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
4.5.09
0
comments
I am still selling a bunch of Wii games on eBay.
I posted last week that I was selling some Wii games on eBay, and I was asked in the comments to remind you guys when there is 24 hours left, which is now.
Here they are.
Mention that you read SavyGamer and get 10% off the total price (including P&P) if you win.
Posted by
LewieP
at
4.5.09
0
comments
Space Giraffe - Review
Space Giraffe, PC - £13.45
Space Giraffe, XBLA - 400 MS Points
Review by LewieP
The closest I can come to flat out recommending Space Giraffe is saying "I would feel like an idiot if I didn't flat out recommend Space Giraffe".
I could break it down it to its component parts and say which bits are nice, and which bits aren't nice, but that would probably be missing the point. It, like pretty much any other game, is just a collection of graphics, sounds, and gameplay mechanics. It's hard for me to give any kind of definitive answer as to whether it works well or not, but it certainly works for me, and at the very least you should be open minded towards it.
Space Giraffe is a psychedelic, light-synth looking game about moving and shooting.
On the surface, it might as well be called Tempest 4000. The controls are similar to the tempest games, and the levels are presented in a very similar fashion, and the graphics are exactly what you would expect from a Llamasoft game.
However, if you are willing to look beyond these superficial similarities to previous games, you'll find a deep, rewarding, utter bastard of a game.
Stuart Campbell did a far better job of dissecting the gameplay mechanics and scoring system of Space Giraffe than I could ever do, as does Jeff himself. The most important new mechanic present in the game for me is the bull attack. There is a horizontal line visible on the level, and it's distance into the screen represents how full your "Power Zone" is. As long as it is not empty, you can bash enemies that have reached the top of the level. You will also get a massive multiplier for doing this. Your Power Zone is constantly draining, but it gets topped up by shooting enemies.
What this does, for me, is remove a lot of the feeling of fragility that was present in Tempest 2000. Now, when enemies reach the top of the level, I don't feel helpless, I see opportunity. It is risk/reward gameplay at it's finest.
There are a bunch of similar interesting mechanics all going on at once.
It is a great looking game. Yes, lots of people say "I can't even see what's happening", but you just need to look with better eyes. There is a lot of visual information you have to decipher, and there will be some doubt as to what exactly is going on at any given time, but that is simply part of the fun.
Fun.
Yes fun. Fun is one of the things that happens whilst playing Space Giraffe. You will have fun.
Unlike many other games though, it will make you work bloody hard for it. You basically have to concentrate all of the time. You will have deaths that you don't even feel are your fault. You might get angry with it, uninstall it and vow to never play it again. Then you will redownload it, and get a new high score.
It tells you that you are rubbish, it tell you that you are not really good enough to be playing it, and it is probably right at first.
But then you, even if just for a few moments, you'll do well. The brilliant (free download) soundtrack will step up a notch, lots of bright lights will go off, and you will be king of the world.
Jeff Minter has been making games for a long time, and has gotten pretty damn good at it. What he is not as good as, it seems, is marketing. Space Giraffe was not a commercial success, which really doesn't surprise me.
There is a demo, but I am going to suggest you don't play the demo. I downloaded the 360 demo, played it, didn't quite get it, then deleted it. Then downloaded it again, didn't quite get it, then deleted it. I went through this process several times before I got the full version on the PC. It's not an expensive game, the XBLA version is 400 MS Points (or two horse armours) you can get it on the PC for £13.45. If you are at all interested in it, get it, and play it for an hour before formulating any opinion on it.
I'm sorry for wasting your money if you buy it on my recommendation and don't like it at all. Hopefully you will.
Posted by
LewieP
at
4.5.09
2
comments
Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Xbox Originals - 800 MS Points
Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Xbox Originals - 800 MS Points
Xbox Live deal of the week, offer only available to Xbox Live gold subscribers.
Posted by
LewieP
at
4.5.09
0
comments
Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Wii - £5.52
Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Wii - £5.52 delivered
The game is £4.99, and you can either spend £5 or more to get free p&p, or pay £1.99 for p&p.
Or, if there is nothing else you want to order, grab one of these for 53p, to bring your order above the £5 free postage threshold.
Posted by
LewieP
at
4.5.09
0
comments
Wheelman, Xbox 360 - £17.95
Wheelman, Xbox 360 - £17.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
3.5.09
0
comments
Soul Calibur IV, PS3 - £12.95
Soul Calibur IV, PS3 - £12.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
3.5.09
0
comments
Lost Planet: Colonies, PC - £4.95
Lost Planet: Colonies, PC - £4.95 delivered
Update: Apparently this is £2.95 in store at GAME. Cheers to esteluk for the tip off.
Posted by
LewieP
at
3.5.09
0
comments
Infinite Undiscovery, Xbox 360 - £9.95
Infinite Undiscovery, Xbox 360 - £9.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
3.5.09
0
comments
Alone In The Dark [Limited Edition], Xbox 360 - £5.95
Alone In The Dark [Limited Edition], Xbox 360 - £5.95 delivered
Posted by
LewieP
at
3.5.09
1 comments
Retweet button added to posts
You may have noticed I just got all web two point oh, and added a "retweet" button to blog posts.
The idea of these is that if you see a good deal that you think either your twitter followers, or a specific twitter friend might like, you can just click on the retweet button, and twit it at them.
If you hate it, then adding the filter "|http://api.tweetmeme.com/*" to adblock will hide it forever, and you can forget all about it.
Don't forget me and Willeth are on Twitter
http://twitter.com/LewieP
http://twitter.com/Willeth
Posted by
LewieP
at
2.5.09
0
comments
Buy one get one free on selected games at Goozex
I have decided to do a bit of a promotion on Goozex. This isn't an official Goozex promotion, it's just something I am doing through the site.
I have a big list of games I am first in line to send, and would like to get rid of them quicker. So here's there deal:
You pick any two games from this list, request the more expensive of the two on goozex, and I will include the second game for free.
Here's the games, and their point values:
1945 1+2, PS2 - 300
Blitz: The League II, Xbox 360 - 600
Breed, PC - 100 (disc only)
Dead or Alive Ultimate, Xbox - 300
Dead to Rights, GameCube - 100
Doshin the Giant, GameCube - 300
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, Xbox 360 - 500
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, GameCube - 350
F-Zero: GP Legend, Game Boy Advance - 150
Galleon, Xbox - 150
Gothic 3, PC -600
Gunbird 1 & 2, PS2 - 300
Gunpey, DS - 200
Hasbro Family Game Night: Connect Four, XBLA - 750
John Woo Presents Stranglehold (Collector's Edition), Xbox 360 - 600
(The) King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax, PS2 - 300
LOL, DS - 300
(The) Matrix: Path of Neo, Xbox - 100
Primal, PS2 - 200
Project: Snowblind, PS2 - 100 (disc and manual)
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, Xbox - 100
Rebelstar Tactical Command, Game Boy Advance - 100
Robotron: 2084, XBLA - 300
Silent Line: Armored Core, PS2 - 300
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, DS - 450
Tales of Phantasia, Game Boy Advance - 150
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, PS2 - 100
Uno, XBLA - 300
XII Stag, PS2 - 300
Zone of the Enders, PS2 - 100
So, if you are not already a member, sign up. Request the more expensive of the two games you want, and PM me on Goozex saying that you saw this post on SavyGamer, and say which other game you want.
Posted by
LewieP
at
2.5.09
0
comments
Unreal Tournament 3, PC - £4.95
Unreal Tournament 3, PC - £4.95 delivered
You can put the serial into Steam too, and add it to your Steam account.
Posted by
LewieP
at
2.5.09
0
comments


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