I just got a PAL-release copy of Brawl, and I thought I'd let you know that nothing from the US game is compatible. You cannot use your previous save, you will get a new Friend Code, and you can't even load custom levels between each version of the game.
I can't fathom who thought this was a good idea. Either it's just a byproduct of the Freeloader, or it's someone at Nintendo who thought 'importers? F them one more time!'
Yeesh.
~Will
SSBB: Warning
PS3 'Real Triggers' - £3.49
PS3 'Real Triggers' - £3.49 delivered
I just found out about these, and they're brilliant. They turn your PS3 shoulder buttons into concave shapes rather than convex ones. One of my main issues with the PS3 has been solved - I can't believe I didn't think that someone would have made them already. According to a friend, GAME are supplying them free with PS3s and controllers, but that's just hearsay.
~Will
Community Spirit
I was looking at the improvements planned for Burnout Paradise earlier (£28.99 delivered on PS3 and 360), and what they're doing to prolong the life of the game is something that I can't remember seeing in any other game. Not only is the game extremely solid in itself - I recommend picking up a copy if you can, it's possibly my most-played game this year so far - the way that Criterion are committing to their game and their audience is just astonishing. You can read all about the changes and listen to their weekly podcast at the Criterion website.
As well as listening to the fans and working in modes that should have been in the game originally, such as online Road Rage and Marked Man events, there are also a host of features that most developers simply wouldn't bother with after launch. Motorbikes, for example, being added into the mix. Extra challenges for online play. And possibly my favourites of the new features - completely rebooting the ranking system to make it fairer based on community response, player-created or suggested liveries and routes, and the ability to assign special cars to whoever they feel deserves it.
The sense of community is something that I wish more developers would embrace. There is only the most thin veil of support for so many games, but the few who do support it do it so well that I'm surprised that no-one puts the effort in otherwise. For example, as well as Criterion, Bungie support the Halo 3 community constantly with their DoubleEXP Weekend events and the Bungie Favourites playlist, where they post their favourite films, snapshots, gametypes or level variants, downloadable straight from the game. Their integration with their website is also stellar - you can earmark any film or gametype from the website for download, and it'll automatically fire itself over to your Xbox the next time you boot up Halo 3 (£17.99 delivered).
And yet, some of the biggest games of this generation completely half-arsed its community features. As you'll know if you used the Rockstar Social Club in the first few weeks, it was criminally slow to update your statistics, and still doesn't register songs tagged in-game correctly. It's disappointing, especially since all it really is is a glorified leaderboard which displays information that is already available in-game n a different format. For something calling itself a social club, it's surprisingly closed off to anyone else. There's no forum for discussion about anything in-game, and as excited as I was about it when it was announced it just feels very hollow.
It seems like this sense of community is so very important now for gaming - not that GTA IV (£37.83 delivered on PS3 and 360) needed it to sell any copies, of course. But the reason I love my Xbox 360 so much are the community features that the others simply don't have. It's the first console I've owned where I don't simply go straight into the game as soon as I boot up - I'll spend five minutes seeing what my friends are doing, how they've progressed in certain games, whether they've beaten my high-scores or are further than me in the game I'm playing. And it's something that the PS3 can't quite match (at least until firmware 2.40 and Home are released), and the Wii will apparently never do.
I like that I can get together with my friends for Rock Band, but why can't I post a Drummer Wanted ad online and play with someone I would never get a chance to otherwise? We're coming up fast on E3 2008, and I really hope that instead of the hard and fast 'more immersion, better graphics' angle that we always seem to get, we also get a healthy sprinkling of 'community focus'.
~Will
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii - £29.99 (and contest)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii - £29.99 preorder
For those of you near one of the Gamestation stores listed below, they're having a Brawl contest on June 28th (day after release). First prize is a 40" Samsung HDTV, with a DivX DVD player and 5.1 Dolby Digital speakers. Runner-up prize is an iPod nano. There's one of each prize per store.
Characters you can use:
Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus Aran, Kirby, Fox, Pikachu, Diddy Kong, Zelda, Pit, Meta Knight, Pokémon Trainer, Ike, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Ice Climbers, King Dedede, Bowser, Wario, Olimar & Lucas.
Stores participating:
Birmingham, Bracknell, Burton-on-Trent, Cambridge, Canterbury, Crossgates (Leeds), Dundee, Edinburgh Princes St, Erdington, Gateshead (Metro Ctr), Glasgow Sauchiehall St, Gloucester, Hull (Prospect Ctr), Lewisham, Liverpool (Lord St), Merry Hill, Middlesbrough, Newport (Wales), Sheffield, Telford.
Don't forget to choose your city at the top of the page when signing up. You'll also be entered for a draw to win a Wii.
I think it's a bit odd that they chose an HDTV when the game's on the Wii, but hey, if I win I won't be complaining. No-one good go to the Cambridge one, please.
~Will
I'm going to be away for a bit - SavyGuester Hijack
I have a busy ten days ahead of me. I'm going to be stewarding at Glastonbury festival for Oxfam.
That means there is going to be some downtime for the bargains, as I won't be around to post. However, I have recruited a capable team of SavyGuesters, who will be posting some (hopefully) interesting articles for you guys to read.
I'll be back on the 30th, although I will probably be out of commission for a day or two...
SavyGuesters, Assemble!
Since I won't be here to moderate comments, unless you have a google account your comments won't get posted until I get back, but don't worry, I will go through them all soon after I do get back.
The opinions represented by the various SavyGuesters in no way represent those of SavyGamer, and should only be treated as novelty posts.
Mass Effect, Xbox 360 - £13.95
Mass Effect, Xbox 360 - £13.95 delivered
Cheers to Will for the tip off.
Xbox 360 Pro + GTA4 - £219.47
Xbox 360 Pro + GTA4 - £219.47
Apply voucher "GTA4LESS"
For an extra tenner you can also add either Halo 3 or Gears of War.
Sega Superstars Tennis, Wii - £16.99
Sega Superstars Tennis, Wii - £16.99 delivered
It's also in their 2 for £30 section.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Xbox 360 - £4.99
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Xbox 360 - £4.99 delivered
Sins of a Solar Empire, PC - £22.04
Sins of a Solar Empire, PC - £22.04 delivered
Apply code "B4U" for 2% off.
Lost Planet: Colonies Edition, Xbox 360 - £15.65
Lost Planet: Colonies Edition, Xbox 360 - £15.65 delivered
Apply code "B4U" for 2% off.
Mercenaries, Xbox - £5
Mercenaries, Xbox - £5 delivered
Boom!!!
Explodey!!!
Such a fun game. It's 360 BC too, and the sequel is on the way soon. Has a soundtrack by the same composer as Black (Chris Tilton) which I posted before, and it's just as good.
Panzer Dragoon Orta, Xbox - £2.99
Panzer Dragoon Orta, Xbox - £2.99 delivered
It's 360 BC too, although I have heard reports of a game breaking bug (any idea's on how accurate this is?)
Mount and Blade, PC - £17.63
Mount and Blade, PC - £17.63 delivered
Apply code "B4U" for 2% off.
I really can't believe that it took so long for this to get a retail release.
Really great medieval RPG, with fun realtime combat.
Dewys Adventure, Wii - £12.99
Dewys Adventure, Wii - £12.99 delivered
If you spend £30 or more, apply voucher "gugheq6xe" for £5 off.
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