Released on 09-Mar-2012

• Bank Holiday Games!

  
  

  It's the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, which means we all get an extra day off. So with the weather being predictably unpredictable, why not spend it in the company of some great games?

  Here's our handy guide for some of the best games to enjoy this bank holiday weekend, with ideas for children, for friends and family, or for getting some serious single-player gaming done!

  Games for the kids:

  

  If you have a kids and a Kinect, there's really only one choice - Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, giving the chance for the little ones to play along with all their favourite Pixar characters, like Woody and Buzz, Remy the Rat, Lightning McQueen and the Incredibles. Kids will love using the Kinect to interact with their Pixar friends, lifting, steering, flying, swimming and smashing their way through a variety of fun games that will keep them occupied for hours, and feeling like they're part of the story.

  
  

  

  For more quirky fun with their favourite characters, it's hard to go wrong with our wide choice of LEGO games. Kids can take a trip to Hogwarts and help Harry Potter and chums defeat Voldemort, set sail with the Pirates of the Caribbean, use the Force in Star Wars, or hero-up alongside Batman or Indiana Jones. With classic adventures recreated in LEGO's trademark building blocks, and delivered with LEGO's trademark sense of humour, there's plenty for kids of all ages to enjoy - and for parents to enjoy once the children have gone to bed!

  

  Skylanders continue to be a big hit with the kids, and you'll be a big hit with your kids if you bring Skylanders home! The age-old battle of good versus evil is brought to life not only through the video game itself, but enhanced by the collection of character toys that interact with the game. There's a whole host of cool characters to collect and who join are brought to life in the game via the Portal of Power, so the opportunities for new games and new challenges are endless!

  Games for friends and family:

  

  When's the plenty of people round, a little friendly competition always goes a long way. Where better to find out who's best than at the Olympic games? And who better to play with than Mario and Sonic? Well, as luck would have it, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is chock full of fun contests that test a wide variety of skills, with unique ways of interacting with the action. There's everything from sprinting to table tennis, canoeing to show-jumping, as well as some imaginative twists in the 'Dream' events, like a long-jump that takes you flying from cloud to cloud. And all for a lot less than a ticket to the real Olympics!

  

  If you - or your party - starts to get a bit more active, then there's always Just Dance 3. The latest chapter in the hugely successful dancing game series continues to challenge all to bust their best moves. This time there's an even wider variety of dancefloor-classic songs from almost every era and a range of different game modes to keep the party fresh and four-player action for the ultimate dance-off! It's compatible with Wii, PlayStation Move and Kinect, and pushes motion controls to their funky limits!

  Games on your own:

  

  Looking for a game to put some serious single-player hours into? Well, you can always journey into space with Mass Effect 3, one of the biggest and most talked-about games of the year. This sci-fi adventure is as much an in-depth role-playing experience as it is a third-person shooter, promising a journey where you choices really define the way the game is played. Thousands of people all over the world have committed almost as many hours following Commander Shepard across the Trilogy, so why not spend this weekend finding out just why?

  

  If you prefer your role-playing a little more traditional, then the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Pandora's Tower are two fantastic offerings. Questing in fantasy worlds, battling mythical beasts, swords, sorcery and an ending based on how you play - the whole RPG experienced wrapped up in a complete package! Skyrim offers a first-person adventure and dragons, while Pandora's Tower gives you classical music and a very personal quest. Either game will take up your entire weekend!

  

  For time consumption of a different kind, Minecraft has finally made its way to Xbox 360 thanks to Xbox LIVE. This 8-bit phenomenon has become a global cult classic, with it's simple sandbox gameplay: mine things and then build things. What sounds so simple becomes perilously addictive as your skills and ambitions become greater and greater still, and the long weekend is ideal to get settled into a time-sucking game like this!

  Published: 30/04/2012

• PS Vita - Six Weeks In

  
  

  

  The PlayStation Vita has been with us for six weeks now. Those of us here at GAME HQ who picked one up at launch having been playing them non-stop, but we've been convinced to put our PS Vitas down for just long enough to give you our thoughts on the console that has taken over our lives.

  

  Hardware

  You'd be forgiven if you thought the PS Vita was bulky and heavy based on some of the pictures, but it's actually one of the most comfortable handhelds that we have ever used. The curved sides make the PS Vita comfortable to hold, and the rounded edges on the base ensure no discomfort after an hour's gaming with the PS Vita.

  If you've used a PSP then you'll already have a feel for the button layout, although the buttons have been moved up a little to allow for the dual analogue sticks. These sticks are surprisingly comfortable to use, and although were a bit more sensitive than expected at first, after a couple of games they became second nature.

  Overall, we've been very pleased with the look and feel of the PS Vita, but for us, the most important factor is the games, to the point that we've not even checked out all the Applications that came pre-installed! We've already shared our reviews of Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Unit 13, but here are some of the other games that we've enjoyed so far.

  

  FIFA Football

  Football on handhelds has always been a mixed bag; we've always wanted the full FIFA experience on the go, but enjoyed the 'arcade' feel of previous handheld outings. Well, FIFA Football on the PS Vita delivers the experience that we've craved, and with the new analogue sticks instead of the PSP nub, FIFA plays superbly.

  The controls are standard for PS3 FIFA, but EA has added Touchscreen and Rear Touch Pad controls too. Using the Touchscreen you'll be able to pass by tapping where you want the ball to go which allows you to set up perfect through balls. The Rear touch pad is used for scoring - tap or hold on the touch pad for where you want to shoot. Both of these methods are surprisingly accurate and fun to use, but if you are more old skool, then you can turn this method off.

  FIFA Football for PS Vita gives you the FIFA experience and looks great on the OLED screen. If you're a football aficionado and want to score on the go, FIFA Football is a must have!

  

  ModNation Racers: Road Trip

  This cute and cuddly looking racer hides the heart of a lion as you create, customise and share your creations with the ModNation Community. Using the Touchscreen allows you to move character parts into the exact position that you want, plus you can doodle the track on the screen and let the auto populate run. You'll even be able to download community created content from PS3 users!

  Driving in ModNation is fun and chaotic as you'd expect from a karting game with crazy characters and weapons littering the track, using the left stick to steer and the right stick to swipe at other racers if they're too close for comfort!

  The only thing missing from ModNation Racers: RT is online racing, but with the possibility for infinite number of karts, tracks and racers, ModNation Racers has the possibility for infinite fun.

  

  Ridge Racer

  Ridge Racer drifts beautifully onto the PS Vita with gorgeous graphics and the standard tight controls that are needed when drifting a car round a corner at 140 mph! If you've ever played Ridge Racer then you'll know what to expect - fast cars, fast corners and great music that gets you in the driving mood.

  The big difference between this and previous Ridge Racer titles is that this version only comes with 5 cars and 3 tracks on the cartridge. Fortunately the Gold Pass that comes packaged with a new copy of the game will grant you access to most of the downloadable content, including cars and tracks, when they become available.

  Existing Ridge Racers might feel a little let down by having to wait for the new tracks and cars, but if you've never played Ridge Racer, then this is a great way to start.

  

  Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

  Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 brings big name beat 'em ups to the PS Vita (we're yet to try Reality Fighters), pitting some of Capcom and Marvel's biggest characters against each other in three-a-side tag-team battles. There's an impressive selection of characters which allows for some cool combinations (our pick - Dante, Ghost Rider and Deadpool), and when your special bar has enough juice you can unleash team attacks.

  The controls for UMVC3 are easy to pick up so novices will be able to jump straight into the fun, while anyone whose played previous Marvel vs. Capcom titles won't be disappointed either. It looks great, the range of characters is great, and with some great modes to play through this one's a keeper.

  

  LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7

  LEGO games have always been a favourite for us, so LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 was a must-have. The last four films (or last three books, for non-muggles out there) are brought to life, with each film broken down into chapters, and sub chapters for you to play through. With LEGO putting its usual humorous spin on even the saddest moments, you'll want to go through all of these both in story mode, and then again in free mode!

  Visually, LEGO HP 5-7 is almost on par with the PS3 version which is impressive. The controls are mirrored to the PS3 as well so they'll be no difficulty in getting your teeth into this. Anyone familiar with LEGO games will definitely enjoy visiting Hogwarts on your PS Vita; LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 is a great title for younger PS Vita players, or older gamers who are looking to satisfy their inner child.

  
  

  So those are our thoughts on the PS Vita as we've played it so far - but how are you getting on with yours? We've not quite had the chance to do everything, so if there are any games you've tried and we haven't, or if you have any of the other features to rave about, why not leave a comment below?

  Published: 28/03/2012

• Games for the kids

  GAME rounds up a selection of the best portable titles to keep youngsters entertained and out of trouble.

  Spooky puzzling

  The latest chapter in the popular puzzle adventure franchise, Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call (DSi, DS Lite) features a prequel storyline that invites players to help the top-hatted professor solve his very first case, the eerie mystery behind the Misthallery spectre. With more brain-teasing treats than any previous series instalment, all of which are suitable for players of all skill levels and intertwine with the story in clever ways, youl need to explore and investigate environments, interview residents and solve the puzzles that confront you to crack the case.

  Magical adventures

  Based on the last three Harry Potter books and final four films, Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, DSi, DS Lite, PSP, PC) allows players of all ages to immerse themselves in their favourite characters and environments as they discover new adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Blending family friendly action gameplay, puzzle-solving and exploration with the distinctive brand of LEGO humour and charm, players will encounter new faces, challenges and magic that equip them with the tools necessary to challenge a host of foes.

  Monstrous pets

  Combining adoptable pet monsters with safe social networking, games, stories, missions and educational puzzles, Moshi Monsters is a social online world for kids aged 6-12 that has become a phenomenon with over 50 million registered users worldwide. The first video game in the series, Moshi Monsters: Moshing Zoo (DSi, DS Lite) offers fans a fresh take on the Moshi universe with new locations to explore in search of rare pets, plus a variety of mini-games, puzzles and awards to win that should make it perfect for keeping the little one's busy for hours.

  A new dimension in gaming

  Offering 2D and 3D gaming without the need for special glasses, Nintendo 3DS Console Metallic Red with Mario Kart 7 ushers in a new era of handheld play. Boasting touch screen, analogue and motion controls, the ability to take 3D pictures and videos, plus full support for DS Lite and DSi games, it delivers the excitement of the new alongside cherished older features. Mario Kart 7 also mixes old and new to great effect, with 16 fresh courses and 16 classic ones, new airborne and underwater sections to compliment the on-track action, and kart customisation options to deliver one of the slickest racing games to date.

  Platforming evolved

  Mixing the best of Mario games from yesteryear with new ideas and technology, Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) is must-play title for newcomers and series veterans alike. It allows players to run, jump, hover and glide through a series of magical worlds, collecting coins, bumping question blocks and stomping on enemies in the first Mario platforming environment displayed in true 3D. The next evolution in Mario gameplay, players will experience an exhilarating new sense of depth, distance and speed as they navigate environmental challenges to reach the finish line and explore fantastical levels in search of fresh items, power-ups and hidden secrets.
  

  Published: 08/12/2011

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