Posted on Apr 14, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
French-based developer and publisher Ubi Soft has a reasonably close relationship with Disney Interactive. They’ve been known to take care of a number of Disney video game franchises and Quack Attack is just one of them. The game’s received a whole load of outings across platforms such as PlayStation and Game Boy Advance and it’s now coming to GameCube in its most gorgeous form yet. Yep Daisy’s in trouble again and you as Donald Duck have been charged with the task of rescuing her. With an attitude like Daisy’s it’s a wonder anyone can be bothered to start this quest in the first place. Thankfully the gameplay makes Daisy’s distress call hard to resist. As you begin the game proper you will soon uncover an assortment of unique worlds. You will begin in a relatively simple wooded area and eventually end up in the dungeons of Merlock’s castle attempting to rescue Donald’s annoying sweetheart Daisy. Right from the outset each of the game’s 20+ levels prove to be immediately challenging forcing a steep learning curve upon the player. And in certain points of view the non-controllable camera causes minor problems that make Quack Attack an even greater challenge. As you progress through the tasking levels you will learn a number of different fighting combos to help you defeat the plethora of nasties that roam the Donald Duck universe. It’s not an original gameplay concept but it’s one that has been executed well. Technically and visually the GameCube version is clearly superior to any of its predecessors. Controls are wonderfully fluid thanks to an excellent and precise analogue stick and the onscreen action looks better than it ever has. But ultimately Quack Attack is a brilliantly structured expertly designed platform game in the style of Crash Bandicoot and a great launch game for GameCube.
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Posted on Apr 14, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
We first heard the Street Racing Syndicate name mentioned around the turn of the millennium when it turned up on a 3DO (remember them?) press kit. Well the 3DO imprint has disappeared but the SRS phrase never went away. There’s no trace of the 3DO mark on this game - nothing visible anyway - but with a Namco logo on the pack to reassure us we’re surely in for a smooth ride right? These are the people who brought us Ridge Racer after all and this is their take on the tuner culture. Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed Underground caught on like someone setting fire to flames so what can SRS do to steal some of the accolades that (undeservedly in our opinion) went to EA’s overrated racer. Street Racing Syndicate uses a free-roaming approach to game progression; in other words you’re free to cruise the streets looking for opponents girls and places of interest just like in real life. Cash and respect are the two most important aspects of Street Racing Syndicate. Cash is used for the obvious - race entry fees upgrades wagers and so on. Respect has to be earned and is a measure of how well the other racers regard your standing and reputation. Respect is earned by winning races impressing girls and pulling off some nifty drift moves. Players can choose from 40+ performance cars from seven well-known manufacturers including Mitsubishi Subaru Toyota and Mazda. To give themselves the extra edge players can modify their car with a selection of aftermarket tuning and body-styling products. With four Arcade racing modes for a quick racing fix and a two player multiplayer mode as well as the chance to take on the career of a genuine street racer Street Racing Syndicate gets the green light for go from us. All you have to do is put down that copy of Need for Speed: Underground if you know what’s good for you.
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Posted on Apr 14, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
2006 FIFA World Cup lets gamers and soccer fans experience every footballer’s dream of bringing home the biggest prize in world football. This EA Sports game challenges you to lead a nation’s team through the highs and lows of qualification as you play teams from your chosen continent in order to amass enough points to take you to the World Cup Finals. Alternatively you can skip the qualifying and get straight to the tournament in all its Teutonic finery. As you compete in the 2006 FIFA World Cup mode you get a passport which gets stamped every time you beat another team. Every country you defeat earns you a stamp with bonuses for completing a FIFA WC Zone. Points can be earned as you conquer teams from around the world and these can be spent in the virtual store to buy kits and players etc. There’s a virtual magazine available in-game too with all the news and statistics to keep you abreast of all the tournament’s happenings. There’s an interesting Objectives mode included in 2006 FIFA World Cup which comes with a range of demands such as providing a feast of goals to keeping your team’s hopes alive against the odds. You can practise your spot kicks in the Penalty Shootout so you’re ready for those tense moments after extra time has elapsed with neither team able to get ahead. But 2006 FIFA World Cup is really all about the tournament itself and it’s comprehensive alright. We like to think we’re well-travelled men of the world but Cape Verde from the African qualifying group caught us out and had us reaching for the world atlas - at least until we noticed that the game menu was showing us in pinpoint detail where this island is. And did you know that Paraguayans have two native languages? No us neither until we started to pay attention to the menu screens. Very educational. 2006 FIFA World Cup is sufficiently different from EA’s aesthetically similar FIFA 06 - no faffing about too much with the management side of things for a start - and the strict tournament qualifying structure is a boon somehow. At the time of the game’s original release we’re just a few weeks away from the tournament for real and 2006 FIFA World Cup is the ideal warm up.
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Posted on Apr 14, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
1980 was the year that Pac-Man exploded onto the videogame scene and has never looked back. Since then the yellow dot-muncher has starred in countless games and has been the inspiration behind many different products from breakfast cereal to air fresheners. In Pac-Man World 3 it is up to you as Pac-Man to save the world from the evil genius Erwin. With a desire to rule the world the latter has created a machine that can penetrate into the world of the Ghosts - the Spectral Realm! All known life is in great danger because the Spectral Realm is collapsing into the real world and the consequences will be devastating. Pac-Man will meet many old acquaintances on his journey to save the planet and may even have to turn some of his old foes into allies. Pac-Man World 3 combines contemporary 3D platform game mechanics with much-loved traditional Pac-Man principles. The game also features well-known Pac-Man staples like Pac-Dots Pac-Chains fruit and Power Pellets while also offering new elements such as power-up smoothies a Pac-trometer and several special moves. Gamers are also given the opportunity to play as either Clyde or Pinky who each have their own unique abilities.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
The main character in Odama is called Yamanouchi Kagetora. He is a young general who must preserve the Way of Ninten a philosophy that puts the greater good above the individual’s needs. With the Way of Ninten guiding Yamanouchi he finds the soldiers under his command can group together to generate an energy powerful enough to defeat any enemy. Yamanouchi exacts his revenge using only limited resources against a vast army led by a general named Genshin who killed his father. The main weapon at Yamanouchi’s disposal is a legendary device called the Odama. This is a gigantic ball strong enough to destroy whatever it strikes friend or foe. Players must use massive flippers like those found on any pinball machine (controlled by L and R) to aim the Odama ball to bowl over enemy soldiers to break down defences and wreak chaos on the battlefield. Between the two colossal flippers the commander stands guard hacking down any soldiers who attempt to pass. The goal is to shatter the enemy gates with the Odama and direct a crew of men carrying a giant bell to pass through the opened gates. Gamers can use the Nintendo GameCube Mic (which is included with the game) to direct their soldiers out of the Odama’s way and into the battlefield. Players must prove that they have the skill to back up the power of the Odama. You can also command men to charge the enemy defend positions seize the enemy gates and much more with the GameCube Mic. If you are a fan of both medieval combat and pinball games - and let’s face it we’ve been waiting for a developer to combine the two - then this is a must-purchase.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
Any man prepared to cross continents packed with cute but vicious creatures to rescue his girlfriend is clearly someone of strong and persistent character. And it’s clear that Mario extends this work ethic to every area of his life with a very public and increasingly consummate drive to better himself in recent years. No sporting endeavour is too ambitious for him to undertake no hobby too demanding to find time for. In the last month alone Mario has already invited you to join him in exploring his interests in baseball and dancing rhythm games. Is it all part of some wider plan to shift some weight off his waist? If so our Bolognese-loving friend is having no luck - the paunch has stayed put. The punishing programme continues though with the news that Mario wishes to share with the people of Europe his shared passion for their beloved football - he is Italian after all. Mario Bowser Luigi Wario and the rest of the cast of Super Mario Land challenge you to join in their game of football with a difference with players endowed with highly impressive skills playing on rather unorthodox pitches. Avoid the chain chomps to blast the ball into the next with spectacular overhead kicks and long range Hasselbaink style efforts that set the ball on fire. As you’d expect from a first party sport title on the GameCube up to four players can join in the fun. And even those without their own GameCube might be tempted by the announcement that the game is also to be available bundled with the console in a rather fetching white special edition. A good proposition for those looking to expand their party game library.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
The Ice Age is coming to a close and our sub-zero friends Manny Sid Diego and Scrat all return in this adventure video game set in a slowly melting setting of waterparks geysers and tarpits. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown signals the return of Manny the Mammoth Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabre-Toothed Tiger and with a little help from Scrat the dentally-Challenged super-squirrel the biggest of all jobs is on: the furry foursome are soon aware that the melting ice will flood the valley in which they and their friends reside. It’s a platform/adventure paradise populated by animals that need to be rescued from a watery demise and with the help of the amusingly sabre-toothed squirrel from the first movie (that’s Scrat remember?) you have to help your bigger friends cross the cold-but-getting-slightly-warmer-by-the-minute landscape to safety. Who would have thought that an unlikely looking would-be hero’s collecting of acorns would lead to something so wonderful and satisfying as saving lives. Oh the joy of video gaming! Ice Age 2 we salute you.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
The main character in Odama is called Yamanouchi Kagetora. He is a young general who must preserve the Way of Ninten a philosophy that puts the greater good above the individual’s needs. With the Way of Ninten guiding Yamanouchi he finds the soldiers under his command can group together to generate an energy powerful enough to defeat any enemy. Yamanouchi exacts his revenge using only limited resources against a vast army led by a general named Genshin who killed his father. The main weapon at Yamanouchi’s disposal is a legendary device called the Odama. This is a gigantic ball strong enough to destroy whatever it strikes friend or foe. Players must use massive flippers like those found on any pinball machine (controlled by L and R) to aim the Odama ball to bowl over enemy soldiers to break down defences and wreak chaos on the battlefield. Between the two colossal flippers the commander stands guard hacking down any soldiers who attempt to pass. The goal is to shatter the enemy gates with the Odama and direct a crew of men carrying a giant bell to pass through the opened gates. Gamers can use the Nintendo GameCube Mic (which is included with the game) to direct their soldiers out of the Odama’s way and into the battlefield. Players must prove that they have the skill to back up the power of the Odama. You can also command men to charge the enemy defend positions seize the enemy gates and much more with the GameCube Mic. If you are a fan of both medieval combat and pinball games - and let’s face it we’ve been waiting for a developer to combine the two - then this is a must-purchase.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 under nintendo gamecube |
What an eventful history this game has had. Originally an N64 game by the name of Dinosaur Planet it eventually got scrapped due to the moribund state of the host machine and was reborn as an exciting new prospect for the GameCube. Soon later the game acquired the Starfox license and subsequently resurfaced as Starfox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet only to lose the Dinosaur Planet bit a little further down the line. So now we have Starfox Adventures - essentially Dinosaur Planet but not really. Set eight years after the defeat of Andross in the previous Starfox 64 - Lylat Wars to all you Brits - the plot sees the Starfox team discover a beautiful prehistoric planet (can you guess its name?). A sinister tyrant known as General Scales rules over this planet so Fox McCloud and his buddies embark on a quest to free the inhabitants from Scales’ evil clutches and restore peace to the primal paradise. Taking control of team leader Fox players explore vast 3D worlds lush in forestry animals puzzles and adventure. Either that or it’s in to the faithful Arwing space ship for some typical Starfox space battles. A strong Zelda influence is evident throughout what with the game’s third person perspective puzzle-based objectives and Z-target-style lock-on combat system. The latter element in this case utilises a mystical staff which is used for weapon combat and also possesses some magical capabilities allowing Fox to cast spells. Anyone who has taken a glimpse of the screenshots will have noticed that there’s a fair bit of eye candy throughout the game. A great looking fur-rendering technique brings life to the characters as they explore the environments - they themselves full of lavish effects such as shimmering water real-time lighting and depth-of-field blurring. As the GameCube continues to be drip-fed with great games Starfox Adventures represents November 2002’s ‘one we’ve been waiting for’. It’s a triple-A license a deep and immersive adventure and being Rare’s last GameCube game helps the celebrated developers go out with a bang.
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