Click here to view the embedded video.

Transformers War for Cybertron lovingly grabs the very best elements of the original cartoon generation and the more modern up-to-date atmospherics of the latest Micheal Bay movie blockbusters. All your favourite Transformers will make an appearance including Starscream, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Soundwave and even Omega Supreme, all slightly redesigned. The voice acting as you might expect is quite cheesy at times with the inevitable dialogue that creates an uncomfortable sensation within your bones, however Optimus Prime features the wonderful vocal talents, by the one and only Peter Cullen, so fans will certainly recognise the resonating impact of this classic leader.

After watching an impressive introduction video, you hop over to the main menu showing Cybertron in all its glory. Here you select the campaign mode, which begins with Megatron attempting to unleash the power known as dark energon, within the very core of Cybertron itself. This powerful and very dangerous form of energy has the potential to destroy everything the Autobots hold dear and luckily for you, you will be the one who controls both sides of the war. The engaging plot fills in some of the back story of how many of the Transformers first met and how their roles within the entire conflict were forged.

The fairly lengthy chapters are split into two sections, starting with five controlling the Decepticons and a further five with the Autobots. Each individual chapter features a choice of three Transformers. You can quite happily play on your own with two A.I. accomplices, although the A.I. isn’t exactly the brightest. There are times when enemies run straight past you and your so called helpers have a tendency to get in your way, but at least they have infinite health, so no need to put yourself at risk, darting over every 30 seconds to revive them. A three player co-operative mode is also available with the option to invite your online friends.

Each Transformer features two modes, which you admire from a third-person perspective. Fighting as a robot offers agility, which is perfect for when you are avoiding those pesky attacks. The vehicle mode will give you speed and very powerful weapons, although targeting is far more difficult. One of the nice features of the game is that both the robot and vehicle modes offer different weaponry, so you will find yourself switching fairly often. As your skills improve, mastering the fine art of what mode works best in your current circumstances is surprisingly easy. Transforming is achieved by pressing the left analog stick and although this can be triggered by accident on occasion, it is a handy method when you need to be moving constantly and dodging bullets and then suddenly transform on request to escape a swift death. Alternatively triggering the right analog stick will unveil an axe or similar weapon, ideal for close range combat.

Watching your health and ammo levels is absolutely crucial. If they begin to run low, you will need to locate and smash crates that are carefully placed around the battle, which are in fairly generous supply. Your fellow team-mates can also give you a health re-charge if they happen to notice your ailments. Weapons are also collectable, including huge stonking ones you can literally transform into and if you wish, detach to avoid enemy fire. That’s not all though, as part of your ensemble are the special attacks, which are unleashed with the ‘RB’ button. Spin like a crazy bot, raise a shielded barrier or release a devastating pulse, however which attack you feature depends on the transformer you are currently using. There is no cover system, but as you are in the middle of a war zone, finding debris isn’t exactly a challenge.

Online Multiplayer consists of a selection of familiar game types, including the customary Deathmatch and Team deathmatch, plus others that include carrying a bomb into enemy territory and so on. Here you can also create your own Transformer, well to a point at least. Selecting different abilities you unlock by playing online, weaponry, customising the two colours that are covered over your instrument of destruction and a few other little niceties. There are also four classes ranging from a simple soldier right up to a leader and this offers some incentive to continue levelling up all of their individual statistics.

Another mode available is ‘Escalation’, which is wave after wave of enemy A.I. that come crashing down on you and a few friends, until you are all vanquished or you somehow manage to reach the end. You can also revive fallen comrades, but be quick as the time will soon run out.

Transformers War for Cybertron uses the Unreal 3 engine and by golly it certainly shows. There are times when your jaw will literally drop at the on-screen wonderment and transforming animations. With a well known shared heritage, there are certainly times when you for a moment feel like you are instead enjoying Gears of War. The same dark surroundings, lack of colour and texture loading are indeed prominant, but if you are going to compare graphics with any title, hey why not be one of the greatest Xbox 360 titles of all time. The sound is equally impressive, with many of the auditory cues copied over from the latest films and of course the more faithful transforming samples.

Conclusion

I don’t mind admitting to everyone that I am a Transformers nut and although Transformers War for Cybertron may not be the finest example of gaming excellence, it does achieve one very important thing. You actually enjoy transforming and kicking serious metal backside from start to finish. It isn’t a faultless experience and there are certainly issues with the sometimes questionable A.I., yet you can forgive many of the failings for what it offers in return.

If you are a fan of either the original cartoon series or the latest cinema blockbusters, this title will be sure to delve straight into your passion zones, tickling them with ease. It is a wonderful nostalgic trip harking back to the 1980′s, while also strapping on the modern sound effects and atmospherics we are used to today. Can you really ignore this chance to take control of Optimus Prime in this amazing backdrop of Cybertron itself? No I didn’t think so.

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

If you would like to read reviews of this game for PS3 console, make sure to check out TestFreaks.

Based on the best-selling Fighting Fantasy gamebook system, The Shamutanti Hills is Book One in Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! series. Your epic quest will take you across the mysterious hills to the cityport of Kharé, but only if you outwit the creatures, traps and wizardry you encounter along the way. Play as either a warrior or as a wizard. If you choose wizardry, your survival will depend on your knowledge of the Sorcery! Spell Book’s darkest secrets. With many other unique features to discover, Sorcery! is a true challenge for novice and veteran adventurers alike.

You can listen to a few of the tracks I composed for the title by visiting my Last.fm artist profile page.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here are a few details for Yamaha keyboard enthusiasts…

• Style: MallorcaDiscoBeat (A Preium Style available from www.yamahamusicsoft.com, with a slight voice change adding a pad sound)
• Voices: Right3 – PWMLead (Lead voice), Right2 – ButterStrings, Right 1 – BrightPadBell, Left – BigOctavePad, Left (Last chorus) – HahPad (from the Choir and Vocals Premium Voice Expansion Pack
• Multipad: TechSeq1
• Tempo: 122
• Left Foot Pedal: HDR playback trigger, playing a couple of *.wav sound clips from the Windows version of Lemmings (Also triggers Harmony/Echo on registration 4)
• Right Foot Pedal: Style Fill Self trigger

All of this performance is live with no audio altered or added after recording.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We are creatures of habit after all and it would appear EA Sports are no different as they release yet another football title covering a major event. FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa may be considered a short diversion in between the typical yearly FIFA releases, but it isn’t quite as simple a decision as you may think.

FIFA 10 owners will notice very little change in terms of gameplay. Passing, throwing, crossing, tackling and shooting remain pretty much untouched except for a few minor tweaks here and there. You will notice a few more animations and a slight adjustment elsewhere, but actually FIFA 10 had it pretty much nailed anyway and these tournament releases often stay very close to their yearly counter-parts.

The clincher though for considering FIFA World Cup 2010 is not so much the gameplay, actually it is the overall presentation. You can’t beat stadiums full of fans dressed up in silly hats sporting their team colours among a deluge of excitement and confetti. If you were ever looking for a tug into the wonders of the World Cup, well this title has it all and it is absolutely plastered with atmosphere, oozing from the size of the stadiums, the roar of the crowds and the hype surrounding the event. It is impossible not to be caught up in it all.

Usually I find myself only glancing over the single player modes in World Cup based games as they more often than not feature very few enticements, which is why a lot of people will prefer a rental. At least here though you will be pretty satisfied with the selection on offer. By pressing the ‘Start’ button you can jump straight into a game with little fuss, however you will want the full experience by selecting the ’2010 FIFA World Cup’ option. 199 national teams are available obviously from all over the world, but only if you decide to head right back in the calendar playing all the far earlier qualification matches. If your team did make it into the finals though, you can jump straight past this section and hopefully into the knock-out stages.

‘Captain your Country’ will give you the opportunity to take control of an individual player on the pitch and prove your worth to the onlooking manager. Will you create your own player customising the look, weight, height and attire or select a well known footballer instead? If you have already created a ‘Game Face’ on the EA Sports website, you can even download this to the game so you can see your wonderful facial features applied to your character.

During a match your successful plays will give you an increased overall rating which are shown permanently on the screen. If you complete a pass, stay in position or score a goal, you will notice your section turn green and your rating rise from the ashes. You can just as easily lose these vital improvements though if you start to be a little sloppy, letting the opposition nab the ball right from under your nose. If you manage to continually impress the decision makers, you will eventually captain your country, but you have a lot to prove before you get to this stage.

It can be a little lonely wandering around the pitch, chasing the action while trying to remain in position, but you can encourage your team mates to pass to you if you hit the appropriate button when you don’t have the ball. The computer will then at least attempt to bring you into the manoeuvre, but do make sure you are in space first unless you want the pass easily intercepted by your opponents.

‘Story of Qualifying’ is a set of scenarios emulating World Cup matches, where you may find yourself jumping in at a certain point in the game a few goals down with various national teams. There will be a clear set of objectives to complete ranging from simply winning the game to scoring more than a few goals. What really makes this area exciting though is the currently locked section that will only open during the real-life World Cup tournament. Why relive past events when you can enjoy changing the fate of a real match that happened only days ago.

OK so the single player selections although interesting aren’t as in depth as FIFA 10, however online there is a couple of modes that may just swing it for you…

The appropriately named ‘Online FIFAWorldCup’ has you progressing through the finals again, but rather than playing the computer, you actually confront real people participating in the online gaming masses. If you can reach and then win the World Cup by competing against the often more masterful opponents here, you are doing very well indeed. Secondly you can compete in ranked head to head matches, where you start in a very low division, slowly progressing to the higher levels tracking your results every step of the way.

Both these modes offer a lot more incentive to play online and congratulations to the developers for embracing it the way they have. It doesn’t stop there though as your matches online will also earn points for your country. On the main menu you will notice the top three country ranks and you yourself can make a difference by winning games and elevating your entire nation up the leaderboard. You can’t get much more patriotic than that or worse feel the huge burden of a defeat knowing it affects so much.

The main change in the gameplay is the way you tackle the penalties and we all know how stressful those can be. A gauge appears on the screen and by pressing and holding the shoot button when the moving marker rests in the center, you give your player the best chance of shooting where you are aiming. It is not over yet though, as you also need to release in a precise manner to apply the amount of power. By adding a little direction with the left analogue stick, you have your new penalty shootout controls mastered, with a fair bit of practise. You can even add a little intentional hesitation in a bid to unnerve the goal keeper, but this also takes a bit of work. When the roles are reversed and it is your turn to be the goal keeper, you use both the left and right analogue sticks to move and dive. You can wait for the ball to be hit before making a decision, but as ever a lot of it is left to your instincts.

As far as presentation goes, FIFA World Cup 2010 is the business, with amazing representations of the newly built stadiums, instantly recognisable players that represent their real-life counterparts with ease and even the managers are there in all their stressed and cross-armed antics. The crowd chants are sublime and even the commentary seems to have stepped up a gear to match the magnificent graphics. The celebrations are certainly wild and I would love to see any football player attempt the moonwalk.

It isn’t a totally perfect story of course. Online matches show far too many cut-scenes, connecting to an online game can be a little bothersome with connection issues and the computer’s decision making skills of whom it thinks you are passing to are just bizarre.

Conclusion

It may be only a slight improvement over FIFA 10, however it is hard to ignore the magic that an event like the World Cup can bring to the title. You will feel all giddy with patriotism when you take your countries national team into historic battle, waving your flag and possibly shouting abuse at your virtual players. None of that matters though as FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa strives to push your dedication to its maximum and succeeds where other games have fallen short of the crowning achievement. If you, like many football fans around the world love to be encapsulated with World Cup fever, then look no further as this title shines in every department.

FIFA 11 may be only months away from appearing on store shelves, but can you really put off the chance to show the world your football skills and play for your country? Tough decision isn’t it!

My Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

If you would like to read more 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa reviews, make sure to check out TestFreaks.

I also interviewed Jeremy in my very first Vodcast as we delved into the benefits of the Vodburner software in general.

Enjoy the YouTube video below, download the *.mp4 version for your portable video player or simply subscribe using the RSS MP3 feed or via iTunes…

All the recording and editing seen in this video is achieved with Vodburner, with no additional software required.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First of all you will need a copy of Halo O.D.S.T. to access this beta on May 3rd, so hopefully you haven’t traded yours in like a lot of people once you completed the single player campaign. The Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta download is around 1.15GB, so grabbing a drink while you wait wouldn’t be a bad idea.

When you enter the game, you are greeted with a bit of a warning and an important request for feedback:

Welcome to the Halo: Reach Xbox LIVE Multiplayer Beta. The experience you are about to enjoy is a delicious sampler platter of multiplayer modes from Halo: Reach. Keep in mind that we’re testing out some new stuff, often under stressed conditions. Be prepared for a bump or two. That said, jump in, have a blast, and make sure to give us your honest feedback at Bungie.net!

First thing to do is press ‘start’ on your Xbox 360 controller to visit the settings. Here you can setup your control scheme (pay close attention to this as there are changes!), enter a service tag (a shortened name of your player, which is visible to your team mates) and adjust brightness levels. You can also customise your gear in the armoury if you fancy changing your helmet and suit design, not forgetting your logo. Even in these early days of the beta, you can view recordings of your experiences and upload them over Xbox Live for others to enjoy in the ‘Theater’ section.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Once you are happy with your configuration, you will now with plenty of brewing eagerness select the ‘Matchmaking’ option from the menu screen and choose from the small selection of playlists:

• Grab Bag
  4-on-4 Slayer Objective game types focused on strategy and teamwork.
• Free for All
  Spartan on Spartan, 8-player free-for-all action.
• Slayer Arena
  2 teams of 4 square off in competitive, seasonally ranked Slayer.

Unfortunately maybe due to my early access to the beta, Slayer Arena wasn’t yet available.

Even at this point, there are a few more options we can tweak… ‘Social Settings’ adjusts as the name suggests the preferences for your Chattiness (quiet or chatty), Motivation (winning or good time), Teamwork (team player or lone wolf) and Tone (Rowdy or Polite). All of these can be set to ‘No Preference’ if you aren’t fussed though.

As you enter your first game you will notice (unless you visited the controller settings first) that the reload button is back to ‘X’ and melee is now ‘RB’. A little confusing for Halo veterans, but you can always assign the buttons differently if this new method doesn’t gel with your idea of ideal. When you spawn you have a selection of what is known as classes, improving your Spartan’s ability in battle:

• Scout
  Run like the clappers for short periods of time.
• Guard
  Sacrifice your mobility for invincibility.
• Airborne
  Hover with a jet pack.
• Stalker
  Invisibility for those who love to torment their enemies.

To activate any of these classes you press the ‘LB’ button on the controller (with the default configuration). Jumping height is also reduced slightly so no more low gravity like hopping. This makes the ‘Airborne’ class certainly more tempting.

My favourite new mode is definitely Head Hunter. The objective is to track down the other members of the game session and remove them from existence, well at least until they spawn again. Sounds simple enough but this is not your typical slayer match. Instead you will notice a skull appear immediately after this brutal attack, which you need to collect. You can carry quite a few skulls on your travels, however the longer you hold these precious items the more likely you are to be killed yourself and then you have lost multiple skulls all at once to the person who not so kindly walloped you one. All your hard work in this case turns to dust. Thinking tactically, you must find one of the points on the map that you can drop off your sordid collection of skulls and then and only then will you earn any points at all. The mayhem around any of these drop off zones is fascinating, especially as they move from time to time around the map to add to the confusion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Another interesting addition is Stockpile. Here your team collects as many flags dotted around the map as possible and returns them to your own base. After a fairly lengthy timer, these will be attributed to your teams score, but only if you can defend them. There is a lot more to this beta than just these two modes, but I will leave you to discover and experiment without me giving anything else away.

The weapons are what you would expect from any Halo title, however changes and additions have been made. The pistol as an example encourages you to fire slowly, as your aiming reticule display is much smaller if you follow this rule indicating a far better accuracy. The rifle has had a visual overhaul and looks quite sexy for such a weapon of carnage, but reacts as you would hope.

Graphically there isn’t a great deal to shout about as you will notice quite a lot of jaggies on the polygons highlighting some of the less visually inspiring areas, but when you are throwing multiplayer modes in the mix, silky smooth frame rates are far more important and thankfully even in this beta version, with impressive explosions and other artefacts flying all around, you are rarely let down.

After each match, you earn credits which can be spent on improving the look of your Spartan for those who like to dabble with their appearance.

One of the best additions though is the queue feature. When one of your Xbox Live friends is online playing Halo Reach, you can select this new welcome option if you are currently unable to join their game straight away. Once they are available, over you are taken without any of the stress of previous titles. This ability would be great if adopted on other gaming franchises as well, so please take note developers.

Overall the Halo Reach Multiplayer Beta will certainly get a lot of attention from me and hopefully I will see you all there on May 3rd.

There are currently three DVD tutorial disks available including Getting Started: Exploring Music Finder, Understanding Files and Folders and Basic Sequencing – Recording using Song Creator…

Below is a YouTube video with Glyn Madden, who presents us with all the information regarding the current selections available including video previews and even a couple of short musical performances on the Yamaha Clavinova CVP-509:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Presented by Glyn Madden, Edited by James Woodcock.

To find out more about our Tutorial selections on DVD, click the link below:
> Yamaha Club Tutorial DVD Information

Viewing TV on a computer is certainly not a recent invention, in fact TV cards and even TV viewing add on cards that slotted onto certain graphics cards such as the Matrox Mystique have been around for many years. What really has changed though is that we have digital Freeview in the UK providing a much more pleasurable video quality than the fuzzy analogue signal of the past and rather than an additional internal card requiring you to open your computer as part of the installation process, the far simpler route of using a USB port is now the favourable option.

Windows Media Center has been around since Windows XP offered this option as a separate version of the operating system. I have had this, Windows Vista and now Windows 7 Home Premium (also compatible with the Windows 7 Ultimate version) of which the software has certainly evolved in that time, not a great deal, however the Windows 7 variant that I will be covering here certainly has a nice set of features that will hopefully interest you.

Stand alone units such as Sky+ have revolutionised the way we watch television in the UK stretching out to the millions of consumers who enjoy the service, delivering live television, pause, rewind, recording and the real masterpiece ‘Series Link Recording’, that has made watching our favourite programmes without these facilities a scary prospect. Well you don’t have to lash out money on subscriptions or buy a special stand alone Freeview box with an internal or external hard drive to enjoy these features as they are available right here on Windows Media Center through your computer.

I am sure most of us are used to the ‘Guide’ feature since we entered the digital TV age. This provides a list of channels with the shows displayed in blocks allowing you to view programme details, set reminders and more importantly configure recording options. Gone are the days where you had to enter fiddly Video+ numbers to set your VCR or enter all the information manually such as dates, times and a channel. Now we just select one of the programmes and press the record button. The real bonus though is ‘Record Series’, which will not only record the next episode but all episodes in the series even if the schedule is altered in the weeks and months to come. It certainly takes the stress out of watching ‘Heroes‘ where missing just a single episode can throw you off the already complicated progressing plot and of course this same logic can be applied to many television series.

Television can be watched full screen or in a window. I am lucky enough to have a dual monitor set-up, which means I have two monitors next to each other where the desktop can stretch along both screens. This means I can drag and drop windows from one monitor to the other and also allows me to place Windows Media Center in a window in one screen while I work on the other.

If someone rings or knocks on the door, I can pause live television and return later pressing play continuing exactly where I left off. If there is a good debate on BBC News 24 and I didn’t quite catch what the politician stated, I can rewind a little to replay that section. This really changes your viewing experience and we can enjoy it on our computers as well as long as you have a USB TV dongle, which are available for very little expense.

One of the newest features of Windows Media Center on Windows 7 is the addition of Digital Teletext. This has been available in other software solutions for computers for a long time and finally arrives here as well, which gives you access to news, sporting results and other information including the often disappointing Lotto results. It runs incredibly quickly and is yet another way of keeping you in the loop.

Of course not everybody wants to watch TV on their computer all of the time, in fact the opposite is true. With an Xbox 360 you can stream live television directly to your Microsoft console with all the recording and playback features I have already discussed. The Xbox 360 may not be the quietest device on the market for TV viewing, but it does offer a convenient way of experiencing the wonders of the software in maybe your bedroom or secondary relaxing area if you already have a stand alone unit in your living room such as Sky+. As long as your Xbox 360 is connected on your computer network through a router either wired or wireless, this is all possible as your console acts as what Microsoft call a ‘Windows Media Center Extender’.

It is a shame you can’t use your laptop with Windows 7 installed and use this as an extender as well, instead you would need a USB TV device to enable this function which is very disappointing. The other issue is of course you need some kind of aerial and if your room doesn’t have a connection to your main external one located on the roof, you may have to invest in an indoor version. This can be problematic as reception for digital can vary depending on your location not just within the UK but within the house itself.

Before I end this article, remember that Windows Media Center isn’t just a live television watching software solution, but a music and video player as well. You can even access Sky Player and other providers if you are a subscriber to their individual services. You can view your photographs and watch them in a fancy slide-show.

Maybe you are a student with little room for a television or for those who like me have a room with a computer, consoles and a television all together, it doesn’t take a great leap of faith to divulge in television viewing in this way. Although I have Sky+ HD, having a PC solution as well while I work is a wonderful treat and I am sure many of you reading this will easily find reasons to experience this method of watching television on a computer.

You may have heard of earlier software released by the company designed for use with Skype, which include Skylook and Callburner.

Enjoy the YouTube video below, download the *.mp4 version for your portable video player or simply subscribe using the RSS MP3 feed or via iTunes…

Click here to view the embedded video.

So here are the recent highlights:

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Gameplay (HD) – Xbox 360

SEGA (bless their little cotton socks) try over and over again to revive that arcade sense of adrenaline that is often lacking from modern games yet missing ever so slightly in many of their previous attempts. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing could possibly be the antidote to our frustrations and painful recent memories with a title that sports Mario Kart like power ups and weaponry, however featuring a rush of action akin to Wipeout HD.

Apparently the idea is to drift on the corners as much as you can and hitting the ‘trick’ button in the air to receive a speed boost when landing correctly. Alas in my first go (featured below), I didn’t quite get the hang of it although for what it’s worth I really loved the lush graphics and frantic pace.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Modern Warfare 2 Team Deathmatch (HD) – Xbox 360

The title that has shattered many sales records and who knows may have even been credited for the UK creeping out of recession by the extraordinary amount of 0.1% growth. Well you never know.

Continuing to shine online (although granted a few exploits are extremely annoying to us more honest souls), Modern Warfare 2 is attracting the masses, so if airports are your thing and a little bit of carnage goes a long way to sooth your stress levels, have a look at myself and a friend (Dirtee O) conquering those terrible foes and luckily winning quite convincingly. Usually hitting the record button creates all sorts of problems including wobbly aim, sweaty palms and the inevitable stab in the back reply grrrr.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – The Director’s Cut – iPhone/iPod Touch

I recently reviewed this game giving it an immense 95% and trust me it is really that incredible. ‘Point and Click’ adventure gaming never loses its appeal for me. There seemed to be an evident lull in this genre for quite a few years and instead first person shooters and other types of gameplay were all the rage and my old trusty gaming of choice, ‘point and click’, had been assigned to the history books.

Thankfully not any more…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (HD) – Xbox 360

I recently reviewed this game giving it a very credible 85%. Serious Sam first appeared on the PC platform and back then, it was attempting to recreate the thrill of multiple enemies and a frantic pace that Doom often represented, but not only did it achieve this goal, it also stretched the limits of the graphical hardware of the time.

Serious Sam has always been about slaughtering enemy after enemy, whose only goal is to destroy the likes of you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (HD) – PC

The PC version of this title has also benefited from enhanced visuals, so not to feel left out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bejeweled Twist (HD) – PC

This game really is a ‘twist’ on the classic Bejeweled. It is crying out to be featured on Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network, but we will have to wait and see…

Click here to view the embedded video.

RailWorks Train Simulator (HD) – PC

Not every game needs explosions, gun fights or a pounding musical track. Instead, your ears are picking up the rail clackety-clack and the sound of a living steam engine approaching from the distance. It isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I have no concerns in revealing my utter desire to seek my gaming thrills from something a little less destructive on occasion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am sure many of us have been badgering SEGA and in fact anyone who would listen, to create a 2D or at least a close to 2D, modern version of Sonic that we could love and even adore from the comfort of our sofa and admire on our high definition television screens. Project Needlemouse has teased us for months with promises that has even made me giddy with excitement and now the latest news has been released stating that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – Episode 1 will be released in Summer 2010.

Click here to view the embedded video.

SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced the first game developed specifically for the download market from the world’s fastest hedgehog. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I will be available via download on Microsoft XBLA, Sony PSN and Nintendo WiiWare, bringing with it the addictive classic 2D side scrolling action that Sonic fans have been waiting for.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I offers sublime 2D gameplay through beautifully rendered HD environments. Fans will be able to speed through each level with the classic Spin Dash move, and destroy enemies using the Homing Attack. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I sees the return of the much-loved special stages and takes players through a variety of different Zones, all inspired by the Mega Drive era.

Each level from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is separately selectable from the main menu, making it easy for players to replay their favorite sections as they wish. Long time fans will not be disappointed as they rejoin the action and face all new intense boss battles against everyone’s favourite villain – the ever devious and evil – Dr. Eggman!

Are you excited?

It is very easy to spend hundreds of pounds buying the hardware and the software in one complete package for a fully featured Sat Nav, yet if you own an Apple iPhone 3G or later, you already own a powerful piece of portable hardware, so why not save some of those precious pennies and invest in just the software side alone.

The Apple Store currently boasts over 100,000 free and purchasable applications that you can download and enjoy. Sat Nav solutions are certainly not left behind as already there are a few options including one from the well known TomTom brand and also the maybe quieter release of CoPilot Live 8.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Your Apple iPhone 3G/3GS has a very impressive hardware feature list that shouldn’t be ignored when considering whether you want to go down this route. Sporting an extremely clear and bright touch screen, while also incorporating a powerful processor to quickly calculate and present the information for your drive. In fact the iPhone can more often than not trounce the top end competition in the stand alone Sat Nav field with it’s specifications, so already we are off to a cracking start for our considerations.

Sat Nav in your Pocket

One of the main disadvantages with stand alone Satellite Navigation units is that it is yet another piece of technology you have to carry. We are often warned in television advertisements and with signs in car parks to not leave your valuable items in the car. How many of us in the past have flaunted our ignorance I wonder and stashed our Sat Nav in the glove box to save carrying it around on a hot summer’s day, particularly when you are a fella that doesn’t carry the treasure chest that is a woman’s handbag? Quite a few I would imagine!

One item you will always carry with you though is your trusty phone.  For fear of not being in contact with family, friends or work at the crucial moment, our phone sits in our pocket given pride of place among our other necessities such as our keys and wallet.  It therefore seems perfect sense if we purchase the software for our iPhone to add Sat Nav functionality.

There may also be occasions where you thought a Sat Nav wasn’t needed for your well travelled journey or you are relying on somebody else’s directions, only to find you are diverted off the course you remember or your friend has a panic and forgets.  With a Sat Nav in your pocket, you can whip out the solution to your directional nightmares and find your way back to civilisation.

A Small Budget

Currently available for a meagre £26.99 on the Apple iTunes Store, no doubt your first thoughts at this price point are of a cheap and nasty solution, however actually you couldn’t be farther from the truth. CoPilot Live is a wonderful piece of software boasting features you would find hard to match at anything like under £30.

Getting from A to B

CoPilot Live works very similarly to any other Satellite Navigation software out there and although the interface may be a little different, the process of selecting destinations, storing favourites, selecting your home and work locations all exist and many more features aside.

If you haven’t purchased one already, a dock for your iPhone to sit in while driving is a must and even orientation doesn’t matter as CoPilot Live will rotate and adjust the screen for whatever your preference is or simply for convenience. In both views the instructions are very clear to read although I am sure most will be tempted to choose the more Sat Nav traditional feeling landscape mode. Either way, the iPhone screen excels in its clarity and brightness. Another recommendation is of course to have an iPhone car charger, which you can have plugged in permanently if you so wish to avoid battery drain.

What we look for in every Sat Nav device of course is to direct us to our destination in the most intelligent way possible, without it sending you off the edge of a cliff. For the most part, CoPilot is very accurate and will not only know where you are at any given time, but will also lead you where you wish to go with the minimum of fuss.

It is extremely important with any Sat Nav device to have a sense of confidence in the route it offers you.  The temptation to ignore commands when you think you know better can be a result of a lack of faith in the electronic gizmo, but for the most part, CoPilot Live gives you precise and accurate routing.  It is only on fairly rare occasions you may have an issue, when in one instance I had a slight problem. The map wasn’t showing a left turn and instead thought it was one continuous road.  Every Sat Nav has limitations in this area and others, but overall I am very happy that for under £30 I managed to get to my destination without any stress along the way.

Lane guidance adds to your relief, indicating clearly with an on-screen image which lane you should be on when Motorways often diverge into two different routes and when you are about to turn off completely from the hustle and bustle of three lane travelling.

If you have an address of for example a friend’s home, you can either enter in the post code or the city and then select the road and house number. Even better you can select from your iPhones contacts if you have already added addresses to their profiles.

Like other Sat Navs, Points of Interest (P.O.I. for short) databases built into the software can be used to locate petrol stations, restaurants, hotels, major airports, attractions, parking and much more. The locations of those pesky speed cameras (or referred to as safety cameras on all sat navs) are also known to the software, giving you a little audible alert and a display on screen indicating the speed at which you should be cruising under.

You can even select whether you are in a car, walking or on a bike. If the light is dipping and becoming dark outside, your CoPiliot will switch to a less intensely bright night view, to make it easier on your precious driving eyes. Different views such as 3D (the default), 2D and even 2D next turn are selectable to allow customisation that configures the application to function exactly as you wish. You may also desire a change in the statistics it displays during your journey and of course CoPilot doesn’t let you down here either.

Dipping into the settings, you can configure the voice alerts to come in at 500yds, 1mile and even 2miles to give you plenty of preperation time. The downside is when you receive a call, which unfortunately disables your directions until the call is over or you decline instead of answering. On the plus side though, you can still control your music in the ‘iPod’ section, which gives you access to your chart favourites while running the software. Currently the music doesn’t pause when a vocal instruction is given, but apparently an update for this is on the way.

Expandability

Knowing where to go may not be enough to satisfy your lust for information, so CoPilot offers Live Services, which essentially translates as additional features you can access. The area that will offer the most temptation is the Live Traffic option. This will inform you of any delays on your route covering many of the major roads.

CoPilot has an extensive range of real human recorded voices you can select to read aloud the route instructions. As recorded voices, they will state the most basic information such as turning left and right and other such details you rely on. If you would like to go the whole hog though, you can also purchase a text-to-speech voice for a few pounds, that will not only increase the information given to you via the speaker, but also read aloud the road names which can always prove useful. With any computer generated voice of this nature though, the information can be read out in a most bizarre manner, stating locations with the incorrect pronunciations, or just the intonation is off adding to the confusion. All in all though, if you do want to avoid staring at the screen as much as humanly possible, this is the way to go.

Versus the Stand Alone

We may still be a little way off competing with the brute force of stand alone Sat Nav devices, however so many of the features are here right now on your iPhone for a very sensible and wonderful price of under £30. One day all phones will have some form of turn by turn navigation software pre-installed, but until that day arrives, you can’t ignore the amazing CoPilot Live for the iPhone. I will still use my stand alone device for the majority of journeys as I spent hundreds of pounds on getting the one with all the bells and whistles, but when you compare the two products and the price difference, you like me will be more than happy with the CoPilot software on offer.

Conclusion

I may have one of TomTom’s top specification stand alone units, however CoPilot Live for the Apple iPhone should be considered a wonderful achievement for both the iPhone itself and the creators of the application. Not only does it get you to your destination, but does so with an impressive feature set, clear instructions and for an extremely reasonable price.

Whether you are looking for your first Sat Nav system or simply an additional back up, CoPilot Live for iPhone is worthy of not just your consideration, but your hard earned cash as well.

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

iTunes Store Link: CoPilot Live UK and Ireland

I have also been given permission to capture and present this video of the gameplay from the iPhone 3GS, so please have a look:

Click here to view the embedded video.

To view more of my videos, have a look at my YouTube channel:
> James Woodcock’s YouTube Channel

Wishing you all a fantastic New Year and I hope you will join me in 2010 for more reviews, articles and interviews. If you want to have a go yourself in creating your own elf Christmas video, make sure you visit the Elf Yourself website.

James Woodcock
Freelance Journalist

Click here to view the embedded video.

In all honesty I haven’t had that much time lately to do much recording as I have been working on a DVD tutorial disk for owners of Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos. I have captured though footage off the Xbox 360 today which I can share with you now mostly with Christmas feel to it all.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In my Top 10 Xbox Live Arcade Games for Xbox 360 videos, I placed Peggle very highly and with the newly released downloadable content in the form of ‘Peggle Nights‘, you can now enjoy a mass of extra levels in both single player and on-line with friends.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We all love a snow fight and even though we are threatened with the white fluffy wonder this Christmas, it is yet to appear where most of us live in England, so Microsoft gives you the chance to take your personalised Xbox 360 avatar and pelt your Xbox Live chums with balls of snow right in their mush. Best of all it is free, just a shame your friends can’t take control as well to fight back!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Back to our Xbox 360 avatars and this Holiday season (yes that would be Christmas), Microsoft have also released extra costumes and props with a festive feel, which I browse in this video. If you love ginger bread men, may be a good idea to look away when he appears, as I take a bite right out of him!

Titled Basic Sequencing – Recording with Song Creater, this DVD covers a wide range of recording and editing features of Yamaha instruments.

Today I have made sure that all my gaming video reviews both in standard and high definition (HD) now support captions and you can see these below. Remember to select the lower right box and then the option [CC] within the YouTube controls to view the subtitles, which appears when the video begins:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hopefully this will be the first of many iPhone video reviews, so I hope you enjoy this latest offering. Please remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Twitter.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This month I managed to get a Beta key for the upcoming retail release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which demonstrated a few maps off the multiplayer. Overall I was extremely impressed with both the graphics and gameplay. Anyone who has played the original Single Player only game will feel very happy with the controls online as they are identical. It may be worth even recommending people purchase a PS3 just for this game alone, but we will have to see if the full game is as good as many of us have read.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

FIFA 09 stormed ahead in the race against Pro Evolution Soccer, converting many of the FIFA rivals to EA’s stunning sporting masterpiece. The FIFA 10 demo released recently and gave us a glimpse of the new gameplay features, animations and continued FIFA polish. If the demo is anything to go by, then we seem to be in for a real treat.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Colin McRae Dirt 2 demo also appeared in September, presenting us with gorgeous visuals and rock solid gameplay. The full game has been released since, but if you haven’t yet purchased the full game or even the demo, make sure you have a look at my demo footage below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Last but not least, Ade from MSXbox-World allowed me to upload a video of his crashing in spectacular style on the original Colin McRae Dirt with even a slow motion replay for a closer look.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you would like to see footage of a particular game old or new, please let me know and I will see what I can do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Currently I have three soundtracks available under my ScummVM Music Enhancement Project for download for use with the fantastic ScummVM application, which includes of course Simon the Sorcerer and also Discworld and Inherit the Earth. I still have plans to finish Beneath a Steel Sky and Touche, although I expect this will happen now in 2010.

I am often emailed where I am asked whether I will support a particular game in the future, however although I would like to take on extra projects there are quite a few limitations that you have to be aware of…

• Permission has to be granted from the publishers/developers of the classic point and click adventure game. As a lot of these titles are many years old, tracking down the contacts required to release the enhanced music can be difficult and even impossible.
• As with any project, time is always an issue and I don’t want to take on any more titles at the moment until I have completed all of the soundtracks I originally intended to work on.
• Many of the titles requested have issues. The main one is usually that the MIDI files are altered on the fly depending on what is happening in the scene. This cannot be easily replicated by external audio files and in fact can be next to impossible to achieve.

If you want to keep an eye on my project updates, please visit my personal website often and of course follow me on Twitter.

Available in High and Low bitrate versions, all three soundtracks are free to download and inspired by the original games and the ScummVM software. "For many years, I have enjoyed the wonders of the ScummVM application allowing me to play many of my all time favourite point and click adventures.  The ScummVM Music Enhancement Project gives me the chance to inject a little part of my passion for this gaming genre, while giving the community the option of alternative music".  James Woodcock continues… "A big thank you to all who have contacted me via email, Twitter and IRC regarding my work and also of course to the original composers, developers and publishers of the titles I have covered and the ScummVM team, without who this would not have been possible!"

A preview of all three games running on ScummVM with James’s music is
demonstrated below in this video:

Change Log:

• Simon the Sorcerer v2.0
  All tracks have been individually tweaked through a new master compressor to increase overall quality of the music.
• Discworld v2.0
  Introduction music updated to emphasise the piano tracks, 7 previously missing tracks have now been added completing the soundtrack and the music is fully compatible with the latest ScummVM SVN builds for use within the title.

To find out more, make sure you visit his website or follow him on Twitter for new developments.

This post originally appeared on the ScummVM website!

A big thank you for the countless emails I have had about this particular release and of course to Terry Pratchett for allowing my enhancements to be released for your enjoyment.

To install, extract the music from the zip file and copy it to your Discworld folder on your hard drive. Make sure you have the latest SVN version of ScummVM from their website or version 1.0 or later (when it is released). For best quality (although not mandatory), start the ScummVM program and select Discworld. Now select [Edit Game], switch to Audio tab and set Sample Rate to 44kHz.

If you enjoy my enhancements, please consider donating.

To download the soundtrack, click the one of the links below:

• High Quality – OGG Vorbis – Stereo (129MB)
  Discworld – Full Soundtrack Version 2.0 (17th August, 2009) (2497 hits)
• Low Quality – OGG Vorbis – Mono (24MB)
  Discworld – Full Soundtrack Version 2.0 (17th August, 2009) (452 hits)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To read the full review, click the link below:
> Fight Night Round 4 HD Video Review for Xbox 360

I have only had this keyboard for a day and with 450 backing styles and over a thousand voices, I will be enjoying the delights of this keyboard for a long time to come.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To read the review, click the link below:
> Virtua Tennis 2009 Review for Xbox 360

After much research and price comparisons, I finally came across the DXG DVH-596. This 1080p compatible HD camcorder at just £149.99 from Maplins seems far too good to be true, yet somehow even at this price point offers stunning value for money. OK this isn’t a tour-de-force of HD technology, it doesn’t have a super dooper long zoom, focusing is slow, a little colour saturation, slightly weird wobble when panning and I am sure if you paid hundreds more you could trounce this small device into a pulp, however we are talking about £150 here. Using SDHC memory cards up to 8GB (unofficially it is reported on forums as 16GB and even 32GB with caution), 1080p recording at 30fps and 720p at 60fps (frames per second), stereo microphone the video results are stunning. Also has a 5MP camera facility, but really you are best sticking to video only.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As I am sure you can see for yourself, the results are impressive and happily I didn’t need to break the bank to do it either.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So am I happy with this HD camcorder? Of course I am!

Here are a few of my latest offerings, however make sure you pop by my own YouTube Channel and subscribe so you never miss out on any future releases I create. You can also monitor my Twitter for gameplay video releases.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To visit my YouTube channel, click the link below:
> James Woodcock on YouTube HD

Click here to view the embedded video.

Roger has also been gracious enough to allow me to post a ‘bloopers’ version of us all starring in the promotional video, which hopefully conveys the amount of fun we had in getting it all together. In a bizarre twist, these more relaxed moments are probably a better portrayal of Roger than the actual promotional video as it shows the ‘real’ Roger with all his personality shining through on camera…

Click here to view the embedded video.

I scripted, captured and edited both these videos.

Xbox Live Arcade has certainly added a new twist to console gaming.  No longer are we forced to nip over to the shops, buy one of those shiny disk thingymebobs in the ugly plastic boxes for around the £35 mark, travel back home slowly teasing back the wrapping and security tape until finally you can insert your new purchase into your Xbox 360.  It is these first five minutes where you decide whether you have made a wise decision or whether listening to your friends online gaming recommendations has led you right up the garden path.

Xbox Live Arcade is our knight in shining armour though, offering free downloadable demonstrations and an affordable way of expanding our gaming library without even leaving the comfort of our house.  At one time there were grumbles about the lack of releases on the service, however now we are flooded with all manner of genres both retro and modern, so choosing the superior titles can be quite a challenge.

Let me ease some of your frustrations by offering what I consider to be the top titles that will tantalise your television screens from the selection I have experienced…

10) Worms

Based on the cartoon style of Worms 2 many of us know and love from PC gaming years ago, Worms for Xbox Live Arcade has all the charm of warfare without the risk of troubling your conscience spoiling the fun.   Millions of possible randomly generated landscapes with a selection of themes (with additional content available for a cost), bizarre accents and even exploding sheep are all available

Although a seemingly destructive title, there is far more to it than that as you will need to use your lethal arsenal effectively. Whether you call in an air-strike, throw a grenade, collect that tempting crate or take to the skies dropping a little goodie along the way, your choices will determine the outcome of the war being raged in this tiny, yet very personal, set of circumstances.

There is plenty of single player intrigue as you battle the computer through increased difficulty, but the excitement really begins when you sit down your friend next to you and take out all your frustrations on their little pink minions (Worms that is!).  If picking off random strangers is your thing, hop onto Xbox Live as you are sure to find people who like you, desire something destructive, yet charming. Be warned though, humiliation is an easy goal to attain without even trying.

9) Golden Axe

Who could deny the appeal of Tyris Flare.  Many a prepubescent boy learned the wonders of the feminine physique thanks to continually walking upwards on the screen.  Look at it sway. (clears throat)… Anyway, aside from the obvious appeal of scantily clad women of the Amazon, Golden Axe features good old fashioned 2D scrolling hack and slash adventuring.

Porting the original arcade version, it includes a few more niceties than the SEGA Megadrive (Genesis), including enemies that fall to the ground losing more than just the colour in their cheeks when they are defeated and the crunching of bones when attacking those tormenting skeletons.  The downside though is due to the fact the Megadrive had a slightly longer gameplay experience thanks to an additional section after defeating the notorious Death Adder. Where the two thrones appear at the end, there is actually a door on the Megadrive, but nevermind.

This aside though, it faithfully recreates the memories I had as a youngster as Golden Axe was one of my first gaming experiences and is more than likely one of the reasons I am a Journalist today. I was so chuffed when I completed the game on a single 20 pence piece and now here it is, but this time I don’t have to worry about any coin slots digesting all of my money on every occasion.

The icing on the cake though has to be the online co-operative mode allowing you and a buddy to tackle the evil together.  Although frightfully short, you may find yourself falling for the obvious simplicity and fantasy aspects. I mean come on… You can ride a fire breathing dragon for goodness sakes! Just remember to watch out for those killer drops though. Whoops!

8) OutRun Online Arcade

Another SEGA gem that has found new life on Xbox Live Arcade has to be OutRun Online Arcade.  Although I felt the title mocked us a little with the lack of modes available, the 5-10 minute nature quickie moment of gaming action on Microsoft’s service has allowed it to really shine.

Racing against the clock, you and your female companion set to the road travelling through all kinds of backdrops and obstacles, with traffic being the prevalent pain in the backside. The best way to drive though is to slide around those treacherous corners that would otherwise bother you.

Enhanced graphics and a seductive soundtrack will delight you and friends who remember the time when SEGA ruled the world with their arcade expertise.  Heart Attack mode will add challenge and competition to your life, but online as always will be that little bit extra you need to warrant considering this legend reincarnated.

7) Bankshot Billiards 2

Usually, when sat in your local pub your eyes wander over to a pool table tempting you with its green cloth, shiny balls and blue chalk. When you finally venture over though you are often disappointed at the line of money indicating people have reserved the next session, the sticky cues with other peoples residual sweat (ewww) and the slight lean causing any missed shot to be the tables fault (that is my excuse anyway).

Once more though, Xbox Live Arcade has come up with the digital solution for all our ball potting needs. Bankshot Billiards 2 started life in a top down view causing some people to suggest the game was actually 2D, however thanks to an update the developers had the last laugh as pressing the D-pad revealed the true 3D nature.

What makes this a pleasing experience though has to be the selection of modes other than just your standard pool offering. There are the typical variants of pool from around the world, but also how about a spot of golf or even a trick shot or two? 2 player online is of course here, but quite unusual for a pool game, there is a 3 player mode included in an option called ‘Cutthroat’, where the aim is to eliminate your opponents from the table by potting their coloured balls be it red, yellow or blue. The Xbox Live Vision Camera also provides a platform for your mocking, shame or even a friendly gesture of hello with a wave. Awwwww how lovely…

6) Uno Rush

Imagine Uno the classic card game, but with no time to linger, no time to ponder, no time to discuss the random happenings on the latest episode of Heroes, just the pure thrill of speed and rapid decision making.

Rather than placing one at a time, you are pressured to organise your card collection without delay so when your turn comes forth, you are prepared to ditch as many of the little blighters as possible and with a bit of luck your whole stash. If that isn’t mind boggling enough, you also have to contend with special cards that will add more problems to your assortment and even more aggravating, mixing up your lovingly re-arranged hand… The swines!

It may tax your brain to its maximum level resulting in shorter gaming spells, but you will find it hard to ignore the exhilaration of a triumphant outcome.

5) Soul Calibur

There have been countless sequels of this fighting classic, but for me, the real thrill rests where it all began. Dead or Alive may be spot on for its hand to hand combat, but Soul Calibur fills in the gap nicely where weaponry plays such a vital role. Yes some of the sound clips are maddening, but just listen to that epic music… Absolute bliss… It more than makes up for it.

The game may be ageing gracefully, yet in spite of this I persist in appreciating the finer virtues that Soul Calibur bestows. The varied attacking hardware, the huge assortment of characters and the sheer brilliance of the on screen action. Let’s not forget the amusing victory poses either, bottoms up Voldo.

Just be careful you don’t get too carried away with the special moves though, it can get a little embarrassing. You soon get over it though with the fancy name entry screen.

With the emblematic arcade, time attack and survival modes, there is sufficient justification to include this in my top 5. Unfortunately there is absolutely no online experience to speak of, however as disappointing as that fact is, not having the original Soul Calibur in my catalogue would be as equally astonishing.

4) Streets of Rage 2

With roughly an hour of gameplay from start to finish, Streets of Rage 2 certainly provides value for money while also regarded as one of the best titles to ever be released by SEGA. Although the Megadrive was and still is attacked for its musical power by a few of the Nintendo faithful, SEGA often excelled in reaping the benefits of the system as was proved time and time again in the Streets of Rage series.

Providing many important lessons in life, such as why lifts are not always the safest way to reach new heights, why not to order the spicy fast food take away, woman with whips aren’t as wonderful as you were once told and that too much sun bathing is bad for your skin (you will need to watch the video for some of these to make sense).

If facing the computer is getting a little tedious, how about a quick duel to settle a few scores. Will you pick up a weapon or just use your trusty mits to cause all the damage? Just like Golden Axe, Streets of Rage 2 features online co-operative, just be sure that you don’t get in your partners way, otherwise you will experience pain from friends as well as foes and with so many enemies on screen, it is surprisingly easy if you are not paying complete attention.

So what are you waiting for? You younger gamers have missed some truly astounding titles, don’t let the fact you were born much later than us who were there at the time of when SEGA was king provide an excuse for missing out on this one.

3) Uno

Endured a difficult day at the office, suffered far too many head-shots on Call of Duty or maybe your yearning for an evening of socialising and a chilled atmosphere? Uno provides the perfect antidote to all the stresses of life and indeed gaming.

Unlike Uno Rush, you can actually settle down in your comfy chair, unwind and reduce those pesky troublesome thoughts running around in your head. All that remains is to relax while selecting the appropriate card. There is still a thought process involved and tactics are crucial in reaching the victory, but at the end of the day Uno is all about the calmer aspects, so you can skip your ying and yang for this week.

So this is the ideal game for when the typical hectic pace of gaming is wearing you down and all you wish for is something to pass the time, encourage a chat with a few friends while still pressing a few buttons on the controller reminding you that you are still involved in the action.

2) Castle Crashers

Who ever suggested 2D gaming a thing of the past was obviously ignoring the bigger picture, in fact the high definition picture.  One developer took a bit of a risk in this field and my goodness it has paid off.  With HD visuals that scream colour and immense sensory stimulation, a set of enemies that will make you laugh at the wacky larking around while crying at their difficulty and then the icing on the cake, the online 4 player co-operative that has to be seen to be truly believed.

Castle Crashers is not just a game, it is a sharp finger-nail in the eye to those developers and publishers who have said for so many years that 3D is the only way to make gaming interesting and fun. What a load of old tosh that statement has now proved to be… Not only is this 2D perspective masterpiece a joy to play, not only does it tickle your ribcage with its humour, but it is a work of art that belongs in an expensive frame hanging on your wall for all to admire.

With a ‘levelling up’ feature to improve your characters attributes, magic with increasing strength and dazzle, varied weaponry ranging from the shimmering sword to the mighty branch with a few leaves on it, level design with stellar imagination and outrageous allure and still the fun keeps on coming hours later.

The only reason why Castle Crashers misses out on the coveted number one spot is due to the fact the genre isn’t one that will appeal to everybody. If though you are like me and adore the thought of reliving happier times with a new modern twist, you certainly would be wise to invest in this gaming spectacle of just amazing production value.

1) Peggle

Who would have thought such a simple idea would be so terribly addictive!  Dropping a ball from the top of the screen and watching it bounce around is hardly rocket science, yet Peggle achieves something very special and that is your captivation. Some of you may have been put off by the demo, but trust me it is one of those frustrating cases where the preview doesn’t do the full game the justice it deserves.

Peggle is highlighting what Xbox Live Arcade has at its core. Casual gaming that appeals to a wide audience yet still convincing the hardcore that even simplicity will delight even the most sceptical among us.

It may be a fairly basic idea, however the execution is superb. Your task is to hit all (or as many) of the orange coloured pegs. There are green pegs that initiate a perk dependent on the character you have chosen, ranging from explosions and multiballs to magic hats and divine intervention. Purple will provide a points boost and the boring blues will mostly just get in your way.

For those who enjoy a little solitude now and again will enjoy the lavish options available. First of all you progress through the countless characters until you finally unlock them all. This will take quite a bit of time, but the real challenge rests in… Yes you guessed it… the ‘Challenge’ area. Being on your own though can be a little depressing for long periods, so hop onto Xbox Live and revel in the duel mode where each of you takes a turn on the same level or crank it up a notch with a 4 player simultaneous point fest. Although your exclusively controlled play area fills the screen, you can still take a sneak peak at the others if you want to be nosey. There is nothing better than hearing your opponents whine as you score a bucket bonus or a crafty leap to victory at the last moment thanks to a lucky bounce.

Conclusion

So there you have it folks, my personal top 10 Xbox Live Arcade games. With new games released each week, no doubt the list will change in the future, but for now I hope this little selection helps you on the way to arcade thrills, spills and smaller credit card bills.

Thanks to Skilgannon, Dibzy, K1ckfl1p, xDare2playx and L4dyvenge4nce for taking part in much of the online gaming.