CYBERPUNK
Cyberspace Invaders: How gamers took over YouTube Slender Man: Why this ‘creepypasta’ made the news.
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issue 01 sept. 2014
g a me ov e r? Could this be the end for Nintendo?
and... Amazon buy Twitch, Exclusive look at Newcastle gaming exibition in 2015, Legend Of Zelda - Buyer’s Guide, Shovel Knight, Video Games : The Movie & More
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Letter From the Editor
cyberpunk 01
Hello Peoples! I have been through blood, sweat, and tears to bring you the first issue of CyberPunk. Well maybe not blood, some sweat. No tears on the account of being so manly. The past few months have been a bit odd for gamers and techies. Especially for me! I have done my best to bring all you need to know about the world of videogames, online culture and technology. CyberPunk aims to be a unique alternative to other gaming or tech mags. Of course the name ‘CyberPunk’ comes from the term used for a subgenre of Sci-fi involving ‘high tech and low life’ examples of this would be movies like The Matrix or Blade Runner. Well I hope you aren’t a lowlife , but I hope you make the most of today’s technology. The ‘punk’ aspect, for me at least , is more of a reference to the punk-rock movement in the ‘70s with bands like The Ramones, The Clash or The Damned who believed in independence of spirit - essentially being your self, and not caring what the critics think. As well as looking as loud as possible! With the emphasis of individuality. As an independent magazine I am free to express my honest opinon and cover the stories I feel you, the reader, will enjoy. Oh, ‘Cyber Punk’ also means ‘hacker’ (disclaimer: we are not hackers).This month I bring you stories on; YouTube gamers becoming millionaires and why ‘Lets Play’ is so popular, with the help of British gaming legend Larry Bundy Jr and joypad philosopher Satchell Drakes. The mystery of ‘Slenderman’, why the myth has such a huge fandom and why it was blamed for a stabbing in Wisconson. Console kings Nintendo making a loss, and if they can survive the next generation. And much, much more! In the past month or so Shovel Knight became an over knight (hehe) sensation, Kojima and Del Torro released the greatest game trailer of all time and we found out that Amazon have bought game streaming site Twitch. Who knows what will happen in the next few months. Make sure you follow us on Facebook for all the latest news and updates too (facebook. com/CyberPunkMag) or our new website: cyberpunkmag.com Thank you for reading! Neale McGeever - Editor Follow me on Twitter @nealo88 Email me: nealemcgeever@hotmail.co.uk
Very Special Thanks To:
University Of Sunderland, Wayne Madden, Larry Bundy Jr, Satchell Drakes, Kate Palmer, Sophie Jameson, Henny Gorranson, Craig Charlton, Nicky Woolf, Chelsi Tristan, Yacht Club Games, Chris Ramsey, Steffen Peddie, Nintendo UK, Devolver Digital, Electronic Arts, Bethesda , Alex McGeever, Julie McGeever, Gary ‘Gash’ McGeever.
What is your all time favourite game? Chris Ramsey Comedian/ Games reviewer for ZOO.
My ALL TIME favourite game is actually Portal 2, but The Last Of Us is a close second. I know they are both fairly new, but if anyone says Sonic or something retro is their favourite game, with everything they can do in games now, that is a total joke! David D’Angelo Yacht Club Games Developer (Shovel Knight). A Link to the Past. Probably because it came at the right time in my life (laughs). But beyond that, it’s a brilliant built sequel that refines a series [Zelda] that focuses on what I love best about games: exploration, fun, living worlds, ingenious game mechanics, and the wonderful intersection of art, music, story, and gameplay. Steffen Peddie Comedian/ Actor ‘Hebburn’ “Horace goes Ski-ing” is probably my pick. Was it because Horace looked like a Geography teacher who I used to have ? Who wore massive glasses and lacked a neck just like Horace?Yes it was. And after taping two loose hairs from that very teachers head to my mate Tonys ZX Spectrum (I had a Vic 20 at the time) we attempted the worlds first Voodoo computer interface. It did not work, but we had fun running the bastard over, again, and again, and again,and again, and again... (Steffen said ‘again’ about 100 times)
Check out our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/CyberPunkMag & website: www.cyberpunkmag.com
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Contents
So what do we have in store for you lovely lot this issue? It’sLike Level Select...but pages
03...newsfeed 08...Previews Amazon acquire Twitch, UK Piracy Laws change, News on the next Silent Hill game , Doom 4, and an exclusive sneak peek of a video game history exhibition in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for 2015
1 1 . . . . F e at u r e s
Page 11- CreepyPasta Bake: Why is Slenderman so fascinating? Page 15- Cyberspace Invaders: How are gamers making millions from YouTube? Page 20- Game Over: Can Nintendo survive the next Generation?
24....Reviews
Page 24 - The Last Of Us:Remastered Page 25 - Proffesor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney -Ultra Street Fighter IV Page 26 - Full Steam Ahead! This month’s highlights on game downloading service Steam
A Look at this month’s upcoming titles: Page 08 -Hyrule Warriors, -FIFA 15, -Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Page 09 - Destiny - The Sims 4 -Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Page 06
Page 11
27.....Volume
Page 20
00....regulars
Page 26
What else gamers and techies should look out for this month: Page 27 - ‘Video Games:The Movie’ and other Gaming Docs to watch. Page 28- ‘Mario & The BrickBreakers’, and ‘Shovel Knight Arranged’
Page Page Page Page
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01 - Editor’s Letter - My Favourite Game 06 - Ask: Why Don’t we have Shovel Knight in the UK yet? 30 - Buyer’s Guide: The Legend Of Zelda 32 - The Back List
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A summary of gaming and tech news from the past month.
newsfeed
Video Gaming history comes to life in newcastle Cy b Ex Pun ercl k us ive !
Do you remember the time you played a particular game that looked so great, it could even be considered art? Plugged in a new console, and the graphics are so stunning; it’s almost a miracle of technology? Well, you’re not alone: in May 2015, Newcastle’s Life Science Centre (the Centre for Life) are hosting a major international exhibition, called ‘Game On 2.0’. This takes a look at the vast history and culture, as well as the future of gaming technology. Julia Hankin, Head of Marketing and Communication at Life, said: “We’re very excited to be bringing this world-class exhibition to Newcastle which I’m sure will appeal to all ages. It’s a delightful retrospective, tapping into nostalgia and highlighting the role gaming plays in our society today.” Visitors will be able to see the production process of a game from concept to the packaging, for some of the most important titles in gaming history, such as: Donkey Kong, Pokémon, Spore, Uncharted, World of Warcraft, Tomb Raider and The Sims. Julia Hankin also said: “Video games have become such an integral part of our lives, changing the way we play, learn and interact. Their evolution from what was essential a child’s play activity through to a fully immersive experience is phenomenal. In such a short space of time, the video gaming market has become hugely important to the UK, including here in the North East where we have a wealth of expertise.” There will also be over 100 playable games, including consoles from as far back as 1970s, up to the present day, plus a dedicated arcade section. Showcasing revolutionary titles like Pac-Man and Defender. The exhibition also explores the influences of manga and anime on games as well as the influence of games on film, online gaming and music composed especially for games The attraction will run between: The 23rd of May until November the 1st, 2015. Check Centre for Life’s website on: www.life.org.uk or check their social network feeds in the coming months.
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What Game On 2.0 may look like in 2015 (at Life Science Centre, Newcastle). There’s a DreamCast and N64 there so it must be fun!
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Newsfeed
News updated to the hour on our Website and facebook pageWeb: www.cyberpunkmag.com FB: facebook.com/CyberPunkMag
Amazon acquire Twitch for $1 billion Despite rumours circulating that Google had purchased the gameplay streaming service since MayAmazon announced they have purchased Twitch for $1 billion. Amazon’s cheif executive, Jeff Bezos, released a statement after announcing the purchase: ”Broadcasting and watching gameplay is a global phenomenon and Twitch has built a platform that brings together tens of millions of people who watch billions of minutes of games each month,” He added “We look forward to learning from them and helping them move even faster to build new services for the gaming community”. Launched in 2011, Twitch grew from live streaming service Justin.TV, and in its first year Twitch gained 3.2 million users, and today it has over 45 million users who are collectively watching and uploading over 100 hours of footage a day. Twitch’s CEO,Emmett Shear chose Amazon for all the right reasons, in a statement he said: “[Amazon] believe in our community, they share our values and long-term vision, and they want to help us get there faster,” He added “We’re keeping most everything the same... most importantly our independence. But with Am-
Piracy in the UK, is OK Admit it, everyone has watched a dodgy stream of the latest superhero movie, downloaded a game that we couldn’t find (and not paid for it) or torrented a song we didn’t want to buy the album for. In the past this was considered a imprionable offence but as of 2015 you will get the ultimate punishment of: Four letters sent to your home. That’s it. After that, no further action will be taken. Creative Content UK and the Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme (VCAP) have said they would rather educate those who illegally download pirate copies of games, movies and music. And advise them where they can legally purrchase it. This program will begin next year. Even so, copyright holders still hold the right to take legal action on sharers. In 2010, the Digital Economy Act outlined harsh penalties for piracy, but proved ineffective. Ofcom have also confirmed that quarter of all downloads in the UK are illegal.
azon’s support we’ll have the resources to bring you an even better Twitch.” Users originally could only stream PC games such as World of Warcraft and later League of Legends. Now next-gen consoles such as Xbox One and PS4 can stream games online. This aquisition is said to benefit gamers, but some fear moderation of content could affect their most popular streams. Twitch’s most successful stream to date is ‘Twitch Plays Pokémon’ Where users would control the Game Boy RPG Pokémon Red Version using commands in the comment box. This attracted 55 million views throughout the cycle of the game.
Business secretary, Vince Cable, announced the scheme: “It’s a difficult industry to pin down and it’s also difficult to protect. But unless you protect it then it’s an industry that cannot function”. This could harm the gaming, technology and media industry greatly but the scheme could eventually educate those to download legally. What do you think? Are you for decriminalising online piracy? Let us know on our Facebook page: facebook.com/CyberPunkMag
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Cyberpunk 01 Block Party It’s hard to believe that Tetris - the game which managed to shift millions on millions of Nintendo Game Boy units around the world, is now 30 years old. Hundreds of fans celebrated this by dressing as blocks from the game, and stacking up in London’s Church City Bar to set a new record for the world’s largest gathering of people dressed as Tetris blocks. To think it all started when Russian AI researcher Alex Pajitnov was experimenting with new computer hardware capabilities. Since then the game has been available on almost every console and computer system since. Ubisoft have also announced the iconic game’s theme will be featured on Just Dance 2015 coming this October. (Below)
School Of Apps
A team in Newport, South Wales have started a software development course which is set to be trialed this September. The two-year course is being set up over concerns in shortages of skills in hi-tech industries. The course would not have a campus and will be paid for privately, by a public funding or a charitable foundation. This course will help students to become software engineers,which are in more demand due to the rise of mobile phone and computer usage. Experts say this course may also help industries such as business, finance, and even bioscience. A similar plan may also be introduced to schools in Wales after four years.
Doom Fans doomed... Del Toro and (until 2015) Kojima Join forces for ‘Silent Hills’ Guillermo Del Toro, the movie director who brought us Pacific Rim and the Hellboy movies is said to be working with gaming mastermind behind the Metal Gear Solid games, Hideo Kojima, on the next instalment of the Silent Hill series simply known as ‘Silent Hills’ a trailer for the project was posted on Sony’s PS Store under the name ‘PT’ (which we now know stand for ‘Playable Teaser’) thousands of curious gamers clicked on the teaser after it was announced at Gamescom in August. This revealed an interactive teaser trailer which became an online sensation in itself, and also revealed that Walking Dead star Norman Reedus will be playing the lead role in the game. This is the first Silent Hill game announced since Book Of Memories in 2012.
Bethesda vice president, Peter Hines, has told revealed in a recent interview that no more footage of the fourth Doom game (below) will be released following the recent screening of a ‘work in progress’ game play demo at Quakecon. Those who weren’t there will not be able to see any of it until 2015. You can watch a fan reaction video, but that’s it. Hines told PC Gamer: “I really wanted to put something out there that, in a strong way said, ‘ID is working on something that we think is really cool, we wanted to show something to [ID Software fans] that gives them the confidence that it is still a viable studio that’s doing really cool stuff, that is making a game you want to play, and is treating Doom with the care and respect that you want.” So Doom fans can cross that off their Christmas list this year.
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ask
We ask developers the burning questions on our mind’s each month.
Q: Why don’t we have Shovel Knight console release in the UK yet? The 8-bit wonder has been a huge success in the US and has been the subject of many gaming news websites and videos, over the past few weeks. Bringing all the fun of NES era back to modern gamers, and is one of the most successful projects as result of a Kickstarter campaign. Even so, the game isn’t available on 3DS and Wii U in the UK, or the rest of Europe... or Australia, heck – even Japan doesn’t have it yet! So what’s the hold-up Yacht Club Games?
A:
There are many reasons why the retro-pixel platformer hasn’t hit our shores yet: translation, certification and business practicalities all play a part in the international release. The studio, Yacht Club Games, have explained on their website: “Releasing one game in every territory in the world is not a small amount of work, especially for a team of half a dozen people.” So to get the Wii U and 3DS port of the Shovel Knight in Europe would mean translating all the well-written text into French, Spanish, Italian, German, etc. Not only does this have to be re-done in each language, it also needs to be tested and checked: “All menu and dialogue in the game needs to be verified in all languages to make sure that no unintended issues popped up.” That’s not all; there are different rating boards across Europe such as PEGI in the UK and USK in Germany. Yacht Club Games’ Ian Flood explains: “Different ratings administrations have different processes for what they need to see before they can evaluate a game for rating.” This means some boards need to see the whole game where as some require a highlight reel to be assessed. And then: each territory has it’s own certification process. Although Nintendo of America have given the game the go ahead, Nintendo of Europe would have to go through the process again. And so on. Never the less, the game is internationally available to download via Steam (for £10.99) So far 3DS and Wii U versions are confirmed, but what about other formats? CyberPunk spoke to David D’Angelo of Yacht Club Games :“There’s no plans for other consoles yet, but we are in discussions about. So stay tuned!” British console gamers, don’t despair! Shovel-rey isn’t dead yet! For Yacht Club Games’ official satement on the international release - go to: h t t p : / / ya c h t c l u b g a m e s . c o m / 2 0 1 4 / 0 7 / s h ovel-knight-international-status/ Dig this: glorious screen shots of the Shovel Knight by Yacht Club Games
Find our reviews of other games on Steam on page 26
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previews
We take a look at this month’s most anticipated game releases.
hyrule Warriors Out: 19/9/14
P Of ick Mo Th nt e h!
Format: Wii U
Dynasty Warriors has always been enjoyable and there’s just under 30 titles in the series to choose from, so where do we go next? A Legend of Zelda crossover of course! Why? Some say it’s to fill the gap before the stunning Wii U Zelda title due late 2015. Others say the Warriors games are just adictive. Heroes Link and Zelda are joined by many other playable characters such as Impa, Ruto, and even Midna. So if you have wanted to hack and
slash baddies en masse as your favourite Zelda character, now is your chance! The last Dynasty Warriors had a roster of 80 characters, but I’m not sure if anyone wants to play as ‘the running postman’ from Ocarina Of Time. With enemies and bosses from the classic series, this is more or less the developers’ love letter to their favourite Hyrulian adventures. With Smash, a new Zelda and Bayonetta II coming up, this game is another reason to invest in a Wii U. Out: 26/9/14 Format: 360, PS3, Wii, PC, 3DS, Vita, PS4, XB1 The trailer for this title boasts:‘This is more than a game, this is football’ this could be because one of the new features of this year’s offering is ‘emotion and intensity’ which can affect a game dramatically; for instance if a certain player gets tackled constantly, they might confront the attacker. Club specific chants have also been included so the crowd at Liverpool will sound completely different to the crowd at Barcelona, or Inter Milan. Out: tba format: PC, Linux, Mac, PS4, PS3, Vita
FIFA 15
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
This is indie developers Dennaton’s epic finale to the ultra violent series, but this won’t be the last time we hear fromthem. The game commands you to step into the blood thirsty mind-set of various individual characters, each with their own motivations and methods to get the job done. If the footage of Wrong Number is anything to go by, players will be able to lose themselves in the world of this neon nightmare.
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p r e v i ec wy bs e r p u n k 0 1
destiny
out:9/9/ 2014
Format: 360, PS3, PS4, XB1
This title was originally teased as an ‘easter egg’ in Halo 3 ODST back in 2009, and the hype has been growing ever since. The challenge facing developers Bungie was not only to create a new game, but also to create a new kind of game entirely. Beta copies of the game were available to download to those who pre-ordered the game as far back as October 2013. Events in the game are said to be ‘unplanned’ by the developers, giving
a unique experience for each player. Players can also create multiple characters, so everyone will be playing a totally different version of the game. The team have created a whole new engine which is a cross between a first person shooter and MMO, The title has been given the Hollywood treatment, which makes sense as it stars the likes of Game Of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage. A lot of gamers are seeing this as the ‘next big thing’ and even contender for game of the year. Only time will tell.
The Sims 4
Out: 5/9/14 Format: PC Similarly to FIFA 15, the emotions of a Sim can affect the rest of the game and how other Sims interact with you. (What is it with EA and emotions this month?) This time around the ‘Create-a-Sim’ mode will be more details but much easier to use. Another new feature is the ‘Gallery’ which is like an in game version of Instagram – you can view and like other Sims or players in game photos.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
OUT: Late 2014 Format: All.
Admit it, you wanted a Batman Lego set after seeing The Lego Movie earlier this year. The Lego games are always enjoyable, and this looks to follow (bat)suit. The Caped Crusader is one of 150 playable DC characters including Gorilla Grodd, Frankenstein and of course Bat-Cow (really?) If you think that’s bizarre this game is set mostly in space, as Brainiac is shrinking cities around the galaxy to add to his collection. Well it’s still a Batman game, technically. And its months before we get Arkham Knight. To the Batmobile!
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creepypasta bake
We investigate into an internet phenomenon and why it is so unsettling
Slenderman: Just an online ghost story?
May this year; a 12-year-old girl from Wisconsin, USA, was lured into the woods by her classmates after a sleepover. They stabbed the girl 19 times, narrowly missing her heart. The perpetrators, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier - who are also 12, said they did it ‘To prove themselves worthy to Slender Man’. When this story was broadcast all over the international news – 45 per cent of the world will have thought “Really? Because of that?” where as the other 55 might have asked “What on earth is a ‘Slender Man’?” Slender Man has taken over the internet like a virus. There are various indie games to download for free, documentaries on YouTube, fan art on Deviant Art, fan groups on Facebook, and has spawned the hype around the ‘creepy pasta’ culture (see over page). For those who know about the Slenderman mythos, I won’t have to tell you.But for those who don’t, this is a brief summary of the urban myth: Slender Man is a very tall, thin human-like figure who usually has very long arms and legs. He wears a black suit with a red tie (sometimes a black tie) and is said to have tentacles and a head which is plain white with no facial features or hair. The scary part comes in when you hear he is mainly spotted at night in woodland areas. What makes it really creepy is: he stalks, kidnaps and traumatises small children. There are several photos of this character, as well as reports of cave drawing and ancient Chinese myths relating to the character. So the only question to ask is: is he real? The answer is: no. The boogieman style character is the brainchild of graphic designer Eric Knudsen aka ‘Victor Surge’ who posted a photo-shopped image including the character on the SomethingAwful.com forum. The thread was entitled ‘Create Paranormal Images’. Most users posted old photos edited using software like Photoshop and some using their own drawing skills. The user known as Victor Surge posted images which looked completely genuine of this shadow like figure. The first photo included the caption: “We didn’t want to go, we didn’t want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time…” – 1983, photographer unknown, presumed dead.
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Pretty spooky stuff, which created a sense of mystery, but it was the next photo he posted which named this character ‘Slender Man’: One of two recovered photographs from the Stirling City Library blaze. Notable for being taken the day which fourteen children vanished and for what is referred to as “The Slender Man”. Deformities cited as film defects by officials. Fire at library occurred one week later. Actual photograph confiscated as evidence. – 1986, photographer: Mary Thomas, missing since June 13th, 1986 Confiscated as evidence? Missing since June? Photographer presumed dead? Gulp! Surge continued to add to this mythos by posting more information and photos of the characters. Other members of the forum also posted their own photos. Soon this found its way on to the no holds barred, anonymous image board 4chan. Fan’s stories and images were posting on the /x/ board, used for paranormal content. This brought ‘Slendy’ in to mainstream online culture. In the same month, YouTube channel called ‘Marble Hornets’ started uploading Blair Witch style‘entries’ in a documentary series on the folk tale. This time calling him ‘The Operator’ This was later revealed as being produced by SomethingAwful.com users, who were also film students. The channel now has over 250,000 subscribers. Since then, the character has inspired numerous indie games (‘Slender’ being the most popular), fan-made films and is even rumoured to have inspired an episode of Doctor Who called ‘The Silence’. Other than the tragic case of the Wisconsin stabbing there has also been reports of a 13year old in Ohio, stabbing her mother. The victim made the connection with Slenderman after hearing about the Wisconsin case in the news. So what is it about this bizarre story which has inspired such creativity, as well as horrific acts from teens in America? We asked a few fans of Slender man (or ‘Slender fans’) on Reddit and Facebook why they love the character so much. One person to come forward was Chelsi Tristan, who is a student at Texas State University and is working on film script for a fan made Slender Man movie. She doesn’t feel these the teenage stabbing incidents should be blamed on what is
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CReepypasta bake
essentially a modern-day folk tale: “Anyone with a sane mind will know Slender Man doesn’t exist, you can’t blame a fictional character for causing problems. I believepeople who say that “Slender Man” is the reason why they maimed or killed someone, are just looking for something to blame. It’s a petty excuse.” Like a lot of people who write ‘fan fiction’ about the mysterious figure, Chelsi discovered Slender Man through the ‘Marble Hornets’ series. The series is very convincing, the last entry was added around a month ago, and already has 100,000 views. Each ‘entry’ is shot as if it is a home video and hardly has any sound, other than incidental conversation, making the videos that bit creepier. Did Chelsi, ever believe this was real? “For a short while, maybe 10 minutes - yes, but I knew very well it was fake. The idea of a man with no face, extremely tall, appendages on its back and can take you away and possibly kill you, is pretty scary”. Chelsi started this script after being inspired by the Marble Hornets videos:” I watched them out of enjoyment, and whenever I would watch them, I would just think to myself what I’d do different in those situations. Eventually I started writing a bit of fan fiction.” One of the most fascinating things about Slender man is the fact he is barely known outside the online horror (and even gaming) community. So would bringing Slendy into a mainstream medium like cinema or TV work? “With the right story line, and right people working on it, it could be worth it” said Chelsi “I don’t want to talk much about my script, but it does involve a lot of paranormal activity, and witch craft, for the sake of the story. I want to leave people guessing, leave endings open to for people to think about, and basically keep viewers wanting more.” As mentioned earlier, due to the character’s cult following (no pun intended) the indie gaming scene has
picked up the idea and used the survival horror genre to produce a 3D Slender Man game. The game became so popular after it was featured on IGN, the game’s website crashed. The game is simply known as Slender and sometimes known as Slender: The Eight Pages – a first person adventure game set in a dark forest, your objective is to find all eight pages before the Slender Man catches you. Since this was released by Parsec Productions in June 2012, there have been many more versions developed, each trying to be scarier than the last. As a fan of the whole Slender world, Chelsi has played this game “I thought it was a very fun game at the time. It had its jump moments, which was pretty good.” Slendy has also been the subject of many gaming videos on YouTube (see our feature on page 17 for more) There are even modifications which make it not so scary, including characters like Shrek and SpongeBob Squarepants. So has the Slender fandom got out of control here? Or is it just a device to have fun with the character? There are even parodies of the character on YouTube (search ‘Slenderman Tap Dancing’ it’s hilarious). It’s not long before there’s a reference to him in Family Guy or one of the Scary Movie films. As you can imagine reports following the Wisconsin stabbing incident caused a huge controversy and a lot of media outlets were ready to run a ‘dangers of children on the internet’ piece but fortunately most journalists were sensible enough to realise a fictional character was not to blame here. For decades, some journalists have pointed the finger at works of fiction like Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, the Grand Theft Auto games, Sega CD game Night Trap and even the music of Marilyn Manson for violent incidents similar to the Wisconsin stabbing. An article on The Guardian’s website, by Nicky Woolf, was quite empathetic towards the ‘Slender Man’ and CreepyPasta community. CyberPunk spoke to Nicky about his report: “I really don’t think the online community that has
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created this mythos is at all to blame for what two, essentially troubled, kids have done.” Not knowing anything about the Slender stories prior to receiving the police statement, he feels the two girls didn’t know what to say after they were given what is known as a ‘Miranda warning’ (‘You have the right to remain silent…’) “I don’t think they really understood what their rights were, they were probably looking for something to blame and that is possibly the first thing that came to mind, it’s a bit like the ‘boogie man’ sort of thing.” The Creepypasta website, home to various Slenderman stories as well as other chilling characters who have been created on internet forums, released a statement on the front page of the website almost immediately after the reports were filed. The statement outlines that ‘Creepypasta’ is not a cult and emphasising that Slender Man is a fictional entity and the site wasn’t even where the character was originated. The writer (who does not identify themselves) also believes it is something deeper than an obsession with horror fiction: “We live in a culture with a very unhealthy relationship with mental illness. People with mental health issues are frequently dismissed” This is one reason a lot of reporters no longer point the finger at things like video games, movies or popular music – because most journalists are educated enough to understand these things happen due to the individuals issues. The statement even encourages those reading to seek help if they are experiencing trouble with mental issues.” Don’t worry about the people who think mental illness is a joke or not real; they’re not the ones who matter in this situation – YOU DO. Your mental health is of higher importance than the other people’s ignorance” A positive message from those who were blamed for such a horrific thing. One reason people have found the character so fascination is links to the real world. Nicky Woolf believes Slenderman is seen as a scary character because of the subtle undertones of his appearance. A faceless tall man in a dark suit, or even a business suit. It could be seen as an attack on the fear of a faceless corporation or government taking
Cyberpunk 01
away our ‘souls’. Or maybe it’s just creepy for a demon like character to be wearing human clothes. On August 2nd, Morgan Greyser (one of the girls accused) has been deemed ‘unfit for trial’ because it was reported that she ‘sees unicorns’ and ‘talks to Voldermort’ (from Harry Potter). Psychologist Brooke Lundbohm, who spoke to Greyser about this, also said she “presently lacks substantial mental capacity to rationally and factually understand her charge and be a meaningful assistance in her defence”. This new evidence just clarifies that these girls are troubled and aren’t sound of mind.Of course it’s easier for the media to put the blame on a pop culture phenomenon they don’t understand, initially, rather than see all the evidence. The truth is: Slenderman can be creepy and sometimes scary. But let’s remember: he isn’t real. The same goes for any ‘creepy pasta’ story. Or any work of fiction. It is just that – fiction.
what is creepypasta?
Creepypasta is basically fan-written fiction, in the style of folk lore or urban legends. Usually written to be posted online, mainly on the official Creepypasta website. This is then typically passed on to other sites or forums. The term ‘Creepypasta’ is an alteration of the term ‘copy pasta’ which is a phrase used to describe small, ready to be copied piece of text and then pasted elsewhere. This is derived from the term ‘copy and paste’ due to the nature of the stories, ‘creepy’ distinguishes the tone of the stories. They are seen as a digital equivalent of the 90s ‘Goosebumps’ book series, ‘The Twilight Zone’ or even traditional camp fire ghost stories. A lot of Creepypasta is based on established mediums like games, TV characters and in this case – interpretations of old, sometimes edited, photos.
For the full statement by creepypasta. com go to: http://www.creepypasta.com/statement-wisconsin-stabbing/ Artwork by Sophie Jameson: http://day-devil.deviantart.com/
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CYBERSPACE INVADERS How are gamers on YouTube becoming millionaires?
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hen you click on a video link, which site does it usually lead to? And when you want to look up a video, how do you find it? Let me guess – YouTube? The video streaming site started up in 2005 and at first, mainly hosted film clips and music videos. The following year, the site was sold to online giants Google and now attracts more advertising revenue and online traffic than any other site day to day. Now anyone can upload to the site and potentially earn millions of dollars. Yes you read correctly –millions. Swedish YouTube user Felix Kjellberg, whose handle is PewDiePie, makes the equivalent of $4 million in ad revenue each year. What are his videos of? Game play footage, accompanied by a small reaction webcam in the corner, usually using vulgar language. Now based in Brighton, PewDiePie is now managed by the Disney-owned
PewDiePie is the most subscribed gaming channel
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Maker Studios who have signed a deal which could earn him up to $1 billion. To verify how popular this man is – a video of him playing Flappy Bird has almost achieved 20 million views. Gaming videos aren’t anything new; in fact the second most viewed category on YouTube, after music videos, is ‘Video Game Culture’. For those who don’t know: a ‘Let’s Play’ video, or ‘Gameplay’ video is recorded game footage with the player’s commentary over it. Basically, this is what PewDiePie does. Despite recent copyright claims - ‘Let’s Play’ is possibly one of the most simple kind of video to produce. All you need is the right kit to record the footage, a webcam, a good quality mic (well, sometimes), editing software, and of course - a sense of humour. Some of the most popular channels in this category, such as PewDiePie or Markiplier, usually play indie horror games which are free to download and publicised by word of mouth. Others in this sub-genre will play nostalgic, retro games without a reaction-cam in the corner, such as Game Grumps. Some even record footage as ‘guides’ for those who might be stuck on a particular game. So why are so many gamers watching other gamers play games and not playing them first hand? PewDiePie himself told Wall Street Journal: ”What I, and other You Tubers do is a very different thing; it’s almost like hanging around and watching your pal play games. My fans care in a different way about what they are watching.” For PewDiePie, its part of being a community. User-generated videos in the gaming realm have actually been around for almost a decade. Some of the earliest gaming videos even pre-date YouTube. The person who is said to have started the trend was New Jersey film maker James Rolfe, whose character ‘The Angry Nintendo Nerd’ went viral in 2004. Now known as ‘Angry Video Game Nerd’ or ‘AVGN’, Rolfe is still making videos (and a movie) as this character, and has spawned a long line of comical,
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“YouTube, for the most part, has relatable people”
character-based, online reviewers. These weren’t ‘Let’s Play’ videos but more tongue-in-cheek reviews of the worst games released. British illustrator ‘Guru’ Larry Bundy Jr has also been creating review based videos before YouTube started, pre-dating AVGN, and is still producing reviews on current and old school games. Larry actually started his career in TV: “We were making videos for Game Network on Sky. When they closed, me and Wes [Larry’s onscreen collaborator] were looking for other ways to get our videos out there.” Game Network closed in 2006, when YouTube was in its infant stages. After being turned down by numerous outlets, the duo started uploading their work on YouTube, and they are both still uploading videos to this day. Larry reckons the popularity of gaming videos reflect the current gaming market “Well the gaming industry is now worth more than the film industry. The reason people go to YouTube is because there is no alternative. There isn’t any decent TV shows about gaming so people have found it online.” So what inspires the likes of Larry to make these videos? “Usually with a really bad game, the story behind it is so fascinating to why turned out the way it did.” Larry’s latest video is part of his Games Yanks Can’t W**k series, where he reviews poorly made games from the UK that never saw a US release. His latest video covering the mystery around the Thundercats game, has been featured on many collectors’ and game trivia sites. Larry even tracked down the developers who are now in their later years: “It was quite fun putting together!” explains Larry. With no alternative for the gaming community (old school or new school) is the work of Larry and co. replacing gaming press? When it comes to gaming news, print can’t compete with the convenience of online updates via social network feeds. Although Larry still has copies of Computer and Video Games (CVG) magazine from the 80’s, he agrees online counterparts
James Rolfe aka ‘The Angry Video Game Nerd’
will finally replace this medium: “With a magazine, you have to wait up to a month, whereas with the internet, it’s almost instant”. Graphic designer and fellow You Tuber Satchell ‘Like a Bag’ Drakes, also feels the internet is the place for gamers, now more than ever. Known as ‘SatchBag’ online, he says: “This is like, the new free-world market. You can post whatever you want, in a way.” SatchBag’s output includes editorials and analytical opinion pieces, as well as ‘retro’ reviews. He has been using the internet to find out gamer news since the days of dial-up: “I remember around the early ‘00s when it was either a sub-section on another site or a cheap looking fan-site with names like ‘The Gamer’s Layer’ with gifs of fire lanterns.” Taking in to account the amount of successful sites and social networks dedicated to gaming culture, such as IGN which is worth almost $3 billion, gamers are taking over the web. As someone new to the scene, Drakes understand why his peers from gaming sites like NormalBoots. com, such as ‘The Completionist’ (real name Jirard Kalil) and ‘JonTron’ (Jon Jafari), are so popular right now, considering the amount of other gaming-related media, “I don’t think You Tubers are replacing gaming journalists. Some people may still want to go to IGN and read the polished quality that a lot of mediums have. Then there’s YouTube - which has, for the most part, relatable people.” This goes back to PewDiePie’s notion of ‘playing with your buddies. They are relatable
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CYBERgrump 01 people you would like to spend time with. “The best way I can understand a review is to be about to put yourself in the shoes of the person reviewing the game,” Drakes continued. “It always helps because most gamers on YouTube will be clear about their taste in games and other media. In this way I know if this game will work for you or if it won’t.” So how did Satchell, who discovered his passion for art by sketching Sonic as a kid, find his unique approach to a growing medium? “I hadn’t really seen any of the other guys, I was looking up Mega Man videos and I came across one by The Completionist I’m still slowly learning.” As a graphic designer, Drakes uses his eye for detail and tools of the trade to create his own version of the ‘review’ video - which is usually dominated by comedic, sketch based takes on gaming. “Although argument for ‘are video games art?’ is an exhausted conversation, I still feel it is worth talking about. Having content which shows people talking about games that way, respects the art-form.” Satchell is also a contributor for techie blog Bit Barista, and his output has a sense of expertise in production value – if PewDiePie is Jackass then Drakes’ YouTube show, SatchBag’s Goods, is Inception. This sense of quality is spreading across the gaming community as Drakes’ contemporaries are showing signs of production value in their videos. Tongue-in-cheek reviewer JonTron even uses a full camera crew and kit to produce his latest videos. Let’s Play-er Markiplier has high quality audio gear and records his videos in a sound-proof booth. Gamers are investing in better equipment to provide better output, in theory this could lead to more views and in turn more revenue. PewDiePie has the number one gaming channel on YouTube and earning four million, but this might not play out so well for others. Larry believes “No-one will ever reach his level; they might come close but won’t be earning that much.”
SatchBag likes to explore games as ‘art’
One problem for YouTube users uploading content is using material they don’t own the copyright on. As you can imagine most gaming videos are filled with footage and music they don’t own. Early 2014 saw a lot of videos get taken down for this reason, as well as a lot of You Tubers closing their channel to avoid this becoming a problem. Nonetheless, game companies like UbiSoft, Capcom and Blizzard have no problem with You Tubers using footage of their games and have even helped some get their revenue money back. Nintendo announced in May this year, that revenue would be a two-way split for using their games on YouTube or streaming sites. Nintendo’s latest best-seller Mario Kart 8 even has an option to upload their games on to the player’s YouTube channel. British content producer John Bain (YouTube handle ‘Total Biscuit’) told Polygon.com that all gaming publishers have this attitude because YouTube is where the ‘eyeballs are’. The most popular Let’s Play videos, such as those by PewDiePie, are of indie games which have been produced in someone’s spare room and won’t upset big corporations. The proof is in the pudding when you see the next most popular gaming channel is ‘Stampy’ who uploads short animations using the big daddy of all indie games:Minecraft. Like SatchBag said, if a relatable person is playing this game then the viewer may be inclined to play it. And Like John Bain said, YouTube is seen by the whole world. So having a game featured by a popular YouTube personality, like PewDiePie, will be the best publicity a game developer can wish for. Think of it this way: is viewing recorded footage of GTA V the same as illegally streaming the new X Men movie? Of course not. Let’s Play videos have been seen as a key factor in success of games like Flappy Bird and Surgeon Simulator 3D. July this year, ‘The Yogscast’, a YouTube channel with over seven million subscribers, announced they have made a deal
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CYBERgrump 01 with the developers of Space Engineers where they will get apercentage of the games sales over a month , for producing a series of videos involving the game. They called the initiative ‘YogsDiscovery’ and the first in a series of deals with devs. The presenters of the Bristol-based ‘Tube channel say it is “giving developers a chance to reach a big and engaged audience of gamers.” It isn’t uncommon for producers to accept free games from companies, like it would be for gaming journalists, but ‘YogsDiscovery has raised a lot of questions of whether it is ethical or not for devs to pay YouTubers. And on the other hand for YouTubers to accept money to cover certain titles. As mentioned earlier in this article, potentially billions can see these videos and generate millions in ad revenue – and in turn shift a lot of copies of the game. Gaming site Gamersutra interviewed 325 developers about the subject: 1.5% (5 people) said they paid a YouTuber a flat-fee to for coverage. 2.1% said they have paid a YouTuber revenue share in exchange for promotion. Naturally, this is just good advertising, in the same way some brands will pay a high profile celebrity to promote their products. Just think of Gary Lineker and Walker’s crisps! So does this mean YouTubers are celebrities of cyberspace? Maybe so, but will they be recognised by ‘the man on the street’? YouTube personalities are at the point where they can sign autographs, auction their old games (signed by them…for some reason) and even appear at conventions (the Polaris team, including Markiplier, Stampy and JonTron have their own table at this year’s Comic-Con in San-Diego). So after taking over the web -could the likes of PewDiePie, James Rolfe or Satchell Drakes make it in to other mediums like television or film? Other than JonTron making a cameo appearance on a Pepsi ad, James Rolfe releasing Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie this year and Guru Larry appearing on almost every British gaming show broadcasted …ever (ish) , most output on YouTube doesn’t translate to TV. Guru Larry, who we can safely say is an authority on the matter, doesn’t feel the ‘Let’s Play’ style would work on the other small screen: “I don’t think people would sit through hours of footage of someone else playing a game on TV, you would just want to play it yourself! Plus there’s usually a lot of swearing which would probably offend some people.” Larry wasn’t only a presenter on Game Network, he appeared on various gaming TV shows. Larry feels his ,or James Rolfe’s, approach of talking about ‘retro games’ would work better on screen “Reviewing new games only have a shelf life for about two weeks. Retro games have a more ‘ever green’ appeal to them. That’s why Retro Corner has been on repeat for about five year!” Although PewDiePie has made his millions, he might not be the next Justin Bieber (yes he started on YouTube). Goog-
Markiplier appeared at this year’s Comic Con
le, who own YouTube, were rumoured to have acquired game streaming network Twitch for $1 Billion.This is seen as a threat to live streaming, and could affect the online gamer community in output if their ad revenue takes a beating.In the end Twitch were purchased by Amazon (see page 4), which was seen as beneficial by both companies. Hopefully Google, Amazon, and the game publishers take note of how many see their products on a daily basis. Like Bain said, online is where the ‘eyeballs are’. BBC’s Newsnight sceptically said in a recent report in response to rumours that Google might be acquiring Twitch “Who wants to watch teenagers playing computer games?” The answer is: Twitch has the fourth biggest influx of internet traffic in the US and raised $8 million for charity through members running ‘charity’ which work on donations. There are currently around 45 million users who have access to an average of 106 minutes of footage a day. The gaming community is growing online and a lot of producers like Angry Joe, JonTron, Larry and Satchell have answered questions at convention panels, giving advice on fans, and are encouraging others to make their own. Even American chat show host Conan O’Brien has used his lack of gaming knowledge to start the web series ‘Clueless Gaming’ where he plays a new game and explains his thoughts on it as a non-gamer. So - have you got an opinion on a game, old or new? Then what are you waiting for? Playing games could make you millions! All artwork for this feature was created by Henny Gorransson. You can find Henny on DeviantArt: hennei.deviantart.com YouTube logo and video window is copyright of Google. used with permission.
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where we take a moment to think about the business side of gaming.
can survive the next generation? With a reported loss of millions and disappointing hardware sales, is it game over for the former kings of consoles? Legacy
It’s quite commendable that one company
has had such success in gaming industry for over 35 years. They have seen rivals such as Sega and Atari fall before them, and have stood above the rest in the modern era against Sony and Microsoft. Their ‘last gen’(generation) console, Wii, has sold 50 million units worldwide since its launch in 2006. Almost a decade on, it’s a different story.
Play by numbers
Even though their latest first-party title Mario Kart 8 shifted 2.20 million copies, making it the second best-selling game of 2014 so far (after Watch Dogs) , the latest sales reports show the Big N’s current consoles Wii U and 3DS, haven’t been as popular. The former big dogs of the gaming world have released their financial report for the first quarter of their fiscal year (ending June 30th). Nintendo have recorded revenue of 74.7 billion Yen, which is down slightly from 81.5 million yearon-year. There was also a loss of 9.9 billion Yen ($96m or £57m) this is compared to a profit of 8.6 billion yen this time last year. Could this mean Nintendo are on the same slippery slope their former rivals Sega were over a decade ago? Will Mario and co. soon be on non-Nintendo consoles, or will we see the well-loved cast of characters expanding? Apologies for all the number crunching in this feature, but low sales figures of the Wii U could mean Nintendo may be rethinking hardware production and become a software-only company (like Sega or Atari). Targets such as $3.6m Wii U sales and a $196m in positive net income, looks like The Big N are off to a slow start. None of their upcoming exclusive titles such as Smash Bros, Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta II will be able to reach the huge numbers Mario Kart has, so they really need a successful Christmas period to hit these targets.
current consoles. The common consensus in the gaming community is: the most exciting games for Xbox One, and in most cases PS4, are available for PC or even the previous generation’s consoles. Plus the popularity of Valve’s game downloading service Steam makes it easier and cheaper to play ‘retro’ games as well as brilliant indie titles like Shovel Knight or Hotline Miami.
The kids are alright....?
Another reason for Nintendo’s poor sales figures could be their target demographic. Mario is the company’s biggest franchise, and shifts a lot of games. As mentioned earlier; Mario Kart 8 is their best-selling game this year, possibly due to the game’s wide appeal. Most of the latest Mario games have been aimed at younger gamers. Judging by their announcement of Captain Toad – Treasure Tracker at E3, this isn’t going to change soon. Very few Mario titles appeal to older gamers unless they have a competitive edge (e.g. Mario Party). Yet the Zelda games have a great reputation of delivering in quality and having a broad appeal
A generational problem
Although the Wii U outsold Xbox One and PS4 on their release (the Wii U was released late 2012, rival systems were released in November 2013) more gamers are already ditching the ‘next gen’ and upgrading their PCs or sticking with their
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Top: A screenshot from Hyrule Warriors. Bottom: Mario faces Capcom, Namco and Sega characters in Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS
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with adults and children (seethis month’s Buyer’s Guide on page 28) With a brand new Zelda title announced for 2015 and Hyrule Warriors being released soon, as well as third party exclusive Bayonetta II, the PC fan-boys may be considering another glance at the Wii U shelves in Game. Other than a re-positioning in audience, The Big N could invest in another company to build on their already popular cast list of IPs.
Invest in “HADOUKEN!!!”
Consider Capcom; a company who have brought us brilliant titles we have played on Nintendo consoles such as the Mega Man series, Street Fighter and Resident Evil series, are now open to be taken over by an outside company. Monster Hunter 4 (by Capcom) is the most successful game in the series, even though it is an exclusive to 3DS, bringing the two gaming giants closer together. To buy out Capcom, Nintendo would have to buy all their stock, which at the moment stands at 105 billion yen (around $1 billion) but this is only half of their shares. To completely own Capcom: Nintendo would have to pay around $2 billion. Can Nintendo afford this, given the big financial loss this year? The truth is – they can. The company reported they have banked £6.7 billion ($10.5b) this February, which means they will keep going until 2052, even if they do make a loss each year. Why would Nintendo, a company whose bread and butter is their established IPs, want to purchase another company full of other well-known franchises? First off - they would attract mature audiences by making the likes of Resident Evil, Dead Rising and Devil May Cry exclusive to Nintendo consoles. Thus attracting the more mature gamers, who would usually opt for PC or console by Sony or Microsoft. Plus, adding Mega Man and Street Fighter to their already established repertoire for ‘family friendly’ titles. Mega Man is appearing as a playable character on The Big N’s next instalment of Smash Bros alongside Sega’s Sonic and Namco’s Pac-Man (pictured left), so why not make him a permanent member of the Nintendo clan? It works the other way too, Capcom are the only third party company Nintendo has trusted to produce a main-series Zelda title (the ridiculous one on Phillips CD-I doesn’t count) giving us the Oracles series and Minish Cap, which a lot of fans regard as under rated masterpieces. Some of the Capcom developers who worked on these titles are now employed by Nintendo, on the current Zelda team. So how awesome would a Metroid, Star Fox, or even Mario game made by Capcom be? The
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Top: Mario Kart 8, Second best-selling game of 2014 Bottom:Bayonetta 2, Sega’s more ‘mature’ exclusive for the Wii U Mid-text:Wii U pad , seen by some as a gimmick. Capcom/ Nintendo collaboration may be a great launch-pad for their next-gen hardware, which is said to be development as we speak.
Missing Link?
According to Bethesda’s vice president, Peter Hines, Nintendo have already contacted third party developers for support. Hines has been reluctant to green-light Nintendo exclusives in the past and according to an interview with Game Trailers, he won’t be doing this for their next console. The reason being that Nintendo don’t spend enough time with other companies as Sony or Microsoft do. Hines feels Nintendo don’t reveal enough about their new hardware as their contemporaries and should follow their lead: “It’s not that every time we met with them [Sony and Microsoft] we got all the answers we wanted, but they involved us very early on, and talking to folks like Bethesda and Gearbox, they say ‘here’s what we’re doing, here’s what we’re planning, here’s how we think it’s going to work’ to hear what we thought - from our tech guys and from an experience standpoint.” Some industry feedback may get Nintendo back to where they once were many moons ago. Nintendo’s last straight-forward console was GameCube launched in 2002. Although this had great titles and even enough games for mature players (Resident Evil 4, Blood Rayne, etc.) , this was not successful commercially and was outshone by PS2 and the orig-
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Top: the Amiibo figures work through the Wii U pad Bottom: The next Zelda title may boost Wii U sales
inal Xbox which offered not only more titles, but features such as a DVD player function and online capabilities. Although previous last generation devices Wii and DS have been really successful saleswise, they were seen as ‘gimmick’ consoles in comparison to rival consoles like Xbox 360 PS3 and even Sony’s handheld PSP. Something Nintendo may want to consider is making a straight-up, no nonsense, technologically advanced home console to rival Xbox One and PS4 (or possibly PS5 by this point). As Peter Hines said in the aforementioned interview, companies like Bethesda may prefer to support a console they know more about. Nintendo could argue their current console is ‘unique’ by having a tablet touchscreen as a control pad on the Wii U, but with most gamers having used a traditional control pad most of their lives – this was almost immediately dismissed as another gimmick.
Figure it out
Nintendo’s next trick may be an ace in the hole. With the success of Activision’s Skylanders and Bandai’s Disney Infinity series of interactive figures, which appear on all platforms. Nintendo are about to launch ‘Amiibo’: this is basically their own version of Skylanders featuring beloved Nintendo characters such as Mario and Yoshi. These figures will be used with the Wii U’s control pad and will also be used with the 3DS. Similarly to the PSP/PS3 Wi-Fi connection, this is to transfer character information between devices. For example, say your stats for playing as Kirby in the Wii U version of Smash Bros, you can use the Kirby Amiibo to store this date and transfer it to the 3DS version. I know what you are thinking ‘this is for younger gamers’ which is a valid point, but older gamers may find use in the data transfer function. Plus these figures have a sense of collectability, which is what made their Pokémon games (and merchandise) so popular and profitable. It would not surprise many if Pokémon Omega Ruby/ Alpha Sapphire were announced to have Amiibo support. Imagine 719 Amiibo figures, at around £10 a piece would mean anyone who wanted them all would have to pay £7,190. Pokémon is a series built on the foundations of multi-player connectivity, so the millions and millions of Pokémon fans around the world collecting these figures would see a handsome profit. Of course that is merely a prediction, nothing has been announced or rumoured, so don’t get too excited for your plastic Pokémon yet. So far Amiibo has also been announced to be used Mario spin-off games such as Mario Party 10, which is appeals to younger gamers.
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Top: Amiibo come in the form of plastic figurines Bottom: A shot from the next Zelda title for Wii U
The kids are alright
Perhaps The Big N should stick to what they know, if they veered off and created a mature version of say - Donkey Kong, for example, this might not work as it would alienate their younger audience and wouldn’t appeal to mature players. Remember what happened when Sega tried to make a ‘gritty’ reboot of Sonic The Hedgehog for PS3 and Xbox 360? To save you a quick Google search or sitting through the many YouTube videos on the game; ‘Sonic ’06’, as it is now known, is considered not only to be the worst in the series but one of the worst games ever released. Also a lot adult gamers still enjoy the Mario games, it’s nostalgia and a lot of fun (usually).If Nintendo stick to their guns, or lack thereof, they could keep their heads above the water and see themselves through to the next generation. Producing quality games in their pre-established IPs will keep gamers coming back for more, and as explored earlier in this article, collaboration with third-party companies will also help. As mentioned, the company has banked £6.7 billion - which will last them until 2025, despite a dip in sales this year. Either way, I don’t think the games market will be saying goodbye to Mario and his colourful companions just yet. All images and logos used by permission of Nintendo UK. You can read our preview of Hyrule Warriors on page 8.
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review
Independent, unbiased opinions on the biggest releases in the past monthh.
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the last of us: ReMastered
ith titles like The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V still to be released when the PS4 launch date was first announced, most gamers didn’t know whether to stick with their current consoles and play these new titles, or invest in the new kit and wait until they were ported to next generation machines. Fast forward 18 months and the PS4 gamers who traded in their PS3s in can experience one of the best games in recent years, as it was meant to be. The Last of Us , like a lot of titles in the modern era, where the narrative is the most striking factor. The script could rival an academy award winning movie, in fact to promote this game the actors who leant their voice to this game performed the scripts on stage to a live audience, as if it were classic theatre. Taking place in the aftermath of a post apocalyptic event, which has seen the world thrown into chaos thanks to a bacterial infection. You play as Joel, a weather-beaten native who has survived the last 20 years as a streetwise petty criminal, who now has the task of escorting teenager Ellie across the United States. Using a range of firearms, improvised weaponry and stealth you struggle against zombie type creatures and fellow human survivors in an effort to reach your intended targets. Those who’ve played the original can relive a whirlwind of emotion, coming back as the game is virtually identical to its PS3 counterpart, other than stunning sharp HD graphics, which you’ll need a fairly decent HDTV to appreciate on the most ideal scale. This version is now 60 frames per second compared to the original’s 30. Essentially this release serves the dual purpose of giving gamers a late PS3 title to play on PS4 and upgrading the game visually, just enough, to show the power and capability of the newer console. On the other hand: why is a title with a core audience that have played the previous version before, being repackaged as a brand new game with the RRP of £40? It’s almost like buying a great film
Format: PS4 Dev: Naughty Dog Pub:Sony Out: Now on the remastered, special edition DVD or in this case, upgrading to Blu-Ray. Excuse all the movie comparisons but this release is being treated like a Hollywood thriller. The remastered edition even features director’s commentary and all new DLCs (downloadable content) available in the coming months.Just like Uncharted 3 before it, developers Naughty Dog have focused their re-release efforts on improving Multiplayer, including making this as an attractive option as the single campaign. MP campaigns focus on gathering supplies and killing enemies, defending groups, capturing flags and surviving. It’s strange to think this is the studio who developed the Crash Bandicoot games in the 90s. If you’ve played and completed the single player campaign for original The Last of Us on PS3 then you may well be drawn to this title for the shiny new PS4 “trophies” for your PS Network profile. Yet, it will probably end up being the Multiplayer campaigns which draw you in to spend the most time on this version of the game. With the gaming ‘summer drought’ coming to a close, this is essential for anyone who shelled out for a PS4.
Pro: Best storyline in years. PS4 at its best. Con: Still the same game.
8/10
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Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attoney
Format: 3DS. Dev: Capcom/ Level-5. Pub:Nintendo. Out: Now.
Well this is a crossover I don’t think many of us saw coming. On the other hand, the Wright and Layton series both appeal to the same markets: portable Nintendo device, solving puzzles, cult fanbase. So here we are! The art style is rather admirable as the Ace Attorney games follow a very Capcom-centric manga approach, where as the Layton games are a water-colour painting motif. Despite the softened edges they both stay true to their own style but fit so well. The same can be said for the humour. The first half alternates between the head-scratching fun of the Layton games with puzzles and problems mixed with the point-and-click strategy of
the Phoenix Wright games, which do not feel like strange bedfellows at any point.The touch screen mechanics is a great use of the 3DS hardware and even let you cross examine several witnesses at once, which we need to really see more of. This game will keep you thinking for days on end and is as addictive as a great crime novel. Although the voice acting is a little cringe-worthy and we should of seen more of the world of Labrinthia. The soundtrack is also fantastic, paying homage to the classic tunes from both series with a new-school twist.You don’t even need to be familiar with both, or either series. If you haven’t played a Phoenix Wright or Layton game, this may be a good place to start.
Ultra Street Fighter IV Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Dev: Capcom Out: Now
As soon as Street Fighter IV was announced, you knew there was going to be a ton of different versions released in the coming years. There was countless versions of Street Fighter II, so the leap to HD graphics for IV made meant more possibilities, therefore more versions for Capcom to work on. This is said to be the fifth and possibly final incarnation of IV, but I would think Capcom mightstretch it out for this version or even a ‘Turbo’ edition for PS4 and Xbox One. Even a Wii U version which incorporates the touch pad would be interesting, we had a ‘Super’ 3Ds version, so why not? Unlike ‘The Last Of Us’ this is not a ‘remastered’ version of the original title but more of an upgrade for Street Fight- aholics. So what’s new here? More fighters such as Hugo, Poison (pictured, centre), Elena and Rolento as well as the full roster from previous versions. New arenas including a Jurrassic Par...I mean research centre, a half-pipe, blast furance and a cosmic elevator (whatever that is). Not places you should start scrapping but they are visually stunning and makes this version feel like a new game all together.Capcom even carried out research directly to the fans to find out what they should change to the mechanics. The result was made this the most balanced game in the Street Fighter franchise. Special moves have been improved too, so Rufus’ ‘messiah kick’ has been fixed. In- fact, every character has been touched apon in some way or another, so it might be worth trying those fighters you used to avoid and see how they handle.
Capcom have done enough to keep the hardcore SFIV fans happy as well as appeal to the casual gamer, who may be playing this as their first Street Fighter game. Old school fans who want to re-visit the series will get a nostalgia rush as the classic themes play in high quality as well as the catch phrases (is Ken really saying ‘Sure, you can’?) Competitive players will enjoy the online three-on-three ‘Team Battle Mode’ where your health bar carries on from the previous match, making it the ultimate test of endurance. The online training mode helps new players lean new skills with their friends all over the world, so anyone can get in to the multiplayer matches. There is also more to be revealed via DLC in the coming months, so this isn’t the final fight! The stunning graphics from the original edition remain, if they were any better this could of been classed as Street Fighter V, due to the huge step this game has made since it’s intitial release in 2009. Who knows what the future hold for this series. If Capcom continue to take on feedback from fans, we can look forward to more great games like this. So why have they forgotten about Mega Man? Oh well Smash Bros is out soon, he’s in that...
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full steam ahead
Recommended games available on Valve’s Steam service
Ed Ret ’s r Pic o k
Expendabros Free This is a fitting crossover between surprise hit Broforce and action movie The Expendables III. Explosive fun featuring ‘bro-ised’ versions of the movie’s characters. Save other ‘Expendabros’ from the clutches of the generic bad guys. Using grenades, machine guns, and daggers you get through a lot of pixelated blood ‘n’ guts in this platform/shoot ‘em up. If you liked the original, this is more of the same but worth a download.
Unturned Free Imagine if Minecraft was taken over by zombies. This is a first person survival shooter in a cuboid world. All though everything is literally cubes, this is visually stunning with surprisingly great detail. A totally unique take on the survival horror genre, could easily be disregarded as a Minecraft wannabe yet is in a totally different ballpark. Polygon cubes have never been so creepy. A future cult classic.
Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey £1.99 Originally released in 1997, this game is a visually stunning side-scrolling platform/ puzzle hybrid. You play as Abe, an alien cleaner who overhears him and his whole species are about to be turned in to a “new ‘n’ tasty” snack by his sinister boss. Abe must save his fellow Mudokons before they are tomorrow’s lunch. The re-mastered remake aptly titled New ‘N’ Tasty! Was released for PlayStation 4 this year but I’d recommend the original
Only If Free A surreal first-person puzzle adventure. You play as Anthony Clyde who wakes up after a hard night of partying in a strange bed. You guide Anthony as you find out how he got there in the first place. We will let you figure out the rest because it really is a noodle-scratcher. Originally created for a Game Jolt contest. One for fans of The Twilight Zone.
The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures £6.99 Fair enough this came out almost a year ago, nevertheless this is still worth a look. Playing as The Nerd himself, one of the original YouTube gamers (see page 16), you hop through familiar game worlds in this old school style platformers. Some players have said the £6.99 price tag isn’t worth it, but judge for yourself.
Gang Beasts £8.99 Sheffield-based devs Boneloaf offer up this cartoony-come-minimalistic brawler, where the objective is to toss your oponnent out of the enviroment. Use rubbery fighters in arenas such as a big wheel, an underground station, the top of a moving truck, a factory and many more. It’s still in it’s pre-alpha stages so there is much more to come. If anything, you will laugh every time you lose!
Lethal League £9.99 This game has been gathering momentum at expos and conventions over the past few months and even has a cult-following. Now officially released on Steam, you can see what the fuss is all about. The best way to describe this title is: Super Smash Bros meets Pong with a bit of Jet Set Radio thrown in. Visually stunning , great soundtracka and most importantly - endless one-on-one action.
Five Nights At Freddy’s £3.99 You are a security guard in charge of a family-fun resturaunt, keeping an eye on the CCTV cameras, when you notice Freddy and his friends slowly start to move... towards you! Can you survive five nights without being eaten by a robtic teddy? One of the most original horror games out there. Very creepy, play in the dark for full effect.
WT Co F? rne r
Hatoful Boyfriend £6.99 Where do I start? You are the only human student at a school for birds. Not weird enough? This is a dating simulator. Being honest this is probably tongue in cheek having been published by Devolver Digital, and most dating sims are pretty bizarre to begin with, so the bird thing just makes Hatoful Boyfriend stand out even more. Not in a good way.
Anything We missed? You can leave a suggestion on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/CyberPunkMag or go to our website for more reviews on New (and old) releases avaiable on Steam: www.cyberpunkmag.com
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previews
What else gamers and techheads need to check out this month when they put down the controller.
video games: the movie
limited cinema Release. Available on iTunes to rent or buy
volume
a 105 minute pre-amble to a much better documentary. I can’t see many people taking to this in cinemas. It would possibly work on TV; perhaps on a digital channel of sorts. As a gamer myself of over 20 years, I found it slightly patronising. Yes I remember how exciting Sonic was in 1991; yes I remember how big a deal PlayStation was in 1995. It comes across - to someone like myself - as 45 minutes of research padded out with fan made music videos. Most films will use well known songs as background music or even a small section of the song, but Video Games: The Movie plays the whole song…in full! The film does actually explore gaming lifestyle (briefly) by mentioning how people connect through games and even change their lives through games. I felt like shouting “Yes! We know!” at the screen. Gaming as a sport was also mentioned. Yet if this was a doc on competitive, professional gamers it could have been more interesting but instead we get the Wikipedia entry of ‘Video Game History’ as a mediocre documentary. Basically I don’t think this film has a purpose beyond a visual aid in a GSCE media studies class.
Other gaming documentaries from the past, present ... and future
Indie Game: The Movie
O
n British shores we have been spoilt with brilliant gaming documentaries, mainly from Charlie Brooker, BBC’s technology reports, and not forgetting the brilliant Channel 4 special Thumb Candy in 2000, which explored the origins of video games and how they have evolved. Video Games: The Movie on the other hand, is a US production on limited cinema release and was crowdfunded between 2012 and 2013. The film’s producer Jeremy Snead felt video games, as a medium ‘deserved more treatment in film and television’. That is a debatable subject, as Brooker’s recent documentary ‘How Video Games Changed the World’ explored the notion a lot of contemporary movies are usually inspired by gaming(eg Drive, Disney’s Wreck-ItRalph, etc.) and vice-versa. This film starts fairly promising, acknowledging all aspects of gaming, and then exploring a timeline of major games and consoles. I won’t go too much in to what else is explained, mainly because most gamers will know already all about this. This is the most jarring problems with the film – who is this aimed at? Most people who want to see it will probably be avid gamers, who already know all this, where as anyone else might not even care enough to see it. The whole movie plays like
You might already be aware of indie titles like Super Meat Boy and Fez, that are extremely popular these days. But,there was a time when Fez had been in development hell for years. This documentary follows developers Edmund McMillen, Tommy Refenes and Phil Fish in development of the now ‘cult’ games, as well as reflecting on the success of the modern indie classic - Braid. The games featured in this doc are all available to download on Steam. Ironically enough: so is this film, for £6.99
Minecraft: The Story Of Mojang No guesses for what game this doc focusses on. The film features interviews with developers from Mojang, during the production process of the biggest open world game ever made. This film premiered on Xbox Live in 2012. The production company, 2 Player Productions, even uploaded it to torrent site The Pirate Bay but urged people to purchase it legally. The film is available to download from their website: minecraftstoryofmojang.com
The Power Of Glove
In 1989 Mattel released a ‘gesture based’ controller for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unfortunatly, the result was a huge disapointment. The glove is a joke in the gaming industry but it has been repurposed in the modern age, from being used as a musical instment to a post-modern fashion statement. This film is still in production, and it has been for a year and the film makers are appealing for more donations on kickstarter. For more information go to: www.thepowerofglove.com
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Patent Pending present: Mario & The Brickreakers Fans of the punk-pop scene may have heard of Patent Pending before; they have toured with bands like Bowling For Soup and played all the big festivals. Yet, you might not know who ‘Mario and The Brickbreakers’ are. Or maybe you have - do the names Mario, Luigi, Toad and Yoshi ring a bell? This EP came about after the band optioned the anthemic ‘Hey Mario’ as their next single. This is the opening track on the EP and inspired this whole project. The video that went up to promote the single features footage from the red-capped plumber in Super Mario 3D World, yet the New York band
Strike The Earth!: Shovel knight Arranged
As if we weren’t bigging up the masterpiece that is Shovel Knight enough this month, they’ve only gone and released two versions of the soundtrack. One is the original Jake Kaufman composed music as you hear in game, in all it’s 8-bit chip tune glory. The other is known as ‘Strike The Earth!’ and the ‘arranged’ bit basically means covers, re-arrangements, and remixes of the entire soundtrack.Both downloadable from Bandcamp for whatever you want. So if you think it is worth paying £5, pay £5. If you think it is worth £100 pay £100, and so-on. The opener is extremely fast paced and arranged by veteran game composer Manami Matsumi, which Jake Kaufman (aka ‘Virt’) was inspired by to get in to the industry.
wanted to do more than that; Coming soon is a 30 minute mock-documentary about Mario and The Brickbreakers as a rock band a la VH1 Behind The Music.The opening track is single ‘Hey Mario’ which is an awesome track as it stands featuring NES style sound effects samples and lyrics exploring theories about Peach maybe not being worth Mario’s time. The second track ‘My Princess Peach’ is a pop punk love song which wouldn’t go a miss on one of the band’s regular albums. Other highlights include ‘Rainbow Road’ is a country power ballad between Mario and Peach. The documentary can be likened to This Is Spinal Tap and follows the band made up of: Mario (Vocalist Joe Ragosta), Luigi (drummer Anthony Mingoia), Chet ‘Toad’ Diggington (guitarist Rob Fellicetti), Donald ‘DK’ Kongdon (guitarist Marc Kantor) and Yoshi Appleton (bassist Corey Devincenzo). The spoof rock-doc was written by Patent Pending themselves, and co-directed by their lead singer Joe. Early trailers show their passion for the iconic video game series. The documentary itself is still in its final stages, but it will be one to look out for by anyone who grew up with the Mario games, or enjoys Patent Pending’s music. EP Available To download from iTunes for £3.49 Almost every style of music is catered for on this album. Following the oldie world motif we have: Medieval chanting, violin instrumentals and, fully fleshed out orchestral versions of the game’s retro-centric music. What are more interesting are the modern genres explored like Brian May-esque guitars, trance, dubstep and even elements of heavy metal to dig in to. This somewhat makes the music more listenable on one level but the different styles are quite jarring played back to back. ‘Hyper Camelot’ is quite irritating after the first listen and there are way too many versions of the title theme. The music compositions by Virt are the best thing about the game’s music so it still sounds amazing, but some of the level-specic music are the more unique tracks off the original soundtrack. My favourite has to be the French house style version of the Neon Cave theme by Cap_Colors, which makes it sound more like it should be on a movie like Drive than a game like Shovel Knight. In all this is a great listen for anyone who has played the game, yet some tracks may work on their own. Both versions of the soundtrack are available on Virt’s Band Camp page, on a ‘name your price’ basis: https://virt.bandcamp.com Read more on the Shovel Knight UK release on page 6.
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Check us out online
CyberPunk is available to download and read online via our new website
Vistit our website for news, updates, videos and web-exclusive content: www.cyberpunkmag.com also follow our FaceBook for on-thehour updates: www.facebook.com/CyberPunkMag
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bp ur ye ve ri e’ ws sg u i d e
So many great franchises out there some might pass you by, we tell you the best place to start.
the Legend Of Zelda It’s been almost 28 years since the first Zelda Created by: Shigeru Miyamoto First Game: 1986
game on the NES, and Nintendo continue to amaze to this day with the latest release Hyrule Warriors, out this month (see page 8) and the next instalment of the main series coming in 2015. It’s hard to believe some gamers may not have even played a Zelda game. Now that most of these games are available to download from the e-shop, or for the original console on sites like eBay or Amazon, it’s easy to pick up the titles that go far back as 1986. Hopefully this will get you started on the series before the hype for the next game starts. The inspiration for the first game was creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s childhood memories of exploring the surround hillsides in Sonobe, Japan where he discovered secluded lakes, caves and villages. Other inspirations came from other mediums such as the Lord Of The Rings novels to the TV series Twin
Essential
Ocarina Of Time
N64 (orignal)/ 3DS (Remake) 1998/ 2011
Not only an essential, but also arguably one of the most beloved games ever made, this has been voted as the best game ever produced on numerous occasions. This title brings the element of time travel to the already complex fantasy world of Hyrule. The first part of this game is the origins of our hero as a child and his journey in to Hyrule. The second act starts with the prince of darkness, Gannondorf taking over the kingdom and Link being transported seven years in to the future and being greeted with an almost apocalyptic landscape. The third is your journey to Ganondorf’s castle to save Princess Zelda herself. This sounds like the typical swords and sorcery style ‘Save the princess, save the world’ yet it doesn’t feel that way as Zelda herself does help you along the way. Providing you with an enchanted Ocarina and a helping hand in the ‘adult years’ stages. There is also a wide cast of characters that could be compared to Star Wars in some respects. There are also plenty of side-quests to complete when you can’t fathom the main ‘dungeons’. This is Link’s first foray into 3D graphics. Bringing a new dimension, not only in terms of visuals, but also more possibilities in gameplay. This game could take you days, weeks or even years to finish. If you finish that you can download the ‘Master Quest’ edition on the Nintendo eShop, or hunt down the limited edition disc for the GameCube. The 3DS version polished off the 64-bit graphics for a new generation, and like classic Game Boy and DS titles, you can play it on the bus!
A Link To The Past
SNES (Original)/ GBA (Port) 1991/ 2002
Often seen as the ‘crown jewel’ of the SNES, and 16-bit era overall. A return to form with the top-down RPG adventure style after the side-scrolling style of Zelda II (see over page). Carrying over everything we loved in the original game plus adding stunning visuals and more elaborate mechanics. This was also introduces the theme of ‘dual worlds’ to the series: In this case a ‘light’ and ‘dark’ world which the player can switch between. We also see this in the more recent A Link Between Worlds for 3DS.The game starts with Link being awaken by a telepathic plea from Zelda, who’s managed to get locked in the dungeon of the castle by evil wizard Aghanim, who is doing the work of a recently defeated Gannon. Link finds his uncle, with a sword and shield in hand, and follows him to the castle, despite warning. Link finds that Aghanim is trying to break the seal between both world and and unleash Gannon who is sealed in the ‘dark’ world. Follow that? This is probably the first incidence of the plot being more complexed than ‘Save the princess from the baddie’ That we saw in the first two titles. Up until A Link Between Worlds was released in 2013, this was was the only Zelda title to have 12 dungeons (levels) in it, which made it the longest Zelda title of the ‘classic’ era and gave it a definitive ‘epic’ feel. The game was ported on to GBA in 2002 to co-inside with the release of ‘The Four Swords’. The game is also avaible to download on eShop for 3DS and Wii U.
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Superior
cyberpunk 01
Majora’s Mask
The Wind Waker
This was originally supposed to be a direct sequel to Ocarina but ended up completely different. Seen by some as a spin off, this game took an unexpected dark turn. It uses the same style and cast of characters as Ocarina, but has a different setting and plot. Rather than save the Princess like most games in the series; you have to prevent the world from coming to an end. Starting as a younger Link , you can play as four different species (yet still as Link) to solve the mystery of the the imonent doom facing Termina. Instead of the main villain being Ganon we have the ominous Skull Kid,who also appeared in Ocarina as a minor character. This game has never had a remake or port to other consoles, making it more mysterious (as well as hard to find). The rumours of a 3DS port have been rumoured for years, but it still hasn’t happened.
After the success of Ocarina and Majora, the series changed dramatically, most notable in terms of aesthetics . When footage of this game was shown at Space World 2001 featuring a cel-shaded, cartoony, cat like Link – most critics were saying this title was ‘dumbing down’ and was aiming for a much younger audience and this would be a massive drop in quality for the franchise. How wrong they would be: This is now seen as one of the stand out titles in the series, and has even received an HD remake for Wii U. Instead of saving Zelda this time we are saving Link’s sister from the clutches of…. guess who? (Gannon, if you hadn’t guessed). Nintendo also traded the Lord of The Rings style medieval swordplay for a nautical, Pirates of The Caribbean vibe. Beautifully stunning with a charming, epic soundtrack.
The Legend Of Zelda
The Minish Cap
N64 2000
GameCube (original)/ Wii U (HD) 2003/ 2014
great
NES (Original) / GBA (Port)
1986/ 2004
GBA 2004
The game that started it all, possibly the most important game on this list. Not only was this the first Zelda game but a game that demonstrated Nintendo titles were more than just Mario and really showed what can be done in a game, even in the 8-bit era. Of course RPGs (role playing games) existed before Zelda was even an idea, but this brought them to the masses and proved gamers were wanting more from their cartridges. As this is the first game in the series you can imagine how the story goes: Zelda is kidnapped by Gannon, Link has to travel across Hyrule to save her. A theme most of the Zelda games in the main series follow. Now available to download via eShop .
The GBA is one of Nintendo’s forgotten handheld systems and was sadly saturated with third party film and TV liscenced games. Luckily The Big N brought the quality back with their stellar first party collection. Even so, The Minish Cap is the only game in the main series which was developed by Capcom - Which isn’t a bad thing at all. Link travels across Hyrule to defeat Vaati, who has turned Zelda to stone. With a talking hat and the ability to transform in to a microscopic version of himself, Link must defeat enemies and solve puzzles to solve his childhood friend. And people say these games are farfetched! A special edition, gold coloured GBA SP was released bundled with this game (pictured above).
WildCard
Avoid!
Zelda II: Adventure Of Link
Link: Faces of Evil
Often seen as the ‘black sheep’ of the series. Miyamoto even said it was ‘one of the worst games’ he had worked on. Well that’s not fair, just because it’s different? This being a 2D sidescroller, having a life count, a ‘jump’ function et al are common in a lot of games of the NES era but the attraction of the original game was the unique ‘open world’ style which it had went against in it’s second game. This is the only direct sequel in the saga, and certainly works well as a game on it’s own. Definately not the worst, one for CastleVania fans.
Where to start? There was three Zelda licensed games (but not developed by Nintendo) on the very short lived Phillips CDi: Zelda’s Adventure, The Wand Of Gamalon and this title. All equally as terrible but this one takes the biscuit for the cringe worthy animated cut scenes that look like they were produced on MS paint , the graphics are a fuzzy mess. This game is so hideous we don’t want to use a screen-shot to spoil our magazine! The other two at least you play as Zelda herself. All three are full of glitches, and are very dull.
NES ( original) / GBA (port)
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1988/ 2004
Phillips CD-i
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BAcklist
A random rundown of things from gaming past that might make you happy, make you sad, or just confused.
Most Out-Of-Place Unlockable Characters in games
Unlockable content is like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow after completing a great (or not so great) game. There are some amazing ‘hidden’ characters in games such as Donky Kong in Super Punch-Out, or Mortal Kombat characters like Smoke and Reptile. Then there are some that make you think “Is that supposed to be there?” this is a list of those slightly disapointing avatars.
it got a little odd: A Call Of Duty soldier, Doom guy, and Gene Simmons From KISS. Shrek takes the biscuit though, a big fat ogre pulling off those tricks suspends belief a bit too much. In fairness Activision had the license for Shrek in 2003, and this was the reason Spidey became an unlockable in the first place.
Football Manager in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
Anyone who has seen the Stars movies will have possibly played the games too and as it is great to play as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Chewbacca, one character that wold fit in a video game would be Darth Vader. And he was, as a downloadable character in the PS3 version of Soul Calibur IV. Awesome. a fighting game where you can control the dark lord himself. The Xbox 360 also had a Star Wars character to download. Who could it be? Han Solo? Bobba Fett?Nope, it’s Yoda. Having said that he is a pretty decent character to play as and is a force to be reckoned with (no pun intended). Vader and Yoda are not allowed at SC4 tournements as they are seen as ‘cheating’. Could be much worse, could of been Jar Jar Binks.
To have all the Sonic characters in this game makes sense, sure, as does Sega’s IPs such as Crazy Taxi, Shenmue and Golden Axe. When they got to real life NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and Disney’s Wreck-It-Ralph, they were clearly running out of ideas. One of Sega’s best selling series of all time is Football Manager, especially in Europe. So how can they incorporate that in to this game? Have a random ‘Football Manager’ as a playable character. What does this entail? Just a bloke in a brown suit and a crash helmet. Why bother Sega?
Fred Durst in WWF Smackdown: Just Bring It!/WWF Raw, and Fight Club
Rock star cameos have been in games since the early days, Motorhead even had their own game on the Amiga. To put the lead singer of Limp Bizkit in a wrestling game seems a bit strange though.The unconfirmed stroy is: THQ could use their hit ‘Rollin’ in the game as The Undertaker’s theme, if frontman Fred was a playable character. He is also in the PS2 game adaptation of the movie Fight Club, which is based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk. He isn’t in the movie or the book. Then again Abraham Lincoln is in the game too.
Shrek in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
The Tony Hawk series of skateboarding games are possibly the most versatile in terms of unlockables. Other than the password system - these hidden characters, maps and modes can also be earned. The first odd addition was Spiderman in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, who we can imagine being a skater in his spare time but then
Yoda in Soul Calibur IV
Freddy Krueger in Mortal Kombat (2011)
In 2011 when NetherRealm decided to re-boot the Mortal Kombat games they wanted to impress gamers not only with visuals but also including their full cast of characters, and couple of crossovers. This included Cratos from the God of War games as well as Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street. This could be to do with a remake of Nightmare on Elm Street being released a year prior to the game or, because the levels of violence in the Elm Street movies match the blood bath that is the Mortal Kombat games. All his moves are references to deaths in Freddy’s movies. Not the most jarring appearance on this list but definately a random choice. Agree With our choices? Let us know on our Facebook page: facebook.com/CyberPunkMag
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“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”
www.cyberpunkmag.com facebook.com/cyberpunkmag full layout1.indd 35
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THE ULTIMATE LASER TAG ARENA.
BATTLEZONE ARMOURY — WEAPON 1
MP5 STINGER
LOCK AND LOAD! M A K E C O N TA C T
T: 0191 482 2222 www.battlezonelaser.co.uk info@battlezonelaser.co.uk K83 Third avenue Team Valley Trading Estate Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE11 0PR W W W.FAC E B O O K.C O M / B ATTL EZON EL ASERU K T W IT T E R.C O M / B ATTL EZON EU K
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So, you think you’re somekind of high-scoring, zombie-killing, deathdefying, black ops adrenaline junkie? Think again, kid! If you want to find out what you’re truly made of then pull on the uniform for real, break out a serious piece of laser-packing hardware and let’s lock and load! This isn’t some arcade game: this is Battle Zone Laser, the ultimate laser combat arena. So c’mon, stop twiddling those thumbs, book your battle today and show us what you’ve really got in the locker!
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