December Magazine 2015

LIVE DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE

We asked for your vote for Game of the Year. See page 12 for the results.

Trading Cards at Gametraders!

Page 86

HUGE RANGE OF GIFT IDEAS INSIDE!

Christmas time…. it’s almost here.

That special day we celebrate that has its’ roots in the birth of Christ.

Now very much a commercial time where people across the globe buy gifts for each other. While some people might express cynicism in that it’s just another excuse to buy stuff, I don’t look at it that way… to me it’s also a time for families to get together and enjoy each others company. A time to spend time with friends, maybe play some games, take some time off and enjoy life.

We’re all so busy all the time, glued to our phones instead of talking to each other. Working, trying to make a living and suddenly realising another year just skipped by. So this Christmas take some time to say hello in person. Play a game in the lounge with a friend. Put down the phone and pick up the controller with a friend and enjoy games for what they are, entertainment.

Happy Christmas!

Rob Giselle Kylie Nick Jess Paul Scott Anny JR and the many other people who put this magazine together, not for money but for our love of games, popular culture, comics, anime, retro and all things that bring us a bit of happiness each day.

INSIDE 12 24 66 92 THE LIVE TEAM Game of the Year - votes are in!

Previews & Reviews

Geek Out Gift Ideas

Publisher: Rob Jenkins (GTHQ) Art Director: Giselle Capozza (GTHQ) Game Review & Preview Editors: Nick Getley & Kylie Tuttle (Sticky Trigger) Retro Writer: Paul Monopoli Anime Writer: Jesse Richardson Board Games: Jess Wilson Comics: Scott Sowter Cosplay Editor: Anny Sims Sticky Trigger Writers: Kylie Tuttle Nick Getley Alex Holmes Aaron Milligan Ben Rachow Bridget Sweeney Sean Fox Sasha Karen Jason English Johnny Scene

Ask staff for details.

New Just Cause 3 Trailer Released Featuring Kasabian

Just in case you didn’t get enough Just Cause 3 footage before its release, Avalanche Studios have released a trailer featuring rock band Kasabian.

The release of this trailer follows footage of Just Cause 3 running at 4K, and clips enabling vision in 360 degrees views via YouTube and an app.

Just Cause 3 will be released on the first of December for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

G

G N I AM

NEWS

Retail Editions Announced for Zombi Trigger fingers at the ready – Ubisoft has announced that Zombi will be released in retail stores on 21 January 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The acclaimed survival-horror game has been updated for these platforms since being released for Wii U originally in 2012.

Set against an infected London backdrop, Zombi has players collect various items and weap-

ons to fight against hordes of zombies. Fail and you’ll have to take on the role of another survivor and battle your original self to get your inventory back.

In this optimised version, there have been new melee weapons added, faster load times, and better visual effects. This is already available digitally for those who really can’t wait to get their survival-horror fix.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Season Pass Detailed Ubisoft has announced details regarding the Season Pass for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

The Season Pass is said to last a year, and with it comes early access to post-launch operators, permanent boosts for players, and exclusive weapon skins, among other bonuses.

The Season Pass has been confirmed to include: • A week’s early access to eight new operators.

• A permanent 5% Renown boost to unlock content faster.

• An exclusive Sean Pass Porter weapon skin.

• The Safari Bundle of five weapon skins.

• Access to two extra daily challenges to earn Renown.

• 600 R6 Credits for purchasing in-game content.

The first downloadable content to Rainbow Six Siege is Operation Black Ice, which is scheduled for release in January. With Operation Black Ice, all users will have access to a new map, two operators from the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 counter-terrorism unit (JTF2), and other content not yet revealed. However, Season Pass holders gain access to the operators a week early.

Fallout 4 Sells Over 12 Million Units

Whilst the success of Fallout 4 may not come as a surprise, Bethesda has officially announced that their post-apocalyptic title has sold over 12 million units.

In accordance to their official press release, worldwide sales figures have reported to have reached the numbers of $750 million. With record sales both digitally and physical – ‘major retailers’ from across the globe have informed Bethesda, that Fallout 4 has been one of the most preordered games of 2015.

Fallout 4 is currently available on PlayStation 4. Xbox One and PC. For more Fallout 4 news (including a review), be sure to follow Sticky Trigger Entertainment for more updates.

ea collaborates with gamers to modify a car Electronic Arts has this week announced that they’ll be collaborating with Need for Speed fans to customize a real life car.

In promotional campaign for the rebooted Need for Speed – for the next five weeks, fans will be able to vote on various different car modifications to be added towards the vehicle.

Based on options from the current title, EA has teamed up with Zen Garage, Surfboard Designer Hayden Cox and Street Artist DVATE – to ensure that the vehicle is built on a ‘professional level’.

Once the votes are in, a new video will be released showcasing the results and the new car modifications added. Dates of the videos have been planned, with the schedule set as: W/C 16th November: First video is released for customization of wheels with Justin Fox from Zen Garage.

W/C 23rd November: Second video released showcasing the wheels on the car. Hayden Cox

from Hayden Shapes to showcase bodykit options for fans to choose from.

W/C 30th November: Third video of car with wheels and body kit results revealed. Well known graphic designer, DVATE, to showcase graphics and artwork choices.

W/C 7th December: Fourth video released showcasing the graphic and artworks and other components. Video to also highlight details of the final reveal.

W/C 14th December: The final video is shown of the car being showcased to the public at a popular car meet in Eastern Creek (being held on December 12th).

For more updates and how you can get involved, be sure visit their Facebook page. Need for Speed is currently out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. In other Need for Speed related news, be sure to take a look into Nicks review for the title. As a reboot to the beloved car franchise, Nick awarded the title a fair 7.6/10 – praising the titles gameplay and overall potential.

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DECEMBER

GAME

RELEASES! DATE

TITLE

FORMATS

1/12/2015

Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege

PC, XB1, PS4

1/12/2015

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

PS3

1/12/2015

Just Cause 3

PC, XB1, PS4

5/11/2015

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Wii U

5/12/2015

Yo Kai Watch

3DS

10/12/2015

The Sims 4 Get Together (Add On)

PC

28/12/2015

Terraria

XB1

GET IT AT

GAMETRADERS

Each year the video games market is flooded with gaming titles from the major AAA publishers to the smaller Indie publishers. Some are good, some are brilliant and some make you question why they were even made.

Game of the Year (AKA GotY) is a title awarded by various gaming publications to a deserving game. Many publications award a single “Game of the Year” to a single title that they feel represents the pinnacle of gaming achievement that year.

In late November, the peak of the AAA game release season, Gametraders asked their fans what title they felt reigned supreme for game releases in 2015, what was their Game of the Year!

So, who won the public vote for as their GotY? Over 31% of the voters felt that Bethesda’s apocalyptic Fallout 4 deserves to be 2015 Game of the Year! *drum roll please* and the winner, as chosen by Sticky Trigger Entertainment and LIVE magazine for 2015 Game of the Year is….

We agree, the winner is Fallout 4!

Why did we feel Fallout 4 deserved to win GotY? Following the massive excitement drawn from the amazing E3 reveal, Bethesda’s Fallout 4 showed a huge visual improvement over Fallout 3 (2008), provided the perfect

post-apocalyptic atmosphere and is one of the best open world games on offer in 2015. No really, the map is massive! Visually stunning, Fallout 4’s game play shows beautifully crafted scenery, characters and a fantastic story line.

Fallout 4 showcases the ability to create settlements (new to the series), the development team implemented improved shooting mechanics (inspired by Destiny) and has a MASSIVE amount of quests (so much game play time!). But wait, there is more! A dog companion to keep you company as you trek across the land! And everyone loves a dog, right?

For the first time ever in a Fallout game, the protagonist speaks! With the new dialogue and voice acting, Fallout 4 seems reminiscent of Mass Effect and it works quite well.

We were a little shocked to hear

words come from their mouth too, don’t worry!

With a massive 12 million copies sold, worth a cool $750m USD by November 12 just 2 days after its release AND a whopping 470,000 playing the PC version on popular distribution service Steam playing a few days later, there is no denying that Fallout 4 is everything gamers wanted and more from the title.

Whilst the game isn’t 100% perfect with a few issues relating to load times, lip syncing and some of the dialogue which can detract from the sense of freedom, but if you can look past that into the vast open world, engaging and exciting title that Fallout 4 is a brilliant game and his is why Fallout 4 wins top place as Game Of the Year. If you haven’t played it as of yet, do yourself a favour, grab a copy now! You wont regret it.

VOTED BY YOU!

Honourable mentions go to ….

Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 for it’s fantastic return to form for Call of Duty, and easily the best CoD on the current console generation. The campaign is engaging (though not particularly original), and the multiplayer and Zombies mode both add new features that make them both feel fresh. A must-have shooter.

And Square Enix’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, which sadly got overshadowed by Fallout 4’s release. Rise of the Tomb Raider is a visually stunning masterpiece and raises the expectations set from Lara’s previous instalment through its game play, mechanics , combat and a well-developed character that Lara has become from her many journeys and fights for survival

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FEATURE

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Call of Duty: Black Ops is back to take fans on a journey to the dark, twisted and gritty world of Black Ops with a true next generation experience that redefines Call of Duty.

Delivering a campaign that can be played as a full single player game or co-op online with up to four players, the deepest, most rewarding multiplayer ever offered in Call of Duty, and, a mind blowing Call of Duty Zombies experience that, for the first time, features its own XP progression system.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops III campaign deploys players into a future world, where bio-technology coupled with cybernetic enhancements has given rise to a new breed of Black Ops soldier. Through Direct Neural Interface (DNI) technology,

players are now connected to the intelligence grid and their fellow operatives during battle. In a world more divided than ever, this elite squad consists of men and women who have enhanced their combat capabilities to fight faster, stronger, and smarter.

battle-hardened weapons and abilities, fundamentally changing the way players engage in combat.

Multiplayer is rounded out with an all-new weapon customization system that give players more powerful tools than ever to build and personalize that perfect weapon.

The most engaging and rewarding multiplayer offering to date debuts a new momentum-based, chainedmovement system that allows players to move fluidly through custombuilt environments with finesse, all while maintaining complete control over their weapon at all times.

Treyarch also introduces its new Specialist system, which lets players choose and rank up nine elite Black Ops soldiers, each with their own look, personality, voice and

No Treyarch title would be complete without its signature Zombies, rounding out the offering. Call of Duty: Black Ops III delivers a completely unique Zombies experience and is the most immersive and ambitious Zombies to date, complete with a new XP progression for players, adding unprecedented levels of depth and re-playability.

Check out the full review in this issue! Page 32.

ANIMAL CROSSING: HAPPY HOME DESIGNER Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which stars you working at the tanooki Tom Nook’s Nook’s Homes. Here, you help animals move in and decorate the inside and outside of their homes. Animals can move in with their decorating requests with the help of Animal Crossing amiibo cards.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is not the traditional Animal Crossing series we all know and love. It’s a spin-off of some of Animal Crossing’s best bits, refined.

The parts that are gone are missed, but what’s here is some fantastic room designing. With the blank canvas of a house to be designed, and a splash of imagination, Happy Home Designer is the kind of game you can sit down and play with forever.

FALLOUT 4

Welcoming you to their most ambitious game ever and the next generation of open-world gaming! As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war.

Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Welcome home.

Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours. An all-new next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of Fallout like never

before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail.

Collect, upgrade, and build thousands of items in the most advanced crafting system ever. Weapons, armor, chemicals, and food are just the beginning – you can even build and manage entire settlements.

With over 12 million copies sold since release last month, this game will make a perfect gift for die hard open world gamers. Check out the full review in this issue!

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT Take The Force! Star Wars Battlefront is an action first and third-person shooter based on the Star Wars franchise. In Battlefront you play as either a soldier of the Empire or the Rebel Alliance in large scale battles across sprawling multiplayer maps that support up to forty players. These conflicts are set in some of the most iconic locations from the movie, such as the ice-fields of

Hoth and the sun drenched dunes of Tatooine. Each level will also have plenty of vehicle options scattered through them. X-wings, Tie Fighters, AT-ATs and more are all able to be piloted, ramping up the player’s capacity for destruction.

This is definitely one to add to your purchase list!

SUPER MARIO MAKER If you have a Nintendo fan to buy for, you should definitely look at Super Mario Maker. The side scrolling platform creation game lets players recreate infamous levels of their favourite games or create a new level all together! With Super Mario Maker, the tools are in your hands, with your only limits stretching as far as our imagination.

Players can build levels to upload online for other players right around the world to try and finish. Some are easy, some are just impossible! Using items you see in each Mario game (bricks, pots, coins, little Goombas and more), the creator is completely in charge of the level creation, difficulty and even the music! Using the stylus on the Wii U to move and drag items to various places, you are in control of what goes where, how Mario will interact with the items and if you Offline play is also available with 10 randomly selected levels thrown your way to

play if you simply want to just see what’s possible with the creator tools. There’s also the 100 Mario Challenge, where instead of having ten lives playing premade levels, the 100 Mario Challenge selects 8 or 16 levels on the easy or normal and expert difficulties, where other user’s uploaded levels are randomly selected for you to play through.

Even your amiibo’s can be used to help unlock goodies!

Super Mario Maker gives every one of us a little bit of Nintendo magic to play with, and to share with others around the world. There’s a little bit of charm and wonder hiding behind every corner, even if the corner can be a little immersion-killing at times.

Definitely a must have for any Wii U owners out there.

Just Cause 3 Set several years after the events of Just Cause 2, players will assume the role of Rico Rodriguez once again – as they aim to liberate the island of Medici from the tyrannical dictator, General Di Ravello.

Set in a vast open world, Just Cause 3 will feature a map size of 400 square miles (1,000 km2).

Similar to Just Cause 2’s map size, the new setting is set to feature new and improved environmental aspects to the game – including ‘subterranean caverns’ and improved scale in climbing buildings.

As well as an improved setting, Just Cause 3’s gameplay will also feature the same level chaotic destruction as what the original games have. With a heavy emphasis on environmental destruction, a new mechanic called ‘Rebel Drop’ will allow for players to drop weapons and vehicles within the world.

Just Cause 3 is set to launch December 1st on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

What you really want this Christmas is at

gameS REVIEWS & PREVIEWS reviewS:

FALLOUT 4 TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III NEED FOR SPEED ASSASSIN’S CREED: SYNDICATE

S

fallo

out 4 review

FALLOUT 4

REVIEW

Since the days of playing through my Xbox 360, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas are undeniably two of my most cherished gaming experiences for the seventh console generation.

From their desolate dystopian settings, dark and often humorous dialogue choices, and a series compelling side-quests that shaped the very persona of how everyone treated you – these were two role-playing titles had me hooked from start to finish, and were some of the few RPG’s that set the standards into what I personally cherish within a role playing title.

It’s been now five years since we last saw another Fallout release, and needless to say, me and thousands of other fanboys have been dying to see another title.

Once the announcement came through at E3, as you can probably guess, I was absolutely giddy with excitement to hear that Fallout 4 was indeed on it’s way.

Now released and finally within my grasp, Fallout is back in all its post-apocalyptic glory. Though a little more streamlined in comparison to the rest of the series, Fallout 4 is still otherwise an fantastic title that manages to provides hours of upon hours rich and of fulfilling gameplay.

Set within the peaceful neighborhood of Sanctuary Hills – Fallout 4 starts off moments before the bombs drop. After messing around with your characters appearance and aligning their stats, a television broadcast soon interrupts the tranquility of your suburban life, as nuclear bombs have been reported to have detonated all across the nation.

After narrowly avoiding one of the nearby atomic blasts, you seek refuge in Vault 111. It is from here that you are assigned to a pod and then lead into cryogenic storage alongside your partner and son. 200 years pass, and you awake from your slumber only to find that your partner murdered and your son is missing. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, it’s from here that your adventure begins; as you pursue your way through the desolated ruins of the Commonwealth in search for answers about your missing son and your wife’s killer.

Whilst admittedly my first impressions of the map size had me a little bewildered into how small it all initially looked – looks are certainly be deceiving within the world of Fallout 4. For a nuclear wasteland, Fallout 4’s landscape is huge and brimming with so much life and variety. With so

many interesting locals, deadly raider locations, side-quests, and attractions – there is a good sense of freedom within the Commonwealth, that stays very reminiscent to titles such as Fallout 3 and New Vegas.

No doubt the bombardment of side quests might have a few players stunned into setting their priorities straight. But regardless of the overhaul, Fallout 4 is so rich in activities that the hardest part of playing this game, is actually trying to remain focused enough to complete the initial story-line.

In comparison from where we last saw the Fallout series, combat has undergone some significant improvements.

Operating more like a legitimate shooter, there is less of a stiff/ clunky feel when engaging with weapons in Fallout 4. Targeting enemies feels more accurate, gun-play operates more fluently, and the mechanics seem less reliant on the VATS – the freeze time mode – system to land even the most direct shots.

Speaking of VATS, this too has undergone some change – with the system now operating as a

slow motion feature instead of pausing time all together. Whilst I initially had some gripes, after a few hours in it eventually grew on me. The intensity this simple change has made towards combat is significant, adding to what was once a relative simple point and click targeting system, into a tense situation of quickly mapping out your attacks before enemies either attack you back or hide from your line of sight.

Throughout several points in Fallout 4, players will have the ability to customize settlements to establish safe havens for wanderers like yourself. Utilizing furniture, scrap and even ruined vehicles, players can now construct houses, establish defenses perimeters and even farm crops. Whilst there are some finicky aspects into how this system works – particularly with the placement of objects – these personal touches of designing a house from the ground up adds the experience of providing players a platform for freedom.

In addition to that sense of freedom, this feature also does the title service in establishing the narrative. Not only are you just some Vault dweller exploring the remnants of a time once forgotten. This time you’re leader – looking out for the locals and providing safety from the dangers that lurk across the Wasteland.

Leveling up in Fallout 4 has also changed from previous additions to the series, to more simplified 1 point add-on system into

the various perks and attributes.

With this new system, players who level up are given 1 point in which they can place within either their S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes, or invest into some of the various perks on offer.

Though I can understand the developers intention in creating some sense of careful planning in how you should spend your points wisely, there are some faults to be had with how this has been managed.

Whilst leveling up might be a little easier, this new system still feels tedious in terms in acquiring new and advanced perks. It’s also rather restrictive having to reach a high enough level to acquire particular perk unlocks.

Dialogue has also undergone some changes, with the addition of Fallout 4 providing voiced options for main protagonist. Whilst dynamic in itself – especially considering how excellent some of the voice acting is – sadly, the dialogue at hand is drastically limited options.

With only four options provided, the variety of additional dialogue sequences to proceed throughout Fallout 4 is incredibly underwhelming. Most conversations in Fallout 4 can be summed up to the bare basics of yes, no, question and sarcasm – with very few options allowing you to act on your own accord, and be an asshole towards people. In comparison to the rest of the series, it’s a massive step backwards to what was once a excellent system

that provided not only a majority of the games general sense of freedom, but also its charm and quirk.

With some of the more prominent aspects heavily streamlined, Fallout 4 is still a fantastic title that manages to provide hours of upon hours of entertainment.

Whilst may not be the best Fallout title that I’ve played, rest assured the journey is a long and worthwhile one.

PROS: VAST OPEN WORLD FUN COMBAT SYSTEM PLENTY OF SIDE QUESTS HOURS AND UPON HOURS OF WORTHWHILE GAMEPLAY SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION IS FUN AND ENGAGING

CONS: Click to view the trailer here!

LIMITED DIALOGUE OPTIONS DETRACT THAT SENSE OF FREEDOM/ENGAGEMENT LOAD TIMES ARE ALWAYS A PAIN LIP SYNCHING IS A JOKE

WRITTEN BY JASON ENGLISH WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

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CALL

BLACK

L OF DUTY:

K OPS III review

REVIEW

CALL OF DUTY:

BLACK OPS III

It would be fair to say that the Call of Duty franchise remains a mixed bag in terms of quality today. For their time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops 2 were near-perfect shooters, providing memorable campaigns with the fastpaced multiplayer that the series has become famous for. The last few entries in the series have still sold well, though have stumbled in a few areas.

This year’s entry, ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’, looks to take the Black Ops games into the future, without necessarily aping last year’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. I admit feeling a little tired of the sci-fi/future shooter trend that’s currently taking place in the shooter genre, as I have played Advanced Warfare and Activision’s Destiny extensively, though Black Ops 3 manages to find a balance between reliability and new features that Call of Duty fans will not only appreciate, but love.

Black Ops 3’s campaign begins with a banal cutscene introducing the player to the game’s set-

ting. A narrator informs us that human augmentation is now commonplace. The majority of people have a cybernetic modification of some kind, and natural disasters (presumably from climate change) have made largely populated areas uninhabitable.

It’s the kind of thing that might feel fresh to a Call of Duty game, but has been done to death in multiple movies and video games before, and done better.

Still, it sets up Black Ops 3 to have some of the gameplay and level design it’s had in years, so the situation could be worse.

The campaign opens with the player and their partner, Hendricks, infiltrating Ethiopia on a hostage rescue mission. During the mission, they are contacted

by Commander John Taylor, who assists the player and Hendricks with his team of cybernetically enhanced supersoldiers. Everything is going according to plan until their primary extraction point is compromised. The team make it to a secondary extraction point, but an explosion causes the player to miss their exfil and to be overrun by security robots. In

what is truly a gruesome scene, the player is mortally wounded by a security robot, pulled apart and gauged at repeatedly.

The player awakens on a train, and is greeted by Commander Taylor. Taylor informs the player that they are in a medically induced coma, and are being “prepped for surgery”. The player has had a Direct Neural Implant fitted to their brain, which allows for a human to directly network with computers, robots, information networks and other people with DNIs. Commander Taylor also has a DNI, which is how he is able to communicate with the player in their coma.

From there, the player is introduced to their new cybernetic enhancements, as they are loaded into virtual simulations of events that led up to a terrorist attack in which a bomb was detonated on a train. It borrows from the movie Source Code pretty heavily, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It allows for the tutorial to be as engaging as it possibly can be, as it jumps from location to location introducing characters and new gameplay

elements without talking down to the player.

After awaking from surgery, the player works alongside Taylor and Hendricks. After 5 years, they are put under the command of the CIA Agent Rachel Kane, and tasked with investigating a CIA black spot on Singapore that has gone quiet. The site was attacked by the 54 Immortals, Singapore’s largest terrorist group.

After investigating stolen data recovered from the 54 Immortals, Hendricks and the player discover that they were responsible for the attack on the black spot.

They then uncover a conspiracy that involved the 54 Immortals, the CIA, and Taylor himself.

The story is a step up from Advanced Warfare‘s, though it is inconsistent. At times, I found myself immersed in the “moment”, but never really invested in the game’s characters bar Taylor, who is played quite brilliantly by actor Christopher Meloni (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Oz). Besides Taylor, the dialogue and performances of the other actors can range from adequate to bland. At times, I found the voice of the player’s character to be either boring or mediocre, especially during the dialogue exchanges he had with Hendricks that took place between levels.

I also found the ending to Black Ops 3 to be disappointing. I won’t go into specific details, but almost anything else would have worked for me.

Gameplay-wise, Black Ops 3 is very much the same CoD players are familiar with, though with

the addition of enhanced movement and a variety of new skills.

The enhanced movement isn’t as over the top as Advanced Warfare, and actually feels like a natural extension of existing CoD movement. Players can thrustjump, slide and wall-run, though they can’t zip back and forth or side to side – which is definitely a good thing.

above speeding trains, engage in underwater shootouts, as well as experience an (almost) scary mission in a hidden robotics lab.

Fans of previous CoD games will appreciate the stealth mission that takes place in Singapore. It’s no ‘All Ghillied Up’ but it certainly breaks the pace of the campaign and appeals to fans of stealth sections.

The new abilities are quite enjoyable, and unlocking additional skills as the campaign progresses helps the player feel rewarded for completing missions. They also help each member of a team feel like they have an important role in co-op. One player can choose to specialise in attacking robots, while another can choose to fight humans. One might want to charge forward with enhanced speed, while another might want to hack enemies’ weapons from afar.

Of course, Call of Duty is arguably more famous for its multiplayer mode, which Black Ops 3 absolutely nails. As a veteran of the Call of Duty series, I’ve always wanted a multiplayer mode in current-gen CoD to engross me as much as Modern Warfare and Black Ops did, and Black Ops 3 has me addicted all over again.

Speaking of co-op, this marks the first time in the Call of Duty franchise that 4-player co-op is present. Having a 4-player team really adds to the campaign, though it also means that the level design has been shaken up considerably as well. There is much more of an emphasis on large, open areas and multiple routes to take, helping Black Ops 3 avoid the cluttered corridor choke-points that other shooters fall victim too.

There are also a number of highlight moments that take place during the campaign, and while you will still spend the majority of your time shooting baddies, you’ll also pilot drones, hack robots to gain control over them, wall-run

The maps in multiplayer are welldesigned, with a focus on underwater sections, sniper nests, choke-points and making use of the new enhanced movement.

They’re also well varied from each other, some taking place in the desert, some in snowy environments, one in an impressive redwood forest, and even one at an aquarium.

The weapons are extremely balanced, though they do feel pretty much identical to weapons from previous Black Ops games. This is both a good and a bad thing, as the guns are reliable, though part of me wishes for at least one laser weapon or something a little more sci-fi than your standard assault rifles, LMGs, sniper rifles, SMGs, shotguns and launchers. I’m not asking for Call of Duty to mimic Halo or Destiny, but the opportu-

Click to view the trailer here!

nity to have some more unique weapons was missed. Returning once again to the Black Ops games is Zombies Mode, which is thankfully faithful to its predecessors – there’s no enhanced movement and there are boostjumping zombies. Some of the more memorable Zombies maps from previous Black Ops games featured celebrities lending their voices and likenesses, such as Call of the Dead and Mob of the Dead. Black Ops 3’s Zombies map is called ‘Shadows of Evil’, and stars Heather Graham, Ron Perlman, Neal McDonough and Jeff Goldblum.

The four characters each recently carried out some grave misdeed (or misdeeds), and find themselves drugged at the Black Lace burlesque club, awakening later to find a strange mark on their hand, and that the inhabitants of Morg City have been transformed into hordes of the undead. They must band together if they are to survive and find redemption for their sins.

Zombies Mode could have simply been more of the same from previous Black Ops games and I would have been happy. I always found the game mode to be almost perfect (though a little heavy on the secrets and easter eggs with the last few DLC packs), though I’m over the moon that Treyarch have added new enemies, some new perks and abilities, as well as a more active story. There are still zombies aplenty to endure and defeat, as well as secrets to uncover, though the dialogue between the four protagonists and the Shadowman helps spur the player on to do better with each playthrough.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is a fantastic return to form for Call of Duty, and easily the best CoD on the current console generation. The campaign is engaging (though not particularly original), and the multiplayer and Zombies mode both add new features that make them both feel fresh.

A must-have shooter.

9.1 /10

PROS: GAMEPLAY TWEAKS MAKE THE GAME FEEL FRESH PACKED WITH CONTENT MULTIPLAYER IS BRILLIANT

CONS: NARRATIVE IS DELIVERED WELL, THOUGH NOT EXACTLY EXCITING SOME SERVER ISSUES

WRITTEN BY nick getley

WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

OUT NOW!

ASSASSI

SYN

IN’S CREED:

NDICATE

review

REVIEW

ASSASSIN’S CREED: It’s been nearly a year since we last dived into the world of Assassins but here we are again.

Ubisoft has served up Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, set in Victorian London and starring twins Jacob and Evie Frye. So how does Syndicate stack up against previous instalments? What are the new additions to gameplay like?

And what’s the deal with playing as twins? Prepare to have these questions answered and more.

So Jacob and Evie were brought up in the Assassin order in Crawley, England under the supervision of their father. Being the dynamic young go-getters they are, however, they quickly grow bored of their missions and yearn to take down the Templar order in London. Upon arrival, they begin their work to take down Grand Master Starrick and claim a Piece of Eden, a powerful artefact. They meet with numerous new associates as part of their adventure, creating a new gang called the Rooks to take on the city’s gang of Blighters. It’s all very English.

It soon becomes apparent that, though well intentioned, their efforts often have disastrous effects on London and they’re sometimes ill prepared for the sheer power of the Templar order. Jacob’s heavy-handed approach causes havoc for the city at times and Evie can be too

SYNDICATE slow to act, allowing targets to escape. It becomes a question of whether the two can mature fast enough to save London – and themselves.

First things first: the twin dynamic is absolutely perfect. I’m a twin and the experience is like siblinghood on steroids. There’s even an excellent quip about Evie being four minutes older than Jacob and never letting him forget it. It’s a constant struggle. Each has their own personality: Jacob being playful and headstrong, but sometimes a bit brash while Evie is measured and cautious, but sometimes too hesitant.

Their dialogue plays perfectly off one another, injecting some humour into the grim world.

At first there’s no real advantage to playing either one but as you build skills, Evie ends up with special stealth abilities and Jacob has melee power. For main missions, you generally play as one in particular but for most side missions, it’s up to you how you want to approach the situation.

They are each equipped with a melee weapon (choose from a kukri, cane sword, or knuckles),

a hidden blade in a gauntlet, and a gun. Evie has capes; Jacob has belts. Most of these need to be crafted or earned in side missions. Oh, and throwing knives are back!

This brings me to another aspect – upgrades. Syndicate is full of them. All of the weapons the twins hold can be upgraded (thankfully you only need to do this once for it to affect both of them). Their outfits and pouches can be upgraded. There is a regular skill tree for their individual skills based on skill points acquired with every 1000 experience points and a gang skill tree containing various helpful additions to the game experience. It might sound like a bit much but it’s actually really easy to navigate and I would recommend investing some time selecting your skills in the early game to gain some advantages.

But enough about intricacies.

What about the gameplay? Well, London is a big city and free-running just doesn’t cut it any more if you want to get somewhere in a hurry. The districts offer lots of different ground to cover (includ-

ing the water of the Thames).

You can use the rope launcher to zip from A to B if you’re that dedicated to fancy footwork or you can take one of the many carriages in the street. Getting around in a carriage is very reminiscent of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs because the police are fast and tenacious, and you’d be amazed at how much you can smash into without your ride falling apart.

Even small trees can’t stand up to the power of the horse. If you have a waypoint set, the game guides you there.

Part of the work is freeing London from the Templar-run gang, the Blighters. You do this by ending child labour in their factories, hunting low level Templars, destroying plans, and kidnapping targets. Doing this frees up sections of the map and allows your gang, the Rooks, to appear more in the streets to help you.

And help you, they do. You can recruit Rooks to create distractions, assist you in fights, or even take out some targets if you’re too lazy to do it yourself. Some of these activities can feel a bit too similar once you’ve freed a few districts. They could certainly benefit from a bit more variety, even if it’s just different optional objectives. Once you’ve cleared all the Blighters from a district, you take part in a gang war to conquer the area.

There are plenty of moving objectives in the form of hijacking carriages, intercepting smuggled

goods on boats, and train robbing. Even the hideout is on a train that is constantly moving.

London feels alive at all times no matter where you are and it’s incredibly easy to get distracted by a passing mission.

There are a couple of things worth mentioning that Syndicate does well where Unity failed. The number one thing is that Syndicate is relatively bug-free, at least on PlayStation 4. The few bugs I ran into weren’t gamebreaking at all and the day one patch released by Ubisoft was tiny compared to the monster released with Unity. Avid collectors can breathe a sigh of relief as well because there are only two types of treasure chest in Syndicate – regular and locked. Invest in the lock pick skill and nothing is out of reach. Other collectibles such as pressed flowers and royal correspondence are sprinkled on the map but not too liberally.

Combat has changed once again. It’s not back to instant counter-kills but it is much easier than the swordplay of Unity so now you feel more confident going up against multiple enemies.

It’s all about combos now and these are visually impressive.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, though, the rope launcher is an excellent quick exit piece, pulling you up buildings effortlessly. In fact, you can even rope launch up to your synchronisation viewpoints, which makes revealing the map a breeze.

This all really only scratches the surface of what makes Syndicate worth playing. More than ever, it’s about playing your way and enjoying the flow of movement.

So then what’s wrong with it?

Not a whole lot, actually. You do still encounter awkward climbing moments, AI doing some odd things at times, and some repetitive activities.

Sometimes in stealth mode you can get stuck to the wrong wall. The story drags slightly in the middle before ramping up and the game would definitely benefit from more assassination contracts. They’ve tried to shoehorn in too many historical figures to the point where the cameos feel shallow. These are the same sorts of things that affect every Assassin’s Creed game and Ubisoft are yet to figure out how to deal with a lot of them but until they do, the games will never achieve perfection.

Syndicate has pulled me back into the Assassin world where Unity fell a bit flat. The question I’m asking now is how they’re going to top the twins in the next game. The ability to switch between the two is so enjoyable but they can’t exactly do the same thing twice. Time to grab their best writers and solve this conundrum. Overall, it’s a very solid title and gives me confidence that Assassin’s Creed still has good stories to tell.

PROS:

CONS:

MEMORABLE PROTAGONISTS VARIED GAMEPLAY AMAZING VISUALS

SOME REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES MILD BUGS SLIGHT STORY SLUMPS

8.2 /10

Click to view the trailer here!

WRITTEN BY bridget sweeney WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

PRE-ORDER NOW! Coming in 2016

TRANSF DEVA

FORMERS VASTATION review

REVIEW

TRANSFORMERS DEVASTATION

I’m going to open this review with a statement that has the potential to rock TRANSFORMERS fans to their core: I hate the Michael Bay TRANSFORMERS movies. They held so much potential, yet they turned out to be little more than overblown CGI fests with forgettable stories. For me, TRANSFORMERS doesn’t get any better than the 1987 animated movie. It had it all: high-quality animation, a thrilling and moving story, fantastic action, and a kick-ass soundtrack.

When Michael Bay began filming his TRANSFORMERS movies, I had lost all hope of seeing a decent video game based on the (in my opinion) superior 80s TRANSFORMERS. Thankfully, I was dead wrong.

tion game. So is Transformers Devastation as exciting as Bayonetta, or as bad as Bay?

‘TRANSFORMERS: Devastation’ is out now for PC, as well as last and current-gen consoles.

Not only is it based on the classic TRANSFORMERS franchise (as well as the Generations storyline), it’s made by Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) who know how to craft a thrilling ac-

The Autobots arrive shortly after, and make their way through the city destroying the blockades until they encounter Devastator, the Constructicon juggernaut. After facing Devastator in in combat, the Autobots encounter Megatron himself, who then escapes aboard Long Haul to the Proudstar, an ancient Cybertronian

Devastation opens with a human city on Earth under attack.

Huge mechanical claws emerge from the ground, wreaking havoc upon the city. Immense wind machines and purple energy gates block off most parts of the city.

The Decepticons have are behind that chaos, having acquired plasma energy. Starscream expresses his concern to Megatron that no Cybertronian has been able to successfully wield plasma energy since the Golden Age, but Megatron refuses to listen, insisting that they would be foolish to not harness the power of plasma energy.

ship. If the Autobots are to stop the Decepticons, they’ll need to band together, and make difficult decisions – will they destroy Cybertronian culture and history to save mankind?

I was very impressed by Devastation’s story, and even though it takes a backseat to the action, Platinum did an excellent job executing it. Perhaps the best part of the story, is that many of the original voice actors from the 80s Transformers cartoon have reprised their roles in the game.

Peter Cullen, Dan Gilvezan, Micheal Bell, Gregg Berger and Frank Welker all lend their voices to the game, which I imagine gives it the approval of die-hard Transformers fans.

TRANSFORMERS: Devastation is very much an action title.

Gameplay is made up of all the things you could want from a TRANSFORMERS game: brawling, shooting, transforming and racing along the streets as vehicle. At the start of the game, players will only have Optimus Prime to control, though progressing

Click to view the trailer here!

through the game will unlock an additional four Autobots: Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and Grimlock.

The controls work quite well, and the action is both accessible and stylish. Brawling is made up of stringing together combos from light and heavy moves, though players will unlock a variety of different weapons to use in combat. There’s also the ability to use a vehicle attack at the end of a combo, and nailing the timing window to pull this off feels rewarding each and every time. Of course, players can also dodge attacks using the right shoulder button, which will also trigger a slow motion effect, allowing them

to launch a successful counter attack on the enemy.

Of course, being a TRANSFORMERS game, there’s plenty of shooting too. Unlike the 80s cartoon, players will have multiple different types of guns to unlock and use in combat, from pistols and shotguns, to rocket launchers and sniper rifles. Melee and ranged weapons can be discovered in chests, rewarded at the end of a level, or dropped randomly by defeated enemies.

There are unique weapons to discover (such as Grimlock’s claws and Devastator’s drills), but there are also weapons with elemental damage to unlock as well.

Players can also return to the Autobots base between levels, as well as during certain points midlevel. From there they can unlock unique perks and abilities, switch characters, as well as synthesize and equip new items. The perks and abilities are simply available for purchase, with no extra requirements necessary to unlock them. They can add perks to already existing abilities, or provide new abilities to the Autobots, like a burnout that launches you at high speed. Synthesizing weapons basically sacrifices one weapon to increase the stats of another, and if that weapon has a perk attached to it, you can transfer the perk across to the desired weapon as well. It allows

8.2 /10

players to keep their preferred weapons through multiple levels in the game, which is very much welcome.

Now, while the combat and story work brilliantly, there are elements of Devastation where it falls short. For one thing, the camera system can be a real pain. There are moments where it fails to stay centered on your character in intense combat, as well as while you’re trying to complete one of the driving or platforming sequences. The gameplay is also quite repetitive.

There are plenty of memorable moments in the game (such as a very Galaga inspired shooting sequence on a mounted ma-

chine gun), but for the most part, you’ll encounter the same enemy models over and over, and you’ll be using the same tactics in combat each time.

The game is also quite short, though it is satisfying. And after all, there’s always hope for a sequel.

Despite its issues, TRANSFORMERS: Devastation is a great game, and the best TRANSFORMERS game of alltime. It has an engaging story, as well as exciting and stylish gameplay. It’s the TRANSFORMERS game fans of the cartoon always wanted.

PROS: ACCESSIBLE LOOKS GREAT MEMORABLE GAMEPLAY SEQUENCES

CONS: ANNOYING CAMERA REPETITIVE SHORT

WRITTEN BY NICK GETLEY

WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

OUT NOW!

NEED FO

OR SPEED review

REVIEW

NEED FOR SPEED When I first became a gamer, there were 2 series that a fanboyed over for years: Medal of Honor, and Need for Speed. Both just happened to be EA titles.

Sadly, their attempts to reboot the Medal of Honor series went about as well as a McLaren Honda F1 engine, so naturally when I heard that EA were giving Need for Speed a fresh kick in the tailpipe, I cringed/prayed it wouldn’t go on the pile of failed trash. And despite what I read, despite what I heard, I approached this new ‘Need for Speed’ with as unbiased and hopeful an attitude as I could. And… I was pleasantly surprised.

Need for Speed, as it’s simply called, puts you in the immense and immersive world of underground street racing. Despite being a constantly online title requiring an internet connection (and yes I don’t agree with it, and I know half of you just threw your arms up), the single player aspect of the game sees you rise to the top of each form of street racing – whether your skills talk for you, if you like to build your own masterpieces, or if you like to break the rules and tick off the local PD. To help you along the way, you meet and put together an eccentric and varied crew of motor minded individuals like yourself. Along the way, car nuts

like myself may notice a few familiar faces, and do well enough through each discipline and you’ll find yourself being challenged by street racing royalty. Don’t let the cops catch you though, because the fine system has been updated and revamped. Piss them off enough, and they will send strengthened Highway cars to knock you off the road, and every bit of mayhem and mischief you cause ends up being a very expensive fine if you don’t disappear into the night.

The car list is small, and while it does its best to be varied there are a few notable missing stars.

This is slightly off balanced by the fact that the customization is better than ever before. Real world and NFS designed body kits and parts, a broad range of colour effects and vinyls, and a long list of performance modifications means you can plan out and build your ultimate machine. Provided it’s a part of the small list (I mean c’mon guys, did we really need all 3 Toybaru clones?) Some of the modification aspects can leave you scratching your head too – like having to purchase front and rear wheels separately (what’s up with that?). Overall though, the modification options are well thought out, and leave you feeling pretty chuffed once you put

all the pieces together. Racing only takes place at night, and 9/10 times it always seems to be raining. Seriously, it’s a wonder this place doesn’t flash flood.

It’s easy to get lost in the big city and its’ surrounding countryside though, as there is always plenty to do. Races aplenty, plus a few collectibles to search out, mean you can barely turn a corner without finding something to do.

Having played just about every Need for Speed to date, I think it feels a lot like the old Underground series titles as well. And there are moments where I see particular sites, sounds or environments, and are instantly back in Underground 2 or Carbon. Big city streets, bright lights, cruising the highways or belting up and down mountain roads, it’s all there waiting to be discovered.

EA Games seems to be an easy target for certain gamers. They have already been bashed for a lot in this game – no manual, always night time, pre-set controls that you can’t change, connection issues, a short car list, lack of modifications, and more.

To be honest though, the design choices of the game (such as it always being night) don’t bother me. With this game, EA wasn’t setting out to compete with hardcore sims like Forza and Gran The controls are easy to pick up,

Click to view the trailer here!

the buttons aren’t jumbled and night time really suits the feel of the game (I don’t recall anyone complaining about constant night time in the Underground series).

Yes a lack of a manual can be annoying, but…to ditch a game just because of that? It’s like ditching Call of Duty because you can’t carry 3 guns. Yes, I agree, the car list is small, but it’s still bigger than the old Underground series. And whilst not every car has a Rocket Bunny kit, or adjustable headlights, even Forza has a lack of body customization for a lot of cars. The only title I can really compare this to is the Forza Horizon series. And yes, Horizon 2 is a better title. But I still like Need for Speed.

my childhood, and what I wanted to do when I left school. Everyone expected a lot from this, but I feel as if the series will, if given a chance, grow, much like a project car. They’ve stripped back NFS to its roots. Yes, there are things to build on it, but that will come with time. It’s a step in the right direction, and whilst it isn’t all Lambo cop cars and shiny exotics, it appeals to the grass roots, the kids who watched Fast and Furious and thought ‘They’re having heaps more fun than us; let’s do that!’

They wanted to restart the series, to throw back to the kids who loved their old street racers and wanted a more grown up experience now that they’ve matured. I feel that while it isn’t perfect, it’s a massive and positive step towards that. If they can build on this for the next game, I think they can put NFS back on the map and up there with the best.

It feels like the old days, and in the best way. It’s a game to get you in the mood to go for a drive.

It’s a game that reminds me of

Need for Speed aims to take what was great about past titles like Need For Speed: Underground and reboot it using modern game design. While not everything works and it feels like a few things are missing, the gameplay itself is entertaining.

As far as rebooting the franchise goes, EA and Ghost Games have done a fine job, and there’s a lot they could build on in a potential sequel.

I always preferred a project car to a Lambo cop anyway. Ball’s in your court EA; don’t let this become a garage queen.

7.6/ 10

PROS: CARS ARE THE STARS. BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT, TONS OF FUN TO CUSTOMIZE AND BUILD A BIT MORE REALISTIC AND DOWN TO EARTH TONS OF RACES, COLLECTIBLES AND DAILY CHALLENGES - PLENTY TO DO WITHOUT YOUR FRIENDS

CONS: SMALL CAR LIST PLENTY OF -RESET VINYLS BUT STILL NO OPTION TO BUILD YOUR OWN CAN ONLY KEEP 5 CARS IN THE GARAGE. GUYS.... IT’S 2015

WRITTEN BY BEN RACHOW

WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

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bam, pow, smash! comics

retro When you’re at school having a good teacher can make all the difference. In 1988 I was 9 years old, in year 4 and I did not have a good homeroom teacher. In my primary school your homeroom teacher would take you for all of your lessons except the computing class. The computer class was run by Mr O’Reilly who, as I mentioned last month, had programmed an Amstrad game called Convoy. Though my efforts to track this game down in recent years have been in vain, I have fond memories of playing the truck management sim.

By this stage I had already started dropping hints that it might be time for our family to get a computer.

I used the age old excuse, “well the school has Amstrad computers, plus I can use it for my homework”. My parents considered this for a while before committing to the purchase of one, but I was told I would have to wait a little while longer before we could get it. In the meantime I had more games to experience! While many of my friends still had their Atari 2600s, many of them were converting to home computers (maybe they used the same excuse I did). The computers in question were the Amstrad CPC6128 and the Commodore 64.

While I was growing up I had football rammed down my throat. I was expected to play it, I was expected to watch it and my father coached it. I did force myself to play the game for 3 years (19871989), though I didn’t really enjoy it that much. Have you ever had that feeling where you’re bom-

The Gamer Diaries: part 2

barded with something and you can’t get away from it? That was me with football and it turned me off the game for life. It got to the stage where I couldn’t even feign an interest. While I didn’t enjoy the sport itself, I did get to meet a lot of people involved in the local football club. We would go over their houses to socialise, though a lot of the time I would head off with the kids who were roughly my age and play computer games.

During this time I learned how to load a Commodore 64 game, though I thought it was a rather clunky process compared to the simple RUN”DISC or |CPM method of an Amstrad CPC. I was also not terribly impressed with the pastel, washed out colours in many games, where the Amstrad appeared to have a much brighter palette. The Commodore 64 was the first platform where I played “Super Mario Bros”, or so I thought. I was later told that this was a hack of the “Super Mario Bros” clone, “Great Giana Sisters”. Other Commodore 64 games I experienced were that brilliant isometric fighter “The Last Ninja”, the diabolical port of “Double Dragon”, “Thai Boxing”, “Jack

the NIpper”, which I loved, and many others. One of the families from the football club had an Amstrad CPC6128 with a plethora of games. I got to experience some classic titles, including “Rampage”, “Bobby Bearing”, the hack and slash classic “Barbarian” and a horrible port of “Outrun”. They also had “Friday the 13th”, a title which is considered to be quite poor, but that I had a lot of fun playing. You play a member of a camp of kids staying at Camp Crystal Lake, and the goal is to stay alive while trying to find and kill Jason Voorhees before he kills everyone else. The game had an open world feel, something I enjoy when playing modern games such as “Just Cause” and “Grand Theft Auto”. You could go inside houses and a barn, and there were weapons lying around for you to use. When you encounter Jason, the fight sequence involves you lining him up and hitting the fire button as fast as you can to kill him.

After my parents agreed to buy an Amstrad my father, completely randomly, came home with an issue of Amstrad Computer User magazine. I remember it being

1988 - 1989

the December 1986 issue with a face hugger from the Alien movies on the cover. He never said where he got it from, he just came home from work with it one day.

I read that magazine from cover to cover many times over the course of 1988. At school I would talk to Mr O’Reilly regularly about the Amstrad computer and what it was capable of. As my excitement grew my patience shrank, and as a child that can be very hard to internalise. Thankfully my wait was about to be over.

The Christmas of 1988 was where it all started. Well, it was technically one week before the Christmas of 1988 when my father and I went to Radio Rentals at Port Adelaide to pick up my new Amstrad computer. This store has long since closed down, but it used to be behind the Port Canal Shopping Centre. If I’m remembering the location correctly there is now an IGA supermarket where it used to stand. At the time my Uncle worked at the shop, so he was able to arrange a discount for us.

While I was there I also spotted a pile of copies of Amstrad Computer User from January 1987, which featured Konami’s “Jailbreak” on the cover. My Uncle told me I could take a copy home with me.

It was at this point I figured that my father must have obtained the issue he gave me earlier in the year from my Uncle, though I never actually asked whether that was the case. My Uncle assured us that there was no need to purchase any games with the computer, as it came with some discs that were supposed to have games on them.

I got the computer home, turned it on and for the very first time, in my bedroom, I witnessed the blue background with the word ‘Ready”, just waiting for me to type something. I was overwhelmed at this point, though I hadn’t even looked at the discs that came with the system. I removed the discs, looked at the purple labels and saw that they had the CPM operating system on them with some other programs. I didn’t see any game titles though, so I figured they were hidden away on the discs somewhere. I put the first disc in the drive, typed in |CPM and waited for it to load. CPM was an operating system that was used quite commonly before MSDOS became the standard. I was familiar with how CPM worked as I had used it at school, so I put in each of the discs on both sides, trying to find these elusive games. After going through both sides of both discs it became apparent that there wasn’t a single game on them. There was a rolling demo of “Roland in Time”, a platform game published by Amsoft, but nothing you could actually play.

When I think back, my Uncle actually worked in the home alarm systems part of Radio Rentals, so he was probably not the best person to ask about software that came with a computer…

I had earlier seen Amstrad games at Plaza Computers, at Tea Tree Plaza shopping centre at Modbury. Sadly, this shop is also no longer there. In the end that part of the shopping centre was renovated and the cinema was put in

its place. Rewinding back to 1988, I was in awe checking out the box art, screen shots and synopses on the packaging of all of these games. My father was not so happy to be there and quickly grew impatient. He grabbed a compilation for $40, paid for it and that was it. This compilation was released

by Ozisoft and was called “6-Pak Volume 2”. It contained “Into the Eagle’s Nest”, “Ace”, “Shockway Rider”, “Batty”, International Karate 1 and 2”, and “Light Force”.

You could be forgiven for thinking that I just mentioned 7 games, but International Karate 1 and 2 were identical to each other, save for different backgrounds.

“Into the Eagle’s Nest” is a classic title that I enjoy to this day. You play a lone soldier who has to infiltrate a castle in Nazi Germany and rescue your fellow soldiers.

Once this is done you need to blow the castle up. Years later I would note comparisons between this obscure title and “Wolfenstein 3D”. I don’t know if iD Software took any inspiration from this little known game by Pandora, but the similarities were there. “Into the Eagle’s Nest” was viewed from a top down perspective and the enemy soldiers were seemingly endless. You start on the ground floor, killing any bad guys who get in your way as you attempt to find the lift pass. With this lift pass you can explore the other levels of the castle, try to find your allies and set the explosives. You had to manage your resources carefully, as you could easily run out of ammo and/or door keys. As for the other games in the compilation, “Ace” was a decidedly aver-

1988 - 1989

age flight simulator, “Batty” was an Arkanoid clone, “Light Force” was a good looking, top down vertical space shooter, “International Karate” was a one on one fighter, and “Shockway Rider” was an interesting title where you had to ride on conveyor belts with other people, and these guys wearing black would attack you.

I could never quite figure out what you had to do, but I did burn away many hours playing it. For the remainder of school holidays I played those games to death and I loved every minute of them.

When school came back in 1989 I was pleased to find that Mr O’Reilly was now my co-homeroom teacher. Because he was

often absent teaching computer classes to the other levels we had to have 2 teachers. When we purchased the Amstrad I was given a blank 3” disc. For Christmas I received another disc, and one of the first things I did was to ask Mr O’Reilly whether I could copy the games that the school had.

He allowed me to do this as the games the school had weren’t originals to begin with. I wasn’t allowed to copy the Satchel Software and educational discs that were along the wall to the left of the door as they were originals.

This didn’t concern me too much as I now had a copy of Finders Keepers that I could take home and try to complete. I was rather ignorant about software piracy

in those days and I suppose my parents thought it was a way to save money, though Amstrad 3” discs were never cheap.

Mr O’Reilly encouraged me to explore the computer beyond gaming. He suggested that I learn to program in BASIC, starting with the instructions in the manual. I read through the Amstrad manual from cover to cover. I played with all of the BASIC commands, coded in the type in games that were in the appendix at the rear of the manual, then I delved into magazine type ins. This is where I first discovered that magazines were prone to errors. The December 1986 issue of Amstrad Computer User contains a pinball game you

Having the computer teacher as your homeroom teacher had some major benefits, as we were allowed to have more computer time at the end of term. In the week leading up to school holidays, if Mr O’Reilly didn’t have any classes on he would take us to the computer room and we would spend a couple of hours a day playing games. When I look back I’m amazed we were allowed to get away with that.

Up until this point I had always been the kid with the weird surname and red hair. I was the object of much ridicule, but all of that changed in 1989. I was now the kid who had the Amstrad games.

I was the one who could supply you with the good stuff at the end of term.

I finally had my new computer and my life would never be the same. I hope you can join me next month for more Gaming Diaries where I look at some of the friendships I was able to forge through gaming.

1988 - 1989

can type in and save. I spent a couple of hours typing this in only to have it fail. Mr O’Reilly was able to fix it to the point where graphics would be displayed, but between us we could never get the game to fully work.

WRITTEN BY paul monopoli

retro

The encyclopedia of game machines Winnie Forster 2005

We never do book reviews so let’s pretend this is not a book review but more of a “if you ever see this book when you’re out and about grab it!” Especially if you’re into older systems and the history of game consoles.

I love this book and checking over the reviews on Amazon, so does just about everyone else who’s bought it. It’s not a sit down and read like a novel book, it’s more of a reference work on consoles, handhelds and computers from 1972 to 2005. It starts with an overview of game storage and some younger readers might look at the media used in the past like disks and tapes and wonder what they were and how did we use them? After all, my very first computer, a Tandy TRS-80 featured a tape drive system for loading programs and the games were very simple and in mono - no colour…

From there the author talks about the birth of electronic games including mainframes, arcades and TV games. It’s a fascinating look back through the beginning of gaming and each system fea-

tured has a small text box detailing the number of units sold, games for the system and time frames. Each system also has an overview of how it came into being and here’s where the magic of the book happens. These are short 2 or 3 page reads, that you can pick up any time and take a look back at gaming history.

It’s brilliantly illustrated throughout with photos and drawings and really is the best resource I’ve found for old consoles. Sometimes you don’t want to hit up Wikipedia, you just want to put your feet up on the couch, grab a drink and slip back in time to when gaming was simpler, graphics were simpler as were sounds, but stories really drew you into the game.

Highly Recommended!

Available at Amazon (click here).

Price for paper back - $25.46 U.S for a used edition - the new ones are expensive, listed at $112 plus!!

What you really want this Christmas is at

COLLECTIBLES

NFC:

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Downloadable content (DLC) has been used to extend the life of video games for a while now. As well as give you a few extra levels and maybe a few enhancements, the idea is also a great money spinner for video game companies. DLC has been criticised as being a way of releasing incomplete software, then making the buyer pay more for what they should have received in the first place. Even with that perceived negativity, this hasn’t stopped it from becoming standard practice on all three of the current formats.

In the world of video games time moves rather quickly, and in 2009 Activision were working on a new way of milking a few extra dollars out of the gaming public. This new method of making gamers pay more would become known as “Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure”, and it was a massive success.

Spyro the dragon and a whole heap of new characters were released in action figure form. This figure would be placed on a portal which would allow you to use it in the accompanying video game. It was an innovative idea which allowed you to switch characters for different sections of the game.

The idea had been attempted previously, though Skylanders was the first game that successfully marketed ‘toys-to-life’. These toys utilise near field communication (NFC) technology to communicate with a portal device that is connected to the computer or console that is playing the game.

Data can be both read and saved to the toys, and the stats of each character will remain when they are used in the newer games in the series.

“Skylanders Giants” followed in 2012, and with each year a new game is released with a plethora of new toys to accompany it. In 2013 Disney Interactive Studios released “Disney Infinity”, though the game has been referred to as “Pixar Infinity” due to the lack of classic Disney characters that feature in it. Though often compared to “Skylanders”, “Disney Infinity” is a game geared more towards creation and imagination (apologies for sounding like a commercial here), rather than straight forward game play. Like the “Skylanders” series, a new game is released each year by Disney, who also include figures from their latest intellectual property acquisitions. Marvel characters were released in 2014, with Star Wars being the selling point in 2015.

2013 also saw Nintendo make their first attempt at an NFC geared game. Pokemon Rumble U failed for a variety of reasons.

The figures were only available in blind packaging capsules from vending machines, they were easily breakable (2 of mine were broken in the post), Pokemon Rumble U was only an average game that received little promotion, and it was released on the Wii U. Let’s look at the numbers for a minute. The 3DS has sold over 54 million units to date, while the Wii U has sold a paltry 10 million. Nintendo would have been wiser to release the game on 3DS, or for both systems.

This didn’t stop the Big N, who were back in 2014 with their Amiibo series of figures. Originally designed for Super Smash Bros, the Amiibo line have been used in

a variety of games since. However, Nintendo have taken a different approach that Disney or Activision. Unlike the Skylanders or Infinity characters, who function as toys-to-life, Nintendo primarily use the Amiibo to unlock content.

Opinions on using the toys for this are mixed, as it seems that Nintendo are intentionally locking content that you have already paid for. It has been likened to blackmail, where if you don’t own a certain character you can’t have the content that goes with it.

The most recent addition to the family of NFC characters is the “Lego Dimensions” range. While “Lego Dimensions” has displays in the big retailers, smaller shops have been reluctant to invest in a new NFC line. There are already 3 major toys lines out there, plus others that haven’t reached our shores, such as the Japanese exclusive “Kamen Rider: Summonride”. Is there room on the store shelves for more toys? Is the market reaching saturation?

All evidence points to this being the case, but only time will tell.

As for me, I own the first set of “Skylanders”, a selection of “Disney Infinity” figures, every Pokemon Rumble U figure and every Amiibo to date. At this point I’ve reached my limit, so even though my fiancee and I love our Lego games I think we’ll have to give this one a miss.

WRITTEN BY paul monopoli

board games

CHRISTMAS

GIFT IDEAS With the Christmas and Holiday season already upon us (where has this year gone!!!) what better time is there to invest many hours getting into some new Board Games. Perfect as a Christmas present and with Board Games available to suit anyone’s play style and preferences I suggest to grab your family and friends and let the games begin! This year I was lucky to be able to review some awesome titles from Gametraders. Today we take a look at some of the games which would make amazing presents.

kyo, King of New York is a great game and is very easy to pick up and play straight away. Set in the city that never sleeps King of New York lets the players take on the role of a monster that is determined to demolish the city and bring it to its knees. Capturing one province at a time the player who holds the most land and collects 20 Victory Points is declared the winner. A dice game in which you can attack, defend, heal and store energy, King of New York is a great game which is highly addictive and a whole lot of fun.

Tokaido – Of all the new board games I played this year Tokaido would have to be my favourite.

Taking a break from the usually fast paced, strategic titles I play, Tokaido provided an experience which requires the player to anticipate the other players moves while focusing on your own journey at hand. A slower type of game play is experienced in this title but it is in no way boring or a letdown. While journeying along the path I loved gathering souvenirs, visiting hot springs, paying your respects at the temples and purchasing the local cuisine which all helped to enrich your experience by providing points which are needed to win the game.

Arcadia Quest – Arcadia Quest is an in depth minis strategy game which needs to be played by all who love the genre. The game has a great evolving back story which can be played across multiple different boards as you move through the levels. The game requires a high level of concentration and determination to ensure you come out as the victor. The game is beautifully presented with detailed figurines gorgeous art work and in depth dungeon design.

King of New York - A sequel to the highly successful King of To-

CodeNames – the most recent game that I reviewed is CodeNames. I found this game to be a great time filler as it was extremely easy to learn and quick to set up. Taking a slower pace than some of the other games on this

list, CodeNames requires a good deal of thinking and a great vocabulary. CodeNames is a team based game which has the leader of the team trying to help their field operatives successfully identify their fellow squad members by providing a one word and letter clue to describe the names listed on the table. Knowing your team members well and how they think is a great advantage in knowing what they could be alluding to when they announce their word.

While the next two games listed I have not played myself however they look both amazing and detailed in their gameplay.

Boss Monster 2 – Boss Monster 2 is the sequel to the extremely popular first game in the series Boss Monster. Boss Monster is an amazing title in which it throws the concept of hero’s and bosses upside down. In Boss Monster players take on the role of the Boss in a dungeon. Hero’s from the neighbouring village are being sent into the dungeon to defeat the Boss Monster and it’s up to the players to send out their minions to defeat these pesky intruders before they can take down the king of the dungeon. Boss Monster 2 looks to expand on the concept of the original game by adding in new job classes for the hero’s and extra Bosses for the players to control. We have had a lot of fun with the first game and I if you haven’t given the fist title a go I suggest grabbing both main titles and the expansion for the first game and sitting down with a group of friends and family members to send meddlesome heroes running for the lives back to the village from where they came.

Star wars Armada – Star Wars Armada is a perfect gift for all Star Wars and tactical Board game lovers. In Armada players take on the role of the Imperial Navy or Rebel Alliance with the job of issuing tactical commands that can decide not only the course of battle or the fate of the entire galaxy. Armada features a large selection of the best ships in the Star Wars franchise in amazing detailed mini scale figurines. These can be painted in great detail to capture the grandness of the ships from the movies or leaving them plain does not do any injustice to the originals.

Other popular games such as Monopoly, Risk and Connect Four are also great presents.

With each of the titles available in a range of different franchises such as Pokemon, Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear, Doctor who and Marvel to name a few, it is highly likely to be able to find one to suit most people favourite characters. Board Games are a great gift idea. They are perfect for anyone who loves organising and spending time with the most important people in their lives. Board Games bring people together and exceed in creating a fun time filled with laughs, arguments (looking at you Monopoly!!) team work and a great rivalry that only comes out while playing against your most loved.

WRITTEN BY jess wilson

anime Here is high school of the dead, and anime I have been wanting to watch for quite a long time now. it has amazing action sequences, love scenes that will make your heart boil and characters that you will love. this anime is amazing with its unique style of artwork and has character development that I have never seen before.

Story: Highschool of the Dead is set in present day Japan, beginning as the world is struck by a deadly pandemic that turns humans into zombies, euphemistically referred to by the main characters as “Them” (Yatsu-ra?).

The story follows a group of high school students (and the school’s nurse) as they deal with a worldwide catastrophic event known as the “Outbreak”. As the cast tries to survive the zombie apocalypse, they must also face the additional threats of societal collapse, in the form of dangerous fellow survivors, and the possible decay of their own moral codes.

Starting from the high school, the students escape into town where they must deal with a corrupt teacher and his students. They check their homes for survivors, and pick up a little girl and a dog.

Later, they hold up at a mall, travel through a police station, and eventually make their way to an elementary school that is supposedly a safe zone.

All in all this anime has a little bit for everyone. with overboard action sequences, characters that etch their names into your heart and bonds that will make you cry. this anime has lots of fan-service,

HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD so be wary. But if you can handle that, you will love this anime beyond anything you have ever seen. This anime is by far my favourite and I’m looking forward to the much needed Season 2.

Art: [8/10] While the art in this is spectacular from the characters and their features to all the animations of the characters, it’s a very common style of art for Shoujo/Shonen style anime. The only other problem that really made this anime less enjoyable was that all the zombies had a very 3d design walk to them while the living have a very anime style walk to them. It put off the balance for me.

Character: [10/10] From the beautiful yet dangerous spear-martial-artist Rei Miyamoto to the emotional Takashi Komuro. They all play a key part in winning your heart. Every one of these characters have had trauma dealt to them before and after the virus went public, yet they all stay strong under the flag which Takashi holds high above the rest. These characters have outstanding individualities which make them extremely difficult not to love.

REVIEW

Sound: [10/10] With spot on sound effects, EP and AP’s that stay on your mind well into the episode and dialogue that you just don’t find anywhere else. This anime has all of the music that suits it well. With rock EP and pop AP, this just keeps a flow of differential flowing.

Overall: [9/10] While this anime is easily one of my top 10, I can understand that its not for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed this anime, but I felt as though some of the episodes just dragged on with no ulterior motive at hand. Every episode had a problem to be solved and a mystery to keep on mind, but it just wasn’t as action-like as the reviews state.

9/1 0

WRITTEN BY Jesse Richardson

comics The new year is upon us. Looking forward is always a good thing and this year is the year of the geek. With movies smashing the big screen like Batman Vs Superman and Captain America Civil War, as well as a new Star Wars film it’s a great time to be a geek!

Let take a quick look at some of the quality comics coming our way in 2016!

DARK KNIGHT III Frank Miller returns to his dark tale that brought comics out of the dark ages and into the future with maximum velocity. All these years after The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller brings us The Dark Knight III. Continuing on from The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Miller takes us back to his dark timeline with a ravaged Gotham and the conflict between The Batman and the powers that be.

S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary Everyone’s favorite secret service is turning 60! Marvel will be releasing a 60th anniversary tribute graphic novel to SHIELD. Collecting some of the best stories about the shadowy organization the holds the Marvel Universe together. This sounds like it’s going to be one of those great collectors edition books that will be a must

2016!

Bam! Pow! Smash! have for the fans of the camp sixties style spy adventure of the early SHIELD comics through to the more edgy stuff of recent years. Color Your Own Deadpool

‘awesome, why the hell not!?’. So yes there will be a few of these books released next year Deadpool being the first. And It does sound like a bit of fun.

Deadpool

Civil War Box Set

The trend I will never understand.

I never got the appeal of Deadpool, but maybe I’m just grumpy...

Anyway Color Your Own Deadpool! Marvel Comics will be bringing out some of the best Deadpool comics printed in Black and White for you to colour in yourself. Want Deadpool to be pink? Go for it.

Want Cable to have a bright blue arm and purple hair... Why not?

Do whatever you want. I must admit, the collector in my is frightened by this comic book, colouring book. But part of me is like,

Finally, Marvel will be bringing us the ultimate Civil War collection, just in time for the movie. This massive set contains all eleven volumes of Civil War. The main story and every single side story from the epic Marvel saga. This box will be on the expensive side but is a must have for all Marvel fans. The whole Civil war in one place. Now that is epic!

There you go, a few of the cool, weird and wonderful things to come in the new year! Bring it on!

WRITTEN BY scott f. sowter

TRADING CARDS

Click to watch!

NEWS ROUND UP

From the Wall Street Journal comes a story about Jamie Parke who carries 5000 Magic cards to tournaments but then chooses 75 for the game, Check the story here.

He’s been competing since he was 11 and has won quite a bit of money through competition. Go read the full article from the Wall Street Journal - it’s a fascinating read!

Magic The Gathering - Puzzle Quest has an interesting Youtube trailer to check out for fans.

The blurb on the channels says “Players will engage in pitched conflicts with rival Planeswalkers and monsters through intense match-3 puzzle battles, earning levels and amassing a collection of powerful creatures, spells and artifacts along the way.”

Click our Youtube link to check it out for yourself: www.youtu.be/8OzUE7WBoPM

Stolen Cards?

In what sounds like an operation from MI5, Police and Wizards staff are investigating stolen cards being sold on Ebay. Check the story here and be careful if you’re thinking of buying online… always check the credentials of Ebay sellers. Check the article here.

Staying with thieves, The Observer in Gladstone reports of a woman who got caught stealing seven packets of Yu-Gi-Oh cards from Coles in the city. Sad... Read full article here.

On a more serious note, Yibada has a story of the unveiling of a New Ho-oh EX from Rage of The Broken Sky Set. They ask if the card is playable… want to know head on over to their site and get the details - it’s worth a read if you’re into Pokemon!

VICTORIA BACCHUS MARSH Magic the Gathering Draft - Friday 5:30pm Magic the Gathering Standard Constructed - Sunday 12pm Board Games and Magic Modern Constructed - Wednesday 5:30pm

HIGHPOINT Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 3pm

GAMETRADERS LIVE MILDURA Pokémon League - Wednesday 4.30 - 6.30pm Sunday 6 December - Yu-Gi-Oh! Master of Pendulm Structure Deck Tournament 12.30pm Sunday 13 December - Yu-Gi-Oh! Regional Qualifier 2015/2016 Tournament 11.30am We also run: Pokemon both TCG & VG, MTG FNM, MTG Constructed Tournaments, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Star Wars X-Wing, Warhammer 40k, Cardfight!! Vanguard, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros & Ultra Street Fighter IV Tournaments, plus heaps more.

For event details and times, please check: www.facebook.com/GametradersMildura/events

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY HYPERDOME Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 10am Pokémon - Saturday 2pm

QUEENSLAND CHERMSIDE Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 3pm Cardfight!! Vanguard - Wednesday 6:30pm Pokémon - Saturday 3pm Magic the Gathering - Tuesday & Friday 6:30pm

MACKAY Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 4pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm MTG Monday Night Modern - Monday 6pm Pokémon - Monday 4pm Board Game Night - Monday 6pm

MORAYFIELD Yu-Gi-Oh New Years Day Tournament (1 January) - 10am - 3pm.

Magic the Gathering - Friday & Wednesday 7pm Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 2pm Pokémon - Saturday 12pm

LOGAN HYPERDOME No current tournaments.

NEW SOUTH WALES BLACKTOWN Yu-Gi-Oh Learn to Play - Every Sunday in the school holidays 10:30am - 1pm.

Starting from 10 January - end of holidays.

Visit www.facebook.com/gametradersblacktown for details!

Advanced Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 10:30am Magic the Gathering - Thursday 6:30pm & Sunday 10:30am

MACARTHUR SQUARE (CAMPBELLTOWN) Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 5:30pm

PARRAMATTA Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 6pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm Cardfight!! Vanguard - Wednesday 6pm Weiss Schwarz - Saturday 10am School Holiday Additional Tournaments: Yu-Gi-Oh - Monday, Wednesday & Friday 2pm Cardfight!! Vanguard - Tuesday & Thursday 2pm

GAMETRADERS LIVE PENRITH Cardfight!! Vanguard - Saturday 5pm Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 11:30am Yu-Gi-Oh (Traditional Format) - Thursday 6pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 7pm Pokémon - Saturday 12pm Weiss Schwarz - Saturday 6pm My Little Pony - Saturday 6m Board Game Night - Wednesday 6pm Nintendo Fight Night - Thursday 7pm

GAMETRADERS LIVE HORNSBY Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 12:30pm Pokémon - Sunday 2pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm Magic EDH/Commander - Sunday 2pm Board Games/Role Playing & Tabletop - Wednesday & Thursday 6pm Retro - Saturday (check FB for times) All other systems - Casual Play Saturdays

SOUTH AUSTRALIA INGLE FARM No current tournaments.

MARION Pokémon - Please call the store for details. (08 8296 1144) Cardfight!! Vanguard - Tuesday 6pm Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 6pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm

SEAFORD Yu-Gi-Oh - Thursday 6pm (5:30pm registration) Cardfight!! Vanguard - Friday 4:30pm Magic the Gathering - Monday 6pm (5:30pm reg) & Friday 6pm (5:30pm reg) Pokémon - Sunday 1pm (12:30 registration) My Little Pony - Tuesday 5pm (4:30pm registration) Future Card Buddyfight - Thursday 5:30pm Board Game Nights - Wednesdays from 5-8pm Dungeons and Dragons Encounters - Wednesday 6pm (5:30pm registration)

MT. BARKER Board Game Night - Thursday 6pm Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 4pm Magic the Gathering - Sunday 1pm

SALISBURY Magic the Gathering - Thursday 5:30pm & Saturday 11am Yu-Gi-Oh (Advanced Format) - Saturday 12.30pm

Tournaments are subject to change throughout the month. Please check with your local store on tournament times before attending. Visit www.gametraders.com.au/facebook to find your local stores Facebook page.

...Trading cards, tournaments, accessories & more. Get it all at Gametraders.

COMING SOON! OUT 22

JAN 201 6

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COSPLA rosa cosplay interview

SPIRALIGHT COSPLAY interview STEAMKITTENS PHOTOGRAPHY interview

GIFTS FOR A COSPLAYER

BY CHATTY ANNY

GIFTS FOR A COSPLAY

PHOTOGRAPHER

AY BBC DOCTOR WHOCOSPLAY FESTIVAL COMPETITION PAX 2015 WRAP UP

COSPLAY This month Live Magazine headed into Mexico to speak to the amazing Rosa Cosplayer, who is also a model, make up artist and costume maker.

Rosa welcome to Live Magazine. Can you tell us how you got into cosplay?

I started six years ago with my boyfriend and some friends, who also went with costumes. My first Cosplay was very simple, I didn’t wear a wig, color contact lenses were very expensive so I didn’t use any and I made the costume myself. Since the first time I went to a convention with cosplay I fell in love with it!

Tell us a bit about the cosplay scene in Mexico and also are there many cons you go to?

Cosplay in México is varied and competitive. At every convention I go to there’s always more people starting out in cosplay. I try to go to as many local conventions as I can (I am from Mexico City) and I also go to conventions in different states, where I’m invited as a guest. Cosplay is a wonderful way to meet new people and visit new places.

What are your favourite cons and why?

I haven’t had the opportunity to go to conventions in different countries but my favorite here in Mexico is La Mole Comic-Con. It grows every year and has bigger and better guests every time.

Plus it has a fun and family friendly atmosphere.

ROSA COSPLAY www.FACEBOOK.COM/ROSACOSPLAY

You also make costumes, what’s been the most challenging so far?

The hardest cosplay that I made for myself is a character from the Mexican webcomic “Crónicas de Amaltea” because it requires a lot of preparation time. I made it in a month and it takes me at least two hours to put it on. I have to apply a lot of make up plus there’s a lot of small details and it required to use varied materials. The hardest commission I ever had to make is Trickmaster. I’m working on it as we speak and I really don’t know when I’ll be done.

You’ve studied makeup and so do you do your own on each cosplay? Do you offer make up for other cosplayers?

I mostly do fantasy make-up and body paint. I always do my own make-up, for my cosplays and I also do make up for other cosplayers. Generally for photo-

shoots and at conventions, I help out my friends with the last minute details that occur during the day.

Are there many cosplay photographers you’ve worked with and what’s been some of your best moments doing a photo session..

I’ve worked with a lot of photographers, both professional and amateur. The best part the photoshoots is a mental and physical challenge that is required to re-create the poses of the characters that I cosplay. Every time I see the final result it’s truly gratifying and always emotional.

Tell us who inspires you and your cosplay.

My inspiration comes from all cosplayers that work hard on their costumes. Seeing that cosplay has become such an artistic endeavor motivates me to work

Photographer: Xochitl Ruiz | www.facebook.com/Xochitl-Ruiz-Estudio-571958806219620/

harder on my own costumes. Also my inspiration comes from the wonderful artists and their marvelous illustrations and designs that we cosplayers can bring to reality.

Ok some fun questions now, what’s your favourite food?

My favorite foods are all the traditional Mexican dishes: tacos, quesadillas, pozole, enchiladas, etc. Our food is one of the principal reasons why I love my country!.

Favourite drink?

My favorite drink is strong black coffee, no sugar.

If you could have coffee with anyone who would it be and why?

Neil Gayman he’s a writer that has my total respect and admiration.

And finally… what cosplay would you wear?

I will definitely use my Death cosplay.

Finally where can our readers go to find out more about you..

You can see my work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as Rosa Cosplayer and in Deviantart as Rosuvsky. For everyone in Mexico, or visiting Mexico, you can always find me at La Mole Comic-Con and at Expo Anime y Manga TNT. facebook.com/rosacosplay twitter.com/rosacosplayer instagram.com/rosacosplayer

Photographer: Edgar Paz | www.facebook.com/edgnetphoto

“

My inspiration comes from all

cosplayers…

- Rosa Cosplay

Photographer: Dan Lee | www.facebook.com/daniel.l.hernandez1

Photographer: David Alvarez | www.facebook.com/david.rasalghul

Photographer: Samanta Santos (C-SomosasĂ­) | www.facebook.com/somosasicolectivo

Photographer: SK Producciones | www.facebook.com/SKProducciones

Photographer: Xochitl Ruiz | www.facebook.com/Xochitl-Ruiz-Estudio-571958806219620/

Photographer: Xochitl Ruiz | www.facebook.com/Xochitl-Ruiz-Estudio-571958806219620/

Photographer: Dan Lee | www.facebook.com/daniel.l.hernandez1

Photographer: Xochitl Ruiz Estudio | www.facebook.com/Xochitl-Ruiz-Estudio-571958806219620/

COSPLAY Hi Evelyn, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your group, Spiralight Cosplay?

Hey! I started the page back in early 2014 just on a whim honestly; I figured that I’d been making all of these cosplays and people might be working on something similar and be needing reference photos of other cosplayers work (I know I refer to a lot of other cosplays of a character when I’m crafting!) so my page came to be!

It just kind of expanded into more of a group situation when my partner and roommate, Larry and Jeremy, would wear the costumes I made around conventions and tell people the page if they asked for one.

So you make costumes for two other people on top of your own – that’s an intense commitment! What’s it like working on your own costume versus one for someone else?

I do and it certainly is. If I’m honest I probably get a bit more out of making them for myself than others, but I like the challenge.

Larry and Jeremy often let me help choose the costume because they know it likely won’t be made if I’m not passionate about the design - its also how I trick them into wearing costumes from Dragon Age, and attending meet ups.

What’s been your favourite experience in the cosplay community so far?

SPIRALIGHT COSPLAY www.facebook.com/ElfyJaneCosplay

To be honest with you I’d considered throwing in the towel altogether by the time Sydney Supanova 2015 rolled around, but that was also my first Dragon Age cosplay and meet up.

Since then my passion has just doubled and all I want to do is just hang out with great people at conventions.

Before that, conventions were more just about checking out merch or getting photos to me, I didn’t realize how many amazing and talented people I could introduce into my life that not only inspire me, but also share my interest.

The community really is the best part of conventions and cosplay and I urge everyone to take the time to really meet some of the people there.

If you could make any character (for you or your friends) with perfect skills and unlimited resources, who would it be?

This is really tricky, if based on design only, I’d probably take on the ‘Fairy Godmother’ from Cinderella. Characterwise, I’d really

like to take on Tali’Zorah from the Mass Effect series.

You’re obviously a fan of Bioware series such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect – what is it about those series that you love?

I’ve been in love with the Dragon Age universe since about 2012, my partner showed me Dragon Age: Origins for the first time and I couldn’t believe it.

It was so exciting to find a fantasy game that wasn’t just killing and looting, this world had an entire history and every character felt like more than just an npc should.

I only just started playing Mass Effect recently after I saw some amazing Mass Effect cosplays at PAX AUS as well as almost all of my friends from previous Dragon Age meet ups constantly posting about this great game.

I hate shooting games, with a burning fiery passion. I’m terrible at them. Once I started though, it was the same as with the Dragon Age games, I was too enthralled in the characters and story to not continue!

Photographer: Mumei | www.facebook.com/mumei88

Tell us about your cosplay process - how do you decide on a character or costume and then go about creating the look?

I used to just get excited about a game or film to want to cosplay something from it, but the last year or so my planning process has been based around doing cosplay meet ups, where a whole bunch of cosplayers agree to cosplay characters from the same fandom and then meet each other in person to take photos.

Being able to see other peoples progress and ask for help in the forum is always a really good start for motivation. Generally, the first thing I do after I settle on a character is a draw up of the entire costume and all its pieces on a basic figure and then I dot point next to it every aspect I’m going to make. I start making small pieces, or I might do a make-up test to motivate me if I lose it.

After that I do an awful lot of research to find great tutorials and walkthroughs I can refer back to if I have any troubles!

Your costumes are always beautifully crafted, and yet you manage to create a huge amount of them for your group!

That’s quite a feat and I’m impressed - what advice would you give to cosplayers just starting out?

For one, if you’ve never sewed in your life before (and plan on making cosplays with no help!), don’t choose to make your first costume a hand articulated enormous ballgown - it’ll end in tears and a lot of stress, I can confirm!

Try and figure out what sort of costumes you want to start out with, textiles or armor, and watch a BUNCH of tutorials on how to use the materials required. Its a lot more fun when you have interest in the crafting process as well as the actual cosplaying, trying

to make a costume that’s entirely fabric based when you hate everything about sewing is not going to be fun for you! Most of my crafting is done in almost every second of my spare time, I hand sew when I watch films or have stay in dates with my partner, I watch

Photographer: Byte Size Photography | www.facebook.com/ByteSizePhotography

films or game play throughs online while I sew on my machine or use my heat gun - its more about time management and how crazy you want to be with it.

Where can our readers find you on the web?

I can be found on my Facebook Page: Spiralight Cosplay: (facebook.com/ElfyJaneCosplay) my Instagram: Spiralightcosplay or my Tumblr page: Spiralightcosplay.tumblr.com

Photographer: Ducky Jessica Photography | www.facebook.com/duckyjessicaphotography

Photographer: Houng Taing Photography | www.facebook.com/houngtaingphotography

Photographer: Byte Size Photography | www.facebook.com/ByteSizePhotography

Photographer: Ducky Jessica Photography | www.facebook.com/duckyjessicaphotography

SPIRALIGHT cosplay

COSPLAY photography

STEAMKITTENS www.FACEBOOK.COM/STEAMKITTENS

This month Live Magazine talked to the talented Leigh from Steamkittens - Leigh, tell us about Steamkittens and what it is all about.

vited me in to take photos of more adoption animals which was an opportunity I jumped at, and this is what I photographed almost exclusively for the next 5 years.

Steamkittens was a project started as a way to learn photography and by utilises two passions of mine, Pop culture and Photoshop. After Supanova Adelaide 2013 I needed a place to post the photos I had taken so cosplayers could find them, so I decided to created a facebook page.

I have been a massive sci-fi fantasy buff my entire life growing up on the original Star Wars movies, sci-fi classics of the eighties and playing AD&D 2nd ed, and although I had lots of friend who went to cons I didn’t go to my first con until late 2012. I had my camera with me so took a few candid shots, almost timidly asking people for photos.

Coming up with a name was almost the toughest part. Some of my original ideas were already taken but after some mixing and matching I came up with Steamkittens, which is actually a hybrid of Steampunk and a reference to the fact that up until that point I’d mainly photographed adoption cats for an animal welfare organisation.

So how did you get into photography and why cosplay?

I bought my first DSLR in 2008, coincidentally around the same time we had adopted a couple of Cats from the RSPCA, which of course I photographed with my new camera. After sending the shots into the shelter staff they in-

In my day job I’m a Creative Director and have a background in graphic design so I have always been drawn to images with strong graphic elements and loved working in Photoshop. Cosplay photography served multiple purposes by giving me the ability to better learn photography and creative lighting while shooting people in the most amazing costumes from the genre I love, a genre that also lends itself perfectly to being augmented in post production.

Tell us about your evolution as a cosplay photographer, where did you start and what about now, how would you define your style or look?

First few cons I went to throughout 2013 I was lucky enough to meet some great photographs who helped me immensely in those early days, Houng Taing Photography from Adelaide and Beau of Shutterpunk Fotography out of Melbourne.

As for style I think I have a dramatic, illustrative storytelling style. Although I didn’t go into it thinking I would have a style, I went in thinking I want to learn photography while taking photos I think are really cool and, as with some creative people, you discover your style just evolves and everyone’s is unique and different.

I like to think my work is a photographic depiction of a character rather than a glamorous portrait of someone is a costume. While my lighting setups definitely help with this it means my style is more suited to some things more than others like game characters and superheros and not so much bright bubbly anime characters.

Breaking out of my style is something I actively try to do on some shoots or else I wouldn’t learn anything knew and evolve as an artist. As for evolution, it’s clear for all to see when you look at my Facebook page. If you look at the

Poison Ivy from Batman (Artisan’s Theory) Private Shoot The first couple of months of 2015 I did a number of shoots with Mandi whose craftsmanship astounds me. Some people just inspire you to create great work and this definitely is the case with Mandi. This shoot was put together at the last minute and we had grabbed vines from the carpark in front of my work and we built this shot in the studio.

Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians (Axe Massacre Cosplay) Australian Costumers Guild Ball 2015 This shot was taken at a costume ball. The venue had a stage and up behind the curtain, hidden away, was this amazing spot. I looked for a dalmatian to put into the shot and found one on Google images and contacted the creator on Deviant-art. I was blown away when they not only agreed to let me use it but offered to redraw it to better suit the photo, so a huge thank you to artist Aiyana-Kopa.

shots from those first cons when the page began and compare it to the more recent shots the difference is like night and day.

well known cosplayers definitely makes its easier to shoot with others, it’s the work that backs its up.

You’ve photographed a huge amount of well known cosplayers, can you share some of the well known people you’ve worked with.

Let’s talk about gear for a minute, what do you use and why?

Also what’s planned for the future if anything?

I think I have been very lucky and a huge thank you has to go out to the conventions that bring big name cosplayers, Local and International, to Adelaide.

I remember standing in Cosplay Central at OCC Adelaide 2015 and being tapped on the shoulder. I turned around and had Eve Beauregard asking if I had time to do a shoot with her and Abby Dark-Star. Abby now has photos from that day on her store, and I have been lucky enough to shoot Eve a number of times.

I got to shoot with Yaya Han both days of AVcon 2015 in Adelaide and afterwards we kept in touch.

When she returned to Australia a few months later we arranged a longer shoot at OCC in Brisbane and I’m so thrilled that shots from both events ended up in her 2016 Calendar. When I started down this photographic journey I didn’t think I would meet Yaya let alone have two shots in her calendar.

It’s incredible!

Australia has so many talented cosplayers I’d love to work with at some point. I’m travelling to more interstate con’s these days and I am amazed how many people I meet already know my work. While shooting the more

My first DSLRs were Nikon but at the start of 2014 I switched to Canon for various personal reasons. These days I shoot with a 5Dmk3 primarily with a 70-200mm lense, or just a 50mm. I used to use Speedlites on location but found the battery management too cumbersome in terms of cost and recharge fall-off rate. So now I shoot with Jinbei 600HD heads (I must thank Creed Photography for putting me onto these).

The biggest consideration I have in terms of gear is packing. I don’t drive so everything I pack must be carried by hand and go on public transport. Packing has become an artform of what and how much I can fit into various camera bags. The other essential thing to take on any shoot is good assistants. Weather and terrain always play a part in outdoor shoots and people on hand is invaluable.

in the background. If you look back at albums you’ll see that almost straight away I started using flat backdrops at cons, anything I could find, walls, stall dividers etc. The 501st stand was always good as they generally had a large black wall on the side of their stand in the main hallway.

If you look at the recent shots from PAX, they were taken at a con but have a lot of post production and could have been done in a studio. In my mind con and studio can almost be the same, just the amount of gear you have is limited. The second type of photos are location shoots, where you want to use elements of an environment in the shot, forests, old buildings etc.

How long does an average shoot take and tell us a bit about the process.

When looking at cosplay photos there’s seems to be two styles we see a lot of, the more natural shots or those at cons and then there’s those images that are more art in that they have considerable post processing and compositing applied. What are you primarily doing now with your work?

A private shoot in the studio or on a location can vary anywhere from an hour up. I remember one shoot with Artisan’s Theory going for over 6 hours! Every shoot is different so the process changes.

First thing I do is scout the area.

I’ve have generally picked it for a reason but you want to find the interesting spots and angles that would suit you planned compositions. Only on a couple of specific shoots have I gone in with very pre-determined ideas of what the photos should look like. I move lights a lot on a shoot and try lots of angles, working with coloured gels and modifiers, so it’s a process of constant experimentation.

I’ve never liked taking a photo at a con with people or the con floor

What about post processing, how long does that take?

Vault Suit from Fallout (R4Hscal Cosplay) PAXAUS 2015 A shot from PAX where I was setup most of the weekend in a dark corner.

On average I would spend 10-15 minutes on a photo. People seem to think it’s much longer but even at 10-15 minutes I only get 4-5 images done an hour and this is after a con or shoot where I have taken a great number of photos. This is also in a week where I have a full time job and family commitments so post processing time is limited. I don’t batch photos and I treat every image as an individual and this means the post production can take quite a while. Some images I will spend longer on but this doesn’t happen as much as I would like.

Who do you look up to with regards to cosplay photography and why?

While there are many people I look up to because of their photography I feel David Love’s work has had the greatest influence on me. He does most of his shoots in his living room and shoots all the tiny elements he uses in his photos and then builds up amazing compositions in Photoshop.

He is a huge inspiration to where I want to get to.

Do you have tips for new photographers?

You don’t need expensive equipment as my first DSLR was entry level and still one of the best cameras I owned. Respect your cosplayers. Anything you create is a collaboration. Don’t touch your model without asking first. If you want you model to do a pose show them and don’t expect them

to do anything you’re not prepared to do.

Have fun!

Finally where can our readers go to see more of your work?

My main output is via Facebook but you can see behind the scenes stuff on YouTube and ins-

tagram. If you check out: www.steamkittens.com there is a gallery of Original/Final comparisions. Here is a list of my social media links. facebook.com/steamkittens/ instagram.com/steamkittens/ twitter.com/steamkittens/ www.youtube.com/channel/UCrBA2vvPddri_E2k3tEmHGg

Mara Jade from extended Star Wars Universe (Eve Beauregard) AVcon 2015 A number of reasons to include this shot are; it is the absolutely incredible Eve Beauregard, it is Star Wars and the entire shoot was done at the top of a staircase at a con in just under 3 minutes. It was just so much fun to comp in post.

LATEST PROJE

ECT:

Lara Croft from Tomb Raider (ShiveeeJam). Stills on FURY FINGERS fan film.

Fury Fingers, a group of film-makers who got a lot of notice on YouTube over their Metal Gear Solid 3 fan film entitled Sleeping With The Enemy have been busy working on their latest project based on Tomb Raider and features Melbourne based Cosplayer ShiveeeJam. I was lucky enough to go along to the two day shoot and do some behind the scenes and still work. Film should be out soon!

LATEST PROJEC

CT:

Lara Croft from Tomb Raider (ShiveeeJam). Stills on FURY FINGERS fan film.

Fury Fingers, a group of film-makers who got a lot of notice on YouTube over their Metal Gear Solid 3 fan film entitled Sleeping With The Enemy have been busy working on their latest project based on Tomb Raider and features Melbourne based Cosplayer ShiveeeJam. I was lucky enough to go along to the two day shoot and do some behind the scenes and still work. Film should be out soon!

Horror Shoot (Black Heart Cosplay) Private Shoot 2015 This shoot was just an excuse to make fake blood and have some fun. Allana had gone op shopping and found a black dress. Following a precise recipe we using 90% of our ingredients we ended up with a large tub of black ink that looked nothing like blood. Luckily with the 10% left we mixed something useable and we did end up using the black ink on the eyes. Much appreciation to my MUA on this shoot Ella Renfrey.

San & Moro from Princess Mononoke (CatRoulette) Private Shoot 2015 We had great fun with this shoot even though the terrain was challenging. I think I came away with more bruises than any other shoot. We had a Samoyed named Kuma to play her white wolf Moro.

Margaery Tyrell from Game of Thrones (Floksy Locksy Cosplay) Private Shoot 2015 A Game of Thrones shoot with Jaga at a cathedral in Adelaide gave us the ability to use some amazing architecture to help shape the photos.

Damon S. Baird from Gears of War (Hayley Elise) PAXAUS 2015 Always love shooting Hayley’s work and this one came up particularly well considering it was a con shot taken in front of a wall in a hallway.

BEFORE& AFTER! Sister Margaery from Warhammer (Buttery Cosplay with Cake Cosplay) PAXAUS 2014

BEFORE& AFTER!

Gunslinger from Aion (Yaya Han) AVcon 2015

CHATTY ANNY: COSPLAY EDITOR Figuring out what to buy your friends and family this holiday season can be tough. While you can get Mum some LUSH bath bombs or Dad some socks, when it comes to your cosplayer friends things get a little more tricky.

Don’t fear – not only do you already know a main hobby of your cosplay friend, but they also likely wear their interests on their skin at certain times of the year.

Here’s some ideas for what to fill that stocking with this year!

Crafting Grab Bag

gifts for a cosplayer

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ferretcosplay

With cosplayers, you’re almost guaranteed to be running out of a few things at any time. A grab bag full of high-use items such as sewing machine needles, pins, fabric scissors, black and white thread, empty bobbins and hot glue shows your friend you care, and that you’ve got their back in their time of need – and this way, you know your gift is always going to go to good use!

resort, a gift voucher can be a well-thought out and kind gift to a cosplay friend. Gift vouchers from places like Lincraft, Eckersley’s or Arda Wigs show your friend that you know what they need, and you support their nerdy hobby. This way, your friend is be in charge of what materials they need as well, and you are still contributing!

Wigs, Worbla and Fabric

Cosplayers are still as nerdy out of costume as in, and sometimes they want people to know that.

Brands like Black Milk Clothing, Living Dead Clothing, Redbubble and Numskull all sell chic, stylish garments for your subtle nerdy rep needs.

Crafting materials are always essential to any costume and can be costly for a cosplayer, so if you know what costume you friend is working on dipping into your pockets to help supply them can be a life saver. The only risk with this is sometimes these items can be expensive and if you accidentally order the wrong thing (or your friend changes their mind design wise) it can be a waste of money and materials for both of you.

Gift Vouchers

While gift vouchers are always scorned as the lazy person’s last

Nerdy Clothing

might not end up attending this convention, so don’t use this method to pressure someone into attending when they may not be in a situation where they can.

Candles, Chocolate and Bath Bombs I might have suggested this gift as one for Mum earlier, but there’s nothing a cosplayer needs more than an easy way to de-stress.

Getting some awesome smelling bath bombs, a few candles and a block of chocolate to eat and putting them in a nicely-wrapped present can be the ultimate chilled out package you can give to your cosplay friend to use in a moment on pre-con stress need.

Convention Tickets

Buying a ticket to a convention you know a friend is attending is a great gift idea, especially for highly attended conventions like PAX Australia. This also shows you friend how excited you are to see them at the convention! The downside of this gift is a friend

WRITTEN BY anny sims

Photographer: JackSkelling10 jackskelling10.deviantart.com/gallery/ Joker, Batman and Rockerella http://rockerella.deviantart.com/ as Harley.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHER 1. V360 Action Camera

2. Nikon & Canon Coffee Mugs

3. The Last Camera

GIFT IDEAS!

www.facebook.com/Twin-City-Camera-House-240106799380769 www.twincitycameras.com.au

With Christmas almost here, we thought we’d ask our friends at Twin City Camerahouse for some gift ideas for cosplay photographers. They are at 120 Grenfell St. Adelaide - so drop in and check these out!

1. V360 Action Camera The V.360 HD sports action camera allows you to masterfully capture the whole story with a premium 360-degree HD camera for limitless creating. The world’s first 360-degree HD sports action camera built for extreme environments. The days of pointing and shooting are over. Post edit your perfect shot by capturing everything in 360 degrees. Using Bluetooth 4.0, you can control the camera with your Android or Apple iOS powered smartphone or tablet. With the included Bluetooth remote control, you can start/stop video and take instant panoramic photos with the press of a button.

Editors comment: Ideal for cons as often you want to capture the action of a Black Widow pose or the stance of a Jedi with Light Sabre!

2. Nikon & Canon Coffee Mugs Make out you really spoilt your loved one with an imitation coffee mug / thermos of your professional camera lens of choice.

Canon 24-105 L, Canon 70-200 L, Nikon 24-70. Great gift, even better prank!

Editors Comment: A great one for getting the cosplay photographer’s hopes up only to realise that it’s just a mug! haha

3. The Last Camera Nowadays, taking photos with smart phones and apps is deemed as photography. Now that even digital cameras are being taken over by smart phones, have analog film cameras become something from the Stone Age? If that is the case, why not go completely against the trend and make the ultimate analog camera? We’re announcing the release of a “DIY 35mm Camera”, also known as “LAST CAMERA” a pretty reckless camera that functions only when you put it together yourself.

Being a DIY camera, I’m sure that there are already people out there who can hardly wait to build one.

Editors Comment: Hey one for the tech savvy cosplayers here.

Cosplayers are always building incredibly complex props - so if you’re struggling to put this thing together, get a cosplayer to help.

4. Peak Designs Clutch Camera Strap The world’s first camera hand strap that is quick-connecting and quick-adjusting. Clutch gives you access to your camera’s controls but quickly cinches down when you need security. Hypalon® exterior, microfiber pad and aluminum adjuster hardware is ultradurable and inspired by high-end climbing gear.

Editors Comment: There’s nothing like security of having a good grip on things when the cosplay action gets going, you don’t want to drop your gear!

5. Fuji Instax Gear Fujifilm’s range of instax mini cameras and accessories bring instant fun, excitement and creativity to your everyday life. Featuring cute and compact designs in a range of trendy colours as well as scrap-books and various albums, the best way to keep your memories in tangible form!

Editors Comment: Love this idea - imagine walking around a con and giving a friend a print! Awesome!!

6. Green Screen The ProMaster Green Screen Kit allows you to choose a great background for your subject even after shooting the photo. Simply

photograph your subject in front of the chroma key background, transfer the image to your PC or Mac, open it in Green Screen Wizard Lite software and pick an alternate background. Imagine your subject on the moon, in front of exotic locales such as a Tahitian waterfall, Helms Deep, Mordor, and even Delaware.

The possibilities are limited, but only by your imagination (or lack thereof).

Specifications: Kit includes: 6x10’ Chroma Key Green Background, 4 Hanging Hooks, GreenScreen Wizard Lite Software with 120 Bonus Backgrounds, 30 Sandwich Overlays and 20 Magazine Covers.

Editors Comment: Yes! Love this idea. Some cosplay photographers are using compositing to create amazing art... this will help!

7. Nissin i40 The pocket size of Nissin i40 weights only 203g of weight. Suitable for filling shadows on even the sunniest of days, indoor and outdoor shooting and especially for traveling. Professional functions are included: Wireless TTL mode; Supports up to 1/8,000 seconds shutter speed and includes a video light function with 9 steps of output level adjustment.

Very simple operation panel with two selector dials to operate the

4. Clutch Camera Strap

5. Fuji Instax Gear

6. Green Screen

7. Nissin i40

flash. The flash head also tilts up and rotates horizontally to right and left for making bounced lighting more versatile by utilizing more angles. A Soft box is also supplied.

The i40 is a great little flash for a reasonable price.

Editors Comment: Flashes are great for those dark or poorly lit locations and cons.

8. Joby Gear JOBY manufactures lifestyle products that cleverly complement the creativity of today’s smart devices. Based in San Francisco, JOBY earned its reputation with the original GorillaPod prehensile support for point-and-shoot cameras and now provides innovative support solutions for smart phones, tablets, SLRs and CSCs with tripods, mounts and straps, as well as the GorillaTorch range of self-supporting flashlights.

Editors Comment: Like the flash above, this will help get better pics in a low light location. Keeps your camera still and therefore no camera shake.

9. Eye Fi Cards Enjoy the convenience of instant photo transfer with Eyefi Mobi.

Eyefi Mobi works like a regular SDHC but unlike ordinary SDHC cards, Eyefi Mobi includes built-in

WiFi that connects your camera to your smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac wirelessly. Just click the shutter and watch your photos appear on your favorite device.

Check the Eye-fi website for a complete list of compatible cameras.

Editors Comment: Been looking at this for use at events.

Great for shooting then do a quick edit in something like SnapSeed and upload to Social Media like Gametraders Facebook page!

10. Ilford 35mm Film Everyone loves a simple, nicely composed black and white photograph! This is the real deal, classic black and white film for the enthusiast with true black and white chemical processing or C-41 processing options.

Break out granddads old camera gear or reload mums old Kodak, allowing your inner hipster to run free. Beard, rolling tobacco and fixed gear bicycles not included.

We also provide a process and print service in store.

Editors Comment: Been thinking about this one too. Film... ah the good old days. Gametraders loves retro and so we’d love to try out some film shooting at our next event!

8. Joby Gear

10. Ilford 35mm Film

Brought to you by

COSPLAYLIVE

9. Eye Fi Cards

Gametraders & Cosplay Live held a Cosplay competition at the BBC Doctor Who Festival - it was a huge success!

Check out the following pages for the photos of the awesome contestants.

Congratulations to our winners listed here!

BBC DOCTOR WHO FESTIVAL 21 21 -- 22 22 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2015 SYDNEY

COSPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS: Saturday Cyberman Best in Show Myles Callaghan Best in show Runner Up Fergus Croton Best Male Cosplay Andrew Ford Best Male Runner Up Graeme O’Neill Best Female Cosplay Siobhan O’Neill

Best Male Cosplay Brendan Case

Best Male Runner Up Declan Leader

Best Male Runner Up Jordan Brand

Encouragement Award Cayden Michaels

Best Female Cosplay Martine Moore

Encouragement Award Runner Up Gabriel Redmond

Best Female Runner Up Penny De Byl Encouragement Award Isla Ostle Encouragement Award Runner Up Elizabeth Hickey

Sunday Dalek Best in Show Cassandra Collins Best in Show Runner Up Christian

Best Female Cosplay Runner up Jessica Spiers

Sunday Cyberman

Best Female Cosplay Kristen Killgour

Encouragement Award Josh Thunig

Best in Show Cody Powell

Best Female Runner Up Ashleigh Thompson

Encouragement Award Runner Up Kerri Needham

Best in show Runner Up Blair Sawer

Best Male Cosplay Graeme O’Neill

Saturday Dalek

Best Female Cosplay Tina Robinson

Best Male Runner Up Mathew Scamardella

Best Female Runner Up Carol Cunningham

Encouragement Award Georgiana Firth

Best Male Cosplay Kieron Dorian

Encouragement Award Runner Up Emily G Ramos

Best in Show Freddie Hickey (Elizabeth Mum) Best in Show Runner Up Aurora Laing & Gabriella Franklin

Winners names may be represented by the names of their parents or guardians.

Photography by Steven Craddock Photog

graphy | www.facebook.com/StevenCraddockPhotography

Photography by Steven Craddock Photography www.facebook.com/StevenCraddockPhotography

CONVENTIONS Here at PAX Australia 2015 the Nintendo booth was hard to miss.

Bean bags with players each holding their 3DS using StreetPass to interact through their devices, animal crossing card collectors excitedly trading cards with each other and the iconic Mario not letting his presence be forgotten with booth walls surrounding his newest incarnations displaying familiar scenes from the beloved games. Children and adults alike were surrounding the booth hoping to get to see exclusive previews of the upcoming releases from Nintendo because where Nintendo goes gamers follow.

A company founded in 1889, Nintendo has always been at the heart of video games being one of the most influential players on the scene. They still continue to shape the player’s experience in the culture that they help create.

A company worth over $85 billion, their success can not be ignored. Known for their innovation Nintendo does not make a move without people paying attention.

PAX 2015 WRAP UP

dise - just like the physical watch Kristy wears today.

So what is Yo-Kai watch and why is Japan and now America going nuts over this?

Speaking with Kristy from the Nintendo booth today, it’s clear there are some game changers coming that fans are eagerly waiting for.

A common illustration has been made between Yo-Kai and Pokémon. It’s easier to understand that this is the Pokémon of this young generation. Pokémon is and will continue to be central to the Nintendo brand but Yo-Kai watch, targeted at the younger generation of upcoming gamers is connecting with them on their own level, changing up how we played traditional versions of Pokémon on Gameboy for example.

On her wrist I notice one of them.

The highly anticipated Yo-Kai watch. If you doubt that you will be rushing to your local Gametraders to buy this baby on 3DS maybe you need to hear why Japan has bought 7 million copies of the game alone not even mentioning the cult like following of the anime series and buying frenzy of the toys and merchan-

Discussing gameplay Kristy explains the gameplay is much quicker and battles are rapid and fast paced. This generation has grown up playing games and mobile apps and are essentially more developed players at much younger ages. Therefore they need a challenging experience that keeps the momentum and excitement that young gamers

crave. Nintendo is very in touch with its customers, and importantly places focus on the Nintendo community as a whole, responding to the evolving needs and desires of their customers.

Yo-Kai watch is going to be huge.

So to understand this Kristy went through this Yo-Kai phenomena with me in detail including how we are going to be playing this game when it is released in Australia on December 5.

As discussed Kristy explains the main audience is children and it features collection based gameplay much like Pokémon. Like Pokémon it also has a story following a young boy named Keita (Nathan Adams or “Nate” in the West) who while on a bug hunt finds a toy capsule machine inside the base of a mysterious tree. Inside one of the capsules he discovers a spirit or “Yo-Kai” named Whisper. (Don’t worry there is an option for a girl character in the games named Katie).

The Yo-Kai Whisper gives Nate a device, a “Yo-Kai watch”. Through

this watch he is able to see spirits or Yo-Kai that are otherwise invisible, that are haunting people and causing trouble. Along with whisper and a cat Yo-kai named Jibanyan Nate begins befriending other Yo-Kai which can be summoned in battle against the mischievous Yo-Kai that are causing trouble in town.

Players befriend Yo-kai by giving them a food that they like before beginning battle, and after defeating the Yo-Kai it approaches the player character and gives them its Yo-kai Medal, allowing it to be summoned at will. You can also get Yo-Kai by using in game coins or play coins from capsule machines in game. Like Pokémon your Yo-Kai have the ability to evolve into more powerful versions of themselves as they level up or using particular items – think evolution stones from Pokémon. There are different groups of Yo-Kai with different strengths and weak points which come into player strategy. These “friendships” with Yo-Kai that allow you to summon them with their medal differ from the Pokémon focus on defeating and catching but it will still connect with players that enjoy “collection” gameplay.

Kristy explains to me that the anime series that pulled the game into the Japanese spotlight has now been released in America ahead of the release of the game.

The emergence of Japanese influence on Western pop culture will no doubt bolster success as the show rolls out in the US and eventually to our shores. This is the multi media approach that

firmly ingrains Yo-Kai as a serious contender for market dominance in the upcoming year.

The physical watch that Kristy wears is quite large and Yo-Kai medals can be collected that then play the theme song of the Yo-Kai. No doubt Nintendo fans will not be satisfied until they collect them all as evidenced by the bright eyed children I see hovering over the watch and merchandise display.

Getting your hands on the Yo-Kai watch game will be a must among the new releases. The Japanese figures of $1 billion plus in merchandise sales and 7 million games sold should serve as sufficient motivation. Keep your eye on Yo-kai Watch.

Leaving the crowds around YoKai Kristy shows Gametraders through to the excited chanting and laughing as two young players engage in Mario’s newest adaption Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, watched by those eagerly waiting their turn. This is the first time it’s playable in Australia and with the line up it’s undoubtedly wise to pre order your copy now as the gameplay has many attendees at this year’s PAX desperate to get the latest instalment.

The game plays similarly to previous entries of the Mario Tennis series, and follows the basic rules of tennis. However there is a new mode called Mega Battles where you can grow to gigantic proportions after grabbing a Mega mushroom. This is the default mode where mega mushrooms

randomly spawn on the court which sees players desperately scrambling to get them because of the offensive and defensive advantage it gives you – much to the amusement of the crowd here. After trialling play myself you soon see the obsession with grabbing that elusive mega mushroom so you smash the competition!

While this seems to be the most popular mode the game also offers classic tennis without this feature for more standard gaming, knockout challenge that replaces the earlier tournament mode from the other instalments, mega ball rally where players rally a large ball for the highest score possible and Online mode. Online mode can be relaxed or serious, serious offering ranking in singles or doubles games.

This will no doubt again satisfy the need for players to have the interactive and team component that they enjoyed on previous versions of Mario Tennis. This is the type of gameplay that Nintendo continues to succeed in across multiple titles no doubt will see Ultra Smash a hit with fans.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will be available on the 21st of November for Wii U just in time for Christmas. Absorbing all that Nintendo had on offer at PAX this weekend was thrilling. They also had playable on Nintendo 3DS Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing, and the just-released The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes which had plenty of fans in a stir.

Those serious Nintendo fans also participated in Super Smash Bros. amiibo Partner Battle Championships and the Super Mario Maker Make-Off on Saturday. A successful debut of all that was on offer was perfectly finished with an exclusive anime screening of YO-KAI WATCH on Sunday and after watching I can see why the fans are so hyped for it’s Australian release. It would be unfair though to say that Nintendo was the only booth with 15 minute wait lines for the upcoming games. The highly anticipated Fallout 4 had the Bethesda booth surrounded my a constant line up of eager fans. Vault boys were everywhere as cosplayers and those lucky enough to get a vault boy mask hovered around the place of the next big title.

Those willing to face the wait like the Gametraders team were treated to some exclusive footage and given insight to the history and secrets of the newest fallout game. They also threw in the treat of the new Doom trailer which they promise to return to Doom’s roots, rewarding players for offensive game play and as they put it “shooting bad guys with big guns” which is exactly what we want from the fast paced rollercoaster that is Doom.

Fallouts clear distinction from the previous titles comes in the complete flexibility of the user experience. Everything is customisable and every item can be used or broken down to be used in game.

They demonstrated this perfectly with a custom shot gun that shot a teddy bear for a perfect head

shot. This approach comes from Bethesda’s recognition of the modding trend and the realisation that players want to have the level of customisation that makes for a unique gaming experience. The introduction of bases and communities that you protect as your base becomes more attractive to other survivors is a very cool new addition involving this scavenger mindset – if you find a door you like while exploring you can return it to base and use it on your house for example.

No doubt all the hype surrounding Fallout is justified as fans are clearly desperate to get their hands on this game.PAX also invited gameplay of Halo 5 newly released, Rise of the Tomb Raider drawing crowds along with multiple titles at the Microsoft booth.

The PlayStation booth featured Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Star Wars Battlefront, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Street Fighter V. Starwars Battlefront was not to be missed especially by those who missed the Beta, fans playing and lining up all day. Exciting technology was also on display at Playstation who brought their futuristic virtual gaming headset PlayStation®VR (PSVR) for PAX attendees to witness for the first time. Playstation explaining in panels over the weekend where the future is for gaming.

Consoles and their titles were a major feature of this year’s PAX but no one can ignore the pc gaming presence. With customised builds and accessories galore the

high end pc market was definitely at home at PAX Australia.

The SMITE tournament with $65,000 cash prize saw the esports community out in force to support their favourite teams.

Many highly regarded e-sports teams were present such as the chiefs, avant garde and the dire wolves connecting with fans and sponsors all over pax.

Also featured alongside the ESL Arena stage fans got the chance to play Hi-Rez Studios new fantasy team shooter for the first time ever in Australia: Paladins.

There was be a special showcase match on the ESL Stage before the SMITE Oceania Championship match which was very well received, all players keen to get early access to the game. A large tabletop area was dedicated to popular cult games such as Magic the gathering, Munchkin even Cards against humanity. Miniatures a prominent feature of the hall also.

A retro game area nearby had Nintendo 64, ps1 and all the nostalgic consoles you would expect of the loyal community. The section was filled with players young and old all enjoying the original titles that saw the birth of the b=video game scene. These are no doubt the same fans that raid Gametrader’s diverse range of retro video games and consoles.

The love for the games was personified in the cosplayers dressing from new titles and favourite games, many of whom were happy to pose for a photo with fans.

The level of detail including led lighting, full body paint and heavy complex armour showed the dedication and level of expertise on display at this years PAX. With all badges sold out and the Melbourne Exhibition centre overflowing with guests it’s easy to see that there are exciting games and loyal following to video game culture. Gametraders continues to participate in the community that celebrates this and will continue to cover industry events like PAX to bring you the latest in gaming news.

WRITTEN BY IMOGEN

PAX MELBOURNE 30 OCTOBER - 1 NOVEMBER 2015

Photography by Blake Robertson: The Blake Image www.theblakeimage.com.au www.facebook.com/theblakeimage

Click here!

PAX MELBOURNE 30 OCTOBER - 1 NOVEMBER 2015

Photography by Blake Robertson: The Blake Image www.theblakeimage.com.au www.facebook.com/theblakeimage

Click here!

PAX MELBOURNE 30 OCTOBER - 1 NOVEMBER 2015

Photography by Blake Robertson: The Blake Image www.theblakeimage.com.au www.facebook.com/theblakeimage

Click here!

PAX MELBOURNE 30 OCTOBER - 1 NOVEMBER 2015

Photography by Blake Robertson: The Blake Image www.theblakeimage.com.au www.facebook.com/theblakeimage

Click here!

HOW RATINGS WO The Australian Classification CTC

CTC - Check the classification.

The content has been assessed and approved for advertising unclassified films and computer games.

Any advertising of unclassified films and games must display the CTC message on posters, trailers, on the internet, and any other types of advertising.

G - General.

The content is very mild in impact.

The G classification is suitable for everyone. G products may contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are very mild in impact.

However, some G-classified films or computer games may contain content that is not of interest to children.

PG - Parental Guidance.

The content is mild in impact.

The impact of PG (Parental Guidance) classified films and computer games should be no higher than mild, but they may contain content that children find confusing or upsetting and may require the guidance of parents and guardians. They may, for example, contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are mild in impact.

It is not recommended for viewing or playing by persons under 15 without guidance from parents or guardians.

M - Mature.

The content is moderate in impact.

Films and computer games classified M (Mature) contain content of a moderate impact and are recommended for teenagers aged 15 years and over.

Children under 15 may legally access this material because it is an advisory category.

However, M classified films and computer games may include classifiable elements such as violence and nudity of moderate impact that are not recommended for children under 15 years. Parents and guardians may need to find out more about the film or computer game’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child.

ORK: Board

There are two separate Boards that are independent from the government and from each other. There is the full time Classification Board that decides the classifications of films, video games and certain publications and the Classification Review Board that meets only to review a decision of the Classification Board when there is a valid application for review.

The Board bases its’ classifications on six elements: Themes, Violence, Sex, Language, Drug Use & Nudity Below are a list of classifications you’ll find on games and movies:

MA 15+ - Mature Accompanied 15+.

The content is strong in impact.

MA 15+ classified material contains strong content and is legally restricted to persons 15 years and over. It may contain classifiable elements such as sex scenes and drug use that are strong in impact.

A person may be asked to show proof of their age before hiring or purchasing an MA 15+ film or computer game. Cinema staff may also request that the person show proof of their age before allowing them to watch an MA 15+ film. Children under the age of 15 may not legally watch, buy or hire MA 15+ classified material unless they are in the company of a parent or adult guardian. Children under 15 who go to the cinema to see an MA 15+ film must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian for the duration of the film. The parent or adult guardian must also purchase the movie ticket for the child. The guardian must be an adult exercising parental control over the person under 15 years of age. The guardian needs to be 18 years or older.

Parents and guardians may need to find out more about the film or computer game’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child.

R 18+ - Restricted to 18+.

The content is high in impact.

R 18+ material is restricted to adults. Such material may contain classifiable elements such as sex scenes and drug use that are high in impact. Some material classified R18+ may be offensive to sections of the adult community. A person may be asked for proof of their age before purchasing, hiring or viewing R18+ films and computer games at a retail store or cinema.

There is also an X 18+ for adult films and these titles are only available for sale in the ACT and the Northern Territory.

Sometimes games are refused classification. This can cause gamers to be frustrated, citing that the R18+ classification should take care of adult content. But still some games don’t get classified until the publishers/developers have addressed the concerns of the Classification Board.

CTC

Want to know more? Visit the Australian Classification website - www.classification. gov.au

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