Issue 19 by PhonicaMagUK

the mobile phone and gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk

Volume 2

Issue3

phonica magazine uk

WHAT’S INSIDE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 2011

NEWS

REVIEWS

Sony Ericsson launches the XPERIA Play INQ Mobile announces two new Android handsets HTC Desire S Gamelo develops four new games powered by Unreal Engine 3 Black Ops gets more terrain Sony announces PSP successor

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PREVIEWS Deus Ex: Human Revolu on F.E.A.R. 3

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FEATURES THE BLURRY DIMENSION: A QUICK HISTORY OF 3D GAMING

From the Virtual Boy to the 3DS, 3D videogaming has come a long way in a short me NINTENDO 3DS An important next step or a buck-spinning gimmick? We take a look.

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Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play FindME Tv TXT Fighter Ninja Penguin Rampage TRON: Legacy Neon Ba le HD Mirror’s Edge Dungeon Hunter 2 Shadow Guardian Fishing Kings N.O.V.A. 2 Iron Man 2 UNO Bulletstorm Williams Pinball Classics Donkey Kong Country Returns Nail’d Spla erhouse Raving Rabbids Travel in Time

COMPETITION

INTERVIEWS

Win a XPERIA Play

NATHAN VAUTIER Managing Director of Sony Ericsson UK & Ireland

JULIAN STOCKER Managing Director of Gamelo UK

THE GUIDE 72

Mobile Phones

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce

GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney

CONTRIBUTORS Ma Foley

CREATIVE SERVICES & DESIGN Sco Tierney www.sco - erney.com

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EDITOR’S LETTER ROLL ON THE SUNNY DAYS Yes, oh yes. Finally the sun is gracing us with its warm embrace. I couldn’t resist an office day at the park, so armed with my iPad 2 (which I stood in the queue from 4:30am for) and my XPERIA Play I decided to take advantage of the 20 degrees of sun rays hi ng the park while I wrote this. With the li le twinge of sunshine everyone seems to be in a happier mood. The iPad 2 is here, NHS reform is on hold and the XPERIA Play is here to entertain. A er a ending Sony Ericsson’s launch of this phone it is evident this phone manufacturer is once again the talk of London town…all for good reasons I must say. By launching the one and only true smartphone with D-Pad integrated controls for gaming Sony Ericsson has created a new category, shaking the industry the same way the Cuper no guys did when the iPhone was first launched. Awesome, isn’t it? Well I’d quit bragging about this device and let you decide a er reading our review of the Play and our feature interviews with Nathan Vau er, Managing Director of Sony Ericsson UK & Ireland and Julian Stocker, Managing Director of Gamelof UK. And if you fancy ge ng an XPERIA Play be sure to enter this issue’s compe on, as we’d be giving one away courtesy the lovely folks at Sony Ericsson! Okay I finish now…back to my tan at Hyde Park. Enjoy reading, Your Editor in Chief

Kevin Leonce

phonica magazine uk

NEWS SONY ERICSSON SURE KNOWS HOW TO THROW A PARTY! The date had been circled in people’s diaries for months beforehand. Mee ngs were cancelled, dinners postponed and families sent away for the night. All this for the launch party for the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, the first true gaming phone that everyone has been talking about for months. It’s said to be the next best thing in mobile gaming that recent advancement in smartphone technology was preparing us for: the first smartphone with dedicated gaming bu ons. And voila, the XPERIA Play arrived! We had difficulty finding The Old Sor ng Office on To enham Court Road at first, relying on good old faithful Google Maps to send us to the right place. Instead it sent us about five minutes down the road from where we were meant to be. And, as we didn’t know this at the me, we walked around aimlessly for half an hour trying to find the right place. Once we found the building though, there was no confusion. The walls were covered in Sony Ericsson logos! Inside, the place was decorated in an Ancient Chinese theme; with big Chinese symbols everywhere... there were a few things that weren’t what you think of as typically Chinese, like a broken helicopter and surface-to-air missiles!

But we were all there to see the Xperia PLAY, it was the launch party a er all, and this was clear as soon as you walked in. With XPERIA Players mingling amongst the crowd, swamped by clusters of eager persons desperate to get their hands on this gaming smartphone for a demonstra on I managed to get my me with the Play. With the Sony Ericsson team extremely excited and well informed it was a pleasant interac on, engaging in debates while showing oﬀ their extensinve knowledge on the XPERIA Play.

“INSIDE, THE PLACE WAS DECORATED IN AN ANCIENT CHINESE THEME; WITH BIG CHINESE SYMBOLS EVERYWHERE...” A well executed launch this event had everything a successful smartphone launch party was made of: a great device, an eager crowd, drinks, food and a good atmosphere backed by great entertainment (thanks to Tinchy Stryder). All in all, despite the trouble ﬁnding the place, it was a very good party with a great vibe and an impressive phone…stay tuned for our review! Ma Foley

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

INQ PHONES BRING FACEBOOK TO LIFE ON TWO NEW SOCIAL MOBILES INQ ANNOUNCES TWO NEW ANDROIDS; THE INQ CLOUD TOUCH AND INQ CLOUD Q INQ Mobile delivered an all-new Facebook mobile experience with two new Android devices, the INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q. Built for people worldwide who use Facebook as their primary means of communica on, they deliver a fully live Facebook experience built around INQ’s Visual Media Feed. The result of close collabora on with Facebook, INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q feature all new apps for Facebook on mobile. The new apps leave behind the mobile paradigm of text based status updates and deliver a rich media feed to the homescreen.

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Frank Meehan, INQ’s CEO, said: “We started the ‘Social Mobile’ category 3 years ago with the Skypephone and INQ1, as we believed integra ng the internet was the future of mobile. Since then, Facebook has evolved from a social network to become an incredibly powerful global communica ons pla orm. Speed and simplicity of access to things you love is our DNA, so our next step is to make it even easier for people to experience the richness of Facebook – all from the homescreen. The power of the Facebook pla orm enables us to make the INQ Cloud Touch a deeply immersive social mobile experience.”

“THE INQ CLOUD TOUCH IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHONES WILL BE BUILT.”

“FACEBOOK HAS EVOLVED FROM A SOCIAL NETWORK TO BECOME AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM.” Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business for Facebook said: “The INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q bring Facebook to people with a single touch while they are mobile and demonstrate the power of socially aware devices. INQ has built an innova ve and easy to use set of features that enable people to use common Facebook interac ons such as viewing photos and videos, chat, message, and check-in to their favorite businesses all from the home screen.”

Spo fy CEO and Founder, Daniel Ek, said: “The INQ Cloud Touch is a perfect example of how the next genera on of phones will be built - from the cloud up - and we’re excited to make Spo fy a part of that.” INQ Cloud Touch is available through The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy, soon to be followed by the INQ Cloud Q in Q3 2011.

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

HTC DESIRE S - AVAILABLE ON THREE FOLLOWING ON FROM THE AWARD WINNING HTC DESIRE, THE NEW AND IMPROVED DESIRE S IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THREE. Featuring a quick 1Ghz processor, Android 2.3 and Sense v2.1, it’s got everything needed to keep things running smoothly on the inside. On the outside you will ﬁnd the big 3.7” touchscreen and front facing camera, perfect for video calling and watching the HD video that the 5 MP camera with LED ﬂash can record.

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Sylvia Chind, Head of Branded Devices said, “As ever, HTC’s done a great job of making Android their own with Sense v2.1. To make sure you can get the most from all the features at your ﬁnger ps, The One Plan’s all-you-can-eat data means you never have to worry about how much web browsing, videos steaming and Facebook-ing you do.” The HTC Desire S is available online at Three.co.uk and in store.

NEWS

GAMELOFT GETS EPIC GAMELOFT TO DEVELOP FOUR NEW GAMES USING “Gamelo is very pleased to partner with Epic, UNREAL ENGINE 3 especially with their ability to stay ahead of the curve The third Unreal Engine is currently the Black and Decker of videogame development. Batman: Arkham Asylum, Gears of War, Mass Eﬀect and countless others have all been produced with this excep onal building block, bringing unrivaled physics and detail to their levels. So, it’s of li le surprise that when Gamelo recently announced the terms of a four game deal with Epic, they had a migh ly chuﬀed grin on their face.

and con nually place the best game engine technology in developers’ hands at any given point in me,” said Julien Fournials, vice president of produc on, Gamelo . “Using Unreal Engine 3 allows us to push game visuals with remarkable ligh ng and high-ﬁdelity environments. We are conﬁdent that players will enjoy the games powered by Unreal Engine 3.” We’ll keep a close eye on the next few tles Gamelo releases under their new partnership, as with the help of the Unreal Engine and Epic, these games should be considerably impressive. Sco Tierney

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NEWS

MORE MAPS FOR BLACK OPS FIRST STRIKE PROVIDES NEW LOCATIONS FOR XBLA, PSN AND PC USERS Call of Duty: Black Ops is currently the king of online; FPS or otherwise. If you’ve recently shot anyone in face with a joypad, chances are you’ll have done it via Treyarch’s gloriously violent blaster. But, a er ﬁnding every hidey hole, ammo stash and decent sniper point the game has to oﬀer, it’s probably me for some new loca ons? Well, Treyarch are happy to provide, with the First Strike pack either currently available now, or in the s ll smoking pipeline. The new maps which are available for mul player madness are “Berlin Wall”, “Discovery”, “Kowloon” and “Stadium”, with a zombie level, “Ascension”, also thrown in for good measure. Berlin Wall is set where the tle suggests, and is a sniper’s paradise thanks to the many high-points and hidden areas. Discovery is an old German research centre from the single player campaign: split into two separate maps, you’ll have to carefully travel the underground tunnels in order to pass from sec on to sec on. Kowloon is very nice, as it’s a dreary rain-soaked Hong Kong city that again can be found in the single player game.

Stadium is arguably the best of the bunch, as it’s literally a playpen for any itchy-ﬁngered COD shooter, featuring ledges, rails, piles of weapons and not an awful lot to hide behind. The oddball level of the bunch is Ascension, which manages to pack in more zany crea vity than the rest of the First Strike pack (if not Black Ops itself) put together. You play in a black and white lunar launch site, with zombies, baddies and radioac ve monkeys to contend with. It’s a bit weird, and a li le out of kilter with the rest of the game, but it’s a welcome release from the constant dreary realism.

“STADIUM IS ARGUABLY THE BEST OF THE BUNCH, AS IT’S LITERALLY A PLAYPEN FOR ANY ITCHY-FINGERED COD SHOOTER.” The First Strike pack is currently available on XBLA (1200 points), PSN (£11.49) and is due to be released for PC customers in the next couple of months. If you like Black Ops, you’d be a mug to pass on this bulging magazine of goodies. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

NEWS

NEXT GENERATION PORTABLE SONY’S PSP SUCCESSOR DUE OUT IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS With the 3DS due to land and leave the shopping shelves within the space of a snakes blink, Sony are well aware that their next handheld console needs to be a corker. The current PSP is doing its job, but to be honest, it’s not in the same league as Nintendo’s pocket rocket when it comes to pure gaming fun. So, in an a empt to wrestle away a few of the DS’ loyal players, Sony are currently working on the NGP: the Next Genera on Portable. The biggest visual change to the If you were to just take the NGP on pure stats alone, it all makes for very impressive reading. A 5inch touchscreen coats the front of the system, slap-bang in the middle of two analog s cks (rather than the standard PSP’s one), with the same mix of shape bu ons, bumpers and start commands all in their usual places. There are also a couple of cameras on the front, which are set to feature face detec on, head detec on, and head tracking capabili es, and another on the back. The NGP will also incorporate 3G, mo on sensoring, GPS, Bluetooth and various other trinkets. Another new feature is the updated memory card, known simply as a NVG card. These will be an update from the current ﬂash memory, and will come in sizes ranging from 2-4GB, with bigger storages set for the future. The UMD drive that vanished from the last PSP update is s ll absent, which despite giving the NGP a cleaner look and ﬁ ng into Sony’s plans for 100% online gaming, is a bit of a shame for us back compa bility loyalists. That said, the NGP will allow downloads of classic PSP tles, as well as PS One games.

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NGP is undoubtedly the scrapping of the current Sony naviga on system, Xross MediaBar, in favour of a new concept. Rather than having all the menus laid out in a horizontal bar, the NGP will now use so ware called LiveArea, which presents your menus in a series on orbs. It’s pre y much the same stuﬀ as before, but LiveArea will put a lot more emphasis of social networking, and online features. In terms of new games, several new tles have been conﬁrmed in the shapes of Uncharted Portable, Hustle Kings and Hot Shots Golf Next, and there will also be portable versions of Sony favourites such as Killzone, Wipeout, Resistance, Li leBigPlanet, and Call of Duty. These will also feature trophies, a new addi on for the PSP. The NGP looks set to take Sony’s portable icon onto another level, making it one of the most advanced pieces of kit you can pop in your pocket. Whether it’ll be able to compete with the u erly lovable 3DS is another ma er, as you’d fancy Nintendo to win this ba le of the portables with rela ve ease, but if Sony can get the NGP out there, it my be the perfect device for the hardcore gamer on the go. Sco Tierney

“THE NGP LOOKS SET TO TAKE SONY’S PORTABLE ICON ONTO ANOTHER LEVEL, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED PIECES OF KIT YOU CAN POP IN YOUR POCKET.”

phonica magazine uk

PREVIEWS

DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION PUBLISHERS: SQUARE ENIX DEVELOPERS: EIDOS MONTREAL FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC GENRE: ACTION RPG AVAILABLE: AUGUST 2011

BACK TO THE DAWN OF RECREATION.

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PREVIEWS The Deus EX tles are the thinking gamer’s choice: fine wine over pop; salmon over sausages; not for newbies or casuals. Rather than le ng you spray bullets like a crazed water sprinkler, Deus EX encourages you to think your way out of trouble, and be subtle rather than stupid. Sure, you get to shoot at stuff, but it’s the mix of smart storytelling, ques onable ethics and delicate gameplay that made both Deus EX tles – Deus EX and Deus EX: Invisible War – undisputed classics of gaming. So, with the near arrival of the long awaited third chapter, there’s a fair amount of trepida on in the air, as Deus EX: Human Revolu on prepares to go into war with the loudest and dumbest tles of this modern me. Will Deus EX 3 be to everyone’s taste? Deus EX: Human Revolu on is set 25 years before the events of the original tle, Deus EX. With the nanotechnological augmenta ons (medical transplants that give the pa ent superhuman powers) of the future s ll a distant concept, Human Revolu ons deals with the arrival of biomechanical augmenta ons; highly advanced prosthe c implants that can supposedly “make you a be er person.” The game’s central character, Adam Jensen, isn’t a believer of these man-made advances, but when he’s inadvertently involved in an a ack on the markets leading producer, Sarif Industries, he’s unwillingly forced to accept some biomechanical augmenta ons of his own: new arms. From then on the plot unfolds to reveal a web of secrets and conspiracies, which eventually lead up to the events that inspired the first game. It’s pre y deep stuff, but once you understand it, you’re hooked. If you were to pick up the vast cityscapes of Blade Runner and dip them into a gigan c pot of honey, you’d probably end up with something resembling the visual style of Human Revolu on. It’s amber all the way, with some of the most beau ful and detailed se ngs we’ve ever seen in a video game. The fashion of Human Revolu on is also interes ng, as it bridges the gap between the plainness of today, and the cyber-punk outlandishness of the first tle. If there’s a be er looking game in 2011, we’re yet to see it.

Just as in the ﬁrst tles, Human Revolu on will s tch a mix of various gameplay elements: ﬁrst person shoo ng, stealthing, strategy and though ul conversa on. The game will feature four central types of augmenta on - Combat, Stealth, Technology and Social – which you’ll have to manage correctly as you work your way through the game, while all the while crea ng your own uniquely a ributed character. Human Revolu on will not however, unlike the originals, feature a health bar, and in a move that follows the current trend of ac on tles, your health will automa cally replenish over me. A smart move to improve the pace of the tle, or a sign that Deus EX is dumbing down? The hardcore fans aren’t impressed, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“JUST AS IN THE FIRST TITLES, HUMAN REVOLUTION WILL STITCH A MIX OF VARIOUS GAMEPLAY ELEMENTS: FIRST PERSON SHOOTING, STEALTHING, STRATEGY AND THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION.” Deus EX: Human Revolu on looks outstanding. The visuals are literally gob-smacking, the story is as rich as ever, the ac on looks both smart and breathless, and overall it’s hard to spot a ﬂaw. But will the swarms of today’s casual gamers want it? Is Human Revolu on a 1000 page novel in library full of comics; a pot of caviar in a Happy Meal bag? You’d have to be concerned that as gaming becomes more and more popular, with casual fans making up the vast majority of today’s players, is Deus EX: Human Revolu on really going to appeal? But to be honest, I don’t care, because if the casuals don’t want it, that just means there’s more gaming goodness to go around to us hardcores. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

PREVIEWS

F.E.A.R. 3 PUBLISHERS: WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE DEVELOPERS: DAY 1 STUDIOS FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC GENRE: FIRST PERSON SHOOTER AVAILABLE: MAY 26TH 2011 phonica magazine magazine uk uk 18 phonica

WHEN IT COMES TO F.E.A.R. 3, IS TWO A CROWD? In the last issue of Phonica we took EA’s tour de terror, Dead Space 2, for a spin. We enjoyed it a lot (if pants-we ng and sleepless nights can be enjoyed), and we’d like to think that a few pennies placed on DS2 being the GOTY 2011 is a sensible bet indeed. But, and this may just be me, I didn’t find it that scary – to be brutal, at mes I was bored of the whole rou ne. Don’t get me wrong, I was s ll taken with the many gruesome shocks and surprises, and as a spectacle Dead Space 2 was remarkable, but for me there was a dis nct lack of tension. Why? Well to explain we first need to take a look at the next installment of first person shoo ng’s top shocker: F.E.A.R. 3. F.E.A.R. 3 takes place a er the events of the first two games, in which the leader of an elite group of soldiers, Point Man, takes the fight to a host of perverse ghostly nas es. But, this me around he won’t be alone, as he’ll be working alongside his brother, Paxton Fe el. Seems like nice family reunion, but in fact Fe el is a highly powerful paranormal nu er, who can sheer enemies limb from limb and also posses them. I probably should have warned you about the whole brother plot twist…It looks very much in the F.E.A.R. mould, with alot to shoot, plenty of slow-mo on ac on and enough terror to blow the whiskers off a puppy. In the first two F.E.A.R. games, it was very much a case of you against world, figh ng off hordes of crazies on your lonesome; but for this third instalment, Day 1 have switched the gameplay to feature a lot more co-op-based ac on. During F.E.A.R. 3, both the Point Man and Fe el will be playable characters, as they will journey through the game together, each using their own separate skills and abili es to get the job done. You can also play along with a buddy, so if guns and slow-mo ac on are your bag, you can take the Point Man while your mate can help out by tearing people to pieces as his mad bro. Fe el can also posses any enemy he comes across, so you will get to wrap your paranormal hands around a firearm at some point.

From what we’ve seen so far, F.E.A.R. 3 looks pre y impressive if a li le tame. The visuals weren’t exactly mind blowing, the ac on was solid if unspectacular, and overall it didn’t come across as a ﬁrst-class tle. But, the set pieces, which the F.E.A.R. series has previously thrived on, did look fantas c, and news that horror veterans John Carpenter and Steve Niles are working on the project does indicate that F.E.A.R. 3 could s ll pack a bone-shacking punch. But, we have one major concern with F.E.A.R. 3: will the addi on of co-op disintegrate the tension?

“THE DEVELOPERS AT DAY 1 HAVE ASSURED THAT THE TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS WILL REPLACE AND/OR INCREASE THE MISSING FEELING OF ISOLATION, SO WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.” When I played Dead Space 2, I wasn’t as scared as when I shivered my way through the ﬁrst tle. That sense of isola on, of threat, of sheer terror that encapsulated Dead Space was missing in the sequel, and I personally put that down to one thing: people. Throughout many of DS2’s levels, there were friendly characters to converse with, measly members of the public running around, and other general signs of heart-warming life. A lot of fear is the sensa on of being alone, and DS2 had very few sec ons when it was just you and no one else – there was just no sense of being cut oﬀ. That’s our biggest concern with F.E.A.R. 3, as with a co-op companion constantly in tow, will the terror s ll be there? The developers at Day 1 have assured that the tension between the two main characters will replace and/or increase the missing feeling of isola on, so we’ll have to wait and see. But if the past shows us anything, if you’re with a friend, you’re not half as afraid. Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

FEATURES THE BLURRY DIMENSION:

A QUICK HISTORY OF 3D GAMING

FROM THE VIRTUAL BOY TO THE 3DS, 3D HAS COME A LONG WAY 3D has always been the golden gimmick of cinema. Ever since The Power of Love - the first major 3D film - hit the heaving cinemas of 1922, movie lovers have been specing-up to view their favourite adventures in eye popping dimensions. In the 50s 3D was at its peak; in the 80s it had a mini revival, and now in the age of high defini on, 3D is back with the emergence of IMAX and 3D TVs. But what about gaming? Has 3D played such a big part with our games as it has our films? Well, here’s a quick run-through of 3D videogaming, star ng with a li le red box from Nintendo, and ending with…well…a li le red box from Nintendo. phonica magazine magazine uk uk 20 phonica

Early 3D videogaming started back in 1982 with the Sega arcade tle, SubRoc-3D. Using a periscope-like eyepiece, the player could peer through the spinning lenses and see the oncoming ba leships, planes and other baddies as they ﬂew toward them. A few years down the line, a similar eﬀect was used with the LCD Shu er Glasses. These rather heavy-handed specs could be worn in conjunc on with a series of NES games, such as 3-D Worldrunner and A ack Animal Gakuen. The LCD glasses system was used throughout the end of the 80s, and was eventually joined by the cheaper cardboard versions, but it wasn’t un l the mid 90s that a fully 3D console was released.

“IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT 3D HAS, ALWAYS BEEN A GIMMICK.”

In 1995, Nintendo unveiled the Virtual Boy: a clunky red headset that gave a single player total 3D immersion. When the player put their eyes into the enclosing slot, they could watch the incredibly basic game of their choice in eye burning red, controlling the ac on via a joypad. The games themselves were pre y simple, such as whacking a ball in Mario Tennis, but the 3D eﬀect that the Virtual Boy created was impressive for the me. It wasn’t an easy console to endure though, as a er half an hour a message would appear on screen, asking if you’d like to take a break. Chances are you’d say yes, as the harsh red tones the VB used were so dazzling, you’d be seeing burnt red Marios on your scorched re nas for weeks.

Most of the 3D games that appeared at the turn of the last decade were s ll Anaglyph (different coloured glasses – red and blue or yellow and purple - were required) tles, such as the GOTY re-release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, remade in slightly off-pu ng 3D. 2009’s Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao was one of the first games to be built with 3D TV in mind. It could be used with a pair of cardboard specs, but if you had the extremely rare technologies available to you at the me, such as a 3D TV and the required glasses, you could experience a truly 3D game. From then, there have been a whole host of HD 3D tles, mainly coming from Sony’s PS3. Most of the big PS3 tles of this year – Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, Assassins Creed 3 (lot of 3s there) – are fully 3D capable.

The Virtual Boy was a commercial ﬂop for Nintendo, but it paved the way for the future endeavours of the Japanese company. Although it was never fully implemented, Nintendo’s 2001 Gamecube was fully 3D compa ble. Even the main launch tle, Luigi’s Mansion, had 3D capabili es. But Nintendo never fully ac vated the technologies due to cost, and it lay dormant on the early Cubes without a purpose.

The most recent 3D highlight has been the new incarna on of Nintendo’s DS, the 3DS, which features mul layer visuals without the need of glasses. For more info read our review in this issue, but the 3DS produces 3D by overlaying two screens, with both working together to give the illusion of depth. The amount of depth can also be adjusted via a switch on the back, or turned oﬀ completely.

“3D IS WITHOUT DOUBT HERE TO STAY.”

So there we are, a (very!) brief gloss over the ups and down of 3D videogaming. It’s fair to say that 3D has, and probably always will be, a gimmick rather than a cast iron technology, occasionally turning up with a few cheap tricks while the rest of gaming roams on year-in year-out. But, 3D is without doubt here to stay, with 3D televisions becoming cheaper and more accessible, 3D ﬁlms growing ever popular with audiences and ﬁlm studios alike, and even darts being shown in 3D on Sky Sports. Gaming is all about the experience, and if 3D can make gaming all the more involving and enjoyable, it’ll always have a place on the market, no ma er how many eyes it burns.

There were a few other 3D games released during the 90s, but they were mainly standard games with stuck-on 3D gimmicks, such as the 1998 PS1 tle Heart of Darkness, which featured several 3D cut scenes. It wasn’t un l the la er stages of the 00s that 3D gaming started to make a more prominent reappearance, building from gimmicky mini-games up to the full 3D tles we expect to see later this year.

Sco Tierney

phonica magazine uk

FEATURES NINTENDO 3DS THE 3DS PROVES TO BE MUCH MORE THAN A GIMMICK

The world’s biggest selling console is back, and now, it’s gone all three dimensional. As you’ve probably seen in the unrelen ng adverts and press coverage, the 3DS is the ﬁrst console to provide glasses free 3D (a couple of laptops and mobile phones that have already u lised a similar technology). This is all jolly exci ng, but behind the eye trickery, the 3DS is actually a surprisingly packed piece of kit. So, is the 3DS a gimmick, or the next step for Nintendo?

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Before we get to the 3D magic the 3DS boasts, let’s have a look at the rest of the trinkets on offer. Firstly, the 3DS comes in at around the same size as the DSi, give or take a couple of mm. It’s also one of the lightest incarna ons of the DS, weighing in at a sturdy yet handy 230grams.There’s a bit of an issue regarding the ba ery life, as you’ll be hard pushed to get three hours of solid gaming if the 3D effect and Wi-Fi is ac ve, but these can both be switched off, and as with past DS’, the screen brightness can also be reduced for the sake of play me.

There are also a few exterior modifica ons on the 3DS, such as a slight rearrangement to the bu ons so that a control s ck can be incorporated. It’s a similar device to the one found on the PSP, and is a welcome inclusion for those who require more precision to their control than the d-pad simply can provide. On the rear, you’ll find two cameras instead of one, so you can now take photos in 3D. The cameras are s ll a rather pathe c 0.3MP, as is the standard forward facing lens on the front, but the 3D snaps are interes ng to view, as are the silly edi ng op ons. The cameras also work in conjunc on with the rather radical AR cards. To use these new cards, you put them on any surface such as a table, view them via the 3DS’ camera, and on the screen will appear a projec on along the lines of a 3D dragon flying around your table, or a box unfolding across your desk. It’s a similar system to the Sony EyePet, where a digital creature would appear to run around your front room, but with the AR card, you can now interact with the games these cards display, such as target shoo ng and various others. Another good slice of news is that the 3DS is completely back compa ble, so all your old DS games and more importantly saved games can be used with this new piece of kit. Sadly, your old games won’t be playable in 3D, but that’s no major gripe. But now it’s me to address the central selling point of the 3DS: it’s 3D screens. The 3DS uses a system called autostereoscopy, which is basically the use of two images on one screen, which creates the illusion of depth without the need for glasses. It’s a fantas c effect, and it’s hard not to get all excited when you view the 3DS’ showpiece for the first me. That said, it is very much a hot spot system. If you’re bang in line with the screen, the ac on looks amazing, but if you move more than 5cm in any direc on, the 3D effect will be lost. It’s also a pain that you can’t show off your prized 3DS to friends, as the angle constraints mean this is a one person only show.

It’s also worth no ng that Nintendo have not recommended the 3D features of the 3DS for children under the age of six, as they are concerned that the screen may cause harm to their s ll developing eyes. To be honest, this just sounds like Nintendo covering their bu s in case anyone tries to sue, and experts have stated that as long as the 3DS is used in modera on, no harm will come to younglings’ peepers.

“IT‘LL NO DOUBT SELL EXCESSIVELY, AS SALES ARE ALREADY WITHIN A MILLION, BUT WE HAVE OUR SUSPICIONS THAT IT’S LONG TERM SUCCESS WILL BE DUE TO THE 3DS’ EXCEPTIONAL FEATURES, RATHER THAN THE TACKED ON 3D.” So what is the 3DS; a gimmick or the next evolu on for gaming? Well, it’s hard to say. In the past 3D gaming has been and gone in the utmost ﬂash in the pan style, and although we like the 3DS, it’s hard to see its 3D technologies really becoming the staple. It‘ll no doubt sell excessively, as sales are already within a million, but we have our suspicions that it’s long term success will be due to the 3DS’ excep onal features, rather than the tacked on 3D. But, only the future will tell…. I’ll leave you with this, though: on the side of the 3DS’ screen, there’s a sliding switch which allows you to adjust the amount of depth you require from the 3D. But, if you drag the switch all the way down, you can disable the 3D. If 3D is such a big point for Nintendo, why would they let you switch it oﬀ? Sco Tierney

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INTERVIEWS

NATHAN VAUTIER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SONY ERICSSON UK & IRELAND AND JULIAN STOCKER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GAMELOFT UK. So it’s here. Someone finally decided to take the game straight to the Cuper no’s doorstep. From the first leak of the XPERIA Play the wri ng was on the wall; a smartphone with the ul mate gaming experience on a pro Apple pla orm. But this mobile device with its gaming func onality is in a league of its own. So much so I had to have a chat with Sony Ericsson, the company behind its success and Gamelo , the first game publisher to fully back the Play for its gaming func onali es. At the launch for the XPERIA PLAY I managed to have a quick chat with Nathan Vau er, Managing Director of Sony Ericsson UK & Ireland and Julian Stocker, Managing Director of Gamelo UK.

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MATT FOLEY: Hi Nathan, thanks for taking the me to have a chat. Tell our readers, how did the idea for the XPERIA Play come about? NATHAN VAUTIER: One thing I need to say about the XPERIA Play is it isn’t a comparison with PS3, or PSP, or the new NGP. This mobile device was exci ng for us to bring to the market, something we’ve wanted to do it since the start of the joint venture. The PLAY provides a strong, massively fun way to game on the strength of its smartphone func onality. We’ve designed this together as one Sony por olio, and it’s been coming for years, with the Walkman phones, the Cybershot phones, integra ng key mobile phone elements into a credible music device, a credible camera device...a credible gaming device was the next logical step.

INTERVIEWS

“SONY ERICSSON NEEDS TO BE BACK ON THE FORFRONT OF INNOVATION.” MATT: XPERIA Play (XP) is considered the Android gaming device of the year. Will other handsets or manufacturers make future use of PlaySta on Store? NATHAN: I can’t say if future products or other manufacturers will make use of the PlaySta on Store. The impact of XP, bringing it to the market, and the excitement surrounding it is enormous. We see a huge opportunity here, and Sony Ericsson needs to be back on the forefront of innova on. It’s the ﬁrst compelling gaming mobile phone, enabling gamers to play games as they were designed while s ll having their smartphone all in one.

MATT: So who are your main compe tors? NATHAN: Looking at what XP does, we have no direct compe tors. We take market posi oning very importantly, but there are no hard key gaming devices. Looking at other devices, taking FIFA 10 for example, it’s diﬃcult to play on a touch screen, you need hard keys. As for indirect compe on, the usual suspects really.

MATT: Are the bu ons the main selling point of XP? NATHAN: To be honest the XPERIA Play in its en rety is the selling point of this device. Many things are important; it’s easy to concentrate on the hardware. We’re one of the ﬁrst phones to ship with Gingerbread, with the dedicated graphics processor providing a great experience. While we don’t want to compare it with a console, looking at what it provides against another mobile phone, the Play deﬁnitely has several leading-edge innova ve things. MATT: I’ve heard whispers of cross-pla orm gaming with XP... NATHAN: This is true. We’re going to do games that are peer to peer and mul player. Just the mere reality that you could play on your XP against someone on another pla orm is pre y exci ng. It’s all about how we access this, opening up the new dynamic of cross-pla orm gaming. MATT: Thanks Nathan for sharing this with our readers. NATHAN: Thanks Ma for the opportunity.

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INTERVIEWS

I THEN MANAGED TO CATCH UP WITH JULIAN RIGHT AFTER TINCHY’S PERFORMANCE. MATT FOLEY: Hi Julian, thanks for the taking to me to chat with me. Do you have a favourite game type? JULIAN STOCKER: Personally it’s hard for me to say, as I have more than one! But at Gamelo , we cater for every gamer’s needs by producing games for everyone. Quality is always at the forefront of our minds and thanks to our dedicated teams of over 4,000 employees you’re never going to get a diluted experience no ma er the game or genre. MATT: How about a favourite pla orm? JULIAN: My pla orm tastes vary; it’s about content...with smartphones now powerful enough to plug into your TV and play in 1080p the mobile gaming market is the one to watch.

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MATT: Very true, so are there any other exci ng upcoming games that Gamelo is planning to launch? JULIAN: We have a tle called BackStab coming exclusive to Xperia PLAY (XP) soon. It’s an 18th century ac on-adventure set in the Caribbean featuring an epic tale of revenge and betrayal.

INTERVIEWS

“AT GAMELOFT, WE CATER FOR EVERY GAMER’S NEEDS BY PRODUCING GAMES FOR EVERYONE.” MATT: Sound exci ng! We’d be on the lookout for BackStab then. Is N.O.V.A. 2 being op mised for use on XP? JULIAN: The biggest change is op mising the controls to suit the dedicated bu ons. FPS’s have tradi onally been built for bu ons, hence the natural transi on. As such with N.O.V.A. 2 you’ll get the high-quality experience seen in iOS versions.

MATT: Any games in the Gamelo back catalogue coming on XP? JULIAN: Indeed. We hope to bring all our successful tles across to XP, including an addi onal 10 tles within 6 months. As XPERIA Play grows into a highly successful device we will bring more tles across on a case-by-case basis. MATT: I couldn’t resist this, and I am sure our readers are clamouring to know. Is there any chance of a Shadow Guardian sequel? JULIAN: Shadow Guardian was an exci ng tle to develop, because it started life as a demo to showcase some of our engine’s new features before growing into a full tle...a sequel will be considered – though it’s s ll far too early to say.

SO WE’VE HAD TWO INTERESTING VIEWS ON THE XPERIA PLAY, ITS SMARTPHONE AND GAMING CAPABILITIES. NOW IT’S BACK TO ENJOYING THE LAUNCH AND LATER WE GET TO REVIEW THE PLAY OURSELVES. phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS

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SONY ERICCSON XPERIA PLAY THE MOBILE GAMING WORLD HAS BEEN ON EDGE SINCE THE ‘PLAYSTATION PHONE’ WAS ANNOUNCED. FINALLY, THE SONY ERICSSON XPERIA PLAY HAS BEEN RELEASED, WITH A MUCH WELCOMED FANFARE. AND THIS WAS NO DISAPPOINTMENT! Appearance-wise, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Xperia Play for the Vivaz. It uses the same ‘human curvature’ design seen on the flagship cameraphone. However, you soon realise that it’s quite different to the Vivaz. It’s bigger, heavier, and once you slide the handset open, the comparisons stop. Here you’ll find the dedicated gaming controls, unique to this phone, and exactly what makes this a game-changer (sorry!) in terms of mobile gaming.

Mobile browsing is a massive part of any smartphone experience these days, and is pre y much make-orbreak for whether a handset is going to be a market leader or not. The browser that comes with the Xperia PLAY is very fluid, with web pages loading fast and problem-free. It supports flash, giving it a one-up over Apple, and any videos you decide to stream straight from the web buffer very quickly. The user interface on the browser is refreshingly minimalist, with almost everything disappearing, and more op ons available using the menu bu on.

But, before we get to the gaming aspects, let’s talk about what this device is primarily…a smartphone and so much more than just a mobile gaming device. The opera ng system, as most will know, is Gingerbread, or Android 2.3, and the Play is one of the first commercially available handsets to ship with Gingerbread straight from the box. It’s actually my first experience with the updated opera ng system, and I have to say I’m very impressed. Now this version isn’t the same as the one you’ll find on other handsets, it differs slightly, and that’s because Sony Ericsson have adapted the opera ng system to include their own elements, including the highly-acclaimed Timescape social media integra on. Personally, I think this works very well, and the 1GHz processor gives one of the most fluid and enjoyable opera ng system experiences I’ve ever had.

“HERE YOU’LL FIND THE DEDICATED GAMING CONTROLS, UNIQUE TO THIS PHONE, AND EXACTLY WHAT MAKES THIS A GAME-CHANGER” It doesn’t seem like the most important feature on this phone, ironically, but the call clarity on the Xperia Play is top quality, with the speaker giving ample volume to hear the other person, and the microphone delivering perfect sound, u lising the dual microphones for noise cancella on.

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REVIEWS Sony Ericsson are usually quite good with their media capabili es, and the Xperia PLAY is no excep on. The sound quality from the two stereo speakers is really good, the volume is loud, there’s no no ceable distor on and the user interface is very easy to use. Music is laid out in four tabs: Ar sts, Albums, Tracks and Playlists, which will look very familiar to fans of other phones in the Xperia range, as will the Inﬁnity Bu on, which, for those who don’t know, when pressed will bring up YouTube videos relevant to the ar st playing. The video player does not disappoint either, with playback up to 720p problem-free. When I saw that the Xperia Play was only going to have a 5 megapixel camera, I was disappointed. It seems that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover though, as this is a 5mp camera that delivers well. Admi edly, there’s no shu er bu on, but the X bu on can be used if the phone is open, and other than that the camera interface is easy to understand, with all the op ons required available on-screen, rather than having to scroll through menus as seen on older Sony Ericsson camera phones.

“SONY ERICSSON ARE USUALLY QUITE GOOD WITH THEIR MEDIA CAPABILITIES, AND THE XPERIA PLAY IS NO EXCEPTION.” And, so, onto the func on of this phone that everybody wants to use first. For most people, me included, the first thing they will do when they get their hands on this handset, is slide it sideways, freeing the gaming controls. These controls will be recognised by most as the iconic Playsta on controls, with the D-Pad, the four famous shape bu ons, Start and Select and two of the four shoulder bu ons all retained by the Xperia PLAY. You’ll also find here an innova ve take on the analogue s cks of the later Playsta on consoles, as well as the menu bu on for Android.

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When the controls are opened, it automa cally launches the Xperia PLAY applica on, and here is where you’ll ﬁnd any Xperia PLAY games on the handset. The phone comes with four games – Bruce Lee, FIFA 10, Star Ba alion and The Sims 3 – pre-installed, all four have been op mised for use on the phone, and all four look, in one word, stunning. The graphics on them are sublime, especially Star Ba alion, which we’re told is HD op mised, and the two other games on the phone – Tetris and Crash Bandicoot – certainly don’t look bad, but they don’t look anywhere near as nice as these games.

“ON THE WHOLE THOUGH, WHAT SONY ERICSSON HAVE CREATED IN THE XPERIA PLAY IS AN INNOVATIVE HANDSET WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CHANGE THE FACE OF MOBILE GAMING WITH THE UNIQUE DEDICATED PLAYSTATION GAMING KEYS.” Whilst this phone does a lot of things right, it’s not perfect. The screen resolu on could be be er, and whilst the 5 megapixel camera is very good, the Arc and the Neo, the two other Sony Ericsson phones launched at the same me, both have 8 megapixel cameras. Too much to ask for maybe? On the whole though, what Sony Ericsson have created in the Xperia Play is an innova ve handset which will undoubtedly change the face of mobile gaming with the unique dedicated Playsta on gaming keys. The Playsta on brand is world-renowned, and this handset is unparalleled in that it will appeal to smartphone users, hardcore gamers, children, teenagers....most people, in fact! Well done Sony Ericsson!

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REVIEWS

FINDMe TV DEVELOPER: VIZIMO PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: TV GUIDE AVAILABLE: NOW

AN INNOVATIVE TV APP WHICH GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN JUST A TV CHANNEL LISTING. YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO USE RADIO TIMES AGAIN! FindMe TV is a simple TV guide app with a difference. Instead of lis ng channels, and you having to scroll through them to find the me, date, or specific program you’re looking for, it takes the me of day that you’re using the app and clusters everything into ‘on Now and Next,’ a feature not too dissimilar to that seen on modern televisions, or satellite TV facili es. This is a novel introduc on to an app market which, although saturated, is apparently on its way out, given that many people nowadays would rather watch television-on-demand, rather than watch the programme at the me of broadcast, complete with (more o en than not) adverts. There is an op on to view lis ngs via the standard type, by channel lis ng, or even MYTV, where you can make your own personal TV schedule of only the programmes you’re interested in. The user interface is fluid and self-explanatory, meaning that even the most novices of iOS users will find this very easy to use.

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The addi onal features are where this app excels in comparison to most other television guides. Here you can choose which channels to include in the tv guide sec on, download all the lis ngs so they can be used when oﬄine, there’s social network integra on to both Facebook and Twi er, as well as online FindMe TV accounts, and a countdown of the top 10 shows of the week, as rated by other users.

“THE USER INTERFACE IS FLUID AND SELF-EXPLANATORY.” Another feature I found incredibly useful is the no ﬁca on feature. Here you can mark a programme for any me in the next 14 days, and set a reminder for when it starts, so you never forget to watch Corona on Street! If you do, however, realise that you’re going to miss the latest episode of Top of the Pops, you can also integrate this with your Sky+ account, and record it, incredibly. Ma Foley

RATING:

86%

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REVIEWS

TXT FIGHTER DEVELOPER: CHILLINGO PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: FIGHTING AVAILABLE: NOW

A FIGHTING GAME, WITH CARTOON GRAPHICS, EASY ON THE EYES AND IMPROVES YOUR TEXTING SKILLS TOO! Street Fighter set a very high benchmark for figh ng games, all those years ago, and games have been trying (and failing) to beat it, mainly because they just try to copy. Txt Fighter is a li le different, as it doesn’t concentrate on bu on-mashing, which has varying levels of success on iOS. No, instead your punches and kicks are dictated by how fast you type a selec on of words on the on-screen keyboard. Punches are smaller words, but less powerful, whilst kicks will hurt your opponent more, but take longer to write, leaving you open to a acks. There’s a special bar too which, if you fill up by typing enough words, will give you a special a ack, hur ng your opponent even more. Interes ngly, your a acks will hurt your opponent less the worse your typing is, ‘so in a strange but interes ng way the gameplay actually improves your typing abili es.

The graphics work well for the type of game that it is, not the best on the Re na Display by a long way, but they’re by no means the worst. The character anima on is ﬂuid enough, and with 7 ﬁghters to choose from, not all of them from the start, the player selec on is as varied as you would expect from a game of this type.

“YOUR PUNCHES AND KICKS ARE DICTATED.” Txt Fighter isn’t perfect, but it’s a novel take on an aging concept, and will no doubt help to improve not only tex ng ability, but maybe vocabulary as well. The control system is decent enough, albeit with a fairly limited amount of words available, and the graphics deliver. All in all, a be er than average beat-em-up. Ma Foley

RATING:

64% phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS NINJA PENGUIN RAMPAGE DEVELOPER: CHILLINGO PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: BEAT-EM-UP AVAILABLE: NOW NINJAS ARE GREAT FUN. SO ARE PENGUINS. MIXING THE TWO, AND MAKING ONE GO ON A RAMPAGE SOUNDS LIKE A BRILLIANT IDEA FOR A GAME. AND, ON THE WHOLE, IT REALLY IS! What Clickgamer have created with Ninja Penguin Rampage is an enjoyable side-scrolling beat-em-up similar, in style at least, to the classic Streets of Rage, though I don’t remember Axel ever teaming up with Pingu in a bandana! Whilst there isn’t much substance to the game, the enemies and weapons are varied enough to avoid boredom, and the upgrade system is useful enough, a game that is on the whole really enjoyable to play.

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Survival mode gives the game some re-playability as well, where you can use your upgraded penguin, along with any weapons you’ve unlocked, and is a fairly easy way of upgrading your penguin further. However, this mode isn’t available straight away, and you have to complete a number of levels on Story mode before you can access Survival.

One thing that stops this game from being an instant classic is the controls. At mes they are quite unresponsive, and sluggish to use to the point you regularly find yourself surrounded by enemies, and the controls for a ack won’t respond, leaving the only alterna ve-to a empt to dash through them, and regain your composure. Such a empts means that many of the combo moves available are difficult to perform at best, which most certainly adds to the difficulty level of the game, albeit not 100% inten onal.

Ninja Penguin Rampage has no doubt shocked a lot of people, me included! What I expected was a mundane side-to-side scroller, with no innova on or sense of individuality. How wrong I was! An imagina ve beat-emup, completely diﬀerent to its compe on, which certainly brings back memories of classic beat-em-up’s, and, if we ignore the few control issues, is certainly one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played in a long me! Ma Foley

RATING:

84% phonica magazine uk

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REVIEWS

TRON: LEGACY DEVELOPER: DISNEY PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: RACING/SHOOTING AVAILABLE: NOW

ANOTHER MOVIE TIE-IN GAME…DOES IT ACTUALLY WORK? From the offset, what Disney have delivered with TRON: Legacy is a game that is fast to load and fluid to interact with, op mised visuals that will put most games to shame, and a selec on of the film’s official soundtrack. There are two main game types: single player and mul player. Star ng with single player, what we are met with are two modes, the adrenaline-fuelled light cycle racing, and an on-the-rails shooter where you pilot a Recognizer, which TRON fans will recognise (sorry!) from the films as being one of the hovering vehicles. Both are entertaining in different ways, with the light cycles being a simple race around one of the stunning tracks from the movie, against opponents that you rarely see, such is the speed of the bikes, controlling the direc on with the accelerometer and the speed, power-ups and such with on-screen bu ons. The Recognizer levels offer some variety, where you man one of the colossal flying vessels through a number of terrains, shoo ng le to you whilst the computer pilots the course, reminding me of some of the arcade light-gun games I played as a child, Time Crisis being a personal favourite. Control is managed by the accelerometer again, and the targets are obvious for anyone who has seen the movie as light cycles, turrets or light tanks.

That being said, the game has a number of problems. The accelerometer use is quite poor, and nowhere near as good as it could be, in terms of how responsive it is. Also, the game can’t work out if it wants to be an on-the-rails shooter to challenge the likes of RAGE HD, or an adrenaline-fuelled all-out racer to compare to Need for Speed or Asphalt, albeit on futuris c high-speed bikes.

“ON THE WHOLE, TRON: LEGACY IS UNDENIABLY ENJOYABLE, IF A LITTLE REPETITIVE, AND LOOKS STUNNING, BUT LACKS SOMETHING IN TERMS OF ACTUAL QUALITY.” At least the mul player oﬀers a certain amount of compe on to the light cycle mode, knowing that those bikes you’re racing again aren’t computer-controlled and likely to be able to go much faster than you, but that they’re human-controlled, making your victory all the sweeter. On the whole, TRON: Legacy is undeniably enjoyable, if a li le repe ve, and looks stunning, but lacks something in terms of actual quality. Ma Foley

RATING:

63% phonica phonica magazine magazine uk uk

REVIEWS NEON BATTLE HD DEVELOPER: CHILLINGO PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: PUZZLE AVAILABLE: NOW

AN ADDICTIVE ARCADE GAME WHICH BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF 80S PUZZLERS, EXCEPT THIS VERSION LOOKS STUNNING! Neon Ba le HD is a very simple concept. You control a green turret which fires lasers, and the objec ve is to destroy the opposing blue turrets shields, and as a result, the turret itself. Also in your arsenal you have rockets which replenish over me, and power ups which may improve your defence, offense, speed, rocket power or shield repair, amongst others. The missiles are powerful, and are fired by simply drawing the flight path with your finger. There’s also a bomb which, when detonated, clears all enemies from the screen for a limited me, as well as two other power-ups which will be unlocked over me. Neon Ba le HD has three main single player game modes: Deathmatch, Quick Ba le and Survival. Deathmatch and Quick Ba le are fairly similar, and Survival changes things by removing the other turret, and instead introducing an endless supply of enemies, and there is no end goal other than survive as long as possible, as seen in various different beat-em-up and puzzle games, the earliest I remember being Tetris. Mul player is simply the same as a single player deathmatch, but you can play against another person on the same device. This is a wise move by Chillingo, given that the game type is one which simply needs to be enjoyed by more than one person, and the concept is simple enough that it can easily be played on one phone without trouble.

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Graphically is where Chillingo has excelled with this tle, with very impressive visuals. The contrast of black background and brightly coloured explosions, turrets and missiles works very well, and the game looks great on the Re na Display, which is understandable as it is HD.

“IT’S A VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT, BUT IS DONE WELL, THE CONTROLS FEEL PERFECT FOR THE GAME TYPE, AND IS VARIED ENOUGH TO OFFER MULTIPLE GAME TYPES.” Puzzle games are o en very similar to one another, and it is some mes diﬃcult to dis nguish between them. Neon Ba le HD is immediately recognisable purely for its visual brilliance. It’s a very simple concept, but is done well, the controls feel perfect for the game type, and is varied enough to oﬀer mul ple game types, including mul player, meaning that Neon Ba le HD might well be the perfect iOS puzzle game. Ma Foley

RATING:

79%

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REVIEWS

MIRROR’S EDGE DEVELOPER: EA PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: ON-THE-RAILS PLATFORMER AVAILABLE: NOW

A HECTIC PLATFORMER UNIQUE IN ITS PREMISE. Mirror’s Edge is set in a futuris c world where poli cal warfare is everywhere, and you are Faith, a runner who’s part of an underground resistance. If this game had to be given a genre, it would be that of on-the-rails pla ormer, such is the fast pace of the ac on. The object of the game is basically to run, jump, slide, roll, and generally move your way through these levels in any way possible, including wall-running and using zip lines, all performed by different manoeuvres on the touch screen. The control system is fluid and works well, without many complica ons, and the sparse use of the accelerometer, usually only to steady yourself whilst on a zip line, or balance beam, is pleasant enough. There is an a empt at replayability by EA in terms of the bags that you must collect whilst all the me avoiding the government agents, and at the end of the level it tells you how many you’ve collected. The accomplishments on offer are varied; both in number and difficulty to achieve, and the rewards include some very nice artwork from the game. Graphically, the game is very good looking, with aesthe cally pleasing backgrounds and the en re world looking great on the Re na Display, though it has been op mised for use on the iPhone 4. Once the single player story mode is complete, there’s also Speed Run mode, which is, as the name suggests, the op on of comple ng a level as fast as possible, with leader boards showing you how fast you have been.

The premise itself, a pla ormer where all you can do is run and jump, using the surroundings and your abili es to avoid or maim enemies, is excellent. However, I did ﬁnd that the game, although very entertaining, and diﬃcult to put down, was fairly easy to complete, making it quick and repe ve all too soon.

“GRAPHICALLY, THE GAME IS VERY GOOD LOOKING, WITH AESTHETICALLY PLEASING BACKGROUNDS AND THE ENTIRE WORLD LOOKING GREAT ON THE RETINA DISPLAY.” On the whole, Mirror’s Edge is an entertaining on-the-rails pla ormer which, although flawed in terms of slight repe on and ease and speed of comple on, is very addic ve and, once hooked, you’ll find it very difficult to put down. Ma Foley

RATING:

81% phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS DUNGEON HUNTER 2 DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: ACTION & ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: NOW

EVERY SO OFTEN, A GAME COMES ALONG THAT I AM COMPLETELY SPLIT OVER, ONE THAT I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DECIDE WHETHER IT’S A FANTASTIC GAME, OR FRANKLY RUBBISH. DUNGEON HUNTER 2 IS ONE OF THESE GAMES As I’m not familiar with the ﬁrst Dungeon Hunter, available on the App Store but with less of an overall ra ng than the sequel, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this game. Gamelo didn’t disappoint, at least not with the opening movie, which is well-animated and interes ng, if not a li le cliché. The menu music is impressive for an iPhone game too, sampling some monas c chan ng.

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‘The world within which you find yourself is expansive and detailed to the point where you can o en get led astray; stumbling into skimishes with a bandit, cul st or decep vely difficult rat hounds. And this is where some of the problems lie. It really is very difficult to get lost in this game, frustra ngly so at mes, and when you do stumble into these fights, some of the enemies are ridiculously difficult to fight. It’s never the same enemy twice either. A Guilty Bandit will be knocked down in two strikes one minute, and the next me you meet one he’ll be the most difficult foe ever.

“ONCE YOU PROGRESS IN THE GAME, ACCRUING STAT POINTS, THE GAME REALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN.” Given that your character has companions too, NPC’s that actually a ack as well, you’d think that they would help in ﬁghts. This isn’t the case. Their a acks aren’t so much powerful as meaningless, bringing back memories of Tails in the Sonic games, much like your characters’ special a acks, which aren’t really that eﬀec ve against anything besides the weakest of adversaries.

Once you progress in the game, accruing stat points, the game really comes into its own in terms of upgrading the character, and it becomes a true role-playing game. It is here that the game can really be enjoyed, improving the characters a ributes, and making the game much easier. Ma Foley

RATING:

67% phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS SHADOW GUARDIAN DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: ACTION & ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: NOW

NATHAN DRAKE HAS A CONTENDER FOR HIS CROWN AS ACTION HERO, IF ONLY IN THE HANDHELD WORLD Let me start by saying that I love this game. I can see why Ubiso and Naughty Dog may be a li le...upset at the clear ‘inspira on’ taken from Assassin’s Creed and Uncharted respec vely, but what Gamelo have created here is a homage to Nathan Drake’s adventures, with a li le of the Animus elements borrowed from Assassin’s Creed. I found that, whilst this game is by no means be er than either of these, it’s certainly a very good imita on, and I found it much more enjoyable than the Assassin’s Creed iPhone ports. This doesn’t mean that Shadow Guardian doesn’t have faults. The controls are a li le s cky at mes, especially when either sprin ng, which is understandable, or using the manual aim when shoo ng, less so. Blind-fire shoo ng is inaccurate at best, so you would expect the iron-sight shoo ng to be be er, but at mes this is more infuria ng than the alterna ve, where the auto-lock will concentrate on enemies at the other side of the room rather than the one shoo ng you in the face with a shotgun, meaning that you regularly have to run around blind-firing in the hope that you don’t die. But this doesn’t happen that o en because the AI leaves a lot to be desired. The enemies that were shoo ng you in the face a minute ago won’t carry on, but will run around looking for cover, leaving them open to fire.

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Repe on is a real problem with this game too, with many of the levels made up of the same ‘Run from A, to B, climb to C, shoot mercenaries, get to D’ building blocks, but this is more than acceptable given the enjoyment you’ll experience during the game. Gameplay itself is also very entertaining, especially when the supernatural elements of the game come into play, primarily in the later levels.

“WHAT GAMELOFT HAVE CREATED HERE IS A HOMAGE TO NATHAN DRAKE’S ADVENTURES, WITH A LITTLE OF THE ANIMUS ELEMENTS BORROWED FROM ASSASSIN’S CREED.” On the whole, Shadow Guardian is a masterpiece, albeit ﬂawed, and is certainly a benchmark for the recently announced Uncharted iPhone game to be compared to. Ma Foley

RATING:

89%

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REVIEWS

FISHING KINGS DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: ACTION & ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: NOW

A FISHING SIMULATOR THAT THROWS UP A FEW PLEASANT SURPRISES, THIS IS A GAME THAT SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN ON FACE VALUE The first thing that struck me about Fishing Kings is the lack of mul -tasking support, a really big drawback in my opinion. I had an important phone call whilst playing this, and to have to start the game again once finished was really irrita ng. Whilst this can be fixed with a simple update, for the me being it is a huge problem. Once this ini al annoyance is overcome, what lies beneath is a fairly enjoyable fishing game, which makes surprising use of the accelerometer, given that cas ng the line is performed by flicking the iPhone back and forth, before reeling any caught fish in by l ng the device back and forth and using the touchscreen. The game becomes technical at mes, especially when discussing the different types of bait used to catch the many different types of fish on board, but thankfully the help system on hand is useful enough for even the most inexperienced angler, myself included, to know what they’re doing without too much hassle.

Gamelo have managed to avoid the repe on which would clearly be a problem with this sort of game by offering a number of different loca ons in which to fish, and different anglers to use as well, giving it a fair amount of variety.

“GAMELOFT HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID THE REPETITION WHICH WOULD CLEARLY BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS SORT OF GAME.” Fishing Kings can best be described as a niche game developed for the mainstream market, and certainly holds its own in a compe ve, if specialised, market, and when compared to arguably the market leader historically, the Reel Fishing series, it is almost as good. Ma Foley

RATING:

72% phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS N.O.V.A. 2 DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: FIRST PERSON SHOOTER (FPS) AVAILABLE: NOW N.O.V.A. 2 (NEAR ORBIT VANGUARD ALLIANCE) IS A SEQUEL TO A GAME WHICH WAS WIDELY CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS ON THE IPHONE. IS THIS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS? OR SO INFALLIBLE THAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES WHAT ISN’T BROKEN, AND BREAKS IT? In reality it’s really a mix of both, with the game deﬁnitely swaying towards the side of greatness. The graphics are undeniably stunning, with the opening video a real spectacle of what the iPhone’s Re na Display can really do, given the right tweaking. What faces you once you’ve watched the impressive movie is a game which will undoubtedly draw comparisons with, but also stand up in contrast against, the choice tle in terms of space-based ﬁrst person combat, HALO.

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The storyline is engrossing, if a li le short once you get involved and the gameplay is impressive. With the range of weapon types giving the levels a much bigger in reality appearance than they seem on ﬁrst play ensuring they are never dull.

“N.O.V.A. 2 CAN ALSO BE MENTIONED IN THE SAME BREATH AS FPS HOT-SHOTS SUCH AS HALO AND KILLZONE.”

However, where the game really comes into its own is the mul player mode. This is without ques on one of the best mul player tles on the iPhone, both in the ﬁrst-person shooter genre and across the board, and it certainly increases the re-playability of the game ten-fold. There are an impressive number of maps available to ply your trade on, in one of ﬁve game modes, whilst all the me increasing your ra ng on Gamelo Live! What’s been created here is a true online community similar to those found on the so-called ‘big’ consoles.

Personally, without having played the original, and therefore having nothing to compare it to, what N.O.V.A. 2 strikes me as is a well-made, enjoyable ﬁrst-person shooter. It can certainly hold its own against the other iPhone FPS, makes very good use of the diﬃculty of touchscreen, and can also be men oned in the same breath as FPS hot-shots such as HALO and Killzone. Ma Foley

RATING:

87% phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS

IRON MAN 2 DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: ACTION & ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: NOW

A GAME VERSION OF A POPULAR FILM THAT EXCELS IN SOME GRAPHICS, BUT LEAVES THE PLAYER ULTIMATELY DISAPPOINTED From the oﬀset, you can tell that this e-in game of the Robert Downey Jr ﬁlm of the same tle is, in terms of gameplay at least, unlikely to be anything special.

However, this poses another problem, and that is the controls when ﬂying. They are buggy at best, and some mes drove me to the point where I almost felt like throwing my iPhone down in disgust. Thankfully though, I didn’t!

Graphically, however, it makes impressive use of the iPhone 4’s Re na Display, leaving the game aesthe cally pleasing, with Robert Downey Jr’s likeness being used, in parts at least, and Manha an looking very good, I can’t think of many games that make the borough of New York look much be er on the iPhone.

‘Once these problems are overcome, the ac on itself starts ﬂowing. What follows is a fairly enjoyable story-line (albeit very linear). The objec ves are quite similar, not pushing your limits in the gameplay by much.

But this game has flaws. Flaws that are not only instantly no ceable, but have a massive impact on the joy factors of the game. The first of these is the controls. The camera is, more o en than not, almost impossible to use, and I found myself on several occasions staring at the floor or the wall when an enemy is shoo ng me, meaning that I had to fly off to preserve my health.

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What Gamelo have created here is a confused game, excelling in some graphics, especially the appearance of the main characters, and the city of New York. But the cons outweigh the pros, especially the jolty nature of the camera, and the buggy controls. Ma Foley

RATING:

62%

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REVIEWS

UNO DEVELOPER: GAMELOFT PLATFORM: iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH GENRE: FAMILY AVAILABLE: NOW

AN UPDATE ON THE CLASSIC FAMILY GAME, MODERNISED FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. ‘Let me start by saying before this review I had absolutely no idea how to play UNO. A er a quick social media poll, I realised I was part of a minority who were brave to admit this, given how easy and entertaining the game is. Even younglings can play UNO!

“MULTIPLAYER CERTAINLY MAKES UP FOR THE SLIGHT REPETITION OF SINGLE-PLAYER.” In fact, it seems it is so easy that nobody could actually explain it to me, and I found the in-game instruc ons less than helpful, to say the least. I finally managed to understand it when it was described to me as a simplified version of Blackjack, and I was finally ready to experience the game.

The overview is very family friendly, for obvious reasons, and the app is very straigh orward to use, so long as you understand the basics of UNO, of course! The game itself is simple, with your cards appearing along the bo om of your device, and you can zoom in on them by hovering your finger over them. Once your card is played, the anima on of the other computer-generated players taking their turns is fluid and uncomplicated, and the colour scheme used is definitely easy on the eye, if not as graphically pleasing as on other games. Where this game shines is in mul player. Three different versions are available: online via Wi-Fi against three other random players, local play via Wi-Fi playing against up to three of your friends who have the app and an iPhone, or in a hotseat-style mode, where again up to four players can play, and the device is passed around from turn to turn. Mul player certainly makes up for the slight repe on of single-player. Ma Foley

RATING:

68% phonica magazine uk

BULLETSTORM PUBLISHERS: EA DEVELOPERS: PEOPLE CAN FLY, EPIC GAMES FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC GENRE: FIRST PERSON SHOOTER (FPS)

THIS BLOWTORCH-BLASTER IS MORE THAN JUST A WARM-UP

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REVIEWS Back in 2001, the Playsta on 2 burst onto the scene, carrying as one its launch tles, Zone of the Enders. Despite being a thoroughly impressive tle in its own right, Z.O.E. wasn’t the biggest hit in the world, but s ll sold reasonably well due to one main selling point: it contained a playable demo to the “eagerly an cipated” Metal Gear Solid 2. Personally, I always had a problem with this distrac ng promo on, as I found the fact that a perfectly good game in it’s own right was being used as a mere sales tool for another ‘bigger name’, was disrespec ul to the hard work and effort the Enders’ team had put in. Anyway, I’ll come back to this point shortly, but for now, let’s take a gander at one of the most explosive FPSs we’ve played this year: Bulletstorm. Bulletstorm takes place in the 26th century, where a group of space pirates - led by the shaggy drunk Grayson Hunt – roam around the galaxy looking for revenge against their two-faced former general. A er one too may sherbets, a chance mee ng with the general leads to Hunt and his crew crash landing on Stygia, a once thriving tourism planet now overrun with insane gangs, flesh hungry planta ons, big-breasted heroines, camp news-bots and giant dinosaur robots. Yep, it’s all a bit weird… In Bulletstorm you gain currency by killing baddies in the most hilarious ways imaginable. Your main weapon is the standard FPS machine gun, but you also have in your armoury an energy leash, which is an electrical lasso that can grab baddies, objects or movable sec ons of the landscape, and pull them towards you with a simple tug. The leash is best used for grabbing distant nas es, and flicking them up in the air where they hover in slow-mo on, begging to be shot. If you use both the machine gun and leash together as one, and occasionally throw in a good kick from your industrial sized boot, you can really rack up the points. For instance: you could just lasso a scumbag and lead-blast him to death as he flies helplessly towards you, but, with a bit of skill and thought, you could kick him into a wall of rusty spikes and literally quadruple your score. Improvisa on is the key, and the more points you earn, the more you have to spend on ammo, updates and bonuses. This is also the same for the mul player mode, which despite not producing the same thrills as the central campaign, is s ll a laugh if you find COD is becoming a li le resome.

It’s fair to say that Bulletstorm is immensely OTT, with every explosion, set piece and death being outrageously overplayed. In most ac on tles, a rocket would blow a hole in a wall, but in Bulletstorm, a similar projec le will take out an en re district, leaving you running for your life as the world literally comes crumbling down around you. It’s all very silly, with the dialogue being exceedingly jovial and crass (there’s a li le too much effing and jeffing for our liking) and the ac on being as da as a brush on a jellified bouncy castle. But, it should be noted that Epic have s ll managed to cram in a respectable amount of ingenuity. OK, a lot of the set pieces are text book, such as the classic vehicle chase, controlling a machine of death, running from a gigan c monster and snippering baddies. But, Bulletstorm manages to bring its own li le twist to proceeding, never shying away from the ludicrous or the extreme. Being chased by a 100 high runaway cog is a par cular highlight, as is a shoot-out in model city and a horizontal walk down a skyscraper.

“WE LOVE IT TO LITTLE BLOODY PIECES!” We love Bulletstorm. It’s completely fantas c to look at, fast, punchy, nu y and impulsive. To be honest, Bulletstorm is up there with Epic’s other big-balled blaster, Gears of War. And that leads me onto my original point: Bulletstorm, like Zone of the Enders, has (in my opinion anyway) been unfairly used as a plinth to publicise Gears of War 3. If you buy the Epic Edi on of Bulletstorm, you’ll be treated to a pass for the open beta tes ng of Gears 3. That’s all well and good, but you can’t help but feel that Bulletstorm is being cheaply treated as a warm-up act, an appe ser, a trailer, rather than a stand alone tle. Bulletstorm is brilliant. Sure, there’s too much cursing and the gameplay is a li le samey, but it’s OTT gaming at its very best, and for that, we love it to li le bloody pieces. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 18/20 STORY: 16/20 CONTROLS: 17/20 GAMEPLAY: 17/20 DURABILITY: 18/20

OVERALL

88/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS WILLIAMS PINBALL CLASSICS PUBLISHERS: SYSTEM 3 DEVELOPERS: SYSTEM 3 FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, WII, PSP GENRE: PINBALL AVAILABLE: EARLY 2011

SHOOT FOR PAST GLORIES

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Pinball: the arcade stalwart that gaming forgot. While videogames of a similar me went on to become icons of popular culture, pinball seemed to fade away into obscurity. Pac-Man, Missile Command and Space Invaders are everywhere, including your mobile phone; but where is pinball? How do you play the classic tables that shared the packed arcades of the 80s with the pixelbased legends? Well, unless you’ve got a couple of grand going spare to buy a decaying relic, or enough me to pop over to Vegas and visit the Pinball Hall of Fame museum, there’s only one way to revisit these flashy slappy classics: Williams Pinball Classics on your home console – all the tables of the golden era, recreated in HD! OK, before we start, lets make this clear, as I’m sure a few of you will be screaming at this reviewer right now, condemning my apparent ignorance: Williams Pinball Classics has technically already been released in 2008, under the guise of Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collec on. But, it was only available stateside, so over in the UK it’s pre y much unheard of, and this new release - due out in the early summer - will be the first me many have seen it. We cool? Cool. Williams Pinball Classics serves up (depending on which copy you buy – the Wii and PSP versions lack several tables) 13 of the classic Williams tables, spanning the early 70s and into the mid-90s. All the classics are here - Black Knight, Firepower, Funhouse, Gorgar, Pin*Bot, Space Shu le, Taxi ,Whirlwind, Jive Time, Sorcerer, (for PS3 and Xbox 360 only) Tales of the Arabian Nights, Medieval Madness, No Good Gofers – perfectly recreated in HD. Depending on which version you shoot for, the controls will slightly differ. With the big-balled console versions it’s all a case of flipping with the shoulder bu ons, and with the Wii it’s all in the triggers. Also, with the Wii version you can control the amount of lt (the act of nudging the table to move the ball away from danger) you apply by leaning with the remote, rather than whacking the s ck on the other standard versions. Either way, it’s incredibly simple.

In a way, Williams Pinball Classics is more of a pinball Sim than a game. At the start, you walk around a retro arcade, with the tables displayed as they would have been in their heyday. Once you’ve picked a table and inserted your credit (the more you play the more credits you’ll win – don’t worry, you’ll never run out!), you get to play from the classic top-down viewpoint, complete with carpet and wall in the background, cheesy tunes in the distance, original sound FX and score graphics, and even the refec on of the room in the table’s glass. It’s just like being there…apart from there’s no fa y hogging your favourite machine.

“IT’S BRILLIANT, AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO THOSE ONCE THRIVING TABLES THAT GAMING FORGOT.” It’s surprising at just how good all these past tables are to play. Sure, some of the oldies are a bit naﬀ, such as the charming yet dated Jive Time and the repe ve Black Knight, but the best tables are u erly fantas c. I have a par cular so -spot for Taxi, in which you have to collect a series of passengers – including Mikhail ‘Gorbie Gorbachev -’ and then shoot for the jackpot, but it’s fair to say that every table is remarkably challenging, and s ll, despite the years, enormously addic ve. If you fancy taking a memorable trip back in me to the glory days of pinball, then please go for this li le gem of a portal. It’s pinball at its best, from the golden age, that nothing can match. It’s brilliant, and a ﬁ ng tribute to those once thriving tables that gaming forgot. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 18/20 STORY: 16/20 CONTROLS: 18/20 GAMEPLAY: 19/20 DURABILITY: 17/20

OVERALL

88/100 phonica magazine uk

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THIS GAMING PSP SMARTPHONE COULD BE YOURS! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! COMPETITION RULES JOIN OUR GROUP ON FACEBOOK; SEARCH FOR PHONICA MAGAZINE UK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @PHONICAMAGUK. EMAIL YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL AND MOBILE CONTACT, ALONG WITH YOUR TWITTER USERNAME TO PHONICACOMPETITIONS@PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Terms and Condi ons (1)The prize is one sim free XPERIA Play (2) No cash or other prize alterna ves are offered. (3) All entries must be received no later than May 17th, 2011. The winner would be no fied within 7 days of this date and will be published in the following issue. (4) The Editor’s decision is final. (5) Compe on open to UK residents only, except employees of Phonica Magazine UK.

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DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS PUBLISHERS: NINTENDO DEVELOPERS: RETRO STUDIOS, NINTENDO FORMAT: WII GENRE: PLATFORMER

THE BEST SWINGER IN TOWN. 2010 was in retrospect quite a descent year for the humble pla ormer. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a worthy contender for Game of the Year; Sonic Colours was a surprisingly inven ve episode in the recent line of poor Sonic tles, and cult tles such as the excep onal Limbo and A Shadow’s Tale proved that small developers can s ll hack it with the big boys. But, one tle that seemed to get missed when the me came to high-five 2010 was Donkey Kong Country Returns. Maybe it was Ant and Dec in silly hats that put us off… Donkey Kong loves bananas, so when a strange tribe known as the Tiki Tak turns up on his island and starts hypno sing the animals into stealing Kong’s beloved nanas, he’s not best pleased. With the help of his li le buddy Diddy Kong, both set off to reclaim their fruit of choice, taking in some truly divine loca ons and trea ng us gamers to some fantas cally funky gameplay. Gameplay-wise, Donkey Kong Country Returns is as simple as it is varied. The single player game is split into two styles of play: pla orming and vehicle control. With the pla orming, you take Kong for a run around the 2.5D levels, using his mighty grip to swing from vines, his springy legs to leap over peril, and his percussive fists to pound baddies into the ground. In the many vehicle sec ons you’ll have to ride all manner of contrap ons, from the classic mine cars, to rampant rockets. Just like in previous Kong and Mario tles, you have to complete each stage of a level –collec ng bonus items and power-ups, which brings plenty of re-playability - as you work your way towards a final boss. All in all, it’s pre y basic stuff, but thanks to the variety and ingenuity that Retro Studios have packed into DKC Returns, the ride is anything but simple: it’s u erly joyous.

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Donkey Kong Country Returns is fantas c to play, as every single stage of every single level oﬀers up something fresh. There are too many examples of excellence to name, but brief men ons must go to the segments where you pounce from exploding ba leships, the race across a shore, dodging waves and all of the superb vehicle sec ons. You never feel as if you’re playing the same level twice, and that is an almighty compliment for a pla ormer. The chunky art style should get a men on also, as the en re game looks fantas c and is boogied along by a cracking li le soundtrack. And, if you have a buddy handy, the co-op and VS modes are terriﬁc fun to play, adding another level to an already stocked tle. OK, so there are a few issues that can frustrate. Firstly, despite their rela ve simplicity, the controls can feel a li le numb, especially when a delicate touch is called for in the la er levels. Secondly, you will stumble upon proverbial brick walls in the game when you can easily bleed 10-20 lives in a ma er of minutes. There is the get out of jail op on a er losing eight lives, when you can skip a sec on, leaving the level to be completed by the AI Super Kong, but DKC Returns is extremely frustra ng at mes, and o en a li le unfair. But overall, these are just minuscule bruises on an otherwise immaculate banana. Donkey Kong Country Returns is a fantas c adventure, and is arguably only second on the Wii’s top pla ormer’s list behind the recent Mario Galaxy tles. It’s fun, cute, full of crea vity, challenging, varied, and most of all, enormously addic ve. If you can pinch a copy at a knocked-down price, do so, as it’s some of the best pla orming ac on you’ll probably ever play. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 19/20 STORY: 17/20 CONTROLS: 18/20 GAMEPLAY: 18/20 DURABILITY: 18/20

OVERALL

90/100

REVIEWS

phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS NAIL’D PUBLISHERS: DEEP SILVER DEVELOPERS: TECHLAND FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC GENRE: RACING

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ROLLERCOASTER RALLYING There’s nothing be er than a truly insane arcade racer, which says “ney” to reality and “yes please!” to stupendous da ness. There’s no complicated vehicle setup; no detailed race strategy; it’s just manic racing with no li ing and plenty of dri ing. Arguably, the pinnacle of this type of oﬀ-road craziness is the brilliant Motorstorm series, but can this similarly funky mud-ﬂicker, Nail’d, snatch the top spot from Sony’s mad masterpiece?

The tracks Nail’d showcases are impressive to say the least, as they twist, turn and intertwine as well as the best racetracks of Wipeout. Despite this, they are also pre y dull. It’s hard to put a ﬁnger on why, and the vague controls probably have a part to play, but as you take vast jumps and ride the walls of canyons at impossible angles, you can’t help but feel unimpressed. It’s a very odd experience, and one that isn’t helped by the lack of a changeable camera and iﬀy visuals. There’s also enough mo on blur to make road kill look a rac ve.

Nail’d plays like a rollercoaster, le ng you loose across 14 demented tracks in a range of oﬀ-road vehicles such as buggies and bikes. Similar to most arcadey tles, Nail’d rewards OTT driving, serving up pints of boost to anyone that pulls oﬀ some dangerous moves. The tracks – which seem to be devoid of gravity of actual physics – are packed with humongous jumps, dastardly shortcuts and plenty of dangers the zavy racer should try to avoid, such as oncoming trains, deadly plummets and various other obstacles of death. It’s good, simple fun, with the races being surprisingly tough, and the ac on usually being maintained at a decent level of excitement.

But there’s one thing that really bugs us about Nail’d, as it’s missed a trick that all the other top oﬀ-road tles have embraced: comical violence. When you plough a bike into the side of a barn in Motorstorm, the sight of a doll-like biker being ﬂung into the air and towards a picnic with certain death is what made the game so side-spli ngly fran c. But Nail’d, on having a similarly drama c crash, chooses to cut away from the carnage and puts you right back into the race, as if nothing has happened. Where’s the fun in that? Show me my slaps ck!

“NAIL’D IS A DECENT LITTLE RACER.” But, despite being stuck in a permanent state of flat out, Nail’d feels rather tame, and o en, dare we say it, boring. This can be put down to a number of apparent flaws: firstly, Nail’d is remarkably vague to drive, with your vehicle of choice being oblivious to the rugged nature of the terrain you’re pounding across. All the different surfaces – gravel, tarmac, mud, wood – feel exactly the same, providing no drama as you casually meander from corner to corner. OK, this is an arcade racer, so we don’t expect the kind of vehicle control found in the excep onally ght Colin McRae series, but it’d be nice to feel as if we’re ac vely involved in the driving of what should be tough terrains.

Nail’d is a decent li le racer, that provides an honourable amount of excitement without really troubling the bigger boys of the genre. Although it lacks any sense of drama, hilarity or overall speed, it’s an OK way of burning a few fun hours, and to be fair, the ac on is greatly improved by the mul player features. But overall, it’s fair to say that Nail’d, despite throwing everything into it, is le trailing in the dust of the unmatchable Motorstorm. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 14/20 STORY: 12/20 CONTROLS: 14/20 GAMEPLAY: 13/20 DURABILITY: 13/20

OVERALL

66/100 phonica phonica magazine magazine uk uk

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REVIEWS SPLATTERHOUSE PUBLISHERS: NAMCO BANDAI GAMES DEVELOPERS: NAMCO BANDAI GAMES FORMAT: PS3, XBOX 360, GENRE: BEAT ‘EM UP

BASH THOSE BLOODY BUTTONS!

66 phonica magazine uk

If you were an avid gamer in the late eigh es/early nine es, you’ll probably have a red- nted recollec on of Spla erhouse. A side scrolling beat ‘em up, 1988’s Spla erhouse and its two sequels were gruesome for the me, depic ng gory scenes of monster slashing, decapita on and limb loss. OK, in hindsight, they were pre y poor tles, as they failed to deliver anything other than repe ve, dour violence, but they are mini cult classics, remembered for their blood rather than their brilliance. So, a er 23 years since the original Spla erhouse tormented out consoles, a remake has come a’ crawling, armed with the same savagery – and not a lot else- that made the originals so infamous. Spla erhouse starts with your weedy character, Rick Taylor, lying in a pool of his own claret, as his precious girlfriend, Jennifer, is plucked away by a sinister professor, Dr. Henry West M.D. As Rick passes into the darkness of death, a spooky mask appears, telling Rick that he can save him and his girlfriend if he wears the Terror Mask. With li le choice in the ma er, Rick applies the mask, and with that mutates into a bugling superman of death, craving blood and revenge. From then on, a now pumped Rick and the mask head off in search of Jennifer and the mad Prof, dealing bloody death to any twisted creature that happens to get in their way. To be honest, the cheesy eigh es storyline doesn’t work all that well today, but it does the job, with the skimpy narra ve at least keeping the ac on flowing. Speaking of flowing: the blood. If you’re in the slightest bit squeamish when it comes to the red stuff, it’s probably best if you give Spla erhouse a county-wide birth. There are literally bucket-loads of strawberry custard flying all over the shop, forming puddles on the floor, Pollocks on the walls and distrac ng splats on the screen. Blood is also your life-force, so when you tear the limbs from a baddie, don’t forget to suck up the juicy goodness and trade it in for health, updates, new moves and other unlockables. The gore is pre y horrific to say the least, and when you add in the death scenes, excessive violence and the way your character literally falls apart when injured (if you lose an arm, don’t panic, as it’ll grow back – you can also use that severed limb as a weapon, which is fun) Spla erhouse is one explicit tle. But sadly, the violence is the least offence part of Spla erhouse, as the gameplay is far more disgus ng.

Like its original elder, Spla erhouse is a by the numbers beat ‘em up, serving up things to kill and not a lot else. A er a few hours (if not minutes) of smashing your way from fight to messy fight, it all becomes incredibly tedious, mainly due to the lack of variety in both the enemies you contest, and the blunt controls. Playing Spla erhouse is at mes nothing more than dreary bu on-mashing, as you only get a choice of light attack or heavy a ack. Sure, as you progress through the game you can purchase more moves, but even the most complicated of offences are just a rou ne of con nual bashing. As a nice li le bonus, though, all three of the original Spla erhouse tles are unlockable extras, which is a pleasant target to aim for when the actual game starts to run cold.

“IT’S A REMAKE IN THE MOST LITERAL SENSE, HD PATCHING OVER THE 8BIT CRACKS, AND IF IT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH OVER 20 YEARS AGO, WHY SHOULD IT BE SO NOW?” Spla erhouse is an OK slasher, which provides thrills and plenty of spills without ever exceeding expecta ons. It has its moments, and we must confess that extermina ng a room full of creatures in a nuclear bomb-style explosion of plasma was pre y hilarious, but overall Spla erhouse is clunky, resome and plain. To be honest, when compared to the original 1988 version, 21st century Spla erhouse hasn’t really evolved, and that’s the most disappoin ng aspect. It’s a remake in the most literal sense, HD patching over the 8bit cracks, and if it wasn’t good enough over 20 years ago, why should it be so now? Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 14/20 STORY: 12/20 CONTROLS: 12/20 GAMEPLAY: 12/20 DURABILITY: 10/20

OVERALL

60/100 phonica magazine uk

REVIEWS RAVING RABBIDS TRAVEL IN TIME PUBLISHERS: UBISOFT PARIS DEVELOPERS: UBISOFT FORMAT: WII, 3DS GENRE: PARTY MINI-GAMES

THOSE PESKY RABBIDS ARE BACK FOR SOME MORE SILLY FROLICS

phonica magazine magazine uk uk 68 phonica

You either love or hate the Raving Rabbids. You’ll either piddle your pan es at the sight of one blowing a raspberry to camera, or you’ll despise the infuria ng yell they o en squeal. It’s all a ma er of taste – they’re just not for everyone. But oddly this new tle in the series, Raving Rabbids Travel in Time, is supposing just that, for everyone, as it’s a collec on of mini party games. So, will it go down a storm at your next boozy gathering, or will it be instantly replaced with the dated yet indispensable Wii Sports? This me (ho ho…yawn), as the tle suggests, the Rabbids are travelling in me, causing mayhem and surely risking the very fabric of the space- me con nuum. A er flying around me in their magical washing machine, they crash-land in a museum. As you’d expect, they won’t be obeying the laws of the velvet rope, and within minutes they’ve started breaking things, exploring secure rooms and travelling around more mes past and present. The museum is essen ally your game hub, where you can seek out new missions, check your scores, meet chums, create new Rabbids with the fancy dress you’ve collected, and other necessary things. It’s a bit confusing when you first try to navigate this vast area, but once you’ve go en to grips with the various loca ons it’s easy enough. Unlike the previous Rabbids’ tle, Rabbids Go Home, Travel in Time doesn’t have a set narra ve to follow, but rather a collec on of mini-games. These range from simple races across levels; matches to see who can collect the most items in a set me; co-op tasks; classical shoo ng rounds, and even a rather swish flight game. The flying missions really stand out, as they (at least a empt) to u lise all of the Wii’s mo on goodness – although they will make you look like a bit of a prat. With a Nunchuck in the le hand and the Remote in the other, you steer your plane-controlling Rabbid by leaning with your arms outstretched, as if you were childishly pretending to be plane. It’s good fun, and the balloon collec ng games (similar to those of Mario Kart) are fantas c fun when played in a group, but the controls are a nightmare to conquer, and frustra ngly vague. It’s something different though, as the rest of the tasks are a lot like the overall game: by the numbers.

The best Rabbids games have succeeded due to their humour and nippy gameplay. Chasing semi-naked shoppers around a mall in Rabbids Go Home was fantas c fun, as were most of the other adventures of the previous tle. But Travel in Time feels a li le red, with the majority of the mini-games lacking any real spice or spunk. Some are s ll good, and in a group they are a merry way to meet and greet, but overall the whole game feels patched together.

“THE BEST RABBIDS GAMES HAVE SUCCEEDED DUE TO THEIR HUMOUR BUT TRAVEL IN TIME FEELS A LITTLE TIRED.”

Raving Rabbids Travel in Time is a jolly li le tle that goes back to the classic mini-games of the early Rabbids series. But in a way we feel it’s a backwards step from the brilliant Rabbids Go Home, which featured some wonderful li le games, but also a superbly cra ed plotline. With Rabbids Go Home, we thought the series was star ng to move away from the mini-game genre, growing up, and would hopefully con nue to produce smartly made packages rather than scraped together bits and bobs. Sadly, Raving Rabbids Travel in Time is the la er; a misﬁring collec on of old jokes and red rou nes. There’ll undoubtedly be another tle to follow in the series, and hopefully it’ll be more Home than Time, but for now, we’ll just have to bide our me. Sco Tierney

PRESENTATION: 15/20 STORY: 14/20 CONTROLS: 14/20 GAMEPLAY: 13/20 DURABILITY: 13/20

OVERALL

69/100 phonica magazine uk

70 phonica magazine uk

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THE GUIDE

Size weight Frequency Screen Pixels camera resolu on memory/compa bility bluetooth GPRS WLAN Browser Java Messaging Radio Music downloadable games downloadable ringtones Ba ery talk me - mins (max) Ba ery standy - hours (up to) bluetooth carKit compa ble

Nokia 7230

Nokia 6730

Nokia 5530

Nokia E75

Nokia 6210

98 x 48 x 14.8 mm 100 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 3.15 MP 45 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

112 x 46 x 12.6 mm 83 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 3.15 MP 48 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

104 x 49 x 13 mm 107 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 360 3.2 MP 70 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/AMS Yes

111.8 x 50 x 14.4 mm 139 g Quad-band/3G 320 x 240 3.2 MP 50 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

103 x 49 x 14.9 mm 117 g Tri-band 320 x 240 3.2 MP 120 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

MP3/MP4/WAV/WMA

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/WAV/WMA MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/WAV/WMA

MP3/AAC/WAV/WMA

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

Yes MP3 300 370 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 600 500 Yes

Yes MP3 340 264 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 222 244 Yes

Sony Ericsson Spiro

Sony Ericsson XPERIA

92 x 48 x 16.75 mm 90 g Dual band 240 x 320 2 MP

119 x 62 x 16 mm 175 g Quad-band/3G 854 x 480 5.1 MP

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 294 351 Yes

Play

Sony Ericsson W395

Sony Ericsson C903

Sony Ericsson Aino

97 x 47 x 14.9 mm 96 g Quad-band 176 x 220 2 MP

97 x 49 x 16 mm 96 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP

104 x 50 x 15.5 mm 134 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 420 8.1 MP

5 MB/Micro SD

400 MB/Micro SD

10 MB/Memory S ck Micro

130 MB/Memory S ck Micro

60 MB/microSD

Yes/A2DP/Micro USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA No WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/MP4/AAC+/WAV

Mp3/MP4/AAC

MP3/AAC

Yes MP3 270 475 Yes

Yes MP3 505 425 Yes

Yes MP3/AAC 420 480 Yes

Yes MP3/AAC 600 400 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 270 360 Yes

72 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Nokia E63

Nokia N97

Nokia 3720 classic

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music

Sony Ericsson Cedar

113 x 59 x 13 mm 126 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2 MP 110 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Yes Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm 150 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 360 5 MP 32 GB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Wi-Fi WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

115 x 47 x 15.3 mm 94 g Tri-band 320 x 240 2 MP 20 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 11 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm 109 g Quad-band 640 x 360 3.2 MP 81 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Yes WAP/xHTML/HTML/WML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

111 x 49 x 15.5 mm 84 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 2 MP 280 MB/Micro SD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA No WAP/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

MP3/WAV/AAC/WMA

MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WAV

MP3/AAc/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

Mp3/MP4/AAC

Yes Polyphonic & MP3 660 432 Yes

Yes MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MIDI/Real Tone/MP3 420 450 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 528 406 Yes

Yes MP3 750 420 Yes

Sony Ericsson Yari

Sony Ericsson Naite

Sony Ericsson C901

Sony Ericsson C510

HTC Desire

100 x 48 x 15.7 mm 115 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP

108 x 47 x 12.6 mm 84 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP

105 x 45 x 13 mm 107 g Quad-band 240 x 320 5 MP

107 x 47 x 12.5 mm 92 g Quad-band 240 x 320 3.15 MP

119 x 60 x 11.9 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP

60 MB/microSD

100 MB/microSD

120 MB/Memory S ck Micro

100 MB/Memory S ck Micro

ROM:512 MB/RAM:576 MB/microSD

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10/HSDPA Yes HMTL Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email(Push)/IM Yes

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/AAC/MP4

MP3/AAC/MID/M4A/WAV/WMA

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 600 450 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/AAC 564 380 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 570 430 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 420 400 Yes

Yes MP3 400 360 Yes

phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

Apple iPhone 3G S

Apple iPhone 3G

INQ Chat 3G

BlackBerry 8520

BlackBerry Bold 9000

11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 3.15 MP 16/32 GB (internal)

11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2 MP 8/16 GB (internal)

114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm 93 g Tri-band/3G 176 x 220 3.2 MP 120MB/Memory S ck Micro

109 x 60 x 13.9 mm 106 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2 MP 256 MB/MicroSD

114 x 66 x 14 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2MP 1GB/microSD

Yes/USB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/A2DP/microUSB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/EDGE Yes HTML (Safari) No SMS/Email No

Yes Yes Net Front Yes SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/EDGE Class 10 Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV

AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC

MP3/AAC/WMA/AAC+/MP4/WMV MP3/WMA/AAC+

Yes

Poly/MP3

AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/MP3/WAV

Poly/MIDI/MP3

Poly/MP3

720 300 Yes

600 300 Yes

480 170 Yes

270 408 Yes

300 310 Yes

Samsung B3310

Samsung Jet

LG GD510 Pop

LG GM750

Dell Streak

91 x 54 x 17 mm 101 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 40 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

108 x 53.5 x 11.9 mm 110 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP 2/8 GB (internal)/microSD Yes/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Wi-Fi WAP/Dolphin Yes

97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2 mm 87 g Quad-band 240 x 400 3.15 MP 42 MB RAM/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 12 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

109.8 x 53.5 x 12.9 mm 120 g Quad-band 240 x 400 5 MP

152.9 x 79.1 x 10 mm 220 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP

128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM/microSD

16GB/512MB ROM/512MB RAM/microSD

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes Yes WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email No MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA Yes MP3 580 400 Yes

SMS/MMS/Email/Vidoe/MS Exchange

Yes

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA/AMR

MP3/MP4/WMA

MP3/MPEG4/WAV/eAAC+/WMA

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 300 380 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 492 422 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 200 360 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3 380 450 Yes

74 phonica magazine uk

THE GUIDE

BlackBerry 8300 Curve

Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung Pixon 12

Samsung S5600V Blade Samsung Genio Touch

107 x 60 x 15.5 mm 111 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2MP 64MB/microSD

122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 119 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 5 MP 8GB/16GB/microSD

108 x 53 x 13.8 mm 120 g 480 x 800 pixels 240 x 320 12 MP 150 MB/microSD

102.8 x 54.8 x 12.9 mm 92 g 240 x 320 pixels 240 x 320 3.15 MP 50 MB/microSD

103 x 56.5 x 12 mm 90 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 40 MB/microSD

Yes/USB

Yes/A2DP/microUSB

Yes/A2DP/USB

Yes/USB

Yes/EDGE No HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 12 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes

MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA

MP3/MP4/eAAC+

MP3/MP4/WMA/eAAC+

MP3/WMA/AAC

MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMV/WMA

Yes

Poly/MP3

Poly/MP3/WAV

240 408 Yes

803 750 Yes

180 250 Yes

120 250 Yes

480 730 Yes

HTC Desire HD

HTC Magic

HTC Hero

Apple iPhone 4

BlackBerry Torch

123 x 68 x 11.8 mm 164 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 800 8 MP

113 x 55 x 13.7 mm 118.5 g Quad-band 320 x 480 3.15 MP

112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 320 x 480 5 MP

111.5 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm 137 g Quad-band/3G 640 x 960 5 MP

111 x 62 x 14.6 mm 161 g Quad-band/3G 360 x 480 5 MP

1.5 GB/Micro SD

288 MB/microSD

16/32 GB (internal)

4GB/MicroSD

Yes/A2DP/Micro USB Yes/EDGE Class 32/HSDPA Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA Yes Poly/MP3/Aac 550 420 Yes

Yes/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

Yes/A2DP/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes

Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/MMS/Email No

Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Yes HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No

MP3/MP4

MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA 9

MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV

MP3/eAAC/WMA/WMV

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 450 420 Yes

Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 420 750 Yes

Yes MP3 420 300 Yes

Yes MP3 330 430 Yes

phonica magazine uk