the mobile phone and gaming magazine
Issue 1
HTC HERO SAVES THE DAY
THE NOKIA N97 IS HERE!
OUR VIEWS:
WOLFENSTEIN CAN IT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?
VODAFONE’S EXCLUSIVE HTC MAGIC
WHAT’S INSIDE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 2009
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VIEWS
NEWS Apple Announces the New iPhone 3GS
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Nokia 5800
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HTC Sense Debuts on new HTC HERO
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Apple iPhone 3G S
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Nokia introduces the Nokia 3720 Classic
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Sony Ericsson Yari
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Ovi Mail by Nokia hits 1 million mark
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Sony Ericsson C510
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Nokia N97 mobile computer available worldwide
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Sony Ericsson Naite
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Nokia releases WRT plug-ins for web developers & designers
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Sony Ericsson Yari
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Play Now Arena Offers Apps
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Sony Ericsson Brings The Most Advanced Mobile Java Pla orm to the entry 3G segment
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Sony Ericsson launches new GreenHeart products with focus on sustainable innova on
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INQ launches two affordable 3G social mobiles
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FEATURES Phone Smarts: HTC Magic HTC has conjured an exclusive white magician for Vodafone. Are the tricks worth it?
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GAMING 411 WHERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT
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NEWS
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VIEWS
Silent Hunter 5
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Wolfenstein
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Sean White Snowboarding
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Tom Clancy HAWX
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Vir2L Studios releases AMF Bowling: Pinbuster! For N-Gage
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Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
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Dance Fabulous by Nokia to hit the charts
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Lord of the Rings: Conquest
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Shawn White Snowboarding
Ubiso announces Just Dance
Fear 2: Project Origin
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The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edi on
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Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe
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Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009
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FEATURES The Posi vity of Gaming Games seem to be an easy target for playing the blame game. But with game publishers and console manufacturers crea ng more social family oriented games let’s unveil the posi vity of gaming.
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Forgo en Gems: Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole Let’s take a trip down game memory lane….and explore old treasures.
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Castle Wolfenstein: The forgo en keystone With a new verison due for release let’s follow the history of Castle Wolfenstein.
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THE GUIDE Games
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Mobile Phones
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EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce
CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Leonce Jaime Luis Tagle Sco Tierney
CREATIVE SERVICES & DESIGN Sco Tierney www.sco - erney.com
PUBLISHER Kevin Leonce
EDITORIAL editorial@phonicamagazine.co.uk
ENQUIRIES info@phonicamagazine.co.uk
ADVERTISING adver sing@phonicamagazine.co.uk
WWW.PHONICAMAGAZINE.CO.UK Become a Fan of Phonica Magazine UK on Facebook & Twi er Phonica Magazine Š All material in this publica on is covered by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publica on may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmi ed in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, in whole or part without wri en permission of the publisher or the copyright owner. Please note that whilst every care has been taken to ensure that all the data in this publica on is accurate at the me of going to print, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, or for any loss, however caused, occasioned to any person by reliance on it; and hereby disclaims any liability for it. Opera ons and some features are network dependent; please refer to your network provider for full details.
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EDITOR’S LETTER We’re back again! Welcome and thank you for ge ng your copy of our first UK issue. We decided to listen to our readers and launch a UK issue, minus the Spanish. What are you wai ng for…..have a read and tell us what you think! So the Apple media monopoly is receding and I have my eyes on Vodafone’s exclusive HTC Magic…loving the design and tempted to ditch my berry in exchange for this magician. But let’s check the review and decide. The an Apple fans might want to skip a few pages as it was hard to resist checking out what the Cuper no guys have done once again. And what’s the deal with everyone going green? Ask Sony Ericsson with the launch of their GreenHeart products. Round of applause for INQ and their launch of two 3G social mobiles! Apple, Nokia and the lot….betcha didn’t see that coming huh? We’ve also added more game reviews (well we were le to fill the void the Spanish transla on le so hey….happy days!) with a new feature taking a look at forgo en gems of the gaming world. And fresh of the press we see Ubiso is gearing up to release Just Dance on Wii. Learn the favourite dance moves to your all me favourites. Can’t wait to try MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This”. And no I would not post it on YouTube or Facebook; some memories should always be kep private. It’s been an exci ng me preparing for the launch; look out for the team intro very soon. You can also check our Facebook Page (Phonica Magazine UK), join us for tweets (@PhonicaMagUK) or browse our new website, www.phonicamagazine.co.uk You’ve talked, we’ve listened. Enjoy
Your Editor in Chief Kevin Leonce kevin@phonicamagazine.co.uk
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NEWS
APPLE ANNOUNCES TH THE FASTEST, MOST POW Apple introduced the new iPhone 3GS, the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including improved speed and performance—up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G—with longer ba ery life, a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera, easy to use video recording and hands free voice control. iPhone 3GS includes the new iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile opera ng system with over 100 new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search, landscape keyboard and more. iPhone 3GS customers get access to more than 50,000 applica ons from Apple’s revolu onary App Store, the largest applica on store in the world where customers have already downloaded over one billion apps. iPhone 3GS offers incredible speed and performance, on average up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G, so you can render web pages quicker and launch applica ons faster. iPhone 3GS takes advantage of the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for stunning high-quality 3D graphics, making mobile gaming and other graphic intense applica ons be er than ever. iPhone 3GS is not only faster, but with longer ba ery life you can watch more videos, listen to more music, browse the Internet or keep using your favorite apps even longer. The new iPhone 3GS also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds. (Network dependent) iPhone 3GS features a new 3 megapixel autofocus camera that takes amazing pictures and video, making it easier than ever to capture, edit and share those moments instantly with family and friends.
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The new autofocus camera adjusts focus, exposure, color and contrast for the best possible image and includes an automa c macro focus for extra close up shots. With the new “tap to focus” feature, you simply touch the display to select an object or area of interest and the camera automa cally re-adjusts focus and exposure. You can record incredible high-quality video clips and edit them right on your iPhone 3GS by simply trimming the start and stop points. With iPhone 3GS you can send photos and video by email or MMS and post them to MobileMe or YouTube with just one tap.
“iPHONE 3GS OFFERS INCREDIBLE SPEED AND PERFORMANCE, ON AVERAGE UP TO TWICE AS FAST AS IPHONE 3G”
NEWS
HE NEW iPHONE 3GS WERFUL iPHONE YET
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iPhone 3GS features a new built-in digital compass for instant naviga on. The Compass app shows you which way you are headed and rotates as you change direc on. You can orient yourself to true north or magne c north, and iPhone’s built-in GPS automa cally displays the coordinates of your current loca on. The new built-in digital compass is also integrated within Maps, so it automa cally orients any map to the direc on you are facing.
“THE NEW AUTOFOCUS CAMERA ADJUSTS FOCUS, EXPOSURE, COLOR AND CONTRAST FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE IMAGE”
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NEWS
iPhone 3GS includes the new iPhone OS 3.0 so ware with more than 100 new features including: Cut, Copy and Paste; MMS; Spotlight Search to search across iPhone or within Mail, Contacts, Calendar and iPod; landscape keyboard for Mail, Messages, Notes and Safari; expanded parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store; and the ability to capture and send audio recordings on the go with the new Voice Memo app. iPhone 3.0 so ware also includes a new Find My iPhone feature that works together with MobileMe so you can locate your lost iPhone on a map, send a message that will appear on the screen or play a sound to help you find it even if your phone is set to silent. If you cannot find your iPhone, you can erase all data and content on your iPhone with the new Remote Wipe feature. New iTunes features available with iPhone 3.0 so ware include wirelessly downloading movies, TV and audio programs as well as iTunes U so students can download learning materials on the go.
“TO DATE, CUSTOMERS HAVE DOWNLOADED MORE THAN ONE BILLION APPS FROM THE APP STORE” iPhone 3GS gives users access to the revolu onary App Store, the largest applica on store in the world with more than 50,000 applica ons. The App Store allows developers to reach tens of millions of iPhone and iPod touch users around the world. To date, customers have downloaded more than one billion apps from the App Store. And with more than 1,000 new APIs available with the iPhone SDK, developers can create even more innova ve applica ons using In-App Purchases, a new Maps API and Push No fica ons. www.apple.com/uk
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HTC SENSE DEBUTS ON NEW
NEWS
HTC HERO HTC Corpora on, a global designer of mobile phones, debuted HTC Sense, an intui ve and seamless experience that will be introduced across a por olio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero. With its dis nct design and powerful capabili es fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and func on that takes Android to new heights. HTC Sense is focused on pu ng people at the centre by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly listening and observing how people live and communicate. “HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to the people and accessing your important informa on, not by following the status quo of todays phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life,” said Peter Chou, Chief Execu ve Officer, HTC Corpora on. “HTC Sense is a dis nct experience created to make HTC phones simpler for people to use, leaving them saying, it just makes sense.”
“HTC SENSE IS FOCUSED ON MAKING YOUR PHONE WORK IN A MORE NATURAL WAY.” HTC Hero HTC Hero con nues HTCs leadership in cu ng-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of dis nct devices to represent your own individuality. Boas ng bevelled edges and an angled bo om, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you’re on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last beginning with an an -fingerprint screen coa ng for improved smudge resistance and a longer las ng, clearer display.
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NEWS With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is op mized for Web, mul media and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including a GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search bu on that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twi er, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.
Stay Close Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communica on channels and applica ons ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integra ng these communica on channels and applica ons into one single view enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends Facebook status updates and photos along with their Flickr photos are included along side their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.
HTC Sense Built on a culture of innova on and a passion to enhance peoples lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debu ng on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.
Make It Mine Make It Mine, is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance view widgets that push content like twi er feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused informa on like email, calendar and world- mes. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called scenes that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific func ons or mes in your life.
“BUILT ON A CULTURE OF INNOVATION AND A PASSION, HTC SHAPES THE MOBILE EXPERIENCE AROUND THE INDIVIDUAL.” Discover the Unexpected Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innova ve experiences on your HTC phone that will some mes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes perspec ves, a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twi er, music and more in different ways. www.htc.com
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NEWS HANDLE WITHOUT CARE:
NOKIA INTRODUCES THE NOKIA 3720 CLASSIC, ITS MOST RUGGED MOBILE HANDSET TO DATE Nokia introduced the new Nokia 3720 classic, an IP-54 cer fied mobile phone designed to resist water, dust and shock. Following the footsteps of Nokia’s highly popular ‘rugged’ devices of the past, the Nokia 3720 classic is encased in durable materials and is en rely sealed to protect the inner electronics. The Nokia 3720 is expected to retail for approximately EUR 125 before subsidies or taxes and is expected to begin shipping this summer. “Whether using it at the beach or in a dusty construc on site, the Nokia 3720 classic has been specifically engineered to withstand the splashes, bumps and drops that come with the terrain,” said Markku Suomi, vice president, Connect devices. “While the Nokia 3720 classic is tough on the outside, it is equally func onal on the inside - a perfect choice for people who want a long-las ng and reliable mobile phone for any environment.” The Nokia 3720 classic features a sealed, leak-proof design and durable materials in a range of colours. The ba ery cover, which protects both the ba ery and the internal circuitry of the device, is locked with a screw, making for worry-free usage in wet, dusty or muddy environments.
“THE NOKIA 3720 IS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT A LONG-LASTING AND RELIABLE MOBILE PHONE FOR ANY ENVIRONMENT.” As to be expected, the Nokia 3720 classic also offers excep onal ba ery performance as well as an LED flashlight, to complement its rugged design. Addi onal add-ons include Nokia Maps, which comes pre-loaded on the 1 GB microSD memory card, and the large and bright 2.2” display is perfect for following the route even in unfamiliar terrain. www.nokia.com
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NEWS OVI MAIL BY NOKIA HITS 1 MILLION MARK RAPID UPTAKE IN DEVELOPING WORLD AND OVER 650,000 ACCOUNTS CREATED ON DEVICES With over one million accounts ac vated in just over six months, Ovi Mail is quickly establishing itself as the email account for the developing world. Specifically designed for on device set-up, people can get their first email address and create and manage their accounts - no PC needed. “More than just reaching a company milestone, this proves to us that there is a real appe te in the developing world for these types of tailored services,” said Tom Furlong, head of Consumer Messaging at Nokia. “For first- me email users, Ovi Mail provides a digital iden ty and we are thrilled by its rapidly rising adop on rate.” The inspira on for Ovi Mail came from the growing number of people, mostly in developing countries, without access to a PC. The top five countries for Ovi Mail subscribers are India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Since its incep on in December 2008, Ovi Mail is available in more than 180 countries and supports 20* languages. Ovi Mail is free to set-up straight out of the box and comes with spam filters to block unwanted emails. It is also accessible from a broad range of Nokia devices with the Nokia 2330 classic, Nokia 2630 and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic being some of the most popular devices used. To access Ovi Mail, simply go to the email setup wizard on your Nokia Series 40 device or Nokia S60 device such as the Nokia N97. Ovi Mail is also available on the web at h ps://mail.ovi.com/. * Arabic**, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Bengali, Finnish**, French, German, Hindi, Italian, La n America Spanish, Portugese (Brazil), Portugese (Portugal), Russian**, Simplified Chinese**, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai**, (UK) English, (US) English and Vietnamese. ** Language supported on device only.
h p://mail.ovi.com
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NOKIA N97 M AVAILABLE W
MOBILE COMPUTER WORLDWIDE The highly an cipated Nokia N97, Nokia’s flagship mobile computer, began selling in June in more than 75 countries. Along with a l ng 3.5” touch display, QWERTY keyboard and a fully customizable home screen, the Nokia N97 will offer instant access to the full range of Ovi services.
NEWS
The Nokia N97 is the first device to ship with the Ovi Store, which offers easy access to applica ons, games, videos, podcasts, produc vity tools, web and loca on-based services, and much more. Ovi Store has paid and free content from a range of global and local content providers and developers, including Paramount Pictures, Facebook and Qik, as well as a selec on of Twi er applica ons.
“The Nokia N97 is an important step towards our vision of delivering a highly personalized Internet experience,” said Jonas Geust, Vice President and head of Nokia Nseries. “Fuelled by a mul tude of music, maps, games, media and applica ons via Ovi, the Nokia N97 transforms the Internet into an experience that’s completely tailored to the tastes and interests of its owner.”
“THE HEADSET BRINGS CRYSTAL CLEAR SOUND, ELIMINATES BACKGROUND NOISE, AND IS THE IDEAL ACCESSORY FOR LISTENING TO MUSIC” The Nokia N97 is Nokia’s first device to feature a personalizable home screen, which can be customized with a range of widgets which bring live informa on directly to the device. These widgets include key social networking des na ons like Facebook and Hi5, news services like the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as shopping and weather informa on.
The Nokia N97 also has direct access to the huge catalogue of music in the Nokia Music Store. With mul ple high-speed connec vity op ons and 32GB of storage (up to 48GB using a microSD card) it is possible to directly download and store tens of thousands of songs on the handset. And you can listen to your favourite music on the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905, which Nokia also launched. This headset brings crystal clear sound, eliminates background noise, and is the ideal accessory for listening to music and making calls on the Nokia N97, as well as being compa ble with a diverse range of other mobile and music devices. High-quality images and video clips at 30 frames per second (fps) can be captured using the 5 megapixel camera with integrated Carl Zeiss op cs. Images can also be geo-tagged to specific loca ons and shared instantly with friends or uploaded online via Ovi Share, Twi er or Flickr.
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NEWS NOKIA WRT PLUG-INS LET WEB DEVELOPERS & DESIGNERS QUICKLY EXTEND EXISTING WEB CONTENT TO THE GLOBAL MOBILE MARKETPLACE Widget crea on tools for Adobe Dreamweaver, Microso Visual Studio and Aptana Studio produce feature-rich mobile content using exis ng HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Ajax Code Nokia recently introduced three me-saving mobile development tools for desktop designers and developers of Internet content, enabling the quick and easy conversion of standard web code and scrip ng languages into exci ng new mobile applica ons and services while working directly within three of the most popular so ware development environments on the market today. The Nokia Web Run me Extension for Adobe Dreamweaver, Nokia WRT plug-in for Microso Visual Studio and the newly updated WRT plug-in 2.0 for Aptana Studio let large numbers of web developers and designers using HTML, CSS, JavaScript(TM), Ajax code and other standards-based technologies immediately extend their exis ng web content to the mobile channel through the fast and efficient crea on of mobile widget applica ons. Nokia WRT widgets provide mobile users instant access to customizable informa on or tools drawn in real- me from the Internet. Popular widgets range from breaking news headlines to stock-market ckers, social network status updates, flight arrival schedules, localized daily weather and more.
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Nokia’s WRT is built on the same open-source, industry standard WebKit project environment used by Web Browser for S60, Nokia’s full-HTML browser for the latest devices running on Nokia’s S60 pla orm. The world’s leading smartphone pla orm, S60 on Symbian OS accounts for more than 180 million devices cumula vely shipped by S60 licensees, including Nokia, Samsung, Lenovo and LG.
“NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH NOKIA SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS OR MOBILE PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES IS NEEDED TO CREATE ON-DEVICE NOKIA WRT WIDGET APPLICATIONS” Nokia’s WRT widget plug-ins let web developers and designers working within Dreamweaver, Visual Studio and Eclipse-based Aptana Studio rapidly deliver innova ve and feature rich widget-based content to users of tens of millions of supported Nokia devices currently available in markets worldwide.
NEWS
No previous experience with Nokia so ware development tools or mobile pla orm technologies is needed to create on-device Nokia WRT widget applica ons, enabling businesses and organiza ons to mobilize their exis ng web presence and create exci ng Web 2.0 mashups of content and services that combine the power of the Internet with the advanced capabili es of Nokia mobile devices. “These new Nokia WRT tools open up the mobile market to web developers and crea ve professionals worldwide who work every day in these widely used development environments to create web applica ons and content,” said Craig Cumberland, Director of WRT Tools and Technologies, Nokia. “WRT plug-ins enable the easy crea on of feature-rich widget applica ons for the enjoyment of mobile consumers around the globe, providing new horizons to untold numbers of individuals and organiza ons seeking to extend their web content and Internet presence into the mobile space.” Currently suppor ng more than two dozen of the most popular Nokia devices available in markets worldwide, all three of the new Nokia WRT plug-ins can be used to create widgets projects for all S60 3rd Edi on, Feature Pack 2 devices and onward, as well as all S60 5th Edi on devices. WRT plug-ins also support select S60 3rd Edi on, Feature Pack 1 devices, with a firmware upgrade via a Nokia so ware updater necessary to install WRT on some devices.
“CURRENTLY SUPPORTING MORE THAN TWO DOZEN OF THE MOST POPULAR NOKIA DEVICES AVAILABLE IN MARKETS WORLDWIDE, ALL THREE OF THE NEW NOKIA WRT PLUG-INS CAN BE USED TO CREATE WIDGETS PROJECTS.” Addi onal informa on about Nokia WRT plug-ins for Aptana Studio, Visual Studio, and the Nokia WRT Dreamweaver extension can be found online at h p://www.forum.nokia.com/Tools_Docs_and_ Code/Tools/Run mes/Web_Run me/. A complete list of supported Nokia mobile devices can be found online at: h p://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/matrix_ webrun me_1.html.
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NEWS
TWIST, TILT, TURN, SMASH GESTURE GAMING IS HERE WITH THE SONY ERICSSON YARI Challenge your friends to the newest inven on in mobile phone gaming. Yari debuts Gesture gaming – forget about pushing bu ons, with Gesture gaming you make the moves in front of the screen to get right in the middle of the ac on! Sony Ericsson recently launched Yari the ul mate phone for mobile fun, whether it’s gaming you’re a er or mul media ac on. Nothing to hold, nothing to twist – except your body gesture gaming technology gives users a unique gaming experience no ma er where they are. With a variety of games to choose from, whether you want to keep fit and stay in shape or just want to beat your best score at tennis or boxing, Yari brings you fun wherever you are. And with Yari there’s always a new game to play. In addi on to gesture games, there is a mix of pre loaded mo on and standard games. Yari introduces a game carousel that allows you to access all your games from your desktop and to browse downloadable content on PlayNow arena. You can view content by category and choose to browse free or premium content – so no ma er your preferences there’s one to suit you.
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pho the Cherry, Ericsson. “ moved on a m gaming you pressing bu experience tha exhausted yourself other mul media feature the five megapixel camera with
To enhance your gaming experience Ya phone stand. The phone stand is sma integrated keyring which makes it easy never miss an opportunity to play to your heart’ while on the move use the Outdoor Wireless Sp in the palm of your hand, and so light it can be
“NOTHING TO HOLD, NOTH GESTURE GAMING TECHNO USERS A UNIQUE GAMING NO MATTER WHERE THEY A
NEWS
“Yari is the industry’s first mobile one with gesture gaming outside of e Japanese market,” said Catherine Market Business Manager at Sony “It’s me to move like you’ve never mobile phone before! With Gesture move your body to play instead of ons on the phone, giving you a fun at even helps you keep fit. If you’ve f with the games there are loads of es to enjoy. Snap your friends with or chill out to your favourite tunes the state-of-the art music player”.
ri comes complete with the EC500 all and portable and comes with an to carry thereby ensuring that you ’s content. To pump up the volume peaker MS500 – small enough to fit e taken anywhere and everywhere.
HING TO TWIST. OLOGY GIVES EXPERIENCE RE.” phonica magazine uk
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NEWS SONY ERICSSON ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OFFER APPLICATIONS THROUGH PLAYNOW ARENA AND OPENS SUBMISSION PROCESS FOR DEVELOPERS. Fun & Downloads will con nue to offer premium and free content to Sony Ericsson consumers while PlayNow arena is being rolled out to addi onal markets. Both content services offer well-established billing solu ons including SMS transac ons, credit card usage and operator billing.
Longstanding experience in selling mobile applica ons across a wide variety of markets to be consolidated in Sony Ericsson’s content and service pla orm, PlayNow arena. Sony Ericsson announced the imminent addi on of applica ons to its mobile content service, PlayNow arena. This is the next expansion of the PlayNow content and service pla orm, following the announcement of PlayNow arena Movies on May 28. This announcement puts PlayNow arena in a unique posi on, offering consumers a fully integrated content marketplace for their Sony Ericsson phones and giving third-party developers access to an established mobile content market channel for their content. Applica ons will be offered in the 13 countries that currently support PlayNow arena. The service pla orm, which is compa ble with 38 Sony Ericsson phone models, will roll out to further markets and models over the year. “Sony Ericsson is delighted to introduce applica ons as the latest evolu on of PlayNow arena, offering an established market place to our developer and partner community,” said Björn Ahlberg, Head of Content & Services at Sony Ericsson. “By bringing high-quality applica ons into PlayNow arena, consumers are only one click away from the world-wide crea vity of innova ve applica on developers.”
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“CONSUMERS ARE ONLY ONE CLICK AWAY FROM THE WORLD-WIDE CREATIVITY OF INNOVATIVE APPLICATION DEVELOPERS.” The Sony Ericsson PlayNow arena applica on catalogue will primarily focus on high quality applica ons, providing the best possible user experience on Sony Ericsson mobile phones. To ensure a wide applica on offering, Sony Ericsson will collaborate with GetJar and provide a one-click access from PlayNow arena to their extensive market channel. Applica on submission to Sony Ericsson – new web site opened July 1st, allowing developers to submit high-quality mobile applica ons to the PlayNow arena as well as to the established online applica on service, Fun & Downloads. There will be no fees for either service. www.submit.sonyericsson.com For more informa on please visit: www.playnow-arena.com and www.sonyericsson.com/fun (Fun & Downloads)
NEWS Sony Ericsson Brings The Most Advanced Mobile Java Platform to the entry 3G segment Sony Ericsson announced plans to extend its mobile Java Pla orm into its entry 3G mobile phone por olio. This means that games, applica ons and content developed on the Sony Ericsson Java pla orm will provide a compelling business opportunity for developers who can now extend content crea on for consumers in the entry 3G segment, widely recognised as a future growth area of the market. “Sony Ericsson has made significant investments in the development of its mobile Java Pla orm, which has enabled an excep onal user-experience and consistent performance. We are confident that extending the Java Pla orm to a much larger global market will encourage developers to drive innova on and create richer user experiences for our customers,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Corporate Vice President and Head of Crea on and Development at Sony Ericsson.
As a leader in communica on entertainment and par cularly Java gaming, Sony Ericsson is broadening the market for developers to build applica ons on one of the most robust and flexible environments in the industry. Sony Ericsson’s accumulated mobile Java knowledge and investments, which have enabled the con nuous differen a on and evolu on of Walkman and Cyber-shot phones, is the basis for this new strategic direc on. Sony Ericsson’s aim is to grow its share of the 3G Java phone market as the Java pla orm JP 8.5 with its rich feature support becomes available.
“THE WALKMAN AND CYBER-SHOT PHONES ARE THE BASIS FOR THIS NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION.”
Sony Ericsson consumers who experience 3G phones for the first me will enjoy a far greater variety of content and applica ons, in the affordable entry segment than ever before. More informa on on Sony Ericsson Developer World is available at: www.sonyericsson.com/developer.
Sony Ericsson has enjoyed significant success with feature-rich 3G phones due to the richness and consistent performance of Java. Transferring this fully developed pla orm into cost-efficient 3G devices will be an important element of Sony Ericsson’s business strategy, par cularly with regards to targe ng growth in key emerging markets such as China as they roll-out new 3G networks.
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NEWS
SONY ERICSSON LAUNCHES NEW GREENHEART PRODUCTS WITH FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION CO² FOOTPRINT OF GREENHEART PIONEER PHONES REDUCED BY 15%: •
E-manual reduces paper usage by over 90%
•
Smaller packaging reduces transport emissions and paper usage
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Minimum 50% recycled plas cs
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MH300 GreenHeart headset includes 100% recycled plas cs in most plas c parts
Sony Ericsson unveiled two new GreenHeart pioneer products underpinning its ongoing commitment to taking a lead on environmental sustainability by driving green innova on that doesn’t compromise on product design and func onality. The GreenHeart programme launches with two flagship products – the C901 GreenHeart and Naite– plus the MH300 GreenHeart headset, one of the greenest headsets on the market. The GreenHeart concept is a key pillar in Sony Ericsson’s revitalised product por olio strategy and the sustainable innova ons found in the GreenHeart pioneer products will eventually roll out into the broader por olio.
Both new GreenHeart phones build on Sony Ericsson’s industry leading ‘green core’, the result of a long standing commitment to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from the product design and manufacturing process. The first flagship product to be launched, the C901 GreenHeart, will include an electronic, in-phone manual to replace the standard paper version, saving over 90% in paper and reducing the environmental impact of transpor ng the final product through more compact packaging. The C901 GreenHeart phone casing is made from a minimum of 50% recycled plas cs and includes an op mised display light sensor that uses less energy. The phone is coloured with waterborne paint that lowers exposure to Vola le Organic Compounds (VOC).
“THE GREENHEART CONCEPT IS A KEY PILLAR IN SONY ERICSSON’S REVITALISED PRODUCT PORTFOLIO” The C901 GreenHeart will ship with the MH300 GreenHeart headset, one of the greenest headsets available, made up of 100% recycled plas cs in 4 out of 5 hard plas c parts and far exceeding legal environmental requirements.
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NEWS As well as featuring many of the innova ons showcased in the C901 GreenHeart, Naite will come to market with a low-power charger, the EP300 GreenHeart charger, one of the first of its kind to be introduced to the market. Thanks to these innova ons, the overall CO² footprint over the full life of the C901 GreenHeart and Naite is reduced by 15%. The first GreenHeart pioneer phone, the C901 GreenHeart will also include a WalkMate applica on, le ng users really walk the talk about being more eco-friendly by comparing the steps they take with the equivalent journey travelled by car. And Naite includes an Ecomate applica on helping users make greener choices in their everyday life as well as a Carbon Footprint Calculator to show you how much CO² you are saving when you walk instead of taking the car. “We are fully suppor ve of Sony Ericsson’s GreenHeart ini a ve because it is so closely aligned with Telefonica O2 UK’s own ambi ons to make Sustainability central to our business strategy “, says Bill Eyres, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Environment and Sustainability at Telefonica O2 UK. “We know from consumer insight that environmental issues, par cularly climate change, are now a significant concern for our customers. Furthermore, we also believe that opera ng more sustainably is a business opportunity, enabling us to func on more efficiently and keep the Customer at the heart of all we do. “ Q3 2009 will also see the con nued roll out of Sony Ericsson’s global take-back programme which has been in opera on since 2007. By allowing consumers to send back used mobile phones, the programme ensures that they do not end up in landfills but are sent to specialised mobile phone recycling centres. This means that both components and materials are used again, reducing the need to extract and refine raw materials for new products.
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INQ LAUNCHES TW 3G SOCIAL MOBI AND iTUNES MEDI New line-up includes INQ Chat 3G – INQ’s first qwerty mobile - and the compact and colourful INQ Mini 3G INQ brings Twi er, free push Gmail and media sync with PC and Macs to mass market social mobiles. INQ Mobile took the next step in its mission to bring easy-to-use mobile internet to the mass market with the launch of two new 3G Social Mobiles complete with internet-based Twi er and media sync capabili es. The new phones offer high-spec func onality without the he y price tag – shaking up the market by giving operators a unique proposi on - a 3G social mobile with the speed, usability and suite of applica ons capable of driving data usage in the mass market. The INQ Chat 3G is the company’s first qwerty-style phone, while the compact INQ Mini 3G expands the range and provides an entry-level social mobile ideal for the price-sensi ve prepay market. They complement the award-winning INQ1. For the two new phones, Twi er joins the suite of communica ons applica ons that INQ has already woven into the heart of its social mobiles: which include Facebook, Skype and Instant Messaging. Working closely with the Twi er team, INQ has developed an authen c Twi er applica on for both its new Social Mobiles. A er the ini al log in, Twi er will be ‘always on’. Consumers can send tweets and retweet via the internet rather than using SMS. With the INQ Chat, a specially designed Twi er widget will deliver Twi er updates straight to the home screen. The INQ Chat 3G was developed in response to consumer and operator demand for a qwerty-style keypad device from INQ. It has a new email client developed by INQ that incorporates free push Gmail - removing a cost for push mail typically borne by operators or passed on to consumers. The INQ Chat 3G comes complete with the expanded suite of INQ applica ons; Facebook, Skype, email, IM and Twi er.
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NEWS
he INQ Mini 3G is a slimline Social Mobile that ffers Twi er, Facebook, IM, Skype and web-based mail services like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and GMail. brings the usability that INQ is known for to a new orm factor. Like the INQ Chat, the INQ Mini offers mpressive capability at a frac on of the price of other pplica on-rich devices.
oth phones have plug and play HSDPA modems nabling high-speed wireless broadband on PCs and Macs.
NQ is also introducing seamless media syncing etween its devices and PCs or Macs. The so ware, owered by doubleTwist, syncs music from iTunes nd WMP straight to your INQ mobile and, unlike most ther sync solu ons, doesn’t require the customer o give up using their favourite media player on their omputer. The new mobiles from INQ will also be able o sync video and photos.
rank Meehan, INQ’s CEO, said: “We build phones that ocus specifically on what people want to do most on mobiles, and deliver it at a price point that’s easy for onsumers and profitable for operators. We have ompletely broken the vice grip hold that high end martphones had on great mobile internet experiences, nd made them available to everybody.”
NQ Mobile launched in 2008 to give consumers igh-quality yet affordable mobile internet, and enable arriers to s mulate data usage across their customer ase. The company recently released data detailing evice usage on UK and Hong Kong networks that show sage pa erns typically seen only on high-end smarthones. An average of 65% of INQ users use Facebook egularly, 30% use their INQ frequently for email, and Windows Live Messenger ac vity is three to four mes reater than on comparably priced 3G phones. In ebruary 2009, INQ1 won ‘handset of the year’ at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
he INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G will be available in Q4 2009.
ww.inqmobile.com r follow on Twi er @inqmobile
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FEATURE PHONE SMARTS
HTC MAGIC Google’s Android pla orm seems to be the path forward for taking mobile phones, applica ons and its uses to the next level. Phonica’s keen to see what magic tricks this exclusive Vodafone android powered smartphone has in store. Unlike the G1, the Magic has an impressive 3.2” touch screen, shedding that horrible slide design of its predecessor. It also has an onscreen keyboard. The Magic has a simple but stylish look, with only the volume control on the le hand side panel of the handset. Sad to say its 3.2 megapixel camera disappoints, as s ll no built in flash. Its design may be simple but this white magician possesses a special power. Android’s open source design makes the Magic a fully customizable mobile phone with 3G and Wi-Fi func onality. You can surf the web, video record and upload directly to YouTube, drag and drop your favourite apps onto your mainscreen. Being a Google phone it comes pre-installed with all of Google’s goodies, with Google Maps being a favourite amongst the bunch. I quite fancy its 360˚ streetview feature, allowing you to see your loca on exactly as you would if standing there. It also has push email func onality so you stay connected via emails 24/7 (long as you keep the phone on chuck!)
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FEATURE
“THE MAGIC HAS A SIMPLE BUT STYLISH LOOK. ITS DESIGN MAY BE SIMPLE BUT THIS WHITE MAGICIAN POSSESSES A SPECIAL POWER.” The mul media use on the HTC isn’t ranking at the top, but it’s usable. Watching videos on YouTube is fast (especially if using Wi-Fi) but there is room for improvement where picture quality is concerned. Listening to music is good, but the Magic doesn’t use a standard headphone jack….. what a bummer. And no phone is complete without an app store these days. The Android MarketPlace has a growing number of applica ons, both free and paid. Apps like Double Twist, Phone Face and Mobile banking are some of the more popular apps. (Apart from the usual Facebook, My Space, Twi er, etc) The HTC Magic is a great device, with its Android pla orm providing a faster processor which can run mul ple apps simultaneously without freezing. We look forward to the upgrade this white magician would surely receive in the future. Un then we give it a 9. Kevin Leonce
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VIEWS
NOKIA 5800 Since the release of the iPhone, every other mobile has just looked a bit drab in comparison. With its touch screen, mo on gaming, endless selec on of applica ons and the prieceless ‘cool’ factor that all Apple products have, the iPhone is currently the Don of the mobile hood. But, as happends within all walks of life, there’s always going to be a younger lion that wants to be king. So, can the Nokia 5800 smash the older lions’ face in? For starters, let’s judge the 5800 - as Nokia wish us to - on its own merits. The first thing that strikes you about the 5800 is the screen. At a pocket bus ng 3.2 inches, and with 16.7 million colours, it’s a glorious sight to behold, and the fact that it’s a touch screen is even be er. Features are vast and varied, with a colourfull collec on of mo on games included, as well as the standard 3.2MP camera. Although the camera isn’t the very best, it does have a superb flash thanks to its two LCDs, so those nigh me shots have rewarding results. The music player is very good also, with a solid and clean sound via headphones, or a speaker if you’re a Chav. All in all, the 5800 is shaping up nicely.
When being used as an actual phone, the 5800 hasn’t got anything to be ashamed of. Dialing via the touch screen is a doddle as well as a joy, sending texts is a delight thanks to the various keyboard layouts (QWERTY or standard A-Z are available), and web browsing is smooth and painless. The ba ery life is unsurprisingly short, with talk me at a scant 3.5 hours on 3G, but compared to other big screen phones and MP3 players, it’s rela vity good. Obviously there’re a few bugs, such as s cky menus and the occasional freeze, but these are all part and parcel of a new touch screen device. The Nokia 5800 is, undoubtedly, a fantas c phone. With a locker burs ng with goodies and brilliant basics to match, not to men on the excellent screen, it’s hard to pick a flaw. And at around £150-£200, it’s a bargain. But the big ques on is; is it be er than the iPhone? Sadly, no.
“THE NOKIA 5800 IS UNDOUBTEDLY A FANTASTIC PHONE, BUT IS IT BETTER THAN THE iPHONE? SADLY, NO.” phonica magazine magazine uk uk 26 phonica
VIEWS Although there’s a case to be made that the Nokia 5800 is technically be er than the iPhone, Apple products are always going to win a game of top trumps, whatever the format, due to there coolness. For example; most PCs are equal (if not be er) than Macs, and the differences between the two are microscopic. But if you walk into any design studio in the world and say so, you’ll wake up with a crowd around you. It’s the same with the iPod. The excellent mp3 players made by Crea ve and Archos are widely regarded as superior to the iPod, but again, the iPod will always have the cool vote, regardless of its failings.
Sadly, the Nokia 5800 will always be seen by many as an iPhone wanna-be, or a poor mans iPhone, which just isn’t right. The 5800 is superb, and at a frac on of the price of the iphone, it’s a technical treat. Sco Tierney
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VIEWS
iPHON
WHEN WE THOUG GET BETTE
Apple has clearly bombarded the Mobile Industry in 2007. Steve Jobs introduced for the first me a iPod with touch controls and a breakthrough The whole world was shocked; Apple has set a n similar to what the iPod did on the portable musi more, so in 2008 he presented the 3G iPhone: fa the price. Almost perfect, but it
Now in 2009, Apple presents its upgrade, the iPhone 3 part remains exactly the same. Regardless of the inn devices. The sad truth is that the fruit company self-proclaimed doze
BUT IS IT THE BES THAT DEPENDS BEC NOKIA N97 AND ANDRO HAVE A LOT TO S
The new iPhone 3G S has a built-in compass, so yo storage is now 32GB, a more powerful processor (t camera with video recording –sorry, s ll no flas recorded video directly from the device. And on an cipated release of the iPhone firmware 3.0 w search, tethering and copy paste as some of the internal power rather t
Wrapping things up, the iPhone 3G S is a so Its powerful processor, higher quality camera ( improved hardware that provides 2x faster loa firmware make this the best iPhone eve That depends because Palm Pre, Nokia N97 say in this war for the throne in the mobile the expecta on of an improved cosme protagonist for f
Jaime Lu
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E 3G S
VIEWS
GHT IT COULDN’T ER…IT DID
y the past two years with its iPhone. It all started a new revolu onary mobile phone, a widescreen Internet device; be er known as the iPhone. new standard for high-end mobile phones. Very ic player industry back in 2001. But Steve wanted aster, with GPS, 3G, be er performance and half was missing some key features.
3G S. This me, all changes are internal. The cosme c nova ons, Apple keeps adding “new” things into our knows what we want but has decided to be the er of our technology.
ST PHONE EVER? CAUSE PALM PRE, OID-POWERED PHONES SAY IN THIS WAR
ou can always know your direc on, the maximum he “S” in the name stands for speed), 3 mega-pixel sh-. A nice extra feature is the ability to edit the n top of all, the launch matches with the highly which includes mul media messaging, spotlight key features. Now we see how Apple focused on than external changes.
olid upgrade from the previous 3G version. (with video recording), a nice 32GB of storage, ading mes and app performance and the 3.0 r created. But is it the best phone ever? and Android-powered phones have a lot to industry. Also, some of us will remain with e c look. We hope this factor can be a future releases.
uis Tagle
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VIEWS SONY ERICSSON
YARI Mo on detec on technology has been available since Nintendo brought it to the forefront of the consumer market in November 2006, with the one of a kind, Wii. Since then, every major electronics corpora on has been a emp ng to design their new products, or update their exis ng models, with mo on detec on technology in mind. Microso has been working on Project Natal - a version of the Wii but without a remote - Sony has been upda ng the PSP to feature mo on detec on, and Nintendo has recently released the Mo on Plus update for the Wii. But apart from a select few phones, including Apples’ iPhone, which uses a very basic version of mo on detec on, this technology hasn’t made it to the mobile phone. Well, Sony has spo ed the gap in the market, and has released the Sony Ericsson Yari, with all new ‘Gesture Gaming’. Altogether; Ooooooooo! The Yari is all about fun, so it can be excused to a certain degree for having average features elsewhere. An impressive 5.0 MP camera is the highlight, although the 60MB memory, 450 hour standby me and 2.4 inch screen can’t be sniffed at. Also, the Yari is one of the best looking phones Sony has produced, mixing together cool elegance and sleek curves with sublime effect. And that big bu on in the centre is fantas c! All the bits and bobs are here, from web surfing and voice memo, to the potently irrita ng ‘Music Call’, which allows the caller to play music while they talk. Ace.
This is all irrelevant though, as the main reason shoppers are going to buy this phone is for the state of the art gaming. As already men oned, the Yari features gesture gaming, which works in the same manner as the Nintendo Wii. When playing Tennis on the Yari for example, you swing the phone as if it were a racket, just as you would with the Wii. The same goes with bowling; just aim where you want to shoot on the screen, and then perform the bowling ac on. Apparently there is a real skill to this, and you have to ‘bowl’ the phone accurately to hit the highly converted strike. With approximately 3 games coming with the Yari, and doubtless more to follow online, gesture gaming sounds like a sure fine hit. Whether gesture gaming is the future of mobiles is yet to be seen, although it’s hard to think of anything worse than scruffy Chaves, not only blaring their God-awful music out their phones, but now swinging them around with rage-inspired enthusiasm on a cramped bus, yelling “STRIKE!!” and decapita ng old women. But for the normal person, the Sony Ericsson Yari looks like a real blast, and a welcome addi on to the mobile market. Sco Tierney
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SONY ERICSSON
VIEWS
C510 With a recession brewing some of us (if not all) are The C510s’ proudest feature though is the ‘Cyber-shot’ slashing our spending, and a mobile phone is near camera. At 3.5MP, it’s not the biggest we’ve ever seen, but as I keep telling my fleeing girlfriends as they run, the top of that list. Here’s one for the budget….. During these mes of recession and economical depression, everyone’s on a budget. So when the me comes to purchase a new phone, you want something that not only has all the latest mod cons, but is also not going to leave you with barely enough money to feed the cat. A few years ago, buying on a budget would have resulted in the purchase of a mobile that was as featureless as it was bri le, but thankfully mes have changed for the be er, and a decent phone doesn’t have to break the bank. So let’s have a look at Sony’s’ latest budget offering; the Sony Ericsson C510. For a mobile that costs around the £80 mark, the C510 is rela vely well stocked with features. The 2.2 inch display is clear and crisp, all the usual goodies such as mo on gaming, Bluetooth, 100MB memory, FM radio and voice memo are present, and the outstanding 10hour talk me is a notable feature. The internet is pre y snappy at 3.6Mbit, so you can surf the web on a budget board, with calming ease. The dull as ditchwater design is a bit of a downer, but sadly that’s something we’ve come to expect from Sony. Not that it ma ers though; not at this price. And if you’re really that bothered, silicone covers are available.
tear soaked with bags in hand towards the nearest exit; it’s not the size that counts (or the smell). With a vast collec on of clever features, such as autofocus, a camera light, face and smile detec on, photo blogging capabili es and picture edi ng tools, you really do get your moneys worth. Obviously it’s nowhere near the quality of an actual camera, and unless the photos are taken on the surface of the sun, images do appear grainy due to lack of light. The flash is OK, but it’s not powerful enough to subs tute for actual sunlight. But all in all, it’s a very good camera at that price.
WITH A VAST COLLECTION OF CLEVER FEATURES, YOU REALLY DO GET YOUR MONEYS WORTH. If you’re looking for a mobile that is simple, solid, packed with features but doesn’t cost the earth, then the Sony Ericsson C510 is worth adding to your shopping list. It’s either this, or tearing an iPhone out of the s ll –warm but spla ered corpse of a suicidal banker. I’d go for the C510 if I were you; it’ll weigh less on your conscience. Sco Tierney
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VIEWS SONY ERICSSON
NAITE Following the current trend of environmental cleanliness and pollu on eradica ng that has turned every major money-grabbing corpora on into peace loving hippies (or so they want you to believe), Sony has setup the nausea ngly tled, GreenHeart founda on. And the first phone to be born (or to quote The Clash, wasn’t born, but rather fell out) from this new incen ve, is the Sony Ericsson Naite. Let’s briefly look at the facts and stats of the new Naite, before moving on to the main selling point behind this phone.
“EVEN THE PACKAGING HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND REFINED TO SAVE ON WASTE (AND IT’S GREEN, SO IT MUST BE GOOD!)” The Naite comes with the standard 2MP camera, which can be used for taking photos, filming short movies at 15fps or video calling on its 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inch screen. Memory wise, the standard memory is 100MB, which is comparably good for its class. The phonebook holds 1000 contacts and there’s the op on of adding up to 8GB via a micro SD card. Extras are the now bog standard FM radio, Bluetooth, voice memo, web browser and downloadable ring tones, all packaged together at a feather light weight of 84g, in Sony’s’ elegant and func onal, if slightly dull Ericsson design. Basically, it’s basic. But what about all the environmental addi ons that Sony have invested in so highly, and is ge ng the Naite going to save the world, or at least make a difference?
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“IF YOU NOKIA THE NAI EARTH’S GOING ON A SQ
Sony have tried to make the Naite as green as possible, from the phone itself, all the way through to the packaging it arrives in. Every aspect of the phones’ design has been looked at and reevaluated, so now the Naites’ housing is made from recycled plas cs (though you’d never know), its inners are devoid of any lead, and the toxic chemicals within have been reduced. The power consump on has been reduced in an effort to lengthen the ba ery life, though you s ll get a lengthy talk me. The paper manual has been replaced with an e-manual (hardly big news, but every li le helps) and even the packaging has been modified and refined to save on waste (and it’s green, so it must be good!). There’s also a feature that allows you to calculate your Co2 levels. More of these addi ons can be viewed through the GreenHeart introduc on video on youtube, but I must warn you, this video contains intoxica ng levels of corporate jargon, self righteous propaganda and smugness.
VIEWS
U BUY THE NEW INSTEAD OF ITE, MOTHER S NOT G TO STAMP QUIRREL”
The Sony Ericsson Naite is a decent phone that does everything you’d need, without blowing you away in a fit of excitement. But the new ‘green’ features don’t warrant purchasing this phone. Yes the Naite is probably kinder to the environment, and Sony is doing the right thing in making their phones environmentally friendlier, but you can’t help but get the impression that all this GreenHeart stuff is really just a cleverly marketed adver sing campaign that’s solely aimed at selling phones. Let’s face it; if you buy the new Nokia instead of the Naite, Mother Earth’s not going to stamp on a squirrel. Just recycle your rubbish and walk to work instead, while enjoying some tunes on your iPhone. Sco Tierney
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GAMING 411 WHERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT phonica magazine uk
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NEWS
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES
SILENT HUNTER 5
EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PC Prepare to dive into cinema c ba les with strong enemy warships across the Atlan c and Mediterranean Ubiso has announced the fi h itera on of the acclaimed submarine simula on series with Silent Hunter 5. Developed by Ubiso Romania, Silent Hunter 5 is the next installment of the best-selling submarine series of all- me and will be available for the PC some me early next year. Silent Hunter 5 will put players behind the periscope of a German U-boat to take on the Allied Forces in famous ba les across the vast Atlan c Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
This franchise’s previous release, Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific, was named 2007’s “Simula on Game of the Year” by PC Gamer, so there’s some reason to expect good things. The difficulty with ship-sims is that there’s a lot to do but the captain has li le direct control. It’s almost nothing like a flight-sim. Space combat games tend to get round the problem by inven ng some kind of special interface that lets one person control all their cra ’s func ons. Games based on the Star Trek universe, where no technology exists, have always struggled. Ubiso ’s PR makes play of the new control system. Emphasising that even beginners “can successfully command a sub while remaining free of confusion”. Well we’d certainly hope so. There will also be an expert mode providing an increased level of difficulty and presumably, confusion. Silent Hunter 5 promises to allow players to walk through highly detailed submarines in the new first-person view and access every part of the U-boat. If this includes barking orders at subordinates in German it could be really fun and might actually simulate what it’s like to be a submarine commander. You could even make your own Downfall YouTube videos.
So if you’ve ever wanted to take your anger out on cruise liners full of Americans and ns of Spam, this could be the game for you. Players can live the life of a submarine captain from a first-person view and lead a crew in a cri cal campaign. All of which sounds great, but wouldn’t it be even be er if they combined some elements from the Sims to fill me between missions? Imagine the ways you could find to murder your li le vic ms on a submarine.
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The campaign mode will give players the freedom to choose their own strategy and select your targets within an open campaign. Hopefully making the campaign map will be pre y simple because there won’t be much in the way of terrain. The enemy ships will react to the player’s decisions providing the feeling of a dynamic campaign.
NEWS “SILENT HUNTER 5 PROMISES TO ALLOW PLAYERS WALK THROUGH HIGHLY DETAILED SUBMARINES IN THE NEW FIRST-PERSON VIEW AND ACCESS EVERY PART OF THE U-BOAT”
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NEWS UBISOFT ANNOUNCES SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING: WORLD STAGE
UBISOFT TOURS THE GLOBE WITH SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING: WORLD STAGE Ubiso announced that it is collabora ng again with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White in Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage. Developed by Ubiso Montréal, the game will be available exclusively for the Wii and will be available in the run up to Christmas. The game will make use of the balance board supplied as part of the Wii Fit package. “Working with Shaun on the first tle was an excellent experience,” said Antoine Guignard, Ubiso producer of Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage. “The great public recep on of Shaun White Snowboarding and the wonderful collabora on with Shaun made it a slam dunk for us to reunite to create a fun, new adventure for fans.”
“Ubiso has been a great partner, and I’m excited for World Stage,” said ac on sports phenom Shaun White. “It’s cool to give people insight on what my life is like on the compe on circuit.”
“PLAYERS WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK OUT THEIR BALANCE BOARDS ONCE AGAIN, EITHER ALONE OR TOGETHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.” Shaun White Snowboarding was a worldwide success for Ubiso , selling over 3 million copies since its November 2008 launch and established Ubiso as a sports brand. The tle was also one of the first and most popular video games compa ble with the Wii Balance Board accessory. Players will be able to break out their Balance Boards once again for Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage when they flex their board skills either alone or together with family and friends. For more informa on on Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage, please visit: www.shaunwhitegame.com.
Players will hit the slopes with Shaun White and his crew, but this me the stakes are higher as you pursue the world’s top compe ons from a halfpipe in the middle of New York’s Time Square to the most pres gious compe ons of France, Canada and Japan.
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NEWS VIR2L STUDIOS RELEASES AMF BOWLING: PINBUSTERS! FOR N-GAGE
AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! launch marks the first of several new Vir2L games to be released for N-Gage by Nokia Vir2L Studios recently announced AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! for Nokia’s N-Gage gaming pla orm and for download in the Ovi Store, Nokia’s rather limp version of the Apple App Store. Any game with an exclama on mark at the end has to make you nervous. It sort of makes you imagine a lot of execs si ng around in an office yelling at one another while trying to come up with a good tle. Players can choose from 12 unique characters but I bet not even one of them is the Dude from The Big Lebowski. If he does make an appearance, even as an unlockable secret character or something. Apparently each character will have their own signature style and moves, which could be fun but I’m not sure how “moves” will translate into bowling. As well as one of games you’ll be able to enter the World Cup to become a “virtual bowling champion”. Poten ally exci ng is a mul player mode via the N-Gage Arena.
AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! on N-Gage features Point Pickups, allowing users to collect N-Gage points and track high scores. Players will have the ability to post their scores to a leader board as well as track their personal bests on their devices. It’s certainly a smart move making use of all the online func onality but in a game where there’s a maximum score, will leader boards even make sense? Perhaps bonus points can be earned by execu ng the “moves” alluded to earlier. “Vir2L brings a wealth of experience to developing games for N-Gage and we think that AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! will be fantas c,” said Gregg Sauter, Director, Publishing and Partner Management, Nokia. “In par cular, we’re excited to see some great mul player features that take advantage of the N-Gage Arena.” AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! is now available for download at www.n-gage.com and soon at store.
www.ovi.com
“We are excited to release AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! on N-Gage, “ said Douglas Frederick, president of Vir2L Studios. “We’re sure that bowling fans of all ages will enjoy a robust and fun filled gaming experience.”
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NEWS DANCE FABULOUS BY NOKIA TO HIT THE CHARTS N-GAGE INTRODUCES A NEW WAY TO PLAY AND LISTEN TO MUSIC Dance Fabulous, published by Nokia, is out on N-Gage. It’s a sort of hybrid of game and music player: the result of a collabora on between Nokia, Interscope Records and music legend Dave Stewart. Dance Fabulous sees the debut of musician Cindy Gomez, with her new songs featured in-game, and your very own dancing Gomez avatar.
“It’s a music game where players can use any music they have stored on their mobile device and download more of their favourite songs from the Nokia Music Store,” said Nokia’s Mark Ollila. “Dance Fabulous offers its players a unique experience, enabling them to share their own visual content - the cool dance moves and the new dance styles they have created and showcases how playing together with friends, combined with other rich community features, makes mobile games an essen al part of mobile entertainment offering.”
“DANCE FABULOUS OFFERS ITS PLAYERS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE” Dance Fabulous involves performing your own choreography and collec ng points by bus ng moves and dancing to the music. You can customize your own avatars, mix and match between a variety of dance styles and dance sets and share your moves with friends and other players via the N-Gage Arena.
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The game definitely has a noteworthy first… Cindy Gomez is the first ar st to make her debut in a mobile game. Dance Fabulous features five of her songs, including the debut single “Again & Again”. And it’s not just Cindy’s voice you hear echoing through the tle - as well as recording unique songs for Dance Fabulous, Cindy’s mo on-capture studio involvement means you’ll see rather a lot of her in-game itself. The dancing avatar does her ample charms jus ce, so you’ll be able to form a full-spectrum rela onship with her voice and digital features. Cindy Gomez’s debut single “Again & Again” is in the charts and available in the Nokia Music Store. The album will come later this year. Dance Fabulous is now available at www.n-gage.com. View the Dance Fabulous trailer, making of videos and images at www.n-gage.com/dancefabulous and sign up for a free 30-day pass at nokia.mobi/dancefabulous.
NEWS
UBISOFT INVITES THE WORLD TO “JUST DANCE” NEW DANCE VIDEO GAME LAUNCHING HOLIDAY 2009 Ubiso has announced it will launch Just Dance - a new dance video game for the Nintendo Wii – this winter. Developed by Ubiso Paris, Just Dance will challenge all those who like to groove, entertaining spectators along the way. Requiring only one Wiimote per player, up to four people at a me can show off their repertoire of moves. The game features classic dance tracks, covering a wide variety of musical genres, so you may end up vic m to some nostalgic grooving from Grandma. Or a group of 15 year-old girls who just want to have fun. Or a high school reunion dance from the class of ‘92 needing to pump up the jam. You get the idea. Everyone’s going to find something to get them going.
The game features more than 30 licensed tracks: you’ve got some genuine cheese classics like “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer; there’s some more modern pop with “Hot N Cold (Rock Version)” by Katy Perry. And more are apparently on the way. The odds on Coldplay ge ng in on the act are, I’m guessing, not good. Visitors to GamesCom in Cologne from August 19th through 23rd are invited to Just Dance at the Ubiso booth (Stand A41, A51 Halle 7). The game will be previewed for the press and public with a few of these caressing your ears:
“Just Dance is a fun game for all ages where players will learn real dance moves set to classic and modern songs across all genres they know and love,” said Yves Guillemot, big cheese of Ubiso . “The concept is simple and whether players are looking for fun, exercise or a good me with friends and family, we feel everyone will enjoy Just Dance.”
- The Trashmen: Surfin’ Bird - Fame (In the style of Irene Cara) - Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Technotronic: Pump Up the Jam - MC Hammer: U Can’t Touch This - Deee-lite: Groove Is in the heart - Blur: Girls & Boys - Katy Perry: Hot N Cold (Rock Version) More info available at www.justdancegame.com.
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FEATURE
THE POSITIVITY OF GAMING A lot has been made of the nega vity of gaming, whether it is the violent behaviour they are claimed to inspire or the supposed view that they rot your brain, video games are perceived by some to be a cancer on today’s genera on. Usually these nega ve views are expressed by an overly protec ve poli cian who’s trying to score easy points for an upcoming elec on, but it s ll puts the world of video gaming under a cloud. But what are the posi ves of gaming, and do they out weigh the nega ves, if any? Let’s have a look at what are considered the nega ves of gaming, and try and find the real truths behind them. phonica magazine magazine uk uk 42 phonica
FEATURE GAMES ENCOURAGE VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR…. This point usually comes hand in hand with the overly crucified Grand The Auto series, which has been accused of racism, sexism, glorifying violence and even real life murders. When the players’ task is to steal cars, gun down pedestrians and essen ally break as many laws as possible, it’s easy to see why Grand The Auto and video games in general have received such bad press. But how many people who have played GTA (and that number is in the millions) have rushed out and commi ed a crime as a direct result of playing this game? US lawyer Jack Thompson has been involved in several cases where he has a empted to hold the Grand The Auto series accountable for crimes that may have been inspired or provoked by the game. None were successful. Due to his conduct in these and related cases, Thompson was disbarred in 2008 and fined more than $43,000 by the Florida Bar Associa on.
“IF GAMES SUCH AS GRAND THEFT AUTO DID ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE TO THE EXTENT THAT SOME PEOPLE MAKE OUT, THEN YOU’D HAVE BEEN SHOT BEFORE YOU’D HAD TIME TO FINISH THIS SENTENCE.”
EXCESSIVE VIDEO GAMING RESULTS IN OBESITY….. With the release of the Wii and the Wii Fitness Board, video gaming can actually improve your fitness. Also, the posi ve effects of these games cover the areas of learning, mo va on, reten on memory, spa al skills, u lity for special groups, and cogni ve abili es. Dr. Josh Trout, Professor of Kinesiology at California State University has said that: “Exertainment and home video consoles are the wave of the future. On that note, exergaming, and exertainment, is an excellent way for ge ng kids hooked on physical ac vity, producing good exercise habits that can last their life me.” Obviously si ng on your Harris playing video games for hours on end will not keep you fit, but that does not mean that video games make you fat. As long as exercise is involved in a person’s daily rou ne and they eat healthily, playing video games will make them no more fat than si ng on a turnip staring at a cucumber.
PLAYING GAMES WILL MAKE YOUR PENIS FALL OFF…. This point, a er extensive scien fic research, has been discovered to be a lie. Due to the fact that there is very li le concrete evidence regarding either the posi ves or nega ves of gaming, the bandwagon of games being a nega ve influence will role on and on. People will always say that violent games are not fit for young children, but all games have a ra ng cer ficate as standard. Certain people will always make the point that children are ge ng fa er and video games are a direct contributor to this, but why doesn’t watching TV or reading a ract the same cri cism. And anyone who says that playing games will make your penis fall off is clinically insane! So enjoy your games, and if anyone says they’re bad for you and they encourage violence, go and steal their car and perform a drive-by on them, just for the sake of irony. Sco Tierney
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FEATURE FORGOTTEN GEMS
LANDSTALKER:
THE TREASURES OF KING NOLE (SEGA MEGADRIVE / GENESIS 1993) The history of video games is full of classic tles. Titles that have become household names and have acquired cult followings due to their vast commercial and cri cal success. If you asked an avid gamer to name a classic pla ormer from the nine es, it’s likely their answer would be ‘Sonic 2’ or ‘Super Mario Bros 3’. These two games are hall of fame classics, and have earned their place in the history books for the rest of me, but what about, for instance, Gunstar Heroes, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse or Another World? What about the games that me has swept under the carpet? What about the games that, due to a number of obstacles i.e.; poorly adver sed, overshadowed on release by a be er game, underappreciated at the me, only a few copies were made etc, never received the recogni on they truly deserved. Well, in this regular feature, Forgo en Gems, we’ll take a look back at these games, and give them the limelight they missed out on first me around. Our first game is Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole, the RPG that was always in Zelda’s shadow. In 1992 Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, for the SNES. The third in the Zelda series, it was widely recognized at the me as one of the best RPGs available, and is now considered as a fully paid-up member of the greatest games ever made. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was a huge success for Nintendo, and having seen this, Sega, eager to set up a rival RPG series of its own, released Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole, on its Megadrive console in 1993.
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FEATURE At the me Landstalker was seen, and labeled to some degree, as a blatant rip-off of Zelda. The central character, Nigel (Ryle in Japan and France, Niels in Germany) looked a spli ng image of Zelda’s Link, the gameplay was essen ally the same, both incorpora ng a mixture of ac on and puzzle solving, and at a glance the level designs and scenery we’re almost iden cal. It appeared that Landstalker was just a money grabbing copycat, rushed through by Sega to make a quick buck off the back of Nintendo’s success. But, behind all this banal chas sing, Landstalker was much be er than it received credit for. Much, much be er.
Landstalker’s plot is centered on Nigel’s quest to find the treasure of King Noble, hidden away somewhere on the island of Mercator. Along the way he meets a wood nyth called Friday, (not unlike Zelda’s Navi) who accompanies him for the rest of the adventure, guiding Nigel in the right direc on and advising him on what to do next. As the story progress, Nigel encounters all manner of strange beasts, from the vicious Lizard man to the slightly less vicious, bubble. The whole game was beau ful to look at, and although it’s nearly 17 years old, it’s staggering how much detail the designers and programmers have crammed into its ny 16bits. The lighthouse of Ryuma is a par cular delight, as are the underground mines of Verla. The character anima ons are also extremely good for a game of this age, maintaining a simple detail while delivering a casual fluidity throughout.
“LANDSTALKER WAS MUCH BETTER THAN IT RECEIVED CREDIT FOR, AND IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES SEGA EVER PRODUCED.” Landstalker was one of the first games to successfully use an isometric view (it gave the appearance that it was in 3D, when it was actually standard 2D), which gave the player a wider view of his surroundings and obstacles. Although this viewpoint could be frustra ng at mes, especially when trying to navigate your way up a constantly moving set of pla orms, the isometric view brought the game to life far more than any side-scroller could. Another feature was the use of items that Nigel would collects along the way. Keys could be used to open hidden doors and passages, magic rings conjured up special powers, and statues could be placed to unlock puzzles and traps. One of the puzzles, where Nigel had to unravel 10 riddles in the underground crypts of Mercator was notoriously fiendish, and the bane of many a players life for a long, long me. Landstalker was so much more than the copycat it was wrongfully branded as, and although it was highly rated at the me by most cri cs, it was unfairly cast aside as just ‘Sega’s version of Zelda’. Although it can’t be argued that Landstalker took the majority of its influences from Zelda, when evaluated on its own merits, Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole is one of the best games Sega ever produced. With it’s superb gameplay that elegantly blended pulse-racing ac on with highly sophis cated puzzle solving, set to the backdrop of magical castles and mountain obscured sunsets, all ed together with a story filled with charm and drama, Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole is a true gaming masterpiece. Yes, it was never as good as Zelda, but very few games are.
If you would like to nominate a game for the Forgo en Gems feature, we’d love to hear your sugges ons. Please send your nomina ons to yourchoice@phonicamagazine.co.uk or Tweet us @phonicamagUK
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FEATURE
CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN THE FORGOTTEN KEYSTONE
With the hotly an cipated next chapter in the long running Castle Wolfenstein franchise, the simply tled Wolfenstein, due for release in the coming weeks, now seems a good me to look back and re-evaluate the many tles bearing the name Castle Wolfenstein, and how they shaped and directed the path of video gaming.
1992
It all started back in 1981, when Muse So ware released Castle Wolfenstein on the Apple II, the first stealth based game of the me (later ported to DOS, the Atari 8-bit family and the Commodore 64). The main objec ve was to escape from the encapsula ng 2D castle, while collec ng secret war plans and avoiding the a en on of the SS guards. One of the main standout points was its unprecedented use of digi zed voices. German words shouted by the guards, such as “Halt!” and “Kommen Sie!” were frequent, and added to the game’s atmosphere, making Castle Wolfenstein radical when compared to other more basic games. Castle Wolfenstein set the standard, not only for the Wolfenstein series, but for all the other stealth based games that have followed since.
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2002
2009
Muse followed on from the success of Castle Wolfenstein three years later with Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, again in a 2D environment. This me the player had to navigate Hitler’s secret bunkers and plant a bomb in an a empt to assassinate the Führer. Featuring new weapons, a wider variety of dialogue and enhanced methods of gameplay that included bribing and silent killing, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein took the best bits from its predecessor and built upon them. But the Wolfenstein name would not be seen again for another eight years, but when it did return, it was in a totally different guise altogether.
FEATURE Id So ware released Wolfenstein 3D for the PC in 1992, and shortly a er the prequel Wolfenstein: Spear of Des ny. Although another of id So ware’s’ tles, Doom, is widely thought of as the first, and most influen al 3D shooter, it was beaten to the punch by Wolfenstein 3D, which was released over a year prior and featured all the technology and gimmicks that Doom and most FPSs since are built upon. The ac on was based around the main character, William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, as he struggled to escape the historic Nazi stronghold that was Castle Wolfenstein. During gameplay the player would be bombarded with enemy solders, a ack dogs, undead mutants and for a cherry on top, the final ba le was against a robo c Hitler with four ga ling guns. Wolfenstein 3D was a huge hit and a massive step forward in gaming terms, but controversy was not far away. Due to its use of Nazi symbols (when viewed from above, the levels appear to be constructed from nothing but Swas kas) and the anthem of the Nazi Party, Horst-Wessel-Lied, as theme music, the PC version of Wolfenstein 3D was confiscated in Germany in 1994, following a verdict by the Amtsgericht München. Due to this, Nintendo, who were planning a SNES release of the game at the me, made radical changes to make their version of the game less violent. Again, the name Wolfenstein would go into hiding, but returned in magnificent form 10 years later in 2002 with the outstanding Return to Castle Wolfenstein, from Ac vision. Star ng out on the PC, and then spreading to the major consoles of the me, the PS2 and Xbox, (though they we’re sub tled as Opera on Resurrec on and Tides of War, respec vely) Return to Castle Wolfenstein was a commercial and cri cal success. Featuring hugely improved graphics and physics, but s ll keeping the gameplay that made the originals so successful (the plot has moments of déjà vu when compared with the original), it was a massive hit and Game of the Year in 2002. Return to Castle Wolfenstein also boasted some unique weapons not found in other World War II-themed first-person shooters, including the airstrike beacon, Venom, and Flame Thrower.
The success of Return to Castle Wolfenstein brought on the mul player expansion pack, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Originally intended as a full game, the single player mode was removed en rely, causing Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory to be downloadable for free
“WOLFENSTEIN 3D NEVER RECEIVED THE ACCOLADES IT DESERVED” Again there was controversy, when an ar cle wri en in 2002 by Jonathan Kay of the New York Times regarded the recent introduc on of “Nazi protagonists” in the online gaming market (referring specifically to Day of Defeat and Wolfenstein). Todd Hollenshead, chief execu ve of id So ware at the me of the original ar cle stated “The trend you’re seeing with new games is, to some extent, a reflec on of what’s going in the culture ... For instance, you’ve now got games with terrorists and counterterrorists. And World War II games such as Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Day of Defeat reflect what you see in popular movies.” “I don’t doubt there are going to be people that go out and distort what the mul player gaming experience is and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe you guys did this.’ There are a lot of cri cs of the game industry, and they look for things to cri cize.” The Castle Wolfenstein franchise as a whole is largely under appreciated, and in a way has been swept aside by the games and clones it has inspired. Whether it is the 1981 Castle Wolfenstein, that was the first of its kind but overshadowed by the games that followed, the 1992 classic Wolfenstein 3D that spawned the FPS as we know today (and is criminally overlooked in favor of the more polished Doom), or the latest incarna on Return to Castle Wolfenstein, that was blown apart by Half Life 2 and to a certain extent Doom3. The Wolfenstein games have never truly received the accolades they deserve, and in a way they are the missing link in the history of gaming. Hopefully the new game, Wolfenstein, will raise awareness of the whole series, while being a step forward and a classic in its own right. Sco Tierney
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VIEWS
WOLFENSTEIN (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
THE UNDEAD-NAZI SHOOTING DADDY IS BACK, BUT CAN IT LIVE UP TO ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY? As already men oned in the Castle Wolfenstein: The Forgo en Keystone ar cle, all the Wolfenstein games have been outstanding addi ons to the gaming scene. So, it’s no wonder that the hotly an cipated new entry in the series, Wolfenstein, is expected – and required - to deliver and maintain the same high standard of its predecessors. But sadly, Wolfenstein is a bit, well…. red. Wolfenstein takes place a er 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, with the ridiculously named, B.J. Blazkowiez, returning to slap-down the Nazi’s new forms of evil hocus pocus. This me, the Nazis have discovered a cavern of mys cal crystals, which when used gives the holder magical powers, such as the ability to pass through walls and slow down me. So, Blazkowiez is sent on a mission to retrieve these crystals, and kill a few Nazis in the process. It’s good old fashioned Wolfenstein story telling, with corny Nazis, the supernatural, and supernatural-corny-Nazis. So, let’s get into the game. Star ng with the posi ves, Wolfenstein does look and sound impressive. The graphics are crisp, the sound is booming and although Wolfenstein maybe lacks a certain flair (or doesn’t make the most of its surrounding in the way Bioshock or Gears of War did) the various levels are well designed. Controls are also good, and although selec ng weapons can be annoying with just the one bu on, (holding the right shoulder bu on pauses gameplay and brings up the weapons menu) the controls are otherwise solid. There’s also a plasma cannon that’ll reduce your enemies to chard skeletons, which can never be a bad thing! Gameplay is also reasonably pacey, and at mes the cinema c tension is electric, if not a li le stop start.
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VIEWS TO WIN A COPY OF WOLFENSTEIN ON THE XBOX 360, TURN TO THE BACK PAGE AND ENTER OUR COMPETITION Another major addi on is the dark powers that can be collected and upgraded during the game. At the push of a bu on, you can slow me, raise a shield around yourself or pass through into another dimension. They’re nothing new, and to be honest you’ll only use them when prompted, but it’s a nice gimmick nonetheless. So, what’s wrong with Wolfenstein you may be asking, and why have we referred to it as red?
“THE PROBLEM WITH WOLFENSTEIN IS THAT EVERYTHING THE GAME’S BUILT ON HAS BEEN EITHER DONE BEFORE, OR HAS BEEN BETTERED.”
The problem with Wolfenstein is that everything the game’s built on has been either done before, or has been be ered. If you’ve only played a few FPS’s, this wont be a problem and you’ll probably enjoy Wolfenstein on its own merits, but to avid gamers who have sampled the many bullet-holed delights available (see page 64 for our recommenda ons), it’s hard not to see Wolfenstein as just another mediocre shooter. For instance, during one stage of the game, you’ll find yourself sneaking around a secret Nazi medical facility. While creeping past a couple of white coated scien sts, nervously dissec ng a disfigured creature in a poorly lit opera ng room, when you’ll hear the heart-sinking phrase, “I hope one of these creatures doesn’t escape.” It doesn’t take a genius to know what’s going to happen next. Yep, you’ll be running away from hordes of wild eyed experiments gone wrong, a scene that has appeared in countless games before, and with be er effect (Half Life, Fear, Gears of War, Halo etc). It’s the same for the rest of the game, and sadly there’s nothing new or exci ng worthy of a men on. I don’t want to sound overly nega ve about Wolfenstein, as it does have its moments; there’s an excellent segment at the end of the facility level for example, and the plasma cannon is hysterical. But as a shooter, and for a game that comes from a hugely successful series that is expected to break new ground, Wolfenstein is a huge letdown, and can be summed up in three words; it’s been done. Sco Tierney
OVERALL
7.0/10 phonica magazine uk
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VIEWS TOM CLANCY’S
H.A.W.X. (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
When you think of a film, book or game produced by the seminal American writer, Tom Clancy, the same collec on of descrip ons immediately spring to mind. Accurate, clinical, technical, detailed, precise; these words are all synonymous with the tles bearing the Tom Clancy seal. But one adjec ve that’s rarely appropriate when summing up any of his projects is the word ‘fun’, and Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. is no different.
Taking flight in the worlds’ fastest and most advanced fighters; you play the role of pilot, David Crenshaw, who a er ending his service in the US Air Force is employed on a freelance basis by Artemis, a Private Military Company that salutes no flag, only the dollar. In working for Artemis, your missions take you around the world at supersonic pace, from ba lefields in Chicago and New England, to Rio, Chile and the Middle East to name but a few. As the game progress you’ll be granted access to new planes (of which there’re over 60) along with be er and more destruc ve payloads, such as air to air missiles and big fat bell-bo omed bombs, ideal for destroying the horde of enemies you’re bound to encounter.
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Graphics wise, H.A.W.X. is presented to a high standard with an extremely sharp picture and some highly detailed maps. The planes look terrific, and although you’ll never see another plane other than your own due to the ligh ng speeds of the dogfights, they’re well represented for the brief glimpses they’re in sight. Although not spectacular, and maybe lacking a certain ar s c flair, H.A.W.X. is a solid experience on the eyes and ears, and for a game as fast and as detailed as this, the frame rate rarely encounters any problems, providing smooth gameplay throughout.
VIEWS
“ALTHOUGH NOT SPECTACULAR, AND MAYBE LACKING A CERTAIN ARTISTIC FLAIR, H.A.W.X. IS A SOLID EXPERIENCE ON THE EYES AND EARS” H.A.W.X.’s controls are what you’d expect from a flight sim, with the majority of flight control maintained through the one joys ck, your viewpoint available from the other and weapons fired through the main bu ons. This may be nit picking, but you get the feeling that the central flight controls could have made be er use of the Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers, as although you always feel in total harmony with your plane, the controls feel a tad basic and underdeveloped. But as I say, I’m picking the nits off a nit. A control mode that is not nit covered though is the ERS system, that enables you to switch off all the computer aids and perform some mind-blowing daredevil maneuvers. While in ERS mode, the camera switches to a 3rd person view, giving you a be er idea of what your plane is doing and where the enemies are in rela on to you, which is ideal for those ght and tricky situa ons. It takes a bit of ge ng used to, but overall it’s a welcome addi on that breaths a bit of life into an otherwise repe ve gaming experience.
To be honest, the opening 3 levels which cons tute the first 90 minutes play me are lackluster at best, with hardly any notable ac on or excitement to speak off. But don’t let this put you off, as H.A.W.X. improves from here on in, and your reward for si ng through the dour start is a terrific mission over Rio that’s worth the price of the game alone. As it goes along the story and ac on slowly pick up pace in tandem, but sadly there’s just isn’t a peak in excitement worth no ng, rendering the plot of H.A.W.X dull and trudging. The gameplay though, even if it may not be the best we’ve ever seen here at Phonica, does have its moments, and if you’re a fan of flight sims you’ll enjoy H.A.W.X. But as I’ve men oned, H.A.W.X. is just like any other Tom Clancy project; superbly well made and precise in every detail, but always lacking that spackle of magic that makes something special. Although games such as Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, Endwar and now H.A.W.X. have been enjoyable to play and by no means bad, they’ve just never been able to do that one thing that a game should do; put a smile on your face.
OVERALL
6.5/10
Sco Tierney
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VIEWS
ZACK & WIKI: QUEST FOR BARBAROS’ TREASURE (WII) Life is rubbish. Take today for example; I go out for a nice relaxing day in Cambridge, just to chill out, check the sites and generally have a lazy wander. Well, God has other plans. Rather than see me have a nice day, he’d prefer to rub shit in my eyes and spit in my face. He does this by cramming the streets of Cambridge with pompous students, hiding my favourite shops behind hoards of tourists, and soaking me to the skin with torren al rain for my en re walk home. Thanks God, much love. But, on reflec on, life’s not that bad, as I have something wai ng for me at home that’ll put a smile on even the most ver cal of faces; a copy of Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure.
Although Zack & Wiki has the appearance of a pre-school kids game, don’t let this fool you into Zack is a small boy who, although dressing like expec ng an easy path to comple on. Yes, the early Liberaces’ idea of a fireman, dreams of becoming the levels may consist of something as simple as pressing world’s greatest pirate. Accompanied by his faithful friend Wiki, a flying golden monkey who when shaken a bu on or cu ng down a tree, but as Zack & Wiki progress, the challenge gets harder and harder. Each turns into a magical bell (that’s right!), he travels the level is broken down into (depending on the level) four uncharted lands ahead in search of Barbaros’ hidden puzzles, that on comple on grant you access to the Treasure. A er an unexpected mishap on route, Zack final ‘boss’. When each puzzle is completed, you & Wiki stumble across the talking skull of Barbaros, who offers them his ship as a reward, if they can locate receive a piece of Barbaros body that is added to his all the missing parts of his vastly sca ered body. From head and the other parts you’ve already found. Simple enough, but when you start ge ng into the meat of then on the game commences, and the puzzle solving and riddle unravelling starts. Although from the outset, the later puzzles, you’ll be le tearing your hair out in despairing frustra on. If there’s a flaw to be found Zack & Wiki is an odd mix of Monkey Island, Treasure in the otherwise superb gameplay, it’s that the puzzle Island (from which the game is inspired) and Japanese can be overly contrived and at mes a solu on can Manga, all these ingredients mix together to create be impossible to fathom. On hand though, is Granny, a truly magical world, packed with unrivalled charm, a creepy fairy who will pass on words of wisdom and surreal scenarios and snappy humour. But that’s clues when you eventually get stuck. But clues come only the start, as at its core, Zack & Wiki is pure at a price, so you’ll need to keep an eye on your coin gaming nirvana. balance.
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VIEWS
“WITH UNRIVALLED CHARM, SURREAL SCENARIOS AND SNAPPY HUMOUR, ZACK & WIKI IS PURE GAMING NIRVANA.”
In my eyes, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure is truly enchan ng, and typifies precisely what the Wii console is about. At a me when blood-soaked games like Gears of War, Le for Dead, Grand The Auto and endless other gore fests rule the roosts of the PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s such a relief to see a game so u erly charming and cuddly arrive on the Wii. Zack & Wiki sums up the Wii perfectly; unapologe c family orientated fun that ckles the ribs and tests the brain, without resor ng to cheap gimmicks like headshot Zack & Wiki plays as any other point and click. Just aim bonuses and needless swearing. The whole game has the Wii remote where you want Zack to inspect, and an almost dreamlike state of playfulness. Playing Zack & he’ll merrily oblige. The Wii remote is put to far Wiki gives you a feeling of shear joy, similar to when you be er use than just a cursor though, as it can be used picked up a 16bit controller for the first me as a child. to ring Wiki, pull levers, drive robots, twist screws and It’s uncanny. even bop moles on the head. All these ac ons are performed as they would in reality, so if you want to Zack & Wiki is simply divine, and now with a low price tug on a lever, you have to hold the remote in the tag there are no excuses for not ge ng this li le gem. correct manner (as shown on screen during gameplay) Right, me to dry myself off and wash my eyes….. and perform the movement in accordance. It’s terrific fun, and this extra interac on brings the game to life. OVERALL Sco Tierney
8.0/10
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VIEWS
LORD OF THE RINGS: CONQUEST (XBOX 360, PS3, PC, DS)
If you’re a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then chances are you’d love to experience some of the film’s epic ba les for real. There’d be nothing more exci ng than charging down the central gangway of Helms Deep, slicing bloody chunks out of on-coming Trolls and Orks, then riding into the heart Mordor to cast the ring into the fires of Mount Doom. Well, lick your ring in an cipa on, as Lord of the Rings: Conquest strives to make your fantasies come to life. Well, sort of. Set across the epic ba lefields and fantasy realms of the hugely acclaimed Lord of the Rings films, Lord of the Rings: Conquest a empts to transport the player into the epicentre of ba le. Most of what you see in the films has been exported into the game, so you can defend Helms Deep in the blackest of nights, you can push Trolls to their death in the Mines of Moria, and yes, thank God, you can shoot Saruman in the eye with an arrow, and laugh. You can also play via split screen with another controller, or online, so you can pound the heads of Orks in front of your applauding friends.
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Frustra ngly, the available choice of playable characters is scarce to say the least, with only a Warrior, Archer, Scout, or Mage (wizard) being available for most of the me. You can select to play as a ‘hero’ during the later stages of each level, so the big guns of Gandalf and Aragorn are playable, but sadly only for short busts as the level ends. This is a major flaw in the overall game as it takes away one of the main points for playing; you want to be your hero, and this will definitely put off fans who want to cram Gandalf’s s ck up some Goblin....
VIEWS
Lord of the Rings: Conquest’s gameplay is very basic and repe ve; hit the bu ons as fast and as o en as possible. To a certain extent there’s no real skill involved, you just charge at the biggest group of enemies you can find and start swinging un l your le with a pile of Ork salami. Then you move on and repeat this exercise un l the levels finished. Job jobbed. There are special moves that can be executed when performed correctly, and a special power charge bar that unleashes harsher a ack’s for small periods un l it’s empty, but there’s hardly any varia on between them. One bu on you’ll never use though is ‘block’, as it’s a pointless move that offers no protec on or advantage when compared to thrashing the a ack bu ons. So if you’re looking for a game of skill, like Ninja Gaiden, you won’t find it here.
“WHEN COMPARED TO THE FILMS, WHICH WERE EPIC AND CONVEYED A SENSE OF ENORMITY, LORD OF THE RINGS: CONQUEST JUST LOOKS AND FEELS FEEBLE.”
Something that will get up your nose a er a short period is the mentally squalid luna c constantly shou ng out orders. Throughout the levels you’ll hear such poe c cries of ba le such as “What a pounding, they’ll feel that!” and “Stay low and keep moving!” which would be good advice if you could actually crouch! It’s a totally pointless and infuria ng addi on, like Sat Nav for someone in an iron lung.
The main component that Lord of the Rings: Conquest lacks though, is any sense of grandeur. When compared to the films, which were epic and conveyed a sense of enormity, the game just looks and feels feeble. Helms Deep just doesn’t have any presence; it looks like a poorly maintained farm and feels as big as a porch. There’s just no ‘Wow’ factor, no buzz, no tension, no surprises, there’s nothing that takes your breath away or startles you while playing, which for a game that’s supposed to be an interac ve Lord of the Rings film, is hugely disappoin ng. Just look at the Balrog on level 3 to see what I mean; it look like a shaven Muppet that’s been le out in the sun. Lord of the Rings: Conquest is OK for anyone who wants to smash some bu ons and slash some Orks, but if you’re looking for something more, or something exci ng, this is not the game you seek. In the immortal words of Gandalf the Grey, “No Gimli, I will not play another level of Lord of the Rings: Conquest, not unless I absolutely have to.”
OVERALL
Sco Tierney
6.0/10 phonica magazine uk
55
VIEWS SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING (ALL FORMATS) Shaun White, for those not in the know (you square!) is a hugely successful snowboarder and skateboarder who has achieved a mul tude of awards and accolades, despite tragically being born with red hair and a mouth swollen with freakish teeth. Actually, that’s a bit uncalled for; I’m just jealous because he’s a proverbial gold plated chick magnet and all-round cool dude, who lives in a mansion draped with naked ladies and suckles on the teat of self-sa sfac on, while I have to sit in a windowless room with nothing but my own hair for nourishment, playing this game that only reflects my dismal failures. Anyway, enough of that, what about the game; Shaun White Snowboarding, is it any good? Shaun White Snowboarding’s challenge is for the player to climb the frosty ladder of snowboarding success, while earning money in a variety of compe ons to buy upgraded boards and items of clothing. As games go, they don’t come much simpler than this, but in the same way that Grand The Auto 4’s plot was always second best when compared to its free play, the majority of Shaun White Snowboarding’s enjoyment comes from exploring it’s vast open worlds. With 6 mountains to choose from, including Alaska, Park City, Europe and Japan, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to things to do, with some of the best areas hidden away in the more remote sec ons of the mountains. There are vast chasms to jump over, fallen trees to grind, downhill slopes for racing; basically each mountain is a snowcoverd playground that, although not eye popping, looks reasonably good graphic wise. There’s also a nice selec on of tunes to listen to (if you’re a teenager) and when played online with friends it’s a nice way of spending a lazy hour or so.
phonica magazine magazine uk uk 56 phonica
There are a few niggly problems though, that suck away a large percentage of the enjoyment from Shaun White Snowboarding, which frustra ngly should have been easily fixed before release. One that’ll strike you immediately is the apparent lack of speed you can achieve, or the lack of any sensa on of speed. You can pick up a fair pace when traveling down an icy steep slope, but at no point will you find yourself yelling “Wow, this is fast!” as you belt through a dense forest at top speed. What should feel exci ng and intense feels mundane and devoid of any pace; it feels like you’re constantly stuck in a low gear, or you’ve accidentally le the handbrake on, and you’ll be forever urging your character along, trying to find any shred of speed. On top of this the map layout is a bit messy, with nothing but flat snow for miles, then all the jumps and rails crammed onto one ny snowflake at the end of the mountain. Also the character physics could have been designed be er, as the all too common crash is the same mo on each me around. So, as far, Shaun White Snowboarding is shaping up to be a solid release, despite a few patchy areas that casual gamers can turn a blind eye to. But sadly all these plus points are rendered worthless when compared to its biggest flaw; the controls.
VIEWS
“ITS HARD NOT TO THINK THAT ACTUAL SNOWBOARDING IS EASIER THAN THIS.”
Even if you’re an octopus you’ll have trouble ge ng to grips with the mul tude of bu ons required to perform even the most basic of tricks. For example, when a emp ng to pull off a back flip, you’ll need to have a finger on at least four separate bu ons at once, and that’s before you’ve even made it to the ramp! Upon hi ng the ramp you’ll have to release two bu ons, push another, pull a joys ck in the direc on you want to spin, adjust you spin speed, press one for the landing and grab another to miss the tree you’re about the smash into; though sadly all this arthri s inducing effort is pointless as you’ll run out of speed just before you reach the ramp and just dive face first into the snow. No game should be this hard to control, and while playing it’s hard not to think that actual snowboarding is easier than this. Some might argue that the controls are easy to pick up but tough to master, but sorry, that’s rubbish; Tetris is easy to pick up but tough to master, Shaun White Snowboarding is just plain tough, even for two octopuses.
Although the controls on the hand held controller versions of Shaun White Snowboarding are dreadful, the Wii version that incorporates the balance board is very good, as it actually gives you total control over your characters movements. With the balance board ac ng as your snowboard, you can lean to steer, move forward to change how the board cuts through the snow and properly experience the speed that the other versions lack. It’s not perfect, but it’s a damn side be er than the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions. Overall, Shaun White Snowboarding could have been a fantas c tle; it’s got some great ideas, massive play areas and an intoxica ng sense of fun and playfulness, but sadly without something as basic as a decent control layout, the game falls face down into a puddle of yellow snow.
OVERALL
6.0/10
Sco Tierney
phonica magazine uk
57
VIEWS
FEAR 2: PROJECT ORIGIN (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) One pot of espresso. One large box of hankies. Twelve jumbo toilet rolls. One jar of smelling salts. Five pairs of clean underwear. Empty bo le for peeing in. Underneath of bed checked for monsters. Only if you get a ‘check’ to all these provisos on the ‘Playing Horror Games Essen als List’ (P.H.G.E.L., or ‘Fergehen hell!’) can you safely play Fear 2: Project Origin. Oh, and some valium. Fear 2’s story begins with the climax of the first game, as your character and a group of Special Forces soldiers storm an apartment complex, hot on the trail of a mysterious suspect. During the mission, your character experiences a series of unexplained hallucina ons, all featuring the spooky cover girl of Fear, Alma. Before you have a chance to complete your mission, an apocalyp c explosion blasts you into unconsciousness, turning your world into a living hell. This first mini level is essen ally a training session and the game doesn’t properly start un l level 2, when you awaken inside the bloodstained turmoil of a top secret hospital. From then on it’s a fran c race against the clock, as you ba le all manner of soldiers and ghosts through crumbling laboratories and obliterated cites, a emp ng to uncover what has happened, and how to rec fy it, all the while being haunted by disturbing visions of Alma. The first thing that’ll strike you about Fear 2 (apart from the naked girl screaming in your face) is the impressive graphics. Every shadowy nook and cranny of your surroundings have been cra ed superbly, from the dark and damp war torn subways that creak with tension, to the empty ruins of a school that shudders with bad memories. The audio is also a delight, and for a game such as this where the emphasis is on tension, I implore the use of headphones. Even the faintest breeze sends a shiver down the spine, and as the visions become more sinister as the game progress, you’d have to have nerves of solid tanium not to get a li le flustered.
phonica magazine magazine uk uk 58 phonica
Gameplay wise, Fear 2 is a bit patchy. The controls feel slightly sluggish, not to a point of dampening the enjoyment, but you just wish they could be a touch sharper, as at mes your character feels as nimble as an American tourist. The addi on of a ‘bullet me’ mode, (not dissimilar to ‘tequila me’ in Stranglehold) although making even the plainest of gunfights look like a scene from a Rodriguez flick, sadly takes away a fair chunk of the challenge and with it the excitement. A roomful of heavily armed soldiers can be disposed of with a lazy ease, as you casually swagger through the front door and pop their heads off before they’ve had me gasp. That said, the AI is very good, and the enemies tac cal savvy does compensate for the slow-mo flaw, you just wish it could be more challenging.
This ease of killing blunts Fear 2’s otherwise razor-sharp intensity, so if you’re a decent gamer (and when I say ‘decent’, I mean you have two thumbs) you should easily polish the game off in an a ernoon, with the only stalling occurring when you become stuck for direc on due to the games iffy signpos ng.
VIEWS
“THESE LITTLE MOMENTS LIFT THE TENSION MASSIVELY, AND MAKE THE GAME ALL THE MORE REWARDING.” You won’t be le wan ng for weapons though, as there’s a fine collec on of tools for you to work with. There’s the Halo like machine gun, two types of shotgun (auto and manual) and the totally da nail gun that pins your enemies to the wall. An added bonus are the giant walking droids from the first game (similar to the walking machines in The Matrix Revolu ons) that can be hotwired and piloted to extreme effect, when something bigger than a pistol is called for. There are also a couple of opportuni es to get your mi s on a gun turret. During the last sequence with the turret, you’ll be treated to a corking soundtrack of thrash metal, gun fire and squir ng arteries. It’s quite a moment, and worth s cking with the game for. Not surprisingly for a game from Universal produc ons, Fear 2 plays like a film, where the player views the ac on from the main characters eyes. From the moment the game starts, explosions of well prepared theatre come crashing through the screen, all the while heightening your gaming experience.
A notable highlight occurs when, creeping through the dark hallways of an abandoned primary school, all the locker doors suddenly burst open, followed by what seems like a never-ending assault on your senses as Alma unleashes a torrent of hell upon you, blas ng debris and fire down the corridor as you duck for cover. These li le moments li the tension massively, and make the game all the more rewarding. Fear 2: Project Origin is a hard game to sum up, as although it’s an excellent FPS and one of the best gaming experiences you’ll have this year, it’s flawed in crucial areas and is missing that extra class that the best games have. It’s by no means a bad game, I really can’t stress that enough, it’s at mes a work of gaming perfec on, but there’re just a few niggle problems that let it down. And, worst of all, it’s not as scary as you’d expect, as you’ll become accustomed to the shocks mid-way through playing. Fear 2 is s ll a chilling experience, and the shocks will s ll make you jump out of your seat at regular intervals, but it’s just not that scary when compared to the Ravenholm chapter of Half Life 2, or the shear eeriness of Bioshock. But, if you turn a blind eye to the flaws, and ignore that fact that it’s as easy as falling down a minesha , Fear 2 will thrill you plenty. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
OVERALL
Sco Tierney
8.5/10 phonica magazine uk
59
VIEWS
THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND: SPECIAL EDITION (XBOX LIVE ARCADE) To be honest, there are a lot of sub-par games on Xbox Live Arcade. For every Geometry Wars and Hexic HD there’s a Bliss Island luring in the shadows, just wai ng to rob you of your precious Microso points and dignity. But every now and then, an absolute gem of a game pokes its head out and hollers for your a en on, and if the overexcited spit-spray of grog on my screen is anything to go by, The Secret of Monkey Island must be dropping anchor once more!
Originally realised way back in 1990, The Secret of Monkey Island is regarded as one of the finest (and funniest) point and click adventures ever made. The story centred around the clumsy misfortunes of unlikely hero Guybrush Threepwood, as he sets out on the path to becoming the pirate he’d always dreamt of being. With it’s diverse mix of puzzle solving and riddle unravelling, all packaged within a dreamlike world of eccentric characters and unique humour, it was a pleasure to play for all ages and unsurprisingly s ll remains so today. But this Special Edi on is much more than just a quick port for a quick buck, lazily uploaded onto XBLA without a sma er of care or considera on. Trust me, Melee Island is looking be er than you could possibly imagine.
phonica magazine magazine uk uk 60 phonica
The whole game has been totally overhauled from top to bo om, boas ng vastly improved graphics, sharper special effects and re-recorded music. Every level and character has been lovingly redrawn with delicate precision and care in a style reminiscent of a s ll wet watercolour pain ng, thus presen ng the game with a brand new and startling appearance. All the levels are s ll instantly recognisable, with everything from the Governors Mansion down to the pa ern on Stan’s coat recreated in glorious HD, and the music is s ll packed with the classic toe-tapping tunes you’ll remember, only now the harsh synthesisers have been replaced with the gentle strum of live instruments.
VIEWS
“EVERY LEVEL AND CHARACTER HAS BEEN LOVINGLY REDRAWN WITH DELICATE PRECISION AND CARE”
But despite this enormous revamp that has given the old classic a new lease of life on the presenta on front, these changes haven’t robbed The Secret of Monkey Island of its charm or charisma. Every barnacle of the original joy and life has remained completely intact, and in some respects all the addi onal garnish has only improved open the magic that made the game so popular. It’s a joy to behold, and if while playing you wish to compare the revamped version to the first, or if you want to play the original for nostalgic reasons, just press back on your controller and the graphics will fade into their original pixels based glory. Hopefully the success and accolades The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edi on shall undoubtedly receive will persuade the developers to give the same treatment to the other classic point and clicks, such as of Monkey Island 2, Full Thro le and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlan s (which has already been givin the live dialogue treatment). At 800 points (approximately £6) The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edi on is the bargain of the century. Every single improvement that has been made to this ancient classic, no ma er how small, is simply jaw dropping. It’s s ll the game you fondly remember, and the gameplay and humour are s ll as fresh as they was nearly 20 years ago, but with a fresh lick of paint and a re-tune it’s fair to say The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edi on is be er than ever. Don’t think about it, just buy it!
OVERALL
Sco Tierney
9.0/10 phonica magazine uk
61
VIEWS
MORTAL KOMBAT VS DC UNIVERSE (XBOX 360, PS3) Have you ever wanted to know who would win a game of scrabble between Nicholas Parsons and Nick Nack? Or who would win a fight to the death between Sub Zero and Batman? And who would be le standing in a midnight brawl between the cast of EastEnders’ and 837 boneless rats? Well, if you want to know the answer to the second ques on, then Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe is the game for you.
Set between DC comic’s most famous ci es and the dark shadow bedraggled world of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe is a figh ng game that allows the player to control any character from either ‘side’, and play through the storyline those characters encounter. You can either control the DC characters, such as Superman and Batman, as they try to defend their ci es from the MK invasion, or play as the Mortal Kombat characters such as Sub Zero and Liu Kang.
The game modes are the standard, with Arcade, Story and Mul player being the main formats available. Arcade mode is good for prac cing combos, but grows dull too quickly. The main and most rewarding mode by far is the story mode. Le ng you choose your side and then playing the story from different viewpoints is a great way of expanding the gameplay, and the cut scenes are surprisly good, if not a tad cheesy…..and long! At mes you feel like you’re watching a film intercut with quick moments of gameplay rather than playing a game. There’s a real danger that you could nod-off while watching these never-ending scenes, only to be awoken by a pair or obscenely overblown breasts, or the call to ‘FIGHT!’ There are some new features to spice up the gameplay, like ‘Klose Kombat mode’ which allows your fighter to spa with your opponent at close quarters for extra damage, and plus points like slamming your opponent through walls and hurling them off buildings adds a touch of fun to proceedings. Another major plus is the visual scarring and damage that your character sustains during gameplay. Costumes become ripped and torn, blood seeps from cuts and gashes, and if you punch Wonder Women enough mes, her ts pop out (sadly that’s a lie). The stages are also well rendered, though they are repe ve at mes, and far too confined. As figh ng games go, Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe is good simple fun, if not slightly lackluster at mes. It’s no Street Fighter 4, but if you s ck with it and try to ignore the trudging cut scenes, and the fact that Superman could kill any one of the other characters with his li le finger, Mortal Combat VS DC Universe is a good game in short bursts.
OVERALL
7.0/10 phonica magazine magazine uk uk 62 phonica
Sco Tierney
PS. Results from last nights fight: The Boneless rats won with an EastEnders’ casualty rate of 29 wounded, 51 dead.
MILLENNIUM SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP PAINTBALL 2009
VIEWS
(XBOX 360, PS3, WII, PS2) It’s extremely rare these days to find a truly awful game. With gaming being a mul -billion dollar business, and the gaming industry being one of the hardest and most sought a er careers to become involved in, the standard of games today is extremely high. Back in the early nine es, there was a whole garbage sack full of ro en games available (check out the Angry Video Game Nerd’s excellent reviews for proof) but now, with the market so huge and the filtering system so refined, bad games rarely wa into shops, let alone gamers homes. But sadly, every now and then, a gaming turd sneaks out undetected, and Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009 is one of them. Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009. Even the tle’s rubbish. Amazingly, this cre n comes from Ac vsion, though it’s actually made by Sand Grain Studios, the same company that brought us such visionary masterpieces as ‘Big Game Hunter 2005’ and ‘Harley Davidson- Race to the Rally’. Ac vsion, having produced the superb Call of Duty series, should have no ced, and at least tried to rec fy the fact that this game’s a complete mess. It’s like Armani lending its label to a soiled pair of pants. On a corpse.
“EVEN THE TITLE’S RUBBISH.” Let’s start with the basics, graphics, controls, and most importantly, gameplay. Visually, Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009 is terrible. The maps are dull and lifeless, the characters look like there’ve been abducted from a PS1 game, you’ll find more detail on a librarians cough, the inflatable barriers are made from concrete and the paintballs don’t even spla er properly. Even the overall design of the menus are bad. They look like something be er placed on a Master System, not a product from 2009.
The controls are also a disaster, designed so clumsily and awkwardly it’s almost comical. With no auto fire se ng on the trigger, you’ll be constantly dipping your index finger in ice in an in-vain a empt to revive it, and you will have more success ge ng a wardrobe to crouch than you will with your character. It’s unplayable. Unsurprisingly, the gameplay’s on a par with everything else, it’s toilet. Matches last an average of 20 seconds, and are followed by 30-45 seconds of agonizing loading screens. This would be borderline tolerable on a game where the map is huge and the ac on lasts for hours, but in Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009, the maps are ny and ac on’s gone in seconds. When added with terrible training games, resome tournaments, ditchwater dull lessons from pro players and no real challenge, you’ll cast this game aside a er one play like it was a dead o er. I’m not going to mince my words with this torrid and revol ng game, and my editor will probably slap my wrists for saying this but, Millennium Series Championship Paintball 2009, is, quite frankly, rubbish. Avoid it at all cost.
OVERALL
0.0/10
Sco Tierney
phonica magazine uk
63
THE GUIDE
PHONICA’S 20 RECOMMENDED SHOOTERS THE ORANGE BOX
CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE
GOLDENEYE
LEFT 4 DEAD
TIMESPLITTERS: FUTURE PERFECT
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
(N64)
(PC, Xbox 360)
(PS2, Xbox, GC)
“Five excep onal games for the price of one, including the best game ever made, Half Life 2.”
“Solid gameplay, great set pieces, but most importantly a seminal online experience. ”
“The defining Bond-em-up, and the essen al shooter for the N64. Who could ever forget the golden gun ”
“Completely reinvented the zombie shooter genre with its co-op mode and lightning fast gameplay.”
“The original had its flaws, but this version was fast, furious, yet agreeably precise.”
XIII
UNREAL TOURNAMENT
BIOSHOCK
RESISTANCE 2
F.E.A.R.
(PC, PS2, Dreamcast)
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
(PS3)
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
“Another game that has ended on the scrapheap in recent years, but it s ll has its charms with fast, dynamic mul player gameplay.”
“Creepy, intense and features some of the best architecture you’re likely to see in a game.”
“The original was a decent launch tle, but the sequel raised the bar. Great variety of weapons and addic ve online co-op.”
“You’d bite your nails to the bone, if you didn’t have to hold the controller.”
(PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, PC)
“Simple combat, limited weaponry but a unique take to the FPS genre.”
64 phonica magazine uk
THE GUIDE
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE II: DOUBLE HELIX
HALO
BLACK
HALF LIFE
STAR WARS: DARK FORCES
(Xbox, PS2)
(PC, PS2)
(PC)
(Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
(PC, Xbox)
“However many pixellated foes you’ve dismembered in your life, you never forget destroying your first wall. Ground-breaking physics. ”
“The game that started it all, and hopefully the Black Mesa mod will be a phenomenon.”
“Few modern Star Wars games come close to this atmospheric blaster-fest. ”
“Decent game play and an average storyline, but it fills your screen with red.”
“Arguably the best pick of the Halo trilogy; fast and fran c ac on.”
KILLZONE 2
METROID PRIME: TRILOGY
CALL OF DUTY 2
COUNTER STRIKE: SOURCE
GEARS OF WAR 2
(PS3)
(Wii)
(Xbox 360, PC)
(PC)
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
“A sweaty, graphically brilliant chance to meet the Helghan: the closest thing the future has to Nazis. ”
“Totally different on every level; a brilliant package.”
“Play with headphones on and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were actually in WWII. The best COD game out there ”
“Not for the faint hearted, you’ve really got to be ‘l33t’ if you want to be compe ve.”
“Loud, explosive, violent; but also touching and delicate. Simply beau ful gaming.”
phonica magazine uk
65
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
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 N97
Nokia 3720 classic
Nokia 5800 Xpress Music
Nokia N96
Nokia N82
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
103 x 55 x 18 mm 125 g Quad-bannd/3G 240 x 320 5MP 16GB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Wi-Fi Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
112 x 50.2 x 17.3 mm 114 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5MP 100MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/microUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 Wi-Fi Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes
MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/AAc/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA/M4A
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MP3 570 430 Yes
Poly/MIDI/Real Tone/MP3 420 450 Yes
Polyphonic & MP3 528 406 Yes
Poly/Real Tone/MP3 220 220 Yes
Poly/Mono/Real Tone/MP3 260 225 Yes
HTC Magic
HTC Hero
Apple iPhone 3G S
Apple iPhone 3G
INQ Chat 3G
113 x 55 x 13.7 mm 118.5 g Quad-band 320 x 480 3.15 MP 288 MB/microSD Yes/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes,via 3rd party SMS/MMS/Email/IM No
112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 320 x 480 5 MP 288 MB/microSD ™ Yes/A2DP/miniUSB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 135 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 3.15 MP 16/32 GB (internal) Yes/USB Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/MMS/Email No
11.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2MP 8/16 GB (internal) Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Wi-Fi HTML (Safari) No SMS/Email No
114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm 93 g Tri-band/3G 176 x 220 3.2 MP 120 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™ Yes/A2DP/USB Yes Yes Net Front Yes SMS/MMS/Email No
MP3/MP4
MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA 9
MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV
MP3/MP3 VBR/AAC/WAV
AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC
Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 450 420 Yes
Yes Poly/MP3/WAV 420 750 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 600(3G)/720(2G) 300 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 300(3G)/600(2G) 300 Yes
AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/MIDI/MP3/WAV 480 170 Yes
66 phonica magazine uk
THE GUIDE
Nokia 5310 Xpress Music
Sony Ericsson Yari
Sony Ericsson Naite
Sony Ericsson C901
Sony Ericsson C510
103.8 x 44.7 x 9.9 mm 71 g Tri-band 240 x 320 2MP 30 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/MicroUSB Yes/EDGE Class 32 No Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
100 x 48 x 15.7 mm 115 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 320 5 MP 60 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
108 x 47 x 12.6 mm 84 g Quad-band 240 x 320 2 MP 100 MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
105 x 45 x 13 mm 107 g Quad-band 240 x 320 5 MP 120 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™ Yes/A2DP/USB Yes No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
107 x 47 x 12.5 mm 92 g Quad-band 240 x 320 3.15 MP 100 MB/Memory S ck Micro ™ Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No Wap/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email Yes
MP3/MP4/AAC/eAAc+/WMA
MP3/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/MP4/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/AAC/MP4
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Poly/MP3/MP4/MIDI/AAC/eAAC+/WMA 340 300 Yes
Poly/MP3/AAC 600 450 Yes
Poly/MP3/AAC 564 380 Yes
Poly & MP3 570 430 Yes
Poly/MP3/Aac 420 400 Yes
INQ Mini 3G
BlackBerry Bold 9000
BlackBerry 8300 Curve Samsung i900 Omnia
Samsung U900
102.9 x 45.8 x 12.8 mm 90 g Tri-band/3G 240 x 320 2 MP 100 MB/MicroSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes Yes Net Front Yes SMS/MMS/Email No
114 x 66 x 14 mm 133 g Quad-band/3G 480 x 320 2MP 1GB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 Wi-Fi HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No
107 x 60 x 15.5 mm 111 g Quad-band 320 x 240 2MP 64MB/microSD Yes/USB Yes/EDGE No HTML Yes SMS/MMS/Email/IM No
103.2 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm 81.5 g Quad-band 240 x 320 3.2MP 80MB/microSD Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 10 No WAP/xHTML Yes SMS/MMS/EMS/Email Yes
112 x 56 x 12.5 mm 127 g Quad-band/3G 240 x 400 5MP 8/16 GB (internal) Yes/A2DP/USB Yes/EDGE Class 12/HSDPA Wi-Fi Wap/xHTML/HTML Yes SMS/EMS/MMS/Email/IM Yes
MP3/AAC/MPEG4
MP3/WMA/AAC+
MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA
MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR
MP3/MPEG4/AAC/eAAC/WMA
AMR/AAC/AAC+/eAAC/MIDI/MP3/WAV 480 170 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 300 310 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 240 408 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 330 500 Yes
Yes Poly & MP3 210 220 Yes
phonica magazine uk
67
WIN WOLFENSTEIN ON XBOX 360 IN THIS ISSUE ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN A COPY OF WOLFENSTEIN ON XBOX 360.
COMPETITION RULES Join our group on Facebook; search for Phonica Magazine UK. Follow Us on Twi er: @PhonicaMagUK. Email your full name, address and mobile contact, along with your Twi er username to
phonicacompe ons@phonicamagazine.co.uk One entry per person
THIS GAME COULD BE YOURS, ENTER NOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! Terms and Condi ons (1)The prize is one Wolfenstein Game on Xbox 360. (2) No cash or other prize alterna ves are offered. (3) All entries must be received no later than 28th September 2009. The winner will 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