Double Touch

Here is the latest and greatest Podcast from DoubleTouch and Games Media Culture. This week we take a look at the new MMORPG: Age of Conan: The Hyborian Adventures. Click HERE to listen.

Falling in Canon’s DSLR range between the EOS 450D and the EOS 40D, the EOS 30D has for the past three years dominated the serious amateur market. However with the arrival of its spiritual successor, the 40D – released in September 2007 and offering a list of new features – does the camera offer good value for money over what it replaced, the EOS 20D? If you cannot justify the expenditure for the new 40D, but are serious about getting into photography and are looking at both the 20D and 30D, then this is the review for you. Here we are taking a look at the EOS 30D.

The first point to note is that the 30D is no longer being produced by Canon, so to find one you have to venture onto eBay or check out independent photo retailers for used or shelf-bound units. The price has dropped somewhat since its initial release and plummeted since the arrival of the 40D. Originally given a recommended market price of £1099 before settling at around £800 at the peak of its popularity, the 30D with kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6) can now be found for as little as £500.

On paper, the 30D shares many aspects of the excellent specification of the 20D. These include an 8.2 MP sensor, Digic II Image processor, a high-precision 9 point AF (Auto Focus) system, 5 fps fast continuous shooting and durable magnesium alloy body. In addition the 30D, due to sharing its sensor with the 20D, also inherits its 1.6x crop factor.

What the 30D doesn’t share however is its larger and sharper 230,000 pixel, 2.5in LCD monitor, which is a great new addition. This is the LCD that Canon has used on the EOS 5D and EOS 1D Mark II N and provides a much wider viewing angle. In addition to the new LCD screen the 30D picks up a few more tricks over the 20D, such as a wider selection of ISO settings and spot metering.

Spot metering allows for a finely tuned exposure in complex lighting situations, such as scenes with high contrast and wildly variable levels in brightness. The improved range of ISO settings [up to ISO1600] allows hand held shots in low-light conditions with the ISO setting now appearing in the viewfinder of the 30D. Further there is now a larger image buffer and a RGB histogram making it easy to get your exposure spot on at the scene.

Moving away from specifications for a moment, the 30D is an absolute pleasure to use. Providing a big body, nice handgrip and with a weighty feel the 30D feels excellent in the hand improving stability while shooting,. Certainly we found it to feel more professional than the 20D and personally I found it easier to hold, having large hands. The 30D actually weighs in 20gm heavier than the 20D, taking its weight up to 785gm; although this never caused an issue when we used it for long periods.

The specifications and ergonomics are one thing but how did the 30D perform in testing? Well on release there was an air of disappointment over the 30D only been shipped with Canon’s 8.2MP CMOS sensor, for many had expected 10MP. Now there’s no denying that there is a large gap between the two, but honestly if you are a serious amateur, or simply an enthusiastic hobbyist, it doesn’t make any difference. The 8.2MP sensor produces more detail, greater dynamic range and less noise than its predecessor and this is coupled with the excellent Digic II processor providing you with excellent images time after time.

If there is a criticism you could level at the 30D it’s that close up, and when using a wide angle lens, the images showed a slight softness around the edges. This is nothing though that we couldn’t quickly correct in Photoshop or Elements and if anything, it’s better for your images to be too soft than too sharp when adjustments need to be made.

There are a few more advantages to the 30D to over lesser DSLR’s. The energy consumption has been significantly reduced, with roughly 10% more shots per battery. Secondly the 30D incorporates Canon’s image auto rotation feature so any image taken in a portrait orientation will appear so in the LCD monitor. Thirdly the loud, slightly cheap sounding clack of the 20D has been replaced with a deeper and softer sound, making the 30D much more suitable at quiet venues. Of course all these aspects are built into the 40D, but for the price point, they still add up to a great package.

Lastly it’s important to understand that the 30D is compatible with the Canon EF-S range of lenses, a small but excellent series of lenses specifically designed for all the Canon bodies which utilise the APS-C sensor. This matters specifically if you are in the market for a wide angle lens that remains truly wide angle even with the crop factor. When testing the 30D we used Canon’s EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which performed superbly. With the 1.6x crop factor the lens provided an effective focal range of 16-35mm in 35mm format.



Verdict

Despite being recently replaced by the superb 40D the 30D is still an excellent choice for any photographer, serious amateur or hobbyist. The image quality is excellent and is offered at a perfect price point. However, the 30D is only an incremental improvement over the 20D and if you own the latter, it’s hard to recommend as an upgrade over the newer 40D. If you are in the market for a top-end amateur piece of kit though and have no previous history of DSLR’s, then the 30D is now more than ever a great choice.

With the recent announcement of the upcoming 9-series from nVidia, spearheaded by the 9800 GX2 which it is rumoured will be released in March, the life-span of nVidia’s current top end 8-series is coming to an end. With both the 8800 GTX Extreme XXX and 8800 Ultra looking vulnerable, with the former now a year old, the question is: “do these cards still represent a wise purchase?” It is the GTX Extreme XXX that we’re looking at today; so let’s see how it stacks up.


Statistically speaking, the XXX is, as you would expect, excellent. Building on the standard GTX’s unified architecture of 128 stream processors running at 1.35 GHz, with a GPU clocked at 575MHz and the 768MB of RAM clocked at 900 MHz (1.8GHz effective), the XXX ramps up the clock speeds further. The XXX boasts a GPU clock of 630 MHz, a RAM speed of 1GHz (2GHz effective) and the same 1.35GHz clock on the stream processors. In addition, both cards run on the same 384-bit interface. This is a sizeable overclock on paper, specifically considering that the XXX uses the same standard HSF seen on the GTX.

The HSF however is perfectly adequate and remains relatively quiet even when dealing with the heightened clock speeds. The card itself though remains huge and as with the GTX it is 269mm long, so it would be advisable to measure up your case before opening your wallet. As with the GTX this card also provides a vast array of features including: HDCP, SLI, Dual DVI Out, HDTV compatibility and a TV Out.

In terms of overall design the card has not changed since the GTX. The XXX still uses the reliable 90 nm process seen on the GTX for the chip and the styling remains as sleek as ever on the board. Just as with the GTX the XXX requires two six pin PCI-E power connectors, with a heavy draw on the PSU. You need a serious power supply to run the XXX stably and it would be advisable to refer to the power draw graph at the end of this review before making a decision.


To test the titanic XXX, I used our Asus Striker Extreme motherboard in partnership with an overclocked and overvolted Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo. This set-up was then coupled with 2GBs of Corsair CM2X1024-6400C4, running at 800MHz and with timings of 4-4-4-12. The operating system used was Windows Vista and the driver revision was nVidia’s latest WHQL Certified 169.25.

As the list of graphs show at the end of this review, the results were impressive. Testing the card with Crysis, Unreal Tournament 3 and Supreme Commander the XXX consistently provided excellent performance, with only the two cores on the E6600 pulling down the minimum frame-rate. The vast amount of RAM on the XXX also allowed for a gradual curve of diminishing results at higher resolutions. This card is most at home at resolutions of 1680 x 1050 or higher and in all but the system breaking Crysis, allowed for playability at 2560 x 1600. It is important to note however that these results were based with the XXX running in Dx9. While the card was still good in Dx10, this is only in comparison with lesser offerings from nVidia and ATI and the XXX only provided playable (25fps or greater) framerates at resolutions of 1280 x 1040 or lower in Crysis.

Despite the impressive display by the XXX in the benchmarks we could not push the card any further with RivaTuner. Even the slightest overclock to the already aggressively overclocked XXX proved to be too much for the card and caused a system crash. Indeed it would seem that even a GPU of this calibre has its limits. It is here though where we hit the crux of the matter. With the inability to overclock the card further, it soon became apparent that you could almost match the speed of the XXX with an overclock on a standard GTX. Results were not kind to the XXX in testing this, with the standard GTX only throwing results 1-3 fps behind it after an overclock. Now of course the overclock on the XXX is guaranteed but it comes at a very high cost.


So what else do you get bundled with the XXX? Well apart from the standard quick install guide, latest drivers and manual, you get a few extras. These include two VGA to DVI dongles, a HDTV block (3-way RCA component), a SVideo cable and a six-pin to Molex power cable. Slightly disappointing however is that there is no top video game title included with the XXX. This feels slightly at odds, considering both the GTX’s pedigree as a gaming card and the slightly mediocre bundle described above. The XXX does however come with a two-year warranty.


Verdict

The nVidia 8800 GTX Extreme XXX offers almost unparalleled performance with modern games, with only the marginally faster Ultra taking the series crown. Unfortunately however, the card does not offer unparalleled value for money. With only a 10 per cent increase in performance over the standard GTX and almost an extra £100 on the cost, it would be foolish not to buy a standard card and overclock it. Well either that or, if you have serious money to spend, wait for the DirectX 10.1 compatible 9800 GX2.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Purple Plum!

I meet Trevor Leighton in the pit lane at Silverstone. It is a cold but sunny spring morning and the weak rays of sun glint off the passing MG’s as another volley drives by. Standing in amongst the jovial and eager attendees, you get the feeling that today is going to be an excellent trackday.

This is none more true for Trevor, nicknamed the “Purple Plum” due to his rather excellent purple MGF. Sitting in the shade of the paddock the MGF -to which Trevor has many made modifications- waits patiently for its owner to return. Unfortunately it won’t be for a little while as today I’m asking what Trevor what he makes of MGs on Track and, of course, the MGF.

Trevor has come to the Silverstone trackday, one of the highlights of the MGoT’s year and incidentally sold out within a couple of days, from his home in Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesbrough. As a regular attendee of almost all the trackdays MGoT have to offer, this long distance drive is not new. In fact for many of the trackdays Trevor travels down the night before and stays overnight in order to attend. For today’s trackday Trevor spent three and a half hours travelling.

“They’re all a great bunch,” Trevor notes as I quiz him over the social aspect of MGoT. “I’m not that mechanically minded and there’s always someone who will give you a hand.” “The social aspect of the trackdays is good,” he adds and as for the sessions on track “it’s not competitive so there’s no pressure.” This is something Trevor appears to really appreciate. As we start to discuss his favourite tracks through the country another volley of MG’s flies by.

As a regular at MGoT Trevor has driven the best Britain has to offer. Well, apart from a few tracks right down in the south! From Trevor’s favourite track Caldwell to the stately Castle Donnington, to the Paddock hill bend at Brands Hatch, Trevor has visited them all. When I ask him about today’s offering he replies, “Silverstone is a good, full circuit.” Other tracks that Trevor has visited include Croft, Sutton and Anglesey.

So what has the Purple Plum done to race spec the MGF? The car, which cost £17,000 with 6000 miles on the clock, was bought by Trevor after just six months use. It has a 1.6 litre engine and churns out between 165 to 175 Bhp. However underneath its fruity shell Trevor’s additions include: lowered suspension, new adjustable shock absorbers, a different exhaust manifold with quad-pipes, roll bars and crisp new 16inch wheels. This combined allows the car to hit 60mph in 6.5 seconds and with minimal fuss to boot.

Before joining MGoT Trevor had a history rallying, specifically in the 1970’s. In addition he also spent ten years racing in Rally Cross, something that he moved on from in 1995. His first session with MGoT was at Caldwell in 2004 and since then has really enjoyed everything it has to offer. So, as Trevor gets kitted up for his next session, MG’s lining up and then pulling away in the pit just a meter or so from the Paddock exit, I ask him where we can expect to get a glimpse of the Purple Plum next? As the last car pulls away in the pit, Trevor fires up the MGF’s engine and states, after a little thought, that he will be at Snetton. A few seconds later he is on track.

It’s a cold and windy day today at North Weald airfield and racetrack. However that is not stopping MGoT from kicking off the New Year with a track day aimed squarely at beginners. Yes here today at North Weald MGoT is showing what it’s all about; a branch of the MG Car Club dedicated in organizing fun and sociable track days which drivers of any ability can take part in. And boy is it being taken part in! We have a plethora of MGs here on track, ranging from MGB’s to MGF’s, heck there’s even a couple of RV8’s! It really is quite an interesting spread of vehicles considering it’s a day aimed at newcomers to MGoT.

As I pull alongside the makeshift pit-lane the cars are being lined up by their drivers ready to undertake training in taking corners. This exercise is being led by professional driving instructor Andy who is coaching the drivers on taking a left hand bend at speed. The exercise basically involves an individual driver to accelerate down a straight and then take a left corner as quick as they dare. The corner actually widens out onto a runway so there is no danger of a crash, but down the centre lies a ridge, which today is “the imaginary wall”. This aids the drivers development two-fold, firstly tutoring them on the technical skills involved in completing a good corner and secondly, helping them to reach and hopefully increase their driving ability. It certainly sounded and looked fun, even though in one of the exercises Andy got the team to take the corner with only one finger on the wheel!

As a red MGB flies out of the pit and onto the straight, being monitored by MGoT’s very own Dave Livingstone with a speed gun, I head towards the rear of the queue as 59mph flashes up on the display. Today I’m here to interview the owners of a certain RV8 with a great, if not melancholy, history. Joanne and Michelle, proud owners of a limited edition ‘White Gold’ RV8 which is number one off the production queue and only one of twelve ever made, are just coming back in off the track as I reach the end. Today is their first ever day on track and the enthusiasm on their faces is evident; clearly they have come for a good time.

Unfortunately however, it is not just the fun, exhilaration and fantastic community that MGoT is known for, why both Michelle and Joanne are here today. On Friday the 8th of February 2008 their father, Bob Shilton, MG enthusiast all his life and owner of a marvelous Red RV8 roadster, passed away after seven years of ill health. Today at North Weald was to be Bobs first track day and he intended to share it with his two daughters. In anticipation of doing so Bob had bought and renovated the White Gold RV8 Joanne and Michelle are driving today and had given it to them on Christmas day as a present. They were going to attend North Weald together, but sadly today, the Red RV8 Roadster is nowhere in sight. “We are doing it in memory dad”, Michelle notes as we get closer towards the front of the queue. “It was something for us all to do together”, she continues as both of them express just how much Bob would have loved it here today and how if he was in the car with them he would be constantly saying to them “to go faster!”

Bob I learn, originally bought the car off a gentleman who had bought it off its original owner, the then Head of BAE/Rover, Ken Reeves. Once acquired the car had then be discreetly driven to Brown & Gammons at Baldock for a damn good going over, before being crept into the garage, ribbons and bows included, ready for Christmas day. Both sisters had absolutely loved the V8 the moment they set eyes on it and have been driving it ever since. And boy do you know it! As the girls fly out again to take on the increasingly shallow left hander, they seem completely at home and take the corner with style.

After the girls have come back in again I quiz them about the day, after all has it been everything that Bob would have wanted it to be for them? Firstly the car is handling “excellently”, Michelle notes before Joanne adds that it’s also been an “excellent experience”. “I haven’t spun and hit the imaginary wall”, Michelle laughs as the engine rumbles and we move forward in the queue once more. “Andy is very good”, Michelle adds, “He really encourages you to find your limit”. Overall it seems they’ve had a great day then. Just before they head out once again Michelle informs me that they fully intend to keep attending the track days and driving the RV8 in memory of their father.
We look forward to seeing Joanne, Michelle and the RV8 at various events throughout the coming year.

Ok, so after a two week interval from Double Touch we return with our second Podcast.
This time David Lynch from Games Media Culture and I, Robert Jones, discuss and review last years Assassins Creed on PS3. Check it out by clicking HERE!!!

Anyone remember Outcast? I know I do. It was one of those complete anomalies that one found in the mid to late 90's, caused by the traditional genres in games being crossed as it grew out of infancy. Good examples of this cross-pollination are classics such as, Sacrifice, Little Big Adventure 2, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, MDK and indeed, Outcast. If you were to ask me to name some of the most influential games that I’ve had the privilege to play, while maybe not the most played or most enjoyed, it would be these titles that I would mention time and time again.

Beauty... sheer unadulterated beauty these games brought to the videogame culture. From the sweeping, voxel driven engine of Outcast (60% of why I bought this game was the water effects - stunning for the time, no?) to it's musical score by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra (there's another 20%), to the surreal and alien landscape and characters in Sacrifice and the plain and simple magical narrative of LBA2; they all, including the excellent writing on Giant's: Citizen Kabuto, seeped into my sub-conscious.

The latest example of this hit me this morning. Finally picking up Assassins Creed second hand for the PS3 (a game that I’ve still to make my mind up on), I climbed to the top of a huge tower in order to view the impressive landscape. A city near ancient Jerusalem spanned out into the distance, Arabian bazaars, homesteads, churches and mosques all encased within softly tipped mountain ranges. As I sat viewing the impressive vista an eagle austerely drifted past; it was then that it all came together.

A sudden rush of dormant memories, flashes from the late 90's - my room, the old computer case I was then using, the original box Outcast was shipped in... the standard height and width but not quite as deep as others. Then the game itself manifests itself in my mind, the first of Adelpha's continents springs up, a desert world filled with palm trees, pools of calm light blue water and Arabian inspired towns. The inhabitants, the Talan natives dressed in swathes of cloth, burnt hues bleached by the piercing sun. Clay pots adorn the exteriors of their houses, the bazaars teem with life with merchants selling all sorts of exotic trinkets, and temples rise out of the mass of suburban hubbub guarded by soldiers dressed akin to the Egyptian pharaohs.

Finally a memory of standing atop a huge archaic pillar inscribed with the words of the Talan Gods. The landscape is those very same gentle curving mountain tops, binding the landscape with the inhabitants, anchoring the virtual world to the real that has inspired it. A giant bird drifts past as the epic musical score reaches a climax.



Outcast was and still is a stunning piece of art. Assassins Creed seems to have replicated, in concept design at least, some of the magic that made it the window into such a genuine alien world. I implore you to buy Outcast and play it, as you will find it second to none in pure escapism that is so lovingly crafted and presented. As for Assassins Creed... well, only time will tell on how much effect it will have on me but at this early stage, I don't think that it's going to stack up.

Ok, so Crysis has come and gone as well as the industry quiet period and now the release schedule is heating up. GTA 4 is so close one can almost taste the East-European gangster fun! However one title released shortly could easily be the sleeper hit of the year. Far Cry 2, the successor to Crytek's original, is coming and it’s starting to look pretty damn good. With Games Radar's recent preview now in the bag, breaking more of the secrecy that has surrounded the game, the Ubisoft Montreal team's effort seems to be growing in stature.

Based in the Serengeti, in a fictional country where the Government has fled leaving two groups of armed mercenaries fighting for power, Far Cry 2 is offering a fresh location to explore (50km of open sandbox!) as well as a fresh take on the traditional FPS. Assigned to take down an arms dealer who is supplying weapons to both of the fractured militias, your task in Far Cry 2 is to cut off the supply of guns to the state, by killing people. Lots of people.

Of course to achieve this aim you have to work with the bad guys before you can bring down the system. Obviously this entails a lot of fighting, to which unlike most FPS's, you are extremely venerable. No Crysis Nano Suit here, you are just another soldier and one of the most interesting game mechanics is how you will have to heal yourself after every conflict. Surgery is essential in keeping you alive, so expect to be digging out shrapnel and bullets, patting out flames and stitching yourself back together. On another note, while you are only one man, at the start of the game you can pick from up to 13 characters who all start in different locations around the world. A nice touch.

Other new information includes:

1. Realistic day and night cycles which make a real difference to how a mission / fight etc will play out.

2. Dynamic fire that will spread and burn realistically. Expect wooden structures to burn down with a quick blast from a flamethrower.

3. Dynamic weather systems, that create completely unscripted effects such as individual leaves and swaying trees and shrubbery.

4. Malaria. All characters in the game are infected with malaria and this provides the impetus to almost all your actions. You need medicine to stay sane, to get medicine you need money and to get money you need to kill. The interesting element however in this process is that if you see too much blood, then you start to white out and gather infamy, too much of which and you'll be banned from local villages and camps, cutting off your ability to but medicine. Balance seems to be key.

5. Vehicles. Lots of them.


With all this taken into account Far Cry 2could be excellent. However despite a few pictures and one tech demo video showing the fire and weather effects, nothing so far has been released showing off game play. This is worrying as if one casts their mind back two years one will remember a title called Boiling Point, which just as with Far Cry 2looked excellent and sounded like it would be a quality title. In the end though, when released, the actual game and game play was broken beyond belief. Broken mission threads, shambolic physics, diabolical clipping problems, random crashes and lack of direction all buried Boiling Point in the videogame graveyard. Crysis was demonstrated in-game months before its release, something which Far Cry 2 has not done. Now while this doesn't necessarily point to disaster, it would calm the nerves of many if some footage were released.

At the end of the day though only time will tell. Released on the 26th of September, Far Cry 2 could, if promises are followed through, steal not only the show but also the FPS crown.

I have now officially owned a PS3 for a year! WOO HOO! Set off the fireworks and let the band play, I've had a whole year of NEXT GENERATION console goodness! Oh how good its been, all the TOP QUALITY games I've had the privilege to play, all the HIGH DEFINITION Blueray movies I've bought, all the FABULOUS downloadable content I've been privy to. Yep, without shadow of doubt I can say that the PS3 is the single greatest piece of technology you can own!!!! All of us should own one!!!

"What?"

"What do you want me to say?"

(Indistinguishable, muffled voices)

"Now look that wasn't part of the deal!"

(Slightly more aggressive muffled voices)

"No... I .... I can't say that, it doesn't feel right. Its too much..."

(The sound of a gun being cocked)

"Hey woh! Woh ok! Lets not get to hasty about things... I was just saying that.. you know... everything you've got me to say is a lie! Can't we just leave the last untruth alone... I... just... can't...keep...fibbing!"


(BANG!!!)

"OH FUCKING HELL! ARRRHHHH!!! YOU'VE SHOT ME IN THE GOD DAMNED FOOT!!!! OH HELL... LOOK JUST PUT THE GUN DOWN, OK! OH SHIT THERE'S BLOOD EVERYWHERE!!! LOOK I'LL SAY IT ALRIGHT... I"LL FUCKING SAY IT!!!!

(Sounds of pain and anguish)

I... I... Love Sony and whole heartily endorse the........................

(Sudden sounds of a struggle and fistycuffs)


"HA HA! TAKE THAT! YOU NO GOOD, SONY SCOUNDREL!!! AND THAT!!! I"LL TEACH YOU TO GO ROUND SPREADING MALICIOUS LIES ABOUT YOUR LACKLUSTRE PRODUCT!!!!"



Sorry about that. Anyway let me now clear a few things up:

1. I still own only ONE game on the PS3. There is nothing else still, a whole year on, that's worth playing that isn't already installed on my all-round superior PC.

2. I own TWO Blueray movies. They are so expensive that one can only purchase those titles which are truly epic and the range isn't good either.

3. The Sony Store is useless. While relatively slick in presentation there is absolutely nothing worth downloading.

4. The only saving grace of my PS3, so far, is its backwards compatibility with PS2 software.



Of course all this said, I firmly believe that things are looking up for the PS3 in 2008. I can't wait for GTA 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4 and as recently released on Kotaku, the Sony Store is getting a revamp in the spring. So bring it on please Sony as, right now, my PS3 is only a little better than a door stop.

Clearly Patapon has divided opinion over at Penny Arcade!

(Picture courtesy of www.penny-arcade.com)

The latest title from the team behind Loco Roco, is the marvelous Patapon!Seriously, if you have a PSP then drop that big bag of peanuts you're taking to feed your Hippo and go and buy it!

Well go on then!

What's that?

No! I'm sure you can't take a 20 kilo bag of peanuts into your local Game! I mean the peanuts would get everywhere!

Now GO! I'll wait till you get back.



Ah you're back, good. Well now I hope you can see why Patapon is so utterly brilliant. How has Sony not given these guys enough money to release games like this every year? I mean this game stands out; yes one must concede here that it's not got much to stand out against, but still. A rhythm action game so perfectly and cutely executed like this deserves to buy a team a new studio or something. Heck if they gave Ion Storm Dallas a Penthouse to create Daikatana, then surely the Patapon team should get a whole continent!

From the minute you load up the game and hear the surreal mix of African tribal drums with bagpipes, to the moment where your little Patapons first shout out your name as their God, till the moment you take down an end level boss with a perfectly executed series of button presses... this game is superb. And addictive too! With slick production values and numerous advances in the elements that made Loco Roco a hit, Patapon steamrollers into gaming greatness.

Many will probably miss Patapon though. Coming out in the gaming industry quiet period and recieving hardly any hype apart from on the dedicated gaming websites, I'm sure that it won't sell well either. Which is a shame because games like this is, have been sorely missing from, what I still believe to be an excellent gaming platform. It's amazing really how the team hasn't jumped ship with Sony seeming to give up on its handheld console. This type of 3rd party development is exactly what both the PSP and PS3 have been crying out for.

I won't go into more mechanics here as I wouldn't do this 2D scroller justice. If you lied to me when I told you to go and buy the game then click HERE to watch it in action. Truly a marvelous site to behold no?

When I first watched the trippy FMV teaser trailer for Street Fighter 4, I was far from impressed. My appetite for a return to the Street of old was certainly not wet and quite frankly I had disregarded it a few minutes later.

After all, time had moved on. Tekken, Soul Caliber and Dead or Alive had moved a much loved genre into a 3D environment; the pinnacle of the series, Street Fighter 2, had been outdated and felt long in the tooth, it only brought high levels of nostalgia instead of visceral combat. And after all when Mortal Combat 2 (also the series pinnacle) went 3D, it almost killed the IP. So long live Soul Caliber 4! I get Vader with my PS3 copy!

Time changes all though.


It was on Gamespot that it all changed. A week or so later I was visiting the now slightly lackluster site in a hope of a Patapon preview (check out Patapon on the PSP - released 22nd Feb), low and behold they had a Street Fighter 4 preview and a billion new "in-game" screenshots. I had forgotten about it already, lost to the sands of time, but now with some hard copy and pictures it drew me back. All my favourite characters were there and apart from the initially off-putting graphics (which grew on me pic after pic) it started to look like it could be a genuine contender for the genre crown.
So long live Street Fighter 4! Even though I don't get Vader with my PS3 copy!

Well is it? Come on you know how it goes. Is Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is the best game ever? Discuss.

Indeed, can there ever be a definitive best game of all time?

Of course one could easily include Zelda: The Ocarina of Time in a Top Ten. Or could you? Let's see. These are a spontaneous, off the cuff, personal top ten in no particular order:

1. Fallout 2
2. Mario 64
3. Half Life
4. Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
5. Grim Fandango
6. Baldur's Gate 2
7. Crysis
8. Goldeneye
9. Deux Ex
10.Super Mario World

Well what are your top ten games of all time?

Do you have an all time favourite?

Ok, 3...2...1... DISCUSS!

The Perspective:

A robed and hooded figure strides over the lush planes of Albion.
The burning hue of the sultry sun disc is fading over the hazy horizon; throwing shadows like black velvet streams over the land. Long swathes of silky, burnt orange grass sway in the gentle breeze and a single, snow white butterfly drifts this way and that, before perching austerely on a satin orchid.

The skeleton of a ancient ship rests against a rocky outcrop, the rays of the sun piercing its ribs, like a charnal gutter. Beneath the shadow of the ship, embedded into the rock a rusted sword hangs; and it is here that our figure halts, imprisoned against the rock by the bars of shadow.

Approaching the sword he reads the words carved into the rock face, "Any person to wield this sword will surely rule all of Albion... but will do so at a terrible cost!"

Our figure appears un-moved, there is no change in his stance; he reaches an outstretched , gloved hand toward the intricately cut hilt.

"WITH THIS SWORD I WILL FULFILL MY DESTINY!!! NO MORTAL WILL BE ABLE TO STOP ME!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

But the hand freezes inches from the hilt... for our character is being watched.

Sensing the onlooker he slowly, oh so slowly reaches for his scimitar. He turns weapon unsheathed but is too late.......



.........his face is being licked. Voluminous globs of slobber cascade down his cheeks, a little bit runs into his nose!


"Damn it Fido! I thought i'd seen the last of you when I threw your squeeky ball into the pit of despair!!! And no! I do not have any sausages!!!!!!!"

Change of perspective:


Peter Molyneux's long awaited Fable 2 is coming, and it's got a dog for each and every one of us! To see the cheeky canine in action click HERE.


Gromit aside though, Fable 2 is looking good. Very good. More than what Molyneux states would be simply bigger and better than the original, the sequel is pushing boundaries, the exact thing he says LIONHEAD STUDIOS was set up to do.

Now of course the creator of such hits as Black and White, Dungeon Keeper, Populous and The Movies is quite akin to promising the earth and delivering (a still super impressive) half of it. But with Lionheads 2006 acquisition by Microsoft one has the sneaking suspicion that with the extra financial backing, he might be able to follow through 100% this time.

The list of promises for Fable 2 include: the ability to marry and have children, the ability to buy ANY house within the entire game, a complete free form world and the ability to love UNCONDITIONALLY among many others. Obviously if all these elements make it into the final game we could be looking at the contender for Game of the Year 2008, if they don't however, one has to wonder if Fable 2 will be added to a pile of also rans.

Of course only time will tell if the game will be the stellar X-BOX 360 hit it's been billed as, but early impressions are good.

Keep watching this space.

Oh and keep watching for big slobbery dogs!

Game God Peter Molyneux has spilled some proverbial beans about Fable 2 to David Lynch of Games Media Culture. Check it out by clicking HERE.

Fable 2 preview coming soon!!!

Warning! Warning! Warning! Optimism Alert! Optimism Alert!

Fallout 2, the 1998 sequel to the underground cult hit Fallout, holds my record for longest time spent playing a game. No seriously. I have not played any other game for longer than Fallout 2. Halo? No. Goldeneye? No. Zelda: The Ocarina of Time? No. Grand Theft Auto? No. Crysis? No. Half Life 2? No.

I mean the level of nostalgia both titles invokes is monumental. Remember the Cafe of Broken Dreams? How about K-9? The bridge of death anyone? How about the Holy Hand Grenade? What about Smiler? Remember freeing the slaves from Metzer? Wasn't listening to the Hubologist guest speakers funny? Wasn't it moving when you return to the NCR to find the little girl from the first game running the town but now 80 years old? The list is absolutely endless!!!

What's that you say?

You've never played the second game?

Well what about the original? The game that defined a genre? The game that started it all?

WHAT!!! You hadn't even HEARD of the Fallout series untill Bethesda annouced they would make Fallout 3!

But... but...surely...... WAIT, wait a minute; how about the Vault Dweller? You know the guy in the blue jumpsuite with Vault 13 written on the back? Surely you remember seeing him? Maybe even in a magazine?

WHAT!!! NO!!! THE... VAULT DWELLER... IS NOT... CALLED... GORDON FREEMAN!!!!!! (Suppresses growing rage.) Ok...ok, ok how about Mr. Pip Boy ? You know, that cute little chappy that pops up in your Pip Boy all the time?

(Repeating what he just heard.) WHAT...IS... A... PIP BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Head explodes.)





You see now? Fallout 3 is my most anticipated game for years, hell it even tops Crysis. I've played the originals for hundreds of hours, i gave Interplay my hard earned cash and, not wanting to sound to much like a Star Wars fan, NO-ONE knows more about the Fallout Universe than me?

But Bethesda are not making Fallout 3 for me? No. They're making it for Joe "Casual Gamer I Buy One Game A Year And Make My Decision Purely On Hype I Have No History With The Game Think Pc Gaming Is Half Life And Nothing Else Am 14 Years Old And Can't Even Spell Fallout Let Alone Tell You What It Means Is Gordon Freeman The Pip Boy" Smith.

And you know what?

It makes me sick.

With Fox News recently adding to its catalog of "games are corrupting our children", one has to ask when will this systematic demonising of the industry cease?

For a taster of Fox News' latest pitchforking please follow the above "BURN THEM!!!" link. If you are outraged then return here for comment....



... ah good your back. Not exactly unbiased one could say.

Of course it's not all bad news. The gaming industry is now seen more than ever as a serious entertainment business, and games are seen as a legitimate hobby in many households. Gaming sections are materializing in more an more main stream publications and advertising for games is now far more common across all mediums. A good example of this recently was the cover mount of World of Warcraft on The Times newspaper.

Obviously one could make the argument that history is simply repeating itself. Comic books, Rock and Roll, Clubbing and the internet are all good examples of a new form of entertainment that was demonised in its youth due to the ignorance of the public and media. Games are merely the latest in a long line of scapegoats for societies ills. Indeed one does occasionally wonder why the odd gamer hasn't been tied to a stake and burnt alive due to a bad harvest.

So if the cries of "BURN THEM!"are dieing, why be worried? Well it all depends on what position the industry is left in; the final resting place of the public perception of games could have massive repercussions theoretically.

On one hand games could be left in the minds of the public, due to both media involvement and industry led demographic targeting,as an entertainment medium for ages 8 - 18. Instead of an industry of deep, compelling and adult entertainment which is pushing boundaries, an industry that produced Bioshock; people will think of Disney Princess Classics and Rocom Socom Robots!

On the other hand the industry could be accepted as a medium that delivers entertainment to all ages.

Percentage wise one could argue that at the moment public perception is 70% in the former and 30% in the latter.

At this point in time one would hope that these percentages will change over the next five years or so for the better, but with media outlets such as Fox News peddling an outdated conception of the industry, it will be both an uphill and unpredictable battle.

Will the force be unleashed? No really... will it? Can SW:TFU actually match the dizzy levels of Jedi Knight?

I'm not so sure.

After the latest in a long string of "our game is ace" PR stunts from the TFU development team; including two gentlemen who have the (cough) esteemed title of "Head of Q & A", my initial cynical optimism has descended into just plain cynicism. Why? Physics.

All the development team have talked about and shown us is ruddy physics!

My cynicism I will now argue is well founded also. I'm tired of physics you see and no more so than in TFU. I'm tired of that great wow factor that adorns thousands of game boxes; I'm tired of it ruining games. An imaginary example for instance:

Game Title: Captain Physix: The Return of Physixor!

Blurb: In the latest EPIC production from John Romero's MONUMENTAL PRODUCTIONS the limits of FREEDOM and IMMERSION will be tested to the EXTREME... THE PHYSICS EXTREME! Throw stuff into stuff! Why? Because you can! WOOO! Throw people into stuff! Throw yourself into stuff! Shoot things... maybe the evil Physixor's minions! WOOO! Use the latest NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY in HIGH DEFINITION to experience a new FIDELITY in PHYSICS led, GENRE BENDING GAMEPLAY!!! Now with the new QUANTOMION PHYSXIXIXIX ENGINE the IMPOSSIBLE just became POSSIBLE!!!!

Picture: (Freeze frame of and FMV video from the game, completely modified and touched up in photshop - the picture shows one shot with every single thing on screen either blowing up or flying through the air.)

Cost: £60

Quote on box: "...the best game we have ever seen..." - PCGAMER



Ok and now the subtext:

Game Title: This is meaningless woffle. I'm stereotypical and cliched.

Blurb: We spent so much money on the buggy, work on one machine engine, we had nothing left to actually make a game. We thought we might be able to spend a fiver on the narrative but John spent it on a really big piece of cheesecake. This game is broken beyond belief!!!

Picture: Ha ha ha! We tricked you real good didn't we! It doesn't look like that even on our £10000 dream machine!!!

Cost: 60 quid!!! You idiot!

Quote on box: Actual quote: "This is so far from the best game we have ever seen we had to stick pins in our eyes to make sure we weren't having a nightmare." - PCGAMER



While of course the latter piece of fancy is far fetched, these are the problems that this new fad with physics is causing. A fad one believes that will heavily jeopardise SW:TFU. Unfortunately the problems aforementioned are only for us the consumer as, unsurprisingly, physics sells games; even it is selling the soul of the industry with it.


I'm tired.

With the acclaimed releases of Mass Effect from Bioware and Bioshock from Take 2, a long forgotten staple of game design appears to have re-emerged. Narrative. Although in no way could this be seen as a resurgence of the art.

Back in the days of yore games often lived and died by the story they took you on. They had nothing else after all did they? Crysis graphics? No. Reams and reams of music from the Moscow Symphony Orchestra? No (one must concede on this point though to that brilliant anomaly Outcast however). Serious hype across multiple multi-media mediums? No. Gameplay? Yes - but in very few cases. Room for thousands of Mbs worth of A-lister audio? No. The list goes on; and what did that leave you with? Narrative.

After all narrative was cheap and an effective way of "covering up" the lack of development/ finance the title had received. It gave the game a grounding point, gave you purpose, made the characters and worlds you were engaging with that more tangible; made everything that bit more engrossing. More importantly though it made you care for the characters.

Gladiator is one of the best films to be released in my generation and will help me prove the aforementioned point. When Russell Crowe, mortally wounded by Joaquin Phoenix while incapacitated, faces him one on one and kills him in gladiatorial combat against the odds, how did you feel? Good I bet! But why? Because you had been taken on his journey, seen his trials and tribulations, seen his wife and child murdered; you had been told a story and you were made to care for him. After all a film is escapism no? Just as a book is escapism and just as a game is escapism.

Of course escapism can be achieved without narrative but to what degree is debatable. With a good narrative your already half-way there. Equally take a narrative away from a game and in almost all respects you have only half a game. Take Bioshock's story away and what are you left with? A 75% fps! Not the 95%, contender for best game of 2007, title we received last year. Equally the same could be said for the 9/10 Mass Effect.

Both these titles currently fly in the face of the ever growing trend of less narrative, more bump-mapping. A trend that more than anything else is been driven by the console market.

Of course Bioware have always delivered a good story but with Mass Effect, one might argue that while they have delivered maybe not their best story, they have certainly delivered their most important.

Here is the first ever podcast on the Double Touch blog. Enjoy!

(Click on "Mass Effect Podcast" and then the blue, 15.7mb MPEG4 link to listen.)

With the latest and biggest disappointment so far of the synergy between the gaming and film industry presenting itself in the pre-pubescent mess that is Hitman, one must ask the question: Is the film of the game such a good thing?

With the gaming industry progressing out of childhood and into a more mature, and culturally accepted medium of entertainment, surely the like of Uwe Bull et al are doing more harm than good. Gaming and gamers are now, thanks to the corporisation of all things geek (Ugly Betty demonstrating this in the TV medium astutely), seen not just as the sweaty, lazy, drugged up creatures of the night that they once were. Gone is the day of spotty male encrusted in front of his computer or "baby", pizza in one hand, redbull in the other and donning an XL T-Shirt with "There's no place like 127.0.0.1" on it. Now gamers are almost actual "people".

Of course the influx of the all powerful Hollywood dollar into the industry is good for the coffers but if Hitman is anything to go by, it's not good for anything else. Hitman Blood Money was without doubt the sleeper hit of 2007, a beautiful culmination of the previous games rolled into one witty, shocking, brutal and polished title. The film didn't even do shocking! How can a film about a genetically engineered mercenary, who will kill ANYONE for the right price, not even manage that? Seriously, the Hitman games have always not just done that but also made you aware of the fact. In addition the marks you are commissioned to take out often weren't just the black and white evil, generic, terrorist bastards you find in most other games/films. Sure they often have a HUMAN flaw, but who doesn't? You are fighting fire with fire. Because how else could you garrote the innocent daughter of a crooked businessman just to complete your mission?

The saddest thing is that unlike previous titles this one really had the potential to do well. Uwe Bull wasn't directing for a start! Of course the biggest problem the film really had was that it was neutered from the start; how can you make a film about a Hitman who kills people through: lethal injection, garrote, knife, electrocution ect with a 15 certificate? Aliens Vs. Predator anyone?

Still looking forward to the Grim Fandango movie?

Still looking forward to the Halo movie?

Still looking forward to the World of Warcraft movie?

Bad films such as Hitman will only cause the perception of the industry and we the gamers to revert right back to where it started, in the gutter.

After all, there is no place like 127.0.0.1.

Freedom in games, it's a good thing isn't it? Surely the idea of being funneled down corridors, with a freedom akin to that which gravity grants you, is all but moribund? Well I'm not so sure. Ever since titles such as Doom 3, Quake 4 and Painkiller (and their subsequent iffy reviews due to their corridor mentality) "freedom" has become the buzz word to adorn game boxes worldwide. Games that promise "unparalleled levels of freedom" or an "unprecedented level of freedom" are now ten-a-penny and with the latest rebirth, like a phoenix from the ashes, of the Co-Op, it feels like we shall be reveling in our unprecedented and co-operative freedom for all eternity. Why would we bother with the lonely experience of a never-ending funnel, when we can drink with many others from the fountain of eternal freedom?

Because there is always to much of a good thing. Case in point: Just Cause. Just Cause offered freedom to such an extent that one would find themselves lost and bewildered by the sheer scope of the playground you were placed in; and more crucially gave you so little focus or direction that you were never compelled to actually explore it. Miles and miles of virtual miles that never once were embraced by my virtual feet. It took hours to travel from one side of the group of islands to the other! And why? To complete a cliched task which echoed many missions you had already completed. That's not freedom! It's just being forced to commute further!

That said at least there was no Co-Op!

Ahhhhhhh beautiful, lonely, depressing freedom.