A sequel to the classic strategy RPG released on the PS2 finally comes to fruition. With an enhanced combat system, deeper characterisation, high resolution 2D sprites and more superbly witty storylines this is one game to keep a look out for! Be prepared to have your soul sucked dry by this game once again… ETA – N/A

At long last the Dragon Quest series (also known as Dragon Warrior in the USA) gets a global release. Only one out of seven of the titles made it outside Japan and this one will also make it Stateside and in Europe.

With character designed by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Chrono Trigger) and other big star names on board this has the production values to make it a huge RPG. Sporting a cel-shaded look for an animé style the animation is fluid and the whole world is in 3D. Battle mechanics start off by you capturing a monster after scouting for one. This beast is then added to your collection and can be used against your enemies. With each monster having different abilities and attributes it is your job to find the best ones for your party, to win tournaments and advance into the game. Dragon Quest VIII is one to watch for all RPG fans. Nov 14^th USA, Europe: N/A

The first Final Fantasy in a long time to depart from the usual formula found in previous games. The art style and gameplay will have similar aspects to Vagrant Story and the online version that is Final Fantasy XI. For example while you may have parties fighting against an enemy, you will often fine enemies fighting amongst themselves which is a first. Also other creatures around you will take note and also join into the melee giving it a different dimension to the “Me Vs You” aspect in previous games.

The game itself also offers a lot more freedom allowing you to explore without random battles. That’s correct, in the same manner of Vagrant Story and Chrono Trigger the enemies will not attack unless you engage battle, bump into them or they catch you. When the fight starts there is no separate battle screen but seamless action instead.

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“XenoSaga III – Also Sprach Zarathustra” takes place once year after the prequel. Many of the cast return with the same mature models as seen in XenoSaga II but with different outfits, hairstyles etc. Also there seems to be a doppelganger of Kos-Mos herself fighting against the original weapon of destruction. With little in terms of new gameplay revealed we can assume that it will carry on with the same formula like a giant space opera, with lengthy cut-scenes and action in between. Fans of the first two will need to lap up this final chapter of the trilogy. ETA – N/A

Okay, basically this article is something of a rant about my general apathy towards the ‘me-too!’ mentality of many developers and the damage it’s doing not only to their own IP, but the industry as a whole. My example in this case is going to be… Driver.

Yes, I know, Driver is almost as infamous as ‘Army Men’ these days, almost a euphemism for bad gaming. However, original Driver was sublime. It was fun, fresh and original. Yes, it was riddled with bugs and glitches - you could get stuck ‘inside’ buildings and so on and the last level was stupidly difficult. But there really was no other alternative.

In fact, to be honest I still play it now and it’s still great fun! So… What happened?

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Okay I admit, this title seems very negative but it is justified, I promise! The fact is I love this game… When it’s not being inconsistent. For a start Rockstar Leeds did an amazing job on the PSP port. Essentially, it’s like looking at a slightly lower resolution version of the original and on a screen this small and sharp, often there seems to be no difference at all.

This means that all the good stuff is there from the PS2 version, starting with the brilliantly diverse line-up of both music and cars. For someone who enjoys many different styles, this is a huge strength in the game.

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Goku, Luffy, Naruto, and Ichigo. If none of these names ring a bell, then Jump Superstars will probably fly right over your head. To put it simply, it’s a ‘Smash Bros.’ style game, where a large selection of Shonen Jump characters basically smash big chunks out of each other. Sounds good then. (Read more…)

Another creative and groundbreaking game from Capcom who seem to be pushing videogames more forward, actively than any other company in recent years. This adventure game by Clover Studios (Viewtiful Joe) follows a Japanese folk tale playing as the God of Sun Amaterasu, who descends to Earth in the form of wolf to seal the demons. While utilising a graphical engine, emulating traditional Japanese artwork, it creates a unique visually rich world not seen in modern videogames where ultra realism is seen to be cutting edge. I hope other publishers and developers take note because you do not need millions upon millions of polygons to create a beautiful game.

Release date is expected to be around April 20, 2006 for Japan and May 31, 2006 for the USA. No news on a European release date as of yet.

Its about time a Tekken videogame was announced for the PSP and it looks like we’ll get the enhanced arcade version to boot. It has the usual features such as Arcade Mode, Time Attack, Practise, Vs etc as well as a cusomisation mode much like Sega’s VF .Net service - Where you can customise your characters with accessories and trade them over Wi-Fi. From the screenshots the game looks faithful to the arcade version and as long as there is no let up in the framerate this should be the 3D Fighting game to have on the PSP.

From the creator of Space Channel 5 and Rez comes this musical puzzle title. It is a cross of Tetris with flexible blocks which can detach from their original falling shape, overlapping one another. The aim is to create squares or rectangles from identical coloured blocks to make them disappear.

When you play the game, you notice there is a timeline that goes from left to right in time with the music. This timeline also acts as the combo initiator so if a square is created in the middle of the screen, it gets counted as a score when the line passes through it. The trick here is to create large squares and rectangles before the line passes through, enabling large combinations.

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