Wa-wa-WII-wa! A Hands-on Preview of the Nintendo Wii

Wa-Wa-WII-Wa!

A hands-on Preview of the Nintendo Wii

By Le Chupacabra

Despite having shamelessly nicked Borat’s famous catchphrase (does it even count as a phrase?), I think it’s a lot better than say, “Wii will rock you!”, “Playing with my Wii”, “Can I see your Wii?” or something cheesier. Trust me, I’ve seen really bad ones here…

Navel fluff aside, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty that is Nintendo’s new console. Long story short: it’s the successor to the GameCube. It was called the Revolution and now it’s called the Wii (pronounced, you guessed it, “wee”). End of story. Oh, and its take on next generation gaming is via intuitive and semi-revolutionary user interactivity than through unbelievable graphics or mind-boggling physics. It’s a fancy way of saying that the Wii Remote is awesome enough to make you ignore the unimpressive visuals showcased by the Wii.

Natty, the sub-warden in my corridor was nice enough to let me mess around with his Wii (damn, that sounds plain wrong) for a few hours. Thus I return with my hands-on impressions of the much-desired yet short-supplied next generation console, the Nintendo Wii.

Firstly, it’s quite small. GameCube small you ask? Smaller. The Wii is comparable to the PSOne (the remodelled, mini-PlayStation) surprisingly. Despite its Napoleonic stature it boasts quite a few nifty features. For starters, it has a smooth slot-loading disc drive that takes in the new Wii DVDs. The top can be flipped open to reveal all four controller ports for the original GameCube as well as the two prerequisite memory card slots for said console. And there’s a smaller panel above the disc slot that houses an SD memory card reader. Details aside, the Wii looks quite slick. I haven’t seen a PS3 upfront, yet between the Xbox 360 and Wii – the Spartan design of the Wii combined with a sleek, glossy white finish gives the Wii an air of sophistication and simplicity that I find more appealing. Nintendo makes some robust hardware as well and I expect (no, I didn’t dare try to test this) the Wii to withstand quite a few batterings and hurled controllers of which there shall be many.

Following the same theme as the aesthetic design, the user interface is clean, simple and quite user-friendly. You interact by aiming with the Wii Remote and a mouse cursor-esque hand follows your motions. It felt slightly wonky for me, but you can set your own level of sensitivity. The Wii has a neat picture viewer that you can use to browse through your shots from an SD memory card. The picture viewer offers the ability to apply special effects; particularly fun is the doodle tool. You can run a slideshow of your album as well and watch video files stored on the card. The Wii supports wireless internet which is routed to it via any general Wi-Fi dongle. With that you can browse the Internet, purchase legacy games from the online store and send/receive e-mail. My favourite part was the Mii (pronounced “me”), however. This is the Wii’s proprietary user profile management system and its use couldn’t be simpler or more fun! First you have go through all the basics of adding details such as your name, desired user name, date of birth, favourite colour, et al. The fun part comes in when it’s time to actually create your personal Mii avatar. While some will obviously go for the larger than life look, it’s quite enjoyable trying to get your likeness correct. After a few tweaks here and there by my sub-warden, I was pretty impressed with the almost-accurate version of me prancing on the screen. Speaking of which, I think I need to buy a new glasses to match those of the Wii Mii… erm me…

Now what makes the Wii unique is not the games you play, but how you play them. Enter the Nunchuks… and Wii Remote. Splitting a conventional controller into essentially two parts just didn’t seem right to me at first. After a few hours flicking, slamming, punching and flailing with the controllers – I can safely say that they officially rock! The remote is built surprisingly solidly and feels rather natural. After all, we are the TV generation and holding onto a remote for hours on end is part of the circle of life now. The buttons are perfectly set apart, although having the ‘B’ as a trigger (under the Remote) is initially confusing. The Nunchuk is where the analog stick rests. It looks like someone cut a DualShock in half, remoulded a half with one of the analog sticks and made it really ergonomic! The Nunchuk fits into your hand perfectly and follows the contours of your grip extremely well. A clearly obvious benefit of separating the controllers is that you can decide your own comfort level; whether you hold them right next to each other or lazily droop your arms over the sides of the chair is completely up to you. The controllers are connected to each other by means of a cable but other than that they are wireless courtesy of Bluetooth technology. A small, elongated receiver sits (preferably) on top of your TV and helps triangulate the direction the controllers face; this is what makes the motion sensing magic work.

So we know how the Wii looks and some portion of what it does. The question that you’re probably salivating over is how it plays. In short, it’s freakin’ awesome. True, the games I played would be mediocre under any normal controller scheme but the Wii is not your average console after all. Because of the controllers, it becomes something a lot more special.

First up was Wii Sports. The game comes bundled with the Wii itself and serves as an addictive distraction while you get accustomed to the new method of play. We played bowling, tennis, baseball and boxing. Bowling wasn’t too bad; first you have to aim the path you intend to bowl on and then you lift the Wii Remote as you would an actual bowling ball. Once you’re ready, swing away and press the button to release. There are subtleties in the motion you can take advantage of to add spin. Tennis was fantastic, however. I loved 4-player Top Spin on the PS2 but it faces pretty stiff competition from the Wii iteration of the sport. Holding the Wii Remote like a racquet you actually have to swing away at the ball as it threatens your side of the court. Similar to bowling, you can make use of deft sideway flicks or smooth slices to change the way you hit the ball. It was exhilarating to say the least and with four players, this has the potential of being the ultimate party game. Boxing and baseball were pretty damn entertaining as well. While you’re not required to actually move around your character in boxing, you can perform cheeky dodges left, right and backwards by moving both controllers in the opposite directions. Here you actually have to punch out to hit your opponent’s smug face and defence is equally ingenious – you cover your face with your hands to block blows aimed at your precious visage. I foresee this being the future way of ‘settling the score’ between two testosterone-charged ‘gentlemen’. Baseball required you hold the Wii Remote like a bat and swing away once the pitched ball seemed at the appropriate distance from your player. Getting the timing right was fun and significantly more intuitive than simply pressing a button. The pitching was similar to the Bowling game except that you had to swing over-arm.

I played a few games that made up the Wii Play compilation but they weren’t anything too special. Spin-offs of Duck Hunt and Battle Tanks were quite entertaining, though.

However, after that I played one game that tempted me like no other to forget the PS3 and order a Wii – Rayman Raving Rabbids. It was one of the most hilarious and outrageously fun games I’ve played in a while. Every aspect of it effuses humour and the design is simply brilliant. Raving Rabbids comprises of a series of mini-games where you take the titular character and attempt to thwart world domination by a bunch of - you guessed it - raving, rabid rabbits (say that ten times, fast). This game fully integrates the Wii Remote and Nunchuk into the very core of its being and as a result, has effectively brought about a tangible manifestation of the word ‘fun’. Whether it’s the rhythmic disco game where you have to flick the corresponding controller in tune with the beats to parodied songs like “Rabbits just wanna have fun” or the juice bar portion where you have to fill up the advancing rabbits with carrot juice by literally pumping it into them, the game maintains a distinct air of energetic, in-your-face humour that draws you in for more. The beauty of the games (and the Wii in general) is that it physically and mentally involves you, the player, in the game itself. That avant-garde level of interactivity takes the concept to new levels and it’s really hard to go back afterwards. Oh, and multiplayer is just overkill in terms of sheer enjoyment.

There you have it regarding the Wii. If you’re in doubt concerning a next generation console purchase, then consider the Wii as a very, very able contender. It’s cheap, it’s outrageously fun and it’s also the ultimate party machine. However with that said, you should always consider what games you want before you go straight ahead and end up buying a console you really didn’t want in the first place. Oh, and the Wii works best (and sometimes only) as a multiplayer console as opposed to something to sit down with and get lost in; the games aren’t quite substantial enough to satiate solitary gaming sessions, mind you. Other than that, wii salute you, Nintendo, for such a fantastic console.

PS2 Game Reviews - Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

A PS2 Game Review By
Le Chupacabra

The ‘RPG’ genre has a tendency to remain aloof of most ‘deshi gamers with the odd exception of the suitably famous Final Fantasy series. However, there’s a staggering variety of pureblood RPGs (most games contain RPG elements nowadays) that both lack the Final Fantasy moniker yet also happen to be rather excellent; it’s just that us Muggles often fail to notice them.

Disgaea is one such gem.

If you enter this game expecting poignant (read: whiny) protagonists and epic storylines you’ll be better off looking elsewhere. Disgaea places you in the curly-toed shoes of the egotistical Prince Laharl. Rudely awaken from a two-year nap, this heir to the Netherworld finds his father, the nigh-unpronounceable King Krichevskoy, murdered; meanwhile, various demons of noble (and otherwise) blood have been vying for the throne. There is only one way a self-respecting demon can achieve supreme glory – kill off the competition.

The story is charming in its own way, mind you. There are a few predictable twists, but it’s eventually the quirky humour that wins it all. Since it’s set in a rather juvenile version of the Netherworld, sardonic attitudes, witty (read: corny) remarks and much Narcissism is the order of the day. These aren’t the most remarkable characters in the world, but they will offer oodles of amusement at their expense. It’s worth plugging away through the game just to get to the next bit of story where the characters interact. Better yet, the game gets even funnier as it goes on despite how bad a situation our motley crew of loveable demons ends up in!

The graphics are unique to say the least; if you’re looking for a visual tour de force… for the SNES… then you’ve found your game. Disgaea is comprised of 2D hand-drawn sprites superimposed on what appear to be ‘3D’ arenas. Underneath these seemingly ancient graphics lie some incredible anime-style character designs and a lot of personality that is lacking in games with superior visuals. The sound effects are quaint while the music has this silly, carnival-like atmosphere to it. You’ll be surprised at how the voices give a whole new level of personality and charm to the characters! Perfectly over-the-top and over-acted at the right situations, this is truly entertaining stuff.

The true star of the show, however, is the gameplay. Yes, this game is guilty of having a turn-based battle system set on a rigid grid (think Final Fantasy Tactics). However, (like Tactics) it’s also guilty of endless customisation options, unfathomable depth and intriguing strategy.

In combat you have to position all your characters in suitable locations and then order them to do their actions – be it attacking, defending, casting magic, et al. Once prepared, you choose to initiate your stratagems and tactics. After your turn is up, the enemy will begin… and the cycle goes on. This affords you a level of freedom and calculated planning that few RPGs can boast of. As you control your troops to victory (and higher levels), you get a great sense of satisfaction and achievement – this is one of the reasons why this game is so addictive. You can name each character making everyone quite personal to you.

You can also pick and throw people all across the map. In this way, it’s possible set up special attacks or reach greater heights. If you throw enemies into each other they fuse into a more powerful character with a greater level. Then there are Team Attacks. If a character has allies adjacent to him/her/it while performing an attack there is a possibility that they will execute team attacks. Geo Stones and Panels are also distinctive additions. Each coloured Geo panel may or may not give some distinct advantage or disadvantage to you or your enemies. If the corresponding Geo Stones are strategically destroyed you can achieve long chain combos that may help obliterate your enemies in one fell swoop or do insane damage at the very least. Then there’s the fact that each character class has dozens of specific attributes and aptitudes to take into account. A character is also able to have pupils (try not to think about it too much); these pupils benefit their master with unique skills as they level up. Then there’s all the weapons and item customisation and how each and every article can have a domino effect on your characters. Basically this game offers a multitude of ways to earn Experience for and customise your characters. And you know what? These features are barely the tip of the proverbial iceberg!

A really cool aspect that deserves special mention is the Dark Assembly. These are senators of the underworld that have the power to allow or deny your requests (in the form of bills). Requests range from improved abilities to controlling prices at the Item Shop. This is determined by their status towards you which range from Love to a Leaning Yes to Loathe. But it doesn’t stop there. Senators don’t like you? Simply bribe them. They denied your bill? “Persuade” them by force. Remember that higher level senators have more influence than lower ones. This very Bangladeshi-Parliament feature adds more depth to an already fun game and you can spend hours chasing after particular bills, and in making and breaking alliances.

Despite all these complex features, this game is surprisingly easy to get into and once you’ve begun, you will be addicted. However, this is still geared towards RPG and strategy fans and it does require quite a bit of patience and perseverance for reaping the rewards.

If you’ve ever chastised the PS2 for the lack of an RTS, you may want to check the unique brand of RPG-strategy only console games can offer with Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.

Video Games Live - London 2006

By Le Chupacabra

The feverish shouting and incessant babbling hushed down synchronously with the dimming lights until darkness bathed the theatre. Only the softly glowing screen up at the very front and muted spotlights kept the stage in sharp relief. The conductor, Jake Wall, leapt onto the platform, did a quick turn and offered a flourishing bow to the audience. He lightly tapped the holder for the sheets with his baton and all the musicians assumed their positions born of relentless practice and rehearsal. Every pair of eyes, performers and audience alike, followed the tip of the baton as it gracefully rose into the air. The screen faded and bold white lines appeared; it was image instantly recognisable by those present. A furious game of Pong was being played as the orchestra performed a series of blips and bleeps in harmony with the video. This was not going to be your average classical music concert…

Welcome to Video Games Live 2006 in London!

The crowd couldn’t help but titter as the performers turned a simple game of Pong into a musical medley; the minimal sounds became much more than the creators had ever intended. Suddenly the music change tempo again – a distinct Russian influence permeated through: it was Tetris! As the falling bricks came crashing down faster, the tune grew more frantic. It was then, holding onto the theme of freneticism, that the images shifted to yet another classic. Space Invaders had transformed from an arcade game into an important piece in the history of music at that point! As the music became more frenzied, other classic arcade games came into focus. There was Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins of NES fame, followed by the Disney-esque Dragon’s Lair and similarly animated Space Ace, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Gauntlet and finally Outrun… each accompanied with a composition that was far more grandiose than their humble origins. Like the early beginnings of gaming itself, this was but an appetiser teasing us of greater and more majestic events to follow.

Veteran composer and master of ceremonies Tommy Tallarico then bounced on to the stage to give everyone a short yet passionate introduction to Video Games Live. Is gaming just for kids? Hell no! It is for the geeks and nerds? Overwhelming affirmative shouts from the audience on that question... Without further ado, he presented to the audience one of the greatest game developers around, Hideo Kojima. Sadly, he couldn’t be there in person so we got a short video clip of him offering his gratitude and a request to enjoy the orchestrated version of the music from Metal Gear Solid. Being an ardent MGS fan, that was just an amazing moment for me and I wasn’t expecting them to play it so early on! Moving on from the simplistic compositions a few minutes back, a stirring, nostalgic melody resonated throughout the theatre as images of Solid Snake appeared on screen. The famous MGS theme grew in timbre as the audience was treated to a video timeline of Snake from the original MGS game to the upcoming MGS 4. Suddenly the main portion of the theme began as the music kicked into overdrive and the video portrayed likewise. We were offered famous scenes from throughout the MGS series – introductions of favourite (and not-so-favourite) characters, unforgettable fight scenes, et al. As the composition neared its conclusion, the focus was on the supposed last entry of the Metal Gear saga. As the melody started to evanesce, we received a fitting end as old Snake smartly saluted before entering what will probably be his last fight. During this, Tommy Tallarico sneaked on stage in the infamous MGS Box costume and was followed around by a mercenary guard replete with an exclamation mark above his head – great bit of humour there for MGS fans!

Moving on, Tommy called onto stage the French game creator Michael Ancel, famous for Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil and the interactive adaptation of Peter Jackson’s King Kong. After a short introduction, the screen exploded into colour as scenes of Beyond Good & Evil played in rapid succession accompanied by a very grand yet soothing orchestration that reminded me of the Jak and Daxter series. I’ve always wanted to play BG&E but not enough to actively search for it (you can’t find it in Dhaka that easily). However, the intoxicating combination of video and live (and beautifully composed) music gave me glimpses to a game with depth and much substance so here’s a small recommendation from me: get this one if you can find it!

There was also an extraordinary piece to honour none other than Lara Craft, Tomb Raider and gaming legend. The music slowly built up, offering grand allusions of adventure and discovery (that being the point of a TR game…) while the video footage showed Lara Croft giving Indiana Jones a run for his money. I only started playing Tomb Raider from the latest iteration so I can’t say I found this portion particularly nostalgic seeing that it was trying to evoke such (although, my friend would have loved it!) but that didn’t stop it from being a damn good piece! A scene of Lady Croft in a cocktail dress earned a catcall and subsequent roar of laughter from everyone making it a bit of a true highlight.

Speaking of which, clearly this concert was about the high points in video gaming history and therefore, it was appropriate to introduce the one and only Legend of Zelda at this point! Immediately rising to the grand theme of the series, there was yet again a montage chronicling the journey through time for Link. From the original on the NES to the current Twilight Princess on the Wii, one can appreciate how much has changed in the gaming world but one thing remained constant: this is a memorable series that has, is and will stand the test of time. Like with MGS, hearing a well-known theme on such a magnificent scale was quite the experience!

More classics were obviously to follow and the next game in question is obviously as classic and timeless as it will ever, ever get. That’s right… Mario! While the original theme is quite generic and repetitive it’s also addictive and wonderfully playful. Taking it up to the big stage there were subtle permutations that turned the flippant Mario theme into something a lot more majestic. And like the game itself, the montage of Mario games past and present just drew you in and held you. To end it, the orchestra went into the infamous Bowser theme while the videos showed how Mario had thwarted the evil reptile time and time again!

Before the intermission, we were treated to a composition that once heard you’ll never forget: One-Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII. While there wasn’t any video for this one, it was just magnificently performed. The deep Latin choruses and sombre cello chords were a fantastic combination which goes to show what an incredible track this one was to begin with. I can just imagine the number of FF fans that would have killed to be present for this one!

After a twenty-minute break (accompanied by a cheeky loading screen for “Video Games Live Part II” on-screen) we entered the second and final portion of the performance.

There were other games shown including Advent Rising, Headhunter, Civilisation IV and World of Warcraft. The former two were present since Tommy Tallarico and Jake Wall were responsible, respectively, for the music behind those games. The games were nothing brilliant but the music tipped the scale towards (but not quite reaching) epic. Civ IV had an awesome video spanning the ages and started brilliantly with African tribal music and chants (kudos to the amazing choir) reminiscent of the opening song to the Lion King. World of Warcraft was mostly generic fantasy ministrations accompanied by a finale that sounded a bit too similar to the main Zelda theme. Overall, these ones were actually good but took a backseat to everything else shown.

The final gaming classic portrayed here was the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The upbeat, brisk Sonic theme was performed with a few bells and whistles added to it. Once again, there was a tableau of videos looking through the ages of Sonic from the early days to the most recent title. One thing I didn’t like about this one was how the original theme got somewhat buried under the rest of the composition and it was only near the end that a slower version could be clearly recognized and more importantly, hummed to.

However, the best composition in my opinion was that for Kingdom Hearts. This was the only one not to use game footage – instead it dived right into the source of its inspiration and did something unforgettable. Accompanied by an outstanding and inspiring orchestration of the main theme, the videos showed some of the most memorable moments from Disney history. That was quite a special moment and as someone who’s grown up with Disney films – it was just something that I won’t forget for a very long time. The scenes and the music segued together beautifully and did so more than any other composition I had seen all night!

Since MGS began the main portion of the event, there’s only one other game that has the appeal and lineage to end it. That’s right; it was none other than Halo. The choir started first with the main vocalised theme as the Pillar of Autumn drifted across the screen. Hints of the instrumental theme were slowly heard and then as the camera panned around and found Master Chief, the beginning of the end commenced. The footage was from both Halo and Halo 2 and the music was absolutely amazing. The drums and the heavier instruments kicked in to create an aural experience of legendary proportions. The piece continued and ended aptly with the destruction of the Halo in the first game. Just as the screen faded and the applause began, we were in for a big surprise. Tommy Tallarico raced onto stage and announced that they were going to perform the music from the hugely anticipated Halo 3! The crowd absolutely exploded! The E3 trailer for Halo 3 was augmented by what is probably the grandest rendition of the Halo theme. As the music moved away from the theme and quietened down, the last words of the Halo 3 trailer appeared on screen. Like MGS, Halo will also be finishing the fight in 2007 – the best time to be a gamer, ever!

Surprisingly the true highlight of the night was an impromptu live performance from one Martin Leung – also known on YouTube.com as the one and only ‘Video Game Pianist’. To say that he stole the show would be a severe understatement. He performed some beautiful renditions of ten FF pieces with a great version of One-Winged Angel in particular. However, when he started with the Mario theme – the crowd went ballistic. He performed with a dexterity, speed and passion like no other and clapping in beat with his version of it was certainly a fantastic experience. He certainly got a rousing send-off replete with a standing ovation!

At the end, it made me realise what made this entire event so special were the memories of playing many of these games with others and I wish everyone I knew was there to enjoy this fantastic event.

This is dedicated to all my friends back in Bangladesh, my brother Faiyaz and Arif Dulabhai and all ‘deshi gamers!

PS2 Game Review - Kingdom Hearts II

Kingdom Hearts II

A PS2 Game Review
By Le Chupacabra

Kingdom Hearts started as a chance collaboration between the Japanese offices of SquareSoft (now Square-Enix) and Disney. Flitting between various ideas, Square finally handed the reins to a concept artist named Tetsuya Nomura. It was an unusual choice for a game director and it was certainly an unusual premise: the cutesy, iconic world of Disney colliding with the sombre realms of the Final Fantasy series. However, the game went beyond expectation: it was an imaginative, epic adventure that was a whole lot more than the sum of its parts.

Kingdom Hearts II continues a year after the ending of the original and directly after the Gameboy Advance title, Chain of Memories. Since it does so, it is strongly advised that you peruse www.gamefaqs.com and check out the game script for Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Otherwise, many interesting plot points will be lost on you.

One of the first things this game does as a sequel is break away from the confines of the first game and take steps into its own unique territory. As a result, we have a far more original narrative that happens to be more immersive than the first; it’s a little darker, a little more mature and it’s all very good stuff. There’s an initial MGS2-esque character twist (it’s the other way around here) that builds up the story from a different yet equally entertaining perspective. One key flaw of the plot is that after the first bit you’re essentially revisiting Disney worlds to play out their tales and their tales only. As a result, questions regarding the fierce Nobodies and enigmatic Organisation XIII are put on hold for a very long (read: around 10-12 hours!) time; as a result one’s desire to keep going starts dwindling after a while. However, once you plough through the plot-drought you are rewarded with a tale that’s quite brilliant.

Like its predecessor, Kingdom Hearts II boasts a voice-cast that rivals most Hollywood feature films. A now-matured Haley Joel Osmont reprises his role as the plucky Sora while all the classic Disney actors are back in full force. A particularly inspired addition was having Christopher Lee (you know, the guy who plays Count Dooku and Saruman… not at once, mind you) lend his authoritative tones to the enigmatic DiZ. The Organisation members get some brilliant actors too, each one matching their avatars personality quite faithfully. Axel is definitely my fave. Besides a few awkward moments, the dialogue is polished and well-written and the actors do it supreme justice.

The music is equally an aural treat with memorable tunes and an epic score that lives up to the grandeur of the game’s premise. If you’ve played the first game, you’ll recognize many of the remixed Disney tracks. There are also fresh tunes for the newly added ‘worlds’ in this game. I also liked the battle theme in this game better than in the first; it’s got a lot more tempo and it’s quite catchy! In this game, the world of the Little Mermaid - Atlantica - becomes a rhythm-based level. The first song is grating and the latter few uninspired. However it’s the second one that’s just bloody brilliant; it’s a cute remix of Under the Sea and the writers did a great job with changing the lyrics but maintaining the nostalgia this one evokes!

Visually, Kingdom Hearts II is quite pleasing. Some locations come off as rather unimaginative while others are truly awe-inspiring. Fortunately the latter holds true more often. The variety of the Heartless has been downgraded but on the other hand the individual designs surpass the artistry of the original. There are plenty of little touches that add to the immersion wonderfully. In the Pride Lands, you take the guise of a lion and have to hold the KeyBlade between your jaws! At the Timeless River, all the characters move with exaggerated motions reminiscent of the black-and-white Mickey Mouse ‘toons of old. The Pirates of the Caribbean themed world (Port Royal) looks stunning with realistic characters and animation that captures the drunken swagger and mannerisms of the Captain Jack Sparrow perfectly. And the world of Tron? Just jaw-dropping.

The gameplay is in many ways hugely improved over its predecessor while some previously great parts have been unnecessarily tinkered with; “ten steps forward and two steps backward” to quote my friend. The fighting is fast and frenetic and the combination of the fantastic graphics leads to some visually mesmerising sequences. New additions include Drive forms that let you merge with various characters, thus imbuing you with enhanced fighting prowess or magical dexterity. The forms not only look awesome but the power they afford you is amazing - you become a badass warrior of the highest degree. Reaction attacks form yet another portion of your repertoire of moves. When prompted, you have to tap Triangle and this initiates a real-time action sequence that would be otherwise impossible with standard attacks. Whether it’s slick dodge-counterattack combo or a an entire chain of flamboyant maneuvers, these scenes look fantastic. Think of God of War’s killing mini-games minus the brutality. Another addition is the Limit Break, with which Final Fantasy fans should be familiar.

However, much of the exploration that gave the first game an adventure-esque feel has been undermined to criminally disappointing proportions. The levels are more linear than Kingdom Hearts (which was also linear, but had some neat bits that rewarded curious players) and the worlds are somewhat smaller. The gameplay is also much easier mainly due to the use of the Reaction commands and Drive forms. Fortunately, playing on the ‘hard’ (called Proud) difficulty setting makes up in spades with the gratifyingly increased challenge. While Drive forms are optional, the way in which the Reaction attacks are presented seems to suggest that you should use them rather than as a possible attack variation. Minor grievances, but they tend to add up.

One thing that really deserves special mention is the Gummi Ship mode. From being a slow, headache-inducing chore (in the first game), it’s become a fast-paced, frantic shooter mini-game that’s actually fun to play. The last Gummi Ship level has a great Star Wars-esque feel and many portions of that segment recall the famous Death Star trench run from the films.

While no longer as novel as the first, Kingdom Hearts II remains a wonderfully charming experience that not only tells a beautiful story but is also chockfull of luscious graphics, evocative music and entertaining gameplay. If you have a PS2, you have no excuse to pass up such an adventure! So go get your copy and make sure you pick up the original Kingdom Hearts if you haven’t already!

PS2 Game Review - Psychonauts

PsychoNauts

A PS2 Game Review
By Le Chupacabra

Excluding the typical dreams of endless plummets off cliffs or you trying to fight off bad guys only to find that you can’t use your super powers at all, the human psyche can be a pretty weird (understatement of the century!) and scary place at times. A visualization of everything that makes a person who she/he is - their joys, sorrows, fears, ambitions - could end up as something that would make Freud crap his pants. Or maybe not. Who knows? However, one thing is certain - a journey into a person’s mind could become an adventure like no other.

And that’s where Psychonauts comes in.

Born from the ingenious mind of Tim Schafer, Psychonauts is a game that puts you into the boots, or rather, the goggles of a young boy named Rasputin (‘Raz’ to his friends). Raz’s dream is to become a ‘psychonaut’ - a psychic warrior of sorts. The role of a psychonaut is to infiltrate the mind of other people and take care of whatever business is required. While that doesn’t sound too exciting, the possibilities are stupendous.

Here’s a game where you begin by entering the mind of your military-oriented teacher, Coach Oleander, to do some basic training. On the way you’ll encounter emotional baggage which are, brilliantly, actual pieces of luggage! Later you’ll delve into your own mind to literally battle your inner demons. You’ll encounter figments of imagination, mental cobwebs, censors that try to boot you from other people’s minds and basically every psychiatry-related cliché in the book - all realised oh-so-creatively in visual form. That’s where the true beauty of this game lies: imaginative level design. Coach Oleander’s mind is a battlefield full of exploding shells, flying zeppelins and old film slides of his greatest achievements. Sasha Nien’s is a Spartan cube wherein all emotion and secrets are kept under tight lock - only by accident do you find out what sorrows he hides. There are the minds of your fellow students - each one is as unique as they come. Both like and unlike the real world, nothing is what it seems in these crazy locations. You’ll wonder whether what you’re seeing is true, or whether there are deeper secrets behind all the nooks and crannies. Each mind is a maze (pun intended) and presents a whole new set of challenges and more importantly, a perpetual feeling of wonder and amazement. If you think you’ve seen insanity, think again. While you enter relatively few minds compared to the huge cast of diverse, loveable characters you interact with - each one also provides a fantastic vehicle for characterization. It’s the mixture of what you see, hear and unearth during these psychic treks that flesh out the personalities in this game.

This naturally leads to one of best parts of the game: humour. The humour ranges from literal, in-your-face clichés (the mind-levels themselves!) to characters spewing innuendo left and right to classic slapstick. All this wonderful comedy is beautifully integrated into the whole experience thanks to some fantastic writing by Tim Schafer. Whether it’s the typical jock/bully Bobby or the adorable Dogen, each has some great dialogue that make them feel more believable than most game characters. You know what a broad spectrum of personalities the typical classroom contains, right? Psychonauts appreciates this (most of the characters are based on Tim Schafer’s schooldays) and you’ll end up finding more than just a few recognizable personas. That’s yet another aspect of Psychonauts that makes it so enjoyable - you can actually relate to and empathize with the people portrayed.

Since the game is all about psychic powers and all, Raz can actually hear the thoughts of the people around him - more opportunity for hilarity and especially so when these precocious kids are thinking ‘inappropriate’ thoughts.

Given the way the game is designed, Psychonauts works best as a platformer - and that’s pretty much how it plays. Raz has to overcome obstacles by a combination of jumping, double jumping, sliding, grabbing onto ledges… you get the point. He’s able to attack by creating a giant psychic hand that karate chops anyone foolish enough to impede his progress. You can even perform the classic jump-smash where you jump up and direct a heavy smash attack below you. All these traditional platformer maneuvers are augmented by various psychic attacks such as Pyrokinesis, telepathy and the such. There’s also a handy Lock-Strafe function ala Ratchet & Clank that makes combat much more enjoyable. As far as gameplay is concerned, Psychonauts is pretty solid stuff although the jumping lacks a grace period - you know, the part in other games where, if you miss a jump, your character can still grab the edge. Some jumps can be tricky and the camera can be somewhat unwieldy; this can cause frustration at times. Besides that, Psychonauts has the fundamentals down pat so it’s all good.

Artistically, Psychonauts is a work of genius. The characters are designed in a very Tim Burton-esque manner with deformed bodies, over-large heads and a certain air of eccentricity. Despite the fact that they look kind of weird, they still exude a lot of personality. But what will really blow you away is the level design of all the minds you enter. Innovative, amazing and truly insane - each one is a visual masterpiece that you’ll enjoy seeing over and over again. That’s the artistic portion though; Psychonauts won’t win any awards for technical graphics. The game suffers from a slightly rocky frame-rate, the loading is quite slow and the draw-distance (how far you can see in a game) is poor. The general graphics are pretty low-quality overall. The artistry makes up for this pretty well most of the time, but occasionally only just.

The sound department is an equal balance of good and bad. The voice acting is extremely enjoyable and recalls the perfectly camp yet loveable voices that characterize classic Hanna-Barbera toons. On the flip side, the music is commonplace to the point of being forgettable.

Psychonauts is a work of creativity and freshness with diverse level design, brilliant humour and truly wonderful characters. Despite some rather glaring flaws, it’s one of those gaming concepts that don’t come around very often so pick this up before it disappears.

PS2 Game Review - Sly 3: Band of Thieves

A PS2 Game Review By
Le Chupacabra

Honour Among Thieves starts from the ending of the previous title. A harrowing battle left the bespectacled turtle Bentley wheelchair-bound. Placing the blame on his negligence, the powerhouse Murray decides to leave the trio, and his life of crime, behind and embark upon a journey of self-discovery. As timing would have it, the master thief Sly was about to pull off the heist to end all heists. How will he manage it now that the brains and brawns of the gang are out of commission?

As you can see, the story treads well-known territory. However, instead of becoming unnecessarily cliché, the plot has enough twists and quirks that ride on the feeling of familiarity and this leads to a warm, fuzzy feeling that only old Hanna-Barbera toons can evoke. The story is predictable in that you know good will prevail over evil yet fresh in that the situations and events are novel and relentlessly entertaining. When Bentley begins outlining the plan to next heist, you'll nod at each word and your eyes will grow ever wider as you realise how ingenious and compelling his ideas are. You only know that this heist is but one on the path to the big event itself and as a result you're always expecting the ante to be upped further - and that's exactly what happens!

The writing and dialogue are witty and humorous and doesn't degenerate towards slapstick or innuendo to provide the laughs. The combination of the zany situations the protagonists find themselves leads to the game encompassing humour that's subtly ingrained into the psyche of the whole experience. This leads to a level of sophistication that few can reach. The voice acting is equally engaging with the actors giving a lot of life and zest to some already compelling characters.

The graphics of Sly 3 follow the Sly tradition with vibrant locations and exaggerated edges and angles befitting of its cartoon atmosphere. The enemy come in all shapes and sizes and it's not unusual to catch yourself admiring the bizarre character designs much like those of the sublime DragonQuest VIII. The piece de resistance of the whole picture is the marvellous cel-shaded graphics that give truly unique definition to the characters. Complemented by some luxuriously smooth animation, Sly 3 looks every bit like a classic cartoon. Given the larger locales in this iteration, the game will slow down occasionally. Sometimes you can shrug it off, but sometimes it can cut in to the gameplay experience. I guess it's the price to pay for such brilliant artistry.

As it is, Sly 3 has all that it takes to create an entertaining and memorable cartoon that's perfect to sit down to when you're having lunch after a hot day at school!

However, Sly 3 is still a game. Therefore, does the gameplay match up to everything else?

Pretty much!
Sly 3 is a fusion of classic platforming and stealth-based gameplay ala Metal Gear Solid. While Sly has some mean combat tricks up his sleeve, his forte is sticking to the shadows and utilising his master thief skills. Sly is a rather athletic creature and this only adds to his formidable criminal abilities. He can balance himself on and run across narrow wires and slip into niches that his enemies can never reach. He can sneak on his tiptoes behind unwary sentries and pick their pockets dry! It's worth the extra trouble since that's the only method of getting keys and rare items. You can sell such items for coins and exchange coins to buy upgrades from ThiefNet which is essentially the Ebay of Sly's world. The fleet-footed Sly isn't the only character though! A successful heist works due to a collaboration of all the members and as a result, you get to play the parts of Bentley, Murray and other characters. Infact, Sly begins the Ocean's Eleven-esque task of enlisting the help of world class thieves so he can pull off the heist of the century. You get to use a diverse range of characters ranging from Sly's rival and love interest Carmelita Fox to the freaky Koala shaman that is Murray's spiritual mentor.

Being incapacitated has done little to dent Bentley's fervour for solving problems! He ends up inventing a wheelchair equipped with all manner of cutting-edge technology like rocket boosters, bombs and other sneaky additions. It's extremely amusing when you tap left or right and see Bentley hopping his wheelchair in the appropriate direction. While Sly and Bentley are more about evasion and tactics, Murray is all-out muscle and his levels involved you smashing around stuff. He doesn't pick pockets like his friends, no. He picks up the enemy and shakes the coins out of them! There's humour in every facet of the gameplay and as I said before, that is what makes it so brilliantly entertaining.

The multi-tiered heists of each level present some great gameplay potential. Carrying out Bentley's wacky plans is extremely fun and you never know what he'll ask you to do next! From cracking safes to donning sneaky disguises to taking part in biplane dogfights - the amusement never dies down.

Sly 3: Band of Thieves is quality gaming entertainment that's as charming as it is funny. If you're into an epic adventure of loony proportions, then you should pick this one up now!

PS2 Multiplayer Mayhem

PlayStation 2 Multiplayer Mayhem

By Le Chupacabra

Being able to snuggle into a sofa with a DualShock 2 controller in hand and a bowl of popcorn on your right side and then becoming lost in a world of high-stakes espionage, blood-and-sweat drenched martial arts battles and epic, sweeping storylines – single-player gaming is surely a great experience.

But there’s still something missing, right?

You’ll find that it’s honestly way more fun when there are other people watching you play. It’s the way they applaud when you pull off an impossibly cool combo in Devil May Cry or as they gasp alongside you with the earth-shattering revelations in MGS3: Snake Eater. That’s when the experience becomes so much more enjoyable.

And even after that, there’s another way to raise the bar for gratification: multiplayer.

Whether you’re fighting for the freedom of Earth alongside them or battling it out furiously over a single black-and-white-chequered ball against them, multiplayer is one of the highest levels of stupor-inducing fun a videogame can offer.

Here’s a small guide to help you get started on some great PS2 Multiplayer Mayhem.

You’ll need:

• A PlayStation 2 console (the surprise is overwhelming, innit?)
• A TV (likewise) – preferably 24” and up especially for 4-player splitscreen, but even 20” works although it’s not recommended for your preciousssss eyeses.
• 2 (two) to 8 (eight) controllers
• In the case of more than 2 controllers – a PS2 Multitap (max. 4 players. If you want to go further to a max. of 8 players, then you’ll need two PS2 Multitaps.)

The set-up is as usual with the A/V (Audio/Video) and power cables being connected at the regular locations. If you’re not sure about this (that is, if you’ve just bought a PS2) then please refer to the PS2 manual for guidance.

For two players, just attach the first controller as you normally do and the second one to the second port. See, easy huh? The PS2 didn’t bite, did it?

For four players, you need said Multitap. The Multitap is attached to the first controller port (the head will take up the primary memory card slot as well). Then add the controllers to the ports on the Multitap itself. Memory cards also have to be inserted into the respective slots on the Multitap to be used.

For eight players, it’s more of the same. Attach the second Multitap to the second controller port, after connecting the first Multitap. Then proceed as usual.

Now that’s done, let’s head on to the actual gaming bit!

(If you’re already versed in all things multiplayer, then skip the next two paragraph and head on to the games list below!)

Now there are essentially two kinds of multiplayer. One type is part of the main story or game mode usually in the form of Co-operative gameplay. Here, you and a friend get to play through the normal single-player mode together as two characters. The story will usually disregard the existence of the second character in that cutscenes normally show one character. It’s not a big deal and since you’re having so much fun, it’s a piddling concern.

The other mode is of course what you normally regard as Multiplayer itself. You get to take on a group of people (or one person) in the form of teams or individuals (referred to as ‘free-for-all’). This mode has a wide variety of options and gaming archetypes. For sports games, it usually ends up as team or free-for-all affairs in normal or tournament-style match sets. For action titles and First Person Shooters, you get a lot more flexibility. Common modifications include free-for-all/team Deathmatches (kill everyone/the opposing team as much as possible while sustaining minimum casualties on your side), Capture the Flag matches (capture the item – usually at the enemy ‘base’ – and bring it back to your base; victory is by scoring more captures than the opponent), Survival matches (where it’s one person versus the rest of everyone else) and others. You can also have bots which are essentially computer controlled AI characters. Bots aren’t usually as intelligent as human opponents are but they add to the numbers and do make the challenges more entertaining. Well, that’s about it in a nutshell. You can take this onto the online arena, but given the abysmal state of the ‘broadband’ (the term is putrid with the smell of sarcasm) connections here, it’s not advised. I tried it and it doesn’t work – and that was with a good ISP. If you want online gaming, stick to the PC.

Right.

Now for the games themselves! While there are literally thousands of games that support multiplayer, not all of them are good. Some are quite pathetic so I’ll list the ones that will truly kick butt and make it worth the trouble. This is still a small fraction of the great multiplayer games that the PS2 can offer. This makes an ideal starting list and if you want more, then please refer to the Internet.

• 007 James Bond: From Russia With Love – 4P, MP
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance – 2P, Co-Op
• Batman: The Rise of Sin Tzu – 2P, Co-Op
• Brian Lara Cricket International – 4P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
• Burnout 3: Takedown – 2P, MP Vs.
• Burnout Revenge – 2P, MP Vs.
• Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest – 4P, Co-Op
• DarkWatch – 2P, Co-Op
• DragonBall Z: Budokai 3 – 2P, MP Vs.
• FIFA 06 – 4P, MP
• Gran Turismo 4 – 2P, MP Vs.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – 3P, Co-Op
• LEGO Star Wars – 2P, Co-Op
• Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2P, Co-Op
• Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks – 2P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
• Need for Speed Underground – 2P, MP Vs.
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted – 2P, MP Vs.
• Pro Evolution Soccer 5 – 8P, MP
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal – 4P, MP
• Sniper Elite – 2P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
• Soul Calibur III – 2P, MP Vs.
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory – 2P, Co-Op
• SSX 3 – 2P, Co-Op
• Star Wars Racer Revenge – 2P, MP Vs.
• Tekken 5 – 2P, MP Vs.
• The Chronicles of Narnia – 2P, Co-Op
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect – 4P, Co-Op, MP
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 – 2P, MP Vs.
• Top Spin Tennis – 4P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
• We Love Katamari – 2P, MP Vs.
• Winning Eleven 9 International – 8P, MP
• WWE: SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006 – 8P, MP
• X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse – 4P, Co-Op
  

Terms:

xP (where x is the maximum number of players, e.g. 2P = 2 Players)

Co-Op = Co-Operative gameplay for the main story mode

MP = Normal multiplayer options as stated above

MP Vs. = Usually for fighting games, 1-on-1 gameplay

Upcoming PS2 Hits

Upcoming PS2 Hits

By Le Chupacabra

Even though the Xbox 360 is released and the PS3 is coming up by the end of the year, the current generation is far from over. Here are some upcoming games that should give you enough reasons to hold onto your hard-earned cash:

Final Fantasy XII (October 2006)
Does FF need an introduction? Once again Square-Enix is creating a stirring, magnificent adventure that will suck up atleast a hundred hours from your life! FFXII is also a complete departure from the other eleven. The main change: the combat. Now in real-time, you can see your foes before engaging them and facets like mutual foes/friends add greater twists. Lure the Mandragora towards a group of reptiles and watch the enemies go at it, while you hang back and add the finishing blows to get the EXP points! Being able to take advantage of elevation and ambush tactics will give battles a whole new layer of complexity. You can also customise your party's AI behaviour with the flexible Gambit system. Interestingly, the story is also taking a different route with emphasis on political intrigue and latent power struggles. The art design is stunning and Ivalice is teeming with interesting characters and diverse races that make the world truly come alive - par for the course for Square-Enix! Many purists aren't too pleased with the change in gameplay, while some really appreciate it. I guess it's a matter of opinion. Personally, I'm rather excited and the last proper Final Fantasy was released way back in 2001 (FFX). (The Japanese version of FFXII was released on the 16th of March, 2006 with Japan's most revered gaming magazine Famitsu - giving it the perfect score of 40/40 which was an honour bestowed upon only five other games).

Hitman: Blood Money (May 2006)
Blood Money features a tense and involving story where all members of the Agency are being neutralised by a lethal assassin - and despite your tepid relationship with the corporation, you're still on top of the newcomer's list. The gameplay has received major upgrades especially in the vein of some much-needed close-quarters combat tactics ala Metal Gear Solid 3. There's greater emphasis on stealth and you're rewarded in kind for being a ghost in every sense of the word - being able to bribe people into denying your existence is a very cool addition indeed. Hitman's vaunted open-ended level design is taken to new heights so players can experience the game in accordance with their personal preferences. According to IO, this game will boast 'next-generation graphics' even on current-gen consoles. This is the first Hitman game to interest me and if IO make good on their promises, this looks to be a stellar title.

Kingdom Hearts II (March 2006)
It's part two… enough said! The story is now skyrocketing to truly epic proportions as the fray becomes a lot more complex with the addition of the enigmatic 13th Order and the mysterious Nobodies. Sora and Co. return to once again thwart the plans of evil alongside familiar and new faces. All the worlds from the first game are included but this time we also explore the old school world of Steamboat Willie, the magnificent Kingdom Castle and surprise, surprise… the world of The Pirates of the Caribbean! Fighting side-by-side with Capt. Jack Sparrow is now a reality you PotC fans! But that's not all; other worlds include the Pride Lands (Lion King), the Land of Dragons (Mulan), Beast's Castle (Beauty and the Beast), the virtual-reality realm of Tron and many more! The graphics look incredible and the fighting system has had major upgrades with all manner of new spells, context-sensitive attacks and FF-inspired Limit Breaks. Did I also mention that there's a side-story starring FFVII's Cloud Strife? (The Japanese version was released on December 2005 with Famitsu giving it an exceptional 39/40 - which means it was just a wee bit short of perfection.)

Okami (August 2006)
Yet another beyond-the-norm experience from Capcom's Clover Studios (the makers of the surreal Killer7 and fantastic Viewtiful Joe). Here you play as the Sun God, Amaterasu, who is on Earth in the form of a white wolf. Evil has been unleashed and all the world's colour (and life) is vanishing. It's upto you to restore peoples' faith and bring back colour to all. The art style is absolutely unique; it gives the impression that you're playing through a traditional Japanese calligraphy painting. It sounds odd, but once you see it, it is utterly compelling and in fact, no words can express the ethereal artistry of it all - think Ico but with a wolf. Given that you attack with a calligraphy pen and that you can literally draw changes to the world around you with your Celestial Brush, this becomes a truly unique experience that only a PS2 can offer.

Tomb Raider: Legend (Mar-Apr 2006)
Tomb Raider is back… again! Don't run away though; this is no Angel of Darkness! Created by the minds behind the revered Legacy of Kain series, Lara Croft is looking better than ever before. Not only does she look more realistic, she comes across as a far more believable character this time! The graphics are brilliant with the stunning artistry and architecture as expected from the crew who gave us the world of Nosgoth. The puzzles are reportedly very organic this time, requiring more lateral thinking; think less box-pushing and more fun. The action is brilliant with all manner of new moves the melds some of the shooting aspects from Max Payne and the acrobatics of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Just don't expect any wall-running or bullet-time, thank god. This game could very well be the one to revitalise Lady Croft and bring back her former glory.

Also worth watching out for:
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Yakuza
Superman Returns
X-Men: Last Stand
Rogue Galaxy
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Phantasy Star Universe
The Godfather

PS2 Who?

PS2 Who?

Part I

By Le Chupacabra

Now, many of you may have noticed by now that there’s something different about the RS centrefold. No, it’s not the new ‘Girl Power’ section. It’s that a lot of these game reviews say ‘PS2 Game Review’ instead of ‘PC Game Review’. I’ve been informed that there’s been a significant amount of feedback asking why there are so many PS2 reviews and of course, asking what a PS2 is. So, for every reader that’s going to cringe at this article, whining “What the hell? I know what a bloody PS2 is… sod off with the patronising!” there will be many more who will still be scratching their heads, still in the dark about this mysterious ‘PS2’ thingy. So, for the benefit of all you ‘deshi gamers: here’s an article that explains the What-Why-When-Where-Who-and-maybe-the-How of the Sony PlayStation 2. More importantly, this article is to help you decide whether you would prefer to invest in the PS2 as your gaming machine over a Gaming PC.

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to everyone since this article comes about five years too late. Also, the Xbox 360 has been released and the PS3 is almost there. However, early ‘deshi adopters of the PS3 (and the 360) should be few, if any. Thus, the time is still right for a PS2. Read on.

To make a long and boring history short:

The PlayStation 2 (Oh bloody good job with the naming, Sony) is the successor to the PlayStation gaming console created by the Sony Computer Entertainment, Japan division of the Sony Corporation, Japan. The PS2 was released in Japan (March 4^th, 2000) then the USA (October 26^th, 2000) and finally in Europe (November 24^th, 2000). The PS2 is also the fastest selling console in history, passing the 100-million mark in November 2005. Hurray. The PS2 hardware itself went through many revisions. The currently available model is the ‘PS2 SlimLine’ – a drastically remodelled version where the console is now the size of a slightly-larger-than-usual DVD case. Rejoice!

Now, if you really want to know about all this in more detail, just visit the WikiPedia site.

Okay, now for the important bits.

Now, a PC is an extremely versatile tool – you can watch movies, listen to music, browse the internet, and perform multimedia tasks, blah, blah, yadda, yadda. And of course – you can play games. A truly wondrous device, isn’t it?

The PS2, on the other hand, is a videogame console. Simply put, it’s only task is to play videogames. However therein lays the difference. A PC’s job, yes even a Gaming PC’s, is to be a multipurpose tool whereas a PS2 is a dedicated gaming beast.

Despite its age-old hardware, the PS2 is capable of churning out games with awe-inspiring visuals and immersive aural experiences. And it does so without letting any sort of piddling annoyances get in the way. The concept is simple enough: plug in the PS2 to your TV (and sound system, if you have one), pop in the game disc and without any delays whatsoever become lost in a world of adrenaline-pumped races, nail-bitingly tense spy missions and blood-and-sweat-drenched martial arts battles.

In lieu of a cumbersome keyboard and mouse set-up, you use the intuitive DualShock 2 controller to direct the action and the drama. Every button is where you need it to be and the pressure-sensitive (e.g. hold X harder to accelerate a car faster, tilt the Analog stick farther to run faster, etc.) Analog Sticks give you a level of control that’s unmatched by the WASD PC set-up. Many new PC ‘game-pads’ follow the DualShock 2 configuration. Why? Simply because the DualShock 2 is arguably the perfect controller. The DualShock 2 also has force-feedback, which means the control vibrates in tandem with the onscreen antics. Not only do you see the action when pumping buckshot into someone’s face or when you smash that 40-yarder into the back of the net – you can feel it all! PS2 games are tailor-made such that using a DS2 feels completely natural. A lofty claim indeed, but once you get your hands on one, you’ll see how easily it becomes second-nature like no other.

Now, let’s be more specific about this, shall we? The following points elucidate exactly what makes a PS2 not only a brilliant piece of gaming wizardry but something that your hard-earned money should be spent on.

It’s not just a gaming console! (Well, to a certain extent)

Remember that bit about the PC being a multitasking contraption? Well, the PS2 isn’t just about the games, mind you! The PS2 also doubles as a DVD player and a rather capable one too! Its one thing to watch movies on your PC but it’s an entirely different experience to be able to enjoy your movies courtesy of a nice large flat-screen TV and ground-shaking surround sound! And that’s not all – it can also play your music CDs as well. Talk about a great family device! When you’re done playing games, your sister can listen to her CDs and later at night, mum… dad… heck, the whole family can sit down for a movie session! That’s what you call value for your money.

It’s convenient!

That’s right! Not set-up hassles (unless you’re a totally brainless git), no upgrade worries, no nothing. This is the pure definition of ‘plug and play’! You don’t have to worry about insipid things like system requirements or compatibility issues (unless, of course, you try to put in a PC or Xbox game in the PS2 – in which case, you should just go and end yourself) or anything like that at all! Nor do you have to bother about installing the game since the concept of a gaming console is to allow you to just pop in the game disc and start playing immediately! Unlike a PC, where your PC has to be made for the games you play, for a PS2, the games are made for it! If you’ve ever gone ballistic simply because you need 200 more MBs of HD space or if your graphics card (despite being only six months old) just doesn’t cut it anymore, well, a PS2 is what you need. It’s a given that no matter how much money you spend on keeping your Gaming PC at the top, it takes little time for all that labour to be belittled. Not a very pleasant thing, is it? The PS2 knows no such difficulty. The PS2 is also backwards-compatible with all PS1 games and hardware – so if you still have all that stuff lying around… rejoice!

1 PS2 + 1 TV + Multitap + 4 controllers + bunch of mates = PARTAAAAAAY!

Okay, so calling a PS2 a proper multiplayer console is a wee bit of a misnomer. It only has two controller ports as opposed to four for the GameCube, Xbox and Xbox 360 (the PS3 purportedly supports seven). But that can be fixed by buying a PS2 Multitap – you plug in the Multitap to the controller port and plug in the controllers (a max. of 4 per Multitap) to the Multitap – voila and really intense multiplayer gaming ensues (two player gaming is still damn fun, mind you!). For some games you can combine two Multitaps and eight controllers for really insane multiplayer sessions. Another great bit about PS2 multiplayer is that you only need one console and one TV! Thus, Multiplayer and Co-operative games are far more emotional affairs since your comrades are sitting right next you to take part in all the celebrations, arguments and general insanity.

Jump up! Punch right! Jam on the guitar! … without a controller!

At first people were happy with just the conventional controllers. However, as games become far more immersive, in order to get that extra bit of wow factor, one can opt to use a controller that isn’t a controller at all. Thus you have devices like the ‘EyeToy’ USB camera for the PS2. If you yourself ever wanted to be the star of a game here’s your chance! Thanks to the motion detection technology, you directly interact with the game with body language. While few games (in form of compilations) support this, there are more interesting applications. For example, EyeToy Kinetic is an exercising game that is based completely on the EyeToy. Other mainstream games also support mini-games that take advantage of the EyeToy. And that’s not the only thing; many music-based games support other peripherals like the Dance Mat for Konami’s DDR games and most recently, the awesome Guitar controller for the bloody brilliant Guitar Hero. While these things are for the enthusiast crowds, atleast the PS2 has them (and damn, the multiplayer potential of these games is too bloody awesome!) Taking on your mates in two-player sessions of games like Guitar Hero, SingStar or DDR Extreme – it’s mind-blowing!

The Games

The daddy. The nuts. The daddy’s nuts! This is what the PS2 is all about. The PS2 is about gaming, and it’s safe to say that gaming is about the PS2. The PS2 game collection, on an average, is just bloody brilliant and recent years have seen some of the greatest games of all time being released on the PS2. The genres are but limitless! Looking for an Adventure-RPG-Platformer or an Action-Racing-Strategy (yep, you read that right) title? Chances are that you’ll find it on PS2. This is what really gives it a huge edge over PC games – PS2 games are a meld of many different genres that offer multicultural and engaging experiences unlike any other. The PS2 caters to all tastes – age and gender are not issues here! If you’ve ever thought things like music, exercising, anime, art, et al could never work as games – the PS2 is there to prove you dead wrong and moreso than a (Gaming) PC. There are titles on the PS2 that are capable of presenting gaming adventures that are beyond the norm. Play games like Katamari or ICO and see if anything on the PC can even compare (apart from the brilliant Half-Life 2 of course – but what’s one amazing game compared to hundreds of amazing games, eh)! Another great thing is that once a PS2 game is developed, it’s a final decision. Unlike PC games that often need to be patched up, fixed (and in the case, of pirated games – cracked); PS2 games are the final product. Since you can’t update them, developers go that extra distance to make sure the game actually works. This extra bit of attention goes a long way to ensuring a quality product – something that PC games can’t always boast about. Yes, there are stinkers in every gaming library and the PS2 has its fair share of the mediocre, poor and abysmal (but less in proportion to PC and Xbox, mind you). However, the sheer quality and quantity offered by the PS2’s top tier titles (and trust me, the PS2 has a lot of those!) easily offsets that fact. Remember that ‘PS2 Games of Winter 2005’ list I wrote up? That was just for one month (they came out in November) of releases and I originally started with a list of 36, by the way! Once again, I’ll also admit that the PS2 is a less-than stellar machine for playing your First Person Shooters – you can’t beat a mouse/keyboard combo for an FPS. While there are few quality FPSs on the PS2, it’s the whole multiplayer set-up that once again makes it somewhat superior to the PC. Sadly, if you’re looking for Real-Time Strategy games, the PS2 won’t help. While not offering the exact same gameplay as the PC RTS, the strategy and RPG-strategy games of the PC are extremely addictive, fun and more importantly, far more diverse than the rather stale PC RTSs. Need I continue?

And last, but not least… The Price

The PS2 (with one DualShock 2 controller) is a mere 15,000 Tk. here. Imagine, just 15,000Tk. for all that yummy gaming goodness described above. Infact, it’s possible to get PS2s in Malaysia and Thailand that cost about 10,000 – 12,000Tk. at most – and you get about 15 to 25 free (lovely word, innit?) games with your purchase. A 15,000Tk investment on a PC? Well, sure you can get a really good graphics card but aren’t we forgetting something like, oh say, oodles of RAM, a large HDD, a good motherboard and a gaming-worthy processor? An upgrade is pretty expensive as it is… and a brand new Gaming PC at 15,000Tk – if that bit makes any sense whatsoever then please book a room at the local asylum. Fact is, since it’s the games we’re concerned about, a PS2 turns out to be quite an economical choice. So once again: 15,000Tk and a PS2 or a PC? The PS2 seems to be a no-brainer here.

Part II

Now, if you’ve decided that a PS2 is the thing for you, then you have one last hurdle in front of you, how are you going to get one and from where.

Before this, I need to clear up some things, namely regional coding and Mod-Chips.

An unmodified PS2 console will only play games pertaining to the regional coding of the PS2. For US consoles the format is NTSC U/C, for EU and Australian consoles it is PAL and for Japan it is NTSC J. So a NTSC J game won’t play on a PAL console, natch. This is annoying isn’t it? Well there’s a way around it thankfully!

It’s known as a Mod-Chip. The technical aspect is simple: PS2 DVDs come with a boot sector that only the PS2 can read (it’s essentially a security measure). The boot sector contains a code that lets the PS2 ‘boot’ up the game. Import games (like playing NTSC games on a PAL console for example) show a foreign code whereas pirated PS2 Games don’t even have a code. What a mod-chip does is assess the game (to see whether it’s an import or a pirated one) and then it inputs a generic code that is acceptable to the PS2 thus allowing the game to boot up.

In layman terms, a mod-chip lets your PS2 play PS2 games from other countries as well as pirated games – just like magic!

There is one problem however with movie DVDs. The mod-chip­ won’t allow your PS2 to play original film DVDs that have a different regional coding from your PS2. However, pirated movie DVDs work perfectly, so it’s not a real problem.

Now, you have quite a few options when considering the purchase of a PS2.

Firstly the PS2 comes in two flavours: the somewhat portly original model and the new, slim model. In Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, etc – you can get both models.

However, in other countries like the UK, the US, Australia and EU countries – you can only get the new PS2 SlimLine model. The same holds for the U.A.E (Dubai being a great place to get game consoles).

The differences between the two models are somewhat inconsequential here. The fat PS2 has a HDD and Network Adapter expansion bay while the slim PS2 doesn’t have the HDD bay (and that’s one major reason why it’s slim); the Network Adapter is built-in so it’s Online-enabled from the get go. Also, while all original PS2 peripherals work with the slim model only the Multitap faces a bit of a conundrum. Given the reworked design, the old Multitap doesn’t fit so Sony has brought out a new sleek Multitap exclusively for the PS2 SlimLine. My Multitap is a 3rd party (made by any company other than Sony) one which has an extra attachment that allows one to plug it into both the fat and the slim PS2. And it’s cheaper than the Sony one. Handy, that.

So basically, the battle between the original fat PS2 and the new PS2 SlimLine boils down to preference since both are the same when it comes to gaming. The reasons one might have for buying a SlimLine are:

• It looks rather fantastic.

• It has an integrated network port so you can immediately start playing Online-enabled games if you have your Internet properly set-up. However, that reason doesn’t work in Bangladesh since the connections are so slow. If you’re about to go abroad and are going to buy a PS2 for the first time, then the SlimLine is the obvious choice because you can play online without needing to buy a separate Network Adapter.

• It’s extremely portable and light.

As you can see, all these are about preference. The pricing of both models is similar. If you’re looking to save on the price differential, then the fat PS2 is the more economical of the two, but not by much. Hardware peripherals for both cost the same. However, if you are buying the PS2 for the first time, the PS2 SlimLine is a rather pleasing choice, but remember: it is slightly more expensive.

Now after you decide what kind of PS2 you want, the hierarchy of choices continues.

Two other factors are the location from which you wish to buy the PS2 and the condition (i.e. mod-chipped/’modded’, unmodified, second-hand or refurbished) of your PS2.

Regarding location, it’s a matter of convenience and preference. If you wish to buy the PS2 from Europe, the USA, Australia and the U.A.E: the PS2 SlimLine is your only choice. The prices are dependent on the relative strengths of their currencies. Thus the PS2 SlimLine is more expensive in Australia, less so in the EU countries, while it’s relatively the cheapest in America. The price at U.A.E tends to fluctuate between the UK and US one. Now, all these PS2s will be unmodified. If you back through the article, you’ll see that this means that the PS2 only supports its corresponding region. If you wish to purchase original games, then you should buy your PS2 from these places without a second thought.

You can still buy unmodified PS2s in B’desh and Malaysia, however that’s a waste of money if you live here since pirated games are absolutely dirt cheap compared to original games. Speaking of which, in B’desh, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Thailand – you get both PS2 models (SlimLine and original) and in both conditions (modified and unmodified). The modified ones cost more due to the addition of the price of the mod-chip obviously.

If you live here, then you should definitely buy the modified version without question since in our case we are trying to make the most of this investment by saving money through buying pirated games.

And if you (a) already have an unmodified PS2, or (b) feel uncomfortable about buying a PS2 from the Asian countries – then you can have your PS2 modified at most PS2 game stores now. As in, you can modify your existing PS2 or buy a PS2 from abroad (ask someone to bring it for you, buy it when you’re on holiday, etc.) and then have it modified here.

PS2 Mod-chips here cost roughly 4,000 Tk. and it takes about an hour to get the modification done. Thus going back to Part I, the price of a modified PS2 (whether you got an original, unmodified one and had it modified OR bought a modified one in the first place) comes to roughly 15,000 Tk. here. Since the price of the mod-chip is relatively constant, you can really save a lot of money by buying your PS2 from abroad (thus the combination of an American PS2 + Mod-chip comes to about $120 + 4,000 Tk. = 12,000 Tk.! Brilliant!). The price of a modified PS2 here is 15,000 Tk. since they are the modified versions of the UK PAL PS2 (which is marginally more expensive). If you want to get the cheapest deal on a PS2, modified or unmodified, Malaysia is the best place. A modified PS2 comes to about 10,000 – 12,000 Tk. (and that was about a year and a half back, so it’s even cheaper now) and the cost of getting your PS2 modified there comes to 1,500Tk. The difference in prices (between B’desh and Malaysia) is simply there because it costs the retailers extra to have them shipped here. So even if you have to buy them from here, it’s not too great a difference. However one thing must be said: pirated PS2 games in Malaysia are bloody cheap. They are 3 Ringitt each which comes to 45 Tk. a pop. Compare this to the 120 Tk. ~ 150 Tk. price range here – highway robbery, innit? So yeah, if ever find yourself in Malaysia:

• If you have an unmodified PS2, take it with you and have it modified.
• If want to buy a modified PS2, buy it from there. Many stores give you about 15 to 25 FREE games when you buy a PS2
• If you have a modified PS2, then buy as many PS2 games as you can, from there.

If you’re going the ‘buy unmodified PS2 from abroad and then have it modified later’ route, read on.

If you are buying a PS2 from the UK or USA, then you might want to consider two options: new or refurbished PS2s.

A new PS2 is just that – console, controller… everything is all brand new. A refurbished PS2 is a bit more complicated. When people abroad get their console replaced (when it falls under the warranty period), they get a new console. What happens to the one they sent in? Well, that one goes to the factory and gets repaired. However since it was used in the first place, they are not repackaged. Instead, they are sent back to retailers as ‘refurbished’ models to be sold at much cheaper prices. So you can get a refurbished PS2 and have it modified – this comes to a very small grand total depending on the price of the refurbished PS2. So yeah, 6,000 – 8,000Tk. for a modified PS2 is not a dream anymore. However, you may want to know that a refurbished PS2 is often only the console sans wires and controller. This varies from store to store, so make sure you know what you’re doing.

A second-hand PS2 is a good option only if:

• You’re severely strapped for cash.
• You have an unmodified PS2, but don’t want to modify it and you want to play pirated games at the same time (trust me, there are people like that).
• You are willing to balance the cost with the risk that the PS2 might not work to its full capabilities.

Know your priorities with all these options.

Part III

The last part of “PS2 Who?” covers the peripherals of the PS2 and a games list to get you started.

Here’s a brief primer regarding the basic peripherals available for the PS2.

DualShock 2 controller ­– Standard PS2 controller with pressure-sensitive Dual Analog sticks and 10 buttons. Face buttons are the famous Triangle, Square, X/Cross and Circle buttons. The shoulder buttons are R1, R2, L1 and L2. Start and Select round off the list. This is compatible with all PS2 and PS1 games. A Sony one costs about but 3rd party ones are cheaper. Unfortunately 3rd party controllers usually suck. Stick with the Sony ones.

DualShock 1 controller – This is for the PS1/PSOne but is compatible with the PS2. The only difference is the colour and the fact that it is not pressure-sensitive. It’s compatible with all PS1 games but some PS2 games requiring pressure-dependent input will not recognize it.

Memory Card (8MB) (for PS2) – Standard storage device for the PS2. It has slightly less than 8Mb once formatted. Suffice to say, you can’t save progress, replays, settings without this. It’s possible to get larger 3rd party Memory Cards at 16Mb by GameShark and Datel. Unlike 3rd party controllers, these ones are as good and reliable as Sony Memory Cards.

Multitap for PS2 (fat)/PS2 SlimLine – Allows for multiplayer gaming upto 4 to 8 players depending on set-up and the game. Most available Multitaps in Asian countries are for the fat PS2 while those abroad are for the slim. The Multitap has slots for Memory Cards as well.

EyeToy – USB Camera peripheral for the PS2. There are party game compilations designed to let you control the game using your body language (physical movement like punching, waving, etc.) Some games offer a more serious approach like exercising, etc. Some games, usually sports titles, allow you to use it to take a picture of yourself so the game avatar has your face.

Other peripherals are usually exclusive to particular titles like the Dance Mats for the Dance Dance Revolution series, the microphones for the SingStar and Karaoke Revolution series, the Guitar controller for Guitar Hero, the USB Headset for the SOCOM series, etc.

Some problems regarding the PS2 are:

• Disc Read Errors: Are usually the result of trying to play dirty/damaged discs. If your PS2 is kept in an unclean and dusty environment, like any optical device, the laser lens will become dirty rendering it unusable. The only way to stop this from happening is by keeping your PS2 and your game discs clean. PS2 game discs should be handled with care to prevent scratching. If your PS2 laser lens is dirty you can use a lens cleaner and if that doesn’t work, you can take it to a store where they will disassemble the PS2 and clean the lens.
• Mod-chip-Network-Adapter conundrum: This is only applicable for those who wish to play Online with a modified PS2. If your Mod-chip is detected by the Online network for your game then your account will be suspended and possibly barred permanently. One way around this is to use an unmodified PS2. Some mod-chips can be disabled/enabled at will. If you know how to do this, then this shouldn’t be a problem.
• Voltage/Power regional discrepancies (only for the fat PS2) – If your PS2 is the fat one, make sure you know the power/voltage rating for it. The voltage output of Bangladesh is 220-240V. This is standard for all PAL (EU, Australia) PS2 hardware. However, a US PS2 has a rating of 110V. If you plug that in directly here… well, I’d rather not describe the carnage. Suffice to say, you risk losing your PS2 and in the case of an explosion, a limb or two… or more. So make sure you have a Step-Down Transformer for the US fat PS2. The SlimLine (all regions) already has an adapter that’s compatible with the range 110V-240 which makes it compatible in any country.

I guess that covers the major problems.

Now lastly, I’d like to mention some excellent (and a lot of them being absolutely brilliant) PS2 games to whet your appetite and to get you started off once you get your gaming machine.

Now given the fact that most PS2 games are multi-genre titles it’s hard to sort them out in absolute divisions. However, I’ll still sort them by the most dominant genre in the game.

Action: God of War, Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 3, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Jak III, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Resident Evil 4, Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, SOCOM 3: US Navy Seals, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, Zone of the Enders 2: The 2nd Runner, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Viewtiful Joe, Alien Hominid, Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Killer 7, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Manhunt.

Adventure: ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, Fahrenheit, Jak and Daxter in the Precursor Legacy, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, Fatal Frame III: The Tormented, Forbidden Siren, The Mark of Kri, The Rise of the Kasai, Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves, PsychoNauts, Maximo vs. the Army of Zin, Escape from Monkey Island, Ape Escape 3, Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, Rygar: The Legendary Adventure, Sky Odyssey, Silent Hill 3, Beyond Good and Evil.

Sports: Pro Evolution Soccer 5, Winning Eleven 9 International, FIFA 06, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006, ESPN NBA 2K6, Brian Lara Cricket International, Top Spin Tennis, NBA Street V3, SSX 3, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Virtua Tennis 2.

Cars: Gran Turismo 4, Burnout 3: Takedown, Burnout: Revenge, Colin McRae Rally 2005, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, WRC 4, TOCA Race Driver 2, Auto Modellista, Need for Speed: Underground.

Fighting: Tekken 5, Soul Calibur III, Soul Calibur II, Guilty Gear X2, DragonBall Z Budokai 3, Hyper Street Fighter II Anniversary Edition, Fight Night Round 2, Virtua Fighter 4, King of Fighters: Maximum Impact.

RPG: Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts, Dark Cloud 2/Dark Chronicle, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Makai Kingdom, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, DragonQuest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Shin Megami Tensai: Digital Devil Saga, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Drakengard, Dues Ex: The Conspiracy, Kessen III, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest, Wild ARMs 4,

Don’t really fall into any category but brilliant all the same: Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari, Gradius V, Guitar Hero, REZ, FreQuency, Amplitude, EyeToy Play 2, SingStar.

Well, we finally come to the end of this trio of articles. I hope they helped! And remember – you need a PS2. Now!