Pokémon Battle Revolution Random Wi-Fi Battle #17 - Just Taking A Quick Nap

Okay, we're starting the videos right off the bat with the latest PBR random Wi-Fi battle.

Return of the Emperor

The chill wind broke upon the thick mountainside, brushing the snow beneath its wings. It swirled down towards a man, standing looking at the dim lights of a town far below.


"At last, " he murmured to himself, "At last I return to strike doom upon this world once more!"


Yes, I'm back! Considering that my last post was on the 30th September, it's been far too long. Still, busy first semester; but hopefully I'll be able to at least one post a week from now on.

So, what can you expect in the future?

• The finished versions of the reviews I never finished including The Lovely Bones (film) and Metroid: Other M. 
• Each new video moments after I upload it.
• Doctor Who news and trailers.
• Games news and trailers
• More reviews

So, that's all for now, but basically expect more updates from now on. And next time, I'll post when I'm putting the blog on hiatus again.

---emperor ing---

3DS News Round-Up

So, Nintendo have had their 3DS conference. "When's it coming out?" you scream while being roasted over slow burning coals. Well, March 2011 is the answer you'll be wanting to hear. If you have any ears left that is. Cackle!

Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick round-up of the major news stories and stuff.

Firstly, expect to pay around £189.99 for the 3DS, going off the Japanese price of 25,000 yen. Yes, one eight nine. It is slightly more than I was expecting, and it certainly isn't cheap. Even I only have the money to get the console itself, never mind the awesome games that will be arriving throughout the year. It's a good point to remember that it could be a different price though, and fate forbid it to be more expensive.

Oh, and to get you even more excited, the handheld Virtual Console is here at last. That's right, and you'll be expecting to play classic GB Series games such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land, just two confirmed titles for the service that will surely grow and grow like the Wii Virtual Console. I'm hoping that they'll stick the Zelda Oracle of games on there as well as the elusive Metroid 2.

I better touch on the use of Miis, which was first spotted at the initial unveiling before E3. Mii Studio comes as one of the pre-installed pieces of software and lets you create your own Miis, as well as creating them automatically by taking a photo of yourself, family member or friend.

The other pre-installed software is the bog standard stuff similar to the DSi. You've got 3DS versions of the Camera and Sound software to play around with. Remember that the 3DS Camera software allows you to take 3D photos with the two external cameras. The final piece of software that has been announced (although there's still more on its way), uses one of the new features of the 3DS, StreetPass.

StreetPass is a new connectivity feature (well, I say new, it's been around since Nintendogs),  where your 3DS connects to other 3DSes via the local wireless and shares data. The pre-installed software that uses it is StreetPass Mii Plaza, which allows you to view the Miis of other 3DSes that you have passed. Other games are set to utilise the StreetPass feature, like Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and more than likely Nintendogs + Cats.

The second connectivity feature is SpotPass, that uses Nintendo Zone hotspots and Download Stations to download interesting stuff like news and demos while your 3DS is in sleep mode.

We also have Augmented Reality (AR) games that are activated by showing special cards to the 3DS's cameras.

So when you get your shiny new blue or black 3DS, what's in the box? Well, you should expect to find the console (it'd be hard to play it if it wasn't in the box), a new recharging cradle, similar to iPod docks and such, the usual AC adapter, a telescopic stylus (it retracts for storage), and six AR cards. Plus, in the Japanese version at least, you'll get a free SD card. Whether we'll get that here remains to be seen, but I'm doubtful, as SD cards are the type of thing that you expect to pay extra to buy separately.

The 3DS is fully compatible with the DSi, meaning that all your DS games will work, and hopefully we'll have the Wi-Fi settings transfer feature as well so those who don't want their friend codes being replaced can keep them. Also, you have a limited set of DSiWare transfers, the amount of which has yet to be revealed. Some DSiWare may not be transferable, however.

And it's important not to forget the new handheld's main selling point: the games. We don't know the actual launch games yet, but a lot of the games announced at E3 are looking in some stage of readiness. Hopefully we'll get Mario Kart soon after launch, as well as Street Fighter, Nintendogs + Cats for the casual types, and Lylat Wars 3D for the core crowd.

Be sure to check out some of the trailers below.

Source: ONM

Software Line-up Trailer



3DS Features Trailer



Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition Trailer

University - Land of the Free Bees

How's THAT for a pun! Well, uni has now started, even though teaching doesn't start 'till next week. This week is just welcome and induction, so got some stuff to see and that's it.

This only really warranted a post as I cam home yesterday laden with freebies. No complaints from me of course, I love some good freebies; as can be seen by my free pen collection and my stealing of the free biscuits at York St. John last year.

With the stuff I got, it's a haul of ups and downs. There's a couple of good things, but a lot of random leaflets and stuff. Which will of course get chucked out very soon. So, the good stuff was the free Kit Kat and Pringles. The Pringles do sound a bit, well, battered though. Still, should be OK. Also got a free bottle of cider, and I somehow picked up a random bottle of Vitamin Water.

Overall, yesterday was quite a good first day. My seminar class hasn't got many people in it, and the guys I was going round with yesterday seem OK. So, I'm now looking forward to actually learning something. The timetable at the moment isn't as good as I'd like with two 9am starts, but you can't have it all your own way. So here's to a hopefully epic 3/4 years. =D

Metroid: Other M - First Impressions

[SPOILER WARNING]

Explosions fill the skies above Zebes as Samus Aran faces Mother Brain. The baby Metroid shrieks its last, giving Samus the use of the Hyper Beam. "Mother, time to go!" and Mother Brain is blaster into a million mothery-brained bits.

That's just the opening cutscene of Other M, retelling the end of Super Metroid. It is quite a spectacle to watch. Of course, here for the first time Samus has voice acting. To be honest, her speech could flow better, but in a way it fits her as the mysterious figure we've been playing as for years.

Continuing with another cutscene, the game moves on to the Galactic Federation where we take control of the game properly. The game's initial tutorial acts as a free playground. You're given a few enemies to blast away  to show the Federation guy your moves. The controls, which I had doubted over for so long, feel quite good. Jumping is done with 2 while shooting is handled by 1; just like the old A and B combo of old. Holding the 1 button charges the charge gauge, which is an extra little meter underneath your energy bar. When this is full (and it takes only a few seconds to do so) you can unleash your charge beam.

The Final Judgement - A Level Results

C'est tout. That's it. My two years at college is over at last. Why is that? Because I'm into uni dude! After blood, sweat and tears, I've been accepted into Northumbria doing Games Programming. Thank goodness for that. However it wasn't all plain sailing.

Tension

This morning it was very tense times. I was on Twitter as soon as I got up, where the good @Lanithro was musing about his entrance into Hull. Good luck to him, he pulled off great things. Anyway, when I finally got my PC on and got into my emails, I met my results with a pleasing smile and surprise. The pleasing smile was that I had done as expected in computing, while massively improving on my AS Physics. Surprise on the other hand that I had somehow failed Core 4. Interesting, for at the time of the exam I was sure that I'd pulled up enough to get a D at least. So, I was very tense as my university place at Northumbria was now looking very unsure with a BCD.

UCAS Website = Epic Fail

I moved to my Windows 7 PC after my Windows XP one crashed and attempted to load up the UCAS website. Now, I knew I was going to have some problems as the UCAS twitter service had said that the website was under a lot of strain. However, I did not expect to wait 45 minutes to see if my place was confirmed. And what an agonising wait it was. After 10 attempts to get in I finally logged in.

Random Update To Join In the Fun

Hi all you readers, it's personal message time!

As you may know, next Thursday is results day. Oooooh. So there will definitely be some sort of post here on that day detailing my emotions. Also, there may be that results day video I promised in my Final Days video blog. We'll see about that one.

I do have sort-of deadlines for stuff, but due to gaming I've been missing some of them, so just expect posts whenever. However, if I get everything I want done by Monday, expect no posts until Thursday due to preparing stuff for the worst. Seeking phone numbers, getting letters etc... ready. You know, all that rubbish.

And I have just noticed that blog wasn't in Google Chrome's default dictionary, so pop! In it goes! Haha!

Anyway, I've been thinking of what to do with my blog in terms of reviews and that, and this post was basically just to say what's happening. So... I have just uploaded the first Visual Basic 6.0 tutorial. I've actually decided, for purposes of not overloading anyone who is going to view my tutorials, to split it in two. I was going to include input boxes with my first tutorial but now I have put it in the second, which is basically a continuation of the first.

The next big thing is gearing up for the release of Metroid: Other M on the 3rd September. I am now just about to start a feature looking back at previous Metroid titles. This should be up on Monday or Tuesday and will be my last post until Thursday.

For Monday 30th August I plan to have done a review of Clannad ~After Story ~ to complete all the Clannad stuff.

Visual Basic 6.0 Tutorial #1 - Hello World!

Level: Beginner

In this tutorial you'll learn:

• How to start a project
• How to display text using form printing, and text boxes
• How to use the toolbox

Introduction

In my first tutorial, we'll be doing the classic Hello World! example. This example is a common tutorial which acts as a starting point. It requires very little coding and lets you see your output on screen almost immediately. It's also strangely satisfying to get those two little words up on screen. After you have done so you can even play around and make up silly things.

Pokémon HGSS Wi-Fi Battle #1 VS AndrewHarfield (Twitter)

Doctor Who Soundtracks News Update

With big thanks to Doctor Who Online, I can report the track listing of the Specials soundtrack, which is due out on the 20th of September. Also, it has been confirmed that the series 5 soundtrack will be released not long after in November. Finally, after all that waiting loads of brilliant things come at once!


The Specials OST opens with Vale, a cutdown version of Vale Decem, the tenth Doctor's regeneration theme. Vale Decem itself is on the second disc, which is entirely devoted to the blow-out two parter The End of Time.

Visual Basic 6.0 Tutorials - Introduction

Welcome to my Visual Basic 6.0 tutorials. I've started doing these to pass on what I have learned about VB6.0 and to give my blog something worthwhile to have.

Why VB6.0?

As I learn different programming languages I'll stick tutorials for those up as well, but Visual Basic 6.0 is where I have started on my path of programming. The Basic language has been about introducing programming to beginners since its inception. Due to the advancements today, it may be better off learning Visual Basic .NET, the post 2003 versions, but VB6.0 is still in use by many programmers today, and many businesses who still have older program may have those programs built in the language.

What is VB6.0?

Visual Basic 6.0 is an event based language. This means that the programs that are built operate by using commands from users, or events. Just think of any operating system. When something is clicked on, something happens. This is the event based principle.

VB6.0 is an older language that can't do some of the sophisticated things that are done today; but it can provide good stable form based programs and applications that work on common things, like performing calculations, file handling, text storage, data output; and most commonly, databases.

Is It Worthwhile Reading These Tutorials?

Of course! There are some other good tutorial sites out there, but some were hard to follow. With this I'm trying to create some programming tutorials that are easy to follow and can help you pick up the language quickly. In short, these tutorials would have been the ones I wanted to follow when I began learning. Of course, you can't actually buy this language now, so those who will be reading will be ones who have managed to get it in some way, which will most likely be students getting into programming for your first time. The most important thing to remember is that once you've learned one language it's easier to learn another as the same computational principles will still apply. Also, don't forget to have fun and be creative!

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood - Preview

With a subtitle that would fit a Noel Clarke movie, Fullmetal Alchemist bursts back onto DVD with its second series.

For those who don't know of the plot, the series is focussed on alchemy, the science of constructing and de-constructing matter. The Elric brothers, only kids, look into their father's books and begin teaching themselves the art of alchemy. After their mother passes away due to a fatal illness, the brothers perform the taboo of alchemy: human transmutation. Their alchemic reaction goes wrong and Ed loses an arm and a leg while Al loses his entire body. In a last moment of desperation, Ed bonds his younger bother's soul to the infamous suit of armour. They vow to repair the damage done and get their bodies back. To do so they need a powerful object that intensifies alchemic reactions: the philosopher's stone.

Hentai in HMV

Randomly in Sunderland's HMV today I was quite surprised to find some hentai in the anime section. Never seen any in before, hence my surprise. The item in question was the box set of The Darkness Series, three hentai OVAs.

Basically, these are three hentai OVAs about tentacle rape (yum yum); Alien of Darkness, Idol of Darkness, and Mission of Darkness. As you can see plainly on the box a naked lass getting tentacle raped, which was what caught my eye in the first place.

It was quite an intriguing thing at first glance as it is the first time I have seen stuff like that in there. All I could think of was, "Tentacle hentai?? In HMV??? WTF?" So yeah, moral of the story is always keep an eye out for something expected, you never know when a tentacle or a pedobear could be waiting just around the corner to rape you ;)

Review - Clannad

Clannad

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Licensor: Sentai Filmworks
Distributor: ADV Films [Import Only]
Episodes: 23 + 1x24min OVA
Year: 2007/2008

Clannad is the anime adaptation of the visual novel of the same name, developed by the renowned Japanese visual novel studio Key, who also produced Kanon and Air, which have both also been given anime adaptations, but before Clannad.

Doctor Who Specials Soundtrack Confirmed For Release

Just a small Doctor Who news update, the Specials soundtracks has finally been confirmed for release, with the 20th September the apparent date. This comes from the soundtrack's appearance on Amazon which was subsequently confirmed by the publishers of all the Doctor Who and Torchwood soundtracks since Doctor Who's 2005 return, Silva Screen. No track list is available, but we are sure to hear fan favourites such as Vale Decem. The soundtrack is confirmed to be a double album featuring music from The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars, and The End of Time. There is no news yet on a series 5 soundtrack, which I fear may not see a release now until 2011.

Sources:
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/08/doctor-who-specials-cd.html
http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/specials-soundtrack-incoming-8142.htm

SoulCalibur IV - Review

SoulCalibur IV

System: Xbox 360 / PS3
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco Bandai / Ubisoft
Year: 2008

With the second game in the series being the game that got me into fighting games, I sure like SoulCalibur. So when I got my 360 I jumped at the chance to get the latest console appearance for the series.

From the outset, everything looks rather familiar, with the menu options that are typical on any fighting game. Let's see what SCIV has to offer.

Review - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Series 1

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Series 1

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Distributor: Beez Entertainment
Volumes - 4 + Complete Box Set
Episodes - 14
Released: May 2008

Since The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was aired in Japan back in 2006, the series has become a global hit, and has since spawned various character singles, games, a second series, and a movie.

The series is based on the Haruhi Suzumiya light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa, originally published in the Japanese light novel magazine, The Sneaker.

Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver Review

Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver

System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
Year: 2010

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the 2010 remakes of the classic Pokémon games Gold, Silver and Crystal. Just like Red and Blue (Green) were re-released back on the GBA, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have done the same for the second generation of Pokémon games this Spring on the Nintendo DS.

Blog Blasts Back from Big Bang 2.0

Hi guys.

A little personal blog post from myself here. Soon I will be posting again after months of inactivity. Isn't that great?

Doctor Who UK Tour 2010 - Sunderland

Yesterday I visited Sunderland Uni for the Doctor Who UK Tour 2010, and frankly, it was marvellous. I thought I'd do a blog post to tell the world about the fun times had by the true fans, not those kids sitting watching The Eleventh Hour (bless them).

Arrival, Confusion, and Joy

When I arrived it was between 5 o' clock and half past. I wandered around (and I thought of Matt's face [get it?]) until coming to the Prospect building. I was told that it was a closed event, and I asked "The whole thing?" as that didn't sound right, but one bloke said if you go round the back you'll see them come in. So, I thought "Oh, right. *facepalm*" as that made sense and made my way round the back, where I found a gathering of fellow Who fans. Now that was a joyous moment, to find I wasn't alone.

The Wait For The Doctor To Appear

And so I met people who shared the same passion for this awesome show as I have. And thus began the long wait. The first feature of amusement was the awesome Jack bear:

 
The bear, owned by the awesome Abi Sanders (who is also responsible for some of the photos you see on here) would go on from that silent vigil to stand next to the Doctor himself, but more on that later.

So, we fans chatted for a bit and had some fun. After getting into a conversation about sex on the TARDIS and playing around with Sonic Screwdrivers, we were all too eager for their arrival.

Matt and Karen Materialise

Getting close to 6pm, the people in the Prospect building started hyping the kids up. Random Doctor Who music was playing (at a much louder volume than any of our phones could manage). We guessed that the Doctor's arrival was imminent, and some of us scurried closer to the river to see if there was anything.

I think it was just after 6 they came round. All of us outside were waving enthusiastically; Matt waved back. They passed us and went inside to a glorious heralding. Then the waiting game began again (yes, you just lost the game).

All I managed to get was a far-shot of their approach, but once again credit to Abi Sanders for the latter photo:

Left Out in the Cold, Scurrying After The Doctor, and Fun with a Bus

And so, with Matt and Karen now inside, we were left waiting again. After a while, a few of us took a trip round to the tour bus, and had fun taking photos with it. However, as we made our way round to it, we saw Matt and Karen walking on the outer walkways of the building. Oddly ,it seemed as though we were following them on the outside. Anyway, bus photos:

Look North To The Skies

And so we came back round and waited again. After a while we saw Matt and Karen come down to do the Look North interview. So, there we all were trying to peer in through the window from a distance. It must have been in between calls or something that Matt and Karen were walked around to the rear entrance with the broken doors, right near to where we were. We took the opportunity to wave at the first moment and Matt duly wove back.  He did seem to be on his phone most of the time though, most likely something to do with interviews and stuff that the official website mentioned.

What! These Guys Again?

During the Look North stuff, one guy came out and handily told us where to be to get our best chances of seeing Matt and Karen and getting autographs before they leave. After the weather ,we hurried round to the main square to get a glimpse of them on their way to the David Puttnam Media Centre. Of course, they walked straight by us! We didn't get any decent photos but it was still awesome.

We all then scurried around to the back of the building where we waited for them coming back out to the bus. On the way there we were given posters, which hinted at things to come.

While we stood waiting, we amused ourselves with more chat, anxiety, the awesome Jack bear, and everyone pointing up to the security camera shouting "We are coming!" in a Torchwood tribute. Even the police were getting involved. Photos below provided once again by Abi Sanders.

Moment of Destiny: Meeting the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond

Then it came to the destined moment, when Matt and Karen emerged and happily got stuck in signing autographs. Karen looked beautiful and was absolutely lovely. She even asked to borrow my pen to do someone else's poster before even doing mine. Of course I let her, 'cos she's awesome, (I'm never getting rid of that Sharpie now!).

Matt was truly epic and did not disappoint. He let one kid standing next to me get hold of his sonic screwdriver (what a moment!) before getting stuck in with autographs. Going around just like the Doctor would signing away, everyone giving a resounding "Thanks, Matt!") when they received it. He then got stuck in doing photos as well, of which you can see below. Thankfully, one of the lasses there got her dream and had that photo with Matt right next to her. This is also the photo I'm in, which I managed to jump in with my head above Matt's shoulder =D ) Matt also had a photo with Jack the bear. it was all over too quickly and before we knew it, it was time for them to leave. We stood there and waved them off, not knowing the historic moment that was about to happen.

The New Titles, first seen in... Sunderland.

As they left, the new titles came through to Matt, Karen, and executive producer Beth Willis. So they witnessed the new titles as they left my home town. What an awesome thing to happen.

What An Awesome Evening

So, after walking the long way round and meeting back up with everyone, I talked a bit with them and one awesome guy. As they all took the Metro/whatever back to wherever they were staying, I walked across the Wearmouth bridge overjoyed, signed poster and postcard in hand. 

Pokemon DP Wi-Fi Battle #10 VS bayern fc (Smogon) [OU] [Narrated]

Pokemon DP Wi-Fi Battle #9 VS mango11 (Serebii) [UU]

Nintendo Media Summit 2010 Round-up

As promised, here is a round-up of the news from Nintendo's Media Summit 2010. Courtesy of ONM.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

We have a confirmed UK release date of 11th June. That's only a couple of weeks after the American release of May 23rd. We also have a new trailer, which you can see below.

Metroid: Other M

Unfortunately, we only have a vague UK release of the next Metroid game as Q3 2010. Those lucky Americans get it June 27th. See new screens over at ONM.

 Sin and Punishment 2

The second Sin and Punishment game has been given the spectacular subtitle of "Star Successor". See the trailer below and new screens at ONM.




WarioWare: Do It Yourself

The next WarioWare game will be seen in the UK on the 30th April. The new game features over 90 microgames and the ability to create your own. It was confirmed that Nintendo will hold contests for designers to show their talent to a particular theme. Also in the game are options to create your own four-panel comics and also music. These can also be shared. The DS game will be able to link up with A Wii channel WarioWare: DIY - Showcase, with more microgames and the ability to play your creations on the TV. An unlockable multiplayer mode has also been included. See the trailer below or go to ONM for screens.


  
Monster Hunter Tri

Monster Hunter Tri will be free to play online when it is released on the 23rd April.

DragonQuest IX

DragonQuest IX will be published by Nintendo when it is released in the summer.
 
Photo Dojo

Now this one could be an interesting title. Photo Dojo is a first party side-scrolling beat-em-up for DSiWare that will utilise the DSi camera. You must pose for 13 pictures and input 10 sound effects before launching into the game as the main character or going against a friend. See the trailer below.

Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver

We have two new trailers for Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver, which you can see below.

FlingSmash

FlingSmash is a new WiiWare game being developed by Artoon, the creators of Yoshi's Island DS. Wii MotionPlus is used to fling a blob around 2D side-scrolling levels.  The aim is to find medals in the stages to unlock more stages. Smash stuff up and defeat as many enemies as possible to grab those high scores.

Nintendo Media Summit 2010 (UK)

As you should know, Nintendo's 2010 Media Summit comes to the UK today, and with what has been revealed at the Australian and US summits, we should expect a firm UK release date for Metroid: Other M and Super Mario Galaxy 2. I'll post a round-up of all the news this evening, courtesy of ONM.

What's This? More Changes?

Yeah, more changes to my blog folks. With the addition of the categories menu, I have decided to drop the bracketed information things from future blog post titles. So for example, if I posted a review it would be Thing Review - Thing Being Reviewed. Just makes more sense really.

[Dr. Who] New Series Trailer

Below is the new trailer for the brand new series of Doctor Who, which starts Easter this year. Courtesy of BBC. For best viewing hit play then view full screen.

[Feature] My Top Ten Anticipated Games of 2010

After reading Noodle Link's blog (http://noodleblog-noodle.blogspot.com/) and seeing his, and also Shiekah_Link's and SteveTheDuck's anticipation features, I was inspired to do one of my own. So, a great thanks to Noodle Link and co, and let's set our sights on the games I am waiting for in 2010.

10. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS)

Yes, it's the new Pokemon games; but it's the DS remakes of the best Pokemon games in the series. Released at the end of next month and given a healthy review score by ONM, this is going to be a title that sucks the hours from under my feet. 

I remember back in 2002, when I got Silver for my birthday, and I was astounded by the improvements from Yellow (I never owned Red or Blue); and I was never off it until Christmas, where I also recived Gold. I then played the two games in tandem, completing both up to the point of getting past the Elite Four for the second time. And I then went on just to play Gold.

Now eight years later, I can't wait to return to Johto, now using the Platinum graphical engine, and it's certainly a game I'll be playing until the fifth generation of Pokemon games is released.

9. Final Fantasy XIII (360/PS3)

An odd choice, you would say, for a top ten anticipated games list, but for me, this will be my first proper Final Fantasy game, and I hope that this will serve as a main introduction to the series. I have played the DS spin off of XII, Revenant Wings, but that was an RTS.

As my first true Final Fantasy game, I'm expecting it to be a little difficult to get into it, but as I'm quite getting into RPGs now, and being an avid reader, it shouldn't be too much trouble. However, I'm just hoping that when I play it I feel that the gameplay does hold up in between the lengthy cinematics that have been reported by PSM.

Overall though, I'm expecting it to be a good experience, and I'll be very surprised if I don't go off and buy the better Ds reamkes of the earlier titels after playing this.

8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Only number eight for the sequel to one of the best games on the Wii? Yeah. I did love the original Galaxy, but I seem to have fallen out of love (metaphorically of course) with my Wii at the moment. This means that for me, Nintendo's main series has taken a back seat to my 360.

All that aside, I am expecting Galaxy 2 to be a great improvement over the original. The inclusion of Yoshi and all new galaxies should provide a fresh twist and hopefully not make the game feel like Galaxy all over again. I'd love to see that orchestral music put to good use, and hear more classic Mario tunes in this one. For example, have a galaxy with a certain theme, but have the music very similar to a classic Mario tune.

Surely great things will come of this, but I'm starting to get slightly worried now about where Nintendo will take Mario's 3D adventures from here.

7. No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle (Wii)

No More Heroes was an absolute corker of a game, even though it did have a very lonely feel to it. With all the improvements that have been mentioned for its sequel, No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle should be a great game. Gone, supposedly are the empty streets, with a lot more generic NPCs walking around Santa Destroy. The new weapons look ace, and more imiginative than those in NMH. Dual lightsa... beam katanas that can be weilded? Yes please. The new bosses that have been revealed so far also look amazing, and much more challenging than at lest some of the earlier ones in the first game. The fact that you have to get to the top from around a rank of 50 something was a great idea, as the player will now have to face multiple bosses in boss battles, which I can see being pretty intense.

So I can see this being one of the Wii's last epic mature games, and I just hope it isn't drowned in the sea of casual games like other recent mature efforts.

6. Sin and Punishment 2 (Wii)

Hands up if you have the original on VC and found it great but hard. That you as well? Ok then, we are on the same ground. The original was mainly my purpose for actually going and buying a Classic Controller Pro to use in the stead of my old GameCube controller, and due to my 360 I haven't been able to play it yet, but I will do. But from my limited playthorugh of the original N64 title on the VC, I can say I just want Sin and Punishment 2 to be bigger and bolder.

To be fair, this one could be hit and miss. It's definately the right time for a new version of the game to be released, with as good as graphics can get on the Wii and superb controls; but with all the news that on-rail shooters are fairing poorly on the Wii, this one could be doomed to sell very little. Of course, I will get it, but seeing as though it's more going to be a birthday or Christams present, I just want the game to be available by December. 

Fingers crossed for this one then, as this is looking to be one of the best on-rail shooters that the Wii has to offer.

 5. Okamiden (DS)

After the release of the Wii version of Okami, we get heralded with the coming of Okamiden, a sequel to Okami. Okamiden will revolve around the son of one of the main characters in the first game, and will have you controlling Chibiterasu, which if I remember right is literally "little Amaterasu". The game will be controlled in a similar way as the DS Zelda games, and will bring the vibrant Okami version of Japan to the DS' small screens (or the DSi XL's bigger screens if you will).

After loving the first game, this is just one I can't wait for. Call me a weaboo but I do have an interest in Japanese culture and all, which is what first attracted me to Okami, and I was rewarded with a great game. Some people did go against it, but I think the original was a Zelda-esque gem, and hopefully the sequel will be the same.

You can read my review of Okami right here on The Emperor Ing Blog. http://emperoringblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/rev-games-okami-wii.html

4. Red Steel 2 (Wii)

I'll probably get shot for saying this, but I liked the original Red Steel.  Yes, it wasn't groundbreaking or really that intuitave, but it was a start for the FPS genre on Wii.

Red Steel 2 is lookigng to go beyond all other FPSes when it is released though. It aims to do right what the original was heavily criticised for - the swordplay. In the original, for those who avoided it, had boss battles where you got out your great big katana and flicked the Wii remote around to slice and dice. To be fair, it worked with the limitations of the Wii remote at that point. Sure, the controls were imprecise, but I never felt there was a moment where you had to be precise. Red Steel 2 looks to set this on its head and create a flowing swordplay mechanic with a myriad of moves and tricks available.The key to this will be the integration of Wii Motion Plus, giving players the accurate control that they need for the sword. The switching between the gun and the sword is also an improvement, as I would have loved to just go roaming about the levels of the original Red Steel with my huge katana. Now my dreams have been realised. However blindingly stating the obvious, there'll be an appropriate time for using each weapon. 

From ONM's preview I can tell the story is shaping up to be a cracking one, and although they say it gets off to a slow start, I think once the game really heats up, it'll be a fantastic experience.

3. The Legend of Zelda (Unknown Subtitle) (Wii)

 A.k.a Zelda Wii, the new console Legend of Zelda game, is set to appear by the end of the year. Again taking the realistic style, this is designed to be a comeback after the Ocarina-again feel of Twilight Princess. 

Of course, just being a Zelda title is enough to get people excited; hell, even I am. However, I'm throwing in a bit of caution just to be on the safe side. Hopefully, the Wii Motion Plus integration can blow all that caution out of the window, and let me just go round with Link hacking things to pieces and just generally saving the world.  

Since E3 2009, there have been tantalising hints issued from Nintendo; the concept art at E3, and just recently the announcement that the internet specualtion was correct about the image. 

Hopefully, we will see some solid footage at E3 2010, and then we'll get to grips with the true Wii Zelda by Christmas.

2. Napoleon: Total War (PC)

I'll confess and say I'm a huge Total War fan. I have been there since the beginning with Shogun, and after missing out on Empire, I'm looking to get back on the warpath with The Creative Assembly's latest effort.

Set in the Napoleonic Wars, the game will see you controlling the armies of Napoleon, or the armies of his enemies in whole new campaigns. For this game, The Creative Assembly have said that they wanted to focus more on the history of the period, rather than keeping to Empire's rough interpretation. There will ceratinly be other improvements over features in Empire, but sadly I can't really identify these as I haven't played Empire.

But, in the end, that's one of the main reasons I want Napoleon. Just because I haven't played Empire, and Napoleon is supposed to be a better experience than Empire.

And I'll soon know for sure, for Napoleon: Total War is released at the end of the month as a standard edition and as a collector's Imperial Edition. If you can afford the extra ten quid, the Imperial Edition offers extra units for you to play around with, along with a smexy cover to boot. Different retailers are also offering different pre-order bonus units, so snap them up while you still can.

Once thing is for sure though. I will be playing this for a long timne after its release.

1. Metroid Other M (Wii)

If it's one series I enjoy more than any other, its Metroid. Heck, you'll probably guess that from my username on various sites, and of course, the name of this blog. There's just something about the over arcing storyline of the series that I love. Samus, the Space Pirates, the aliens, and the Galactic Federation.... Ooh, I love it all.

Other M is set between Super Metroid and Fusion and is set to reveal more of Samus' backstory. We already know about the Space Pirate raid on her home and how she was brought up by the Chozo; so I eagerly await what revelations will come about from this new title. 

Partial voice acting has been in the game since Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Corruption exapnaded and had voice acting for everyone but Samus. This time we have full voice acting. That's right. Samus speaks at last.

From the E3 2009 trailer, Other M looks to be a fusion of the recent Prime Trilogy with the classic 2D titles. There's 2D style platforming and shooting action, but we also see the first person view from prime and some (hopefully) awesome cutscenes.

So, if there's one game I must play this year, it's Metroid Other M. Coming off the back of Metroid Prime Trilogy, this seems to be the next true step of the Metroid series. Let's just hope Team Ninja can do it proud. If you can't wait, check out the teaser site at www.metroid.jp.

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So, there you have it. That's my top ten anticipated games for 2010. For a reason, I did not include games that have already been released, or the likes of Bayonetta and Tatsunoko VS Capcom would be in there. You'll notice that most are Wii titles, and you'll notice that I said that I have fallen out of love with my Wii. Well, hopefully later in the year these games can entice me to get off my 360 and get down to some solid Nintendo gaming.

[Rev.](Games) Forza Motorsport 3 (360)

Forza Motorsport 3

Developer: Turn 10 Studios

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Year: 2009

For many years, the console racing sim crown has been held by Gran Turismo; but no longer can it hold its crown outright, for Forza has really upped its challenge with this latest entry to the Forza series.

Forza 3 was all about creating an accurate simulation, while not alienating the more casual players; but providing a great customisable experience for hardcore race fans. From my own experience, Forza 3 gets all of this right.

From the flexible difficulty system, I could set the game up to race my own mother - who usually hates full blown race sims - and by tweaking the assists for each player, it was challenging enough for me while being easy and fun enough for my mam.

The customisable experience has also been a big hit for me; being able to do my own paint and decal jobs on a game that doesn’t have Need for Speed plastered all over the front is quite a relief; and I’ve spent quite some time fiddling around with my cars. If you only have fifteen minutes, it’s a great time waster and can give you something aesthetically pleasing to look at in races.

The customisation also goes into real depth when you try the tuning setups. Of course, first you have to have the adjustable part upgrades on your car, but when you do, you can create and perfect a race setup. Like all tuning parts of racing games, many of the options look rather daunting, and many of the casual players I feel will never touch this feature.

If you don’t have the skill or the time however, and have Xbox Live Gold,  you can just pop into the Forza Storefront, where you can buy vinyl designs, race setups, and even full car designs that other people have created. You can also find photos and movies on there, and you can obviously upload your own stuff. There are quite a few gems to be found on the storefront too. It’s a great addition to the game and provides a strong sense of community.

However, all of this would be for nothing if the gameplay and controls didn't hold up; but rest assured, they do.

The main gameplay focuses on the season mode, where you race in fantasy championships utilising real life circuits, where you earn experience and credits. As you go through each season you unlock better cars as you gain a higher driver level, and discounts off upgrades as you gain car levels. The credits you earn can be used to either upgrade your cars, buy new cars, or make purchases in the storefront. 

There is also an event mode where you can play through each championship race by race. The event mode is easy to navigate and lists all the championships in a grid view, and indicates by colour if your current car can race, a garage car can race, or you have no cars that can race. For the latter, the championship will be greyed out. 

Cars themselves are grouped into different classes based on their performance index (just a number to indicate the car’s performance). The classes range from F to A then S, R1, R2 and R3, with the Rx cars being powerful supercars and racing cars.

Each car handles differently; and you will be challenged in your control of them, especially if you are driving a powerful car with the normal Xbox controller. For the best experience, I would recommend buying suitable wheel and pedals, although the game seems to work fine with the Xbox controller.

The difficulty of the main game in my opinion is perfectly gauged. It starts off easy in an attempt to gradually lead in the amateurs, and then by season three the game launches you into a couple of challenging races in A class cars. The main barrier that any casual players may face is learning the actual tracks, especially ones with a lot of different layouts. Fortunately for these players, there aren’t many tracks, but that is one of the game’s main flaws. It is true that there is a possibility of expansion through DLC, but there just isn’t enough variety in my opinion. 

Turning now to the visuals, they are very pleasing. As shown in comparisons by other media, they aren’t as good as GT5, but when the game plays so well, would you have sacrificed this for pushing the 360 to its limits? I would think not. Still, they are good anyway, and the racing HUD is perfectly laid over the top, like icing on a very delicious cake. Accessing the telemetry view while racing can be a bit fiddly; having to reach over to the D-pad, but after a while this also becomes unobtrusive.

The music however is another matter. I found the in-race music quite distracting, and although turned on by default, this can easily be muted in the options. The menu music sounds modern and relaxed and does, however, enhance the Forza experience.

This experience is then brought to a full circle with the online modes; of which the words that could sum it up would be “very very fun”. However, make sure you learn the tracks at least to some degree, or, to put it lightly, you will get owned. In one way, it doesn’t help that the game does not match you to people of your skill level. In my online test, in around 90% of races I was matched against a player with at least a Pro level. Still, even though I was finishing last, it was still a good experience; and racing online or even just spectating gives you a chance to see where the perfect lines and braking points are. Therefore, if you are a Xbox LIVE Gold member, it’s worthwhile to peek into the online at least once in a while.

Overall, Forza Motorsport 3 is an excellent pick up and play racing simulator, packed with so many cars you’ll be spoilt for choice. The gameplay is perfectly paced, with the addition of a fun online mode. If you are a racing fan, this is one game you shouldn’t be without.

+ Excellent gameplay

+ More cars than a car dealer

+ Strong multiplayer

- Lacking in tracks

- Unbalanced online matching

9/10