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XBox,Strategy Combat,7/10 - April 2005

Think pokemon meets street fighter. This is strategy combat where it's tactics and planning that win a battle rather than button mashing. Collect mana orbs, cast creature spells, magic spells, enhancement spells; try to do all of this and still evade your opponent's attacks. I got to the pen-ultimate level and found it just too hard. The single player mode is just a long tutorial really but I've never felt good enough to try battleing online players (I imagine it'd be awesome). It's a bit of a cult game but my girlfriends little brother and I love quoting Magic monsters at each other, we take it in turn to call out "Goblin sky ranger", "Giant Growth", "Magma Giant", "Rushwood Elemental", etc.

XBox,Adventure,9/10 - January 2005

This game has the most flexibility and scope that I've ever come across. To give you a clue about how varied the objects in the game are, you can buy "tofu". Have you ever seen tofu in a game before? You can get married and divorced, dig, fish, get haircuts, tatoos, all sorts. It's a lush environment that brings about the desire to explore and mess around as much as clocking the levels. My favourite bit was the gladiators arena which was filled with atmosphere. I thought the length was a perfect 10 hours but the storyline failed to deliver after a promising start.

XBox,First Person Shooter,7/10 - September 2004

Friends ask me what's the difference between Halo 1 and 2. Halo 2 has more vehicles and the marines can now drive them, you can hold 2 weapons, you get to be a Covernent soldier and thats about it. Except that the multiplayer mode has been boasted with XBox LIVE which looks like fun. With all the hype about Halo 2, I can't understand why there's such major graphics glitches in all the cut-scenes? Textures pop-in about a second after many of the scenes start!

XBox,Battle Racing,9/10 - July 2004

Go Fast and Hit Stuff. This game introduced a great form of driving combat which I first saw in "destruction derby". You get to knock opponent cars off the track! The levels manage to vary greatly and the game gives the best impression of speed that I've seen so far. I played 50 hours of this game, it's just Fab!

GBA,Turn-based strategy,9/10 - March 2004
This is a tweeked version of Advanced Wars 1 with the introduction of interesting defensive buildings such as canons, missles and lasers. There is also the new NeoTank which expains why the strong tanks of AW1 were only called "Medium" Tanks. The game is set at a perfect level of difficulty even though the setting is fixed (meaning I don't have to feel like a wuss for setting it on "easy"). I must admit finding the tips you get when you are defeated quite helpful (I sometimes purposly yield just to get the tips). The enemy AI is well balanced so you get the rewarding feeling that your outsmarting it (but I get the impression it could kick my arse if it really tried). There's quite a few times in the game where you get overwhelmed but manage to win the battle by sneeking round the back and destroying the objective. One variable which helps give the game flexiblity is the CO powers allowing for different tactics to try out. Great game.

XBox,Rally Driving,7/10 - January 2004
I'm into racing games like burnout and as a consequence I initially found Colin Mcrae impossibly slow and difficult due to it's realism - It simulates the driving of a real rally car so well that you have to be an expert rally driver. The reason I stuck at it was because codemasters were running a competition to win a 10000 pound Citroën Xsara car. Australia Stage 1 is now ingrained in my brain. I must have played the track 500 times to get my time of 258.333, sliding over the bridge in the Peugeot 205 using manual gearbox and the analog stick for gradual acceleration and breaking. Brake as late as possible but don't floor it half way through a corner . Get the power on gently, any sideways driving or wheelspinning might look cool but it slows you down dramatically. Keep the back of the car under control and avoid wheelspin whenever possible. I could dictate the co-drivers comments. Competing for the prize was an awesome experience even if I only ended up 20th. I got a pretty good glimpse of the games depth but can you imagine how deep the competition winners went? I'll answer for you - No - this game has depth that only hundreds of hours of play reveal.

XBox,Flight shoot-em-up,4/10 - December 2003
This game reminded me of "star fox" on the N64 but with considerably more complex controls and hugely stunning visuals. The graphics are why I got this game, I wanted to see what an XBox was capable of and the weird alien landscapes provide a good jaw dropping demonstration. The game is a typical battle-your-way-to-the-boss-and then-find-the-bosses-weakness type of game but to avoid health reduction you need to understand a view things. Firstly you need to learn that you can boost backwards and forwards to circle around a boss so when his weapon faces you, you boost to a different side. Then your need to learn how to morph to the correct dragoon depending on whether you need speed, firepower or the lock-on ability. I can appreciate the depth the game has on it's gendre but I didn't find it very engaging. I managed to get to level 10 and kill the final 3 bosses but I didn't follow the trippy storyline and I won't play it again.

XBox,Hack&Slash,5/10 - September 2003
This game takes scenes from the 1st two LOTR's films and turns them into interactive battles. Each scene blends with DVD film footage smoothly and impressively. I think they did a great job of doing what they intended i.e. creating a film/video game couple however I didn't like it at all. Without having seen the two films I'm sure you'd have no idea what's going on. I view it as lazy game design, i.e. there is no design, they just took a bunch of interesting scenes and converted them into a bunch of levels where you battle your way to the boss, find it's weakness and beat it. There's no lull in the action, you finish a scene and save the game and then go straight into the next scene. I'm wondering why I don't like the constant action. I think it's because it's too linear, there's no chance to explore the scenery, no options, no build-up and it's all too rushed. Without time and freedom the game doesn't add to the LOTR's world and so is disappointing even though the technology of the programming is of a high standard.

XBox,TPS,9/10 - June 2003
This game taught me the lesson that one shouldn't take magazine reviews as gospel. My most respected mags, namely Edge and Games rated this game 3/10 and 4/10 respectivly but I loved it. The great thing about is that the story line fits perfectly between "The final flight of the osiris" and the "matrix reloaded" and exposes some great extra storyline to delve alot deeper into the matrix world. Anyone who loves the matrix needs to complete this game to get the extra storyline which is really really juicy. The game itself is plagued by a few unintuitive puzzles and I thought the driving levels were poor until I worked out the controls to change the view and start gunning down cop cars. The controls seem quite confusing and in particular sniper mode is awkward, however there are moments when the hand-to-hand combat all comes together in a fluid frenzy so that when you finally come to a stand-still you realize there's no-one left alive. The scenes are often too dark to see, but that may be a good thing since the graphics aren't all that. Completing the game rewards you with a Matrix 3 trailer (well worth it!).

XBox,RPG,5/10 - June 2003
I got this because it was the first 2-player co-operative RPG for the XBOX that I'd seen. It's not a deep game, it's a simple hack and slash with very little inventory management or character progression and a shallow dis-joined storyline. The graphics are state-of-the-art with vegetation blowing in the wind, rippling water and sparkling ice caverns. The choice of characters is the biggest let down, The choice between a retard, queer or tart wasn't good enough for me. Multi-player co-operative mode is the games only redeeming feature, I like the way your forced to work together since the game-play isn't split-screen. It did supply 12 hours of co-operative entertainment and was satisfying to finish, but I expected buckets more from a baldur's Gate title.

GBA,Turn-based strategy,9/10 - June 2003
Nintendo does chess. This is a game of tactics and like chess things aren't left to chance, you can get to know the exact outcome of a clash between 2 units. Unfortunately it seems to be geared towards kids but you wont be able to win by force-in-numbers rather than skill. The units all have strengths and weaknesses and a attack-range and the key-to-success comes in balancing your forces so they are strong together. Victory over the opponent is satisfying. It's a great game, very addictive and perfect for the handheld.

Killer App Award! > A reason to own a GBA

XBOX,FPS,9/10 - August 2002
There's so many good things about Halo but if I was to name the best I would say it was the vehicles. When you get in a vehicle the view moves from 1st person to 3rd person and the feel of the game totally changes increasing variety and pace. Other AI players on your side can hop onto a vehicle that your piloting and fight along side you. Enemy AI is the 2nd excellent feature making combat so much fun. Each enemy offers a challenge which you have to tackle in unique ways. The storyline is classic sci-fi, full of twists, you are the "Master chief", a rock-hard cyborg and of course you have to save the universe. There's enough atmosphere in the game so that the storyline is able to be quite scary in places. Killer App Award! > A reason to own a Xbox

XBox,,5/10 - July 2003
You have to get a piece of the arcade game action now that it's possible on a console, I mean it's a way of saving money isn't it? This was the first game on the XBox to come packaged with a light-gun (a MadCatz Blaster) which is the only way to play it. I thought House of the Dead 2 was better but it's ok because when you complete the game it unlocks a XBox version of House of the Dead 2. Killing Zombies is a good way to de-stress after a day at the office. The HOTD series is notorious for having the worst voice acting ever, however HOTD III was actually disappointing; they improved the voice acting to the point that I'm not laughing anymore. This is a real loss in my opinion.
The big let down with this game is the light gun configeration screen which seems to routinely crash my XBox so that I laugh every time I reach for the reset button (Microsoft went through some perverted though process which must have gone: "our system will be so robust that we don't need a reset button").

XBOX,sport,9/10 - August 2002
When you break these games down it is really just a exercise to memorize sequences of buttons. But with todays zillion-buttoned controllers, this is made difficult. There's something about Tony Hawks games that gets you addicted so that you feel you have to complete all the tasks (but your'll never be able to). Each task can take more than an hour of practicing until you pull it off. But when everything comes together and you manage to string together a bunch of tricks in the right place it's brilliant. A great game series.

PC,RPG-Hack&Slash,10/10 - June 2002
Diabolo I: This game was the first to introduce me to both character development and inventory management. Completing quests and killing enemies both increases experience and allows you plunder the spoils of your adventures to enable you to become more powerful and better equipped. But the game also manages to immerse you into the diabolo world where you delve deeper and deeper into the earth until you finally reach hell. Getting stocked up with potions and quickly flicking between spells to cope with the weaknesses of different enemies is what it's all about. The game has a unique feeling, a kind of magic which makes you feel powerful and heroic. The true mark of a fine game.
Diabolo II: The new version dramatically increased the amount of equipment available to a new set of characters with unique abilities. It was the first time I played with the idea of a skill tree and as a consequence I completed the game with each of the characters in turn to try out all the different tactics to win the game. The levels are much more diverse than Diabolo I and do well in building up to bosses. The story is still great with amazing cut scenes at the end of each episode that help bring back pretty much all of the first Diabolos atmosphere.

Killer App Award! > A reason to own a PC

PC,RPG,8/10 - June 2002
This game must have impacted my 4th year exams, it is one of those games that eats your time because it's so playable. It's fun to explore the rich fantasy world which is made gorgeous to look at by things such as large numbers of trees and ground-plants with convincing leaves, wild-life, varied level terrain, and weather effects such as rain and snow-flakes. I actually stopped at a bridge to admire the few, using the camera to zoom in and pan round. The environment changes from lush green to snow, castles, mines and climaxes in lava chambers. Character development and inventory management is nice, especially the concept of having a mule in your party and that characters appearances change depending on each piece of equipment they are using. The game is very linear leading to a lack of motivation to follow the rather dull storyline, in particular the mechanized goblins don't fit in. The best thing about the game is that it's fluid and seamless so there's never a dull moment.

PC,Puzzle-battle,8/10 - 1998
I played this with friends intensively for a short while. A number of players run around a board throwing bombs at each other and collecting power-ups. There's nothing like the glee of winning after rushing around manically concentrating on not dieing, especially if you accidentally caught a virus and can't stop dropping bombs while your controls are reversed. This games play-life wouldn't be very long without the ability to have 4 players on one keyboard. It's also fun to set 10 computer players endlessly battling against each other like a screen saver.

N64,FPS,10/10 - 1997
This game introduced me to the skills required in multi-player FPS's: keep an eye on your body armour, known the levels inside out, follow everyone else's positions carefully and make sure when you meet them you get a perfect head shot. The head-shot is the holy grail of skills to hone and very important since you can't jump. Another skill is the perfect blend of turn+side-step in order to move around levels fastest. This game is a classic game which has pushed the genre of FPS to another level. The single player game is totally great as well.

Killer App Award! > A reason to own a N64

N64,Combat Racing,10/10 - 1997
Mario Karts is legendary, it's great fun and extremely competitive. At a beginners level the racing is fast and furious but the skills one has to fine tune to become an expert are substantial. It's not just about learning the tracks and shortcuts, it's about firing shells backwards, dragging weapons behind you as a shield and power sliding round corners. Split-screen multi-player mode with friends is the essence of the experience and coming back from the pub had never been so much fun.

Killer App Award! > A reason to own a N64

PC,Real-Time Strategy,9/10
"Original:"When this came along my life seemed complete. RTS was original back then. I loved the resource management, the building of an army and the marching all over the enemy in large numbers.
"Red Alert:"Command and Conquer went high-res and now you could amass an even larger army on the screen. Serial linking 2 computers and multi-playing RA allowed afternoon long battles, requiring huge amounts of concentration to make sure the enemy isn't able to break though your defenses. I soon learnt that the feeling of being defeated after 5 hours was horribly depressing and that it's often better to play co-operative with a friend against the computer. Unfortunately the computer was rather crap and once the ore ran out it'd just sit and do nothing. The firing range of a cruiser was stupidly unfair.
"Tiberian Sun:"From now RTS's were well established and completely unoriginal, however if you like RTS's you like RTS's. The game is essentially the same as the other but with nicer graphics. The forces seem the best balanced out of the different versions.
"Red Alert 2": The magic seems to have worn off but I'm not sure if it's the games fault or whether my tastes are changing.

I found myself thinking that this was an interesting game but even though it's a leap in the sim genre it's not yet ready for me. I reckon Sims 3 will be great. This is because all I really wanted to do was design my own house and I wasn't given enough options. There wasn't enough colour variations, objects or furniture and the squares that are the basis of design were far too big. The sims dropped rubbish they couldn't get too because there was a chair in the way. I expected them to move the chair out the way. Another thing that annoyed me was the comedy involved in the game. I didn't like the silly jobs you'd get and the futuristic names of the more expensive objects.

You go around solving puzzles that are brilliantly funny and entertaining and more often than not - pretty tricky. A Hugely fun game with a great change half way through.

This is a game that infects your imagination, inserts a hook into your brain and starts to reel you in. You ended up whistling the Song Of Time to school. The first question I found myself asking my friends was "how far are you now?". The game is an epic adventure with a huge world to explore. When you need to cross the plains you summon your horse to move faster.

At a time where it was still amazing when a 2D game transforms into 3D, this game pulled it off so unbelievably well. It was a magic feeling first playing it. I got the feeling I had arrived at console game heaven, the future had arrived. It's a playworld of possibilities. Tonnes of stuff to do, cool puzzles, interesting bosses, getting blasted out of cannons, swimming, flying. It was rich. Collecting all the stars became a necessity. Great fun.

This was great on the handheld. Some goals require hours of practice and other could be busted in-between a tube stop. It's great when you just clinch a goal in the last few seconds of the time barrier. I love it how you can't imagine ever being able to get "that higher a score" when you start playing but you slowly learn where and how to do the bigger moves. Great game for the GBA.

I jumped from Doom to this and was blown away especially because it was my first introduction to FPS serial linked game play. The action was so fast, running, jumping and flying were all new to me. My favorite plan was piling up load of pipe bombs and then setting up a holoduke and jet-packing to a good watching spot where I'd get out the pipe-bomb detonator and wait for my victim (who usually was a friend who knew what I was doing and knocked me out with a rocket launcher!).
The single player game was atmospheric. Duke chick-saving rock-hard geezer.

PC,Turn-based Strategy,9/10
What made X-COM 1 a classic is its mix of management and action. You had to shoot down alien ships, take your team to the crash sites to battle escaped aliens and all the while manage you bases. During the tactical combat missions you need to capture live aliens to study and interrogate them in the laboratories so you could research their technologies and advance your equipment.
The tactical combat scenes were tiled based and everything could be blown up. A classical tactic, for instance, was to throw a grenade on top of a roof to blow a hole in it and then throw a new grenade down the hole blowing up a couple of aliens.