FIRST LOOK  Mini Ninjas
Eidos, Autumn 2009

Developed by the team of guys who’re used to creating gun-filled games like Hitman and Kane and Lynch, we’re really intrigued to see how the kiddie-friendly Mini Ninjas’ is going to turn out.

The story follows the tale of the pint-sized ninja-in-training Hiro and the friends he makes as he saves the world. It seems an evil samurai warlord – who goes by the name of Evil Samurai Warlord – is taking over the world by magically turning all creatures into his mindless slaves and sending them out to conquer the lands, one feudal Japanese castle at a time. When the ninja master’s warriors fail to return from their missions, it comes down to little old Hiro to save the day.

Gameplay is set to consist of exploration, collection, fighting and stealth, and the developers have chosen to stay close to the game’s Japanese concept and roots. You battle using Hiro’s ninja skills and Kuji magic, but our favourite little tit-bit of info was to find out that the characters all speak in Japanese. How’s that for authenticity?


Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
LucasArts/Activision, late Spring 2009

We’ve been waiting for years for this game to finally see the light of day, but huzzah, Indiana Jones is finally coming to consoles – and we don’t have long left to go.

In a brand spanking new quest, you’ll be able to take control of Indiana Jones' destiny and use his whip, fists and wits to outsmart and outrun his evil nemesis, Magnus Völler. We know globe-trotting locations include San Francisco’s Chinatown and the jungles of Panama, and that you’ll get the chance to fly a bi-plane, do some white-water rafting and even ride a wild elephant. Plus, with the chance to escape signature run-for-your-life moments, it’s like being in your own Indie movie.

We first reported back from E3 2007 about this game, as it was one of the first titles being developed using the Euphoria and DMM technologies we’re always championing. These will offer you completely interactive environments to play with. Now we’re going to run off and put on the movies to get us in the mood…


 REVIEWS

Halo Wars
Microsoft, £44.99
X360, Out Now Rating: 16+

Expanding the universe with a new gameplay genre, ‘Wars take you back 20 years pre the original Halo, starting with the discovery of an ancient artifact on Harvest: the first planet attacked by the Covenant. Moving from an FPS to a real time strategy (RTS), you’ll control both the UNSC and Covenant troops through campaigns, skirmishes and online co-op and multiplayer battles.

Master Chief is replaced with Sergeant Forge and a storyline set in 2531, and a simple tutorial sends you on your way. The controls are key to its success as RTS’s rarely work well without a keyboard and mouse, however the X360 pad’s controls allow you to flit around the battleground quickly and commanding units is simple and straightforward.

All campaign missions have clear objectives to complete as well as optional secondaries to up your score and unlock achievements. There’s also a lot of variety with objectives that see you escort, defend and attack as well as build resources, create and upgrade units.

With many multiplayer modes and four difficulty levels to boot you’ve got a game with a lot of features, all nicely packed with the Halo name. Both fans of the series and the genre should definitely check this baby out.
 
We reckon… 4*
  
Don King Boxing
2K Games, £19.99 on DS, £29.99 on Wii
DS, Wii, Out March 27th
Rating: 12+

Move over Wii Sport’s Boxing, a new contender has stolen your heavyweight belt. Don King’s already appeared on X360 and PS3 (and now also on the DS) however on the Wii it’s a whole new experience, and what a belter it is.

More sim than game, it picks up your controls’ punching movements to deliver uppercuts, hooks and full-on belters on cue. Even better, if you own a Wii-Board, you can lean and duck whilst you play to get an even more realistic gaming experience.

There’s a rags-to-riches story mode to fight your way through, complete with the chance to jump into classic matches at pivotal points, and you can also challenge your mates to enter the ring in two-player mode.

Then there’s training. This almost belongs in Wii-Fit; Boxercise-like exercises give you the option to work out like a pro. Whilst also helping you get to grips with chaining your attacks and bringing your opponents down before the first bell rings, you can create a training regime to improve your stamina and burn those calories.

Its tough on the body, so may need to be played in small bursts, but we find using the Wii-mote and nunchuck controls much more fun than mashing up buttons on a pad. Sports fans and fitness freaks will get a kick from this, but be warned, it isn’t for the couch potato…

We reckon…
4*


Tom Clancy’s HAWX
Ubisoft, £49.99 on PS3, X360, £34.99 on PC
PC, PS3, X360, Out Now
Rating: 12+
Unlike Halo’s very accessible genre-move, Tom Clancy’s shift to a flight combat game is very niche. Not everyone’s cup of tea, however fans of air combat and flight sims will find this a taxing yet gripping offering.

Without a tutorial to ease you in, HAWX’s controls are tough to get to grips with, but for those with a high level of patience and self-control are rewarded, and there’s always the fun of controlling your fighter via voice, as the game uses the same voice recognition tech found in ‘EndWar.

Once you’ve mastered in-flight combat, features such as the intercept and dodge abilities will definitely bring a smile to your face as you follow the display’s on-screen guide to dive, loop and twist away from missiles or hone in on enemies to get that killing shot.

Decent length missions and a variety of objectives to complete get thumbs up and although we only reviewed the single-player, we know that the ability to drop in and out of co-op, plus a selection of other multiplayer features, gives this game a rounded set of options.

Beware, this game is not like Ghost Recon or Splinter Cell, so fans of stealth or squad combat take note, however if you’ve always had a love of flight games or want a new gaming challenge, this definitely has something to offer.

We reckon… 3* 
Street Fighter IV
Capcom, £39.99, or £69.99 for Special Edition
PS3, X360, Out Now
Rating: 12
Want to experience old school gaming, but with next-gen graphics? Then look no further than the legendary series Street Fighter, who’s return to consoles will have older gamers drooling with uncontrollable excitement.

‘IV goes back to the series’ 1990’s roots, complete with cheesy music. Giving you the opportunity to play with the original fighting moves from Street Fighter II, you’ll also play as the classic characters that are still beloved today, including Chun-Li and Ryu. Its been designed in shiny stylised 3D, but to keep its authentic Street Fighter feel, you play using the original 2D perspective.

It’s kept all the things that made the series great, including its arcade feel, but don’t expect a stroll through the park. You might be able to button bash your way to victory against your mates, but when taking on the true Street Fighter challenge you will need to master each characters’ combos and special moves if you want a chance in hell of winning. You’ve got challenges galore, from time attacks to survivals as well as honing your skills to unlock all the secret characters and other goodies. Very tough, but if you’ve got the patience to perfect your skills, you’ll find a classic gaming experience.

We reckon… 4*
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portal
Disney Interactive Studios, £29.99
DS, Out Now
Rating: 7+

You can’t ignore the comparison between the Spectrobes series and Pokemon but what you have here is a more sophisticated experience, possibly designed with an eye on older gamers.
 
Spectrobes is a game where you find, collect and evolve creatures (180 in total), and there’s a real attention to detail as perhaps befits the current Darwin celebrations. For example, both main character Rallen and his ‘creatures of light’ fight, but you also get to excavate stuff during your travels in order to find minerals (to feed your fighters) and fossils (wake them up to gain new Spectrobes). This uses the DS’s ability to its full – gently tap the touch screen to drill your way down to your finds and use the mike to blow away the debris in other to pick them up. These features are used elsewhere, too. For example, how you talk into the mike as you wake up a new Spectrobe will determine its colourings.
 
This is an in-depth game that involves you developing your creatures, lots of variety and potential customisation so there’s a lot to take in, and the storyline, which follows on from the original game, will also keep you engaged. This entails the return of the evil Krawl, but this time they’re bigger and more intelligent. They kidnap your mentor and destroy your lab – a bad enough start to any day – but you’ve got to stop them before he’s gone forever and so is your universe…

We reckon… 4*

Other great games to look out for this month…
 The winter lull is over, meaning there are more top games coming out than we have room to report on this issue. March not only sees the daffodils start to come out, it also sees publishers begin to fill our shelves with top quality games again, including Vin Diesel: Wheelman, which sees the star return to the virtual world, this time burning rubber across Barcelona. For frantic racing action, stunts and even street combat, don’t miss this corker…Sadly we weren’t able to get code before our deadline, but we hear great things about Empire: Total War. This series is classic strategy and this time round there’s full-on naval combat. Not to be missed…RPG fans are also spoilt for choice, with two classic series’ making their way to portable consoles. Firstly Phantasy Star is coming to the PSP. Set just after Phantasy Star Universe, you’ve got a whole new world of questing at your fingertips, and it graphically looks great too. For DS owners, Suikoden is coming to the DS for the first time ever, with a game called ‘Tierkreis. Renound for its character-based features, there’s a cast of 108 characters for you to meet and recruit. It’ll definitely keep you busy for the next month and beyond…However, you may want to keep your eyes open for something new in early April. A new kind of MMO called Free Realms is coming out. Free to play, and downloadable via the Internet, it’s jam-packed with mini-games playing homage to gaming classics like Mario Kart, Bejeweled and even Cooking Mama. You can be whatever you like whenever you like, with jobs from Postman and Weaponsmith through to Racer and even Ninja. It looks like great fun, so give it a go!