Developer: Ubisoft
Platform: Wii
Price: $49.99
Genre: Sports/Rec
Acquired: provided by developer
Verdict: Once you get the flow of the game down, it’s awesome.
Pros: Easy game play makes the progressing possible for even the worst snowboarder
Cons: Can’t face the other direction on the board; Campaign instructions are somewhat vague.

Shaun White. No, he is NOT a Carrot Top wannabe. He’s oh so much cuter than that. Oh, and did I mention that he’s an Olympic GOLD medalist? I’m sure you probably know far more about him than I do, but I can tell you with assurity that you do NOT have to know ANYTHING about Shaun or snowboarding to enjoy this game. There is a lot to cover with the game, so let’s just jump right in.

First things first: controls. You can play this game with a regular Wii remote, a MotionPlus remote, or the Wii Balance Board. I can’t tell you how the MotionPlus does, because I don’t have one. However, I can tell you that there is a part of the game that you can’t play without it. More on that later. the regular remote works well, and makes the game far less tiring, as well as making great moves and combos much easier to achieve. The directions for gameplay on the balance board are very clear and doable, even for the least balanced of people; my friend fell off a few times, but he landed safely on the couch. No nerds were hurt in the reviewing of this game! My only beef with the controls is that you cannot change the direction that the board faces. If you wish to face left while playing, you have to learn to play backwards. It was for this reason that I ended up playing more with the remote than the board, though again, I had a friend do it for me.

When you begin playing the game, you’ll receive instruction before each event. The nature of the instruction is based on what type of event you’re participating in. For example, if you’re about to race, you’ll be given the controls for tucking and steering while the event is loading. This is especially helpful when you’re about to begin performing tricks. Can’t keep all those tricks in your, err.. large brain? No worries! All of them are listed in the instruction booklet, and sorted into control type.

The game starts out in a van on the way to the airport. Shaun and his buddies (you included) are chatting away about the upcoming World Stage Championship. Shaun, of course, already has his spot; you have to earn yours. Do this in campaign mode, by upgrading your world ranking. You start in the Beginning Stage at Week 1. Each week, you are given 3 events to choose from. Each of those events, in turn, has a number of ranking points you can earn by finishing first in that event. You choose the character you will play before each event, and you have a friend who lends you their skills when your respect meter reaches critical mass. The respect meter is boosted by collecting the crowns placed throughout the events. There are 13 characters in all (some of them you obviously have to unlock). When you finish Beginning Stage with the required 75 in the world ranking (you start at 100 and move up whenever you earn ranking points), you move up to Intermediate Stage, and so on. When you are in the top 5, you can enter the World Stage Championship.

The instructions for Campaign Mode are fairly unclear in the game, so I found the instruction booklet very helpful in this case (and I tend to avoid reading instruction booklets like the plague). Within this Mode, you can play the events or free ride, as well as a multiplayer option. Multiplayer in campaign mode changes between split screen and one player at a time, based on the particular event. In either case, your scores combine to help you on your journey up the rankings. Not a lot to get competitive about here, unless you enjoy yelling at the TV.

Other game play modes include Arcade Machine Mode, Multiplayer Versus Mode, and Multiplayer Hot Seat Mode. Arcade Machine Mode is a Wii MotionPlus exclusive. If you were paying attention earlier, you’ll realize that I wasn’t able to play it. However, I can tell you that it allows you to create your own tricks. These tricks are then usable in other gaming modes, such as campaign. Multiplayer Versus and Hot Seat Modes differ in a few different ways. First, one is split screen, the other is one player at a time. With Versus, you can choose to play a Cup or Free play. Cup play allows you to play events AGAINST your friends. Hot Seat reminds me of the game HORSE. Everyone plays the same stage, with the same characters, and the best run is on the hot seat until that score is beaten. Countries and characters in this mode are locked until they become available in Campaign Mode.

The graphics in this game are great. No matter what you’re looking at, whether it’s the movie sequence, the airport lobby, or the actual events themselves, the details are crisp and undizzying. The characters, their gear, and clothing are all detailed and viewable during the rides. The markings in the snow, on the jumps, and the rails are clear as well. Colors are bright and plentiful, making this game a joy to not only play, but also watch others play. The movements between game play selections, or even tricks on a run are fluid and smooth: nothing jarring in this game.

When I was asked to do this review, I was a little worried that I would have a hard time getting through the campaign. I’m not accustomed to this type of game, and having had ZERO snowboarding experience, I wasn’t sure I was the right choice for the review. After playing it, however, I’ve come to realize I was the perfect person for the review. Not only have I gained a new respect for this gifted ginger-haired boarder superstar, but I was also able to expand my sporting horizons. Since the game is easy enough to play, I didn’t have to worry about frustration urging me to throw the Wii out the back door. The game is responsive, and that, my friends, is a good thing. Kids will enjoy this game, as will adults; you can even entertain your friends without picking up a fake guitar. Now that I have Shaun’s moves down on the game, maybe I should go buy a board and hit Alyeska in Alaska. Okay, maybe not. You, however, should pick this one up if you like snowboarding video games, Shaun White, or knocking your friends off the Wii board and onto the couch.

Codemasters, along side ESPN’s X Games, announced an agreement that will see three all-new X Games stages created and integrated exclusively in Colin McRae: DiRT 2.

The three new stages – X Games America, X Games Europe and X Games Asia – will carry official X Games branding and infuse added realism by bringing the series’ unique action sports atmosphere to the game. Players will be able to compete in the X Games events by reaching landmark achievements within the game’s World Tour.

“With Colin McRae: DiRT 2 Codemasters has captured the essence of contemporary action sports racing, making the game a great platform to integrate the X Games brand and the look and feel of its global events,” said Rick Alessandri, ESPN Senior Vice President and Managing Director, X Games Franchise. “We’re excited that millions of players will have the opportunity to engage in the X Games environment both in the game and online.”

“We’ve been inspired by the flair, style and big event atmosphere of ESPN’s X Games series, which has switched on a new generation of action sports fans to rally and off-road racing.” said Gavin Raeburn, Senior Executive Producer, Codemasters. “It’s been incredible to work with them to shape a series of exclusive X Games integrations for Colin McRae: DiRT 2. Gamers will experience three major competitions that will make them feel like they’re really arrived on the world’s premiere racing stage, competing in front of thousands of fans in dramatic and spectacular stadium events.”

The X Games events will be headlined by off-road racing’s most respected athletes including the multi medal-winning Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block, Dave Mirra, Tanner Faust and Travis Pastrana. X Games 14 Rally Car Racing gold medallist, Pastrana competed with the late Colin McRae at X Games 12 (2006) before going on to feature in and lend his voice to the original DiRT game, published in 2007.

Each X Games event will consist of two knockout rounds and a final, in such locations as London (X Games Europe), Tokyo (X Games Asia) and Los Angeles (X Games America). The X Games America competition is identified from the very start of the game as the pinnacle event in Colin McRae: DiRT 2’s racing world and the ultimate test for any off-road racer.

Fans of the X Games and Dirt will get a chance to live a dream, thanks to ESPN. As we near the launch of Dirt 2, we’ll keep on the lookout for more great news from Codemasters.

Sure, everybody wants to talk about MLB 09: The Show, but in this era of “next gen” gaming, the PlayStation 2 versions of games often get lost in shuffle.  Thankfully the good folks over at Sony have recently released a hot new batch of screenshots, showing what good developers can do with old hardware.

Further complementing the screenshots is a trailer that shows off the new title in it’s full glory.  Check out the video below:

I find it staggering what these developers can squeeze out of a system that is over a decade old!  After watching the trailer I had to do a double take and make sure it wasn’t the PlayStation 3 footage!  The gameplay looks smooth, the environmental effects look realistic and the trademark play-by-play team can be heard at several points.  This is a very exciting time to be a PlayStation 2 gamer!

Empire of Sports has unveiled The Kangaroo Open 2009, the first online Tennis Championship for the sports-based MMO. Kick starting the 2009 tennis season, TKO ‘09 has officially commenced and will run for two full weeks (until Feb. 1st).As with any live tournament, winners will have the chance to win cash as well as many other prizes which include a racquet signed by none other than former world champion Justine Henin. Runners up can look forward to winning Prince racquets as well as additional tennis ranking points. TKO ‘09 is designed to be as true to life as any other major sporting event.

In order to register and participate in TKO ‘09, players will need to download the game, which can be found at Empire of Sports. Once inside the Empire, players can purchase their ticket to participate in TKO ‘09 by speaking to the kangaroo NPC (Non Player Character), Wally. He can be found standing just outside the beginners’ area. Once players have registered they will embark on a tour across Australia, from Perth to Melbourne, in which they will face many challenges from other competitors. Contestants must compete in a number of matches in order to capture the ultimate prize of being the winner of TKO ‘09. However players shouldn’t feel intimidated as there will be different levels of competition to even out the crowd;

• Amateur series – Players ranked 1-15 in tennis can win a cash prize of €750 (£675) , a Justine Henin cap, and 500 Empire of Sports tennis ranking points.
• Experienced series – Players ranked 16-30 in tennis can win a cash prize of €1,000 (£900), a signed Justine Henin t-shirt, and 1,000 Empire of Sports tennis ranking points.
• Pro series – Players ranked 31 and above can win a cash prize of €1,500 (£1,350), a signed Justine Henin tennis racket and 2,000 Empire of Sports tennis ranking points.

The full list of prizes can be found at Empire of Sports. Players can enter the tournament at any time throughout the entire event. Fees will range from €3 to €9 depending on entry level and anyone holding a premium account will be eligible for a discounted entry to TKO ‘09.

Empire of Sports is the first sports based MMO title to date and can be downloaded for free. It really sounds like a great place for sporting enthusiasts to meet and compete with eachother online. Though this is the first major competition they are holding, tennis is not the only sport available for play. Players can also jump online and play football, basketball, ski-ing, bobsleigh and track and field.

So if you’re a big sports fan and like the online communities of MMO type games, then this sounds like it would be a perfect fit for you. The fact that it’s free to join and play other games at the moment should help pull in more players right now as well. And what better way to get aquainted with the community than a competition? Sounds good to us!

Release: Oct 14 2008 (US), Oct 3 2008 (UK)
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Genre: Sports

Funny how things change; the stock markets rise and fall, the Miami Dolphins aren’t half bad this season and the FIFA series has evolved, with this latest edition, into a more accomplished one than it’s Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) rival. In fact, FIFA 09 is the finest soccer game available on this generation of hardware, bar none – that’s something that is safe to take to the bank in these uncertain times.

Patience is a virtue

The FIFA series was once seen as the ‘arcade’ to PES’ ‘simulation’ style, nothing could now be further from the truth. In terms of realism FIFA 09 is miles, thousands of miles in fact, ahead of PES. For a start, and unlike PES 2009, speed is not the most important statistic in ranking how good a player is. It’s still important of course, but only as one element of a complex whole. Equally as important in FIFA 09 is a player’s strength, passing and reactions, especially with midfielders as successful attacks must be patiently built up with solid midfield play; this is in stark contrast in the PES 09 mantra of simply bombing it down the wing and passing it into the centre for a forward to easily tap into the net.

This style of play makes games, between equally matched players, a real back and forth tactical struggle and puts an emphasis on intelligent play and tactical awareness, in terms of both attacking and defending. It’s still possible to storm past 4 or 5 players with Cristiano Ronaldo and calmly slot the ball into the back of the net, but the difference here, compared with PES 2009, is that when you pull off a move like that it feels like a truly special achievement. Apologies for the already numerous comparisons with PES 2009 but chances are most of us will only purchase one of these two titles and, lets face it, there is little other competition worthy of evaluation.

This emphasis on intelligent play is strengthened by the wealth of tactical options available to you in the game’s team management menus. Everything can be altered from the passing style, how rigid you want your team to hold formation, defensive outlooks, which areas of the pitch opponents should be aggressively closed down and the list goes on. You can lose yourself in the nitty-gritty of it all if you don’t already know the sport to a tee, but there are also ‘quick tactics; options for those of us that way inclined.

Wealth of options

As soon as you fire the game up and take the obligatory trip through the menus you’re amazed at the amount of game modes and options that have been packed into this year’s edition. From the standard exhibition and tournament modes, to the seriously expanded Be A Pro, manager and lounge modes, and that’s just the offline. Scroll down to the online options and you’ve got leagues, online 10v10 team play and the ability to pit your wits against the best in FIFA 09 Clubs.

Be A Pro in particular has been significantly built upon from the FIFA 08 version, which only allowed you to play standard exhibition matches. You can now take your chosen player (either built from a scratch or a current pro) and play through four seasons in an attempt to become a legend for your country’s national side. At first you need to plug away in the reserves before being given a shot in the first team, do well there and you’re awarded a place in the national team squad, which you’ll need to make the most of to gain that legendary status.

Thankfully the quality of the A.I., on both sides of the ball, has also given a facelift making matches both enjoyable and realistic; depending on how you play your part. If you decide to constantly call for the ball to be passed to you, when you’re in poor positions, your team will constantly be giving away possession making for a frustrating experience and a rather low player rating for yourself. On the other hand, be patient and play your position as it’s meant to be played and you’re rewarded with high ratings, leading to a better reputation within your club and country.

Don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself an expert on soccer’s positional play because, when you’re not in control of the ball, you’ll be guided into the correct area of the pitch with a set of arrows located at your player’s feet.

The world game

The solo skills you learn offline translate perfectly into the ‘Be A Pro: 10v10 Team Play’ and ‘FIFA 09 Clubs’ online game modes. As the name suggest the 10v10 team play allows you play alongside other human team-mates with a maximum of 10 players on each team. Technically it all works remarkably well, with minimal lag and a smooth matchmaking process, but with so many players involved the enjoyment is dictated by the kind of people you’re playing with. All too often centre backs play as centre forwards, ending up with the inevitable glut of goals scored by the opposition and the predictable backlash of insults aimed at those reasonable.

This is where the FIFA 09 Clubs system comes into its own. Clubs play matches that count towards a league system that ranks your clubs against others around the world. The great thing about the mode is that you only play alongside trusted players that have been designated a place in the club, putting an end to the irritating players out for personal glory you otherwise encounter.

Games can be played with as little as three players per team, and you have the option of either locking yourself as a single for the entire game or being able to switch between players as the ball moves around the pitch. If a team falls below the three players (due to a player leaving or being disconnected) then they will automatically forfeit giving the opposition the win; another reason to make sure you only populate your club with trusted players.

Somewhat frustratingly you cannot bring your offline ‘Be A Pro’ created player to the online arena, you can however change your club’s selected team as often as you like so you needn’t fear becoming bored of playing as a certain team.

Visually the game is beautiful, with sometimes eerily life like player models and equally impressive stadiums. Player animations are superb; we’re still seeing players kicking the ball in new ways after many, many hours spent playing. Unique animations have been applied to certain players; the way Beckham and Ronaldo take free kicks, for example.

No game is perfect however and FIFA 09 is no exception. Commentary, while well recorded and sounding realistic, is overly repetitive and you’ll often hear the same lines multiple times in a single match. The frequency at which fouls are committed but not punished is also somewhat alarming – this isn’t just us being bad sports, there really should be more free kicks awarded. There’s also the issue of the Be A Pro mode camera which, while at first seems like an attractive way of viewing the action, you quickly realise that it’s not the optimal angle for seeing the action and you’re actually missing out on a lot of information, especially in the online game types where player’s positions aren’t as easy to predict.

If you’re looking for a realistic and innovative soccer experience then this game is certainly for you; there is no equal in that respect. On the other hand if you’re more of an all out action, constant attacking kind of soccer game fan then you may want to look elsewhere. In our opinion, when all is said and done FIFA 09 is an essential addition to soccer fans gaming library with plenty to keep you occupied until the end of the season.

If you look at my 360 Achievements you’ll see there is not a single sports game on that list nor will there be one in the near future. Sports games on the major consoles are too complicated for me to spend much time with. NBA 09: The Inside, on the other hand, was worth my time. From the get go, I felt that it fell squarely under the category of pick up and play.

The Name Of The Game Is: Variety

In NBA 09: The Inside, you’re given six different modes from which to dabble in. This game features the standard Exhibition mode for a quick basketball fix. For this mode, all you have to do is choose the teams that will be playing and BAM, you’re playing basketball. The franchise mode, which we quickly fell in love with, is what amounts to a simulated season of basketball. The franchise mode gives a list of MANY games to play in and you can either play through each game or jump to a game. But since time travel hasn’t been invented yet, you have to wait while the game decides whether you won or lost all the games before the one that you chose to jump to. There’s a helpful practice mode for all of the newbies (like me) that teaches how to shoot the baskets and generally get used to the controls.

We’re also given an All-Star Weekend mode where the difficulty gets cranked up. You can either play in a basketball game or a challenge. We’re also given Playoff mode: this is simply a tournament mode. Finally, there’s a quick play mode for those that have no time to really play for an extended period of time.

Face Buttons Galore

NBA 09: The Inside doesn’t exactly have what we would call complicated controls. The nub stick on the PSP works well for moving the players around the court.  Depending on what side you’re playing (Offense or Defense) the face buttons change. While on offense, you’re given the ability to do various dodges and the circle button is what shoots. On the defensive side, the face buttons are used various attempts to steal the ball and the triangle button is your Jordan jump button, no matter how small your player is. (Continued after the jump)

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Been waiting to get your hands on PES 2009? Well, you’re in luck!  Konami have confirmed that a demo for the popular football (soccer) series will be available this Thursday (Oct 2nd) on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.

The demo will provide you with a five minute exhibition match and the option of playing as Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona or the Italian and French national sides – all of which are fully licensed. You’ll be able to play both single and multi-player modes.  Videos for ‘Become a Legend’ and the online ‘Legends’ mode, in which you control just one player on your team, are also included.

Look for PES 2009 to hit UK retail shelves October 17th on the 360, PS3, PSP, PS2 and PC, with the US release following on November 11th.

Also releasing for the XBox 360, PDC World Championship Darts will feature wireless multiplayer and ad-hoc game sharing on the PSP, and XBox Live multiplayer on the 360. That’s really the only way I can see playing darts on my video game system rather than at my local pub, so it might be worth a try.

The PSP images look fairly high-quality, and the video shows some dart-playing goodness, with a montage of real dart champions and their video counterparts. Might be fun to grab a beer, a buddy with a PSP, and give this thing a shot. Saves from having to drive walk take a cab home after a long night of beer and darts.

See below for the video and even farther below for the screenshots:

[flashvideo filename=/video/pdcdartsxbox360andpsptrailer.flv /]

Konami have reached a sponsorship deal with UK sports programming provider Setanta Sports.  Setanta logos will appear within the UK version of the game on pitchside advertising boards as well as on the official PES 2009 online league website, ‘PES Rankings’.

The year-long partnership will continue after the October 17th UK launch at PES competitions and events.

This latest licensing agreement comes off the back of the recent news that major clubs such as Manchester Utd, Liverpool and Barcelona will appear as fully licensed teams, as will the UEFA Champions League tournament.

From the press release:

“This is a fantastic coup for Konami to be working with such a respected sports broadcaster,” commented Jon Murphy, PES Team Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Setanta has rapidly established itself as a leading light in the way football is portrayed, and their expertise and subscriber base will be essential as we look to further expand recognition of the PES series.”

“Setanta is always looking for new ways to reach our core target audience of sports fans and we are very excited about our partnership with PES 2009 – a game with enormous heritage. We see this partnership as more than just a sponsorship tie-up and we are looking forward to working closely with Konami to build better ties between the game and our business,’” said Ben Carter, Online Marketing and Acquisition Manager for Setanta Sports.

PSP 002

Ubisoft today announced that Shaun White Snowboarding will be coming to both the DS and PSP on November 13th.

Both versions have been built from the ground up and will contain features unique to each platform.  Here is the official list from the press release along with a selection of screenshots taken from both versions:

Key features of Shaun White Snowboarding for Nintendo DS:

• Carve Your Path Through Huge Mountain Environments – Create your own runs to suit your personal riding style, and choose your path down four open mountains. Each path offers its own risks, rewards and opportunities. Big airs, dangerous carves, thrilling speed runs and huge challenges await!

• Intuitive Stylus Controls – Be in complete control of your rider using intuitive motion–based controls on the Touch Screen. Simply flick the stylus to jump, draw a circle to spin, or slide it across to control your carves. Experiment with a ton of different combinations and get into the game like never before!

• Wireless Multiplayer for Four – Get your friends together for a snowboarding session using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Up to four players can get in on the action at once – compete in races, point competitions, king of the hill and more.

• Customize Your Rider and Your Gear – You can choose a rider to suit your own personal style and complete challenges to unlock decals. These decals will not only be a way for you to customize your gear and show your accomplishments to the world, but will also help you customize your riding style by granting you new abilities. See a particularly cool sticker on a friend’s board? Trade stickers with your friends over a local wireless connection!

Key features of Shaun White Snowboarding for the PSP system:

• Huge Outdoor World – With five mountains and a variety of slopes, the player will have plenty of room to ride in this outdoor playground.

• Single and Multiplayer Modes – Embark on a solo campaign and explore the wildest mountains of the world, or select and replay specific slope challenges. Innovative multiplayer featuring co-op and competitive modes creates a richer and deeper overall experience.

• Intuitive Controls – Experience a totally intuitive controls scheme, where all tricks and actions are available right from the beginning.

• Unique Scoring System – Speed, trick, slide and carve your way to victory. Points are allotted based on these four actions rather than simply tricking – link these together to increase your skill rewards.

• Skill Development – Earn experience points and build up your rider’s attributes to serve your riding style. Use your board and rider to work in unison to conquer the mountain.