Author: John

Castlevania – Portrait of Ruin

Attentive Nelefans will remember that I was a bit peeved at this because I got stuck at the boss of the Egypty place who kept on charming me. Well, I played for about ten minutes last night and pwn0rized the boss into a million small wriggling pieces. By playing the girly instead of the boy.

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Dead Rising (360)

I’ve no idea what I’m doing. I have a sneaky suspicion that the only way to succeed with this game is to play it through once, running around panicking and squealing like a girl while failing all the missions until I get to the end of the 72 hour period, and then play through it

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Viva Pinata (360)

Call me jaded, but it’s been a very long time since my first reaction to a new game was one of shock. Yes, shock – Viva Pinata is a strikingly beautiful game. Sure, it’s derivative – Rare have taken the best bits from a dozen Nintendo titles and rolled em together to produce a gardening/breeding/animal

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Dead Rising (360)

OK, so you’re a photojournalist, right? And there’s been a town completely cordoned off by the military. With me so far? Right, so you decide that you’re going to fly into the town in a helicopter, get dropped off on the roof of a shopping center, and arrange to be picked up 72 hours later

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The Third Age (GC) and Puzzle Quest (DS)

I’ve really not been playing very much recently – I just don’t seem to have the time these days. I haev, though, had a brief session on The Third Age, which I never did complete. I seem to remember I got as far as a stupid frustrating bit with loads of cave trolls before giving

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Castlevania – Portrait of Ruin (DS)

This is a bit trickier than one expects from a modern Castlevania game! Anyway, I covered everywhere I could reach in the town painting and did a bit more castle exploring. I also did a couple of quests which have yielded a double jump ability (which is handy) and defeated another boss (or two –

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Castlevania – Portrait of Ruin (DS)

ZOMG! Well, firstly can I just say that Portrait of Ruin is easily one of the best looking games on the DS and equally easily the prettiest Castlevania EVAR. Nice parallax effects, a lot of 3D backgrounds and baddies and the usual whippeding action. The whole dual character thing is a bit confusing, but I’m

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Castlevania – Circle of the Moon (GBA) THWARTED!

Guhh! Death’s second form is quite breathtakingly hard. Fortunately you’re free to go and find a save point after his first form. Which is just as well, because I’ve spent well over three hours play time being killed by Dracula, going off and getting up a level, coming back, getting killed, levelling again, etc. By

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Puzzle Quest (DS)

Gah! I’m consoling myself with the thought that I’m not incredibly rubbish at this but that the AI does, in fact, cheat like a cheating thing. Not only that, but the hint marker that comes up almost always shows you a move that will leave you wide open to a massive damage-fest by the enemy

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Puzzle Quest (DS)

ZOMG! It’s the best game EVAR! Well, it’s really good anyway. Basically, it’s an RPG in the style of Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem. Except instead of the usual style of turn based combat you play – well – bejewelled. It shouldn’t work, but it really really does. Except, even early on, it’s as

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