PC - Download Red Alert for free - be quick!
by Andrew on 1/09/2008 8:40:17 PM
Electronic Arts might have a bit of a reputation for having slack post sales support of their games, though I think that all can be forgiven if they start releasing their old games as free downloads!
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Linux - Review: Kubuntu 8.10 'Intrepid Ibex' Alpha 4
by Andrew on 24/08/2008 9:15:57 PM
You're probably wondering why I'm reviewing Kubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4, when I've already reviewed Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4 – both of these distributions are looking at the same 'Intrepid Ibex' repositories and therefore have access to exactly the same kernels, proprietary drivers and games. The answer is simple; it's using KDE and not Gnome, and I don't believe Kubuntu gets the attention that they deserve.
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Linux - Review: Ubuntu 8.10 'Intrepid Ibex' Alpha 4
by Andrew on 15/08/2008 10:16:51 PM
I've previously looked at Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2 and Mandriva 2009 Beta 1 to see what we should expect once the final versions have been released. After finding that Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2 was just a bit too alpha for gaming, I've decided to have another look to see if things are starting to become a bit more stable.
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Linux - Review: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (ET:QW)
by Andrew on 13/08/2008 9:07:32 PM
When it comes to games you can buy 'off the shelf' at your local game store, the list of ones that can be installed natively (without wine) on Linux is very short. The list gets extremely short if you only want to include newer games. Thankfully, companies like id Software openly support Linux and provide not only installers for Linux, but have also open sourced some of their earlier engines. They continue this support with their latest game; Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (ET:QW).
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PC - Review: Grand Theft Auto
by Andrew on 13/08/2008 3:55:48 PM
It's amazing how far the Grand Theft Auto series has come and this is even more amazing when you look back at how it all started. Released on the Playstation and PC back in 1997 it featured a top down viewpoint of a pixelated character, which pretty much ran amuck earning points as he or she went (yes, you could choose to play as a female character). The more serious the crime, the more points and the more heat from the Police.
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Linux - Review: OpenArena 0.8.0
by Andrew on 10/08/2008 8:17:53 PM
I've previously reviewed version 0.7.7, which itself was a minor update of 0.7.6. Now that 0.8.0 has been released (on the auspicious date of 08/08/08) I think it deserves another look.
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Linux - Review: Powermanga 0.90
by Andrew on 10/08/2008 5:05:15 PM
To cut to the chase, Powermanga is a 2D scrolling shoot-em-up that has nothing to do with Japanese cartoon characters abusing steroids. Version 0.90 was released in September 2007, so it looks like development has either ground to a halt or is very very slow.
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News Item - HeadshotGamer.com Version 2!
by Andrew on 9/08/2008 11:02:21 PM
We're quickly approaching the site's 6 month birthday, so I've been tirelessly working on improving the look and feel.
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Linux - Review: Mandriva Linux 2009 Beta 1 (KDE4.1)
by Andrew on 31/07/2008 5:36:06 PM
Hot off the press, I downloaded the KD4 combo live/install CD for x86-32. I would have much preferred to check out the 64bit version, but alas, this wasn't
available in a Live CD format. This is the first of two planned betas before the two release candidates with the final public release date being the 9th of October 2008. This is some time away so rather than
wait to see if this will be any good as a gaming distro, I'm jumping in now to try it out.
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Wii - Wii MotionPlus - provides more acurate representation of movement
by Andrew on 16/07/2008 8:23:44 PM
Nintendo has announced the Wii MotionPlus, which clips on to the base of the Wii Remote. This little addition promises to add better motion sensing and allows
upcoming game titles to use 'true movement' rather than the rather clunky (but still brilliant and ground breaking) motion sensing that the standard remote and nunchuck provides.
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PS3 - PS3 price drop announced!
by Andrew on 16/07/2008 8:14:01 PM
Sony has announced that the 80GB PS3 will have a price drop in the US. The new price will be US$400, which is still a far way off a Xbox368, let alone a Nintendo Wii.
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Linux - Review: Ubuntu 8.10 'Intrepid Ibex' Alpha 2
by Andrew on 13/07/2008 4:55:45 PM
It seems like only last week that Ubuntu 8.04 (and family) was released and already news of the next version is filling Linux sites. Ubuntu 8.04 LTS was a
great release and will have desktop support for the next 3 years. This sounds like great news, though you're only covered for security updates, you won't be getting the latest version of Nexuiz, OpenArena
or your other favourite 'apt-gettable' game when you next apply the patches. Luckily for you these should be available in Ubuntu 8.10, though by the time this ships on the 31st of October they may soon be
outdated.
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Xbox360 - Review: Hitman: Blood Money
by Michael on 11/07/2008 1:13:14 PM
Having played all of the Hitman games to date I was eargerly anticipating Blood Money, for as with each previous game, the designers promise more freedom to
make the hit and better AI. Did they deliver it in the fourth game of the series, well kind of.
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Xbox360 - Review: Gears of War
by Michael on 8/07/2008 12:17:40 PM
So whilst everyone was waiting for Halo 3 to satisfy their need to frag, and to really establish the Xbox 360 as a must have, along came Gears of War and
suddenly there was an immediate reason to jump in bed with microsoft again. After a brief but impressive ad campaign, and great early reviews, Gears became one of those games you would actually buy the
console just to play.
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Linux - Review: OpenArena 0.7.7
by Andrew on 2/07/2008 11:59:37 AM
OpenArena is a remake of Quake 3 Arena, using the open sourced Quake 3 engine that Id software lovingly gave to the open source community (major, major props
go to Id). Though OpenArena is still in development, the game itself is very complete and extremely fun to play. Version 0.7.7 was released on the 29th of May 2008 and contained a host of bug fixes so I
thought I'd jump in a review the game – it's long overdue.
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Linux - PlaneShift 0.4.01 has been released
by Andrew on 30/06/2008 11:01:11 PM
After a long wait, the new version of PlaneShift is out. This new version uses version 1.4 of the Crystal Space 3D Engine and has a host of changes and bug
fixes.
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Xbox360 - Xbox 360 Premium dropping to US$299
by Andrew on 30/06/2008 8:57:13 PM
The Xbox 360 Premium is set to drop to US$299, which means a possible AUD$400 could also be on the cards.
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Linux - Review: linuX-gamers Live DVD 0.9.3
by Andrew on 29/06/2008 10:17:59 PM
Based on Arch Linux, the linuX-gamers Live DVD (bit of a mouthful) first came about as a way to show gaming on linux to the uninitiated. I get the feeling your
average PC gamer (read: Windows gamer) wouldn't accidentally stumble across this DVD unless it was either bundled with a computer magazine or a Linux gamer introduced it to them, though if they did it would
definitely dispel the myth that you can't play games on Linux.
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Xbox - Review: Dynasty Warriors 4
by Michael on 2/06/2008 4:22:52 PM
The Dynasty Warriors series of games is basically an example of when you are on to a good thing, stick to it. However they are now just going to far. What I
mean by this is that having played numbers 2, 3, and 4, the game has not really evolved a bit. Of course each one is slightly more polished than the last, and you get to play with items and weapons a little
bit before the battle, but then its the same battles and same gameplay. You don't even need to get up to scratch with new controls, it is the same each time. on xbox all you really need to do it press XXXY,
and you will smash through everyone.
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Xbox - Review: Fable
by Michael on 2/06/2008 4:20:34 PM
Fable was a highly anticipated adventure RPG due to its new evolutionary style of play, where your choices formed the storyline, your personality and your
appearance. Despite the fact that the major storyline was unchangeable, you were given enough choices to form your own character. Fable was the most cutting edge RPG of its generation.
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News Item - How much do you like GTA IV?
by Michael on 25/05/2008 2:24:25 PM
Because I think this guy likes it more. But credit where its due, that is an A++ for putting a useless item to use. Now can anyone find a use for the Halo 3
Legendary edition helmet?
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Xbox360 - Gears 2 Multiplayer is coming
by Michael on 25/05/2008 2:04:59 PM
Check this new info on the the Gears 2 multiplayer. The original Gears was a massive hit but they had the advantage of coming in under the radar, but this time
every gore lovin freak is expecting a show, so they need to turn it up. After readin this update it looks like they will not disappoint. Git sum!
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Linux - Nexuiz 2.4.2 has been released
by Andrew on 12/05/2008 6:17:58 PM
From the looks of it, Nexuiz has followed in the footsteps of UT2004 by making a node based game type where node ownership equals victory. Onslaught was
extremely popular on the UT2004 servers (and still is, though mostly the demo maps 'Primeval' and 'Torlan') and with this inclusion Nexuiz has something else to offer the FPS gamer.
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News Item - Id Software is hiring developers for Doom 4
by Andrew on 8/05/2008 10:06:19 PM
This news doesn't mean that we'll have Doom 4 ready for this Christmas but it does mean that we should see a Doom 4 being released sometime in the next
couple of years on the PC, PS3, Xbox360 and Linux (Id Software has always supported Linux gaming, even open sourcing the engines from Quake 1,2 and 3 - top marks Id!).
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Wii - Review: SuperMario Galaxy
by Michael on 5/05/2008 11:57:17 PM
The greatness of Mario continues on the Wii with a highly original new game that is super fun. The concept of each one of the levels being a self contained
micro world or galaxy is just another feather in the cap of Nintendo's designers. They continually recreate and evolve existing gaming platforms into intriguing and enjoyable new ones. This game showcases
what Nintendo does differently to the other gaming platforms. Whilst others compete for the prettiest looking power sucking graphics with 7.1 sound and as close to real life feel, Nintendo just does old
fashioned child like fun.
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Wii - Review: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
by Michael on 5/05/2008 8:11:13 PM
The long running and wildly successful Zelda series arrives on the Wii with Twilight princess, allowing you to think of your remote as Link's sword and swing
it wildly around, which despite what you might think never becomes old. The absence of this I feel would be the biggest drawback of playing this game on the Gamecube, as although the game looks almost
identical, apart from the fact the whole thing is a mirror image, the physical nature of the Wii control makes for some good immersion into being Link.
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N64 - Review: GoldenEye 007
by Michael on 5/05/2008 4:32:10 PM
Is it possible to say enough about this game, I think not. Goldeneye is the most influential fps since Doom. This game allowed you to become one of the
coolest, most badass characters ever. James Bond. Every boy and mans dream is to be Bond, high flying action, stealthy spy stuff with good ol' fashioned stand and deliver madness. This game has it all.
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NES - Review: Super Mario Bros.
by Andrew on 4/05/2008 4:36:58 PM
Released on the NES on the 13th of September 1985, Super Mario Bros. is the best selling game of all time selling over 40 million copies. This in itself should
earn it a perfect score. Super Mario Bros. was also the first game of it's type (side-scrolling platformer), credited to ending the video game crash of 1983 and was a brilliant game, from start to finish.
It's hard to think that this is the sequel to Mario Bros. that was released two years earlier – the two games look a decade apart in terms of graphics and gameplay.
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NES - Review: Mario Bros.
by Andrew on 4/05/2008 1:44:26 PM
Originally released as an arcade game in 1983 by Nintendo it was also ported to the NES that same year. This wasn't the first game to feature Mario as back in
1981 he was fighting Donkey Kong, though it is the first game to have his brother Luigi.
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News Item - Blizzard secures 'Diablo 3' domain name
by Andrew on 3/05/2008 11:55:48 AM
This doesn't mean that Diablo 3 has been confirmed, though it's a good indication that Blizzard is at the very least considering it.
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N64 - Review: Paper Mario (Mario Story)
by Andrew on 2/05/2008 10:17:30 PM
Released in Japan on the 11th of August 2000 Paper Mario was a success for Nintendo even though it was released at the end of the N64's shelf life and having
to compete against much newer Playstation 2 games. Paper Mario was a spiritual sequel to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which is also regarded as a fantastic game and if my memory serves me
correctly, a game that never made it to Australia. Fingers crossed that a Wii Virtual Console edition comes out sometime soon.
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SNES - Review: Super Mario Kart
by Andrew on 1/05/2008 10:39:22 PM
Released in 1992, Super Mario Kart was the third best selling game on the SNES (over 8 million sales) for a very good reason – it was brilliant. It's been
noted in numerous 'top 100 games of all time' listings and is easily in the top 5 SNES games of all time. No SNES collection would be complete without this game.
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NES - Review: California Games
by Andrew on 1/05/2008 9:36:35 PM
I don't think there's another game that captured the 80's feel as much as California Games did. If you weren't a kid in the 80's you probably won't find
aspects of the game amusing, like choosing your team amongst names like 'Santa Cruz Skateboards', 'Ocean Pacific' and 'Maxx-out'. Like, totally radical man.
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NES - Review: Bubble Bobble
by Andrew on 1/05/2008 8:49:21 PM
The NES version was released back in 1987 meaning this game was still fresh in the arcades allowing people to save their pennies and to try to unlock all of
the secrets in the comfort of their own filth. Graphically the game isn't bad, not as good as the arcade, but not that far off. The game 'feels' slower though and I notice that you blow bubbles slower,
which makes some of your arcade tactics unusable on the NES. This isn't a major problem though and you learn to adapt pretty quickly.
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N64 - Review: Mario Kart 64
by Michael on 1/05/2008 4:17:21 PM
So continuing from the greatness of the SNES version of this classic game the next in the series was released on the 64 to great acclaim. This game was almost
endless fun, as you could sit there happily by yourself knocking 0.01 of your best time on Mario Raceway or searching for shortcuts and waste a whole day, but even better than that was when 3 friends came
round and you got into some heated competition with much gloating and gnashing of teeth for all.
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NES - Review: Bomberman II
by Andrew on 30/04/2008 10:05:32 PM
Bomberman II was released in 1991 as a sequel to Bomberman. Same console, same idea, and a much better game. The screen no longer scrolls to the left and
right, the graphics are better, multiple play modes and there's even a storyline; Framed for robbing a bank (by a fellow bomberman no less!) you are sent to prison, though obviously not frisked for bombs,
where you proceed to blow your way out.
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SNES - Review: Wolfenstein 3D
by Andrew on 30/04/2008 9:20:21 PM
Wolfenstein 3D was better known for the PC version of the game. It had people upgrading their PC's to 286SX beasts and gave birth to the First Person Shooter
genre that we know and love.
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