Up to this point gaming was really a niche market that mostly incorporated what the human demographic out there would regard as “losers.” You were not cool, you did not have many friends and, plainly put, you were seen as an Über-Nerd. Sony changed all that when they released the broadly accepted Sony PlayStation (PS1) to the world in all its 3D glory! Suddenly you could find the consoles at raves or in restaurants; it was something that was part of the modern society and something that made gaming cool. Having a PlayStation was now like having a TV. Times had suddenly changed… and for the better! SEGA had launched the SEGA Saturn four months ahead of Sony, but Sony had already planned to release the console at $100 cheaper with more developer support.

Continue reading El33tonline’s eighth editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the Sony PlayStation 1. Stay tuned as we put the N64 in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600, NES, Sega Master System, SEGA Mega Drive, SNES , Panasonic 3DO and Sega Saturn on our editorials page.

Our gaming hobby might be movie like in this day and age, but it is because of consoles pushing the limits by outclassing each other with each new generation that this industry evolves so quickly. Some of you have been with us since the Atari 2600 days in the 70’s and some might have only joined recently without any knowledge of where it all started. Come back every week, as we will be looking at each console and what exactly it did that made us buy into it and how it helped the industry to become the monster we know and enjoy today.

Continue reading El33tonline’s seventh editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the SEGA Saturn. Stay tuned as we put the PlayStation 1 in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600, NES, Sega Master System, SEGA Mega Drive, SNES and Panasonic 3DO.

Our gaming hobby might be movie like in this day and age, but it is because of consoles pushing the limits by outclassing each other with each new generation that this industry evolves so quickly. Some of you have been with us since the Atari 2600 days in the 70’s and some might have only joined recently without any knowledge of where it all started. Come back every week, as we will be looking at each console and what exactly it did that made us buy into it and how it helped the industry to become the monster we know and enjoy today.

Continue reading El33tonline’s sixth editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the Panasonic 3DO. Stay tuned as we put the Sega Saturn in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600, NES, Sega Master System, SEGA Mega Drive and SNES.

Any serious boarder will tell you that snowboarding is more about lifestyle than it is about sport. Any gamer will tell you that good snowboarding games are more about fun than about lifestyle…and this is where Shaun White Snowboarding (SWS) misses the slopes.

I would say that SWS has been dealt a terrible hand in that it was guided in a direction by us, the gamers, with another franchise that was given glory by creating new methods within the extreme sports arena: SKATE. Bear with me for a minute. SKATE was released when the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise turned all Jackass on us all and lost its appeal. Along came EA and brought with it a more serious aspect to the sport with your analogue sticks mimicking the movement that your feet would recreate on a real skateboard – upping the realism and throwing out the arcade roots while they were at it. The game is now rated the best skateboarding game out there and Tony Hawk’s franchise has pretty much been dethroned.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Shaun White Snowboarding.

Our gaming hobby might be movie like in this day and age, but it is because of consoles pushing the limits by outclassing each other with each new generation that this industry evolves so quickly. Some of you have been with us since the Atari 2600 days in the 70’s and some might have only joined recently without any knowledge of where it all started. Come back every week, as we will be looking at each console and what exactly it did that made us buy into it and how it helped the industry to become the monster we know and enjoy today.

Continue reading El33tonline’s fifth editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Stay tuned as we put the 3DO in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600, NES, Sega Master System and SEGA Mega Drive.

It goes without saying that Midway has been attempting all kinds of things to fit their 2D brawler into the 3D arena since the launch of the original PlayStation and one has to applaud them for at least trying. From puzzles in Deception or sheer quantity in Armageddon they always try something to breathe life into a very old series now. This time they have put up the Bat-signal and called in the Dark Knight for help with the rest of the DC team at your disposal including Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and The Joker.

The title says it all as Midway has struck a deal with DC Comics to pit the likes of Scorpion, Sub Zero or Liu Kang against your favourite DC Comic Hero. Now, you might be thinking to yourself that you have experienced this initiative before… if so you are very much correct. Do you remember Marvel vs Capcom? (The sequel on the SEGA Dreamcast standing out as the best in that franchise) No? Why the hell are you reading this? You totally lost out! One of the reasons for the success of that game was that Capcom managed to blend the comic heroes’ abilities into the fighting system while making them balanced and distinct. Midway had a go at this formula and it seems to hit and miss in many instances.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.

Our gaming hobby might be movie like in this day and age, but it is because of consoles pushing the limits by outclassing each other with each new generation that this industry evolves so quickly. Some of you have been with us since the Atari 2600 days in the 70’s and some might have only joined recently without any knowledge of where it all started. Come back every week, as we will be looking at each console and what exactly it did that made us buy into it and how it helped the industry to become the monster we know and enjoy today.

Continue reading El33tonline’s fourth editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the SEGA Mega Drive. Stay tuned as we put the SNES in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600, NES and Sega Master System.

Play the first hour of this game and you might just think it is Saints Row (the original game) all over again. Play another four hours and it becomes apparent that this has been fine tuned to very nearly reaching perfection. So, have they gone the GTA4 way? Nope, they don’t seem really worried about what Rockstar is up to as they are pimping a different brand of chaos.

Satchel charges attach to cars form rolling bombs; explosions send enemies, cars and nearby fences raining from the sky; and an AI with a sense of humour sends pedestrians vaulting over seven foot fences in vain attempts to flee your wave of destruction.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Saints Row 2.

Our gaming hobby might be movie like in this day and age, but it is because of consoles pushing the limits by outclassing each other with each new generation that this industry evolves so quickly. Some of you have been with us since the Atari 2600 days in the 70’s and some might have only joined recently without any knowledge of where it all started. Come back every week, as we will be looking at each console and what exactly it did that made us buy into it and how it helped the industry to become the monster we know and enjoy today.

Continue reading El33tonline’s third editorial on the rise and fall of console gaming as we take a closer look at the SEGA Master System. Stay tuned as we put the SEGA Mega Drive in the spotlight next week or check out our thoughts on the Atari 2600 or NES.

I know the question on your lips: Is TNA Impact any better than any of the annually released Smackdowns and the short answer is “no.” That does not mean that this game is no good.

Using the N64’s classic WWF No Mercy as a starting block and then taking influences from popular Japanese wrestling games, locking wrestlers into the six-sided ring and its surrounding arena, this brawler is speedier than other wrestling games and even pops in some mini games. Break out a submission move and the two players must battle with Quick Time Events (think Smackdown meets Shenmue). Other than that it is the straight forward scenario of punch, kick and grapple your way to victory, with the odd table and chair being smacked over an opponents head. Nothing new really.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of TNA Impact! for the PS3.

Take a collection of hoverships. Add a rollercoaster circuit, the occasional weapon and drop in a thumping soundtrack. This has been the Wipeout recipe since 1995. Wipeout HD is no different. In fact, it’s better than Wipeout 2097 – you heard right.

Continue reading El33tonline’s PS3 review of WipEout HD.

“Playing the apprentice of the baddest bad guy of them all is possibly what sets this Star Wars game aside over and above any other Star Wars game franchise before this. What does stand up even more though is the way Lucasarts has made this a living breathing game that emphasizes just how strong this apprentice is with the force at his side… while Darth Vader watches on.”

Continue reading El33tonline’s Xbox 360 review of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

You might have read about how great the PS2 version of this game was on another review on this very site, but I’m afraid the DS version got given the “Let’s squeeze some more money out of the consumer” treatment. With all the hype around the LEGO franchise I was expecting a lot more from this dismal title.

Think of LEGO Indiana Jones as a modern, not so well crafted, pseudo 2D Pandemonium game with no charm and puzzles thrown in that your three year old brother or sister could solve if they were blind folded while holding the DS upside-down. Did I mention that the platforming bits are useless?

Following all the other versions, this game takes you through all of the Indiana Jones movie franchises including “The Lost Ark,” “Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade.” The latest movie “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” has been excluded from the list; lets all hold thumbs that this game never sees the light of day on the DS. From the word “go” the menu system is just far too confusing.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for the DS.

Another game in my backlog and one that I am sad to say I should have played ages ago. In my view it should not take longer than an hour to start enjoying a game. Games such as Grand Theft Auto, Mario Kart and Tetris are all good examples of games that have you mastering the controls within minutes of picking it up, and they’re brilliant titles.

Loco Roco breaks the record though as I rolled the squishy yellow Loco Roco off his first platform, ate some fruit (which made him grow slightly in size) and listened to him sing along to the most bizarre, but brilliant, music…and fell in love straight away.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Loco Roco.

Kratos shouts, “I won’t take your riches of your woman – but I will take your life!” He then smashes the Persian ruler’s face using one of his own treasure chests. Now that is how you make an entrance.

This installation of the franchise is based as a prequel before God of War 1 (seems Ready at Dawn likes explaining reasons for situations in games as they did with Daxter, explaining Jak 2 a bit better). It is also in this game that you understand why Kratos is beside himself right in the beginning of God of War 1 – he, for the first time, shows his more humane side. Telling you what it is would totally spoil the game for you, so I’ll leave it at that. So, let’s get back to the very reason you would want to play this game – bone-crushing violence. For those new to God of War (duh! Where have you been?) the opening level is pure adrenaline, pure spectacle, pure Kratos. The action takes place at a 200KM/H pace and you have no choice but to keep up.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of God of War: Chains of Olympus.