The 10th Art*

*Since the Athenian Greeks and Confucian Chinese tradition has held that there are six distinct arts: music, poetry, architecture, painting, dance and sculpture. Frederic Diberder, author of “L’Univers Des Jeux Video” added TV, cinema and graphic novels (comics) to that list and subsequently declared video games the 10th art.

Steven Poole - “Trigger Happy: The Inner Life of Videogames”, Fourth Estate, 2000
 

The URL of this website may soon be changing
- please change your bookmark to www.thetenthart.com and you’ll be able to find it again, server change or otherwise..

Currently I am a reporter for MCV Magazine,
found at www.mcvuk.com

Send me a message, if you like, at benparfitt@yahoo.co.uk
Hope you enjoy the site!

December 2nd 2005

Yes, yes – I’m well aware that I have not updated the site in a looooong time. But, as always, things are incredibly hectic. Haven’t really got time to write now, but will be moving house again next week, and thusly may be offline for a bit.

There’s so much to chat about too, most important of which is the fact that I’m going to be a dad! In July we think. AAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH! Fortunately, the initial horror has passed and has now been replaced with a warm happiness.

Gaming wise – my goodness, there’s so much I’d love to talk about. Pro Evo 5, the best ever title in the series, Nintendo wi-fi, Sing Star, Liberty City Stories, Shadow of the Colossus (oh, how I love it so), Xbox 360! Yes, the 360, two of which, coincidentally, I have sat right beside me! Not that MS saw fit to dish them out at the press launch last night, mind…

Regardless, however, now is not the time. Perhaps I’ll update in my 1 ½ week Xmas break, internet connection permitting, of course…
 

October 16th 2005

There’s been one major theme in my gaming this month – PC’s. I rarely pay too much attention to the PC gaming scene, but being a fan of Day of Defeat I was keen to try out the new Source version released over Steam. Unfortunately, my PC simply wasn’t juicy enough to get the thing running satisfactorily.

So, despite previous experiences (which involved a PCI graphics card upgrade destroying my PC) I decided to invest in a low-grade AGP card to give myself a minor performance boost. Fortunately, I managed to install the Geforce FX 5200 128mb card without too much fuss, with only one occasion where I thought I’d totally destroyed the PC. However, it didn’t quite give the boost I’d hoped for, so I then upped the memory from 512mb to 1GB (a smooth procedure, by all accounts). Now DoD Source runs well, and the whole affair has whetted my appetite for PC gaming.

So, been and got myself a couple of other titles. X2 – The Threat was always something that appealed to me when I read about it, and whilst I can recognise the quality of the game it’s been so long since I’ve played anything other than Day of Defeat on PC that I have found the whole thing a little overwhelming. It’s just so unconsole-like that it feels like learning a whole other language again. Whether or not I will find the time to give the game the attention it deserves remains to be seen.

I blagged freebies of Black and White 2 and Battlefield 2 from work, neither of which I’ve tried yet, though I doubt the latter will run anyhow. Was delighted to stumble across a copy of Darwinia in Gamestation yesterday, a title I’ve been intending to pick up for an age. Am looking forward to getting into that, though I hope it’s not as baffling as X2. Also picked up a Russian title called Space Rangers after reading a glowing review on Eurogamer. Was on it for an hour or so earlier, and it was a far less baffling experience and seemed extremely promising.

Still, I’ve always felt a bit dirty neglecting PC gaming whilst indulging the ‘dumbed down’ titles on console, but I guess it’s been so long that I’ve effectively been dumbed down myself. Very sad…

In further depressing matters, I seriously injured my annoying fragile PSP earlier. Dropped it on the tiles whilst having a shit – knocked the UMD cage in the back casing out of alignment. Managed to bend it back to something like its original shape, but it doesn’t open or close without a fight and discs make a very unhealthy noise when playing. Still works, fortunately, as I cannot afford another at the mo, but it’s fecking aggravating. Am going to try and blag a repair or replacement from Sony next week, but not sure of my chances.

In more positive PSP news, I managed to set up a Wi-Fi connection through my PC (though only after several stresses and fuck ups – I really hate PC’s and the agony they promote) and have been enjoying the web browser support on the device. It’s excellent to be able to browse the net from the comfort of the bedroom, or indeed the shitter, as I was when I dropped the fecking thing. Can’t wait for Mario Kart on the DS, which promises some excellent online multiplayer frivolity.

Have been sampling too many games in the last month to mention in depth here. An all-too-brief rundown: Burnout Legends impressed greatly on PSP. Winning Eleven 9, however, is more mixed. It plays a solid game and that’s pleasing to see, but it highlights the weaknesses of the PSP’s input. The d-pad is shite and the buttons give far too little feedback. No Master League, either. NO MASTER LEAGUE! Imagine the joy of playing MS on your PS2, transferring it to PSP and carrying on in your lunch break. Not to be, it seems… DAMN YOU KONAMI!

Battalion Wars (GC) – what a disaster. Some folks have been bigging it up, but without good reason it seems. Bad Kuju! The phenomenon that is Nintendogs (DS)– don’t get it myself. Lovely piece of software with some exceptional ideas, but the appeal lasted exactly 15 minutes before I really couldn’t be arsed any more. Far Cry Instincts (XB) seems promising but I’ve not been able to devote too much time as of yet. Same too for Fahrenheit – frustrating in the extreme, but compelling in equal measures. Ultimate Spiderman (PS2) – overhauling the graphics of Spiderman 2 a new game does not make – thank god it was a freebie.

The biggest plus, however, is most certainly my US copy of We Love Katamari (PS2) which is a joyous and wonderful as you would expect. Also picked up a US copy of the original so I can finally get a grip on the story and the splendiferous King of All the Cosmos. A marvellous piece of software, made all the more amazing when you consider the creator was opposed to its creation entirely! Can’t say I’m too angry at Namco for forcing the issue, though…

Can’t wait for the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 5 next Friday. Bring. It. On.
 

September 11th 2005

The longest time ever between site updates – slack. It is, it seems, inevitable however, as without regular writing that I can post on the site the need to update it is not present. I do update my game collection page, though not as frequently as I should – hence the 30 minute slog just taken to sort through the pile of games gathered on top of the CD rack as there is no longer room on the shelves (did I update this one already? I’m sure this isn’t in there?). The list is now, I believe, updated and correct.

Ideally I should post links to the web articles I write for the MCV website, but there’s a lot and I’d be at it all the time. There’s also no way I could even consider being arsed to scan all the pages from the mag for the site. I keep a copy of each mag, so copies can be provided on request. MCV itself is going very well, though it’s been a massively busy period recently with the UK trade show (GME – more about shortly) taking place – tighter deadlines, bigger issues, more stuff to do in less time than we usually have.

Got through it though, and was both enjoyable and a great experience. It’s the kind of journalistic experience I could only dream about 6 months ago and I still find myself experiencing momentary bouts of smugness/satisfaction/accomplished smirking when I realise that I’ve achieved what I initially set out to do.

I still have much to learn, of course, but I’ve learnt a lot and think that both my news and features writing has improved, along with my journalism skills. Done quite a few interviews now with assorted figures from across the industry. Also attended a few gaming do’s – it’s cool to go to them, meet people and enjoy the inevitable extravagances put on by these companies in an effort to please journalists, but at the same time this industry’s unquenchable addiction to socialising and drinking does seem a tad excessive. I indulge as often as I must but no more.

GME itself was also a great experience as I was very deeply involved. Not only were Intent Media exhibitors, but the MCV press badge provided a licence to probe and investigate to a far greater extent than I’ve ever enjoyed before. For all intent and purposes it was a good event too, though still a far cry from the event that the UK industry feels it needs and deserves. Considering the time they had to get it together, though, it was a great achievement and will be viewed as so in the future as long as it is built upon sufficiently next year.

My personal highlight, however, stemmed not from GME but from the GDCE at Earls Court. I didn’t attend the conference but had been speaking to one of the organisers quite a bit beforehand as if I had been offered the chance to interview Keita Takahashi, the man who developed Katamari Damashii (PS2)! For those who don’t know, Katamari is one of my all time favourite games, so I was understandably gutted when I didn’t get the chance to go.

However, the Monday after the event I received a large brown envelope – inside was an A4 sheet of paper, on which were the doodles of Takahashi-San and a note, in Japanese, which I’m assured says, “Hello Ben, ‘specially for you!” I cannot describe how delighted I was to receive this – I have thanked her enthusiastically already, but if you’re reading – I LOVE YOU ALISON!

Also had the PSP launch recently – 185,000 units sold in the first weekend. That’s the largest UK hardware release ever, significantly more than the previous best set by the DS – it sold 87,000 in the same period. PSP software also occupied much of the top 20. Hats off to Sony for pulling off a tricky launch with greater efficiency than people were maybe expecting. That’s how you get to the top. Will be interesting to see what Microsoft can do with the 360 in November. I personally cannot wait.

As for gaming – there’s been a fair bit actually, spread over far too many titles for me to remember fully. Destroy All Humans (PS2) was ok. Good setting, great style – in my mind though the gameplay was a little dull, and the framerate disappointing. Was delighted to discover the surreal pleasures of Treasure’s (see what I did there?) Freak Out (PS2) – wonderfully quirky little title. World Championship Snooker (PSP) is perhaps the most solid PS2 conversion I’ve seen on PSP so far, and to my mind more enjoyable than the critically celebrated Virtua Tennis World Tour (PSP), which despite persistence is still not really clicking with me.

I’ve given both Meteos (DS) and Polarium (DS) another chance on DS and both have impressed. I think with many puzzle games you have to overcome the initial tedium until something in the darkest corner of your mind finally clicks and you ‘get it’. It’s got nothing to do with understanding the rules, more to do with connecting with the soul of the puzzle, if you get what I mean, I’m hoping that I’ll eventually get the same feeling if I persist in Lumines (PSP) as up to now, it refuses to happen. Zoo Keeper (DS) is still the daddy, however, Even Quest Mode has managed to sink its teeth into me – for ages I resisted in its obnoxious design but the girlfriend’s enthusiasm eventually drew me in.

Went through a brief spell of Rumble Roses (PS2), which is a solid, graphically excellent though sadly shallow fighter. Also caused an argument between the misses and myself! Breakdown (Xbox) is a really interesting game that I really wish I had the persistence to persevere with. Brian Lara (Xbox), on the other hand, is a game that really has grabbed hold of me. It’s a tad shallow, and I must admit to be curious to try RA’s apparently more involved Cricket 2005, but it’s still hugely playable. Maybe it’s the Ashes fever, but on more than one occasion I’ve picked it up for a quick go only to put it down anything up to six hours later – quite unusual for me nowadays.

I’ve got a pile of games right next to the tele that I really want to revisit – Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2), Beyond Good and Evil (PS2), Mercenaries (Xbox), Doom 3 (Xbox), Jak 3 (PS2) – but the Q4 schedule is kicking in and there are several titles of interest out in the coming weeks – Fahrenheit (Xbox) for one is a title I’m keen to get to grips with.

July 13th 2005

Just returned from T in the Park (music festival, Scotland). Not the place you’d go for a tan but both came back scorched. So scorched in fact that Holly has been ill (swellings, stomach aches, shedding of skin) and I’ve had to be off work looking after her. Excellent time at T though – my personal highlight would probably be Super Furry Animals, though Mylo, Dave Clarke and Death in Vegas also deserve a mention. I was pleased how well I dealt with the skank and unending drinking. Also had my birthday recently – was shocked to realise I’m now 26 as I was convinced I was turning 25.

MCV is going very well. As I’ve settled done to the new routine and the new house I’ve just enjoyed it all the more. It’s hard work, and I get home later than I would like, but it’s so very gratifying to finally be where I want to do and so what I want to be doing. The job is challenging, rewarding and interesting – not much more I could ask for really. Did have a bit of a email barney with an un-named pair from an unnamed technology company (it’s one of the biggest in the world – that’s all I will say) which got me in a spot of bother, but it’s all good experience. Uncovered a couple of good news stories, written a couple of features – all enjoyable stuff. Went out for drinks with Sega last week – if you had told me a year ago I would have been doing that in twelve months time I would have mocked, and possibly beaten, you.

Quite a few freebies flowing from work so have tried a few things that I would perhaps have not otherwise. Destroy All Humans (PS2) impressed, despite obvious limitations that detracted from the overall experience. Formula One ’05 (PS2) is solid, if a little dull. Commandos 2 (Xbox) would be excellent were it not for the hideously convoluted controls which instead wreck it. Meteos (DS) disappointed greatly – still not played a modern puzzler to match Zoo Keeper (DS). Also a let down was Conker Live and Reloaded (Xbox) which was a total let down online. The reworking of Bad Fur Day is beautiful and retains the humour, but the platforming feels extremely dated nowadays.

Area 51 (Xbox) was a real surprise – an excellent game, not trying to break new ground but offering solid, enjoyable gameplay. I really hate loose FPS’s – Area 51 surprisingly has that air of quality that titles like Halo and Killzone revel in. Another FPS to really entertain me is Cold Winter (PS2), another remarkably solid title with nice physics, incredible graphics for the PS2 and slick gameplay.

Have been trying to revisit some title that have yet to receive the attention they deserve. Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (Xbox) is solid but pisses me off – the laws aren’t consistent enough for me. Ghost Recon 2 (Xbox) is feeble in single player but offers an excellent online mode that really got me back into Live. Also tried to get back into San Andreas – swam to the other parts of the map I had not yet seen. Still wasn’t impressed though. Rockstar have tried to do too much with the PS2’s limited architecture and the game suffers as a result. Been enjoying some good old Day of Defeat (PC) and Project Gotham 2 (Xbox) and have also been dabbling here and there in the master league. It’s all still about Zoo Keeper though…

A quick mention of the London bombings. All I knew were safe, despite a couple of them being caught up in the disruption. Caused a bit of travel chaos, especially getting to Glasgow for T, but hasn’t affected me directly other than shutting down my nearest tube line. Shocking to see events such as these so close to home though – I know many of the areas targeted. I was surprised how affected I was by the news and admit to a fair bit if US-style anger for the first day or so. Still, am pleased that my pre-Iraq convictions still remain now. Answering violence with violence is the worst option. London must avoid succumbing to racial hatred against anyone in light of the attacks – that would be the biggest catastrophe.
 

June 5th 2005

A few updates to the site – the CV page has been updated, though my CV has not. I have also registered the domain www.thetenthart.com, so no need to remember the convoluted Blueyonder address. Since little of my work is currently being posted on the web I’ve added a link to MCV onto the Latest Additions panel.
 

June 1st 2005

As you would have noticed, this is the first update to the site for a while, but I assure you it is not for lack of interest. Starting the new job, moving to North London, buying a car… all time consuming things in isolation and also very stressful when in unison. Also apologies if you visited in the last couple of weeks and the site was down – blame Telewest for that, but it seems now that all is resolved.

Anyhow, the worst of it is now behind us and we’re looking forward. Things are good. MCV is going very well, the new place is great (despite a myriad of small things that need addressing) and even the car is doing the job just fine. So, settling down into things is now the order of the day and very enjoyable it is becoming too.

Gaming wise… well, there has obviously not been much time. Still though, both the misses and I have developed a very unhealthy addiction to Zoo Keeper (DS). Surely this is the best puzzle game since Tetris? I haven’t played anything as addictive in years… Pro Evo aside. It’s the first game that Holly has remained interested in for more than an evening since we’ve been together. Speaking of which, after a couple of days off, Pro Evo has once again caught me in its filthy, addictive grasp.

Other games I’ve sampled briefly in the last few weeks are Alien Hominid (Xbox), a great 2D side scroller along the lines of Metal Slug, though much harder. Yes, you read that correctly. I find Metal Slug tough but Alien Hominid is really far more intense. Forza Motorsport (Xbox) seems decent enough but a day or two aside has failed to grab me for any period of time, but then for that matter, I’ve hardly spent any time on Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) yet, so I don’t think it’s through the fault of the game.

Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith (Xbox) is just about as poor as you would expect, but I couldn’t resist the purchase after seeing the truly excellent film three times in 24 hours (I’m a mug, yes, I know; it’s because of fools like me that they carry making shite licensed games like that – shut it!). Critics – you are mugs and simply don’t get it. Episode 3 is f*****g quality, a truly fitting end to the greatest cinematic series ever conceived. The power of some of the scenes between Anakin and Palpatine, as well as the closing scenes with Obi Wan, are truly magnificent.

I’ve had little chance to play anything other than that really. Let’s not too forget the pain of Southampton going down which wrote me off for a few days. A very sad happening indeed…
 

April 24th 2005

So, one week left at Creative before the big adventure begins. I’m both excited and nervous, but can’t wait to start my career proper.

Gaming wise Pro Evo 4 (XB) is still consuming most of my time, though as Southampton’s potential relegation from the Premier League grows likelier so too does my reluctance to put the game on. After Portsmouth scored their second goal today I couldn’t even bare to listen. When I saw what would turn out to be the final score a little later my heart sank. NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Tried Lego Star Wars (XB) for the first time today and had a great time. It’s another one of those Star Wars games that you simply won’t appreciate if you’re not a fan, but if you are then it’s really quite wonderful. Very simplistic, yes, but also incredibly stylish, even if the presentation is often basic.

Other than that had a quick dabble of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (XB) which seems much like those that have come before it, other than a slightly more forgiving design that to someone like me (that being someone who finds stealth games a little infuriating and doesn’t have the time or patience needed to play them properly) is very appealing.

Mercury (PSP) has proved enjoyable even if the PSP’s unwillingness to retain it’s battery charge has not. And Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)? Well, it may or may not be a fine game and it’s extreme difficulty could well please the die-hards out there, but alas I will never know. After my first hour’s play I’d still only seen 10 minutes worth of the game as repeated deaths had forced me to replay it over and over. I’m always a busy lad, too busy for that. Maybe when I retire…
 

April 14th 2005

I’ve had some news on the boil now that I’ve been desperate to mention for quite some time but have not really been able to. After all, this site is at least in part a CV. It’s primary purpose is to advertise myself and my writings to potential employers.

I’ve been into gaming all my life. In mid ‘2003 I had been out of university for two years and still had no direction. At the time I was in care work but what I wanted to do was still unknown to me. It was my then girlfriend that first suggested to me that I combine the love of my life, gaming, with my professional life. I began by starting a small business on Ebay named 999bit Gaming which over six months of hard work netted me around £200. Gratifying but hardly enough to earn a living. I’d always been interested in writing and in October 2003 I wrote my first words on gaming in a BBC weblog. It was also then that 10^th Art was born. Initially I had thought it would act as an online branch of the business but over time it evolved to become what it is now, a collection of my gaming writings and an incarnation of my desire to work and live within the industry.

In February 2004 I got a job at New Age Consoles, now Creative Distribution, a distributor of video games. It was also in February that I began receiving offers from websites to write for them. On March 21^st 2004 my first online piece was published by Gamestyle.net, a review of Everything or Nothing (XB). In April I was approached by the website I’ve been writing for the longest, Ferrago.com who eventually I devoted all of my writing time to. A brief spell presenting Gameguru on The Game Network in August, my first press pass at Game Stars Live in September and later that month the first payment for writing all followed.

Last Monday however it all came to a head in the most spectacular fashion. After returning from Sao Paulo I sent off an application to MCV, a games industry trade only mag we receive at work (http://www.mcvuk.com/). It has a circulation of 11,250 and is read by folk such as games retailers, distributors, developers, publishers and basically any professional bodies included in the industry. MCV contacted me within an hour of receiving my application and after two interviews I finally heard on Monday11th April, nearly a month after application – MCV have offered me a job. I am to be a reporter. I am a games journalist, or at least I will be from May 9^th.

In a year and a half I’ve turned an idea into a reality. I’ve gone from nothing other than a passion for gaming, belief in myself and sheer determination to having the career I want and the job of my dreams. How do I feel? How do you think? Never give up, that’s what I’ve learnt, and go for what you really want.

So what of 10^th Art? Who’s to say at the moment. As much as it saddened me I have told Ferrago that my work for them is done. I have got where I wanted to be and they were an absolutely invaluable part of the journey here. I am eternally grateful to you all. Nonetheless, I shall not be writing for them regularly, other than the possible occasional review when I feel the urge and the submission is needed. No doubt I will continue to update this homepage with details of things to come, though I have a busy year. I start the new job shortly then Holly and I will be finding a place together and after that comes the marriage. And after that, who’s to say. But I tell you what – I can’t fucking wait.
 

March 31st 2005

Resident Evil 4 review is now up. It’s very long, but I managed to spend more time with it than with recent review code. Cracking game too.

My own gaming is still being gobbled up by the Master League, though want to at least dabble with Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) and God of War (US PS2) amongst many others.
 

March 26th 2005

It’s been quite exciting this week as the first wave of US PSP titles has hit importers in the UK. I myself have picked up a few bits that excited me, and a couple I must admit that I didn’t quite fancy so much but felt urged to purchase anyway (new games for the PSP – very hard to resist).

Using up literally the very last pennies in my overdraft were:
Wipeout Pure
Need for Speed Underground Rivals
Tony Hawks Underground 2 Remix
Spiderman
World Tour Soccer

Other than Wipeout I don’t especially have high hopes for many of them, but I was just desperate to see some new software running on the system without the need to grapple with unintelligible Japanese menus.

Wipeout has immediately been the most impressive – great visuals, lovely design and great gameplay have impressed hugely. Tony Hawks too seemed very impressive with its smoothness and speed. Spiderman 2 also managed to make a good first impression leaving only World Tour Soccer as an initial question mark.

I haven’t spent as much time with the PSP as I might have liked as any gaming time I have had recently has been sucked up with Resident Evil 4 (GC) and the Master League on Pro Evolution Soccer (XB) – I’d got out of the PES groove in recent months but from nowhere it’s once again got me utterly hooked. I’m currently very pleased with my moves in the transfer market I made this afternoon. A poor close to last season saw my Southampton team slip from one point behind Man Utd at the top of the table to fourth place, though at least my Division 1 Cup victory was pleasing.

I randomly paid a brief visit to my Animal Crossing town of Bognor last night and was shocked to see the amount of weeds that had developed in my absence. I was bewildered when one resident, Astral, claimed that I had not been around for 13 months! Initially I found it hard to believe but in actual fact it may well be true. I was genuinely quite upset…

If you have a moment, take a look at this quite hilarious thread on the Gamesradar forums entitled “Gaming Flange.”
 

March 17th 2005

New review up tonight – Wario Ware Twisted (GBA). ‘bout time too methinks. Been sucked into the Master League all over again in Pro Evo 4 (Xbox) recently, as well as finally getting to grips with Resident Evil 4 (GC). Why can Ashley not fire a gun for herself exactly? Useless bint. Absolutely cracking game though. Locked in the house, with that Spanish geeza and the woman, with zombie fellas coming from all directions – awesome. And you share their blood too!

I’ve also got something in the pipeline that could possibly lead to something big. Can’t say anything at the mo, but for the first time there’s some slim hope… I will divulge in time.
 

March 13th 2005

I have returned. And already I’m f*****g ill! Some nasty cold of some description. Anyhow, Brazil was awesome. Sao Paulo, as you might expect, was quite intimidating and not exactly tourist friendly, but fortunately our excellent hosts (Dom and Eli) took time off work to show us about and all in all an excellent time was had. For those of you who are interested our ridiculous number of holiday photos can be seen here.

A surprisingly small amount of gaming occurred on my travels, limited to a little Wario Ware Twisted (GBA), which is of course superb, and Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA) which to be fair I’ve barely touched the surface of. I have picked up a couple of bits upon my return. I briefly tried Star Wars Republic Commando (Xbox) but have so far failed to be impressed. Tekken 4 (US PS2) is graphically incredible though in other ways much as you might expect. Devil May Cry 3 (US PS2) has impressed thus far, though it’s certainly tough. Finally, Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) has also made a mark on me, though the lack of decent European supercars again serves to annoy. Also been dabbling some more with Resident Evil 4 (US GC) which continues to stress and impress all in one.
 

February 24th 2005

Yes, a distinct lack of action here on the site, I know. But there is a reason, which now I can reveal – I got engaged! Holly (my girlfriend) and I got engaged a couple of weeks ago so much celebration and general bewilderment has ensued. I’m off to Brazil this Saturday (which seems all the more sweet when I look at the snow falling outside my window as I write this). When we return we want to find a place together and then we’d love to get married in the summer.

I’m absolutely delighted, as you might expect, but still feel a little knocked for six in some ways. Either way, reviewing and general journo stuff has been on hold for a bit as I get my head around it all. Once we return Holly will be heading back to college a couple of nights a week so fingers crossed it will give me the opportunity to resume at least some reviewing activities.

With all of this gaming hasn’t figured too much in my daily pursuits, but I’ve still squeezed some in. My game of the moment has to be Wario Ware. I’ve really enjoyed WW Touched on the Jap DS as well as the WW on Cube that I picked up recently. Also got a Jap copy of WW Twisted for GBA today so am looking forward to sampling that. Have also had chance this week to get stuck into Pro Evo 4 (Xbox) once more which has been very cool to say the least. Got an updated option file off PESfan.com, tidied up the Southampton squad and got tucked into the Master League. Wonderful it is too. Let’s hope the real life non-digital Saints can perform equally as well as the season draws to a close. I cannot even imagine the pain of relegation…
 

February 9th 2005

Gaming? No, still not so much of it. What there has been has been on the handhelds recently, both DS and PSP. Glad to say too that both are proving entertaining.

The reason for my prolonged gaming downtime? Time, and the small amount which is available after some recent life changes. Got a holiday to Brazil (Sau Paulo more precisely) at the end of the month, then a flat search upon my return, and after that something even more exciting still… though I cannot say for now. There is one person that I’m yet to tell and until I do that I’m keeping shtum. All in good time though, and suffice to say, it’s amazing news! Though not news that will give me more time. Mmmmmm. And they say the tsunami made the day slightly shorter too…
 

January 30th 2005

Finally got another article done and satisfyingly it’s one I’ve been meaning to write for a while.

Still not much gaming done though…
 

January 26th 2005

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the night when I will sit down and play Resident Evil 4 again. It’s kind of like that at the moment. I want to spend as much time as possible with my misses, I also have to try and play my games to review – any gaming for me becomes very hard to fit in.
 

January 17th 2005

As I hit the new year I face a bit of a decision. I’ve been promoted at work, so do I now concentrate on that? After all, it is a job in gaming, albeit not quite the one I pictured. Or do I continue pursuing my journalistic aspirations? I’m giving it some thought though there are many things to consider that I shan’t go into here.

On the subject of games, been on a bit of an import frenzy recently. For starters, there’s the quite magnificent Resident Evil 4 on Gamecube. I’ve never lied about me and survival horror – it stresses me out and I don’t enjoy it, but you have to admire the craft of RE4. It’s really quite magnificent, and it’s mere existence is more than proof enough of the Gamecube’s potential if only developers and publishers would see fit to pursue it.

Also, I finally picked up some more PSP games. Lumines is by the geeza that made Rez and it shows. The music is great, as you know it would be, though I must admit the gameplay is taking some time to get used to. Like Rez though, I think Lumines will shine when considered as an experience as opposed to merely a game. Also picked up Ape Escape Academy though have not had chance to try it yet.

I have tried Wario Ware Touch on the DS however and as you’d expect it’s a laugh. Being unable to skip the cutscenes initially is frustrating but the language barrier is no problem at least. After 45 mins or so it seems, initially at least, to perhaps lack the variety of its GBA counterpart, but time shall tell. Finally grabbed a US copy of Mercenaries on Xbox, which incidentally is region free. It’s being touted as GTA in a warzone as thusly sounds appealing. Initial impressions seem fine if not amazing, though again, I played far too briefly to form a fair idea.
 

January 10th 2005

So, how’s things? Much the same here and all good. Making as much time for gaming as possible but for the moment at least I have other preoccupations. Been faffing about with the PSP (and indeed my new Nokia 6230) trying to get extra memory and then getting them working with their respective machines. I’m nearly there, but there always seems to be one more cable I need to buy, one more card reader to try out or one more bit of software I need before anything bloody works. Suffice to say both are progressing but both are also frustrating.

Also been given a promotion at work which is obviously good, though it does throw into chaos somewhat my plans for this, but then so have a few other things for that matter. Beginning to wonder if future planning is in fact a wholly futile endeavour since how can we plan for what we cannot know?
 

January 3rd 2005

So Happy New Year and all of that. I had a really great time over the festive period - met lots of people, drank lots of drink, consumed all sorts of stuff. In truth I don’t feel truly recovered yet. Amongst all of the revelry however I rarely found chance to get any gaming done. I guess 2004 taught me more than anything else that you never know what’s around the corner and what things will be like tomorrow. The challenge for me this year is not only to get where I want to but also to figure out exactly what it is that I want in the first place. Delicate issues. And a delicate balancing act is required.

One thing I did manage to do however is get hold of a PSP. I’d really intended not to fork out for one, but once it was waved in front of me I found it impossible to resist, despite the disastrous consequences it will have for my bank balance.

But what a piece of kit! I’ll be writing an article about it shortly but rest assured that initially I have been more than a little impressed. The machine itself is insanely gorgeous, technically divine. Sometimes I even feel as if I’m betraying my other half, such is the sordidness of my desire toward it. I intend to get more to grips with it in the coming weeks.
 

December 24th 2004

Just about ready for Christmas now, albeit after some rather late-in-the-day panicking and mass-disorganisation. Am off to the parents for a few days. Am taking the DS with me, so hopefully some much needed reviewing can be done somewhere along the line.
 

December 20th 2004

See other post: busy, happy, all is very good…
 

December 16th 2004

How was it he put it in Fight Club? “If you wake up in a different place at a different time, do you wake up a different person?” Another thought that occurred: we all have “what if’s”, right? What if I hadn’t had the one pint too many? What if I’d told him instead of keeping my mouth shut? What if I hadn’t gone out with her that night? What if I had given up? I’ve now actually forgotten what I was going to say. Bugger. What if I had remembered? Well, I wouldn’t have written that, for a start. And this whole paragraph may have carried more meaning than it does now. Maybe the world would have been better?
 

December 13th 2004

Shattered. Utterly shattered. Not in a bad way, mind you. Life is good, very good at the moment in fact, but it’s also shattering. I’m having to adjust to less sleep as I now have activities afoot that often tend to keep me awake. Sometimes it’s easy. Other times, like now for instance, I can barely operate. Still, it’s all super-cool ;-)

So little time for games at the mo, though I have now at least sampled plenty of online PES4. It’s flawed, horribly flawed in fact, but still so, so magical. Repeatedly beating one of my customers at work has proved immensely pleasurable, though often losing to players that I know I should have beaten is not quite so. People disconnecting before the end if they’re being beat, however, is possibly the most frustrating experience known to man. Damn you all!

Got some more DS games today that I’d love to try out, but … ZZZzzzzzz
 

December 6th 2004

Much madness abounds at the mo but still keeping up gaming work, even if not quite at the pace that I would like. Hopefully though things should now begin to settle as life does appear now to be smoothing out somewhat, though I’ve learnt recently that you simply never know what tomorrow may bring – an invasion of jelly-like beings formerly from a small as of yet uncharted Mediterranean island, for instance, may be unlikely, though I feel you would be foolish to rule it out completely.

Though I’m still yet to have the now one week overdue Telewest engineer visit my internet does at least seem to be running at the moment, though I haven’t been home for several days so Pro Evo online is still yet to be explored. It’s a real crime, but as I say, I’m hoping things will soon settle.
 

November 29th 2004

I can’t remember who said that there’s never been a convincing argument that God designed life to be taken seriously. But they were right. Sometimes I consider having that tattooed on my palm so when I forget it I will be reminded. After all, if I was designing an entire world and populating it with any beings that I so designed, I wouldn’t be able to resist myself. Can you imagine? “OK, I’ll give the lot of them free will, but then also set out a set of rules to live by – that should be good!” Oh, what fun...

Yet more challenges present themselves to me at the moment and I admit there are times when I honestly can’t be fucked with any of it. But one must.

Killzone review posted and by all accounts the game was enjoyed. Unfortunately the cable engineer due to call today to fix the internet, and whom I took time off work for to let in, decided to firstly call at the wrong time and then not bother to call when they were supposed to (thanks Telewest). Alas, I will be without Pro Evo 4 on Xbox Live until the weekend at best as it stands.

On the other hand, I have been enjoying my DS somewhat. Feel The Magic has been tickling my fancy most. Think of it as a more mature and stylised take on the Wario Ware formula whilst taking full advantage of the DS’s technological innovations. Blowing the boat out to sea has been a particular favourite of mine so far. Asphalt urban GT has excited me less, though Mario 64 DS is of course very good. The controls are tough in comparison to the N64 original, but they work, and some of the mini games are great fun, though Yoshi’s second minigame was quite painful in it’s accurately negative prediction of the course of my weekend. Damn that green, chubby git!
 

November 26th 2004

I simply cannot believe it. I’ve been having net problems on and off for the last few weeks, but yesterday it decided to finally pack in. Obviously that sucks, yet it is made so infinitely worse by the fact that yesterday I finally got my hands on Pro Evo 4 for the Xbox. But of course, I can’t play it online! Possibly the single biggest release of my gaming life, and I can’t use it. This world is obviously without any sort of justice. An engineer came round tonight but was unable to solve the problem. Another is coming out on Monday with the necessary equipment to resolve the problem (hopefully). So there will be no PES4 this weekend. I want to weep like a newborn baby.

In slightly better news, I finally got my hands on a Nintendo DS today. Play Asia were yet to ship my order, but luckily my connections in the retail world came through for me. It’s sitting right in front of me, along with copies of Mario 64, Asphalt Urban GT and Feel The Magic. The DS will be charged by 11pm tonight hopefully, so at least that will lift my spirits.

Also sampled the very enjoyable Rumble Roses (US PS2). The developer himself recently described it as “20% gameplay, 80% masturbation material”. Whilst I certainly couldn’t imagine bashing one out to it, it’s certainly visually pleasing. In the process of reviewing Killzone at the mo, which despite some critical slamming I’ve quite enjoyed, to a degree at least. Sure, it’s limited, but even the mighty Halo 2 is far from perfect. Also had Metal Gear Solid 3 (US PS2) since the beginning of the week but have yet had chance to touch it.

I have found time at least to have brief goes of some titles. Mario Tennis (US GC) surprised me – I thought I might not like it, but I should have known better. It is Nintendo, after all. Solid, gorgeous and fun I think rounds it up. Men of Valor (Xbox) seems adequate though poor in comparison to Half Life 2 (PC), which I finally sampled on Wednesday night. To be fair, it’s not the sort of thing that excites me much, but its quality is instantly obvious. Set pieces, enemy AI, great looks, well-constructed levels – you name it, it has it. Under the Skin (PS2) was entertaining… for about 15 minutes at least. Neo Contra (US PS2) is really cool – unashamedly manic yet pleasingly solid. Pikmin 2 (US GC) is another title that I’ve enjoyed more than I expected. The first game didn’t really tickle me too much. Maybe it’s me that’s changed, but I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. Bless those little Pikmin!
 

November 20th 2004

Halo 2 is now reviewed and posted. It’s another one of those situations where you almost don’t want to write the review because it robs you of a legitimate excuse to spend all of your spare time playing it. I actually found the review quite hard to write. As I wrote to my editor:

“Sometimes it's harder to write about something you've enjoyed so much don't you think? When you really like a game it's more of an emotive experience, far harder to logically comprehend and explain. When criticising it's easier to be analytical, to dissect. A bizarre situation, to my mind.”

Killzone next. Must admit I’m starting to feel a little FPS’ed out. Also, am perturbed by the delay to Pro Evo 4 on Xbox, especially since learning that it’s already out in parts of Europe! Swine’s. The single biggest gaming event of my life and other are playing whilst I cannot – unacceptable. Also, have now pre-ordered my DS fro Play Asia. Rumors of short supplies abound so I might have to face up to the prospect of a little wait. I pondered whether to buy one or not – in actuality I don’t often indulge in much handheld gaming, but I almost feel as if it’s my duty to keep up to date and try the latest stuff. Guess I’ll have to get a PSP as well, though that excites me even less. At least they’re both affordable – what to do when the Xenon, Revolution and PS3 come out? Well, rob and steal I suppose…
 

November 15th 2004

You may have noticed that my ramblings on this page have become less frequent as of late (do I say that a lot?). It’s not that I’m not playing games or anything, though it’s certainly true that I have been playing less. Basically, other things are afoot (as you know) requiring a quite substantial chunk of my time, and thusly whilst I’m still ploughing most of my spare time into reviewing and the like there is simply less free time to be ploughed.

I actually have a big pile of games sitting here waiting to be played – Men of Valor, Mario Tennis, Under The Skin… none of which have yet been touched. Halo 2 however, now, that is a game. Possibly the best online console experience yet? Flat Out too has proved hideously fun online. Thank the Lord for Xbox Live, eh?
 

November 7th 2004

Wow, times are a changing. I hate to get all philosophical on yo’ ass (forgive me, part of me is still in San Andreas) but if there’ one thing I’ve learnt recently it’s that you never quite know what’s round the corner. You can get everything sorted, all going according to plan, and then at the drop of a hat everything changes. I’m not talking about bad change, though it might be difficult – simply ordinary, run-of-the-mill life-altering circumstances.

As a result, whilst I still remain committed with my drive to write professionally about video games, I currently have other demands vying for a slice of my time. Hence the slowdown of my current review output, for the time being at least. It’s also worth noting that this is at least in part due to the sheer size of GTA San Andreas (PS2), which I am currently reviewing. I’ve ploughed hours into it so far but still blatantly have so much more to see.

Still, there’s no denying that I feel different, a bit funny you could almost describe it. I think this is reflected in this week’s article, which upon review is a little unusual in relation to how I normally write. The fact that I’ve somehow managed to include two references to paedophilia in one article, whilst a little disturbing, is only one manifestation of this. I suppose it’s true that we are only what we are in relation to things around us in contrast. So if your circumstances change, then so do you.

In other gaming news, I have my second clan match for AnE tonight. Also been briefly enjoying Flatout (Xbox) both on and off line, though the little free time I have had has generally been ploughed into San Andreas. Really need to get the review done in time for Halo 2, which I’m convinced is going to be the dogs bollocks online. The week after that? Pro Evolution Soccer 4 on Xbox Live, a dream come true. And to top it all off, early this morning I finally saw the new Episode III trailer on the internet. “Lord Vader”… “Yes, Master.”…. “Riiiiise”….. Amazing, totally amazing.
 

October 31st 2004

Much slackness. Well, not slackness as such. I have been doing stuff, just not gaming stuff. Those very decent folk at Ferrago were kind enough to grant me a week off as I attended to some personal matters. What personal stuff you might ask? It’s personal, you nozey fecker! Well, OK, I’ll tell you a bit. She’s 5’6”, blonde hair, a bit wild… Nuff said I think.

Anyhow, the long and short of it is that I‘ve barely had time to indulge in any gaming, not even San Andreas, which so far has been limited to about an hour late last night. One tremendously proud gaming moment came on Thursday night when I partook in my first clan match on Day of Defeat. Those stout fellows at AnE (http://www.ane-clan.com/) have invited me into their clan. It was a great laugh, though we were thoroughly mashed.

One other thing of note - Game Guru is no more. I did finally get paid by the clueless feckers but the whole thing has been such a disorganised nightmare that I decided to call it a day. After all, I was busy enough as it is, and what with these new interests, something needed to give. So, I gave the Guru producer a call and told him straight out that I thought his channel was a joke and that I had better things to do. He took the news well, even offered to pay me for the next few weeks as an apology. I don't want their money though (as if they'd pay up anyway!)...

Still, must now endeavour to get back into the gaming thing and get my Ferrago work back under way. Bloody women, eh?
 

October 22nd 2004

Kind of tough to concentrate on gaming at the mo – all sorts of stuff going on and here isn’t really the place to discuss them. Suffice to say though, I must concentrate and press on as life has a habit of complicating things and I mustn’t let that detract from my goals.

Haven’t really been playing too much as of late – a bit of Battlefront, some PES4. I did have a great 5 hour Halo stint the other night (very rare for me to play an FPS like that) as it occurred to me that I still haven’t completed the orginal. I still have 2 levels to go, incidentally. Just posted my Tiger Woods 2005 review. Will try and get another up before the arrival of San Andreas next week. Just got a fantastic adapter off a Hong Kong seller on eBay that allows me to use a PS2 Duelshock with my Xbox at the same time as using a headset – I’m now all prepared for PES4 on Xbox Live!

Still having huge problems trying to get the bloody money I’m owed off Game Guru. I’ve even started rebelling on the shows – slating callers and refusing to do anything, but the management are too slack to even do anything about that. If I’m not paid soon I’m going to go out in a blaze of glory. After all, how can I be expected to respect the show if they don’t respect their staff?
 

October 17th 2004

Internet is down in the flat - no more Battlefront for the moment unfortunately...
 

October 15th 2004

Star Wars Battlefront review is now up. A great game, thoroughly enjoyable and far better than I would have imagined. This time of year is both a blessing and a curse – there are so many good games out at the moment, which is great, but there are only 24 hours in the day, which is bad. Even PES4 has had to take a back seat for the moment.

Also got Donkey Konga yesterday which is a really great title. I just love those bongos! The game is pure, unadulterated fun and the soundtrack is great on the whole, despite a few duds. Definitely one I’m looking forward to review.

Picked up a cheap US Gamecube from work, simply because it will save me the effort of using the Freeloader in future. Lazy, I admit, but hey – I’m from the lazy generation!

October 11th 2004

Just finished my PES4 review. This is the message that I included to my editor when e-mailing:

“Luke,

Bloody hell - a bit of an epic I'm afraid (2400 words). It's so hard to describe a game that is so close to oneself, if you know what I mean? PES, for me at least, goes beyond the normal boundaries of gaming and enters a far more personable realm. I hadn't anticipated how hard this would make it to review, though it's been a very interesting experience.”

You’ll have to read my review to understand.

October 10th 2004

It’s been all about PES4 and nothing else really. After all, how can I be expected to realistically play anything else? I actually spent much of the week at work arguing that Winning Eleven 7 International is the better game, but I’m currently not too sure. There is something that sits uneasily with me about PES4, but I can’t really put my finger on it. Still, I shan’t deny that it’s an amazing game, so whether it’s the best football game ever made or the second best is a little inconsequential.

On a more entertaining note I actually bought FIFA 2005. Stop, don’t hit me! The reason I bought it was simply so I can boast a more informed opinion when I slag it off in the future. Actually, after a quick go it was no-where near as bad as I expected, though still a million miles away from the brilliance of Konami’s series.
 

October 5th 2004

Outrun 2 review done. Superb, amazing game. Better than Burnout 3? Well, you’ll have to check out my review! Now, onto Pro Evo 4. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!
 

October 3rd 2004

The computer seems to be back to more or less full strength again, apart from some tetchy pop-up nonsense that I acquired over the weekend that I can’t seem to shift.

Been enjoying the absolute delights of Outrun 2 (Xbox) in the last couple of days. What a majestic game – arcade racing at its purest and best. Better than Burnout 3? Well, you’ll have to wait for my upcoming review to find out.

Also, my TV which I had passed down to me from my parents is no longer. It had been on the verge of death for a wee while so this weekend I bit the bullet and bought a new one. Should note that half of the dosh came as an early Christmas gift from my parents, so many thanks for that. I got a 28” Widescreen flatscreen Samsung effort, and very nice it is too. Watching A New Hope on DVD last night was a real revelation – far superior to the old VHS / aged TV combo. It was like a whole new film. Couldn’t help but notice Obi Wan no longer says “I don’t recall ever owning any droids.” Ah, Lucas, you gotta love him! Some great documentaries on the DVD as well. Anyhow, games are now so much more vivid and enjoyable, especially when they offer a widescreen option.

More good news – I have Pro Evo 4 review code in the post. It’s the PS2 version, but at least that will tide me over until the Xbox incarnation arrives in November.
 

September 25th 2004

So, a site redesign. The reason? Computer disaster, that’s what. A mate “kindly” came round to help me install a new graphics card. Within 2 hours we’d gone from the PC not recognising the new card, to no output on the monitor, to critical Windows error. After trying all possible avenues, a complete hard drive wipe and reinstall was the only solution. Damn.

Once I’d wiped everything and started reinstalling I noticed that my antivirus software was scanning multiple messages that were being sent from my PC that I knew nothing about. I’d only been online about 30 minutes and hadn’t switched on my firewall – that was obviously enough time for viruses to get in. I updated Norton and it kindly told me that it had discovered 7 viruses, only 3 of which I could repair. So, another wipe and off we go again. I made sure I was protected before going online this time.

Luckily I had my writing and most of this website backed up, but not the custom style I was using previously, hence this new one I’ve thrown together.

So, whilst I sort out this mess my reviewing and stuff is slowed yet further. This mess has taken up a lot of time, and if there’s one thing I don’t have loads of, it’s time. Have barely touched Star Wars Battlefront, Tiger Woods 2005 or Colin McRae 2005 yet.

One thing’s for certain – that’s the last time I consider dabbling in PC gaming. This computer is for work, not play (Day of Defeat aside, of course).
 

September 22nd 2004

I’m so tired that I can’t even bring myself to boot up the copy of Star Wars Battlefront I got today. Tragic...
 

September 16th 2004

Thought I’d drag myself off Burnout 3 and try some other Live titles. So, I bought Links 2004 which I have found surprisingly good. I think maybe the driving in Tiger Woods is better, but the putting in Links is by far the best I’ve seen in a golf game. Tough, for sure, but excellently done. However, I went on Live and searched for a fellow noob to play – no luck. Oh well I thought, I’ll try to find a lower ranking player. Again, no luck. OK, I’ll play bloody anyone, but low and behold there wasn’t a single person online. Mmm… mentioned it in a forum this morning and one guy said that his biggest criticism of online console gaming is that fact that the players tend to abandon titles after a certain amount of time on the shelf.

Bought Manhunt on the Xbox as well. I doubt I’ll play it, and even if I do I don’t suppose I’ll like it, but after all the fuss in the media I at least need to have an idea what it’s like.
 

September 12th 2004

My Burnout 3 review is now up and I’m distraught – does it mean I have to start playing something else? What a brutal, cruel world we live in…
 

September 10th 2004

Sorry for the lack of posting on the site recently – busyness and tiredness are certainly a factor, but the real blame lies with Burnout 3 and Xbox Live. How good? You’ll have to wait for my imminent review to find out for sure. What? Oh, OK, I’ll give you a short review now… IT’S FECKING BRILLIANT. Got it? Good.

I had some really fantastic news last night – Ferrago have offered me some paid work! At the moment it’s only for a few articles throughout October but it’s a definite start and there’s a possibility that it may stretch beyond then. So, it’s goodbye to Insidepulse, which is a bit sad considering that I’ve only been writing for them for a very short time, but there’s no way I could turn this opportunity down. After meeting the Ferrago posse I’m really pleased to be involved with them – they’re a good bunch.

So, I can now say that I’m a freelance journalist! It’s amazing really. I made the decision that I wanted to be a games journo in the new year, I wrote my first pieces in February and now I have 3 gaming jobs – day job at Creative Distribution, once a week TV presenter and now upcoming freelance journalist. I really had to pinch myself last night! When you’re trying to get somewhere in an industry like this it can be very demoralising – rejections after rejection, criticism of your writing and knowing that there’s thousands more people like you out there. This latest news is a real boost. Guess I just need to believe (and keep working bloody hard).

Picked up some nice games this week including Sonic R (Saturn), though purely due to the excellent soundtrack and Silhouette Mirage (PSOne). It’s a Treasure game – ‘nuff said! Can’t wait to try it, but I simply can’t get off Burnout 3! Ow yeah, Darius Gaiden (Saturn) as well. Oh, and Turtles in Time (SNES) which I remember dearly from my youth.
 

September 5th 2004

8000 words in 3 days now... back to Project Gotham Racing 2 on Live methinks.
 

September 4th 2004

So, it’s over. And I’m shattered. I’ve written 6000 words in the last few days and now I need to rest. Still have to write my Insidepulse piece tomorrow though…

Still though, EGN and Game Stars Live were fantastic, very enjoyable. My Press Pass is hung above my computer now with pride – it was great having the power to glide in and out or events without question, to skip the early morning queues, to get interviews with real industry players, to see the envious looks of youngsters when they saw my press badge. For the first time I began to feel like a professional journalist and it was wonderful. I’ve said to myself that by the next EGN I want to be in the position where I’m getting paid for it. Check out my EGN pieces here for a more detailed look. The only downside is that I’m now totally shattered – both physically and mentally.

Game of the show? Either Outrun 2 (Xbox) or Donkey Konga (GC), both of which were utterly fantastic. My personal moment of the show was getting an interview with the Managing Director of Ignition Entertainment, Vijay, who was a top man and has my full respect. Anyhow, it’s all in the articles.

Also finally met up with a couple of the Ferrago crew who were both top blokes. Nice to know the site is being run by decent folk – I’ve had several run ins with naïve teenage “editors” over the last few months so it’s assuring to know Ferrago are legit. It sounds like what is an already great site can only get better, so I’m proud to be in there.

On a more personal note, the seemingly imminent confirmation of PES4 going Live on Xbox prompted me to go out today and get an Ethernet cable for my Xbox. I played Project Gotham 2 for a couple of hours and it was great – will get to grips with it better in the coming weeks. Roll on PES4, Burnout 2 and Halo 2… Also, I finally got hold of a copy of Turtles In Time on the SNES the other day, a real arcade classic.

Rest… sleep… lots of sleep…

August 29th 2004

Kinda busy at the mo - trying to get everything sorted for the London Trade shows this week. Will be going to EGN and Gamestars Live on Wednesday and Friday, including the press briefing and press morning on Wednesday, which should be an experience if nothing else. Must admit to being slightly nervous; despite all of the bravado I’m still very much a newbie amateur and this all feels very “real”. I’m not complaining though – all another rung up the ladder.

Picked up the excellent Strider 2 (PSOne) this week which I’ve been enjoying. Also been very impressed with The Legend of Zelda: The 4 Swords (US GC) – a beautiful game that’s brilliantly structured, and that’s just the single player game. Amazing Island (US GC) also seems like a laugh. Shame about Ghost Master (Xbox). It looked different so I though I’d give it a go – big mistake. It’s shit, to put it simply.

Trying desperately to get my reviews and pieces done so I’m freed up a bit for the shows, but I’m always so frickin busy recently. Such is life, and if any of this gets me where I want to go then I certainly won’t complain. Even if it doesn’t, it’s all life affirming, right?
 

August 22nd 2004

Picked up a copy of Einhander (PSone) today – now that’s what I call a game! Huge weapons, massive bosses, great sounds and sweet looks. If you’ve not played it I cannot recommend it enough. Well done Square Enix.

Spent most of the day so far adding the developers’ names and genres to my collection list (see it here). This was mainly for my benefit, to aid my memory and broaden my knowledge. I think I’ve got it all right but please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistakes.
 

August 21st 2004

So my week’s holiday is nearly over. Got a lot done – 2 reviews, 2 columns (well, including the one I’ll write tomorrow) and lots of tedious domestic stuff. Spent maybe a bit too much time on Day of Defeat but also found time to re-visit some neglected titles as well as try some new stuff.

Gradius V (Jap PS2) has been cool. A typically solid Treasure shooter. On the Treasure theme, also been enjoying Bangai-O (Dreamcast). Winning Eleven 8 has been taking up a lot of my time (see my review here). Maybe most exciting of all I’ve been on a total Metal Slug binge. Been enjoying MS3 on the US Xbox and MS4 and MS5 have also been great fun. Also found time for some ESPgaluda (Jap PS2) and Silpheed (Mega CD). Looking back I notice a 2D retro theme – good stuff.

On a side note I also enjoyed the Hopper exhibition at the Tate Modern and had a great time at Camden Lock Market, which incidentally is probably my favourite place in the whole of London. See, I do have interests outside of gaming (at least I pretend to!). For the record, I’m off to The Globe to see Measure For Measure next week.

And to top it off, the Saints gained 3 important points today with a good win over Blackburn, especially considering the dire performance against Villa last week. Cracking, though I’d still be amazed if Sturrock was still there at the end of the season.
 

August 17th 2004

Excellent article on Eurogamer today - http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=56350. It made me laugh but also made me kind of sad, considering my relatively recent break up :-(
 

August 16th 2004

‘Ave it!
 

August 16th 2004

My Athens 2004 review is now up on Ferrago. Tried something a bit different since the original review was starting to sound a bit like a list, mainly due to the nature of the game. Have a look and see what you think. The 10^th Art column is also live on Insidepulse at last, and I’ve already had some complimentary emails from readers. I suppose I could call it fan mail. Yeah, go on then, I had some fan mail! Hoorah!

OK, I think it’s finally happened. I do have to admit that Winning Eleven 8 is the best WE game so far. Hopefully PES4 will be even better, with the slowdown sorted and some lovely English menus. I was getting scared for a bit, but last night it just happened, much like some of my friends said it would. You just suddenly realise how good it is, just like that. Exactly the same thing happened with PES3, though that only took a couple of days, not more than a week.

Picked up a couple of nice bits from X Electrical today. First off the wonderful Silpheed on the Mega CD. I really love the Mega CD. Whenever you play it you can really remember what it was like to marvel at what was, at the time, cutting edge technology. Silpheed is a prime example, what with it’s polygon effects and voice sampling. And since it’s by Treasure, you already know that it’s a superb game.

Also picked up Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Christmas Nights on the Saturn – part of my futile attempt to rebuild my lost collection. As well as that I grabbed a scratched though functional copy of Raiden Project on the PSone, though I haven’t yet tried it.
 

August 12th 2004

Bargain – NeoGeo Pocket Colour system with 6 games. Less than £25 at work today. Job done. None of the batteries were any good though. I guess it’s probably been sitting in some warehouse somewhere since 2001.

Winning Eleven 8 still hasn’t won me over yet...
 

August 11th 2004

So tonight was my Gameguru debut. So, how did it go? Well, let’s put it this way – my first words on national TV were “I’ve got to go mum!” Take not as one day these very words will be part of history!

Yes, it was a bit of a nightmare. I got home to find a message saying that due to technical problems I wouldn’t be presenting the show tonight. Bummer. However, my replacement suffered some sort of computer crash and couldn’t do the show, so in a botch job I was finally able to get online at about 6:25, though I didn’t realise I was on TV for a few good minutes, part of which I was on the phone to my mum! Apparently the Game Network studio had been having technical nightmares all day so it turns out I was only on screen for about 50% of the show, but it was all fun nonetheless. Hopefully things will be smoother next week…

I’m beginning to have serious doubts about Winning Eleven 8 (Jap PS2). I’m still trying not to form a final opinion as of yet. There’s some great touches, but the whole thing just doesn’t hang together. I can’t quite describe it yet. Watch this space.
 

August 9th 2004

Ok – the best news ever: Southampton FC are in Winning Eleven 8! The joy! Downloaded the Xport file from those fine people at www.evo-web.co.uk, so I now have at least some correct team and player names. As for the game, I still remain a little unconvinced. I felt the same way about PES3, only later to realise it’s true brilliance, but something’s niggling in the back of the chasmous space I call my mind. Most of the good stuff seems to come in the Master League mode, but what with the Japanese menu’s it’s hard work figuring it out. I might just have to leave the Master League until PES4 is released.

Picked up Gradius V (Jap PS2) today though haven’t had chance to play yet. Now seems like a good time.
 

August 8th 2004

Sorry for the spell of silence recently – I seem to busy with many things at the moment for no obvious reason. The 411mania thing his hit a bit of a hitch. Well, not a hitch as such I suppose. Basically, I received an e-mail from my contact there saying that there’s been a split between the two founding members, with nearly all the staff relocating to a new website, www.insidepulse.com. I wasn’t sure at first – didn’t know whether to stick with the established site or move with the experienced people, but decided to move with the times, so to speak, and join the Insidepulse posse. Anyhow, I’ll now have to change all the details on this site, and my recently produced CV is now instantly out of date…

On other fronts, got my hands on Winning Eleven 8. Those fine people at Lik Sang had a copy to me by release day, though only after paying a high courier charge! Was away this weekend so haven’t really had much time to get to grips with it. Play seems sharper, though the menus are a bugger to navigate being in Japanese. Will let you know what I think when I’ve had a bit more time with it.
 

August 1st 2004

I’ve now added my CV as an Adobe Acrobat plug-in. Click here to check me out.

Very busy weekend, making up for my recent spell of sickness (I’m more or less recovered, thanks for asking, bar the odd bout of flem-choking and nose running). Wrote my first piece for 411mania, though I’m yet to know when it will be posted. Also reviewed the majestic Katamari Damashii which I gave an unprecedented 96%. I also did my CV, which takes ages as you probably know.

In other matters, this morning I was on the radio! LBC London 97.3, formerly London Talk Radio. I had a spare half hour this morning before I went to see the very enjoyable Fahrenheit 911. I was playing Winning Eleven 7 International and seeing as the commentary is so god-awful I was listening to the radio. Krishnan Guru-Murthy (of Channel 4 news fame) was doing some current affairs show when they got onto the subject of the recent Manhunt scandal (see my 411mania piece on the subject here). Some wretched right-wing Daily Mail reading mare was on chatting fascist bullshit about censorship, and she incensed me so much that I phoned up. I introduced myself as Ben the games journalist and before I knew what was happening I could hear Krishan saying “and now we have Ben from Mitcham on the line!” Much excitement ensued. We had an interesting chat for 5 minutes or so. I won’t regale all of the details here, but the point I wanted to make was this:

The idea that a perfectly “normal” (whatever that may be) child can sit down in front of the PS2, play Manhunt for 30 minutes and emerge a killer is ludicrous. Is it not more realistic to say that a child that’s suffered neglect, an unsuitable upbringing and a lack of love and support is far more susceptible to violent imagery and more likely to be moved to violent acts?

One of the panellists then suggested that this fact alone could be enough to justify censorship, but I disagree. First of all, the world can be a nasty place and it’s impossible, and possibly inappropriate, to attempt to ignore and hide this fact. Art reflects the world around us, and the world is both beautiful and wretched. It was a sensible and pleasing discussion. I just hope that a few people re-evaluated their ignorant Daily Mail fuelled anti-gaming sentiments.

Also tried Initial D Special Stage (Jap PS2). Despite being highly import un-friendly, it seems like a solid arcade racer that I really enjoyed. Vib Ripple (Jap PS2) is just my kind of thing – original, quirky and very imaginative. Shame the concept seems a bit limited. Bujingai (US PS2) is an interesting game. Much like the new Shinobi (PS2) or even Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) though more colourful, with some nice touches that add a little depth. Also had a very quick go on Disgaea (US PS2) though since I don’t happen to have a spare 100 or so hours I very much doubt I’ll ever appreciate all it has to offer.

Nearly bought an Atari Lynx in X Electrical, Kingston, but actually found a trace of will-power within me. Miracle!
 

July 29th 2004

Feel… really... rough. Well, actually I’m not too bad now, getting better anyway, but my recent sickness (some sort of cold-type-bug-thing) has prevented me from doing any reviews or such like. It’s also stopped me from enjoying my Virtual Boy, or any of the great titles that have come my way recently. All I’ve been up to doing is laying in bed, watching TV and feeling miserable really! Need to make sure I’m back up to speed soon as my first piece for 411mania is due this weekend.

I have managed to sample a couple of bits. Chronicles of Riddick (Xbox) cannot help but strike you thanks to its graphical majesty – I’ve never seen a better looking Xbox title. Fortunately it plays well too, as well as being incredibly atmospheric. Dodonpachi Dai-Oujou (PS2) is also very enjoyable – manic shooting at it’s best. Was pleased to receive some preview code of Colin McRae 2005 for the Xbox which I look forward to probing. Also looking forward to sampling Bujingai (US PS2), Initial D Special Stage (Jap PS2), Vib Ripple (Jap PS2) and Espgaluda (Jap PS2).

At least now I can unveil details about my second job. I’m going to be working for Gameguru, a TV program on some obscure Sky channel (Gamenetwork - Sky Digital channel 172). Basically, the program is on for 2 hours a night and throughout that time people contact us guru’s with questions about games, cheats and the like, and we search for the answer for them. I only discovered yesterday that my mug will be on the tele whilst I do it! Owning a webcam was part of the requirements – little did I know it was so I could be seen on the TV! Anyhow, I’m only doing 1 night a week (Wednesday’s, between 6pm-8pm, from August 11^th) preliminarily, fortunate really since my schedule is becoming even more hectic what with the prospect of import reviews for Ferrago.

Anyhow, to bed with me as I need to get well sharpish…
 

July 25th 2004

Had a great time at the Classic Gaming Expo at Fairfields Halls in Croydon yesterday. Saw lots of cool stuff that I’d previously only read about before. Most notable was possibly Alien Versus Predator on the Atari Jaguar, which seemed like a fairly solid game, despite the hideous Jaguar pad. Also enjoyed a great game on a Space Invaders original cabinet. Managed to get a go of Samba Del Amigo on the Dreamcast, though I wasn’t that taken with it. Saw tons of retro systems, some of which were quite beautiful.

Also treated myself to some, ahem, collectibles. Most notable of which was something I’ve been hankering after for quite a while – a gorgeous Nintendo Virtual Boy. It’s a portable system from Nintendo that looks like a virtual reality headset that you peer into and see a red true 3D image. I’d been out of my overdraft for quite a while after now but I simply couldn’t resist it. Yes, it may have been a short-lived and somewhat redundant system, but it’s such a curiosity and an amazing oddity and those are exactly the characteristics that appeal to me. Of course, I had to get a few titles to go with it. Red Alert seems like an excellent title that really utilises the systems 3D display. Vertical Force also seems fantastic, a vertical shooter that allows you to switch between distant and near planes. Mario Tennis is very playable and Mario Clash seems like a great Nintendo platformer. Not experienced any of the death-like migraines that users have historically suffered as of yet, but I haven’t really had chance to play. I’m coming down with some sort of bug at the moment, so when I got home I pretty much went straight to bed.

Also picked up a few other bits – Parodius and Detana Twinbee Yahho-! on the Saturn, Mercs II on the Megadrive, a promo version of Kill Switch for the PS2 and Sonic CD and Keio Flying Squad on the Mega CD. All great titles, at least I hope they are when I get the chance to try them. Much thanks must go to those fine people at Console Passion from whom all but one of my purchases were made. Check them out at http://www.consolepassion.co.uk/index.htm - they carry a fantastic range of stuff and the young lady that helped me out was a real star. They also had some lovely SNES and Saturn consoles with 50/60hz switches that I may treat myself with at a later date.

In other news Ferrago have agreed to start posting import reviews. That means I get to review the magical Katamari Damshii and Winning Eleven 7 International, amongst others. Great news for all I think. Expect a truly glowing Katamari review shortly, as soon as I’ve shaken this bug. Also picked up a US copy of Sudeki on the Xbox, though initial impressions are distinctly average. Looks beautiful though. Should be writing my first piece for 411mania next week as well. No luck getting through to my contact about the second job as of yet, so we’ll have to see what happens there. What with the new column and 411mania, and now the extra import reviews for Ferrago I have been thinking again about taking on this extra job. The money would be great, but I’m already so busy. We’ll have to see how the wind blows…
 

July 20th 2004

Just posted my Spiderman 2 review (Xbox). Despite a rather critical technical issue I encountered (see the review for more details) I still found it to be a thoroughly entertaining piece of software. I haven’t had as much fun with a game in ages. Makes me think that many modern games simply aren’t that much fun at all.

Anyhow, enough of such trivialities. Been playing the truly magical Katamari Damacy for Japanese PS2. Not only is it charming, beautiful, magical and barrels of fun but it’s also one of the most original games I’ve ever played. The theme tune is painfully infectious, wonderfully joyful. I would go into it but I fear I’d be here all night when in fact I could be playing it. Suffice to say, it’s worth the price of a Japanese PS2, especially when you consider you’ll also be able to play Winning Eleven 7 International.

Duh duh duh-duh duh duh duh-duh duh, Katamari Dama-shi-iii-iii…
 

July 17th 2004

OK, so I can now confirm one of the two pieces of news I have in waiting. I’m sad to say that Worthplaying are no longer. It’s been great working with Rainier over the last few months and I’ll miss them. The good news however is that I’ve been invited to write features for www.411mania.com. They’ve offered me my own column, which I’ve entitled The 10^th Art. There’s a lot of freedom and they encourage the injection of personality into their reviews, allowing me to be a little more expressive. I’ll be writing for them as of August 1^st, so I’ve got a couple of weeks to prepare. As for the other job related news, hopefully I’ll be able to confirm that soon.

AS you’ve seen if you’ve read my latest entries, I’ve been pretty lame with money recently. Swapped my slightly dodgy Dreamcast for a nicer, more reliable chipped version that runs all dandy. Also ordered some nice import stuff for my new PS2. Am collecting Katari Damacy tomorrow, which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Also have Initial Stage D and ESPgaluda on order from Play Asia, along with an all region cartridge for my new Saturn. That will let me run my mint copy of Nights Into Dreams that I got from Ebay the other day, along with a mint condition 3D Saturn pad! It almost made me cream – I just love that pad, definitely my favourite pad in the entire world (as seen in my 10th Art Pad Feature). It’s just so satisfying to hold, and ideal for Street Fighter Alpha 2 or 3.

Also came across a really battered copy of Sega Rally for the Saturn in the warehouse at work. It was so shite that they just let me have, but low and behold that damn thing actually works! Guess Sega’s hardware is more resilient than Sega themselves!
 

July 14th 2004

No, there is no hope. OK, I got my Xbox “enhanced”. I’d intended to do it, so that doesn’t worry me. Then I got an “enhanced” Dreamcast. Granted, my current DC had been giving me a bit of jip, refusing to load some games, but it still worries me. Then I bought a Saturn! There happened to be one loitering around the warehouse at work. That’s 11 consoles. Does that make me weird? Who am I kidding, yes it makes me weird. But is there anything wrong with that? Owning all those consoles, I mean. Not being weird. After all, we’re all a bit f****d to some degree. Oh, and then I ordered £100 worth of stuff from Play Asia. The words “you” and “twat” spring to mind.

In other slightly more secretive news I may be changing websites again! Saw an ad for a column writer, and I always fancied my own column (which is going to be called The 10^th Art, obviously). Haven’t had the official nod yet, but all signs seem to suggest that it will happen. I was considering dropping my features writing when I started the second job (again, more details when it’s confirmed) but when I thought about it I decided that if I really want to become a journalist then I need to put in the foot work now. See that dedication people?
 

July 12th 2004

I’m only gutted that it’s all happened so late. I bought myself an X Port today. For those of who that don’t know, it’s a device that lets you place game saves onto your PS2 memory card. Sounds dull? Erm, yes it is really, BUT it now means that I can play Winning Eleven 7 International with English player and squad names. That really excites me. After playing more WE7Int recently it is unquestionably better than PES3, if only marginally, so all of my efforts are completely worth it. Also a huge plus is that I can easily update PES4 when that arrives, and even dabble with WE8 next month if I feel bold enough to tackle the Japanese menus.

Still ploughing on with the Second Sight preview. It just seems to keep on coming. Quite enjoyable though, some really cool ideas. Been really enjoying Spiderman 2 on the Xbox. I normally avoid licensed games like the plague, but for some reason felt compelled to dabble with this one and I’m quite pleased. The missions are utter chuff, but swinging about the city like Tarzan on E is great. Richard Burns on the other hand is f’ing rock. Thought GT3 was tough? It’s a walk in the park in comparison. Solid game though. It’s main flaw in my opinion is that it requires the skill of a professional rally driver to play well. That’s ok, but not being a professional rally driver I naturally find it a bit tricky. It may be presumptuous, but I’m guessing that the vast majority of PS2 gamers, say all of them bar 3 or 4, will not in fact be professional rally drivers and will therefore possibly not enjoy it.

July 9th 2004

A moment of madness. That’s all I can call it. My supervisor at work has been trying to convince me to buy his PSone for ages now. It hasn’t been a problem up to now as I haven’t really been tempted. But for some bizarre reason, late today I had a momentary mental buckle and I now find myself owning a modded PSone and tons of games. How it happened I don’t know. And as if this excessiveness is not bad enough, my twisted and obsessed mind has somehow now drawn the conclusion that the best thing to do is to address this situation is to buy a Sega Saturn! The reason - there is no reason for such madness. I thoroughly regret selling my Saturn, another moment of madness I guess, yet someone I feel buying another would address this grave injustice.

Is there no hope?

July 7th 2004

At last got my hands on my new, ahem, enhanced PS2. Also picked up Winning Eleven 7 International, a spruced up version of the Japanese Pro Evolution Soccer 3. It’s more or less the same in many respects, but the play is ever so slightly tweaked, just that bit tighter. Sooooooo damn good. Also got a cheap copy of Tam Tam Paradise, some bizarre bemani game that uses pads strapped to your legs. Haven’t given it a go yet. Think I need to wait until I’m feeling a bit odd.

Also, taking advantage of the new machine I’ve also been given a preview copy of the forthcoming Free Radical game, Second Sight. It feels great to be previewing some pre-release code still in development. Kinda makes you feel like a ‘real’ journalist, if such a thing really exists.

July 4th 2004

Popped down to my favourite local game shop yesterday (X Electrical, Croydon). They’re one of my customers at work so Steve always does me a bit of a deal (the superstar that he is). Picked myself up Sonic 2 on the Megadrive, Gradius III on the SNES, R Type Delta on the PSone and Sega Bass Fishing on the Dreamcast, along with a rod controller.

Recently on a forum I was arguing with a mate about the virtues of 16 bit Mario titles and how they made the Sonic efforts seem rather lame. I still stand by that, though playing Sonic 2 reminded me that it is actually a wicked title. Although my memories of Sonic games all seem to blur into one, I do seem to remember Sonic 2 being my favourite, and it is excellent. Gradius III is also a great title – the SNES lacked a large library of quality shooters so it’s certainly very welcome. I’d never actually played R Type Delta before and I’m impressed. Being an R Type game you know it’s going to be superb and of course it is. Very brutal though, especially in comparison to the relatively gentle challenge offered by R Type Final on the lower difficulty settings.

As for Sega Bass Fishing, I’d love to give you an opinion but it won’t work on my fecking Dreamcast. I get this nonsense quite a lot. Must be a dodgy lens or something. Will have to keep my eyes peeled for another machine I think…

As for this second job that I mentioned, I had a little messenger chat with the guy and hopefully I may be starting in August. I’ll let you know more about it nearer the time if it actually happens.

July 1st 2004

Just posted my England International Football review, which was painful for more than one reason. Next on the list is Drakangard, which should be different if nothing else. Should also have copies of Way of the Samurai 2, Transformers and Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 in waiting but the wonderful chaps at the Royal mail have kindly lost it. I’m not one for privatisation, but those lot really test my patience.

Been quite enjoying Full Spectrum Warrior which is incredibly atmospheric, but I’m still having trouble getting off of Day of Defeat. I play on the AnE server and have enjoyed watching my slow climb through the ranks. I’m currently 31 out of over 5000 which is cool, though vicious rumours of a server wipe threaten to ruin my hard work.

Picked up wickedly cheap copies of Brute Force and Dynasty Warriors 4 for the Xbox yesterday. Haven’t played the former yet, but I was thoroughly impressed with the latter on my brief go last night. There seems to be a hell of a lot there, with huge customisation potential coupled with a solid and fun fighting engine. Also had a quick go of the wonderfully quirky Everblue 2 on the PS2. I hope I have time to delve deeper later on (did you see what I did there? Delve? Ha ha ha ha ha!)

After weeks of inner turmoil I’ve finally succumb to the devil and bought a chipped PS2, which should be with me next week. There’s just too many Japanese titles I want to play. My ex-girlfriend has today left for Japan with a nice shopping list in her back pocket (Gradius V, ESPgaluda, Vib Ripple, Mojib Robbon and Katamari Damacy). Reckon I’ll get the Xbox seen to as well. Hoorah!

June 28th 2004

First of all, I’m choosing to say nothing about the England Portugal game, basically because the only words I have to share on the subject are f**k, c**t and f**k again. So I won’t bother.

Driv3r is still creating ripples throughout the industry. In what seems somewhat of a backlash to the exclusive 9/10’s there’s been a few overly critical reviews, and disappointingly these have come from two of my most trusted sources – Edge and Eurogamer both gave it 3/10 which is way too critical of what can be a fun, if flawed, game. The Gamesradar forum is still alive with debate and is proving interesting reading.

It was my birthday at the weekend, so along with other disruptions I’ve been neglecting my journalistic duties a little as of late. Hoping to address this as from now. No word on the ‘second job’ as of yet. Mmm… Visited the parents at the weekend, and one of the great things about travelling is that it gives me a chance to get on the GBA. Good thing too since it’s enabled me to enjoy the wonders of Metroid Zero Mission (GBA), which is a truly majestic game. The pacing is exquisite, and just as you think you’re stuck and beginning to get annoyed a new power crops up and your adventure continues. Metroid is a franchise that somehow eluded me in my youth – thank you Nintendo for allowing me to catch up. People slate all the re-releases on the GBA but no-one’s forcing you to buy them. I, for one, am glad of them.

Had a quick go at Full Spectrum Warrior, though haven’t got my teeth into yet. Being a pacifist there’s a part of me that’s opposed to war games (as well as part of me that isn’t, seeing as they are only GAMES) but I’m just too curious and want to try most things. Will hopefully delve deeper soon.

June 22nd 2004

My Driv3r saga finally drew to a close tonight as I finished my somewhat epic review for Ferrago. Weighing in at 2500+ words, it’s certainly my longest review yet. Also been quite involved in a really interesting thread on the Gamespress forums - it can be seen at http://www2.gamespress.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=613.

For the record, I gave the game 60% after some prolonged thought. Not a travesty, but certainly a huge disappointment. The worst thing to come out of all of this is Atari - I think the review embargo is disgusting. What right have Atari got to blind the consumer from the truth about the product? Absolutely none. Oh dear, I feel another rant coming... Just check out my Worthplaying article here to learn more.

I may also have a second games-related job in the pipeline, but mum’s the word for now... And bad luck Italy - being booted out of Euro 2004 undefeated is tough and I sympathise.

June 20th 2004

Just finished writing what I hope is an interesting article about the whole Driv3r saga. Check it out in the Editorial section. I’m still very disappointed with the game, though once you get to the Istanbul levels things really do pick up. It’s just a shame about the rest of the game really.

Aside from all things Driv3r, I’ve been enjoying the excellent Kuru Kuru Kurunin on the GBA. It’s much like Irritating Stick on the PSOne - a puzzle based affair where you’re required to guide a rotating stick around assorted mazes. Not only is the gameplay first class, but the bizarre cut scenes are as wonderously surreal as you’d expect from an obscure Japanese title. “Mom’s worried about you at home.”, “I wanted to go home, but I also wanted to stay here and eat sweets!” You simply have to love it!

June 18th 2004

Working for a wholesaler has its advantages. For instance, I’ve been playing Driver 3 for the last few days, over a week ahead of release. How is this possible? All will be explained in the Worthplaying article I’ll write this weekend. Atari are trying their damndest to make sure no-one plays or reviews the title before it’s 25^th release date (selling bans, review embargo’s), and the reason is very simple – it’s not finished. It’s shabby, full of glitches and lacking polish. The driving is great, of course, the mini games are fun, but the Undercover mode, the main story, needs way more development.

I’m gutted. The Eurogamer preview suggests that things do improve, and I sincerely hope so because so far I am distinctly unimpressed.

June 16th 2004

Much disruption as of late. A death in the family has slowed things down obviously, though maybe not as much as England’s disgraceful loss to France in the European Cup. I was literally speechless for hours - to be so close to beating the European Champions and then throwing it all away in such a manner is too bitter a pill to swallow. Here’s hoping we make up for it tomorrow against Switzerland.

Game wise it’s all been about Day of Defeat. I still haven’t tired of the buzz of competing against actual opponents, and of shooting my superviser of course! Had a little dabble with Red Dead Revolver (Xbox) but wasn’t overly impressed. Just posted my Gran Turismo 4 Prologue review. It’s a great title that I thoroughly enjoyed playing.
 

June 10th 2004

Much thanks to my mate John from work who, after likening me to Io’s famous Agent 47 of Hitman fame, produced this. Nice work!

Still finding it hard to prize myself away from Day of Defeat. I’m improving, and as I do so does my enjoyment. Currently reviewing Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, which despite being a bit cheeky in my opinion (charging punters for a glorified demo? Please...) is undoubtedly a class act.

June 4th 2004

I’m a happy man - finally got the review done for the dreadful Cy Girls. It’s been hanging over me like a death sentence! Gave it a rather generous 41%.

My gaming experience has somewhat broadened this week as for the first time I’ve delved into online PC gaming. Since I had a copy of Half Life a couple of the guys from work bullied me into trying Day of Defeat. Of course, getting it going wasn’t easy. Something to do with an invalid CD key – basically had to buy another copy of the game. This is exactly the reason why I hate PC gaming. Nonetheless, I must admit that once all was up and running I absolutely loved it! The mouse and keyboard still seem a little perverse and a control method, but I’m getting used to it. You know something’s good when you look up at the clock and realise it’s 1:00 in the morning! That’s happened two nights in a row now. Playing against other gamers is infinitely superior than computer AI, even if I do die every four seconds!

On other fronts, I’ve blagged myself a rather cool copy of Mario vs Donkey Kong for the GBA. We got some US copies in at work and seeing as it still has no set UK release date, I really couldn’t resist. You hearing this Nintendo – the fact it has no PAL release yet makes me want it even more. Your bizarrely tough stance on importing itself breeds a greater desire to import. It’s like banning a film – it makes you want to see it even if you’re not really that interested. Seems like a great game though, like an updated Donkey Kong but a lot more fun. Also grabbed a cheap copy of Metal Slug X for the PSOne, but haven’t touched that thanks to Day of Defeat.

May 28th 2004

You may have noticed a slight site revamp. Wanted it to look a little more lively. Also added a list of my entire games collection, which can be viewed here should you so desire. Also added quick links on the side menu to the left to my latest writings. Below that you’ll see links to all the sites that have supported me so far and those that currently host my reviews.

Been playing a real surprise gem recently - Fight Night 2004 (PS2). Being a big-budget EA title I wasn’t really expecting much but it’s actually a real blast. Excellent controls are the key really. Much in the same way that Tiger Woods re-invented the golf game I’m sure Fight Night has done the same for boxing and you have to applaud EA for that.

May 24th 2004

Owww, it’s so nice to sing a game’s praises for a change. Gamestyle’s forthcoming retro weekend gave me the perfect opportunity to get my Super Mario Kart review done. I so depsperately wanted to give it a 10, but even I have to admit that half of the tracks are total pants. I’m trying for a 9.5 - will have to wait and see what the powers that be decree.

Also secretly getting into the joy of MAME on my PC. Well, at least I would be were it not illegal (cough). Yes, I’m sure it would be great fun playing countless arcade classics from yesteryear like Turtles in Time, Space Invaders and Gradius II. I’m sure it would prove really interesting to compare my recent Magadrive purchases like Runarc and Daruis II to their arcade originals. If I were a criminal I’d probably load it up the minute I’ve done posting this site update. Thank the lord that I always follow the word of the law to the letter. Just like Tony Blair and his illegal war.

Hang on...

May 20th 2004

I’ve finally found another football game that I like, aside from the almighty Pro Evolution Soccer 3 / Winning Eleven 7 – that game is Virtua Striker 3 ver 2002 on the Gamecube. It’s a completely different kettle of fish, but seeing as I’m going through somewhat of an arcade revolution currently, it fits the bill perfectly. Games TM magazine said that they felt This Is Football 2004 was a great arcade footy game, but I’m having none of it. It’s shite, no doubt. Virtua Striker 3, on the other hand, is the perfect arcade football game.

I was naughty today. Very naughty. I’m so skint, but that didn’t stop me from snapping up some ex-display bargains from work. Border Down (DC) was undoubtedly my greatest purchase, and a steal at only £25. Also got copies of Contra (PS2) and Fantavision (PS2). In an extra naughty move I also ordered a copy of Ninja Gaiden (XB) from Ebay AND grabbed a brand new Transformers (PS2) from work. I do wonder why, since I really have neither the money nor the time to play these games, but life is an illogical thing.

I’ve had a quick bash at all except Gaiden and Border Down (only one of the scart sockets on my TV supports 60hz, so I need a scart box to do these games justice). Transformers – amazing graphics for a PS2 title. Seems like a solid game and controlling Optimus Prime is super-cool, though the transforming sound seems wrong to me. Contra – rock hard arcade action, just what I’m into at the moment. Fantavision – just the sort of quirky title I enjoy.

May 18th 2004

Have you ever noticed your taste in games going through phases? Maybe yours don’t, but mine certainly do. At the moment I’m in the grip of a couple of phases - 2D shooters and oddities. It’s either great news or catastrophic (depending on whether you’re one of my gaming chums or my bank manager) that this phase also coincides with a big sale at work, meaning games are both in plentiful supply and pleasantly cheap.

Have you ever thought that you really fancied a night of retro gaming, but when you sit down in front of your 16 bit machine you end up playing for about half an hour before booting up your Xbox again? I’m a real freak for that, but recently I’ve come across some real 16-bit gems for my resurrected Megadrive. Thunderforce IV - what class. Truly wonderful game, as is Darius 2. I’m really loving my 2D shooters currently. I recently picked up Psyvariar for the PS2, which is a great companion for my copies of Ikaruga (GC) and R Type Final (PS2). Also won an auction on Ebay for some Jap MD games and a cartridge converter so I can play them on my PAL machine. I’m impressed with Darius 2, Darwin 4081 and Midnight Resistance, but the game I simply couldn’t put down was Runark (MD). I basically bought the auction for the converter and the shooters. I couldn’t remember Run Ark but I played it right through to the end this evening, though this is not a massive undertaking - took about 30 mins (pretty much the same as Psyvariar. Wasn’t too impressed with Air Diver (MD), but Assault Suit Leynos (MD) seemed cool. Also recently acquired Gigawing and Bangai-O for the Dreamcast, both of which are impressive. How mental is Gigawing? It’s kind of like Ikaruga on speed - not necessarily better, but far more insane.

On the oddities front I’ve picked up a few things from work that i may well not play, but are curious and welcome additons to the collection. Kuri Kuri Mix (PS2) is fantastic but hurts my brain after about 30 seconds. Puyo Pop Fever (GC) and Bombastic (PS2) are both charming in their own way, though i much prefer Mr Moskeeto (PS2) which is a wonderfully original and chirpy title that you really should try. I also really enjoyed Wetrix (DC) that is unlike anything I’ve ever played.

I guess the one word that ties these gaming experiences is ‘arcade’. They are all arcade games, a genre that I’ve perhaps neglected in the past but am now finally appreciating. There are copies of Contra (PS2) and Border Down (DC) sitting by my desk tempting me at work, amongst some other choice titles. i feel myself succumbing to the dark side...

On a more modern front, I’ve also found time to enjoy some more contemporary titles in the weeks I was awy from the site. I’m quite impressed with TOCA 2 (XB) - don’t really understand Edge’s 5/10 rating. Sure, the career structure is floored but the fundamental quality carries it. Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (XB) oozes quality but stealth isn’t really my cup of tea, but I still managed to enjoy it. The same more or less applied to Hitman Contracts (PS2) which I’m currently reviewing, though that’s even less my cup of tea.

I got an awesome Soul Calibur II arcade joystick for my XB/PS2/GC that makes Street Fighter 2 a whole new game. I am enjoying Capcom vs SNK 2 but I’m craving the purity of Street Fighter 2 Anniversary which is due for release imminently. Also out at the moment and criminally missing from my collection is Transformers (PS2). I played a demo sent to me from Atari and was amazed at the graphical performance. You really can pick a distant mountain, transform into a car and check it out. Draw distance and texture quality is outstanding. helpfully, the shooting and play mechanic are also pleasing. As soon as we get some in at work, I’ll be there. Would also love to try that Singstar, though I wouldn’t consider buying it. It also worries me that I haven’t got Ninja Gaiden (XB) yet. When I played the import version I wasn’t too blown-away, but when you read review after review singing the game’s praises you really have to bow to opinion and at least check it out.

May 15th 2004

So, you’ve found us! You may have noticed that the website had not been updated for a long time. Well, I’ve had to move house and I’ve just got got connected (broadband - love it) so I’ve been unable to do any work on the site. I’m back now, however, so updates should continue as normal.

How are things otherwise? Well, turbulent life events aside the gaming part of my life is going well. I’m now in regular receipt of review code from Ferrago, the latest being Hitman Contracts, which I intend to start tonight. I recently submitted my second review to them, This Is Football 2004 which I gave a generous 30%. Yes, it is that bad. What were Games TM thinking when they gave it 8/10? Who knows... Perhaps some sort of severe brain disorder is doing the rounds over there. Incidentally, my first review for Ferrago was I Ninja and I gave that my highest ever score, 75%. Cracking game that just couldn’t really last the distance.

I did take a couple of weeks off from writing my editorials for Worthplaying, but I’ve been back in the groove recently. I find myself very troubled by news of the PSP and DS handhelds this week. Most of the mumblings from E3 seem to be very favourable concerning the DS but I must admit that I’m not convinced. I love Nintendo and I’d hate to see it all go tits up for them, but I’m fearful...

April 17th 2004

Mmm… don’t quite understand this. I did a search on Google to see if their mysterious ‘spider bots’ had found 10^th Art yet (which incidentally they haven’t) and discovered that the number 1 result for a search on Ben Parfitt was my own page on Rottetomatoes.com (which can be seen at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/gauthor-10450). Now, I’ve not registered with Rotten Tomatoes, but it appears that what they do is compile links to reviews for stuff from all across the internet. In this instance they’ve referenced my Everything or Nothing review that appeared on Gamestyle.

I was a little peeved at first, but then I realised that this can only work in my favour. Also, if you do a search on Everything or Nothing in Rotten Tomatoes my review and a quote from it appear amongst a list of writings from all sorts of websites, including the likes of Gamepro, Gamespy, Totalgames.net, IGN.com and Games Domain (that page can be seen here http://www.rottentomatoes.com/g/JamesBond007EverythingorNothing-709750/reviews.php) Actually, my review is by far the harshest out of all of them, which in my eyes only serves to prove my unique eye for bollocks!

It feels like dining with Royalty (except I can only presume these other reviewers aren’t all in-bred simpletons).

Just noticed as well that my review is referenced on Metacritic.com, a site I use really often. It’s so gratifying to see my work on such a great site. Check it out here http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox/jamesbond007everythingornothing/
Notice too that only myself, Edge and GamesTM give the game the 5/10 it deserves. Come on guys - you know you want me working on your mags!

April 16th 2004

I fell kinda guilty, but at the same time I feel kinda important. I got approached by Ferrago.com, a really great looking UK gaming site. They wanted me to write for their site, so I’ve agreed to do some reviews for them. Moments after accepting their offer they offered to send me 4 pieces of review code! And not crappy stuff either – I Ninja, R Racing, This Is Football 2004 and Cy Girls (OK, Cy Girls will no doubt be shite).

Of course though, this means I’m going to have to drop one site. I’m really gutted, but I think I’m going to have to drop Gamer Archive, and we haven’t even got going together yet. It’s a tough decision ‘cos Chris (my contact) is a top bloke, but at the end of the day I have to do what’s right for me.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Gamer Archive. Not at all. It’s just that something had to give and they were it. Worthplaying have been great publishing my editorials and I personally think Gamestyle is an excellent site that could go far. I wasn’t looking for something new but I simply couldn’t turn Ferrago down. I haven’t contacted Chris yet simply ‘cos I don’t know how to say it – I must though.

Anyhow, I’m gonna be lying low for the next few weeks since I’ve got some heavy personal stuff going on that needs my attention. I’ll keep working on the Ferrago reviews but Worthplaying have given me a bit of leave to get stuff straightened. The next few weeks are probably going to be the toughest of my life but things are just taking off for me now and I have to be strong and just keep going.

Life can be a real fucker sometimes.

April 5th 2004

Much celebration! I’ve actually got some review code in the post (MX Unleashed for the PS2), though it’s actually come from Gamestyle surprisingly. Also, Gamerarchive have promised me a steady supply of code once I’m done with the Gamestyle stuff. On top of this, Worthplaying have started making enquiries with European distributors for me! AND the icing on the cake is that Worthplaying have published one of my older articles, which can be seen at http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=17082&mode=thread&order=0

I’m lost for words! Well, obviously I’m not totally lost for words. Hence all of these words. But really I am quite speechless. Well, obviously not totally speechless…

You get the picture

April 1^st 2004

OK, so it’s all finalised and I can reveal the details of my new employers (not that you can call them employers when I’m working voluntarily!).

First off, I’m going to be writing features for www.worthplaying.com, a large US based website. They have an Alexa.com ranking of around 11,000 (compared to Zerovision’s 270,000) so it’s quite a step up for me. If you don’t know, Alexa.com is an Amazon company that ranks websites according the number of hits they receive. For instance, Yahoo has a Alexa.com ranking of 1 since it’s the most popular site in the world (surprisingly – must be those crazy Yanks). Incidentally, Hotmail is ranked 2 and Google is 3^rd. They’re going to work on getting me some review code, but being a US site they need to look into getting PAL stuff which may take some time, though I’ve still got plenty to do for Gamestyle so that’s not a problem. I’m considering getting a chipped PS2 and getting my current Xbox chipped so I can run US software, but financially it’s just not possible at the moment.

Secondly, I’m going to start doing reviews for www.gamerarchive.com. They have a rank of about 74,000 on Alexa.com. Admittedly this is a little lower than another site that offered me a position, but I liked the contact there and I thought the quality of writing was good. They’re also going to offer me some review code, which is great news. Physically they’re based in the States, but there’s a large European wing so PAL code won’t be a problem.

I want to keep Gamestyle up if possible, but three sites may prove too much. At the very least I want to honour the 6 reviews I’m still committed to do, and we’ll see what happens after that. Despite their relatively low Alexa.com rating, personally I think the site is excellent – very well presented, well written and with a large database of reviews.

One thing that is disappointing about all of this was the reaction from Zerovision. Although they were very polite and well wishing on the surface, the underlying stench of bullshit that had pervaded all of my contact with editor Brian Vienneau soon became apparent. After wishing me well, he then went on to say that it was a shame that I was leaving because the reason that he’d been unable to get a features section up and running in the 2 months I’d been writing for them was that they were about to expand and offer some paid positions. Despite smelling the whiff of bollocks instantly, I took the bait and said that I would be prepared to reconsider. Of course, in the five minutes that had passed since I’d told him he had already filled the position, so I was too late. Yeah, right Brian… It’s a real shame, but then they guy is obviously incompetent and probably only 16 years old for all I know.

Still, no need to dwell on such time-wasters, time instead to celebrate the present. Things are starting to look up in my life again. I haven’t been so content for years. To top it all off, I made commission at work for the first time today! Hoorah! Some of the new customers I’ve got seem really promising. We’ll still have to take it week by week, but like everything else at the moment, it’s promising.

March 28^th 2004

What was yesterday’s excitement is now today’s jubilation. I currently have 4 offers of voluntary work from various websites! Three of them have resulted from my self-advertisement on Gamespress. Can you believe it! I’m going to leave my final decision for a few days in case anything else materialises, but either way I’m really chuffed!

I don’t really want to discuss the who’s and why’s until I’ve come to a decision. I will say that a couple of them are offering review code. In my mind I think I know who I’ll go for, but let’s wait and see…

My girlfriend is saying that I should be more confident in my work and start applying for some paid stuff. It’s definitely something that I’ll bare in mind, and once I’ve got some more reviews and articles behind me I think I’ll start attacking potential employers with my CV. All in good time though.

Have been feasting on some R Type this weekend, between review writing and writing job hunting. After playing the relatively relaxing Iridion II (GBA) through to its conclusion for my Gamestyle review (which is now done – good game, 7/10 for the record), R Type III on the GBA seems heartless and brutal! A real reminder of what old-school gaming is really about. I had a similar experience playing Revenge of Shinobi on the Mega CD recently. It was tough. Really tough. And not much fun, if I’m being honest. I barely lasted 15 minutes with Shinobi but I admit that I couldn’t put R Type III down. It may be rough, but it’s undeniably a superb game. I’ve also enjoyed what I’ve seen of R Type Final (PS2) so far, though what’s the deal with the slow-down? Surely the PS2 can handle what R Type is cooking?

March 27^th 2004

I’ve been trying to maintain a stoic optimism in regard to Zerovision’s apparent inability to get their features section, and subsequently my work, onto their website. Today, however, my optimistic bubble popped and I made the decision to approach some other sites to see if I can get my stuff web-published. I e-mailed a couple of my more favoured sites and browsed the forums of GamesPress.com, a website designed for gaming journalists that I recently signed up to.

Amazement and delight engulfed me when only hours later I’d heard back from Gamerarchive.com offering me a position with them! Not only are they willing to host my features, but they’ve also offered me the chance to review for them, and this is backed up with the offer of supplied review code! Result! Although I was happy to buy games to review for Gamestyle I’m obviously pleased to be supplied with games for this purpose. Again, it feels like a step up the ladder of professionalism, and one I’m mighty pleased with.

So, I think I’ll have to drop Zerovision. I’ve decided to honour the reviews I’ve agreed to write for Gamestyle at the very least, though it may still be advantageous for me to not put all my eggs in one basket, so to speak, so I will probably continue to review for both sites. For the record, I haven’t yet accepted the offer from Gamerarchive. Although I fully intend to, I feel I should wait at least a day or two in case any other offers materialise.

In other news, things have changed drastically at work. I was feeling a little frustrated during the week, what with the lack of progress in regard to sales. But one of the fellas from sales decided to quit suddenly on Friday and I’ve inherited all of his customers. Whilst there’s always sadness when profiting from the misfortune of others, especially when the guy in question is such a top fella, it bodes well for my chances of making commission. I may not necessarily be there yet, but I’m certainly a lot closer.

I'll be writing my second review for Gamestyle this weekend hopefully, a game called Iridion II on the GBA. It's a great title, far better than Everything or Nothing, and will probably score a 7 or 8.

March 21st 2004

Excitement! My Everything or Nothing review has been posted on Gamestyle! It’s really rewarding to see my work presented in such a professional manner. The guys from Gamestyle have been really positive about it as well, which is a real plus for me. It’s really got me buzzing since it feels like a big step in the right direction for me. It also makes me hungry to get on with the next one, though I haven’t decided what game I will do next - possibly Iridion II?

I must admit to a little frustration in regard to Zerovision. Although they’ve been very positive and very encouraging, they still haven’t actually got a features section up and running, let alone posted any of my work. I may start flaunting my work around elsewhere on the web and see if anywhere more reliable will take me.

Managed to get hold of a rare PAL copy of Space Channel 5 Part 2 for the PS2 from Ebay. To be honest, I don’t rate the SC5 games too highly in gameplay terms, but like Kill BIll, the whole package is just so stylish that I can’t help but adore it.

Oh, and I decided that it would have been morally wrong not to offer the Megadrive and Mega CD bundle a spot by the fire in our flat, so to speak. I haven’t had the chance to test it out yet though. The obvious reason for this is that I don’t actually have any Megadrive games, but even if I had the tool who sold it to me at work gave me the wrong power supply and RF lead. I’ll have to raid the warehouse tomorrow. Looking on Ebay, though, there’s very little to excite me on the Megadrive, especially not when you compare it to the number of gems available on the SNES. If I reckon I can sell it on for more than it cost me I may well sell it off on Ebay straight away. I’ve already decided that I need to trim the collection down a little, partly to pacify the missus who is finding my obsession quite tough to live with, and partly as a kind of ritual right of passage to demonstrate my understanding that I really do need to begin growing up. This doesn’t mean less gaming as such, but it means a more responsible attitude to money (saving some of it, in other words) and to home-related responsibilities.

The result of this epiphany was the decision to sell my N64 and Dreamcast, though when the time came I couldn’t actually bring myself to abandon the N64, but the Dreamcast is definitely going. It’s a great machine the boasts some superb games, but realistically since I finished Seaman I haven’t really touched it, and there aren’t any other games that I had my eye on. I had been outbidded a couple of times on copies of Street Fighter III 3^rd Strike, but now Capcom have announced it’s coming to PS2, though no PAL confirmation as yet. Anyhow, the long process of listing all of DC stuff on Ebay awaits, though not this week. There are actually quite a few strong new releases this week, so the market for 2^nd hand stuff is bound to suffer.

March 17th 2004

Finished the Everything or Nothing review at last. Turned out to be a little epic in proportion. I always had that problem at uni – keeping the word count down. I mean, why say in 10 words what can be said in 50, right? For the record, I gave it 5/10.

Picked up a rare copy of R Type 3 for the GBA a couple of days ago from work. There’s still no planned PAL release date, so it may well turn into a bit of a collectors item some day. I’m having to work hard to resist some of the temptations at work, purchase wise. I could have quite happily snapped up copies of Winning 11 Advanced, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, Yoshi’s Island and Zone of the Enders today, all for the GBA. There’s a Megadrive and Mega CD (original model) bundle sitting on the desk next to me at work at the moment. It’s gonna be taken away for sale by noon tomorrow unless I decide to fork out £40 on it. It’s a great bit of kit, real piece of gaming history. But I’m soooooooooooo skint…

Talk about a dilemma!

March 14th 2004

So, a new look for the site! I kind of had a soft spot for the barcode design we previously used on 10th Art, but felt a change was needed. I can easily change back if I have a change of heart.

Finally finished Everything or Nothing (Xbox) so the good news is that I won’t have to play it again. Ever! To be fair, it wasn’t an awful game, and later levels were an improvment on some of the earlier ones. But the game was so painfully average in every capacity. It excelled in absolutely nothing, other than in making the most of the expensive Bond license. I will write the Gamestyle review some time in the week. For what it’s worth, the game is heading for a 5/10, or a 6 if I’m in a good mood that night!

Put in an early claim to review Harvest Moon: It’s A Wonderful Life (Gamecube) on Gamestyle when that comes out later in the month. I’ve never played a HM game before, but it looks vaguely similar to Animal Crossing, so therefore I’m hoping it will be superb. Should be a more chilled out experience than EON at least.

The arcade crawl didn’t go quite to plan - the guys from work just wanted to get drunk, but I managed to sneak a go of Outrun 2 on my way home. It was ok, good fun, but far from the revolutionary experience that some had spoke of. I can see why Sega have been reluctant to translate it to the home format - some Japanese guy had a go after me and completed it in about 5 minutes.

March 9th 2004

When people ask me what I want to do when I get older (the exact definition of older is still up for debate) I say I want to be a video games journalist. It is for this reason that I intend to approach my new role as a games reviewing with the utmost professionalism.

Therefore, I am determined to finish the game that is subject to my first Gamestyle review - Everything or Nothing (Xbox), before I attempt to review the product. If there's one thing I've learnt from reading all those hundreds of games mags in my life, it's the importance of knowing a game well before attempting to comment on it.

I'm not especially enjoying EON so far, so I admit that the temptation to review it without bothering to complete it is immense. And it's definitely do-able as well. I could easily paint a convincing picture by combining my own experience with things I've read in other reviews from the web.

But that's not the point. If the day ever arrives where I do this for a profession, then I want to be experienced in doing things properly. And being realistic, EON is easy going. I almost volunteered to review Final Fantasy Tactics (GBA) as my initial project, until I thought "What the hell are you doing?" I've just started a new job, I have to sleep and wash and stuff - all of these things would need to be sacrificed in order to play that game through all the way!

OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it would certainly take a lot more work than EON. I've already signed up for some other reviews:

* Super Mario Kart (SNES)
I know this game like the back of my hand, so reviewing it should be a real joy!

* Beyond Good and Evil (PS2)
At last I'll get round to playing this since snapping it up for £19.99 in the GAME sale. I'm really looking forward to it, though it'll probably be my toughest reviewing assignment.

* Iridion 2 (GBA)
God knows how I'll get on with this - if it's anything like Ikaruga I won't be able to get beyond the second level!

* Colin McRae 2.0 (GBA)
Should be more easy going, though maybe a little dull!

And on top of this I need to find the time to get back into my Zerovision feature writing. My goodness! No time on Saturday either because some of the guys from work are taking me on an arcade tour of London. I really should have played Outrun 2 (Arcade) by now, and this will soon be rectified.


March 6th 2004

Who'd have thought that when I got my first NES for Christmas back in... erm... I dunno, nineteen-eighty-something, that twenty years later games would literally be consuming my whole life.

And now it goes a stage further. As well as writing features for Zerovision, I'm soon to begin writing reviews for Gamestyle. This means that playing games is to take on a very different tone.

To review a game properly you really need to have played it through to its conclusion (or at least seen the vast majority of it), and as a consequence gaming changes from a casual 'drips and drabs' past time to an actual commitment that requires discipline.

It also means that I need to possess the games that the site needs reviewing. In the future I may be able to blag review copies from the distributor, once I have a library of web-published reviews, but until then I'm going to have to buy these myself. Fortunately, this should prove notably cheaper now I'm working for New Age, and I should also be able to get some games before release. I hope Edge is taking note of my dedication!

So now I spend all day selling games and talking about games at work, then I come home and play them or write about them.

Are obsessions of this magnitude healthy?


March 3^rd 2004

Busy busy busy. Just got back from holiday in Lanzarote. A lovely time was had by all - there’s some amazing volcanic landscapes over there. It was bloody hot in the sun, but as soon as the sun went in, the bracing Atlantic breezes meant that it could go from neck-burning hot to testicle-shrinking cold in the blink of an eye!

As soon as I got back I started the new job at New Age Consoles, so as you can imagine, things have been hectic. Starting any new job is hectic and it always takes a few weeks to settle down. It’s especially difficult when you’re working in sales and none of the customers you’ve been given want to buy anything! But I will trust in the force and keep faith.

More excellent news awaited me upon my return to these freezing shores when I discovered that I’ve been offered another writing role with Gamestyle (www.gamestyle.net). I still don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing for them, but it’s all good! Hopefully it will compliment my feature writing for Zerovision nicely.


February 10^th 2004

If you’ve been to the site before then you’ll notice that I’ve made some changes recently. Things are quite exciting for me at the moment. Those kind and respectable people at New Age Consoles (www.newageconsoles.com) have been decent enough to offer me a job in their wholesaling division in the sales team starting in March. I’m really chuffed about this ‘cos it means at long last I’ll have a job that I actually care about and want to be doing – it only took 25 years to get there! Another bit of great news recently came my way when I was offered the chance to write voluntarily as a European Features / News Writer for a Canadian website, www.zerovision.net. Head to their features section to see my work, or check it out here on the site. So, things are definitely on the up! Hoorah!!

Unfortunately, this means that I won’t have the time to do all of the things that I wanted to with the 10^th Art Games website. As much as I was enjoying updating the news section daily, it was proving to be very time consuming and there’s no way that I will have enough time to write for both Zero Vision and 10^th Art Games. The few weeks’ worth of news that I did manage to compile can still be viewable by clicking here, but I won’t be updating it any longer.