S.C.G

Personally I'd say it's best to only go digital when you absolutely have to, Plus games? Fine. Downloadable only? OK then. £49.99 digital but only £19.99 retail? Not a chance in hell! (Sale prices are fair enough, most of the time the digital "retail" games are a rip-off though) If physical games disappeared for good then we'd certainly mourn their loss - I would anyway - besides even when you get a physical PS4 game you still need to install most of it, buying it digitally just means you have to install the rest as well plus you wouldn't be able to sell them, which is what I'm considering doing with a few titles I have already; keeping most of them though.

Being that it's digital only, I'm going to wait and at least see what others think about it first, it'll be a Plus title eventually... which I know isn't really the best way to look at it but with everything else I have on my backlog it would be pointless me buying this right away. Now that I've read a bit more about the game, understand the reasoning behind the name a bit more and admittedly drooled over the visuals while being intrigued by the story; I'm certainly interested. It might not be a game that I originally bought the PS4 for but after having one for a while, the steady flow of retail titles plus downloadable experiences such as this definitely make me glad to have purchased one. : peace:

From your perspective in that you seem to be mostly buying digital games due to the extortionate prices where you are on physical games - if I'm understanding your situation correctly - I would say that Darksiders II is almost certainly worth buying for £9.99 as it is a good game. But go into it with the perspective that it will be a one-off enjoyable experience because sadly we won't be seeing any more games in the series as THQ went down the pan a while ago, I have both titles on the Xbox 360, otherwise I'd have considered this as well. Also regarding Legend of Kay Anniversary, I have it, plan to review it but haven't unsealed it yet as I'm working on other reviews but I'll see about playing it within the next few weeks, by which time it will probably be cheaper anyway. Hope this helps. : peace:

Splatoon £21.99 http://www.rakuten.co.uk/shop/go2games/product/VWIIUSW48/?l-id=gb_search_product_8

Played Splatfest for an hour, had my fill... Nothing wrong with the game, I just sometimes have to feel in the mood to play it, Splatfests just makes me feel obligated to play, they are fine though, it's nice that they go to the effort of putting them on but I just don't feel compelled to keep playing for ages when I've other games to play. : peace:

Raining I'm truly sorry to hear about Betty. I can't imagine how heart-breaking it must be for you and your family. *hugs* We lost one of our cats to the road when he was just two so I have some understanding of what it's like, but still, awful news, I'm genuinely saddened to hear it.

No words... just the summation of my reaction by usage of Dave Grohl gifs. Congratulations! : peace:

I ordered it because it was cheap - in relative terms anyway - but haven't got around to unsealing it yet, but I am planning on writing a review for it at some point, it's just not top of the list at the moment. It does look good though so I shall no doubt investigate it further soon... : peace:

I reckon we'll see them in places like WH Smiths, I seem to recall them selling Kid Icarus cards and the binder as well, so there's no reason why places like that wouldn't be able to sell them if they are supplied in boxes of 36 packs or whatever the standard amount is these days for booster packs. I can remember buying two boxes of Twilight Princess trading cards direct from an online supplier back in the day, cheapest way to buy them.

Time for another edition of... Rare Replayed #2 Welcome to Rare Replayed, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful works of Rare detailing the games contained within the recently released Rare Replay. Written by Sam C Gittins So where does a developer go after creating Jetpac? One seemingly small step for the Stamper Brothers in a bold new direction which would prove to be a giant leap for an emerging industry, that's where. Anyway enough from me and on with the game! Available in this edition we have... Lunar Jetman Publisher: Ultimate Play The Game Developer: Tim & Chris Stamper Released: 1983 System: ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Xbox One When it came to making a sequel for Jetpac it seems that the core mechanics from the original title were taken, then incorporated into something bigger which involved travelling either left or right across an alien landscape - namely the Moon - upon which your objective is to destroy their base before it obliterates Earth! You'll need to use everything at your disposal in order to complete your mission including piloting your Lunar Lander vehicle to get you there in addition to using bombs to blow up the base when you're within range; but even as you succeed in this task don't stop to celebrate for there is another base to destroy elsewhere on this hostile planet. Essentially the gameplay revolves around getting the vehicle to a certain point but you will find yourself falling back on the gameplay mechanics when it comes to clearing some enemies out of your way when you need to get out of the Lunar Lander in order to clear the way for it, because being that this is an alien planet there are lots of craters so you'll need to get out frequently so you can place some metal girders down to cross the gap but rather amusingly you can actually exit and enter the vehicle repeatedly which does actually nudge it forward ever so slightly eventually getting you over the hole anyway if you're persistent; I don't know if this was intentionally left in the game but I was certainly glad to have the extra exploit available as it adds to the charm as well. It is believed that there are no less than ninety-nine levels in Lunar Jetman if I understand it correctly as it seems to loop after a point yet supposedly you can keep playing though the counter won't go any higher, as for how long you decide you play well that's up to you but it's clear that Ultimate liked to give their fans value for money, if it helps there is Milestone - seemingly five for each title in Rare Replay - for reaching level ten so I would say you'd be doing well to get that far especially without assists, then you have the snapshots which add in even more fun by putting you in predetermined situations with a set target to beat, these are really well put together complementing the main game perfectly. There's a decent variety of enemies as you destroy more bases, some come in the shape of rotating discs while others resemble flying square slabs, amoebas plus more besides, in fact as the complexity of the enemy designs increases the game is prone to slowing down particularly at the bases which becomes evident the moment you manage to bomb one making the action revert back to normal speed. It's evident that this is a game which was pushing the hardware to its limits at the time, it might not look like much now but the fact that it's perfectly programmed means that if you get hit by an enemy then it will usually be down to you making a mistake which makes accepting it easier before trying again; alternatively because this is Rare Replay you can hold down the left trigger to rewind the action a few sections and if you really can't handle the imposed limits then you can even take the timer off in the options which might seem like cheating to some but when putting together this collection it was obviously a valid consideration that some of these titles might prove a little too taxing to gamers who perhaps hadn't grown up with this early era of gaming so at least it gives everyone a chance to at the very least experience it in one form or another. Maintaining that clean graphical style fuelled by technical limitations, all of the background is black which suits the space theme while Jetman along with his vehicle is rendered in white - save for the top part and the bomb which are light blue - with all enemies clearly identifiable by colour making it easier to see when new foes arrive on screen; it's all of the small details which make this game so charming though such as the rotating wheels on the Lander or the rotating array on top of the enemy base which shows the extra lengths the Stamper Brothers went to as they clearly took pride in their work. No music to speak of but I found using custom soundtrack worked nicely, interestingly the works of Yuzo Koshiro seemed to go really well with the frenetic on-screen action with the laser blast and enemy kill sounds serving as extra percussion on some of the tracks; otherwise though most of the sounds from Jetpac are still here plus the phasing sound effect used when you step through a portal is very pleasing. Lunar Jetman doesn't just represent an important part in development history for the early days of these pioneers, but it also led the way as you can see how many other developers of the same era would be influenced by some of the amazing feats of programming and graphic work achieved here; you can even see how many of the visual cues which were first seen here then went on to be used in later games no to mention the life symbol which I can vividly recall later being used in Knight Lore from when I played it back in the day. This game is certainly well programmed with controls that have real weight to them, it's still very enjoyable as well and personally I ended up sinking a good few hours into it including all of the extra challenges though your mileage may vary depending on how you choose to play; however you look at it though this is certainly a title which shows extraordinary progress in a relatively short amount of time being that it was released in the same year as their previous work, not to be complacent though Ultimate didn't just stop there as this represents merely the very beginning. Verdict : Lunar Jetman succeeds in surpassing Jetpac by providing a progressively natural evolution to a revolution in gaming. That's it for this instalment of Rare Replayed which will hopefully return again soon. So until then, enjoy whichever titles you decide to play and Game On! (All logos and images used are properties of their respective owners)

Annnd I'm in! Three software restarts and a console reset later...

I've added you on Skype @Cube just updated the game, hopefully see you all online in a minute. : peace: Updated, reloaded game, not online for some reason, trying again now. Error still, time to turn the Wii U off and on again...

I might join for a bit at 8PM as it looks like there will be a space available at that time, if I do then I'll probably play for an hour or so before going off to play other games.

Admittedly I haven't played Rocket League yet, but even I made sure I got it purchased via the website in time. I suppose if a game doesn't appeal to you at all then even having it for free possibly won't sway you but the way I see it is... I'm paying for Plus, the games are a free with plus so I might as well at least get them while they are available even if I don't download them or feel like playing any of the titles immediately. : peace: The other side of it though is I see plenty of downloadable titles come out, take one look at it and think to myself... "It's good... but... it'll be on Plus within a few months, maybe I'll just wait." It has proved to be a good tactic thus far.

It has indeed, the Wii U VC has five at last count I believe... Donkey Kong 64 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Paper Mario Super Mario 64 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time While now on the Xbox One has seven thanks to Rare Replay... Banjo-Kazooie Banjo-Tooie Blast Corps Conker's Bad Fur Day Jet Force Gemini Killer Instinct Gold Perfect Dark Crazy times we're living in! But a good time to be a multi-platform gamer, in fact I'd go as far to say that my Xbox One purchase is now justified, for me at least. : peace:

This one took a while but here it is... VC Weekly #348 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time : peace:

It's funny you should mention that... While I was playing through I had an idea for a forum exclusive set of reviews, so for a bit of fun I present to you... Rare Replayed #1 Welcome to Rare Replayed, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful works of Rare detailing the games contained within the recently released Rare Replay. Written by Sam C Gittins What better place than at the very beginning, every great games company started off somewhere and for the Stamper Brothers who originally formed Ultimate Play the Game - which would then go on to become Rare - this was it. Anyway enough from me and on with the games! Available in this edition we have... Jetpac Publisher: Ultimate Play The Game Developer: Tim & Chris Stamper Released: 1983 System: ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore VIC-20, N64, Wii U, Xbox One So here we have the very first game ever released by Ultimate, the company which would then go on to become the Rare name that we've associated with many great games through the ages, Jetpac has you taking on the role of Jetman who is a space explorer who visits planets while fighting off hostile alien life-forms, his rocket must be pieced together before being filled with fuel so he can take off in order to land on the next planet. Such a simple premise for a game yet it's perfect as you have just enough story to go on which gives you - the player - a purpose while the motivation simply comes from playing. There are three platforms which the required parts will often drop onto plus there are other items of high value which you can opt to grab for some points which in turn will grant you extra lives, moving around the area is a simple case of pressing one button to activate your thrusters while using another button to shoot down enemies which will go after you. It's simple enough to pick up as you'll instinctively know what to do though anyone who hasn't grown up with these titles may struggle initially there is a handy 'Rewind' feature which allows you to wind back a bit which is perfect if you carelessly lose a life and is a brilliant alternative to simply using restore points which also exist within the Rare Replay collection but are more used for reloading a game you may have started but wish to finish later. Dodging the enemies while shooting them down is fun as the controls are very well implemented, you can opt to use the left control stick but the d-pad seems to be more precise even if it isn't perfect on the Xbox One controller which is a shame though it's not insurmountable; after you've got your bearings you'll probably realise that you can drift over from one side of the screen to the other being that it uses a wrap around technique meaning that the game doesn't have clearly defined borders. Once you have assembled your rocket the subsequent levels only have you grabbing the fuel but the rocket changes every five levels meaning you have to build your new cosmetically different rocket before repeating the process, you then just keep playing until you've either had your fill of the game or once you've used up your lives as the enemies change every stage but revert back to the first type after a while; possibly the best addition is the milestones which are effectively the achievements for the game which reward you for your gradual progress in such endeavours as number of enemies killed or levels cleared as this definitely adds some longevity, plus the challenges add some new ways to play. Technical limitations of the hardware seemed to bring about a very assured style from Jetpac onwards which would then become one of Ultimate's trademarks, by keeping the main character along with the rocket in white against the pure black background not only made sure that you'd know where you were on the screen at all times, it meant that blocks of basic colour could be used for everything else including the platforms and the enemies making for a simple yet striking aesthetic which works really well. While there is no real background music to speak of, there's at least a handful of sound effects including the laser, death sound, item pickup plus the unmistakable sound of the rocket taking off and landing which is absolutely priceless when combined with the utterly charming animation. For a first game coded from scratch by one man while the graphics were handled by the other, the Stamper Brothers should be applauded for creating such a smash hit title which would later go on to form a lasting legacy, even spawning several sequels. Jetpac is the perfect example of a basic concept which has been superbly executed, as a result it's still very playable even today offering fleeting moments of fun in an industry which has become increasingly dominated by many a blockbuster; but now that the tides have been turning with the rise of more independent titles, this is one of those games that deserves to find a greater audience than its original following as many more gamers now have the chance to enjoy this classic piece of videogame history from the excellent emerging era of videogames which is why in many ways it's the perfect starting point for anyone playing Rare Replay for the first time, sometimes it's good to start at the beginning. Verdict : Jetpac is just purely fun to play for all the right reasons. That's it for this instalment of Rare Replayed which will hopefully return again soon. So until then, enjoy whichever titles you decide to play and Game On! (All logos and images used are properties of their respective owners)

So the next Splatfest is next weekend then? If so I may well join in, still liking the game but I've been taking a break from it of late as I have just so much to play and review, which is a good thing.

I've only just now got around to listening to it as I write my reviews, I'm just under halfway through the first disc and it has me grinning from ear to ear. It really makes you appreciate just how much effort went into creating such a sublime soundtrack to what is for me personally the defining entry in the Mario Kart series, obviously the original still holds a special place in my heart but Mario Kart 8 is certainly the culmination of what the series has been leading up to for a long time now. There's such diversity in the music tracks as well owing to them having so many fantastic composers and musicians working together to produce something which really takes advantage of the high quality linear PCM sound which the Wii U is capable of while not forgetting the roots of what makes the series so unforgettable to listen to just as it is to watch and indeed play. : peace: Such a joyous soundtrack which is as much a celebration of Nintendo as it is of Mario Kart as a whole.

I'm sorry to hear that. I feel sorry for the driver of the train as well as the friends & family of the guy, I can't even begin to fathom doing something like that so he must have been going through something really tough to have taken those measures.

I've just started installing the game, the moment you insert the disc and attempt to load it, you get ten items added to the queue which is the collection itself and the following titles which were already released as Xbox 360 games... Banjo-Kazooie Banjo-Tooie Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts Jetpac Refueled Kameo Elements of Power Perfect Dark Perfect Dark Zero Viva Pinata Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise This makes sense seeing as Microsoft are now going to be making Xbox 360 games playable on the Xbox One, these all appear as if they are separate games so perhaps it just means that if you own Rare Replay then you get to play these games again earlier than they will made available to play from the original discs but perhaps you need the disc to launch them all, this would make sense as otherwise you could just lend someone the game and they could just get all of the above titles for free. It makes me wonder though, being that 10,000 gamerscore is advertised, if the achievements for all of the aforementioned titles remain the same then that would account for 5800 of the achievements assuming that each of the retail titles comes to 1000 each with the XBLA titles amounting to 200 a piece. Perhaps it's all different though, in any case it's all installing at the moment with the XBLA titles taking around a minute to install with the retail titles being larger but still only taking around 5 minutes per game plus the Rare Replay disc only taking minutes as well; for the whole thing to be installed within half an hour is rather impressive considering the amount of content. According to my hard drive on the console I did have around 199GB left while I'm now down to 172GB - at the moment - so that seems to suggest that the whole package is a fair few GB, I've yet to see how it's all put together and how the games play but so far this seems to represent excellent value for money, especially for anyone who managed to nab it for little over £15 by pre-ordering early. Will report back when I've played a few titles. : peace:

Announced at E3 2015 during Microsoft's press conference and officially released on August 4th 2015, Rare Replay is a collection of 30 games from the developer's long history all available on a single disc, exclusively for Xbox One. I just got my copy in the post today - thanks ShopTo! - so I'll be playing this weekend for certain, who else is buying this collection and if so... ...what will you be playing first? Knight Lore for me! : peace:

So... the Wii U. Regardless of the state of retail releases - which have been more frequent of late anyway - there are some genuine classic Virtual Console games available for it now, just the edition of VC Weekly that I'm still writing has Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon which is an amazing remake of a game which we didn't even get in Europe until this came out on the DS and is expensive to buy in physical form, then we have Advance Wars 2: Black Hole rising which is one of the best titles in the series in my eyes which I recall completing fully back in the day but being able to play it on the big screen for the first time in addition to the Gamepad is nothing short of a revelation as is the case for all portable strategy games. Finally we only have The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time... re-released for the fourth(?) time technically yes but it's still outstanding even if it appears dated in some places. I'm about to load it up now so I can get some screen-shots for my review but I suspect I'll end up playing it for a fair bit... to the end? Maybe... then again I might end up finally turning on my PS4 for the first time in weeks in a bit so that I can invest some time in The Witcher 3 which does have a lot to be said for it even in the short time I devoted to the game when it initially arrived which was a couple of hours. Here I am not trying to fuel any off-topic discussion but to merely put across my perspective of these titles from having played games on both machines, there are plenty of reasons to play on either console, the issue I have is spreading that time equally as it never seems to work out. Even if I was still to stick with playing on my Wii U exclusively I have at least five games I can think of off the top of my head which I've only really dipped into, most of which are platformers yes but that's fine because I know where to go should I feel the urge to play one; yet on my PS4 I also have criminally untouched titles which definitely deserve my attention, it just depends on when I'm swayed in either direction. : peace: But for many games across all platforms I have a great amount of affection.

Nice, six more games I don't already have, three I might play, when I get around to it. Playstation Plus is almost too good sometimes.

I'm not even considering upgrading to Windows 10 at the moment, I'll let others test the water and even if I feel compelled to I still wouldn't bother until upgrading the RAM at the very least in my already technically out of date three year old PC which wouldn't have been designed to run this software in the first place and even before that I'd make an extensive backup. I stuck with Windows XP for however long it was out for until Windows 7 was 'on the way out' and only then did I upgrade to a Windows 7 machine 3 years ago after seeing the horror story which is Windows 8 which I deemed to be totally useless for Desktop PC's. At least Windows 10 attempts to bring back some of the original basic functionality that they shouldn't have taken away in the first place but I'm betting it will be far from being a stable enough platform to use for a little while yet.