What with my birthday being exactly 2 weeks after christmas (for those of you who are mathematically challenged, that's the 8th of January) there is always the possibility of a joint xmas and birthday present.

This year i got a 360 :D Along with viva pinata, forza 2 and the simpsons game. None xbox 360 related i also got half life 2 the orange box for pc, the horrors - strange house, russel brand's booky wook, and some clothes. After hooking up my xbox 360 and racing around a few laps of forza 2 my christmas was made, even on my old 15" sony (which happens to have seen more christmases than me by one) the games still look great. I think my ps2 and gamecube have finally found a new shiny box to sit with them. (never liked the first xbox)

However, there is strong correlation between an awesome christmas present and then not having much to open come my birthday, with any luck i might get a cake. But who cares by the time my birthday comes my new fresh from the sales 26" hd tv will be here :D and my gaming will be in razor sharp resolution. Other january sales wonders include bioshock and halo 3, my expenditure might be slightly higher than my income for this month...

On a less festive note first module AS exams start the day after my birthday. So for the while instead of homework occasionally being interspersed into gaming it is all revision with the occasional trip to see my pinata garden or play through another level of half life. bring on january 15th when exams are over and my life can resume.

"Welcome to rapture"

As i have finished my GCSEs (national tests for 16 year olds) I was lucky enough to get an extended summer holiday. Glorious, you'd think, 4 more weeks in the sun, at the beach, outside. Exactly what you wish you are doing in the last few weeks of the school term. But alas, true to form, english summer rain has set in. With some places further west suffering severe floods. Needless to say it hasn't been the best weather to be outside.

But, cooped up inside, i have decided to complete the piles of games i have bought and not had the time to play. I have still yet to go "next gen" but with any luck soon i'll have to as all the games i want for my current systems will be exhausted. However, a little more sun would be good, as my current videogame pursuit is neither that sociable, or very energetic. The most excersise i get some days is swivelling on my desk chair 90 degrees to the right to go on my computer for msn, internet etc. and then swivel back to the left and carry on playing games.

There has been some sunnier days, which i have spent outside, and a few days where we have had to dash for shelter as near biblical rain showers come from nowhere; but currently i'm thankful for my trusty PS2/DS/Gamecube.

Bring on the sun.

Games i have completed in the first 3 weeks of the summer:

-Okami (from the start - a good 50 hours)

-Shadow of the Collosus (finished normal time attack and hard mode as well)

-Viewtiful Joe 2

-Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (not exactly a long game, but, whatever.)

-Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War

More to be added...

5. The Dreamcast -

Played my friends LOADS it really paved the way for the generation that was to follwo and also had some very good games such as shenmue, virtua tennis/fighter, sonic adventure, powerstone and SOUL CALIBUR!!! PLus without the Dreamcast the xbox wouldn't have had a controller to mimic :P

 

4. Nintendo 64 -

Although beaten by the PSone the n64 had many immenses games. Goldeneye, Mario 64, Legend of Zelda OoT and MM, Donkey Kong 64 etc. If you have a wii it is worth picking up some of these old classics on the virtual console.

 

3. Playstation One -

The original playstation truly brought gaming to the masses, with more "adult" games videogames stoppped being the retreat of geeks and became cool. If it wasn't for the PSOne the industry would never have been as big as it is now for better or for worse. It also brought Final Fantasy to the masses. Not just that italso had some immense games: RE2, FFVII, VIII and IX, Tekken, the birth of pro skater, oddworld, not to mention the mighty GRAN TURISMO!!! and some of the better fifa games. O crap and Metal Gear Solid

 

2. SNES -

The snes revitalised gaming as it became less popular. It also gave the GBA a great selection of games to remake. Super Metroid is the standout title of the system by far, although this is in my list the SNES was almost completely last generation when i started gaming.

 

1. Playstation 2  -

 First things first i do have a preference for sony, but there is a reason the PS2 has THE best catalogue of games of any system ever....ever. Spawning several new series such as: Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, Devil May Cry, God of War and Timesplitters. Even the early launch games were good for example SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament. It also brought about possibly the most important game of the generation GTA III. Ever since it was made there was no looking back, loads of imitators followed but none surpassed the original. It also had some of the more inovative games of the generation such as Okami, parapa the rapper, guitar hero, ico and shadow of the collosus. It would take me a very long time to detail all the good games released, so let's leave it at this -  there is a reason this is the highest selling console of all time, and it isn't DREs

 

What with all the hype of the PS3 getting up steam, the 360 building on its success and the wii's inovation, it has still been the faithful PS2 that has churned out the goods so far this year (especially for UK residents).

In the last few months in the UK we have seen the release of Okami, FFXII and there is still God of War and Rogue galaxy still to come. I actually have so many new games that i can't physicaly play them all. May the good times roll, and in before the end of the PS2s lifespan we still have Burnout, Tomb Raider, Brian Lara 2007 and the odd few JRPGs. There is also the shady title of Manhunt 2 sure to bait the Daily mail readers and Jack Thompson's of the world once again.

No DREs, no overheating and no malfunctions. My ps2 has served the last 5 years in styl3 (for some reason this word is modded...who knows) and still has life in it yet :D

Well i am now entering the last few weeks of my compulsory school education!! As great as it sounds it basically means lots of revision, coursework and free time destruction. But all is not lost i recently got Okami and it is awesome! Viva last gen!

As i have exams it also means i get an extra long summer holiday which will be awesome and hopefully allow me to claw back my social life after having school destroy it.

I will also be doing volunteer work in hospitals etc. as i am hoping one day to become a doctor and take medicine at university.


Roll on the summer.

My dad is going to run the london marathon this year and has trained really hard and is trying to earn some money for cancer research. Please help him in acheiving his goal, thank you.

http://www.justgiving.com/stevesmedley2007flm

I am planning to own all the next gen consoles and i think i will start with a 360 as it currently has the best catalogue of games. However, i don't have a High Def tv...in fact i have a small 15" portable TV...Are the games still going to look good on an old TV? Also there is now news that microsoft might be doing what MS fanboys have criticised other companies of before and releasing an updated version of their consiole. The rumour is that it will be a 360 with the improved 65nm chip that was already planned but also with HDMI ports and a 120gb harddrive. Alledgedly called the xbox 360 zephyr.
(http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/?p=1597)

It all leaves me kind of feeling that i should just wait. I also thought about picking upa Wii, but their is only Zelda and Wii Sports out that are worth buying and the Q1 line-up for the Uk is terrible...

Looks like my trusty PS2 is going to have to troop on for a few more months, but it has served me well 4 1/2 years no DREs or anything. Until rumours end i think i am just going to continue completing my PS2 games and picking up the last few gems in its catalogue.

P.S if anyone does play a 360 on an old skool..and a little bit rubbish telly, can they tell me what it is like.

Welcome to the world of fast cars, drift turns and backgrounds that blur ever so slightly at the edges. Many have succeeded and many more have tried to emulate them. here are my favourites
1. Gran Turismo (1 and 4 especially)
Quite simply the most realistic driving experience available, maybe not the most realistic crashing experience ever but the driving mechanics are spot on. The games always feature a wealth of cars that would put a 20 floor multi-storey car park to shame.
Forza, GTR and PGR have given GT some competition but for realuistic, challenging, accurate driving there really is no alternative.

2. Burnout
When it first arrived on the driving scene it offered something different. Awe inspiring crashes and immense speed...however the formula was not perfect. Then came burnout 3 and ushered in a new age of arcade racing games. The new ability to shunt opposing cars and cause havoc made the game impossible to put down, with new modes based soley on causing havoc and an online mode, the king of arcade racers was born.

3. Mario Kart (SNES and DS particularly)
The one and only Kart racing game. many have tried to copy it, but few were succesful. The best Mario spinoff game series in existence featuring everyone's favourite locations and characters. Aside from the gamecube version, every game has had great multiplayer which really lets it shine. Always balanced, close and bound to lead to arguments. (the gamecube version is just to unbalanced for my liking).

4. Driver 1 and 2 (PSOne)
Back when driver was just that, driving. Truly revolutionary for its time featuring high speed get aways and mission based driving. Paved the way for future titles such as GTA. One of the original playstation's finest.

5. Wipeout
In my opinion superior to F-Zero but only just. The game features mario kart style power ups and weapons but in a speedier, futuristic environment. The game is great on PSP and one of the few stand out titles from its launch, with any luck a PS3 version is being made.

Honourable mentions
F-Zero - Not a good enough sense of speed nor movement to beat wipeout but superb nonetheless.
Ridge Race - Riiiidge racer!
PGR, Forza, GTR

Beat 'em ups...at times simplistic button mashers  but when done properly they have depth and skill required o be good. Easy to pick up and play but difficult to master.

Virtua Fighter (3,4)
Obviously this game had to be in here as it is the conoiseur of fighting games' number one choice. The game can literally take years to become good at and is taken very seriously in japan. The fighting is very well balanced and buttonmashers rarely prevail. Virtua Fighter 5 looks set to continue this trafition onto PS3.

Soul Calibur (soulblade as well on PSone)
Adds weapons to the beat em up formula, and the most successful.  One of the best Dreamcast games to be released and then a major hit on PS2, GCN and Xbox. The graphics are the best seen in fighting games ('cept for maybe DOA) and there are cool effects as weapons clash. The game is deep and requires skills and strategy to be properly good. Soul Calibur 3 offered more of the same but this time exclusively to PS2. A worthy addition to the series.

Street Fighter 3
Me and my friends once played this all night on our Psone (not the original snes version). requiring extremely dextrous fingers and dedication. No 2d fighter has ever been as close to perfection as this.

Tekken
one of the PSones killer apps and one of the best fighters of its generation. It is no surprise the series is still going strong today with a great PSP title and more planned for PS3. Well balanced, hard to master and everyone who has played it has their own favourite character.

Honourable Mentions
Powerstone (DC)-cool make your own weapons feature
DOA-2 and 4 are great with a good reversal system
Mortal Kombat-gory...
Super Smash Bros. - great fun with friends but lacks depth and the combat feels a little too simple. Hopefully all that is set to change with the release of Smash Bros Brawl

FPS is the new stealth-em-up. everyone is doing it but not everyone is doing it well. I am going to ,look at my favourite FPS games ever...just for kicks

In no particular order...yet
Timesplitters2-In my opinion better gameplay wise than Future Perfect and a real sign of what console FPSs could be. Multiplayer that far supassed anything seen before in console FPSs and a level of gameplay equal to the best on PC.

Halflife 1 and 2
The first revolutionised the FPS genre the second blitzed its competition and proved Halflife was still one of the best PC FPSs available. The AI is superb the physics amazing and the multiplayer in a league of its own.

Unreal Tournament
When it comes to online FPS this is the first place to look. Quite simply the only rival to quake for best deathmatch and team deathmatch modes with later versions including vehicles and new game modes. The action is so perfected that UT2k4 even though it is 2-3 years old still holds its own against new games.

Doom
Started the whole thing off, nuff said

Halo
Halo brought the xbox its killer app and though massively over hyped and rated it is still the FPS with the best online multiplayer and singleplayer caable. If only timesplitters was online.
The Ai is good, the graphics great and the weapons and vehicles spot

Honourable mentions
F.E.A.R
Far Cry-most revolutionary game since Halflife
Battlefield
Black
Quake
Killzone

That is all, and lpease no arguing over killzone, it is good if a little flawed