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Wii Music by Kate Wilson | 20-01-09

Wii

Review

Playing an instrument and gaming consoles seem to go hand in hand nowadays, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Singstar and so on. Wii Music clearly aims to cash in on this phenomenon, but, rather than focusing on one area of music, it aims to cover a variety, with Wii Music offering the chance to play 60 instruments to the tune of 50 or so tracks.

PS2

Review

Singstar: Singalong with Disney by Kate Wilson | 15-11-08

The very idea of karaoke probably strikes fear and disdain into the hearts of many. However, Singstar, which is basically a development of the Karaoke concept, hits a very different note. There are now around 15 titles for the PS2, all of which have developed that little bit more since the first release in 2003, each becoming instantaneous successes.

The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass on DS

Review

The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass by Kate Wilson | 17-04-08

The Legend of Zelda franchise has been around for years. Having never played any of Hourglass's predecessors I have always wondered what could be so engaging about a boy in a ridiculous green hat. Released on the DS, The Phantom Hourglass uses the stylus to full effect with pleasant results. Zelda is a fun mix of action, strategy and adventure which is accessible to Zelda players both old and new. The gist of the game is simple, your character (Link) is off to save his friend Tetra from The Ghost Ship and then on to defeat the evil Bellum. In the process you must navigate various seas and islands, conquer villains, defeat enemies and work out how to create the only weapon that will defeat Bellum. Gameplay is simple as you move, hit, kill, all with the ease of the DS stylus. Even the ship that allows you to move across the seas is controlled by drawing a route using the stylus. While this works well in some respects it does also mean that there is limited challenge to the game (enemies are generally slow enough to kill using the stylus and there are usually enough hearts around if you are in danger of dying). What keeps the game going are the numerous other activities that you can occupy yourself with in between killing various enemies and bosses. There are a number of treasure chests to collect from the depths of the ocean, fish to catch, gems to collect and treasure to buy and sell. The main objective then is to explore and, with the ship and stylus, this can be extremely entertaining. One of the finest elements of Zelda is the puzzle solving and an interesting addition to the DS game is the ability to make notes on your maps in order to help you remember information needed. Link's tools of combat (beginning with the arrow) are also guided by the stylus and is as simple as drawing on the console the desired path. A brilliant touch which really allows you to be at the heart of the game. It is a simple enough game for anyone looking to move on from Brain Training and the like to something new and is a must for anyone who enjoys a mix of puzzles, combat and exploration. 7/10