Samsung vs Toshiba: Which One?

Alrighty There People!

Okay, I need your help.

As you are no doubt aware, I currently have a lowly 20" Toshiba CRT TV. Although it has served me well since I purchased it off of eBay two years ago for £38.00, I feel that it is really not doing justice to the visual capabilities of my PS3. For some time now, I have been eyeing various deals on TV's, and checking out the spec on various models.

I have decided that I only need a 32". Wait. No. That's not true. I actually need a 50". I have been forced to acknowledge that my living room can in no way accommodate a 50" TV, nor in fact a 42", nor even, depressingly, a 37". Therefore, I have been forced into only sourcing a 32" HDTV.

Now, my fantastic wife, previously employed by a major electrical retailer, who should remain nameless but is in fact Comet - the retailer, not my wife - has informed me that Samsung are the best TVs on the market. My father, on the other hand, who, although being a technophobe, believes he is an expert, tells me that Toshiba is the best manufacturer of TVs, and that, had the price been right, he would have gone for one of those, instead of his Samsung, which he loves.

Okay. So. Predicament. Two TV's below. The Toshiba is £50.00 cheaper than the Samsung. They are both the same size. Which one should I go for?





Seriously, I need your help. Answers in the comments below.

Thanks in advance!

Pure

When I was 17, I got my first PC. With it, I got my first PC game - Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness. It was fantastic - I absolutely loved it. I loved how when you crashed, you could call in the massive helicopter to take you back to the track. I loved the way that if you drove off the track, you could just drive and drive and drive, without being forced back onto the track. I loved the way you could type in a cheat, and your Monster Truck would turn into a T Rex. It was all fantastic fun, but, you know, if I were to boot it up now, I would think it was absolutely rubbish - poor graphics, poor gameplay - poor game full stop.

My curiosity was aroused at the prospect of playing Pure, an ATV quad bike racing game. I downloaded the demo from the PlayStation Network and started it up.

The demo consists of a training mode, which you need to complete (which is handy, because you can get used to the controls), followed by a three lap circuit around Lake Garda, Italy. The controls are simple - accelerate using X. When approaching a hill, pull down on the left analogue stick, and then push up when at the crest of the hill (in the same manner that a trick is performed in EA's Skate). To perform a trick, press X. Then, a 'Trick Meter' is filled - you can then progress to pressing triangle to perform a trick, or circle to perform a trick. You can also forfeit your trick meter by boosting - i.e., using boost will drain the boost meter, but not by a considerable amount. When the trick meter is full, pressing L2 and R2 will unleash a special trick.

Once I had mastered the controls (it is very easy to do so), I was ready for Lake Garda. I was pleased to see that there were 8 racers in the game - it's no fun racing on your own

.

The game is very fast paced, and it is often difficult to realise where the track is going, particularly as in a few places there are forks in the track. There are some fantastic drops, giving the gamer ample opportunity to perform more than one trick per jump.

Playing the game, you feel as if you really are in control of a quad bike, and the feeling of speed is fantastic. Graphically, the game is a work of art - the visuals are stunning, and even though the majority of the time the scenery passes at a blur, there are moments - like when you are soaring through the air - that you can actually take in the breath-taking surroundings.

The three laps that you participate in are frenetic, no doubt about it. The tricks that you can perform are great, but if you don't land properly, the trick doesn't count. Also, repeat tricks are a no no - you've got to keep it original.

Of course, there are more advanced tricks to perform - depending on the direction that you press, as well as the combo of buttons that you press.

I was a bit disappointed that I came in first place on my first attempt, but to be honest it was such a struggle that I enjoyed it - I actually feel that I deserved to come in first, not that I breezed over the finish line way ahead of my opponents.

Overall review: 8/10

Would I buy this game? Most probably.

Will you buy this game? It's up to you, but here's the Amazon link:

Comments, as always, more than welcome.

Bionic Commando Rearmed

This game is fun. When I downloaded it, the synopsis told me that it was a game from the 80's, which I had never heard of. I was mildly surprised to see that it was a side scrolling game - interesting.

Funnily enough, though, I was really impressed with the graphics! They are nice and vibrant, and so much better than any 1980 arcade machine output. The demo to this game is really short, but there is a mini game included in the game - go to the very top platform, enter the building, look at the screen and Hack the Network.

The training on the game was useful, and the game is simple. Shoot the enemies and collect power ups, and then use your grappling hook to jump over gaps and rappel up to higher platforms.

As stated, the demo is short, and comprises of about 4 screens, and probably doesn't take more than five minutes to complete, but it is fun.

My rating: 7/10

Download the demo, then download/buy the game when it is available - I certainly will be!

Your comments are welcome!

Fatal Inertia EX

I really fancied the look of this game, as I quite like a god flying game. But I must admit I was really disappoint with this. The concept is pretty good - a flying racing game - a bit like pod racing from Star Wars. But in this game you pick up random weapons, which you can obviously use against your opponents.

I had a number of issues with this game:

1. It was too easy. Playing the first game, which is three laps, I was in first place by halfway around the first lap. I like my games to be challenging, and this certainly was not.

2. The weapons - which you pick up by flying over pods - are random - ie, you don't see a yellow pod and think "Oooh, cluster bombs," or a blue pod and think, "Nice! Laser!" - you just see pods, and wonder what you are going to get.

3. You can't store weapons. Dfespite flying over many pods, you can't collect any more weapons until you've used your existing ones - which means that you can't have a reserve. So when you've run out of the current weapons, you need to wait until you fly over the next pod to get a weapon.

4. Graphics. Not what PS3 owners are demanding. Again, I apologise, as I do not have an HDTV - but I've seen good graphics on my PS3, on my TV (I do have GT5 Prologue, you know). Fatal Inertia does not have good graphics, it is as simple as that.

Would I buy this game? No. In fact, since downloading the demo, I have tried it again since, and turned it off halfway through, because I thought it was so bad.

My rating: 3/10

Your comments are welcome!

WALL•E

I must admit, I was skeptical about this game. I downloaded it, played it for five minutes, and gave it up as a pile of trash.

But then I reasoned with myself - I hadn't even bothered checking what the controls were, I hadn't given it long enough, and I had been a bit annoyed that the opening cut scene couldn't be skipped.

So, arming myself with knowledge of the controls, giving myself half an hour, and planning to have a snooze during the opening scene, I tried the demo again.

My first impressions are that the graphics are really, really good - despite my rubbish TV (Donate to my HDTV cause just over there --->!). Just the shiny floor and WALL.E's tyre tracks amazed me - I know, simple things and all that.

I knew now how to jump and how to construct boxes. These two moves are really intrinsic to the game - for example, some areas are only accessible by keeping hold of the jump button, and using yellow magnetic surfaces to get from one area to another. You need to construct boxes to power up Vendor points that will then allow access to other areas, or turn on objects that you need to use.

MO, a little robot that chases WALL.E around, does get a bit annoying - it's constantly trying to box WALL.E up, but a well thrown box to the head sorts him out - for a while.

I actually found the demo quite engrossing. I haven't yet seen the film, as it doesn't really appeal, and that's how I felt about this game. But I found the demo took me about half an hour - partly because I was exploring, partly because some parts I found a bit difficult!

Would I buy this game? Not at the moment. But if I've got a spare tenner in my pocket, and I see it in the shops, then yeah, I wouldn't hold back.

My overall rating? 6/10.

I would definitely recommend downloading the demo from the PSN and giving it a go - and if you do, make sure you pick up Buzz Lightyear, lurking in the level!

Your comments are welcome!

NASCAR 09

Okay. I’m going to be straight up with you now. I don’t get NASCAR. I don’t see the appeal, I don’t fully appreciate the fan following that it gets, and I don’t follow (or understand) the rules.

But, it was with an open mind that I downloaded the demo of the NASCAR 09 demo, because I am, in all honesty, a racing game junkie. I was excited to be able to give this game a try, and see what it was like.

I liked what EA did with the opening sequence, having a racecar going around the 'circuit' that is the perimeter of the EA logo, and then the car wheelspinning off - that's my kinda style. Let's hope that the game lived up to this kind of standard...

Now, first impressions were good – a ‘real’ dude stood there, by the name of Jeff Gordan, presumably a real racer that is affiliated with EA’s offering, telling me that this was a demo, but not to worry because in the real game he would be there every step of the way, guiding me in all things NASCAR. Fantastic.

I found the menus hard to read – but that will be because the game is designed to be played on a HDTV, and I don’t have one. (If you want to help contribute towards an HDTV, that would be muchos appreciated).

I couldn’t change the actual car that I was using, only driver - and I ended up using a car that was sponsored by Pop Tarts. Erm, okay.... So, I just got into my car (I’m not even sure what the car was).

I tried with a three lap practice first of all, and was quite disappointed with the graphics. They weren’t refined and polished like they are in GT5 – okay, maybe I’m being a bit harsh here – who can match GT5? Even then, compare the graphics of NASCAR 09 with the graphics of RaceDriver:Grid, and it makes EA’s racer look like a Spectrum game… blocky graphics – poor. The in-car graphics weren't too hot either...

So anyway, I completed my three laps, hitting speeds in excess of 160mph, managing to stay on track and not crash. Fine.

I then tried a proper race, and discovered that it was 10 laps. 10 laps? What’s that all about then? Anyway, it didn’t feel like 10 laps. I lost it a number of time, and when I crashed into the wall, the camera shook annoyingly – obviously in a poor attempt to imitate real in car crash physics.

Then, I happened to nudge another car, and must have caused an awful pile up behind me – the replay of this was good, although I quickly got confused and wasn’t even sure what car was mine.

But then there was all this green flag/white flag malarkey, being pulled into the pit, going back onto the track and driving slowly, and suddenly the 10 laps were over, and I’d finished 17th out of 40 odd.

I then had the option to play again.

No thanks.

But, I hadn’t yet thrown in the towel.

I tried another of the games, which was crash evasion. Basically, you had to stay on track for 15 seconds without hitting another car or the wall, whilst trying to navigate a pile-up in front.

I tried this on a number of occasions, and failed miserably on each one.

Then I threw the towel in.

For some people, this game will be awesome. I am not one of them.

My rating: 4/10.

Will I be buying this game? Not at all.

But that doesn't mean that you don't need to:

The Bourne Conspiracy

I’m a great fan of Jason Bourne. The books had me gripped as a teen, and I hung on Robert Ludlum’s every word, eagerly turning each page as the unbelievable story of this secret assassin unfolded before my eyes.

And then the blockbuster films came out, with Matt Damon starring as Jason Bourne. What a hit they were! Although deviating from the books somewhat, they were still fantastic, and rekindled my interest in the Bourne series.

So when I found out that there would be a game, I was keen. Keen to see how the game would unfold, keen to see if I would enjoy it as much as the books and the films.

It was therefore with eagerness that I downloaded the demo from the PlayStation store, waiting with bated breath for the 1gb plus file to download... and then it did.

There are three demo levels to play in the game, and each allows three levels of difficulty. Each level is designed as a tutorial – level one: escape from the building using hand to hand combat skills; level tow: learn how to use firearms; level three: evasive driving. Fantastic.

One thing that instantly struck me was the fact that you can choose either level one, level two or level three. But, being the systematic kinda guy that I am, I played them in their correct order.

Level one starts with you, as Bourne, in a government building, with no weapons but your hands. Your mission: Evade the people hunting you down. Get out of the building before lockdown. Like Tomb Raider Legend, there are interactive scenes, where you have to press buttons on the controller to complete the scene. Get it wrong, and you have to do it again – but here’s the twist – it’ll be a different button. So: Press triangle to get under the dropping barricade. Fail. Try again, but this time, you have to press circle. The game stays one step ahead. I like that.

During hand to hand combat, you only need square, triangle and circle. Square is for lighter attacks, triangle for heavy attacks, and circle for takedowns – so when you’ve punched your opponent a few times, press circle to grab them, spin them, break their arm, and smash their head off of the desk in the process. Nice. The takedown sequences are great – if you are running, you can do a running takedown on an opponent.

One thing that I really liked about this demo level is that you can’t fight the men with guns. They have guns, you don’t. Logically, you need to run away from them, not towards them. That’s realistic, that’s gritty, and that’s good.

Moving on to the second level, you start in an underground train station, armed with a pistol. You quickly realise that you are under fire, so take cover behind the destructible objects. Mind the trains though, because they are frequent, and they are deadly – but you can use this to your advantage. Taking aim and shooting is relatively simple, and again, build up your adrenaline, and you can perform a takedown shot, which I found really impressive. Bourne switches to hand to hand combat when close to opponents, and a simple L2 whips the gun out again when necessary. I found an opponent hiding behind a car – a few shots towards the engine of the car, and it explodes, taking the enemy with me. Fantastic.

Level 3, although very short, gives an indication to the driving capacity of the game. Basically, you need to evade the cops whilst getting out of Paris. Although a short sequence, and not nearly as near as the car chases from the films, it is decent enough to let you know that there will be jumps, there will be smashes, there will be handbrake turns, and Marie will scream all the time. Sounds like when I drive everyday then...

All in all, this game looks fantastic. The graphics are smooth, the movie sequences are slick, and the gameplay is awesome.

My rating: 9

Will I be purchasing this game? Definitely.

Pre order it now!

Burnout Paradise

The demo of this game is absolutely fantastic. Now I’ll tell you straight: I’ve never played a Burnout game before – I was generally put off by the box art, of a burning car tumbling recklessly out of control. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve played a couple of them games…

So it was with an open mind that I downloaded the demo version of Burnout Paradise from the PlayStation Store.

The game starts wonderfully, explaining that although this is just a demo, you can still race, perform jumps, smash through billboards and even race online. Cool.

You can only drive one car in the demo, a bashed up stunt and jump car. It’s a great car to drive, and once you find a repair shop (which you are directed to anyway) it’s restored to it’s original glory. You can even find a paint shop and change the colour, but only one colour change is available in the demo. I’m not sure how this will work in the full game – do you have a choice of the colours or not? Let’s wait and see.

Handling wise, the car is superb. It’s rocket-fast, and easy to slide and drift around corners.

The demo has a fairly big map to explore, in which you need to find 34 yellow gates to smash through, which is exhilaratingly fab, 15 billboards to smash, and 6 insane jumps to find. I’ve not played on it excessively, and have therefore not found all of the above. My fave? Driving into a multi store car park, and launching off of the roof.

The graphics are phenomenal too, albeit blurred by the speed at which you travel.

To start a race is easy – pull up at a set of lights, accelerate and brake at the same time, and you’ve entered the event.

Equally, getting online is simple – just a case of using the right button on the D-pad. It’s surprisingly easy.

Two things that I’m not keen on, but could get used to: No navigational arrows – you’ve got to work out the route yourself, which isn’t a great difficulty, but I personally found the mini map hard to read at blisteringly fast speeds. There is a navigation system of sorts – road names appear at the top of the screen, indicating how close you are to a junction. But take your eyes off the road to read them, and you’re likely to wreck the car.

The second thing that I missed sorely was a speedometer. I love to be able to glance at the speedo and think, “Yeah, I’m blasting around streets at 220mph – unlikely!” But there was no speedo, which left me feeling a bit empty.

I love the slow mo effect when crashing, it’s stomach churningly realistic.

My rating: 8

Will I buy this game: Definitely.

It's Out! Buy It Now:


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Skate

I've only played it twice, but I can tell you this now: I love this game. I’ve always been a fan of the Tony Hawks series, but I only ever played it on the PC, so I was a bit apprehensive of learning the controls to Electronic Arts’ Skate. But it’s fantastically simple, and the tutorial on the demo is easy to follow. The FlickIt system works a treat, and is easy to master.

Graphically speaking, it looks good – but please bear in mind that this is only the demo version that I’m trying, which means that I’m restricted to staying within the recreation ground. And, of course, the lack of HDTV obviously impairs my judgement. But compared to Tony Hawk’s 3 – the last skating game that I played – the graphics are fantastic.

The demo has an annoying 30 minute time limit, and then after that you need to reboot the game and redo the tutorial, which is tedious once you know what you’re doing.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the full copy of this game, and get customising skaters, boards and tricks, and exploring the vast city that is promised.

My rating: 7.
Will I buy the game: Definitely.