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.