I remember my last Singstar review. I think I mentioned something about finding it difficult to come up with anything new to say about a title that everyone knows about. As you can imagine, with the tenth PS2 release of the series in what amounts to just a few short years (I know, it seems like an eternity) here I am banging my head against the wall in sheer frustration at trying to come up with something more "same old, same old, different tracks"... Well, I'll give it a try but don't expect me to pull up any trees here okay?

Continue reading: Singstar: Rock Ballads Review, Sony PS2

The squad based military 3rd person shooter is back with another tense adventure. The PlayStation 2 system's top online gaming franchise continues its assault with an all-new 4-player cooperative play, improved enemy AI, and new vehicles and weapons for campaign mode. You are placed in command of the most feared Special Forces team assembled through varied missions spanning across multiple diverse regions.

Continue reading: SOCOM US Navy SEALS Combined Assault, Review PS2, Zipper Interactive

The Red Star is hybrid beat-em-up and top down shooter set in a futuristic Russia. The game has had somewhat of an interesting history; it was originally planned for release in late 2004 however around this time its publisher - Acclaim Entertainment went bankrupt. As a result the game was forgotten in all the chaos and sat on the shelf gathering dust for over two years. The game was destined to finally see the light of day however when XS Games picked the game up and decided to actually release it for the PS2.

Continue reading: The Red Star, Review PS2, XS Games

Shrek The Third

Trailer Stream

FACT SHEET (Gameplay information is based on console, PC and PSP versions)

Continue reading: Shrek the Third game, Trailer Stream

Pac-Man is one of the oldest and most recognisable video game characters in history; here he is the focal point of a kid friendly kart racing game following in the footsteps of Mario and Crash Bandicoot who have also transitioned from platformer to kart racer.

Story
As with most karting games story doesn't really play a part in the game, the main objective is to enter races and win.

Graphics
Graphics are crisp, colourful and clear however at the same time nothing spectacular. When racing the game runs smoothly and with no hint of any slowdown. The problem is there is nothing that makes this game memorable or standout from any other kart racer - everything from the tracks and the game presentation is generic.

Sound
The in game audio comprises of lots of upbeat cartoony tunes based on the original Pac-man theme -the famous WAKA WAKA chomping sound also makes an appearance when the power pill mode is activated. Overall sound effects fit with the game environment although after extended play do start to grate.

Continue reading: Pac Man World Rally, Review PS2, Namco Bandai

Back to Vice City we go, this time to take control of Vic Vance. The game is set a couple of years before the original Vice City and Vic is the brother of one of the originals main characters - Lance Vance. Lance joins the army, but before you could say boo to a goose, his corrupt commanding officer has him picking up cocaine, ho's and generally blowing sh*t up. Vince is trying to gather cash to help his sick brother and support his family and whilst voices his concerns about his superiors orders, he gets on with them anyway. Flimsy, but ever so Vice City. The most welcoming thing on your return to Vice City however, are the neon 80's graphics and Hawaiian shirts which almost welcome you home.

As with Vice City stories, you should be warned not to expect anything in terms of functionality as was seen with San Andreas. Making an unwelcome return is the old analogue stick camera control, not being able to climb over obstacles, no multi-player mode (as seen on the PSP and to an extent in San Andreas) and the old school R1 targeting system. This is something you would expect for a tarted up import of PSP title but it does contain a few surprises as they swimming element is now included and whilst missions aren't as all engaging as a normal GTA release they are not as over simplified as they were in Liberty City Stories. This said, neither are the characters, with a lot of old familiar faces returning (e.g. Phil Cassidy, Umberto Robina, & Ricardo Diaz) and generally a more engaging cast and all round account than that of Liberty City Stories. Also returning is the 80's soundtrack which I won't spoil for you but again it is a fun soundtrack in combination with the irreverent and insulting DJ chatter.

Vice City Stories is nothing new in terms of Grand Theft Auto titles but offer more of the same. The graphics and game engine are exactly what you would expect. If you played Vice City don't expect anything new in terms of the way the City looks (there are a few exceptions as it is set a couple of years earlier but nothing monumental), how badly the 80's style cars drive (the driving mechanics are identical but for some reason I seemed to fishtail in Vice City much more than in any other titles) or indeed the way the City itself sounds. I suppose some may be disappointed by the fact that it is more a less a PSP release on PS2, but if you realise that before you get into it there should not be any problems. Rockstar have again priced the ported version as a budget title and are not trying to pretend it is something that it is not. If you fancy revisiting an old favourite but with new missions and characters to remember why you enjoyed it so much in the first place, then off you go.

7 out of 10

Harris