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Gamer Herald - June 2008

Guitar Hero On Tour DS REVIEW

June 30th 2008 07:24
Bigger is better when it comes to Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero On Tour screenshot
Strummin' a DS ain't as fun as the real thing, but it's still pretty good.


THE GUITAR Hero series is noted for its infectious rhythmical game play.


On home consoles, its main attraction is the plastic guitar you wield while playing it, enabling you to leap around the living room like a rock star.

So how has Vicarious Visions translated this experience to the handheld Nintendo DS console with Guitar Hero On Tour?

Gamer Herald believes with mixed results.

While the handgrip that plugs into the Gameboy Advance slot of the DS allows you to use fret buttons, it's a sad fact that mashing a pad of coloured buttons while using a stylus to stroke a screen is no substitute for a guitar-shaped controller.

The track list is almost flawless, with many of the songs master recordings - a positive for the series.

But the fun will only last a while before the hand cramps begin to set in.

Couple that with the handgrip's bad habit of slipping out of the slot when you madly finger the fret board on harder levels, and you'll be frustrated by having to reboot your console in the middle of what could have been a ripper riff.

Some of the harder songs are butchered by the fact you can never truly get the feel for changing buttons rapidly because of the way your hand is strapped to the console.


The only positive is that this is the best it's going to get. Portable gaming was never designed with this experience in mind, and it's a credit to Vicarious Visions for making it happen, and creating an admirable product that will at least allow those without access to a home console version of Guitar Hero a taste of what it's about.

But if you're a true Guitar Hero fan, then holding a DS and handgrip may be an underwhelming experience.

Strum with caution on this one.
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Demonologists are indeed broken

Demonologists are broken, and as useless as hamsters!
Fix our pets, Funcom, before they become as useless as hamsters


I'M in no way a hardcore MMO player, but as a newbie to Age of Conan (Aoc), I've had a lot of fun exploring different classes over the past two weeks.

The first character I created was a Dark Templar, a powerful compromise between melee and spell attacks that at level 14 is able to defeat level 18 mobs.

The second character, however, is a Demonologist. I chose to create one after seeing the satisfyingly-gruesome beasts that they could summon, and having been an ex-WoW player, am aware that in the past, pets like this could be used to one's advantage.

How I was fooled.

The demons in Conan do look great - actually scary - but they are as useless as tits on a bull.

While providing a small mana buff to the player, the demon dishes out almost no damage, does not pull mobs with agro (meaning mobs run to you if the demon attacks them) and can actually get in the way.

I am loving Age of Conan so far, and have actually learnt how to play a Demonologist through trial and error, but I must say that I'm disappointed in how Funcom has portrayed the character.

The reason I invested time in the class is because of the Demonologist's selling point in AoC - tthe pets. It would have been a fun break from the melee intensive gameplay of a Dark Templar to fire up a Demonologist and cast spells while your beast agros other players or mobs.

I'm not the only one complaining, either. Visit the official forums and you'll see how other Demonologists are feeling about having weak, useless pets - some aren't even bothering to summon the beasts.

Weak demons aside, the Demonologist class has potential for fun - and it is somewhat powerful. Where the demon fails to dish out damage, a few powerful spells work wonders on enemy mobs.

There's nothing like casting lighting chains on an enemy mob to keep them in place while the other charges towards you.

By the time you've dealt with the aggressor, the other is free of his chains, and a few spells later he has fallen, too.

The area of effect spells (AoE) are awesome, and if you are faced with a situation where two or more mobs attack you, these spells can simultaneously take out over half of each mob's health.

I'd have to say that Dark Templar is my favourite of the two classes so far. In a PvP situation on the White Sands a level 18 approached me (not sure what class, but it was melee) and began bashing away. A few spells and strong melee attacks later, he was off and running.

Perhaps this is too powerful, by not logically rewarding players who level up with the upper hand over lesser levels.

But even while I'm slicing and dicing higher level avatars, a small part of me is slowly being eaten away by the fact that my Demonologist - and his demons - could be more effective.
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The only way to review this game is to cook!

Food, glorious food!
Food, glorious food! And you can cook it with ease with the help of your DS chef


AN INTERACTIVE cookbook for the Nintendo DS might sound like a cheap joke, but it's arguably one of the most practical applications you can buy.

Bachelors and bachelorettes, and people with cooking skills who can't be bothered flicking through grandma's cookbooks will love the interactive and instructional style that Cooking Guide offers.

No longer will you arrive home and reach for the pack of instant noodles, the tin of baked beans of spaghetti in that foul faux-tomato sauce.

Choose from one of 245 recipes including dishes from all corners of the globe and let Cooking Guide tell you the ingredients and utensils you'll need, and how to make it.

To ensure there's no confusion, a friendly chef will speak to you, and the game has a glossary of cooking terms, as well as instructional videos on how to perform basic tasks with ease.

If you're like me, and are missing ingredients, then simply check the box next to each ingredient and change to the in-game shopping list which will also tell you the quantities you need to purchase for each item.

I cooked stuffed tomatoes and potato gratin, and both my girlfriend and I agreed they tasted delicious - and even looked like they should!

Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Cook? DS
"Tomates Farcies", or Stuffed Tomatoes. Despite the poor quality shot, they looked and tasted delicious...


Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Cook? DS
Potato Gratin, or scalloped potatoes - absolutely mouthwatering, and even better the next night when I cooked them again!


Just be warned, sometimes the chef's instructions progress a little too quickly, and although 245 recipes sounds like a lot, chances are you'll be confined to a smaller selection of what tickles your tastebuds.

And to legitimise its presence on a games console, using the Kitchen timer while cooking something will unlock the classic Nintendo Game & Watch title 'Chef' for your amusement.

Otherwise, Cooking Guide is a fantastic tool for anyone who struggles to decide what to eat for dinner, and comes highly recommended.
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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots screenshot
It really does look this good!


METAL Gear Solid 4 for the PS3 is not just an espionage and action video game


[ Click here to read more ]
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Guiness World Records: The Video Game screenshot
Yes, it's really coming.


GUINNESS World Records is making the leap into the digital era with a video game being developed by Traveller's Tales Games (TT Games), creators of the popular Lego series of games


[ Click here to read more ]
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The five laws of echochrome will soon rule your world!

CHECK OUT THE GAMER HERALD VIDEO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST


[ Click here to read more ]
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WITH news that Australia is now leading the world in obesity (LINK) Ubisoft is encouraging the chubby residents of Oz to look at alternative ways to make a difference to their health.

DS health coach weight loss
Problem: I'm fat. Solution: Play DS.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Guitar Hero On Tour (DS) First Impressions

Guitar Hero On Tour DS: First Impressions
Don't fret - the game's great fun

[ Click here to read more ]
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MGS4 takes aim at tired gamers? What about the fatties?

MGS4 Metal Gear health warning
Get some sleep, keep the lights on and don't litter. What about staying active?

[ Click here to read more ]
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More than 250,000 creatures created and shared in the Spore Creature Creator

The Countdown to the Launch of Spore Blasts Off With Fans Uploading More Than Two Creatures Every Second Since Launch
[ Click here to read more ]
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Guitar Hero On Tour unboxing!

June 19th 2008 02:44
The smallest game 'unboxing' we've done!

Guitar Hero On Tour unboxing screenshot
If you're sexy and you know it....

[ Click here to read more ]
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Metal Gear Solid 4: PS3 Console

June 17th 2008 06:42
Metal Gear Solid PS3 console bundle
Metal Gear Solid PS3 - You like?


WE all love a good console bundle. Especially when it comes with a game as good as Metal Gear Solid 4


[ Click here to read more ]
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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Distributor: Atari
Developer: Konami


[ Click here to read more ]
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The PC shooter comes to consoles - but is it too late to catch the Quake Wars wave?

Quake Wars screenshot PS3
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is fun but you'll be lucky to find enough people to play with on the PS3.

[ Click here to read more ]
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The alien invasion has begun!

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for PS3 and Xbox 360, ships to Australian retail stores today


[ Click here to read more ]
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Gamer Herald's must-read exclusive interview with Lego Batman developer

Loz Doyle image
Lego Batman producer Loz Doyle in his 'Bat Cave'.

[ Click here to read more ]
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ALLEN Carr, a chain smoker for 33 years who quit in 1983, has teamed up with Ubisoft to help develop a new game designed to help smokers quit.

Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking is set to be released on Nintendo DS in November this year


[ Click here to read more ]
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PS3: Haze Review

June 2nd 2008 11:50
Nectar: To fully enjoy playing Haze, you'll need to be high on something

Haze PS3 Review
Haze: Yay or Nay?

[ Click here to read more ]
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