Today’s morning Inbox questions GAME’s new pricing policies, as one reader details Frustrating Boss Reversal syndrome. To join in the discussions yourself simply email us at
Evolutionary wonderJust had to write in and say how amazing Trials Evolution is. I would happily have paid £40 or even more for this game. The single-player is as addictive as the last game (perhaps more so), it has four player co-op on one console which is so well made and great fun with friends. But the thing that will make it last for a long time is the Track Central where you can download tracks others have made and design your own tracks.The editor is an amazing piece of software – after a short while you can make some great tracks and then upload them for others to enjoy. Best £10 I’ve spent in a long while.Manic Miner 100 (gamertag)VVVLTRFTW. Just want to express my love for Trials Evolution, what a gem of a game. It’s even keeping me from playing Skyrim which I thought would never happen. Also, have you heard anymore for a release date for Hitman Absolution?Robbo1LZ (gamertag)GC:Absolution still only has a non-specific ‘2012’ release date.Old tricksAs the comment on the morning’s Inbox was discussing GAME being back to normal I thought I would share my recent experience. It was my birthday on Sunday, so decided to treat myself to a PS Vita. Went into GAME and asked if I could swap the bundled game (Uncharted) with FIFA Football. The manager seemed annoyed I had asked such a question, but agreed since I was a GAME card holder!I also wanted WipEout but they had no stock. I paid all in £259. I then walked up to HMV (a mere one minute away) and in the window the Vita was selling for £219 with a game! (Choice of four.) Swiftly took it back to GAME and got a refund. So GAME hasn’t changed, still a rip off! £40 difference is shocking. They were both Wi-Fi only models.NLPN2K (gamertag/PSN ID)Four stages of victoryFunny that the Metroid Prime boss got discussed so much recently. I had problems and rage quits with that one. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this in their gaming after a recent experience I had with Rayman Origins. I got to the final ‘Get Away’ chase level and kept getting a certain distance through, but not getting one particular jump right, die, then back to the start and try the whole thing again.I sat there for over an hour and the longer I played it the worse I got, to the point where I was messing up the easiest jumps at the start of the level and nearly launched the controller across the room like a batarang. I then left the game alone for a week, went back and gave it another try, and did the section within minutes with little trouble at all, making me wonder what all the fuss before was about.Does anyone else have that happen? It often happens with me. I was trying to think of a name for this phenomenon and came up with ‘The Frustrating Boss Reversal’. Feel free to offer something better, but the stages must go something like:1. Really, really struggle with part of a level, or a boss2. The more you try, the worse you seem to play it, to the point where you barely stay alive for a few seconds and keep messing up the most basic jumps/movements3. Get very frustrated, create interesting new swear word combinations, and quit4. Go back to it, between one week and several months later, and do it within a couple of tries, no problem.TheRunawayTrain
Google itRE: Ben Lunken For gaming on Android the business simulation series of games by Kairosoft are pretty good – Game Dev Story in particular offers pretty good fun. There’s Grand Theft Auto III, and of course the entire series of Angry Birds is free on Android. Plants Vs. Zombies is also available as well. My advice is just to give anything that looks interesting a try, especially since many games are free. But do be careful though, since there’s been rumours recently of games that are disguised as malware on Android Market (or is it Google Play now?).TheRollingNinjaSandwich fillerRE: Ben Lunken. I too have a Galaxy S II. Here is a list of games I recommend: Tomb Runner, Grand Theft Auto III, Osmos, Flight Control, Sprinkle and Angry Birds Space. There are loads more which are more than worthy of mention but it would take up far too much room. Another tip is to make sure you have upgraded to the Ice Cream Sandwich OS.N1vag (PSN ID)Phoning it inRE: Ben Lunken. I own a Galaxy S II and to be honest I’m not that big on phone gaming, I have a 3DS for my portable fun. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Samsung Apps store. There isn’t much in it, but occasionally they have some decent free games. I got Dead Space from there for nothing, it’s superb and really shows how powerful the Galaxy is. Very good controls too.The only other recommendation I have is Pinball Arcade. The Tales Of The Arabian Knights table is only 59p, and it is excellent and addictive, and the controls are perfect too. The long thin screen of the Galaxy is spot on for displaying pinball tables also.Tim KeelingAdvance parentingI read Ben Lunken’s letter this morning and he has my full sympathies for his gaming time now he has a young son. I have a four year old son and a one year old daughter, when my son was a newborn he was a nightmare for the first six months. He hardly slept and when he did my priority was to catch up on my sleep and not play video games.I seriously did consider giving up on gaming, as apart from the occasional game on my DS or PSP I had no time for games. Things do improve as they get older though and realise night time is for sleeping. I found Xbox Live Arcade to be a godsend, games like Geometry Wars and Castle Crashers are great for a quick go when you never know when the baby monitor is going to burst into life.When you do manage to get enough time again for a full retail game, frequent checkpoints and saves are essential and the reported lack of these is the main reason I’ve avoided Dark Souls. I’ve managed to complete some fairly long games now although Red Dead Redemption did take me six months!While your son is very small I’d recommend getting a handheld console though, I mastered a technique of having my son on my lap trying to get him to sleep and also playing Advance Wars at the same time! Not sure it’s recommended in any parenting books but it doesn’t seemed to have done him any harm.PEEarly shiftRE: Ben Lunken’s question asking how fathers manage to fit on quality gaming time, I always set my alarm for 6:30am at weekends and spend an hour or two before everybody else wakes up and also try to get half an hour before work while the rest of the family are getting ready for the day. Not exactly quality time but better than nothing.jsfdj1 (gamertag)/Haylindale (PSN ID)
HD KnightsJust a couple of things I’d like to say. First off, kudos to The Witcher 2 for its wide variety of accents. I’ve heard Cockney, Geordie, West Country, Brummie, Scouse, Manchunian, Dublin, Belfast and various Scottish and Welsh accents. The minor characters actually put the main cast to shame in this regard. Secondly, what are the chances of Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic ever getting a HD release? Also, any news on the Shenmue HD release?Finally, please tell me that Dishonored (which looks quite interesting) is being released here with a ‘u’ firmly placed between the ‘o’ and the ‘r’. Americanization (see what I did there) of English is not welcome.Borat’s Atheist CousinGC:LucasArts apparently have two game announcements to make at E3, but we’re not sure what the chances are if BioWare aren’t involved. No news on the other stuff but we’d be very surprised if Dishonored ended up being spelt properly.DS, I choose you!RE: Sponge Ben and Pokémon Black/White 2 on DS. I suspect it has something to do with the DS having a far larger userbase, thus more sales. Also, I suspect it may be something of a stopgap measure while a proper 3DS Pokémon game is being made. With Pokémon Black/White 2 Game Freak can recycle most of the assets from the original Black/White. This is fine for a DS game, but if they just did that and made it a 3DS game instead it would look rather cheap, not to mention smacking of laziness.It’s not as if it’s not compatible with the 3DS, anyway. What’s more, it’s going to be compatible with a new 3DS download title (called Pokémon AR Searcher in Japan) which will be released at the same time, and allows Pokémon to be transferred to Black/White 2. So that looks to be a 3DS exclusive feature.MakutaTeridax
Inbox also-ransIs there any decent games coming out for the PS Vita anytime soon? Or is it still just mainly the launch titles available?J.BGC:Well, we reviewed Disgaea 3 yesterday. Beyond that there’s Resistance: Burning Skies on May 30 and Gravity Rush on June 13.
Bus Simulator came to my attention through GameCentral, excellent when played with a momo force feedback wheel in 5.1 surround sound! I am not even joking. My friends laugh at me when I stop at the lights in Grand Theft Auto games.acehembling99 (Steam ID)Just found out that Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 will be out for iOS with the full roster on the 25th of April! Keep up the good work!melkorthevalor (PSN ID)Dark Souls is pretty tense. Practically the whole way through, especially just before entering a boss room. The thought of the Capra Demon still gives me the heebies even now, brrr.John Bolton
This week’s Hot TopicThe subject for this week’s Hot Topic was inspired by readers Up4Banter and Sam, who ask not only what was your favourite console (or computer) of all time but which rivalry did you enjoy the most?What was it about your favourite games format that you enjoyed so much? What were your favourite games for it and where they exclusives? Did the hardware have any special features, such as controllers or multimedia extras, that gave it an advantage? How important was how it looked and what made you buy it/ask for it in the first place?What was the format’s great rival at the time (e.g. SNES vs. Mega Drive) and did you pick the winning side in terms of sales? How much did you get involved in that generation’s console war and did you own its rival – or later regret not having it?
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