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Over the years, Nintendo have led the way with their innovative products, fantastic games and cutting edge technology. Early in their development Nintendo were onto a winner with the smash hit game, Super Mario Bros for the NES and later for the SNES. Keen gamers will remember the splash they made with the Nintendo 64 games console, one of the best selling consoles of all time despite the hot competition from Sony’s first Playstation. Nintendo’s partnerships with top quality games publishers such as Capcom, Bandai and Konami from the outset meant games development and retail was swift, innovative and good quality.

Since the success of the N64, the world has enjoyed the delights of the GameCube which brought faster loading speeds and better graphics and more recently the interactive fun of the Nintendo Wii. Despite being released in 2006, the Wii’s motion sensing abilities have only been challenged by rival console manufacturers Microsoft and Sony in 2010 with the release of the Playstation Move and the Kinect for the Xbox 360. Whilst the Nintendo Wii lags behind its competitors in terms of graphics quality, it has more than made up for this by cornering a niche market of thirty something non serious gamers who enjoy the interactivity and social side of games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit.

In the past Nintendo has also produced superb standards of hand held consoles, from the original Game and Watch through to the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and more recently the dual screened touch sensitive DS console. The DS has stepped again into a niche market, with some of the best brain training and puzzle games aimed squarely at the more mature games enthusiast and has successfully outsold rival PSP consoles year on year. The latest incarnation of the console, the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL features internet connectivity, a camera and an SD slot for increased storage. The Nintendo DSi is currently the most popular hand held games console in the world.

Due to be released in the UK this week, the Nintendo 3DS is the newest handheld console to hit the streets. Featuring groundbreaking ‘glasses free’ 3D graphics and dual rear mounted cameras for ‘augmented reality’ gaming, the Nintendo 3DS is expected to break new ground in gaming technology and open the doors to games developers for a world of new experiences.

But what will be next from the granddaddy of games consoles? There has been a great deal of speculation about the possible release of the Nintendo Wii 2 and latest rumours suggest the new console may be revealed at E3 in June 2011. Amongst the features gamers are speculating (or hoping) to be included in the Nintendo Wii 2 are HD graphics, a quad core processor, up rated motion control, a blu ray player and even an LED projector, removing the need for TV hardware. Others are hoping the Wii 2 will build on the new technology in the Nintendo 3DS, creating more augmented reality games on the big screen.

With all the successes the company has built over the years with the Nintendo DSi, Wii and now the Nintendo 3DS the world waits with baited breath to see what will be next. Nobody knows for sure what the new console will look like, but one thing is certain, that it will no doubt be another resounding success at doing what Nintendo does best – bringing gaming out of teenagers bedrooms and into the family lounge for everyone to enjoy.

Nintendogs + Cats

An update of the hugely successful DS hit Nintendogs, this new version retains similar gameplay and adds felines into the mix to create a virtual pet simulation that looks set to become a 3DS favourite. As well as incorporating the touchscreen and microphone interaction from the original game, Nintendogs + Cats will also use the 3DS’ front-facing camera for facial recognition. The game will be available in three different versions: French Bulldog & New Friends, Golden Retriever & New Friends and Toy Poodle & New Friends.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

A criticism often levelled at modern Nintendo consoles is that the library of games is too child-focused with nothing of interest for mature gamers. It’s something of a misconception, though; there are plenty of titles of interest to older console owners available for both the Wii and the DS if you know where to look. The 3DS looks to continue in that vein with the release of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D which takes inspiration from the Mercenaries Mode first introduced in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and expanded so expertly in both Resident Evil 4 and 5 . Players are tasked with defeating as many enemies as possible in a given time frame in a high score battle that rewards tactical play.

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

The previous Lego Star Wars games have been wonderful fun, combining a playful interpretation of the films’ characters and plotlines with a simple but engaging platform-based gameworld to create a charming series of games with a serious dose of the ‘just one more level’ factor. The third instalment looks to be just as enticing, this time taking its cues from The Clone Wars, an animated television series that expands on the universe mapped out in the original trilogy of Star Wars films and their three prequels.

Pilotwings Resort

Many Nintendo fans have been pining for a new game in the Pilotwings franchise for many years to no avail but the Nintendo 3DS is set to deliver the goods with Pilotwings Resort. The flight simulation game, which comes 15 years after the last instalment Pilotwings 64, looks to share many features with Wii smash hit Wii Sports Resort and will allow owners of both consoles to use their existing Mii characters in the game.

FIFA 3DS

The go-to franchise for football fans the world over is coming to the Nintendo 3DS in an all-new incarnation. Details are a little thin on the ground so far (the game’s title hasn’t even been finalised yet) but it’s been confirmed as a European launch title so details should start to trickle through sooner rather than later. Given the FIFA games’ usual brand of adrenaline pumping sporting action, though, you can be sure that this will be one to keep an eye on.

When playing tennis outside, much time will be spent simply chasing loose balls. Tennis on Wii: Sports for example sees the same movement repeated in fast succession, making painful injuries more possible.

I can vouch for this through my adoration of Wii games. Last year, I became rather addicted the medical simulation game Trauma Centre: New Blood. Zig-zagging sutures and delicately replacing a pace maker really takes its strain on your hands my fingers were painfully locking regularly! Before that I had a 48 hour love affair with manic party game WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Completing every level, breaking my own personal best and unlocking all the various “Toy Room” bonuses proved to be quite harsh on my limbs, leaving my with painful shoulder for a couple of days after the games completion.

The following tips should help you to prevent future damage to yourself the next time you plug in your Wii or Kinect:

• Take regular breaks: Whilst exercise is good for you it is important to allow your body to recover. A lengthy stint on Wii fencing might not seem strenuous until the next day when you’re aching!

• It might seem a little silly but you should have a good stretch before launching into the physical gaming action. You’ll feel healthier for it in the long run!

• Switching playing positions at regular intervals and you should attempt to maintain a good posture and this will put less strain on your body.

• If you just can’t limit your motion sensitive gaming addiction, perhaps you should consider investing in an Xbox 360 Kinect, which instead of relying on controller dependant motions, the setup measures movements from all parts of your body, easing the strain on singular limbs.

There’s many sides to the game industry, from design to programming and up to sound engineering and script writing. This multi-billion dollar industry mirrors the film industry now more than ever, and is just as competitive when it comes to securing a position. Having the right qualifications and some experience is key to securing a junior position.

I’m in no way an expert on the subject, however it would seem the best approach would be to specialise in a particular area that interests you and that you have a talent for. Most jobs require experience of very specific disciplines, e.g. level designer, content developer, game-play designer, UI artist etc.

There’s plenty of sites and forums where you can research the industry standard tools you’ll need to master as well as the qualifications and experience you’ll have to acquire.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a simple but addictive all out blast, consisting of 4 main game modes Race, Gauntlet, Ring Master and Championship. Points are earned for winning events on a sliding scale based on the results, as you reach different levels of points you unlock new boats, and levels. New boats vary in the usual departments, acceleration, top speed etc. The levels themselves are pretty damn impressive, there are a large amount of destructive elements and shortcuts, each level is also themed and as you race around events take place that vary the action. For example one of my favourite levels, entitled “Monster Island” sees you race around avoiding various giant monsters that interact with the flow of the water making the experience all the more bizarre, insane and most importantly fun.

The physics and game-play are as exaggerated as you’d expect and the game is all the better for it, as you unlock new boats with better handling you learn to fine tune your control and winning a race becomes all the more addictive. Slipstreaming competitor’s boats gives you increased speed. however the key to winning is definitely a combination of picking the best line and route whilst hitting as many nitro pick-ups as possible. Boosting works by collecting nitro pick-ups which top up your boost, this can then be deployed as and when needed.

Graphically Hydro Thunder Hurricane is as good as most Xbox Arcade games get, the water effects aren’t the best I’ve seen, but they’re good enough and this is a game that really is about the simplicity and fun of blasting along at over 200KPH.

One of the highlights of the game for me is the Ring Master mode, this mode sees you blasting through rings that are set out throughout the route. As you pass through each ring you get a small amount of Nitro. This simple game mode is highly addictive and great fun for trying to beat friend’s times and as you progress to pro and expert levels the smaller rings and varying placement force you to take some interesting routes through the courses. The one component missing from this mode is an option to race ghosts to see how well you’re performing alongside others, this would have added another competitive dimension to this otherwise great mode. The multi-player split screen is also great fun that plays beautifully with a rock steady frame rate and bought back memories of Hydra Thunder’s 4 player split screen on the Nintendo 64.

Overall Hydra Thunder Hurricane is everything you expect and want it to be. Just the right level of fun and addictiveness with enough game modes and unlocks to keep you going for weeks. At a price of 1200 MSP (£10) you can’t go wrong.

Crackdown 2 is an odd game. While at its molten core, it’s an explosive superhero romp, replete with fifty foot leaps of faith and SUV-slingshots, on the surface it’s the epitome of lazy and uninspired sequels, recycling the same move-set, the same cars and weapons, even the same city. But beneath the all too familiar facade, Crackdown 2 is a game of the purest form, simple but effortlessly addicting.

For a customer, Crackdown 2 is an exercise in principles. Do you purchase it for its merits as a game, or do you decide not to for its shortcomings as a sequel? Read on to decide…

Project Sunburst

Is anyone an AA member?

It’s no picnic being a Pacific City resident. Since enduring the gangs of old, now the sprawling metropolis is the battlefield for a three-pronged war between freedom fighters, mutants and one reckless Agent.

The story in Crackdown 2 is barebones, an excuse to pit a super-powered Agent against Mad Max-style soldiers and hideous freaks. Cell, a local militia committed to destabilising the Agency regime, has stolen vital cogs from a vast network of machines built to purge Pacific City of its mutated populace.

Armed to the teeth with guns and biceps so big the cast of Predator might blush, the Agency tasks you with recovering the lost Project Sunburst components from Cell strongholds, then to drop to Pacific City’s underworld and face the freaks on their own turf.

Extra Crispy!

Crackdown 2 isn’t interested in its story. It’s an afterthought, summed up no better than the audio-logs scattered across the city, each one containing more plot-points than the entire game itself. But you shouldn’t be concerned with Crackdown 2’s lack of story, as you’ll write your own as you delve deeper into its toy-box and discover the abundant potential at your disposal.

You’re constantly evolving in Crackdown 2. Glittering orbs spew from fallen enemies, and either fill your firearms, explosives or driving skills, depending on the nature of their death. You begin with a standard-issue submachine gun and patrol car, but soon you’re toting harpoon guns and an SUV capable of launching itself into the air.

This sense of constant progression, of rewarding effort, is the vein that courses throughout Crackdown 2, almost, but not quite, atoning for the absence of solid story structure and varied mission progression. Agility Orbs, the pulsing spheres scattered across Pacific City for your consumption, epitomise the simplicity in Crackdown 2’s appeal.

You Freak

Worse than Weatherspoons on a Saturday

So far, so Crackdown. So what’s changed? Pacific City, though the same in name and layout, is but a crumbled ruin of its former glory. Toppled buildings, ramshackle favelas, raging fires, wrecks and rubble are the order of the day – the city is in its death throes. Cell patrol their strongholds, roaming the streets in cars bristling with blades, as frightened civilians scurry to and fro.

But when darkness falls, the freaks emerge. Shambling, pus-spewing outcasts of the mutant kind, they’re supposed to be searching for new victims, but instead exist solely for your own amusement. Hundreds froth on the screen, which you can happily plough through in a car or scatter with a nicely placed blow from a lamp-post.

The freaks, as a concept, seem promising, and in the opening stages are responsible for much giggling. The UV Shotgun, which fires concussive blasts of UV light, hurls dozens of freaks into the air, where they vanish into glittering dust. But it soon becomes incredibly repetitive, the recycled missions not helping to alleviate the stress of facing the same shambling freaks over and over again. They do come in different shapes and sizes, some freaks capable of chasing the Agent on rooftops, others hurling cars, but they’re not challenging enough to pose a threat, and thus just as boring as their weaker counterparts.

Fun With Friends

The opportunities in Crackdown 2 for mayhem, violence and general craziness are insane. Pin enemies to a car with the harpoon gun, and then ride around as their bodies flop lifelessly on the hood. Attach the brilliant Mag grenades to a car, then two more to adjacent walls, and watch as a pulsing line of electricity tethers the car to either wall and transforms it into an impromptu slingshot!

Then, there’s co-op. Invite up to three friends to your game, or join another, and carry out ridiculous schemes, like attaching a tank to a helicopter with a Mag, one player piloting the chopper, the other onboard the tank, swinging like a wrecking-ball, burping rockets on the hapless citizens below.

A competitive multiplayer mode is available, too. PVP is a chaotic but enjoyable mess, obviously rough and unfinished but brimming with potential. Rocket-Tag is a sign of what Crackdown multiplayer could be, as one player dons a glowing crown and must escape his attackers, who are armed with rocket-launchers, from nabbing his helm.

Sequel Syndrome

As far as sequels go, Crackdown 2 is slacking. The story is generic and fails to develop, it simply ends. The structure is repetitive and uninspired. It recycles concepts, weapons, and vehicles. And the faces for the Agents, brilliant in the original, are now so ugly it’s no wonder they receive a helmet upon their first upgrade.

But to judge Crackdown 2 on its merits as a sequel may be wrong. It’s endured a hastened development, from a brand new studio tasked with delivering a game in less than a year whilst establishing staff and structure, too. But it’s also not very concerned with the conventional PR bullet-points, like “an epic story of redemption and betrayal”, or “fifteen new features, including the ability to sleep”. Crackdown 2 wants you to explore, it wants you to try things and experiment. It’s the odd uncle who offered you booze on your twelfth birthday, in regards to the frowning parents to insistent on good grades and university.

After a couple of warm up 2 vs 2 games, we decided to draw the top teams from a hat and then play a tournament, having drawn Argentina I was quietly (actually loudly) confident.

I managed to win my first game 2-0, even though I was distracted by the pizza guy turning up and seeing everyone else eating , luckily I managed to grab a a couple of slices at the end of the game. The next few games went by and I was knocked out of my second game by Randip, who to be fair has spent far more time playing FIFA than anyone else, and who eventually went on to win the tournament playing as Italy.

All in all a great night, I can highly recommend the World Cup Edition of FIFA, they’ve made some great improvements as well as building in live updates and scenarios from the actual World Cup as it happens.

The next day I had a quieter evening just watching a Blu Ray with my girlfriend, awesome deal from T-Mobile!

The one thing that Windows did do well (most of the time) was to stream video and audio to the xbox 360. There’s a few solutions out there, but I thought I’d share the solution that worked for me.

Firstly install ushare from the Synaptic Package Manager (System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager). The DLNA codec library will also be installed as a believe it’s a dependency.

Once applied the packages will install as per normal.

OK, now it’s installed you need to set up the config file, this file tells ushare which directories you want your xbox to be able to see, as well as which network connection to to share the directories on.

Open up a terminal window and type the command below:

sudo gedit /etc/ushare.conf

All being well this will fire up the text editor gedit (if you;re using KDE you’ll need to change gedit to which text editor you prefer)

So make a note of the directories that you want to share, i share my entire home folder, you can share multiple directories by separating them with a comma.

USHARE_DIR=/home/danny/

Next look up the connection you’re using, easiest way to do this is to look under System > Preferences > Network Connections

It’s most likely to be either:

eth0 - if you're using a wired ethernet connection

wlan0 if you're using wireless

Enter the correct connection as shown below:

USHARE_IFACE=wlan0

Finally make sure the setting below is set to yes:

ENABLE_XBOX=yes

Now save the file and close the text editor.

Now you’re all set to go, in order to start the service you need to run it from a terminal window by using the command below:

ushare -x

You should now be able to see the share in your video library on your xbox 360, by default it’ll be called “ushare”, you can change this by altering the value below in the config file.

USHARE_NAME=uShare