Shadowrun

Shadowrun
My eyes are not deceiving you. This is an overview of the Shadowrun, which was released in Europe first of June this year. Outside, cold and November, and the delay of five months was not associated with the fact that we could not tear myself away from Shadowrun. Could, and how. After the release of the game developer studio, FASA Interactive, was closed without explanation. Official announcement of the closure was made after the fact, late last working day of employees FASA. The official reason for such secrecy - "the reluctance to divert people who expected the latest game studios. The informal, we would add - that no one thought Shadowrun was sent to print raw in order to release all at least something. And it was Shadowrun - the first game where the multiplayer can fight among themselves the owners of the Xbox 360 and PCs with Windows Vista. But the exclusive debut on Vista is not a success: shortly after the game hacking group Razor 1911 has released a cracked set of files that can be used to run the game on Windows XP with DirectX 9 standard. The question is: because of what all the fuss?

Sonic Advance

Title: Sonic Advance
Platform: GameBoy Advance
Genre: platform
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Website: http://www.sega.com

"Sonic" on a portable system ... The last time this happened peacefully reposed SNK'ovskoy typewriter NeoGeo Pocket. And now - again: "Sonic" on GameBoy Advance. What to expect? To hope for? Why worry?

Sonic Advance
Initially, the phrase "(c) Sega, Licensed by Nintendo" is a shock ... so, for old time's sake. However, great colorful screensaver, sustained in the fact that neither has a classic style, with representations of characters and face Dr. Robotnik on nearly half of the screen, accompanied by interesting lighting effects and pretty good music, inspires confidence that the toy is probably not bad. And, in general, it is true.

Sonic Advance
"Sonic Advance" - a real Sonic. And no "advanced". Classic flat platformer filled with action, fast, beautiful and somewhat rustic - just like what "Sonic" and should be ... No, I simply must! Probably not discovered America, if not claim that the "Sonic" important - gameplay. The net effect, when the hero with insane speed sweeps through the levels, full of jumps, loops, and various means overclocking the Hedgehog and co., Studded with golden ringlets and a few, but petty zlodeychikami - mechanized arthropods, fish, mammals and other wildlife unfriendly; levels that end in the advent of the Good Doctor R. robotoshtukovinoy with another, designed for the most effective at the moment the abolition of urchins, Lisov yes every Echidna. This is the magic of the game. The levels just nice to run around collecting rings and nail them credit. It's nice when the speed is breathtaking, when the design of levels and enemies - the stylish and correct, when the design is playing areas - literacy, diverse and even has some finesse. Great to see change "mood" when moving to another level ... Yes I'm telling you! Played in the "gold" game series "Sonic" on the MegaDrive person already understands where I'm going.

Sonic Advance
Everything! And there in the same quantity and quality. Is that the GBA resolution imposes some restrictions on the drawing and sprite design, but on the small GBA screen is all very "in the subject, moreover, have a feeling that more can not be achieved. Music except that slightly podkachala. Those tunes that were written specifically for "Sonic Advance", is very good. But attempts to reproduce the native melodies with MegaDrive (Boss themes of "Sonic 1" and "Sonic 2" when a boss of the) somehow failed not. Likely to affect a different number of audio channels from the MD and GBA. But everything else - well. Colors, by the way, even better than the MegaDrive, that, in general, is not surprising. And the effects that migrated to the GBA as a legacy of technological power SNES, too, the gift is not lost: "SA", decorated by them (though very modest, and always out of place), strongly wins in visual terms.Level design and the dynamics of the game is most similar to the "Sonic 2" and ways to draw anything and everything - on "Sonic & Knuckles". Also the main characters strongly resemble the characters in "Sonic" c DreamCast. Rattlesnake mix! It is time, perhaps, to do a description of how to use this mixture to use.

Sonic Advance
Work will be one of four characters. Options: Sonic, Miles, Knuckles and Amy. At first three fellows in general, any unexpected talents and none at all. Sonic traditionally runs, but rolled into a ball, has the competent "rolled" and in the air, perekuvyrnuvshis, attack is quite capable. Miles, along with the standard movements, can fly on propeller-tail. Knuckles flies forward with exposed fists on the walls and climbs, but can still fist onymi quite like a martial swing ... and even a combo of the three hits with an uppercut to do! Swim, by the way, also it can. Amy is ... we say: the game for Amy - unorthodox. She can not cuddle, which greatly affects her, if I may say so, "mobility". However, the young lady has a very rather big hammer that can break through the wall (those that are not impossible to break), make enemies and break the boxes with prizes - all sorts of boards out there, heaps of rings, etc. Also with a hammer Amy has the ability to bounce high ... ie _deystvitelno_ high. However, this concept is quite right to exist. Yes, this is another point: in contrast to the "Sonic 2" and "Sonic 3" selected character runs through the levels alone. And rightly so: when the second "Sonic" Hedgehog was running behind by Fox, it was possible to cool "moonlight" in the battle with the boss: put Miles on the brain Eggman a such a special way to the way he pecked poor doctor, and myself to sit in a safe place . However, bosses are not nearly as severe except for a couple of samples: after returning from the "Sonic 2" drilling machine in an underwater incarnation, but the last Dr. Robotnik ...

Sonic Advance
Horizons for accomplishment traditionally privolnye. Six high levels of two zones each. Meticulous levels of transfers from other parts of the series, thankfully, no. But the conceptual level, is quite familiar with, there are free improvisations, inspired by the "Casino Night", "Ice Cap" and "Aquatic ruin", as well as a hybrid of "Metropolis" and "Chemical Plant" from that same Sonic 2. With the passage of any particular levels of "plugging" that occurred at times in the third "Sonic". For the classical passing game is recommended, of course, Sonic, and the most effective "prohodtsami" are perhaps the Miles and Knuckles. For Amy, I play a human could not.

In the special "secret locations" on the levels there are such things catapult, throw them inadvertently wandered into a hero "Special Stages", where by skating and collecting an incredible amount of mined gold rings Chaos Emeralds. Being gathered together (seven pieces), they allow Sonic (and only him) to turn into SuperSonika traditionally ultra-fast and invulnerable, but spends its "superstvo" collected by the ring. Incidentally, for SuperSonika there is a special ending and special as the boss. Only the passing game for SuperSonika, you can see the real ending, so ...go to the bonus, collect the emeralds! Boss, by the way, very evil, and victory over him - a serious test, not running any comparison with, in general, the complexity of the child the rest of the game.

Sonic Advance
From other utilities, there are alternative modes of play - the traditional "Versus Game" and "Time Attack". The rest of the nice buns are due to the portability devaysa. For example, AutoSave happens after leaving the area, and there you can go back to the same character at next start the game. And not only there, but on any level, traversed before. What is the scope for searching the secrets! Among the useful gizmos of the same kind - is not mentioned as a default, but still there is in the play "Tiny Chao Garden". Here we are engaged in cultivation Chao - edakii analogues Tamagotchi. Hatch their eggs, feed vserazlichnymi fruit, play minigames. For feeding little obscure animals, by the way, spent the golden ring, that player collects the passing rates in a normal game modes.

What else to say? In any case, to conclude this story, certainly, should be strongly recommended to all fans of "Sonic" to the unfailing purchase this game. "Sonic Advance" - a real "Sonic". Without any discounts on a portable system and non-native "for the Sega architecture. Very worthwhile thing, conceptually extremely common, "collected" is correct, but at the same time beautiful.

Serious Sam: Second Encounter

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
Platform: PC
Developer: Croteam
Publisher: God Games
Genre: FPS
Requirements: Pentium II, 64MB RAM, Open GL

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
I do not know how you and me for the first Serious Sam just stunned. "Well, it's not serious," - you might say. And what is here, to hell, seriously? Who told you that a "strong" shooter must always be serious, laid-back, gray in color, like everyone else, finally? "Serious Sam" really stood out from the crowd coming along, previously released, or maybe even the projects that will appear after it. On the background of gray, cold landscapes Quake, Unreal and Half-Life World Serious Sam was a bright, warm colors Pestryaev spot. Spot initially clumsy, but soon we saw in him a work of gaming art, perhaps less popular than the more "serious" FPS, but it is extremely attractive and fun.

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
So the schedule. Perhaps, in this case, this factor is far from determining the quality of the whole game. Year-old engine of the first "Sam" has reached a sufficiently high level, and generally does not need "remaking", yet the developers have presented us a gift in the form of new cosmetic improvements. As a result of "Serious Sam: Second Encounter" in graphic terms rose to the occasion. The huge space has become "great", how would ugly it sounds. Nature has become richer, tropical jungles in the first mission the game look, perhaps more realistic than the Venom. Codename: Outbreak. And there too GSS showed us real beauty, coupled with their Vital Engine'om. Send all feeling after the first few minutes of the game from the brilliance, brightness of the screen can not be creative, you should see for yourself.

Gameplay has retained its hurricanes. High speed frenzied rhythm of the group, the crowd of hundreds, legions of enemies of the sea, railway car with weapons stockpiles - the main difference from other games of the genre. Gameplay "Hardball Sam 2" is still a little different from the first part thereof, but the innovations we need and were not. Clemens remains the same steep. Only now somewhere gone his sunglasses, while its mountains are even more muscle, his face became serious, and clever jokes:) Apparently, not for nothing were traveling in Egypt ....

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
So, after a Serious Sam finished his zoological studies in Egypt, ending with the closest accomplice Mental'a, he again wanted to "swim" in the old days. But there it was: the capture of the spacecraft and taking the right course, he continues to fly in the hope of success, but ... him added a group of developers from Croteam on a space jalopy, which suddenly cut into the "cool plate (the plate Hardball Sam), than cause a crash. Sam falls to the Andes - a mountain range in South America, which falls into the seemingly hopeless situation.No luck! But now Sam has a new chance to prove their toughness and finally get to the ill-fated Mental'a.

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
Action game this time is not confined to one area: we'll go to South America, Babylon and medieval Europe. One of the hallmarks of the first part was an abundance of open spaces, "Serious Sam: The Second Encounter" they persist and become more beautiful and detalizovannye. All the weapons and monsters from the first part will be presented in the second, plus we add a few more brand new. From Monster - Zorg Mercenary, Zorg Commander, Fiendian Reptiloid Demon, Cucubito the Pumpkin and Zamb'ul the planet Ras-ad-Nyk. Most notable here has seemed to me Cucubito - this is something similar to a human-lumberjack with a chainsaw. A bunch of other new monsters just monsters and they look like and, perhaps, the least forced me to pay attention to them.

Serious Sam: Second Encounter
By the way of new weapons is most interesting, and strangely enough, efficient - a chainsaw, in addition she had seen: Raptor 16mm Sniper, XOP Flamethrower, M1-A2 Thompson ... Chainsaw same thing at all remarkable. Despite its frenzied power, it is a perennial type of weapon, and acts on everything: on the bodies themselves enemies, and, most interestingly, the shells produced by them. Automatic Thomson, of course, does not pretend to complete his resemblance with the real prototype, as, in general, and all the cool Sam. Another very original "Fennec" in a Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - a seven-league boots, a kind of bonus, which for some time increases five times the speed of Sam. It is also worth noting that in the second episode appears much more puzzles, which were at the level of intelligent and logical, but not easier. Increasingly, developers will have our sniper skills. It's not just because they typed shestnadtsatimillimetrovy Raptor ...

Multiplayer mode deserves special attention. Above all, the game turned Serious Warped Deathmath, as well as five other types of online battles, including the beloved Cooperative Mode. For all this wealth given to the wolves as much 20 levels.

Well, everything seems to be the most important second part of the Serious Sam'a in my Review, I told him. It turns out that the Second Encounter - an almost perfect game for its genre. She is not in no way inferior to competitors, and in many ways surpasses them.

Luigi's Mansion

Platform: GameCube
Genre: Action
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo



Luigi's Mansion
How to start a successful platforms from Nintendo? Well, of course, the games about the mustachioed plumber named Mario. However, his universe since the 8-bit consoles grew not only by increasing the monotonous series of adventures, and except for always abducted princess and the evil enemies appeared there and the brother of our hero. Personally, I first got acquainted with Luigi in one of the NES-ovsky puzzles, where the hero played a ceremonial role. But you will agree that it is better to have a major role in the inferior view, than to remain the eternal understudy a famous actor. Indeed, for most gamers Luigi for many years was simply a "green option for Mario" without any hint of the existence of individuality. Well, Nintendo has decided to correct this obvious injustice and start a game for the GameCube made a solo project under the name of Luigi Luigi's Mansion.

Project Sylpheed

Project Sylpheed
Incredible, but true: the developers and publishers of video games, conspired, not willing to let us at the helm starships, by hook or crook to give up making a career space pilot. Fly from planet to planet as passengers - please, but to manage anything in a vacuum - no, no! However, there are still people who are expensive education. And they showed up in famous studios Game Arts, a short time to create and release (with support from Square Enix and Microsoft) is very, very curious Project Sylpheed.

Serious Sam II

Serious Sam II
Big game space were replaced by huge, big monsters turned into giant monsters and villains instead of the hordes of assorted rolls hordes of enemies. Serious Sam II is replete with quantitative rather than qualitative changes. Good or bad, everyone decides for himself. We are just stating a fact ...

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
To implacable enemies of ripe, found common ground and began to fight side by side, should something happen. Something out of the ordinary. Mutants, fed by Marvel, had the return of the Apocalypse - stubborn bully, who managed to "light up" in the comics, animated series and X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse for Game Boy Advance. Might Likhodeev so great that the team of Professor X and the Brotherhood led by Magneto to overcome mutual hostility and unite for the sake of eliminating a deadly threat. Danger naistrashneyshaya: one of the toughest villains in the history not only captured the four mutants and Genoshu turned into hell, but planned to deprive all the heroes of their super-powers and remains the most powerful and frightening in the county. The "peremagnichennogo" as the master and the nerves did no good, after all, among the abductees - the native son. The one "of mercury and blood."