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When the cars of Gran Turismo returning to stand or that the meteors V12 Need For Speed finish their course, is a game french much more discreet who takes over for revealing behind the scenes, the preparation of customisation and sometimes repair these cars lines profiled. His name: Touch Mechanic or the umpteenth virtual realization of the myth of the young prodigy who reached the summit of his art by dint of will. But to become the king of mechanics on portable console, it is not enough to want.

Equally clivant that sport without the sweat and guitar without crossed, here is the mechanical tasks without sludge with Touch Mechanic. This title, straight out of the stands Kando, in fact place the player in the shoes of an apprentice mechanic. There’s no races, no steering but simply the joy of tinkering cars in record time. With the touch screen as a workshop, the player and his pen Dremel tools ten busy around cars modelled in 3D. It should zoom in turn on the engine, brakes and the rear skirt for repairs requested. Each time, the goal is roughly déboulonner of anything that interferes, then replace a defective part before rising overall and repainting. There is no real diagnosis to be made. Just a way forward and so the game becomes fairly quickly cyclical. That is its main shortcoming: it runs in circles. We feel however that developers have sought to burst the codes of practice to try and give a real rhythm to their game, but despite impatient customers and patrons intractable, it is very rare to feel under pressure. And ultimately, the success is easy without being really gratifying.

Employed manuel if any, the engineer responsible for its cars as a doctor of his patients. In this sense, Touch Mechanic is a little Trauma Center of the car with heads of authoritarian workshop instead of the nurse Angie. However, modelling some careful mechanical parts proves that the game is a little more realistic and teaching that his counterpart surgery. Indeed, the hero follows the instructions of his employers successive and, in true passion, he continues his repairs beyond working hours to create a better progression game at two levels. Explanations: during half the game, we must listen and obey the bosses and during the other half, we have to use what one has learned to prepare his own body and win competitions tuning. With money earned in the garage, it is possible to buy new pieces to fit his own car. At the player then see if it is rather sport, racing, dub or donk. Whatever the style chosen, the gradual construction of his car is a phase of Thursday’s most interesting even if, once again, we must settle for a field action a bit limited. For more challenge, but it will return.

Lifting of hell that had plunged the angel of Darkness, Lara Croft was really having a health since Tomb Raider: Anniversary who managed to find the spirit of the series while also injecting a bit of fresh air. The challenge for Underworld, currently under development, was the confirmation, especially on Next Gen. Present at the Games Convention and accessible to the public as the press, the title has left close to the time a small session of Archaeology extreme enough promise in whole.

The Little Mermaid

With a little behind other licenses successful video game, Tomb Raider has finally decided to make his driven cross and truly step Next Gen. Unlike Tomb Raider: Anniversary, conceived for the PS2 and then adapted for the new machines, Tomb Raider Underworld was designed with the Xbox 360 and PS3 in mind. During the level presented, it discovered Lara, quietly installed on a boat, preparing to take the leap into the middle of the ocean. On the surface, it can obviously afford a few lengths of crawl, but it will probably things interesting for our archaeologist shock can be found on terra firma, a few dozen metres further. After a shark attack just missed, Lara reached without major difficulties a first platform and then tries to recover a small climbing where you will have the opportunity to see that the fine has not lost its flexibility.

The gameplay, very Indiana-Jonesque in his style, of course, had what he needed when grab branches, balconies overcoming a parapet, bridges croulants and other small wonders of the gaming architecture: always dependent on acrobatics Lara, the game offers a good share of exploration-based waterfalls and catching up unlikely. As always in the series, these phases of gameplay aïgu require a sense of observation and reflexes, the game is obviously still Radin alternative path, and ruthless on the “off-piste.” With a little experience, we learn also to recognize the walls exploitable, “good” branches, catches rock authorized by the game; animations Lara deliver even, in most cases, information on its ability to pass a jump or not, tending the arm for example. Tomb Raider Underworld is therefore the item on the gameplay, despite some worries of not properly wicked camera when the lens too close to Lara. Just can we blame the developers a certain severity on some jumps a little limits, which send systematically and without further ado, the player fifteen meters below.

Come back successful?

This shift from pure platform, soon followed by the discovery of a lost first temple, to be honest looked more like a big tutorial, to circumnavigate the potential of the game in terms of achievement and gameplay. In addition to a panel enriched animations, like when Lara dismisses gently brush it before each of his steps (a little closer detail, for example, what we found in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune), then swim in familiar territory on the side of playability. There are all movements submitted for every day in a series of events rather well views, small reels here to resume balance, roulades side now more … by dint of motion capture sessions, Lara cheek gymnast competition to pave a path among the obstacles the game, to light years of its rigidities of the past. Most tatillons may nevertheless be objected that our adventurer custody a few scars of its residual stiffness of yesteryear, specifically the lack of fluidity sequences during breaks, which are still quite slow to emerge: you jump, you move suspended on landmark another outlet, rappelling down a suspended its Grapple, you turn on the camera and re-jumping, etc.. Despite obvious progress in recent episodes, it is still very far from the intuitiveness of a Prince of Persia.

Visually finally, Tomb Raider Underworld impressive. Whether the turmoil of the ocean, subtle reflections on the surface of water, abundant flora, calibrating environnemennts or look teenager Lara, we must admit that the game is many strengths on its side to seduce retinas. From time to time struck a few freezes on the Xbox 360 version we’ve tried, TRU is in any event a great game, and should easily rinse the eyes of many players. This bodes well for the best a few weeks before leaving the game, especially since the few puzzles and enemies entrevus during our test session had the air of perfect recital gameplay “the Tomb Raider” – can be therefore expect solid, it was probably classic for this comeback of Lara Croft. Five years after being burned in the angel wings of Darkness, it will be satisfied without chicaner.

Tomb Raider Underworld is scheduled on PC, PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii and DS on November 21

Despite the 3D and the new machines, Konami has not forgotten the roots of Castlevania and soon we should remember how beautiful with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Presented a playable version at the Games Convention 08, this game of action / adventure reserved for the Nintendo DS could allow the series to regain its highest level of quality after a Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, which despite its qualities, also its share of detractors. What will he hoped with this new episode?

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia’s first feature to allow the star to a woman, something not so common. On the substitutes’ bench for the coup, the Belmont will not be too much to do in the event Dracula as the beautiful Shonoa is its name, will be prima facie equally effective on eradication of vampires and other creatures of the shadows thirsting for blood. Our heroine handles the finger and eye and dropped in the first monastery, we quickly noticed one of the original game which is the use of a button arm of the character. In alternating keys, you can move and attack with a weapon in each hand and cut monsters inflicting much damage. The downside of this technique works equally well with objects that magic is that it consumes bar endurance fairly quickly, and that Shonoa may find themselves temporarily without a defense in cases of abuse.

A Castlevania often occurs in a large labyrinthine castle that will explore bottom, but this time, progress in the adventure looks a little different. A mini-map will make its appearance at the outlet of each monastery and will choose the next box, which should mean that we have gaming areas a little smaller but also more diverse. For the rest, we have noticed the emergence of a grappler to boost travel in specific situations, and lack of management of the touchscreen unlike the previous episode, which was used frequently to escape the magic. More generally, it already seems likely that Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia reach to offer us a level of quality high enough. The visual achievement is simply magnificent with a very fine 2D coupled with a few 3D effects controlled. And the gameplay and a lot of action sprinkled with big boss like many RPG elements (gain level, magic, equipment management …) looks already well catchy. One way to monitor closely, therefore, pending also learn more potential features multi mentioned, but without further details. The output of the game is scheduled in Europe for the month of November.

After a Need for Speed ProStreet at least mitigated in 2007, the saga of auto racing Need For Speed will try to redeem themselves this year with a new episode subtitled Undercover. Announced recently and planned from November 18 to the USA on PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, DS, PSP and Wii, and three days later at home, the beast can be currently approaching the Games Convention in Leipzig an Xbox 360 playable by all at the booth of Electronic Arts. Here are our first impressions after a few rounds of wheels.

Just for once, Electronic Arts and Black Box, the studio of record in the series, we promise with Need for Speed Undercover return to the sources of the saga, which blows this year by its fourteenth candle. Except that we had already made the coup, and there was otherwise remain skeptical after such an announcement. Nevertheless, we must still acknowledge that, at the outset, this episode seems they really have made efforts in this direction. Exit, already, the atmosphere tuning too recent episodes (and exacerbated in ProStreet, even if we dégoûter), even if it is of course always find a catalogue of items provided in this NFS to customize its cars improving its performance but also his look. No, it is rather the pursuit race aspect facing the police who returned here in force, supported by a scenario worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Judge for: Undercover, embody a young wolf who will engage in various risky jobs in order to win the confidence of a dangerous criminal organization, and so infiltrate them to better dismantle it with the help of the Maréchaussée Local. Any resemblance to an existing plot would of course be accidental, as in previous parts, it will be introduced into the environment via a lovely lady who will take us under his wing, played in the game by actress Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III, Die Hard 4 – Back in Hell). Because we also find in this episode the famous sequences live, a little re-stylized, and so dear to Electronic Arts. The regulars of the saga may not therefore not truly be at home, especially since Undercover also retains the principle of open environment.

Our space game will be in this new NFS of a new town named Tri-City Bay Area, comprising … four distinct areas linked by highways. Sunset Hills, Palm Harbor, Port Crescent, Gold Coast Mountain, these neighbourhoods we reserve each one different ambience, typée downtown, industrial or downright mountainous. It will be dégotter our missions in the same way as in Carbon, choosing a test among those released by the previous and so on (no need to go there, races can still be triggered remotely.) Three types of courses are also offered on the version made available at the Games Convention with Highway Battles first, either on motorways prosecution against a single opponent he will, in less than a minute, doubling then keep a distance, while being faufilant in traffic, not dense frankly it must admit. Another test can compete against a handful of other cars on a track closed this time, while the last we invited him to abscond a concession driving a brand new Porsche. The difficulty of the latter comes from many police patrols in the area, which we pourchasseront for some time. In this connection, it should be noted that the local Maréchaussée will not really shake the players in this version as it leaves little to easily outpace that we use and abuse of changing direction. In case of arrest, will also pay the amount of damage caused during our pursuit. During the race, it also noted the presence of a small gauge on the right of the screen, which climbed to the liking of slippages and other figures in style, winning the final by bonus points.

Since we are talking about flying, we will find again its brands quickly, the various cars available to us in this demo (a Porsche GT2, a muscle car and an Audi RS4) showing a finger and handling to the eye. Just a few seconds of game will be necessary to get used to a very strong direction which, coupled with a hand brake particularly docile, can move changes course with breathtaking ease. Despite the gameplay quite nervous police presence but also the possibility of using nitrous and a speedbreaker – a sort of bullet time to slow down time and therefore better negotiate some corners – the tests lack a little bite. The fault probably a city almost deserted in this version of the Games Convention, which also accuses major concerns techniques. These include a frame rate in agony, but also a fairly pronounced aliasing and a few pop-up textures or buildings intact. However, if we obscures this traffic almost non-existent, the city is showing a certain credibility in its construction, and pointed out a few points that Burnout Paradise. The damage ahead also very successful, sheet metal folding is a natural rather disconcerting on modelling also quite remarkable, but we regret increvables tire rims or indestructible. The nice effect of smoke ProStreet should also rebuild its appearance in this episode, while we note the absence inexcusable views cockpit. Black Box had hinted q’il this was one of yards strongly considered for the post ProStreet, but it is obviously nothing. What a pity. In short, with Need for Speed Undercover, NFS returns well in a certain way to its roots, but not as much as might be hoped, not to mention that the proposed innovations do not seem frankly staggering. It will in any case the heart net next November 21 to be precise, when leaving the game in our lands.

The mysterious Suikoden Tierkreis spotted earlier this month was finally unveiled in the last pages of Famitsu DS and it is that this new episode will emerge. According to the Japanese magazine, it would be a role play in the line of classic episodes, with fighting in turn by turn can be directed to the pen and a priori, a team of four fighters accompanied by a invited. Côté achievement, we should end up with decorations 2D while the battles and characters are in 3D, with the usual attacks combined. In terms of scenario, the initial information suggests that the adventure would begin on a crushing defeat of the 108 heroes of legend, forcing the main character of this opus to all meet again. Apparently to half its development, the title does not yet have a release date, but fans of the series will probably already thrilled to see a new Suikoden announced.

Rediscovering the adventures of young Sangoku since his meeting with Bulma, which looks at crystal balls, you feel like it? In any case, what will propose that we once called Dragon Ball DS and which today is called Dragon Ball Origins. Remember that this is an adventure game action to close the achievement of a The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, where all actions are done with the stylus. The whole thing will be sprinkled with humour, puzzles and of course fighting … even some hidden figures (virtual of course) will find and may be exchanged by players via the wireless connection of portable Nintendo.

Our Japanese friends have them the opportunity to try it as soon as September 18 next, for us it will take until the end of the year. In effect next December it announced the release of Dragon Ball European Origins. Until we Namco Bandai gratifie new catch, here are the latest available trailer, which reveals a small sample of what lies ahead, with graphics and a melody rather flattering.

Deep Silver announced that they would publish the game Igor The Game for the PC, Wii NintendoDS and the European Union PAL territories, territories french overseas, the Commonwealth of Independent States, South Africa , Australia and New Zealand.

The Igor The Game of video games are produced by I2G and Legacy Interactive. They are based on the animated films of the same title by Exodus Film Group, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Igor opens the USA on September 19, 2008 and presents the voice talents of artists such as John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jay Leno and Christian Slater. The film will receive worldwide distribution for the holidays of 2008.

Igor is a playful irreverent comedy with a new twist on the classic scientific Evil / Monster genre and tells the story of an evil scientist’s hunchbacked lab assistant, Igor, who has big dreams of becoming a scientist evil in its own right and winning the coveted first place award at the annual Evil Science Fair. But instead create a monster dangerous for competition, Igor creates amicably instead Eva. His attempts to convince Eva behave as a true monster to many entanglements. With much humour involved, both the film and games commemorate the kind of film Monster of the classic era of Hollywood.

The games will closely follow the script of the film. The PC and Wii versions varied become an Action-Adventure players Thursday to monitor the four main characters: Igor, Eva and their two friends, brain and Scamper. The NintendoDS version will allow players to design their monster individually by adding new body parts, and competition against other scientists creatures through an exciting puzzle battle system. Hundreds of opportunities to allow players to create monsters really. Igor The Game is scheduled for release on all platforms this October.

Henry Hatsworth in Puzzling Adventure combines pads, DS puzzle game – think Panel de Pon / Planet Puzzle League – with a side-scrolling platformer. This curious mash-up guard blocks on the bottom screen, Hatsworth high jump, and you go back and forth between each continue to grow. We recently played this as a style, due in early 2009. With so many little things right, we are not sure that the puzzle-platformer work, but we are impressed by his potential.
In the top screen, Hatsworth short, jumps, swings his cane, and shoots at any other platformer. However, when you kill an enemy in this perspective, it turns into a block, sliding into the puzzle screen below. These blocks constantly creep up, and if the bloc face to reach the summit screen, they turn into angrier, more powerful enemies.

The X button always on the side of breaks-control scroll and swaps puzzle world. Gamers change blocks horizontally, trying three or more colours-to erase forever these blocks. But instead of just the murder of a block-shaped the enemy, headache governs prowess special abilities and even ammunition in the top screen, ignore blocks puzzle, and will be Hatsworth able to attack with his poor cane.

When we jumped and ran through the top screen, the control button felt agile and comfortable. We especially liked the complexity larger scale, which should keep the game fresh, in addition to standard, one-button attacks, many power-ups and button combinations made new moves. We were non sequitur special attacks with a puzzle full of energy meter, as Tea Time, which put Hatsworth inside a giant walking robot with a laser cannon.

Because these attacks are based on the puzzle metre, it is often exploited in the bottom screen is a few blocks. The puzzle answers touchscreen or D-pad, but more importantly we stuck on the hard buttons since it is faster than recovering the stylus every time. Players can remain in the World puzzle for a period which increases with the damage generated in the top screen. You can not die in the puzzle, but you can get kicked back to the screen after meter depletes.

Hatsworth a lot. While we believe that the platform-puzzle combination could excel, a large part of the game developers rely on its adjustable difficulty and a challenge. Sometimes the puzzle and platforming felt easy, but that could have been because we started on an early level. And so follow the times, we could see how the game could become frustrating and confusing.

Scheduled for early 2009, Henry Hatsworth and Puzzling Adventure takes a leap of creation without combining the genres. EA Tiburon and its designers have made great potential, we hope Hatsworth can reach.

Another best-loved classical Square Enix RPG is heading to Nintendo DS, marking the official beginning of Chrono Trigger the United Kingdom.

First the bad news: Unless you have a time machine you’ll be left waiting for Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS before the beginning of 2009. The good news is that the adventures of our young hero time to travel, Crono, will be strengthened for Nintendo DS using the dual screen presentation, touch screen game, and a brand new tower is not included in the game Super NES 1995. There will also be a game mode wireless allowing friends to explore the dungeons same set.

Chrono Trigger is legendary among fans of Square Enix and console RPG fans in general. It is clear from the same time as Final Fantasy III (FFXI Japan) and the classic Dragon Quest players Square Enix is also now bringing to the Nintendo DS. Chrono Trigger is considered a masterpiece for its Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) and artworks character stirring music composer Yasunori Mitsuda. The gameplay is pleasantly unusual; alternate dimensions time leading to results with several scenarios and multiple endings. In some ways, ahead of its time…