The Lair of the Monkey

Manhunt 2 was banned - that’s kinda old news.  Go check out my thoughts on it though over at Gadzooki…

There’s a fab english trailer for arguably one of the coolest RPG’s for a while (especially on the 360, which has like Oblivion and that’s it) - Eternal Sonata.  Go check it out, it’s at Kotaku.  Oh yeah, and for the record, I still think Blue Dragon will be a better gaming experience, but then I can’t wait for the 200 plus hours of gaming from that.

Now - how cool is that?  Well, the first picture is, kind of.  Yet the second one is a certain now-staple character.  Wario.  And he’s farting.  People are still trying to tell me that Manhunt 2 is what’s wrong with the games industry.  Am I at odds with everyone else when I say it’s not actually games like that, but rather this?  Hang on Nintendo, do you realise that I’m not 12 anymore?  Do you know my fondest rose-tinted gaming memories are with you, but I no longer play your consoles (I never did buy a DS on holiday, though I still want one)?  Do you even care anymore?  Hell, I don’t think you cared anyway given how long we waited for Animal Crossing.  For that FU you gave us, I think that this feature is long overdue…

N.B. Images curtesy of Kotaku.  Top site guys.

Well, I have of course been playing more Forza 2.  Part of this at least is down to the fact that I’ve moved and haven’t got that many other games with me.  I do have Oblivion on the PC but I’ve stopped playing that for a bit.  It might see some play tonight but it’s already almost 22.00 already!  I can barely believe it.  How time has flown!

Anyway, I’d just like to follow up with two issues.  First, Forza 2 is absolutely great, but I’m starting to get a little bored now.  Then again, I discovered that if you ratchet up the difficulty, stick on an endurance race and then turn off the assists it’s almost like a whole new game.  Which is good.  There is a genuinely big difference between the race and standard cars, but until you’ve seen the might of something like the TVR Speed 12 then you really need to keep playing.

As a quick note about online play, I got playing with a bunch of good guys today who had invented their own game version online.  Drift racing was the name of the game, with the best racer being lauded not for fast lap times but for skin-of-your-teeth edging around a corner at top speed sideways.  I put in a decent performance with a Ferrari 330 P4 which was a frantic car - but great fun.  I look forward to more of the same, so see you guys on there!

Kotaku.com has a brilliant video of the upcoming smash hit for the PS3 - Heavenly Sword.  You simply must check this out, this game is going to be big, mark my words.

It’s good to take a break away from everything now and then - it helps you focus on what you are doing when you get back home.  To that end, I’m looking forward to catch up on all the latest news from the world of electronic entertainment.  So much happens in a week!  On the other hand, let me say a little something for spending no time with games on holiday.

It wasn’t half as depressing as I thought it would be.  That, in a nutshell, sums it up.  However, it’s for a good reason.  When you are in 33 degree heat (or more) you’re a lot less time to be indoors (or even outdoors sometimes) doing very much beyond a few laps of the pool.  But that’s fine.  That’s what holidays are for as I outlined earlier.

On a slightly sarcastic note, I was glad to find that when I got back there were no red rings of death appearing on my 360.  It was a bit of a holiday nightmare that, wondering whether I’d return to find the glaring eye of death looking at me from my beloved white could-have-been-Apple bit of kit.  Factor in the reliability though and it’s definitely Microsoft.  Go figure.

So what did I play first when I got back this morning?  Yes, you guessed it.  Forza Motorsport 2.  The saga continues.  Enough about that though, I need to go do some work.  I have an important engagement tomorrow evening and I also have a small session of Neverwinter Nights (that’s right, the original, nerdilicious baby!) lined up for this afternoon, as well as much needed rest.  So go on, take a look round the net, maybe you can update me on what I’ve missed…

Ha, I knew that would get your attention!  Unfortunately, LOTM is going on a short break, or rather I am and so it is too.  I’ll consider updating from my undisclosed holiday location but if I can’t, I’ll be sure to give you a lovely update on 23rd June.  In the meantime, keep gaming for me folks!

A brilliant site with a feature on XLeague TV - something I haven’t had a chance to cover yet but it’s on Sky - Channel 291.  Anyway, go see Weefz and Thefluffyfist over at The Average Gamer.

Sure, I know what you’re thinking.  Why on Earth is Mr Butterscotch on about a TV show on ITV featuring Ant & Dec, some very strange acts, and the dreaded Simon Cowell?  Well, for one reason.  Britain’s Got Talent showcases some interesting stuff and some of them are quite good.  One thing to note though is that of course as it’s for the Royal Variety Performance it is a very particular type of ‘act’.  Not only that, but it cuts down the type of talent that can be on show.

Now, you’ve no doubt noticed the logo from Lionhead Studios (above).  Why is it there?  Well, they are in Britain aren’t they?  And don’t they make great games?  Yes and yes.  So why can’t we have something more than those awful ‘Golden Joystick’ awards for the talent in this emerging British industry?  Let’s put it this way, Grand Theft Auto arguably changed the face of gaming and yet Rockstar still isn’t that well known very far out of the circle.  This is something that should change - this is a industry that should not be at best ignored, and at worst derided…

Well, come on now - what can I say beyond more and more Forza 2! Xbox 360 has some good games, but not many of them which hold my attention like this. It has cars, modding and of course fantastic support for Xbox Live. I’ve already sold one car - a fantastic older vehicle with colours in the form of Amstrad no less! If you see it driving about, think of me.

Of course, I’ve reviewed Forza 2 - but it was over at Gadzooki. I’m not really one for giving a score (if you can’t be bothered to read the review…) but I will, for a change. Forza 2 is definitely a 9/10. Whilst it’s good, there’s a few narks I have with it. These include the lack of real in-car view, the always-perfect weather and the removal of the interesting point to point races. On the whole though, it’s fantastic.

N.B. You can find me on Live: blackvv