Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)??
With the Pro Evolution Soccer series renowned for its fluid, realistic gameplay, the new game builds on the implementation of Teamvision with additional key advances. As with previous releases since its inception in 1996, the ball is again treated as a separate entity, with the timing of shots entirely down to the player, while the new AI ensures that defenders work to close down space and block efforts on goal. Similarly, distribution of passes works along the same lines, with players using the space available to them to switch the ball. Close control has also been enhanced with more control when dribbling the ball, and a number of subtle moves added to bypass defenders and move the ball into space.
Customer Review: Completey fixed!!!
Although the game did suffer from lag slightly offline and massively online, the new patch which can be downloaded when starting the game has completely fixed it!! paving the way now for one of the best pro ev games if not the best, the passing is so slick and beating a defender is alot easier than recent years, the true pro ev and indeed football fans will now get to play the finest football game, one word superb!!!
Customer Review: Pro DEvolution 2008
I’ll be honest, when I first got into football games on to consoles, the first one I owned was FIFA International Soccer for the SNES. Although dated, isometric and unofficial, the game was a pretty good experience. It showed me that as long as the game was fun to play, that alone could overcome some of the game’s short comings.
I was a FIFA fanboy up until 2005 (on my Gamecube, yes, I stayed loyal to Nintendo too) when after being “forced” to play the so-called enemy, Pro Evo, I was hooked. The game lacked a licence and didn’t have the hundreds of teams FIFA offered, but instead, went for the more realistic approach to the game, it was more fluent, goals required actual skill and was an overall more satisfying experience.
I eventually gave up on FIFA and ended up for the next two years buying a second hand PS2 just to play Pro Evo 5 & 6. When the next gen consoles came along, I went with the PS3 and I eagerly awaited Pro Evo 2008. I hoped that the game would have the near-perfect of the original games with the added bonus of crisp, high-definition graphics with a better online mode.
So, come late October, Pro Evo 2008 was released, I knew it had a lot to live up to, despite turning on FIFA, I actually enjoyed FIFA 08 despite some problems but still deep down knew it would be well and truly trounced by it’s counter-part.
Sadly, my hopes came crashing down, along with mine and many others.
Pro Evo 2008 to bluntly put it, shouldn’t have been released. This isn’t just my opinion, this is a lot of people’s, including its creator, Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka who has stated the game shouldn’t of but had to be released. If that hasn’t warned you of the bashing this game will get, then this message should.
The most important part of Pro-Evo is the gameplay. The PS2’s titles although had a few ningles, we’re pretty much flawless. Although it has transcended well, a few too many bits and pieces haven’t. Controls are exactly the same as before (which is fine if you’ve played Pro Evo before, but newer players will pick it up in time too). There’s a few new features, one of which is diving, which will either cause you to jump for joy after winning a penalty, or feel like killing your system if the game does the same to you. The A.I for your opposition is alright, it still hard to score and if you make a good set piece, then chances are you weren’t lucky and you generally did a good job.
The referee however seems to be in a time warp and has gone back to the ways of Pro Evo 4, in that, he hands out cards like breaths of air. Seriously, unless you do a slide tackle from the front and win the ball, chances are, your player could be sent off. In a multiplayer game I had, I had 3 players sent off for fairly normal tackles (in Football, a contact sport, keep that in mind) whilst my friend had 4 players kicked off for similar challenges, normally straight reds. It might be Konami’s way of making sure slide-tackles are used to a minimum and discourage players from using them in the real world, but sometimes, when it’s needed and it’s a slight mistake, you’d think they’d be a bit more lenient.
Looks wise, although this is the PS3 (which has had a pretty mix card in its first year) and although it’s Pro Evo, I did expect a bit more bling for my buck. Sadly, the game just doesn’t cut it. Even on a Hi-Def TV, it still looks pretty poor. Pitches look drab, the crowd looks pretty poor (which it always did, just now, you’d expect they’d have the power to perhaps, touch it up). Some players look like their real life counter-parts, but for others, it will be a complete guessing game and it can be pretty distracting.
Speaking of distracting, how about we add a bit of lag to the experience? Yep, Pro Evo, famed for its fluency and well paced action, has now replaced it with slowdown and lag. Some stadiums are worse then others, but replays, many players on screen (e.g. corners and battles in the middle of the pitch) and online have suffered tremendously. Luckily a patch has just been released which does cure most of these problems, but online is still pretty much unplayable and the odd problem still happens offline.
Overall, Pro Evolution 2008 is the start of Konami’s venture into next-gen consoles (you could include last years since PE6 was on the Xbox 360, but since there was no PS3 or Wii versions, it’s the first game with all next-gen platforms) and it’s gone pretty downhill. Instead of just updating PE6 with fancy graphics, some new moves and an updated roster, something else happened and this is the end result. It’s done some good things, but as a whole, its a very disappointing experience and not worthy of buying (which is evident with the recent price dropping). If you want a real football experience on your console, keep PE6 and wait until next year, if your that bothered for a next gen football game, FIFA 08 is your only other option, which after this travesty, doesn’t seem that bad anymore.
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Hellboy [UMD Mini for PSP] [2004]
In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy’s origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin–in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs–opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely fire-starter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns (”to fit in,” says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys.
The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola’s original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He’s red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What’s not to like? –Jeff Shannon
List Price: ?17.99
Amazon Price: ?6.98
Used Price: ?4.99
PSP Key Essentials Pack
5 Essential accessories to use with Sony PSP games console
FPUK - PINK CONSOLE GAME CARRY CASE HOLDER BAG FOR SONY PSP / UMD DISCS
Protect your Sony PlayStation Portable (PSPTM) with this stylish console case. This case is perfect for protecting the screen from scratches and certain degree of impact, in addition there is dedicated storage space for several small accessories, memory cards and UMD’s ! Two elastic ribbons fasten the console safety and two tailor made pockets for UMD game discs inside the case. An essential purchase for any PSP owner.
X-oom Music for PSP (PC)??
List Price: ?9.99
Amazon Price: ?10.96
Customer Review: Superb!
What a great product! Not only does this product find Internet Radio Stations and lists them for you, but it also allows you to record them and the best bit is it records the individual songs and catalogues them for you, not as I thought records the whole radio session as one continous stream. This allows you to go through the recording and just select the songs you want!!!
HDMI Cable (PS3) Customer Review: Works for me
I have a Samsung LE32R41BD TV and this HDMI cable absolutely works fine at 720p and 1080i (I don’t have a 1080p tv).
I guess you could try changing the output type in the settings? But works fine for - Amazon wouldn’t be able to sell (let alone bundle) an HDMI cable that doesn’t support HD.
Customer Review: 4 Gamers HDMI Cable
This cable does not support 760p or 1080i with my LE32R87BDX Samsung LCD TV. It only supports 576p at first I thought my TV was not HD but on buying a Sony 1.3A HDMI CABLE I am now operating at 1080i and the PS3 Games are unreal!!!
If you have a Samsung LCD I would advise you not to buy this cable!!!
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Used Price: ?120.00 
List Price: ?9.99 
List Price: ?17.99 
Beethoven’s 5th - The Multimedia Symphony Phrase by phrase explanation whilst listening to each section. Symphony is typical of Exploratory music software. The five modules include an overview of Beethoven’s life, a formal analysis of the Fifth Symphony, a complete recording of the work with written commentary, an introduction to each instrument in the orchestra, and a set of games. The recording can be interrupted at any time for additional information, and the score can be viewed in short segments as the music plays. A glossary of musical terms is also included. The orchestra comes to life as the opening strains of Beethoven’s 5th roll like thunder from your computer. Experience music as you never have before. Open a new world of understanding and music appreciation! With the click of a mouse, it’s yours to explore… See how an orchestra is organized and click on the different sections to learn about specific instruments. Sit back and listen to each instrument being played! Video clips demonstrate the instruments in action. Explore the symphony in detail by following the score of each section as it is played. With a click of a mouse you can listen to any section. Detailed commentary is also included. Beethoven’s life comes alive as you follow his biographical timeline. Learn about the people and events that influenced him and shaped his music. This musical voyage will help you gain an in-depth understanding of classical music. Beethoven’s 5th - The Multimedia Symphony can also be enjoyed as an audio CD, playable on any audio CD player! Three multimedia games are included to test the whole family’s knowledge of classical music. Created over 10 years ago, it still performs well on the latest Windows systems. This is ideal to classical music lovers, and students of Beethoven!
