Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)??
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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Spider-Man 2 [UMD Mini for PSP] [2004]
More than a few critics hailed Spider-Man 2 as “the best superhero movie ever,” and there’s no compelling reason to argue–thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it’s a notch above Spider-Man in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. Ordinary People Oscar?-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it’s director Sam Raimi’s affinity for the material that brings Spidey 2 to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey’s newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled “Doctor Octopus,” obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker’s urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina’s outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of Spider-Man 2 is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood’s biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of Spider-Man 3. –Jeff Shannon
List Price: ?17.99
Amazon Price: ?5.98
Used Price: ?3.60
Base Unit Console: Black (PSP)
List Price: ?129.99
Used Price: ?89.99
Customer Review: Great Gifts for young people
This is absolutely one of the best gifts for young people. I got one for my nephew and he keeps thanking me everytime i see him. My sister is however a little bit worried that this thing takes up too much of his time.
Customer Review: Best Console!
This is one of the best consoles around. It is basically a smaller, cheaper version of the playstation 3 and has almost all the capabilites of what the bigger console can do. Obviously the graphics are not quite the same (but better than the DS) and does not have motion sensitive controllers etc. However the advantages are endless it’s portable, cheaper, take pictures (camera needed), store movies, games, music, photos, go on the internet and many more. If you want you can buy a peice of software to allow it to be played through the T.V. The advantages are endless. This console is certainly better than the DS due to it’s capabilities sure it does’nt have a touch screen but that is all the DS has over it. When connected with the PS3 it becomes the deadly duo and makes many more opportunities arrise like for a racing game you can use the PSP as a mirror. Overall the functions and possibilities on this console are endless and is well worth buying especially if you have a playstation 3.
PSP Slim and Lite (Black)
List Price: ?129.99
Amazon Price: ?129.98
Used Price: ?125.87
Customer Review: Great little piece of kit
Sony’s PSP has been given a slight revamp and is now suposedly 33% lighter and 19% thinner than the old model. Does this mean much? Not to me because I’m new to the console anyway. So let’s just start this review by saying I can’t compare the Slim & Lite to the old PSP but what I can do is talk about this version on it’s own merits. Let’s get the most important question out the way first - is it worth getting? Oh yes, without a doubt it is! There is a lot of debate over which is better, PSP or Nintendo DS - personally DS holds no interest to me whatsoever. DS, like Nintendo’s full-size console (Wii), is for casual gamers - it has innovative controls (like Wii) with it’s stylus system but the games generally aren’t what’s classed as “hardcore” games. DS revolves around quick and simple pick-up-and-play-games like Nintedogs, Harvest Moon and Brain Training - I find these games tedious. Personally, I want “proper” games - racing, shooting, fighting etc - the games I have grown up with as a committed gamer. You won’t find many of them with DS but you do with PSP. Admittedly PSP started out as nothing more than a portable that received far too many stripped-down PS2 conversions but things have moved on slightly since then. The quality of games on PSP is impressive and improving all the time - the graphics, sound and kind of presentation this portable is capable of is nothing short of amazing. When I first loaded up Killzone Liberation for example, I was greeted with an incredibly smooth, detailed high resolution FVM sequence - you wouldn’t find that kind of cinematic presentation anywhere on DS. A quick note on a much-maligned area of PSP - the analog nub. Some people find it very awkward or uncomfortable to use - it’s not actually so bad. At first it can seem a bit innacurate but after a few minutes you should become accustomed to it. It actually works great for racing games like Test Drive Unlimited (although it’s a bit sensitive on Burnout Dominator so I tend to stck to the D-pad for that game) but I have yet to try it on a first person shooter (the kind of games it is most criticised for). So what’s good about PSP? + the screen is incredible - large, smooth and bright + the PSP is easily most powerful portable on market + the PSP is incredibly versitile - games, movies, pictures, music, internet…. you name it! + wi-fi connection meaning online gaming and internet browsing + loading times of games on Slim & Lite is good; the games I own generally don’t take any longer than CD/DVD games on larger formats (XBox, PS2, 360 etc) + battery life isn’t too bad considering the kind of games it can play (I imagine they would be quite demanding on the battery) + good selection of games for the console - it is getting all the big franchises, not to mention one or two exclusives of its own Anything not so good about PSP? - it can get a bit uncomfortable when played on for extended periods - aching thumbs can be an issue (or maybe it’s just me) - when loading UMDs the PSP makes an annoying whirring noise (it’s just a bit noisy for my liking) - the D-pad can creak sometimes (not sure if it’s just my PSP or not) - it soon gets caked in millions of fingerprints due to its shiny surface Overall, I think this is a marvellous piece of technology. PSP is without a doubt the most advanced portable ever released and for any serious gamer I would recommend this very highly. Only thing I will say is that if you’re thinking of buying a PSP, remember you need a memory card in order to save anything - I would opt for at least 2GB memory stick, preferably a 4GB one. I’m afraid this means more expense (a fifth negative on the console if you like). But overall it’s worth the price I think.
Customer Review: If you have the big psp - avoid this!
I already own the large psp and thought I would down size to the psp lite, What a mistake! Yes its smaller (not by much) yes its thinner (by quite a bit) but it feels tacky, the UMD slot that used to pop out your umd in a slick motion of mechanics is now a flimsy pull down cover that looks and feels tacky. I thought it would have new themes and maybe some built in pictures/games - No!! (I mean if you upgraded to a new sony ericsson phone you’ll expect new wallpapers and pictures?). All you get is some new coloured backgrounds and the ability to watch your stuff on a tv. You don’t get the headphone adaptor (with volume control) or even a soft case. Battery life is still no better and the volume seems to be less that the old model. If you don’t have the old model and your new to handheld gaming - get a DS, not this. If you already have the old model - keep it and just accept its big size. I do like the psp, its brilliant for watching movies,playing music or viewing pictures-the low score is for the new lite version compared to the old large version. Steer clear unless you have money to burn.
Ayrton Senna / Formula one racing / FRAMED FILM CELL Made under licence in the uk this item comse fully framed and both double mounted and glazed, a full Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is included. This item is ready to hang.
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