Issue 22 - Chipsworld Corporate
Transcription
Issue 22 - Chipsworld Corporate
c e l e b r a t i ng 2 1 y e a r s o f g a m i ng issue 22 SPRING 07 www.chipsworld.co.uk ® no w FMROEBILEE! 48 pag es ® ! ME PHONE GAA D LO N W O D ! E ID INS Final Fantasy Xii Vaan’s the man! inside plus More Games! n n More news! n more tips! Th eg a al me l t s, h in e in the fo s sp … id e e cs , n CRAckdown… superhero gta! n wii sports tipped n card game special WHERE TO FIND uS Arnold ☎ 01159 209991 4 Croft Road, NG5 7DX ashford ☎ 01233 621710 2 Chapel Mews, North Street, TN24 8JN ® bishop auckland ☎ 01388 606046 137 Newgate Street, Dl14 7EN chester-le-street ☎ 0191 3875544 87a Front Street, DH3 3BJ chorlton ☎ 0161 8610909 444 Barlow Moor Road,M21 0BQ chorley ☎ 01257 265444 39 Chapel Street, PR7 1BU consett ☎ 01207 506688 2 John Street, DH8 5LA darlington ☎ 01325 381048 15 Clarks Yard, DL3 7QH dudley ☎ 01384 458531 Unit 7, Trident Shopping Centre, DY1 1QJ edinburgh ☎ 0131 6677001 136 Nicolson Street, EH8 9EH glasgow west end ☎ 01413 577201 312 Dumbarton Rd, G11 6TF guisborough ☎ 01287 637777 17 Market Place, TS14 6BN hartlepool ☎ 01429 869800 72 Park Road, TS26 9HU hereford ☎ 01432 278633 7 Commercial Road, HR1 2BB letchworth ☎ 01462 675333 Garden Square Centre, SG6 3DL longton ☎ 01782 594041 NEW! 71 The Strand, Stoke-on-trent ST3 2NS lytham st. annes ☎ 01253 789922 21 The Crescent, FY8 1SZ Middlesbrough ☎ 01642 252509 63-65 Borough Road, TS1 3AA Newcastle U Lyme ☎ 01782 660343 3 York Place, ST5 2AH northallerton ☎ 01609 777612 Zetland Street, DL6 1NA Ormskirk ☎ 01695 580080 34 Church Street, L39 3AW Orpington ☎ 01689 835999 152 High Street, BR6 0JR portslade ☎ 01273 439500 13 Station Road, BN41 1GA redcar ☎ 01642 488522 4 Dundas Street, TS10 3AD SKIPTON ☎ 01756 700995 24 Newmarket Street, BD2 32JB STAFFORD ☎ 01785 255553 11 St Mary’s Gate, ST16 2AS stockton ☎ 01642 618256 26 Silver Street, TS18 1SX WOODLEY ☎ 0118 969 9166 145 Crockhamwell Road, RG5 3JP yeovil ☎ 01935 434385 1 Glovers Walk, Yeovil, BA20 1LH www.chipsworld.co.uk Disc repair service available in this store W E B U Y W E S E L L W E T R A D E ® FREE! INSIDE... welcome M PHONOBILE DOW E GAME NLO P18 AD news W Page 9 Ninja Turtles Page 6 Tiberium Wars ® elcome to CHIPS Magazine. The wait is finally over. – the PS3 is here! This issue, we tell you everything you need to know about the new console, from technical info to the top games. You’ll also find Final Fantasy XII and Crackdown, as well as news, tips and a FREE poster. Enjoy! Page 10 Mario Party 8 f e at u r e s Editor Debra McCabe [email protected] Page 28 Crackdown To advertise contact Debra McCabe [email protected] 0870 013 0028 Allie Gill at Allulla 0800 783 4367 [email protected] Visit www.chipsworld.co.uk for technical data Page 13 PS3 Special Page 19 FFXII Faragher Jones Contract Publishers regulars 3 Monmouth Place Bath BA1 2AT Tel: 01225 319799 05 News www.faragherjones.com recycle me The latest games and CHIPS news. 26 Instore Redcar Design Meet manager Clare Cairns. Joe Burt, Trevor Wyatt Words 32 Instore Skipton Gideon Kibblewhite, Steve Faragher and Anne Smith We speak to Peter and Trish Hardy. 34 Tips 38 Budgets 42 G ear A pro’s guide to Wii Sports and more! Games to suit everyone’s pocket. 40 CHIPS Chat News, gossip and repairs. 46 Letters CHIPS answers your letters. win! Top products available at CHIPS. 45 Competitions! Your chance to win Wii goodies and a rare PS3 pen! FREE POSTER p24-25 NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! CHIPS Magazine publications dates for 2007: l May 21 l July 30 l Franchise Stores To find out how you could become a CHIPS franchisee, visit www.chipsworld.co.uk or phone 0870 013 0028 to order a pack Nov 12 SPRING 07 Guitar Hero II NEWS W I R E D ! Championship Manager 2007 >> PSP, PS2, Xbox 360, PC Metalr! Rock out on rhythm lead and bass… ecto det N o!!! Not again! The CHIPS Magazine office has only just taken the cotton wool out of its ears after our editor’s sausage-fingered attempts at Guitar Hero II on the PS2. You should have heard the racket! She makes Sweet Child O’ Mine sound like a cat with a hernia. But we don’t begrudge her time in the spotlight, really, for Guitar Hero II lets you rock until you’re sick of groupies, flying knickers and all the other many trappings of rock stardom. This time around, you can strum your stuff on rhythm lead and bass, jam co-operatively with a friend and rock head-to-head in multiplayer modes such as Pro Face-Off. The Xbox 360 version has a ‘X-plorer’ guitar controller that has a longer strap than the PS2’s and it’s also sturdier (though we don’t recommend smashing up any speakers with it). Graphics-wise, your onstage cartoon counterparts look amazingly cool. The track list has all the songs from the PS2 original plus ten Xbox 360-exclusive tunes and more stuff still downloadable via Xbox Live. Hang on, that’s more than 77 tracks… No!!! Format: Xbox 360 Release date: April 6 Publisher: Activision SBK’07 Superbike World Championship With more deep plotting for club glory, CM 2007 sports a new easy-to-navigate interface and a new Team Talk feature. You can now also give individual instructions to specific players and best of all, its new pre-match analysis tool provides you with all the stats you could need about your players and the opposition. Supreme Commander >> PC This is the longawaited follow-up to Chris Taylor’s 1997 classic RTS Total Annihilation… With thousands of units dishing out the pain at one time, Supreme Commander is all about scale. Zoom in to dive into the thick of battle or pull back and command your army as a whole. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Crotch Pull on your leathers for a right royal rev-’em-up… ets! rock A nyone who enjoys throwing their leg over a throbbing, screaming rocket on two wheels will have their visor steaming up in anticipation at the prospect of SBK’07. The new official game of the World Superbike Championship (motorcycle racing on stupidly fast modified production bikes ), its admirable efforts at realism extend even to the inclusion of umbrella girls. Aside from grinning ladies, the official licence also means the inclusion of all the official teams, machines and riders (superstar Troy Bayliss included). The bikes themselves handle accurately, thanks to the use of real-life data. And if you turn up the volume during your racing, you’ll be happy to learn that each bike’s noise signature in the game has been taken straight from the racetrack. In a chaotic field of 22 riders, you’ll be trying to outwit your realistically behaving rivals in Quick Races, Race Weekends and whole Championships – on ten official tracks and in all weathers. SBK’07 screams into the PS2 and PSP paddocks in time for April. PC and Xbox 360 versions are due in the autumn and a PS3 game is on its way. Shadow of Chernobyl >> PC One of the most hotly awaited PC games of the year, this is part RPG, part FPS. As a mercenary and scavenger, the point is to talk, trade and defend yourself. Format: PS2, PSP Release date: May 11 Publisher: Black Bean INCOMING! According to the Entertainment Software Association, 41% of videogame players are female… INCOMING! Guitar Hero is coming to the Wii. Awesome!… SPRING 07 ® NEWS W I R E D ! Pokémon Ranger World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade >> PC, Mac Just when you thought your life was your own again, along comes this fabulous expansion for the online RPG. Two new races, flying mounts, ten new levels and a wizard’s sleeve-full of new quests in lands beyond the Dark Portal are yours. You will need the World of Warcraft game to make use of this expansion pack. Pimp My Ride >> PSP, Xbox 360 Cruise Pimp City for minigames and earn cash. In no time you’ll have the parts to turn your perfectly good car into a garish work of vehicular street art. Pimp My Ride is also available on PS2. See Budgets on P39 for details. Give something back to the Pokémon world… Ropkse! tric I f your appetite for pocket monster action isn’t sated by now, this quirky little offshoot game might interest you. Pokémon Ranger is all about lassoing wild pokémon with your DS stylus. That’s right – you have actually have to go in there and physically catch the little critters. You do this by frantically drawing little circles around them on the DS’s touch screen. You’re not being cruel, mind. You’re a very friendly ranger in the Fiore region whose job is to rescue lost and endangered pokémon, help preserve their habitat and protect them from the evil Go-Rock Squad. Mission by mission, you use your captured Tiberium Wars e C&C3 sets new standards for the RTS – again… Braoytatlle! >> PC, PSP, PS2 T he seven year wait for a sequel to the classic RTS Tiberian Sun has been worth it. The year is 2047 and Kane has returned to lead the evil Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault against the GDI. But before you start base building in preparation for all-out war, you should know too that a third force – the Scrinn – are joining the fray... This alien race deploys units ranging from beetle-like ground troops to War of the Worlds-style tripods that can use three tentacles to attack separate targets. They’re a hard bunch… The graphics have been boosted massively so you can gape at splendidly cinematic battles INCOMING! Gears of War has been voted Best Game at the Developers Choice Awards… SPRING 07 Format: DS Release date: Out now Publisher: Nintendo Command & Conquer 3: Test Drive Unlimited Atari has pimped its classic racing series into a gorgeous online racer with great cars and the Hawaiian island of Oahu to tear up. The island is yours to explore and pick up hitchhikers, deliver packages and challenge other online drivers to races you’ve designed yourself. Pokémon’s abilities to help you before you let them go. Pokémon can be used to break, burn, cross, cut, lift, light, push and extinguish obstacles in your path and also help subdue or trap other Pokémon you are trying to catch. Your lasso itself sends soothing messages to calm your quarry further. Do well and you’ll find yourself rising through the ranks of the Ranger Union. You will find a free Pokémon Ranger poster on P24. with gunships dishing out battlefield-levelling air strikes. The revamped ‘Voice Over Internet’ communications makes for improved interaction with your online opponents. The Xbox 360 version has been streamlined so well, you can pick it up within minutes. Format: Xbox 360, PC Release date: Xbox 360, May / PC, March 30 Publisher: EA INCOMING! The bloody God of War hits the PSP later this year… NEWS Prince of Persia: Rival Swords W I R E D ! Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin >> DS SLASH! One great game, two princes… It’s a bargain! P Kill! rince of Persia games are like buses. It seems like you wait around for ages for one and then two show up at once. In this Wii and PSP version of PoP: The Two Thrones, you play not just the good prince but his dark alter ego too. How’s this? It’s those pesky Sands of Time again. Mess with that stuff and anything can happen. As for the action, expect more trademark PoP acrobatic platforming and sword fighting along the streets and over the rooftops of Babylon. This time round though, you also have the new Speed Kill system to help you in your quest – it lets the Prince quickly creep up and quietly kill an enemy. Cunning ’eh! Wii players get to use the Remote and Nunchuk in their game. Waving the Remote produces multihit combos, stabbing with the Remote produces a ‘Dagger Plant’ and shoving the Nunchuk downwards initiates your Speed Kill attack. PSP gamers have a Chariot Racing mode plus a new Versus mode which has the two princes racing each other through special interlinked levels. By hitting switches, you trigger traps and obstacles in your rival’s course… Format: Wii, PSP Release date: Wii, March 30 / PSP, out now Publisher: Ubisoft Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 For this old skool 2D sidescrolling vampire hunter sequel, Konami have dumped the annoying touch screen controls and gone back to basics. This time you control two vampires – one with melee attacks, the other with offensive and defensive magic – as you battle a bizarre range of enemies. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller >> DS The monster dueller is back with faster and more intuitive stylus combat. And even more excitingly, Nintendo’s wi-fi connection service means you can challenge anyone to one-on-one bouts… And a great new character creation system lets you add your very own onscreen face. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force Mexican Turn down the lights and prepare for action… shave! R emember those pesky Mexican rebels you thought you’d dealt with last time? Well, the blighters have only regrouped – and they’re now threatening to chuck a nuke over the border into the United States. Tsk, tsk. An elite soldier’s job is never done, it seems. Realistic and gloriously escapist at the same time, Warfighter 2 ratchets up the trademark intensity of the first game. Highly intelligent enemies try and outflank you, snipers try and take you out from the rooftops and that truck down the road will almost certainly have filthy rebels hiding behind it. It’s a good thing then that your squad mates talk to you much more. They report snipers when they’re spotted and warn you of goons lurking in the shadows… Warfighter’s trademark heads-up tactical display, meanwhile, has also been revamped to provide you with ‘complete battlefield awareness’. From this, you can send your boys to specific locations, set up sniping posts and tag targets for air strikes… It’s all great gung-ho fun – and its six-part co-op campaign and sturdy online modes give it bags of value. >> PSP This is based on the top-rated Yu-Gi-Oh! series on Cartoon Network. It’s the first PSP outing for Yu-GiOh! Tag Force. Supports local wi-fi multiplayer contests for up to four players. See P31 for Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game. Format: PSP, PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3 Release date: PSP & PC, March 30/ Xbox 360, out now / PS3, May 30 Publisher: Ubisoft INCOMING! Fan-favourite Sensible World of Soccer 96/97, the classic football game, is headed to the Xbox Live Arcade… SPRING 07 ® GREAT offer! + Including: A savin more thg of an £60 l Entertainment Pack l PGR 3 l Live Unplugged l Wireless Controller for ONLY £299.99 Top titles at classic pricES Get your hands on this range of classic games. Choose from: l Perfect Dark Zero l Kameo l Dead or Alive 4 l PGR 3 for ONLY £24.99 Availa ble at your local CHIPS store Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NEWS W I R E D ! Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis >> DS Totally awesome! Action and acrobatics in one turtle soup… Cowabunga! S trange creatures are attacking New York City… Is the mysterious industrialist Max Winters involved? Maybe… Are the acrobatic services of the turtles required? Most certainly! In fact the pizza-loving dudes are needed to take on a great horde of enemies during this nonstop brawler. In the course of the game, you’ll take on the role of each of the turtles. Donatello wields a quarterstaff, Raphael has a powerful throw, Leonardo is armed with two scimitars, while Michelangelo has a nifty nunchuck slap. The excitement of the frantic button-mashing fights climaxes every time you fill a Momentum Meter. When this happens, the turtles jump into ‘Turtle Time’, slowing down enemies so that you can mop them up in a trice. TMNT uses the Prince of Persia’s JADE engine, which adds not only great looks but also plenty of gymnastics to proceedings. When they’re not cracking heads, the Turtles can jump from rooftop to rooftop, scale buildings, scamper across walls, swing from poles and girders and dive into the sewers. Hope they wash their hands before they dive into their pizzas… Forza Motorsports 2 Format: Xbox 360, Wii, GC, DS, PC, GBA, PSP, PS2 Release date: Out now (except GC, out on March 30) Publisher: Ubisoft >> Xbox 360 This is quite like Gran Turismo but with more thrills and much more accessibility. You’ll be racing on 70-plus different real world tracks in over 300 licensed cars. For ultimate realism, the Xbox 360’s wireless steering wheel has been developed specifically for the game. Out June 2. Wing Island Xiaolin Showdown Chocks Scramble! There are lost cows on the loose… >> PS2, DS, Xbox, PSP away! T his cute and fun little flight sim is just perfect for the Wii. As Junior, a wide-eyed teenager with incredible piloting skills, Wing Island has you soaring around Shell Island taking on jobs from the residents to keep your family aviation business running. To begin with, you’ll be dusting crops and catching cows, but eventually you’ll be controlling five-plane formations for more daring jobs such as aerial fire-fighting. Wing Island’s story mode has more than 25 mellow, but diverting, missions in all. It also includes a hangar-full of entertaining minigames where two players can test their aerobatics against each other. Holding the Wii Remote pointed level at the screen keeps you flying forward. Point up or down and you climb or dive; tilt left or right and you bank in that direction. Thrust or pull back and you speed up or slow down. As you progress, you learn more advanced skills such as quick turns, barrel rolls, formation changes and using the Nunchuk camera to aim at targets on the ground. Great fun, we reckon Wing Island could really take off… Format: Wii Release date: April 13 Publisher: Nintendo This is a genius little Mario puzzler. Pauline has been snatched by Donkey Kong again (grrr), so Mario sends an army of tiny clockwork versions of himself to rescue her. It’s your job to guide the mini Marios through a series of environments filled with trickery such as jump pads, movable walls and nasty enemies… Kung-fu action based on the cartoon series. Lead three warriors on an action-packed quest to find the Shen Gong Wu! Co-op action adds to the fun. TBC INCOMING! Microsoft’s Xbox Live service now has more than six million users… INCOMING! Peter Jackson is developing two Halo games for Xbox 360… SPRING 07 ® NEWS W I R E D ! Mario Party 8 Fuzion Frenzy 2 >> Xbox 360 Playable online and the only party game on Xbox 360, Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a futuristic tournament with 40-plus mini-games including Ball Battle and Ice Billiards… Disney’s Meet the Robinsons >> Multi This platform game to go with the movie has young timetraveller Wilbur making gadgets to progress through a series of danger-ridden environments. Additional Super Monkey Ball-style levels have Wilbur rolling around in a giant force field. Heck, there are even some retro 2D sidescrolling shenanigans… Wave goodbye to old skool Mario partying… M ario Party’s blend of board game shenanigans and multiplayer mini-games was always going to work well on the Wii. And indeed, the new Remote-waving antics of Mario Party 8 have freshened up the series altogether. Its 70-plus mini-games involve you employing the motion-sensing Wii Controller for varied activities, such as water skiing, tightrope walking, barrel lasoing, boat rowing and target shooting. The games all look impossibly innocent – they are also quite brilliant at bringing out the Cackle! competitive worst in people... Which is a good thing, of course, for ganging up and senseless revenge are what good board games are all about. Mario Party 8 has an impressive six new boards to keep you busy and you can choose to play as one of 14 different characters. A new power-up system replaces the ‘orbs’ with ‘candy’ which magically changes you into different forms. Format: Wii Release date: April Publisher: Nintendo Medal of Honor Vanguard Burnout Dominator >> PS2, PSP The carnagestrewn racer has been ‘refined’! Crash mode has gone and in comes the ace Maniac mode, where you try and drive like a total nutter without actually hitting anything… Sputter! WWII heroics on the PS2 – and with the Wii Remote… O nly Wii and PS2 owners are lucky enough to be able to play this edition of the easy-toplay yet engrossing shooter. Vanguard slips you into the battle dress of Corporal Frank Keegan of the 82nd Airborne Division. From Operation Husky on the shores of Sicily to Operation Varsity, deep in Nazi Germany, you see action in four pivotal campaigns that turned America’s first paratroopers into WWII heroes. PS2 combatants will enjoy more of what we’ve come to expect of the series – movie–like gameplay, atmospheric sound effects, a stirring score and plenty of cut scenes to drive the story forwards. Wii soldiers HUN FUN! will discover that the game pays more than just lip service to their console. As well as pointing and shooting, motionsensitive additions include using the Remote to make your man jump, hit the dirt or even do 180° degree spins. Coolest of all, grenades can be both lobbed overarm and rolled underarm… Wii shall never surrender! Format: PS2, Wii Release date: March 30 Publisher: EA INCOMING! You can use the DS as a controller to play Pokémon Battle Revolution on Wii… INCOMING! Sony has said it is ‘open to changing the Sixaxis’ controller if gamers want it… 10 spring 07 NEWS Also out now! W I R E D ! All these hot games have just hit the CHIPS shelves… The Godfather: The Don’s Edition 24 Platinum PS2 DS Actionloop PSP Activision Hits Remixed PC Ancient Wars: Sparta PC Armed Assault Multi Arthur and the Invisibles DS Asphalt 2 Multi Avatar: The Legend of Aang Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses PS2 Wii Barnyard Battlefield 2: The Complete PC Collection Battlestations: Midway Xbox 360, PC BattlezonePSP DS Biker Mice from Mars Wii Bionicle Heroes PC, PS2 Black Buccaneer PSP Blade Dancer Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII Wii, PS3 Xbox 360 Blitz: The League PSP Bomberman DS Bomberman Land Touch! Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 PS2, PC, Xbox 360 DS Bubble Bobble Double Shot PS2 Cabela’s Alaskan Adventures Call of Duty 2: Game of the Year Xbox 360 PSP Capcom Puzzle World Cartoon Network Racing PS2, DS DS, PC Charlotte’s Web DS Children of Mana PSP Chili Con Carnage DS Chronos Twins DS Contact Wii Cosmic Family PS2 CSI: Dimensions of Murder PC CSI: Hard Evidence PSP Daxter Platinum DS Deep Labyrinth PS3, Xbox 360 Def Jam: Icon Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony PSP Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires Xbox 360 PSP EA Replay PC Enemy Territory: Quake Wars PS2, PC Equestrian Challenge PC Europa Universalis III Wii Excite Truck PSP F1 Grand Prix Wii Far Cry Vengeance DS Flipper Critters PS2 Formula One 2006 Platinum PSP, PS2 Free Running DS Freedom Wings PS2, PSP Ghost Rider PS2 God Hand DS Guilty Gear Dust Strikers PSP Guilty Gear Judgment PSP Harvest Moon: Innocent Life PS2, Wii, PSP Heatseeker PC Infernal PC Jade Empire: Special Edition King Of Fighters Max Impact 2.5 Xbox 360 Wii Kororinpa Little Britain The Video Game PC, PS2 Wii Little Chicken: Ace in Action Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Xbox 360 PC Maelstrom DS Magical Starsign DS March of the Penguins DS Mario Slam Basketball Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of DS the Minis DS Mech Assault: Phantom War Wii, PSP Metal Slug Anthology DS Mind Quiz: Your Brain Coach Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight PS3 PS2, PSP MTX: Mototrax DS My Frogger Toy Trials DS Pawly Pets: My Pet Hotel DS Pawly Pets: My Vet Practice PS2 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja PS3 NBA 2K7 NBA Street Homecourt PS3, Xbox 360 PS3 Need For Speed: Carbon DS New Zealand Story Revolution PSP, PS2 NFL Street 3 PS2 Okami PSP Online Chess Kingdoms Over The Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts PSP PSP, PS2 Pac-Man World Rally DS Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Pippa Funnell 3: The Golden Stirrup PC Challenge PSP Pocket Pool DS Pogo Island PSP, DS Pro Evolution Soccer 6 PSP Rainbow Islands Evolution Rapala: Tournament Fishing Wii, Xbox 360 Rayman Raving Rabbids PC, GA, DS, PS2, Wii PSP Rocky Balboa Runaway 2: Dream of the Turtle PC PC Scrabble 2007 New Edition Sega Mega Drive Collection PS2, PSP DS Settlers 2: 10th Anniversary Shrek Smash ’n’ Crash PS2, DS, PSP PSP Sid Meier’s Pirates! Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific PC PS2 Socom 3 Solus Platinum PC Space Empires V DS Spectrobes Spider-Man Origins: Battle for GBC New York PC Stacked with Daniel Negreanu DS Star Fox Command Wii SSX Blur DS, Wii Tennis Masters Wii The Ant Bully PSP The Con The Darkness PS3, Xbox 360 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift PS2 The Godfather Black Hand Edition Wii The Grim Adventures of Bill and Wii Mandy PSP The Hustle: Detroit Streets The Professor’s Brain Trainer: Logic DS The Professor’s Brain Trainer: DS Memory PS2 The Red Star PSP The Warriors DS Theme Park PSP Thrillville Wii, PS3 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge PSP PSP Tony Hawk’s Project 8 Top Trumps: Horror and Predators PS2, DS, PC DS Totally Spies! 2: Undercover PS2 Tourist Trophy Platinum PC UFO: Afterlife PSP Valhalla Knights PC Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Wii Wario Ware: Smooth Moves Winx Club: The Quest for Codex DS World of Warcraft: The Burning PC Crusade World Series of Poker: Tournament of Multi Champions World Snooker Championship 2007 PS2, Xbox 360, PSP DS, PSP Zendoku Coming soon… A selection of games we can’t wait to play either. Check out the number of quality games arriving on the PSP, plus there’s the usual cluster of Clancy’s – check instore for release dates. We’ve also heard that there’ll be a wireless guitar for PS2 Guitar Hero available from the end of March! Lots to look forward to! Alone In The Dark PS3, PC, Xbox 360 PS3 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3 God of War 2 PSP Gran Tursimo 4 Mobile Medal of Honour Vanguard Wii, PS2 Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops PSP Wii Mortal Kombat Armageddon Rayman Raving Rabbids Xbox 360 Multi Shrek the Third PS2 Singstar Pop Hits SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam PSP Bravo 2 The Lord of the Rings Online: PC Shadows of Angmar Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced PC, PSP, PS3 Warfighter 2 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: VegasPSP Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double PS3 Agent >> PS3 If you didn’t play the PS2 version, think San Andreas with men in hats. Apart from its superior graphics, the PS3 Don’s Edition has all-new brutal ways to hit the opposition – such as throwing them off buildings using the Sixaxis. The Wii version (called Blackhand Edition) has even more fun with controls. UEFA Champions League 07 >> Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, PC It’s the official football sim that lets you recreate the 32-team tournament from this season or take another team through qualification rounds. You can restage historical moments such as when AC Milan celebrated victory at half time before the Reds made that glorious comeback. Call of Duty 3 Gold Edition >> Xbox 360 The gritty and real WWII shooter’s Gold Edition gives you a bonus DVD packed with features plus an Xbox Live Marketplace token for the ‘Valor Map Pack’ – five multiplayer maps to places primed for intense online, split-screen or System Link action. INCOMING! Sega’s website is asking gamers which game should be remade – Nights, Streets of Rage, Samba de Amigo, Virtua Cop or Flicky? SPRING 07 11 ® Live the Fantasy Final Fantasy XII: The Complete Guide Features include: l Labelled maps which disclose the exact location of all treasures, shops, crystals and much more... l A complete walkthrough which aims to help you get the most out of your Final Fantasy adventure, including hidden side-quests. l A tactics chapter to help you maximise your party’s potential, with expert advice on Gambits, Licences, battle strategies and advanced tricks and techniques. l Explanations of all the secrets, side-quests, mini-games and bonuses. l An innovative lettered paragraph system to aid easy fingertip reference during play. l A unique runthrough which offers optional, spoiler free tips on how to complete the main quest. Other strategy guides available / coming soon include... Pokémon 10th Anniversary Pokedex World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Ghost Recon 2: Advance Warfighter GTA: Vice City Stories Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Pokémon Ranger World Of Warcraft: Master Guide Zelda: Twilight Princess FEATURE The CHIPS guide to the PS3 We bring you all you need to know about this amazing console, from information about its hidden features to the best of the top games... Discover PS3 Get under the lid our of the PS3 withe and comprehensivch spec informative te P14 Launch line-up CHIPS’ pick of th e finest launch ga m for the PS3 es P16 ss Media Bar Xro Find out how to s access the PS3’ many features E Once we’ve whet your appetite, here’s the full story… P15 The Ultimate Guide to PS3 is available in every CHIPS store for £2.99! What a bargain! INCOMING! Aliens on the loose in Blacksite Area 51… INCOMING! Tekken 6! We can’t wait… spring 07 13 ® FEATURE Introducing the PS3 You will have already heard how the PS3 plays hi-def games and movies that look astonishingly sharp and real – but it does a whole lot more! S ony’s new console has had more false starts than the Grand National, but it’s finally here at last! So, what’s all the fuss about then? What can the PS3 do for gamers? Well, to start with, the PS3, just like the Xbox 360, supports full high definition. Hi-def means that PS3 games will look amazingly sharp and clear on an HDready TV. In short, once you’ve experienced the jaw-dropping visuals of hi-def games, you won’t want to settle for anything else. But, of course, the PS3 does a whole lot more than just play incredible-looking games. It also lets you play hi-def Blu-ray movies, browse the internet, download music and music videos, buy classic games from the past and also lay your hands on the latest game demos and movie trailers. What exactly is Blu-ray? While the Xbox 360 supports the HD-DVD format, the PS3 supports Blu-ray. In theory, Blu-ray can carry more information – 50GB to the Xbox 360’s 5GB. In practice, though, both formats are dazzlingly clear and you can rest assured that there will be a plentiful flow of Blu-ray movies for your PS3 as the competition between the two formats hots up. Last but not least, we come to the Sixaxis controller. For legal reasons, Sony was forced to drop the rumble function, which is a shame. But it is incredibly light, completely wireless and has great motion-sensing tilt capabilities, making for all sorts of gaming possibilities. Games-wise, well, you won’t get a broader range of games than on the well-supported PS3. An impressive 30-odd games are available at launch and there is a huge raft of red-hot titles headed for the console before the year is out. We’ll be giving you the lowdown on the forthcoming games after we’ve taken a look at just what the PS3 can do... Tech spec Processors Controller ✔ CPU: Cell Broadband Engine ✔ Nvidia/Sony RSX 550Mhz ✔ Wireless Sixaxis Memory ✔ 512MB Drives ✔ Hard Drive: 60GB (or 20GB) ✔ Optical Drive: Blu-ray Wireless connectivity ✔ Built-in Online service ✔ PlayStation Network Media ✔ BD-ROM; CD-ROM ✔ DVD-ROM ✔ Super Audio CD Backwards compatibility ✔ Some PSone discs; most PS2 discs HD Resolution ✔ 720p/1080i/1080p INCOMING! Alone in the Dark is stalking this way… Yikes! 14 Spring 07 FEATURE Xross Media Bar Click on an icon and you can access a world of home entertainment! Users Settings Photos Music chat and the PlayStation Store. sort out the correct TV settings. card to create slideshows. collection or from the web. >Create a profile for online play, >Tap in the time and date and Movies Games music videos here. find game saves and play demos. >Play your Blu-ray films and >Use this to play your games, >Connect a camera or memory >Store your tunes from your CD Network Friends access the PlayStation store. opponents and messages. >Log onto the internet and >Keep track of your friends, PlayStation Network Sony’s ace online service rivals Xbox Live. Look at what’s on offer… PlayStation Store Video Music New content This is where you buy music, videos and classic Psone and Mega Drive games for under a tenner. You can help yourself to a whole host of fantastic hi-def movie trailers and game demos… Download music and videos and buy songs from Sony’s back catalogue. Expect tunes from other record labels soon. Snaffle bonus vehicles, circuits, maps, traps, levels and lots of other great game goodies… Firmware Firmware is software embedded in the PS3’s works. Downloadable firmware updates will enhance PS3’s features during its long lifespan. Online gaming Internet Online chat Online play is a huge part of PS3’s appeal. Up to 40 of you at a time will be able to battle it out in a game. Surf the internet with Firefox, the built-in browser on the PS3. Chat with friends using the EyeToy USB camera and headset! INCOMING! Co-operative war game Army of Two is out soon... INCOMING! Watch out for Everybody’s Golf – a great sim and great fun… SPRING 07 15 ® FEATURE PS3 launch line-up The PS3 has a smashing bunch of launch games – and there are some absolute corkers just around the corner. Here’s our pick of the best… AL BL IEN B IGH EA TY STS BY STO TAKE RM ! Resistance: Fall of man The PS3 has a decent first-person shooter at launch in the form of the gritty, alien-infested Resistance Fall of Man. It’s set in an alternate reality 1951 where England is on its knees – but not because of the Nazis… Ooh no. The culprits are an alien race known as the Chimera. They’ve been responsible for mayhem throughout the world for a while now, and England is next on the list. In terms of gameplay, think Medal of Honor with frightening monsters. Among the great weapons you pack are machines guns with differing modes of fire and spike-shooting grenades that paint walls with alien blood. Along with its single-player campaign, Resistance also offers a healthy dose of fantastic multiplayer action mixing the sci-fi joys of Halo with the squad-based strategy of Call of Duty… Publisher: Sony EL BL TH AZE J E G OI AN NS G Virtua Fighter 5 With its lightning-fast strings of combos and tactically-swinging contests, you could make a very strong case for calling Virtua Fighter the best beat-’em-up series ever. Now we have Virtua Fighter 5 – by far the best-looking and the best-playing entry in the series so far. Its environments look photo-realistic and as for the fighters in their rippling robes, they look great. And if its value for money you want, VF5 has this in spades. It’ll take you weeks to master all the moves of one character alone, plus there’s a Quest Mode that provides months of challenges. Meanwhile, two new fighters take to the arena – rolling, ducking Eileen from China and our favourite, the diminutive masked Mexican, El Blaze… Publisher: Sega MOTORSTORM Sony has called MotorStorm a ‘Wild orgy of destruction through virgin wilderness’. And that really does sum it up very nicely. Extreme, muddy chaos, MotorStorm sends everything from semi-trucks to motorbikes to battle it out on the dirt at the same time. ATVs, dune buggies, Moto-X bikes, semi-trucks and rally cars all vie for the first rutted corner. As for the rules, there are none. The AI racers are very, very aggressive, so feel free to barge, bash and grind away. With chasms and ravines awaiting the weak, MotorStorm’s dirty races require dirty tactics. All this filthy carnage looks great, too. Motion blur, real-time tyre tracks, accumulating mud, flying sparks, desert sun glinting on twisted metal – there’s always something to gawp at. And there’s plenty of mud, mud, glorious mud… MU DD Y MA OFFYH RO EM AD ! Publisher: Vivendi INCOMING! Indiana Jones – expect whips, car chases and treasure… 16 spring 07 INCOMING! Resident Evil 5 is on its way – better buy some spare trousers… FEATURE F.E.A.R Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Tony Hawk’s Project 8 Ridge Racer 7 Splinter Cell: Double Agent Yikes. Brilliantly-made supernatural shooter with frighteningly intelligent enemies that ambush you without warning. This version comes with 16player online multiplayer modes. The gorgeous RPG set in a fantasy world of forests and wilderness, towns and cities and deep, dark dungeons. Stuffed with side-quests, it’ll take months off your life. You’re tilting the Sixaxis for all your worth in this next-gen session of grinding and outrageously sick trickery. Free–roaming environments? Mini-games and secrets? Yes please. This high-speed drifter was a hit on the PSone and it is still going strong. Race fans should note that it has 40 quite beautiful cars and 22 quite phenomenal-looking circuits. Super-spy Sam Fisher faces some tough calls when he goes deep undercover to thwart a terrorist gang. Classic stealth action with great spy vs mercenary team games online. Publisher: Vivendi Publisher: Ubisoft Publisher: Activision Publisher: Namco Publisher: Ubisoft Call of duty 3 Fight night round Virtua Tennis 3 Full auto 2: battlelines Untold Legends Thrilling and authentically-frightening, CoD 3 drops you in the boots of a shell-shocked grunt like no other WWII shooter. You can almost smell the smoke and charred flesh… This is no brawler – Fight Night is actually a brilliant boxing sim. Along side its deep boxing, it now also sports sweatily real graphics. Oneah! Two-ah… Ah now. If it’s tense and addictive multiplayer action you want, how about a spot of tennis. VT3 is simple to pick up and play and yet it has all the shots in its bag. More macho racing and combat in muscle cars and SUVs kitted out with weapons – this time with the power of the PS3 and online havoc. Lots of cool new online modes. An easy-to-play RPG slasher with lots of kingdom-saving spells and attacks, great-looking monsters and special effects, plus co-operative and online creature bashing too. Publisher: Activision Publisher: EA Publisher: Sega Publisher: Sega Publisher: Sony Sonic the hedgehog FORMULA ONE Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas Unreal Tournament 2007 Heavenly Sword Lightning-fast platform action in a virtual town populated by classic Sonic characters. Bizarre challenges include finding lost dogs and saving citizens from rampaging mechs… It’s the official game with official cars, tracks and weather effects. Customisable realism options make this game a non-scary option for any fresh-faced rookie driver. The tactical shooter heads for the casinos on the trail of terrorists. It’s a genius idea backed up by great squad gameplay and lush graphics. Co-op and online action are on the cards too. Powered by the Unreal Engine 3, this online shooter looks awesome on the PS3. Each side slugs it out on sci-fi battlefields on foot with chunky weapons and in huge tanks. If you liked God of War, you’ll love this sword ’n’ sorcery actioner. Take charge of a vengeful heroine redhead and chop up hoards of enemies with her deadly blade from the gods… Publisher: Sega Publisher: Sony Publisher: Ubisoft Publisher: Midway Publisher: Sony John Woo presents Stranglehold Devil may Cry 4 Warhawk Assassin’s Creed OU OU TJ OU OU TS TJ TJ ULY ULY ULY EP T Full of Mexican stand-offs and balletic shoot-outs, this plays like you’re in a John Woo movie. It’s you against the Russian mob with more flying glass than a cricket match in a greenhouse. Set in beautifully-atmospheric gothic environments, the devil hunter goes next gen with super-gory pistol and sword play, insane combos and firewreathed bosses. Cool as hell… Employing the Sixaxis’ tilt abilities, the gorgeously futuristic Warhawk has you seamlessly dogfighting in the skies and battling on the ground. Action for 32 players online. A free-roaming stealth killer set in the medieval Holy Land. It’s sure to be a hit! Your tools of the trade: a retractable dagger and a crossbow that doubles as a battle axe… Publisher: Midway Publisher: Capcom Publisher: Incognito Publisher: Ubisoft INCOMING! Battlefield Bad Company – prepare to kill enemies and line your pockets… coming soon... O Gran Turismo HD O Final Fantasy XIII O Metal Gear Solid 4 INCOMING! Clive Barker’s Jericho – expect real horror... Spring 07 17 ® CHIPS SPECIAL OFFER! FREE GAME FOR YOUR MOBILE FROM Choose your game and download it to your mobile now TOTALLY FREE! Mayhem’s Magic Dust This little dragon’s adventure is a monster smash! Spottyland’s been invaded by monsters, and only little Mayhem has what it takes to send them packing – a magic-powered butt! Packed with dazzling run n’ jump action, this is one of the best-looking games on mobile – and you can play it right now, FREE! TEXT CHIPS1 TO 62344 OutRoad Just follow these simple steps to get your FREE mobile game! Text the product code (e.g. CHIPS2) to 62344. You’ll receive a FREE message containing the link you need to download the service. If your phone prompts you to download the service, say ‘Yes’. Put the pedal to the metal in the ride of your life! Burn your away across the USA in this sensational racing game. The driving action’s so blisteringly fast it’ll make your eyes pop, so nervous drivers need not apply! But if you feel the need for speed, look no further – download this now, FREE! TEXT CHIPS2 TO 62344 Phantom Mansion Origins Spook-tacular puzzling with a ghoulish twist! Solve mind-bending conundrums and send those spooks packing in this brilliant action puzzle game starring Hector the Spectre Detector. Have you got the brains to rid the mansion of its phantasmal infestation? Play this now and find out, FREE! TEXT CHIPS3 TO 62344 PROBLEMS? Text HELP to 62344. Add your mobile model number if known - e.g. HELP K750i Once the service is installed on your phone, you can download your FREE game, browse the latest news and get access to hot new content whenever you want, No Clubs, No Subscriptions, Guaranteed! * Offer expires May 14th, 2007. Download and use of the games in this special offer is subject to GPRS coverage, handset capability and network availability. Offer available on UK networks only. At peak times, SMS traffic may be subject to network delay. Your phone must be WAP enabled and able to run Java games. Once connected, the service will check product compatibility with your handset or for a full list of compatible handsets and help on other issues, go to : www.mad4g.com/tandc/chips.html. CHIPS and its partners will NOT charge you to participate in this promotion, but the process involves two downloads and requires a WAP and/or data connection for which your operator may charge at your normal rate. By participating in this promotion, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions and by our full terms of service published at www.mad4g.com/tandc/chips.html. Game design, concept, program, graphics and all other documentation or information related to the game “Mayhem's Magic Dust” are copyright © 2004 Steven Rowlands and Robin Ellis. Phantom Mansion Origins is Copyright © 2004 Morpheme Wireless Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Out Road is Copyright © Microforum International. Part of the Mastertronic Group www.mastertronic.com FINAL Fantasy Final fantasy XII An RPG delight with style and sweep to spare and weeks of gameplay, it’s the last Final Fantasy for the PS2. Enjoy! M illions of gamers all over the world have become hooked on this influential series. In the UK, many Psone and PS2 gamers have grown up with it. It is true that FF’s bonkers brand of ‘party of strange-looking adventurers in peril’ gameplay and turn-based battling is not everyone’s cup of tea. But, without a doubt, FF has always been innovative and its spectacular graphics have always pushed the capabilities of the two consoles to their limits. Final Fantasy XII is the last FF for the PS2 and the end of yet another era for a game that began life as a Japanese-only game on the NES back in 1987. And what a sign-off it is. FF XII does away with the turn-based battle system that has put some gamers off and it also gives you the freedom to explore a huge living gameworld. As for those graphics, developers Square have managed to conjure up the best visuals the PS2 has seen yet... INCOMING! Two FFXIII projects are currently being made – Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII… spring 07 19 ® FINAL Fantasy final fantasy XII It’s being hailed as the best FF game ever and we agree! I t has been almost five years since the last true Final Fantasy game. The last efforts – the online-only multiplayer FFXI and FFX-2 – both messed with the tried-and-tested FF formula and left us all rather disappointed. Thank goodness then that the last Final Fantasy XII on the PS2 has a good stab at being the best of the series yet. FF XII’s epic story is set in the fantasy kingdom of Dalmasca. A strange place, where airships are as common as magic, it’s currently under the thumb of the evil Archadian Empire (you may boo and hiss at this point of the story). The star of the show is young thief and wouldbe pilot Vaan and the heroics begin when he teams up with Princess Ashe, the sole-surviving heir to Dalmasca. In fine Final Fantasy style, the two of them set off together and try to overthrow their oppressors, picking up a motley crew of like-minded adventurers along the way. >> INCOMING! Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy XIII hits the PS3 in July 2008… 20 SPRING 07 FINAL Fantasy >>All this is set in a world as alive and real as anything created for the PS2 yet. Separated by sprawling wilderness are teeming cities that are yours to explore. Full of people of all shapes and sizes, they have shops, bazaars and ghettos and are packed with side-quests. Whether you’re on the main quest or having a bit of fun on the side, there is plenty of fighting to be done, of course – which brings us neatly to FF XII’s new and vastly-improved combat system. In place of turn-based battles are much more satisfying real-time scraps. And forget separate battle screens. This time round, you dish out the pain at the exact same spot you encountered your foe. It makes things much more exciting. And this excitement just increases as you meet tougher and tougher bosses and add more spells and abilities to your party’s members. Suddenly, you release it’s five o’clock in the morning… Mmm? That can’t be the time, surely! Meet he Team t Balthier Fran < Ashe < Vaan < An orphan with siblings lost in the wars. Trained as a warrior, she is now a companion of Balthier < < Penelo Orphaned street urchin who dreams of becoming a sky pirate and avenging his brother, killed by the Archadians Cute 19-yearold princess fighting to liberate the kingdom of Dalmasca from the Archadian Empire 22-year-old Hume sky pirate and therefore something of mentor to Vaan. Wants to stay out of the war, though Balthier’s Bunny-eared friend. Quite useful with a bow and arrow INCOMING! Final Fantasy XIII’s fantastic new battle system will have far more emphasis on action… SPRING 07 21 FINAL Fantasy The Final Fantasy Family Tree How a one-off RPG grew into a gaming phenomenon… T he original Final Fantasy was the brainchild of Squaresoft’s Hironobu Sakaguchi. At the time (1987), Sakaguchi was becoming disillusioned with the industry and was planning to quit as soon as the game was finished – which is why he called it his Final Fantasy. Little did he know though that it would spawn not just a series of smash-hit sequels but a whole load of game and movie spin-offs too. There is not enough space to list them all, but here are the key releases that make up the Final Fantasy Family Tree… Main Series 1987 Final Fantasy NES (Japan) (Released in UK on Final Fantasy Origins on PSone in 2002) 1988 Final Fantasy II NES (Japan) (Released in UK on Final Fantasy Origins on PSone in 2002) 1990 Final Fantasy III NES (Japan) Mana series 1991 Final Fantasy IV SNES (Released in UK in Final Fantasy Anthology on PSone in 1999) 1991 Final Fantasy Adventure Game Boy 1992 Final Fantasy V SNES (Japan) (Also released in UK on Final Fantasy Anthology on PSone in 1999) 1993 Secret of Mana SNES 1994 Final Fantasy VI SNES (Also released in UK in 2002 on PSone with a PS2-only playable demo of FFX) 1995 Seiken Densetsu 3 SNES 1997 Final Fantasy VII PSone 1999 Final Fantasy VIII PSone 1999 Legend of Mana PSone MOVIES Chocobo series Tactics series 1999 Chocobo Racing PSone 1999 Final Fantasy VIII PSone 2000 Final Fantasy IX PSone 2001 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within 2001 Final Fantasy X PS2 2002 Final Fantasy XI PC (MMORPG) 2003 Sword of Mana GBA 2003 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance GBA 2005 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children 2006 Children of Mana DS 2006 Final Fantasy XII PS2 & PS3 2007 Final Fantasy XIII PS3 Final Fantasy Milestones Final Fantasy Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy Tactics The 8-bit game that began it all. A fighter, thief, black mage and white mage all team up, level-up and save the world… Lift-off for the series on the PSone. With three CDs of gameplay and better graphics and sound, it was a huge critical and commercial success. This widely-acknowledged classic moved away from the RPG-style of the main series for turn-based strategic battling with spells. Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy X Chocobo Racing This was the first FF to feature the active-time battle system and was also the first to be released on the SNES to a global audience. The first FF release for the PS2 created a world of amazing graphics, a compelling time-travelling story and lots of special effects. The FF series goes karting. With FF characters and plenty of weapons, it was always going to be a hit with Final Fantasy fans. INCOMING! Final Fantasy Versus XIII has you fighting with both guns and blades. The perspective changes depending on which weapon you are using… 22 SPRING 07 ® INSTORE 3 Chips Redcar Chips store ar Redc Clare Cairns Clare’s Top Five Games ever 1 SingStar (PS2) 2 Buzz! (PS2) 3 EyeToy (PS2) 4 Tetris (GB) 5 Wetrix (Dreamcast) Meet the manager of the Redcar branch, Clare Cairns. Having started out as a trainee with CHIPS back in 1998 at CHIPS’ original store, she is proud to have worked her way up to become manager of Redcar. Clare’s top games of the moment are SingStar and Buzz! She loves nothing more than getting the family together for a bit of a sing-song! Quick Q&A Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. What was your first console? My first console was the Amiga 500. And what is your all-time favourite game? My two favourite games would have to be SingStar and Buzz!. What do you like about these games so much? They are both such fun to play. They are also suitable for people of all ages and are fantastic for family get togethers. Q. A. What consoles do you play? I play PlayStation 2 and also the Game Boy Advance. Q. A. When did you first start out at CHIPS? I started out with CHIPS back in 1998 as a trainee at the old Middlesbrough store, which was on Linthorpe Road at the time. I then went on to become full-time and soon after, I became manager of the Redcar branch. During the time I have been with CHIPS, I have completed a NVQ 2 in basic retail and and an NVQ 3 in retail management. I also got married! Q. A. What is the strangest incident that has happened in the shop? A lady came in one day asking for Star Wars: Revenge of the Spliff! We realised straight away that she actually meant Revenge of the Sith. I think the lady was a little bit embarrassed when she realised what she had said! how to find us 4 Dundas Street Redcar TS10 3AD Tel: 01642 488522 Opening Hours: Mon-Sat, 9.30am – 5.30pm > TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A FRANCHISEE VISIT WWW.CHIPSWORLD.CO.UK OR CALL 0870 013 0028 TO ORDER A FRANCHISEE PACK 26 SPRING 07 T3_Play_230x297.qxp 6/2/07 14:21 Page 1 “THE UNDENIABLE KING OF THE GENRE” – PLAY “THE UNDENIABLE KING OF THE GENRE” – PLAY OUT MARCH 2007 The greatest tennis game of all time returns, OUT MARCH 2007 with a tennis experience that is simply faultless, shot after shot after shot. The greatest tennis game of all time returns, with a tennis experience that is simply faultless, shot after shot after shot. www.virtuatennis.net www.virtuatennis.net Virtua Tennis © SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and VIRTUA TENNIS are either trademarks or registered trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. “ ”, ”Playstation”, and “PLAYSTATION” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Virtua Tennis © SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and VIRTUA TENNIS are either trademarks or registered trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. “ ”, ”Playstation”, and “PLAYSTATION” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.sega.co.uk www.sega.co.uk Crackdown Crackdown This time, it’s super-cops against the gangs in this game of comic book destruction from Dave Jones, the creator of Grand Theft Auto… A s any GTA fan will attest, stealing cars and beating up innocent pedestrians is a whole lot of virtual fun. What if you were one of the good guys and you could toss cars hundreds of feet, smack crims into the distance, jump tall buildings and more? That’s the glorious premise of Crackdown, which takes the open-ended gameplay of GTA and gives it a havoc-strewn superhero twist. In Crackdown, three stereotypical gangs have overrun a cluster of islands and the authorities have come up with the bright idea of creating a genetically engineered super-cop to clear them out. That’s you, of course. When you first take to the streets, you’ll find gang members bothering civilians and shooting each other up. As you leap into action, you find that you’re a bit weak to begin with. Your attributes – Strength, Agility, Explosives, Firearms and Driving – only increase as you use them. Start shooting goons, for example, and your gun accuracy improves. Shoot some more and you can start targeting body parts. Levelling up is what keeps you playing the game. Keep at it and eventually you’ll be chucking those cars, leaping buildings, the lot. You can take on the game’s seven gang bosses in any order you see fit but this actually affects the game. Take out the boss that supplies cars first and mobsters will be reduced to walking or driving rust buckets. Talking of vehicles, Crackdown has three different cars to go and create absolute chaos in. The agent car, with its car-flipping ramp on the front, is the quickest. The truck causes everything it hits to explode, while the SUV can run over just about anything as well as being able to do insane tricks. There’s still plenty of fun to be had once you’ve completed all of Crackdown’s missions, for not only is it stuffed with secrets, there is a riotous co-operative mode too. Phew! After this madness, what can the next instalment of GTA possibly do to stun us? INCOMING! GTA 4 will hit the PS3 and Xbox 360 simultaneously in October… 28 SPRING 07 INCOMING! Details are scarce, but speculation is rife that GTA 4 is set in London… CRACKDOWN em Mayh the on ads! ro HU E GreG at Bangs ! great big! air INCOMING! Xbox 360 gamers will be able to download exclusive extra GTA gameplay... SPRING 07 29 CARD GAMES Play Your Cards Right! Check out CHIPS’ great selection of trading card games… Á Nintendogs: Trading Card Fun Packs n Publisher: Enterplay Have you got Matilda, the 14-week-old female shih tzu? Or Daisy, the 12-week-old female beagle? No? Better get collecting! Nintendogs Trading Card Fun Packs each contain four regular cards with facts and info on the dogs, a special stand-up card, a sticker card and a tattoo set. Why settle for a few Nintendogs when you can have a whole pack! World of Warcraft: Through the Dark Portal Ë n Publisher: Upper Deck Accompanying the release of The Burning Crusade expansion for the PC game, this new entry in the card game series lets you battle in the blasted lands beyond the Dark Portal. The bloodshed in Azeroth intensifies as the Blood Elves and Draenei join the fray. Grab your weapons – darkness is upon us! Out April 11. INCOMING! World of Warcraft has topped 8.5 million subscribers. Wow! 30 SPRING 07 CARD GAMES Yu-Gi-Oh!: Aster Phoenix & Jaden Yuki 2 Duellist Pack Ë n Publisher: Upper Deck Now you can create your own deck based on your favourite Yu-Gi-Oh! GX character. With the Jaden Yuki 2 and Aster Phoenix Duelist packs, all the moves never been seen before outside of the cartoon are at your fingertips. Five cards and a strategy card in each and every pack. Á Yu-Gi-Oh!: Strike of Neos n Publisher: Upper Deck With all-new Neo Spacians, Strike of Neos is one of the best Yu-Gi-Oh! booster sets yet. Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World is the strongest of its new Dark World monsters… When discarded to the Graveyard by an opponent’s card effect, it can be Special Summoned to completely annihilate all the cards on your opponent’s side of the field! Á Dr Who: Battles In Time n Publisher: GE Fabbri Are you ready to Time Lord it over your opponent? If you’re a Doctor Who fan, this collectable card game based on the last two series could be for you. The 100-card series has nine cards in every pack. Can your hard-as-nails Imperial Dalek Guard Group see off their Damaged Dalek card? We think so! Pokémon: Ë Ex Power Keepers n Publisher: Pokémon Inc. The latest Pokémon cards unleash great forces that every trainer will want to harness! The 100-card set features the new tough-as-nails ‘Pokémon EX’ as well as a few legendary ‘Shining’ pokémon that bring real power to your deck. The presence of the Elite Four’s Stadium cards adds a further layer of strategy to proceedings. You gotta have ’em if you’re a true pokémon master… INCOMING! Warner Music is to release the scores for Halo, Halo 2, Age of Empires, Fable and Kameo on CD… SPRING 07 31 ® INSTORE 8 Chips SKIPTON Chips store Skipton Trish & Pete Hardy Pete & Trish’s Top Five Games 1 Half Life (PC) 2 Black (PS2) 3 Resident Evil 4 (GC) 4 Pikmin (GC) 5 Chuckie Egg (Spectrum) Winners of the CHIPS Franchisee of the Year Award, Peter and Trish Hardy (pictured with their hard-working staff Ben and Kyle) opened the second CHIPS franchise in 2001. These cool grandparents have seen their store go from strength to strength proving that you don’t need to be a youngster to be passionate about gaming, just young at heart! Quick Q&A Q. A. What was your first console? It was a ZX Spectrum. It is still in full working order. Q. And what is your all-time favourite game? A. That is a very difficult question. We would probably have to say Half Life. Q. What do you like about it so much? A. It is quite an in-depth game with lots going on and plenty to think about. Q. A. What consoles do you play? We play mainly the GameCube, PS2, XBox 360 and PC. Q. Why did you decide to open a CHIPS store. A. Nik (joint MD of CHIPS) was so passionate about this exciting industry and we were very impressed with the whole setup. We really did our homework. We visited three of the company-owned stores and spoke at length to franchisee Keith Scarr in Bishop Auckland. We also took professional advice. Since the store opened, we have been inundated with customers. Our level of sales far exceeds expectations and we really enjoy it. Q. What is the strangest request or incident you have had in the store? A. We have people coming into the store asking the strangest things. For example, ‘What will you give me for this kettle?’ and ‘Do you have Ilkley Moor Baht on CD’. Pete said ‘No, but I can sing you a couple of verses if you like.’ how to find us 24 Newmarket Street Skipton, BD23 2JB Tel: 01756 700995 Opening Hours: Mon-Sat, 9.30am-5.30pm > TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A FRANCHISEE VISIT WWW.CHIPSWORLD.CO.UK OR CALL 0870 013 0028 TO ORDER A FRANCHISEE PACK 32 SPRING 07 M O C . R E Y A L P I T PS3MUL Are you & get on the rest good enough to take your name in lights TTZ[hTeT]cbU^a B"<d[cX_[PhTa^UUTabf ¥? \Tb VP ]" cWT\PY^a?[PhBcPcX^ U^aP]^aVP]XbTS d_ V] B"UP]bPaTPQ[Tc^bX ¥? ]P\T]cb QPcc[T^acPZT_PacX]c^da \^]cWb_TRXP[bfXcW PcRW^dcU^aT]S^UcWT ¥F b ?B"VP\TbP]S_aXiT ( ( ! F^f4eTah?B"VP\T d]R^eTaTSX]R[dSX]VcWT Ud[[[Pd]RW[X]Td_· D]R^eTaTS?[PhBcPcX^] =Tcf^aZBXgPgXbGa^bb <TSXP1PaP]S\^aT· 0]SH^daRWP]RTc^fX]P WdVT73CE world s on our Leaderboard U^acPQ[TP\^]Vbc ¥ 8 Uh^dUTT[\^aTR^\ Âch^dWPeTPcah^dcfXcW S^] Wh ^cWTabcWT]f WT ]cc `dT UaT WPc ^]T^UcWT\P]h2[P]bc QdbhU^ad\ ]"Âbbca^]VTbc T[_QdX[ScWT?[PhBcPcX^ ¥ 7 ]Xch \d ^\ ^][X]T\d[cX_[PhTaR Y^X]X] Tc^ UaT ¥ 8 cÂbUaTTc^bXV]d_P]S FP]cc^Sa^^[^eTacWT ?B"Âbbcd]]X]VWXSTU VaP_WXRb.H^dÂ[[QT ]TTSX]VcWT278?B D[cX\PcT6dXSTc^ ?[PhbcPcX^]"cWT] ;4 1 0 ; 8 0E0 8?B 8=27 =>F B BC>A4 of the PS3 MULTIPLAYER BEAT THE BEST ? TIPS tips Wii Golf Special ›Wii Our pro takes you on a round of Wii Golf’s Expert mode. The tricks, the cheats – all you need to reach the club house under par... A round with CHIPS Hole 1 (Par 4) Smack your tee shot down the middle of the fairway. Even if you hook or slice it slightly, you should be ok. Land your second shot on the slight slope just in front of the green and you’ll get close. This green is as flat as a pancake, so a birdie is yours. Hole 2 (Par 3) Just clear the bunker guarding the green and you have a birdie chance. The green itself is not hard, but when looking at it from the front it does break slightly from left to right. Nice shot! Hole 3 (Par 5) Ah-ha! Swing the camera and you’ll see a small patch of fairway away to the left. If the wind’s not in your face, this makes the green reachable in two. Another shot is to blast through the trees, taking out the corner of the dogleg. If the wind is not helping, though, you must be sensible and set yourself up to reach the green in three. This green slopes down from the back to the front and from the left to the right. Hole 4 (Par 3) After taking the wind into consideration, aim just a little right of the flag. The bank here is receptive enough to set up a birdie chance. If you land level with the pin remember that this green slopes massively down from the back. Hole 5 (par 5) For most wind conditions, you want to make sure your tee shot passes the trees but stops short of the bunker on the corner of the dogleg. If the wind is behind you, smash the ball through the trees and take out the dogleg altogether. From a distance, a good shot to get nicely on the green is to land in front of the bunker and hop over it. If you are chipping from close up, use the contours of the massive bank behind the pin to roll close to the hole. 34 Spring 07 Hole 6 (Par 4) The brave will aim for the far end of the fairway, taking out the bunker guarding the green. Span this ambitious shot, though, and sand, rough or water lie in wait. If your first shot is good enough, you can slow your second shot in the small patch of fairway in front of the green. Otherwise, all you can do is get over the bunker and deal some vicious banks at the rear. Hole 7 (Par 4) The mad will try to break through to reach this green in one. This rarely works, though, even with the wind in your favour. Better to head for the far end of the fairway. Should your second shot be blocked by trees, a clever trick is to skip the ball under them with the driver and roll the ball onto the green. If you’re not blocked out, be aggressive with your chip as the pin stands on a very receptive bank. Hole 8 (Par 3) Unless the wind is in your face, it’s very hard to get the ball over the cliff and then stop it near the pin. Just aim to get down in three and pick up your par. Hole 9 (Par 5) When the wind is right behind you, a shot direct to the flag-bearing island is on. Otherwise go for the right-hand island. And make sure you get the ball right in the corner, just short of the rough. Come up short and you won’t be able to reach the final island in two. The putting on the upper tier of this final green is not difficult. It’s all straight up towards the green’s summit – and victory is yours. TIPS tips Wii Sports Extra ›Wii Leave your friends in awe of your expertise and skill with our insiders guide to Wii Sports’ Tennis, Golf, Boxing and Bowling. Wii Sports secrets! Golf Gentlemen’s golf Press and hold the ‘2’ button when selecting the mode to disable the power meter, map and wind gauge! Boxing Silver boxing gloves After you’ve beaten the Grand Champion, Matt, you can wear silver boxing gloves. To get them, hold the ‘1’ button when the screen becomes black before a fight. IS TENN ! TIPS Tennis Different strokes Through they don’t look quite so impressive as ‘real’ tennis strokes, short, quick movements are very effective. Aces high Toss the ball up and hit the ball when it reaches the top of its flight and you’ll make a super-powered serve. You won’t manage it every time, but your timing will improve with practice. Happy returns Even if you pull off a power-serve, always expect it back… Receiving end Don’t court disaster It’s quite tricky to manage two players at once if you’re a beginner, so start by concentrating on using your player at the back of the court. Net gains When you feel confident enough, experiment at the net. One way to set up a chance at the net is to hit several cross court shots. This pushes your opponent’s back Mii further and further to one side of the court opening up the court for you. Bowling Different coloured balls When you start a game and the screen becomes black, holding a D-Pad button changes the colour of the ball. Hold: Up – blue, Down – green, Left – red, Right – gold. Surprise, surprise! Release the ball behind you to give the crowd a shock… + p Wii reve in nt tur juries n ! p44 to If your opponent hits a power serve, try and hit the ball as early as you can. You’ll be surprised how many you can return. Spin doctor Want to make the ball spin viciously in front of your opponent? For either backhand or forehand spin, simply roll your wrists as you swing… Early doors Hit cross-court shots as early as possible because the ball then goes deeper into the corner, making life tough for your opponent. Spring 07 35 tips the codebank Canis Canem Edit ›PS2 Be the top dog in the playground with these snotty-nosed codes! Plug in two controllers. While playing hold L1, enter the following on controller 2… Full Health R2, R2, R2 All Weapons Up, Up, Up, Up Ammunition Reloaded Up, Up Toggle Unlimited Ammunition Up, Down, Up, Down Extra Money Triangle, Square, Circle, X All Gym Grapple Moves Up, Left, Down, Down, Triangle, Square, X, X All Hobo Fighting Moves Up, Left, Down, Right, Triangle, Square, X, Circle Killzone Liberation ›PSP Aggh! Have it! Ahem. Completing challenges in Liberation earns you points and points can unlock special abilities. When you have sufficient points to unlock an ability, go to the ability section by pressing Square at the Weapon Selection screen… Carry 3 Grenades 20 Points Carry 3 Syringes 60 Points C4 Placement Twice As Fast 100 Points Carry 3 Smoke Grenades 140 Points Trip Disarm Mines Twice As Fast 180 Points Carry 4 Pressure Mines 220 Points Doubled Close Combat Damage 260 Points 50% More Health 300 Points 50% More Health For Buddy 340 Points Hot tip of the issue! ›PS2 ›PS3 Call of Duty 3 Unlock All Levels & Extras! Unlimited Ammo 480 Points Get yourself some balls by pausing the game, choosing ‘CHEATS’ and entering any of the following codes! Plug in two controllers. While playing, hold L1 and enter the following on controller 2… 36 Spring 07 Increase Cop Heat DONUT Increase Gang Heat GOBALLS Max Ammo AMMO ›DS Your elephants will be trumpeting with delight at the effect of these codes. To make them work, during gameplay, rename a guest… All Scenarios Completed Akiyama All Animals Breed More Dr Dolittle Everyone’s Shirt Brown Mr Brown Everyone’s Shirt Blue Mr Blue Everyone’s Shirt Orange Mr Orange Everyone’s Shirt Pink Mr Pink Everyone’s Shirt white Mr White Share it with us… Clothing: Tan Suit Tony SANDY Clothing: Tan Suit Tony With Shades SANDYSH Clothing: Gray Suit Tony GRAY Clothing: Gray Suit Tony With Shades GRAYSH Music Track: The World Is Yours TUNEME Repair Vehicle TBURGLR Dump Truck DUMPER 4x4 Bodog Stampede BUMMER Spawn Ariel MK III OLDFAST Vehicle: Spawn Bulldozer DOZER Zoo Tycoon Hold Select and press Right, Right, Left, Left, Square, Square Scarface: The World is Yours ›PS2 ›XBOX ›PC Decrease Cop Heat FLYSTRT Decrease Gang Heat NOBALLS Fill Balls Meter FPATCH Refill Health MEDIK Clothing: Black Suit Tony BLACK Clothing: Black Suit Tony With Shades BLACKSH White Suit Tony WHITE Clothing: White Suit Tony With Shades WHITESH Clothing: Hawaiian Shirt Tony HAWAII Clothing: Hawaiian Shirt Tony With Shades HAWAIIG Clothing: Blue Suit Tony BLUE Clothing: Blue Suit Tony With Shades BLUESH TIPS Everyone’s Shirt Yellow Mr Blonde Loads Of Money Bill Gates All Animal Shelters Adam Levesque Sick Guests Zeta Psi All Animal Houses Andrew Binder All Animal Toys Lou Catanzaro All Foliage Charlie Peterson Endangered Animals Steve Serafino Unlock Everything! Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right Got any great tips or cheats you want to share with other CHIPS Magazine readers? Just email them to [email protected] and you’ll see your name in print. Who knows, we might even find a prize for the best! Let us entertain you... £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 Get more from your PC! £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £4.99 £4.99 Great games at incredibly low prices! £4.99 £4.99 £4.99 £4.99 £4.99 Something for the kids! To view the full range of Focus titles call into your local CHIPS store or visit www.focusmm.co.uk for further information. All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. www.focusmm.co.uk BUDGET BUDGET roundup top games at rock-bottom prices… … r fo st Be E CRIM World Championship Poker 2 r… m fo ’e st old e B H INFO s xa Te [+] Format: PS2 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Rockstar [+] Price: £19.99 ➔ Rockstar has wasted little time in Capcom Classic Collection Volume 2 II … or er t f ght s e i B tF e re St Tomb Raider: Legend INFO transferring its second GTA PSP game to the PS2. A series of short side-stories, Vice City follows a similar formula to GTA Liberty City Stories, but it’s a bit longer, has bags more bad-assed personality and better graphics. It’s another chance to shoot up the place, driving like a crazy person while listening to cool tunes. It’s 1982 in Vice City. The suits are shiny, Olivia Newton John is getting physical and opportunity knocks in a metropolis emerging from the swamps. Criminal thug Vic Vance is getting on in life in the burgeoning drug trade… ■ [+] Format: PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360 [+] Price: £19.99 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Oxygen ➔ What a steal! This decent poker sim turns out to be a budget title. Tidy graphics, fun characters, a solid announcer and great poker action all go towards making WCP 2 a great gift for poker fanatics. It has seven types of game, including Texas Hold ’em (really the only game in town), Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud and Pineapple. It supports offline play and also action online, where you face off with up to seven other players. In the extensive Career mode, you start as a low-ranking upstart living in your mother’s basement. Progress and you’ll encounter real professional’s such as Howard Lederer… ■ Impossible Mission [+] Format: PS2 [+] Released: April 13 [+] Publisher: Capcom [+] Price: £14.99 38 SPRING 07 INFO INFO … g or in t f reak s Be e b us o H ➔ They don’t make ’em like they used to! This year’s collection from Capcom contains 20 games from Capcom’s back catalogue. On the disc are some bona fide classics, some interesting lesser-known games and some excellent extras and unlockables. Super Street Fighter II is the standout game – and it comes with a three-part tutorial on how to play it. Of the use synthesized speech – which was quite a milestone back then. It has been re-written from the ground up and features brand-new graphics, 3D objects, new sound effects and music, but the gameplay remains true to the gameplay of the original – even right down to the map changing for every new game. You take the important role of a secret agent attempting to stop the nefarious plans of evil genius Professor Elvin Atombender, who has tampered with the National Security computer system. Against the clock, you must penetrate Atombender’s base and recover parts of the system password whilst avoiding the unwelcome attention of deadly robots. The brilliant PSP version offers an unusual but fantastic feature which allows you to send a full copy of a single game to a friend via wireless so they can try it out for themselves. ■ [+] Format/price: PS2 £14.99, Wii £24.99, PSP & DS £19.99 [+] Released: May 18 [+] Publisher: Play It ➔ Not to be confused with Mission Impossible, this is a remake of the 1984 8-bit classic. Impossible Mission was the first game to r… g fo in st raid e B b m To INFO Grand Theft Auto: Vice City rest, Magic Sword, Captain Commando, Black Tiger, Strider and Side Arms are all great arcade games from the 1980s. Eco Fighters is also a hidden gem and you’ll have fun with `Knights of the Round – essentially Final Fight with swords and an experience system. ■ [+] Format/price: Xbox & Xbox 360 £19.99, PSP, PC & PS2 £14.99 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Eidos ➔ After the lacklustre Angel of Darkness, Tomb Raider has gone back to its roots. Combat has been pared back to just a third of the game. The rest of your time centres on trademark platforming and puzzle solving. A clever new movement system has also been introduced to allow the star of the show, Lara, to jump onto and grab ledges at an angle. Clunky grid-based shuffling to ready yourself for a leap are a thing of the past. This Tomb Raider also sports a genuine physics engine – which is just as well, for lots of the puzzles are based on movement and the use of Lara’s nifty new magnetic grappling hook. The graphics here are also top notch. With creative nudges from the man behind the original, this is a return to classic tomb raiding. Welcome home Lara! ■ BUDGET r… fo air st Be esh INFO Fr [+] Format: PC [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: EA [+] Price: £19.99 ➔ By now you will have heard all about The Sims. Yes, that’s right – the one with loads of expansion packs. Actually The Sims 2: Seasons is the best of the last few expansions. It doesn’t make The Sims 2 more complicated, instead it adds seasonal weather, gardening and some new group activities to make it even more chilled. As well as visual upgrades, such as snow accumulation and new shadow effects, you can now test your Sims’ green fingers by planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables. That’s a summer past-time activity, of course, but there are now things to do for Sims all year round. Depending on the weather, families and friends can now have great fun building snowmen, splashing in the pool, playing catch and going ice skating. You can also make sure your Sims are dressed appropriately for any time of year by kitting them out in the season’s trendiest outfits. Ear muffs, summer dresses and raincoats all go into their wardrobes. ■ Resident Evil 4 ➔ s This awesome r… er fo ous survival-shocker is t s r Be n t already out on PS2 w o Platinum and now PC Br gamers have the chance to be frightened out of their tiny minds for a mere £19.99. Completely overhauled and justly laden with more awards than you could shake a chainsaw at, it’s quite simply one of the best action games ever. Charged with rescuing the president’s daughter from a mysterious Spanish cult, you’re dropped into the quaking boots of officer Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2. Cue a series of horrormovie like chases filled with murderous Texas Chainsaw Massacre-like extras, a siege round an abandoned cottage straight out of Evil Warriors 5 manages, somehow, to double the number of on-screen enemies seen in Dynasty Warriors 4. In addition, the battlefield is even more littered with items, weapons and power ups (both mental and magical). There are mounts on offer this time too, in the form of horses and elephants and you can even train hungry tigers that will fight by your side and maul anyone who dares approach. Now, how cool is that! ■ Harley-Davidson: Dynasty Warriors 5 Race to the Rally [+] Format: PC [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Capcom [+] Price: £19.99 Big Sur, California, you’ll roll your Harley through scenic locales such as the Colorado River tourist destination of Laughlin, an Oklahoman hunk of old Route 66, a heartland ghost town, a Floridian waterfront highway and more than a few mountain passages. Surely the ideal gift for a Harley fan. Pimp My Ride … g or lin tf rb s e la B cu i h Ve s … n or so t f avid s Be y-D rle Ha INFO … ts! or an t f eph s Be s! El er g Ti Dead and battles with horrifying bosses such as ‘Bag Head’. As you encounter unimaginable horrors, you must find out who or what is behind everything. ■ INFO Sims 2: Seasons [+] Format: PS2 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Activision [+] Price: £19.99 [+] Format/price: PS2 & Xbox £14.99, Xbox 360 £19.99 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Koei ➔ Dynasty Warriors is the Samurai fighter that pits you against a sea of humanity. Hundreds (no, make that thousands) of spearcarrying goons must be hunted down and dealt with. But if you thought the battlefield was crowded before, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Dynasty INFO INFO ➔ ➔ [+] Format/price: PC £9.99, PS2 £19.99 [+] Released: Out now [+] Publisher: Activsion If you have a Harley, you’re not just a biker, you’re a member of an exclusive international club. It’s a bit like owing a Ferrari, only far more oily. This budget title from Activision has you racing across America against other bikers to the annual HarleyDavidson rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. From It’s the game based on the MTV show. Loosely. In Pimp My Ride, you cruise the streets of Pimp City raising cash for restoration projects. The most basic way to earn money is to simply ram other cars. Coins fly up from each car you smash and magically wind up in your bank account, shown on screen. You earn extra cash for specific car hits, a bit like recent Burnout titles. You then proceed to pimp. For Pimp My Ride on the PSP and Xbox 360, see P6. ■ spring 07 39 ® chat chips chat What’s going on at your local CHIPS store? We go behind the scenes to bring you all the latest news from around the country. ✂ Chips Tips Arnold donates POD CABLE Big-hearted franchisees, Mike and Jenny Smith, of CHIPS Arnold, have brought a smile to the faces of pupils at Derrymount School. The father and daughter decided to offer their Xbox POD up for adoption to make more space in their Croft Road store for a new POD. The Nottingham Evening Post’s games columnist Paul Drury invited readers to apply for the POD and the winner was Derrymount School for special needs. Pictured are Jono Henshaw, 14, Ryan Severn, 15, and Darren Foulds, 15, who popped down to the store to receive the POD. ‘We replace our PODS every so often when new consoles are launched. They are ideal for schools and groups and I know it will be very well used at Derrymount,’ said Mike. Would you like to get the best gaming experience possible from your console? Of course, you would! Having spent loads on a console and a TV or plasma screen, you won’t get the very best performance from both unless you connect them properly. Using the right cable will deliver the ultimate in sound and video performance so you can enjoy your games to the full. Here is a run-down of the different ways you can connect up to your TV/ monitor and audio system. This is particularly important with new HDcapable consoles such as Xbox 360 and PS3. Be aware, however, that the only way to experience true HD is with Component Video, VGA or HDMI. What should you choose? ● Standard – Composite Video & Stereo Audio ● Good – RGB Scart or S-Video & Stereo Audio ● Better – Component Video and Stereo Audio ● Best – Component Video & Optical Audio OR VGA Video & Stereo/Optical Audio Not all consoles or screens carry all these connections so please ask in store for details. Many members of the CHIPS team have received specific training in the latest range of cable connections so they should be able to advise you of how to get the very best from your system. See Gear on P42 for more on Monster Cables. 40 SPRING 07 CH IPS ROCKS we hosted CHIPS store s were reall y rock in’ when Acti visio n Guita r Hero demo days acros s the UK. flock ed to orga nised a Rock Tour and game s fans see from can you As fun. the in join to s CHIPS store their get to wait n’t could these pictu res, many to the hand s on Guita r Hero II and play along s. track great nel At the Staff ord store , Ryan from Chan s and Sian, Adva ntage had them rock in’ in the aisle , was on gran ddaughte r of fran chise e Susa n Lake perso nal her game the give and out help to hand the mak ing. recommend ation . A real rock chick in t Howchin, Elliot and 15, , Piper In Yeov il, Ross to the 14, reall y gave the game some stick amus emen t of othe r store regul ars. chat contact us If you have some CHIPS news, please send it to [email protected] CH IPS RU LES. To celeb rate the launch of CHIPS’ new acces sorie s range, we offered £50 wort h to the winner of our comp etiti on. Luck y Jack Scoffin, 13, of Staff ord, was the very proud winner as you can see from this pictu re when he popp ed into CHIPS Staff ord to bag his prize s. Well done Jack . STAF FORD ART IST BRILLIANT! That is our verdict on John Lovatt’s fantastic drawing of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. The talented 17-year-o ld artist is a regular at CHIPS Stafford and obviously a Final Fantasy fan too! CH OR LTON ARTIST Young CHIPS Chor lton fan Huna n Ahmed couldn’t resis t trying his hand at our CHIPS 20th Anni versa ry logo. The 12-year-o ld, of Old Traff ord, Man ches ter, is certa inly an artis t in the mak ing. Well done ! Chip off the old bloc k WII did it! CHIPS stores across the UK opened at midnight and early in the morning so lucky Wii fans could get their hands on the ‘must-have’ console . Gary Evans and Mr and Mrs Turner, pictured, at CHIPS Stafford, were some of the first people in the country to bag the new Wii. Abigail Mary Clark arrived eight weeks earlier than expected, giving CHIPS Glasgow West End franchise e Ken and wife, Kimberle y, an unexpected Christma s present. She was just 3lb when she was born at 32 weeks but now weighs in at 7lb. ‘Abigail arrived totally unexpectedly, but she is a real live wire and doing very well,’ said her delighted dad. HOT OF THE PRESS! Congratulations to Hartlepool franchisee Ste Morton and partner Tracey on birth of second son Dominic. SPRING 07 41 ® GEAR Ì Monster cables for PS3 & Xbox 360 n Price: £24.99 to £69.99 n Release date: Out now CHIPS is proud to now stock Monster Cables. If you are the kind of gamer that would love to take advantage of HD video and digital audio, Monster has a range of cables that will give you all you need in one simple solution. R A E G P TO Ì Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse n Price: £54.99 n Release date: Out now Improve your gaming with the world’s first laser gaming mouse featuring a stylish ergonomic and ambidextrous design, a precise sensor, an unparalleled resolution of 2000 dpi, fully customisable hardware and onboard intelligence that retains your personal configurations. Available in Tempest Blue, Anarchy Red and Chaos Green. È Xbox 360 WireLEss Receiver for Windows n Price: £14.99 n Release date: Out now PC gaming just got better! This great gadget enables you to use all of your wireless Xbox 360 peripherals on your PC. It allows up to four wireless acessories on one PC. 42 SPRING 07 DS/DS Lite Universal Game Max Bag Ë n Price: £14.99 n Release date: Out now Store, organise and protect your DS or DS Lite and accessories with this useful Universal Game Max bag. Various colours available. GEAR Á Zelda Figures n Price: £69.99 to £89.99 n Release date: May 2007 If you love Ocarina of Time, you will love these Zelda figures. Choose from Adult Link, Fierce Deity Link or Sheik. Figures are hand cast, hand painted and stand at 7-8 inches high. They come packed in a full colour box with a card of authenticity. ReCharge4 Gaming Ë n Price: £39.99 n Release date: Out now If you have a portable gaming device, this small, unique gadget is a must-have. When your portable gaming device battery runs out, simply connect the ReCharge4 and your device will charge up without the need for a mains electricity supply. The reusable smart battery will recharge anytime, anywhere, up to four times from one charge. ries for ch o s s e c c a ction of hancements su e l e s t a ou a gre om practical en lda figures. y s g n i r and Ze , Gear b eld and PC. Fr e e r u b s s a i s s t i Th ool ligh , handh c e l a o s o n t o s c your eyboard k d n a s as cable È Logitech Cordless PS3 Mediaboard n Price: £49.99 n Release date: Out now Communicate online more effectively on the PlayStation Network using this easy-to-use Cordless MediaBoard from Logitech. There is no need to struggle using your gamepad to write online texts or set up profiles, this MediaBoard does it all with ease! È DS Lite Fashion Sleeve n Price: £7.99 n Release date: Out now Jazz up your DS and keep it protected with these fabulous fashion sleeves from Nintendo. Anakin Lightsaber Ë n Price: £49.99 n Release date: Out now Get your hands on this official reproduction of Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. It features a glowing, bright blue blade, realistic lights and motion sensor-controlled sound effects. This is an officially licensed Star Wars collector’s item. GIFT VOUCHERS £5, £10 and £25 vouchers available instore. SPRING 07 43 ® Wii Injuries chips investigates Wii injuries+ You’ve got to be careful out there. People are breaking bones – and homes! But ‘injurwiis’ can be easily avoided... Crunch! Crack! Slam! I t used to be quite difficult to harm yourself playing a videogame. In fact, strained eyes and sore thumbs were the worst hurts you could expect from a night in with your console. But the Remote-flailing Wii has changed all that. Nintendo’s console had only been on sale for a few days when the first reports of over-zealous golfers and batters blackening eyes and spraining ankles started coming in. Now there are whole websites, such as www.wiihaveaproblem.com (from where these great pictures are taken), devoted to documenting these Wii accidents. One common mishap is the enthusiastic swipe performed under a forgotten light fixture... Also very popular is the ‘The flying Remote Into Someone’s Face’ (usually because of failure to wear wrist straps). The most distressing Wii misadventure of all, though, sees the Remote go sailing through the TV screen… Ouch! 44 SPRING 07 Howl! Five ways to avoid an injurwii… 1 2 3 4 5 Very short movements with the Remote are just as effective as great big swings… Clear a space. And move that priceless Ming vase! Your parents will kill you if that gets smashed... Wear the wrist strap at all times. You can even order a new, stronger strap from Nintendo for FREE! CHIPS sells a great range of grippy Controller gloves that have stronger wrist straps. And make sure you keep your temper when you miss that easy putt on the first green! Smash! competitions competitionswin! win Wii goodies ! WmaIN zing a nintendo s wii goodie If you still haven’t managed to get your mitts on the Wii yet, here’s a chance to still be the envy of your mates. We are offering you the chance to scoop some of these great Wii goodies, courtesy of Nintendo. The FIRST prize winner will scoop a fantastic Wii shoulder bag, baseball cap, T-shirt, pen, pad and mousemat, along with a Pacman stylus for the DS. TWO of you will win a Wii baseball cap, Tshirt, pen, pad, mousemat and Pacman stylus and there will also be FIVE consolation prizes. To win answer this correctly: what year did nintendo launch the wii in the uk? HOW TO ENTER Send your answer, name, age and address to CHIPS Wii Competition, 63-65 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3AA by May 30. Winners will be contacted by CHIPS and announced in the next issue of CHIPS Magazine. The first correct answer drawn will win Wii shoulder bag, baseball cap, T-shirt, pen, pad and mousemat, along with a Pacman stylus for the DS. The next two correct answers drawn will win Wii baseball cap, T-shirt, pen, pad, mousemat and Pacman stylus. The next five correct answers drawn will win consolation prizes. WIN! exclus ps3 ive writinusb g pen win this sleek and elegant exclusive playstation 3-branded usb writing pen The bottom half is a high-quality ink pen, while the top half contains a 1GB USB 2.0 Pen Drive. Drag your digital files from any computer or your PlayStation 3 to the Pen Drive and hit the road. This pen was released to celebrate PlayStation 3 launch and is not available in the shops. A perfect gift for a PlayStation fan! To win answer this correctly: what is the ps3 motion-sensing controller called? last issue’s HOW TO ENTER Send your answer, name, age & address to CHIPS PS3 Pen Competition, 63-65 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3AA by May 30. Winners will be contacted by CHIPS and announced in the next issues of CHIPS Magazine. The first correct answer drawn will win the pen. competition WINNERS CONGRATULATIONS! These lucky winners have scooped goodies from the last CHIPS Magazine competitions. NFS: Carbon winners: Game and 55DSL T-shirt: Susan Pearson, Chester-le-Street; Scott Johnson, Lancashire; Ron Maxwell, Middlesbrough. Runners-up - 55DSL T-shirt: Karen Martin, Chester-le-Street; Margaret Lloyd, Tyne and Wear; William Young, Hartlepool; Andrew Masters, Chester-le-Street; Zach Langham, Reading; Jamie Mcallister, Glasgow; Anthony Snyder, Quebec, Canada Guitar Hero II winner: Kelly Ann Hughf, Bishop Auckland SPRING 07 45 ® LETTERS ● e m p Date CHIPS st a ● IP CH S stam p Dear CHIPS I was a big fan of PlayStation for several years until my brother-in-law purchased an Xbox 360. On this, I played Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion and Elder Scrolls Perfect Dark Zero which blew me away. This experience totally changed me and I sold all my PlayStation things and bought an Xbox 360. Now, when I look back I realise that I should have done it so much earlier. Thanks Alex for your very long letter which we have had to cut due to space. Supermarkets only stock a very small range of video games and consoles. All stores run ‘loss leaders’ at times to encourage people to shop there. Supermarkets are very quick to pick items up and then move on to the next ‘must have’. You will find it easy to buy a vast array of garden furniture in spring and summer but more difficult in winter. Supermarkets only offer the major releases. They also don’t offer customers the chance to trade in their old games for new ones. We are a video games specialist and can offer the range, knowledge and customer service that many of our customers appreciate. Many gamers take a long-term view that if they don’t support independent retailers like ourselves many will disappear completely – and it has happened – and their choice and ultimate their gaming experience will be dramatically curtailed. If that happened, where would people go for advice, help and that elusive cable, older console or game they want. next issue… OUT May 21 2007 D on’t worry, the next issue of CHIPS Magazine will be out before you know it and this time it will be a summer spectacular! There has never been a more exciting time for the world of gaming. In fact, could this be the best year ever? There so many amazing new games hitting the shelves in your local CHIPS store over next few months, CHIPS 46 SPRING 07 Magazine can only just about keep up with it al! Of course, we will be bringing you news of the top PS3 releases. You’ll also find a whole host of stuff for the Xbox 360. And we can’t forget the handhelds that we all love so much. Prepare yourselves – the DS Lite and PSP are adding a whole host of new exciting games to their list. We will also keep you up-to-date with News, offer you the chance to win with our Competitions and provide all the gossip in CHIPS Chat. We also promise to provide another fantastic and useful Tips section. If you love our Tips, why not send CHIPS a letter asking for a game you’d like to see tipped, or why not send us your own. We always love to hear from you. See you then... ● roval approva l va Signatur o f ap p r o va Thanks for your letter. It throws up some interesting points. Firstly, in the video games industry, nothing ever stands still. It’s fast, furious and fun. There is a vast array of consoles, just as there are many types of car – but you wouldn’t expect to buy a new model every month or even every year. We agree no-one should be playing games all the time, the key is to find the right balance between school, homework and playing. With regards to old consoles, CHIPS has a trade-in policy. You can bring them back to CHIPS and trade it in for the latest must-have. That way parents don’t have to pay the full price. st a p o f ap p r o CHIPS l a pp of l m S sta mp f Date CHIP ● o approva l roval letter We are happy to help when we can. We know Zoe’s Place does fantastic work. Visit www.zoesplace.org.uk Signature I want to know why large supermarkets sell games sometimes cheaper than CHIPS, which is actually a games specialist? Alex Hetherington, Chester Le Street star Dear CHIPS On behalf of the residents’ panel for Erimus Housing in Thorntree, Middlesbrough, we would like to say a big thank you for your donation to the Zoe’s Place Charity Night. The event raised over £1,000 for Zoe’s Place. app Date PS sta CHI mp of f ure Signat Got a question, comment or (gasp) complaint? Email the editor at [email protected] Dear CHIPS, Sometimes I get sick of technology because everyone wants a part of it! The PlayStation came out, then the PS2, then PS2 Slimline then the Xbox, (everyone wanted one!) then the Xbox 360 and THEN it was the Nintendo Wii and now the PS3. Just imagine how parents feel, spending their hard-earned cash on the latest craze. Once it comes out, everyone wants one! And it’s not fair how parents are pressurised into buying what their kids want. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy these things but kids shouldn’t put pressure on parents. Children tend to forget about the old consoles and they sit there gathering dust. Also, if you are young, time should be spent concentrating on studying rather than your games console. Hinnah, Billingham ● ● S stam p o LETTERS IP CH gift vouchers! branches Arnold Ashford Bishop Auckland Chester-le-Street Chorley Chorlton Consett Darlington Dudley NEW Edinburgh 01159 209991 01233 621710 01388 606046 0191 3875544 01257 265444 0161 8610909 01207 506688 01325 381048 01384 458531 0131 6677001 Glasgow West End 0141 357 7201 Guisborough 01287 637777 Hartlepool 01429 869800 Hereford 01432 278633 Letchworth 01462 675333 Longton NEW 01782 594041 Lytham St. Annes 01253 789922 Middlesbrough 01642 252509 Newcastle U Lyme 01782 660343 Northallerton 01609 777612 Ormskirk NEW Orpington Portslade Redcar Skipton Stafford Stockton Woodley Yeovil 01695 580080 01689 835999 01273 439500 01642 488522 01756 700995 01785 255553 01642 618256 0118 9699166 01935 434385 Finalist in MCV Independent Retailer Award 2006 Finalist in MCV Most Improved Retailer 2006 ®