Prince - Chipsworld Corporate

FR
!
E
E
celebr ating 23 years of gaming
issue 29
WINTER 08
www.chipsworld.co.uk
®
®
prince
among
thieves
the prince of persia
comes out fighting
revealed
we
nintendo!
The 20 top wii & ds games of the year
P LUS
´ TIPPED! fallout 3 & spore creature design
´ News ´ WIN GAMES ´ CHIPS CHAT ´ Gear
H!
O
GI
YUA-GO-GO s
ec k
ACE d
tip
®
WHERE TO FIND uS
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Q
WE BUY WE SELL WE TRADE
Since the mid-1980s, CHIPS has been
a friendly face in the high street for all
gamers and now has more than 30 stores across
the country. CHIPS buys, sells and trades video
games and hardware. Whether you’re after a new
next-gen console or a classic collector’s game,
we’re the first place you should visit.
And if you have games or hardware lying
around that you don’t use, you can sell them to us
for cash or trade them in for something new.
Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are all
gamers too, so if you’re looking for a fun way to
spend your Christmas money or you can’t decide
which game to buy, they can send you home with
a smile on your face and a bag under your arm.
®
welcome
INSIDE...
f e a t u r es
W
12
prince among thieves The Prince of Persia is back in his first next-gen adventure! He has a gorgeous new artistic look, a
magical new companion and some nifty new acrobatic moves, but the classic blend of combat, puzzling and platforming is still intact…
wii
H!
O
I
G
U
Y
nintendo A-GO-GO
26
hit the deck Whether you play your mates for fun or want to enter the next world
championship tournament, don’t miss our guide to building a winning Yu-Gi-Oh! card deck
®
e head into
the New Year
with loads of
ace new games on the
shelves. Fallout 3, Tomb
Raider Underworld, Call
of Duty: World at War,
Prince of Persia and
many more are now
available in your local
store, and on the newlook CHIPS website,
where you’ll also find
everything from books
to CDs! Check it out at
www.chipsworld.co.uk.
Editor
Debra McCabe
[email protected]
To advertise contact
tipped!
14
the chips countdown We
reveal the best ever Wii and DS games!
18
survival guide Want to stay alive in the post-nuclear wasteland of Washington?
Then check out our top tips on everything from karma and combat to choosing your kit
win!
regulars
16 chips letchworth We talk to
store manager Andrew Mahoney, one of the
new kids off the CHIPS block…
18 tips Survive the harsh post-nuclear world
of Fallout 3 and make unbeatable beasties with
our detailed guide to the Spore Creature Editor
20 CODEBANK WWE Smackdown vs Raw
2009, Guitar Hero World Tour, Wii Music, LEGO
Batman and MySims Kingdom codes revealed!
28 GEAR
From Pokémon styluses to Wii yoga mats,
we reveal the best new gear in store today
20 gamres
up fo
bs0 !
gr a
page 3
see
22 chips consett Franchisee James
Tildesley reveals his top games and tells us
about a rather strange lawnmower incident…
Debra McCabe
0870 013 0028
[email protected]
Steve Faragher
01225 319799
[email protected]
Visit www.chipsworld.co.uk
for technical data
Faragher Jones
Contract Publishers
3 Monmouth Place
Bath BA1 2AT
Tel: 01225 319799
www.faragherjones.com
recycle me
Design
Joe Burt, Trevor Wyatt
Words
Gideon Kibblewhite,
Mark Wheatley
24 chips chat All the latest news and
gossip from CHIPS stores across the country
Franchise Stores
25 chips chums Share your gaming likes
and dislikes with other CHIPS Magazine readers!
30 chips conference We reveal the
winners from the annual CHIPS extravaganza
05 News This issue we have singalongs,
warfare, racing, dragons and a whole lot more!
27 budget gaming Forget the sales
and grab yourself a cut-price bargain here!
To find out how you could
become a CHIPS franchisee, visit
www.chipsworld.co.uk or phone
0870 013 0028 to order a pack
CHECK OUT OUR NEW-LOOK WEBSITE! You’ll find games, consoles, books, CDs, TVs and much more on www.chipsworld.co.uk
WINTER 08
NEWS
gaming news
the hottest gaming news coming your way…
Page 6
SingStar: Abba
Page 6
Resistance 2
Page 9 Wii Music
Page 7 Animal Crossing:
Let’s Go To The City
Page 7 Lord of the Rings: Conquest
Page 9
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
Page 10
Tom Clancy’s EndWar
Page 10
Splinter Cell: Conviction
this issue’s WIRED also includes: Page 6 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance! Page 6 Call of Duty: World at War Page 6 You’re in the
Movies Page 7 Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir Page 7 Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack Page 7 Mirror’s Edge Page 9 Sim Animals Page 9 The Legend
of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon Page 9 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Page 10 Golden Balls Page 10 Lips Page 10 LocoRoco 2
World of Warcraft: The Wrath
of the Lich King Expansion Pack
Banjo Kazooie: FANTASNY! Half-giants, death knights and a new continent to explore...
FRICTIO
N
ot even the most dedicated WoW adventurer
can have explored the whole vast expanse
of Azeroth, but now this brilliant expansion
means there’s a whole new continent to
discover – Northrend, the icy domain of the Lich King.
Prepare to quest across endless frozen tundra, dark
seas, glaciers, fjords, ice palaces and the enemyinfested ruins of ancient civilisations.
New foes include barbarians, iron dwarves, walrus
people and half-giants, the Vrykul. Meet – or rather
avoid – the wendigo. They live in bone-littered caves
and adventurers not wishing to wind up on their bonemounds should retreat at the sound of their bellows.
This expansion pack also introduces new
Player-versus-Player battle action, set around the
destructible fortress of Wintergrasp. Both defenders
and attackers have access to workshops that can
be used to produce a wide variety of playable
vehicles. These can then be used either as weapons
or transport. Add a new character class – the huge
damage-dealing Death Knights – and you can kiss
goodbye to another chunk of your life.
Format: PC, Mac
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Nuts & Bolts
>> Xbox 360
The bear and bird are back for a
fun vehicle-based action game in
which you must design your own
ride before you set off. The graphics
are colourful, the
build-a-vehicle tools
are simple to use and
the missions varied.
Out now.
INCOMING! Yikes! The horror shooter F.E.A.R. 2 is due out on February 13 for Xbox 360, PC and PS3…
WINTER 08
®
NEWS
W I R E D !
singstar: abba
High School
Musical 3:
Senior Year DANCE!
>> PC, PS2, Wii, Xbox 360
ER
Belting out Abba hits is the name of the game… SUP
UPER!
TRO
The High School Musical kids are
seniors this year so you have to
really turn on the style! Dance to all
your favourite songs from all three
films, playing as Troy, Gabriella,
Sharpay, Ryan, Chad and the rest.
Multiplayer dance-offs add to the
party game fun. Out now.
Call of Duty:
World at War
>> DS, PC, PS2,
PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
From stunning moonlit Pacific
islands to war-torn German cities, in Call of Duty 4, the outcome of
WWII once again rests on your
trigger finger. Dark and brutal
gunplay and amazing online
multiplayer and co-op modes make this a victor. Out now.
T hose of you who want to expand your music
library of SingStar songs in the direction of
Swedish supergroups, look no further. All your
favourite Abba hits are present and correct
on the track list, including Chiquitita; Dancing Queen;
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight);
Knowing Me, Knowing You; Mamma Mia; Money,
Money, Money; Super Trouper; Take a Chance on Me;
Thank You for the Music; The Name of the Game; The
Winner Takes It All; Voulez-Vous and Waterloo.
The classic SingStar gameplay is kept intact. You
score points by trying to keep your pitch within the
blue lines, scoring bonus points for holding those
N
When it comes to aliens, size is everything… ALIE
SION!
>> Xbox 360
INVA
T he Chimera are back! In fact, in
this second instalment of the
quality alien shooter, they’re
launching a full-scale assault
and humanity is on the brink of
defeat. You’re dropped into the boots
of resistance hero Nathan Hale and
you’ll be fighting all over the globe, from
chilly Iceland to the ruins of Chicago.
Everything is bigger this time. One
of the first things you do is take out a
towering mobile battle platform. Later
you’ll be confronting Godzilla-sized
INCOMING! World of Warcraft has an incredible 11 million subscribers worldwide!
WINTER 08
Format: PS2, PS3
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Sony
Resistance 2
You’re In The
Movies
The perfect party game for wouldbe actors, You’re In The Movies gets
you and up to three other players
hamming it up in front of the Xbox
Vision Camera for a series of minigames that will make up the scenes
of a movie. Oscars beckon! Out now.
long golden notes and doing well when the rap meter
comes up. The score is displayed on the screen
while you’re singing, which means that when you’re
in Battle mode, you can see your opponent’s score
and try to beat them. At the end of the game, your
score determines your SingStar status – ‘tone deaf’,
‘hopeful’ or ‘SingStar’.
Most people will belt out these catchy tunes with
aplomb. Thank you for the (Abba) music, Sony!
leviathans. Massive battles are what this game is all
about, whether in the single-player boss battles, the
new eight-player co-op or in the 60-player multiplayer
rumpus. Weapons include favourites like the
Bullseye, which shoots homing bullets. Among
the new toys is the Marksman rifle, which
shoots out a small drone that zaps enemies,
plus the Wraith, a room-clearing chaingun…
Superior alien-bashing fun.
Format: PS3
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Sony
Lord of the Rings: Conquest
NEWS
W I R E D !
Neverwinter
nights 2:
Storm of Zehir
>> PC
MIDDLEEARTH
MADNESS!
Slay the hobbits! Kill them all! Or save them…
H
urrah! We finally get to fight the War of
the Ring through Middle Earth as the
baddies! What Lord of the Rings fan hasn’t
fantasised about joining Sauron’s army
to slay interfering hobbits and crush those pesky
elves? This Star Wars Battlefront-style game features
two campaigns – one Evil and one Good. You get to
pick from an abundance of heroes and villains from
Tolkien’s world to play, including Aragorn, Legolas and
Gandalf in the Good campaign, with the Witch-King,
Balrog and even Sauron in the Evil missions. Whoever you’re playing, you can look forward to
dicing, slicing, mincing and skewering foes across a
series of huge battlefields. Conquest has every single
battle from the movies and then some. It features
the Mines of Moria, Helm’s Deep, Isengard, Pelennor
Fields, Minas Tirith and The Black Gates, as well as
scenes of minor scraps, such as Bree, Weathertop and
Shelob’s lair. In the Evil campaign, one whole level has
you running through The Shire, trampling hobbits and
burning the place to the ground. Die, puny halflings!
Watch your precious Shire die! Ah ha haaaa! Ahem.
Format: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, DS
Release date: January 9
Publisher: EA
A fantastic Dungeons & Dragons
adventure though the Forgotten
Realms, this expansion hearkens
back to the days of Baldur’s Gate
and Icewind Dale by including
full party customisation, dungeon
crawling and free exploration. Out now.
Spore: Creepy &
Cute Parts Pack
>> PC, Mac
Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City
After you install this new pack, your Creature Creator library will
expand to offer you extra body
parts. You’ll have access to new
heads, eyes, hands, feet, alien
sensors, faces, snouts and much
more. More creepy than cute, it’s a Spore must-have. Out now.
ANIMAL It’s cute, addictive and it now uses the Wii Remote…
MAGIC!
T his is a Wii version of the cute and scarily
addictive 2005 DS game, Animal Crossing:
Wild World. We call it a game, but it’s not a
game at all in the conventional sense. Just
like the DS version, you move into a cute virtual town,
pick a house and spend the next few months doing
stuff like fishing, carrying out jobs for your friends
and doing up your house to impress your animal
neighbours. The town’s inhabitants
go about their daily business,
governed by the Wii’s internal clock.
Keeping your friends means visiting
them regularly – and you’ll want
to as it’s gutting when an animal gets fed up with you
ignoring them and skips town!
The game allows you to transfer your virtual life
from the DS game. Let’s Go to the City is also the first
Wii game to use Wii Speak, the new
microphone that lets you talk to
other players. Future titles with
Wii Speak include Sega’s firstperson shooter, The Conduit.
Format: Wii
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Nintendo
Mirror’s Edge
>> PC, PS3, Xbox 360
In this vivid-looking game, you’re chased over rooftops by bad guys.
You get a great sense of scale as
you make each stomach-dropping
jump because of the
first-person format.
Out now on PS3 and
Xbox 360. Due in
January on PC.
INCOMING! Ubisoft has confirmed that a sequel to Assassin’s Creed is in development. It’s set in 1770s…
WINTER 08
®
AV
AIL
AB
LE
INSTO
RE
NO
W
Finalist in MCV Independent Retailer Award 2007
Finalist in MCV Star Store Award 2007 – Orpington
Finalist in MCV Specialist Retailer Award 2008
®
NEWS
Wii Music
W I R E D !
Sim Animals
>> DS, Wii
SWEET Will you please stop making that awful racket!
MUSIC!
W
ii Music is here and it’s not as
complicated as you might think,
considering all the instruments you can
play. You simply select a song and one
of dozens of instruments, then you and up to three
friends waggle your remotes and press buttons in
time, creating sweet music – or, if you’re a beginner, a
horrible racket. The notes are automatically generated
but can be changed in pitch. With each player adding their own mistakes, beginners can expect to create
some hilariously-bad efforts.
Wind instruments are the easiest to play because
they simply involve pressing the 1 and 2 buttons.
Stringed or percussion instruments are trickier
because they have you moving the Remote. Over 60
instruments are available, including the violin, clarinet,
harmonica, piano, guitar, harp,
bongos and even dog and
cat sounds. You
can save your
performances
for posterity too!
Format: Wii
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Nintendo
In this adorable game, you start
off with a small area of woodland
and you have to make the world
a lovely place for 25 species of
animals and 50 species of plants
to live in. Not all at once, though – some deep-forest species have to
be unlocked first. Due January 30.
The Legend
of Spyro:
Dawn of the Dragon
>> DS, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
As pesky evil takes over the world
yet again, Spyro must team up with
Cynder, his former enemy, in his
most challenging adventure yet. A
drop-in and drop-out co-operative
mode means you now have the
chance to take on the bad guys with
the help of a friend. Out now.
Fire Emblem:
FILTHY
M
FUN
Mud, mud, glorious mud! There’s nothing quite like it…
otorStorm is back and its bigger, better
and more mud-splattered than ever! The
first thing you notice about Pacific Rift
is the size of the tracks – they’re huge
compared to the first MotorStorm! They’re also full of
thick mud, tangled undergrowth, swift-flowing rivers,
choking volcanic clouds and searing lava pools.
These tricky tracks also have much more diverse
routes. Indeed, sometimes you won’t always know
where a road is headed and you can easily wind up
taking a big rig into territory that’s only fit for bikes.
Vegetation will slow down smaller vehicles but cause
bigger trucks no problem. Your vehicles will also slow
down as you go through water, especially when you
venture into pools that are too deep for you. If you
catch fire, though, the water will douse the flames.
The AI of Pacific Rift’s computer vehicles is
cleverly set so you’re never really out of the race,
making for an edge-of-the-seat ride to the chequered
flag. For a little bit of extra carnage, the left and right
shoulder buttons now enable you to swerve into
opponents. Get off the road!
Format: PS3
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Sony
Shadow Dragon
>> DS
This remake of the original
Japanese role-playing game is the
first ever Fire Emblem game with
online multiplayer and is based
entirely on touch
control. The music
and graphics both
have undergone a
major facelift too. Out now.
INCOMING! The eagerly-awaited Resident Evil 5 for PS3 and Xbox 360 is finally due to hit the shelves on March 13…
WINTER 08
®
NEWS
W I R E D !
Tom Clancy’s EndWar
Golden Balls
>> DS, Wii
Careless talk costs lives!
You can now play this game of luck,
cunning and bare-faced bluffing
at home. Based on the hit TV
gameshow, you have 100 golden
balls, each concealing different
cash amounts. All you have to do is
find and keep the big money balls
while avoiding the dreaded killers…
Out now.
lips
>> Xbox 360
T he Tom Clancy series has gone down the
strategy road with this latest instalment that
lays on epic World War III online battles where
you’re controlling hundreds of troops – with
your voice. In fact, everything in EndWar is controlled
by speech – you shout commands into a headset to
make your tanks, planes and troops move around and
blow things up. Not only is this cool, but the headset
also lets you concentrate on tactics rather than button
presses as you move your men about the game’s
marvellously-destructible environments.
Giving commands is easy. You begin by naming a
unit, then you give the order (‘destroy’, for instance)
COMMAND!
CONQUER!
and then you name the target. It’s a simple process
that works really well, especially as the game’s three
warring factions are so finely matched: the Russians
pack heavy weapons, the Europeans are urban
warfare specialists and the Americans
have the best air support. It’s one
battle royale – one in which
careless talk really
can cost lives.
Format: DS, PC, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Ubisoft
Splinter Cell: Conviction
This great karaoke game is the first
to detect and reward vibrato – in
other words, warbling in a Shirley
Bassey style. On top of that, its
wireless mics give you the freedom
to express yourself and the game
even enables you to import tracks
from your iPod so you can sing
along to them. Out now.
LocoRoco 2
>> PSP
We challenge anyone to come up
with a game as mellow as this! You
use the PSP’s shoulder buttons to
guide a spongy yellow blob through
a series of surreal mazes. It’s now
even better than before thanks to
new characters, new music and
even more cuteness. Out now.
Sam’s still the man but his bosses want him taken out… MAN
HUNT!
A
cracking movie-like experience from
start to finish, Big Sam is back in
town for a 60-episode adventure
in which he’s hunted by his own
people through an open world. Conviction
begins with our Sam living the good life in
the Med, retired after his Double Agent
exploits. However, after his former teammate, Anna Grimsdottir, is threatened,
he discovers the Third Echelon can no
longer be trusted and so he goes on the run.
No longer equipped with the latest spy
gadgets, you’re now just an ordinary bloke –
INCOMING! Welsh football fans are cross because the Wales team doesn’t feature in FIFA 09…
10
WINTER 08
although this means you can disappear into crowds.
Everything you see, from bookcases to biscuit
tins, can be picked up and used as a weapon.
However, civilians react intelligently to what you
do, calling the police if you look suspicious and
protesting loudly when you nick their things. Your
enemies are also frighteningly smart and make
intelligent decisions based upon where you were
last sighted. Better keep moving…
Format: Xbox 360, PC, PS3
Release date: Xbox 360: 27 Mar. PC: 1 Mar. PS3: TBC
Publisher: Ubisoft
gift vouchers!
Don’t
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to buy esent
Christ for
mas?
Why n
ot pop
int
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our gi
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t hen t
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for th
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emsel
ves!
Finalist in MCV Independent Retailer Award 2007
Finalist in MCV Star Store Award 2007 – Orpington
Finalist in MCV Specialist Retailer Award 2008
®
Prince of persia
Roll out the magic carpet for the new-look, next-gen Prince!
Y
ou’re a vagabond prince
journeying home on
a donkey loaded with
treasure earned on a
perilous adventure… You’re dreaming
of spending your loot on wine, women
and song when suddenly you’re caught in
a blinding sandstorm. When the wind dies
down, you find yourself in a beautiful garden
dominated by a massive Tree of Life. All very
pretty – until, that is, Ahriman, the ancient
god of darkness, appears and sets about
infecting everything with ‘Corruption’. Now it’s
up to you to take up arms against Ahriman and
his minions so you can heal the world.
The game has had a serious revamp for its
next-gen debut and the first thing that stands
out is the graphics. Prince of Persia has a
beautiful, arty, almost watercolour look. The
environments are also bigger, the battles more
movie-like and the acrobatics more dazzling.
There’s much more to the new Prince of
Persia than a visual overhaul, though. For
starters, exploration and platforming now >>
Two’s company
Leap into action!
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Ubisoft
gger!
Foes are fewer but bi
INCOMING! In Prince of Persia, one of the areas you have to explore is the City of Light, a region of dark canyons and crumbling towers...
12
WINTER 08
Prince of persia
Now that’s n
ot polite…
Elika’s magic
Hack! Kill! Slay!
>> take centre stage. Fights are less frequent
than in the Sands of Time games and this adds
to the gravity of each encounter.
With all the platforming to be done, it’s
just as well that the Prince is more agile than
ever. Also, he now swings, runs and leaps in
the company of a new companion, the equally
lithe Elika – and a remarkable pal she is too.
She’s always right behind you when you need
her. If you’re confused about where to go next,
she’ll get out her magic compass and point
the way. In a battle you can combine your
attacks with her spells to devastating effect.
Negotiating a perilous ledge? She’ll grab your
hand and swing you across.
Also, because of Elika, the Prince doesn’t
die. If he misses a jump, she grabs him. If he’s
knocked down in a fight, she’ll protect him
while he regains his energy. This means there
are no annoying interruptions or repetitions.
Collecting ‘Light Seeds’ unlocks new
magical abilities for Elika, giving you access
to new levels, while a handy teleport function
means you won’t have to do too much
backtracking if you’ve gone about the game
in a random fashion.
It all adds up to a rich and striking game.
Combine the clever semi-free roaming
approach with the new visuals, slick
platforming and tough foes and you have a
game fit for a king, never mind a prince.
Jump for it!
T
his year’s Prince of Persia for the DS
takes the thrust of the console game
and turns it into a classic 2D side-scrolling
platform adventure. In The Fallen King, the
Prince teams up not with Elika but a corrupt
magician. It’s not an ideal partnership but
the magician has the ability to execute spells
that are vital in solving puzzles and defeating
certain enemies. You guide the Prince
through the 2D levels, activating all manner
of acrobatic moves and magical abilities with
the stylus. Actually, everything is stylus-driven
– you can even block incoming blows by
tapping the Prince, making for a mix
of both new and old-skool fun.
Format: DS
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Ubisoft
WINTER 08
13
®
wii
wii nintendo
nintendo
There’s something for everyone in our
round-up of the best Wii and DS games
Super Smash Bros: Brawl
wii
wii
Battle it out using bonkers attacks across
41 stages with Nintendo’s greatest heroes.
Great tournament options and mini-games
will keep you playing and playing.
Mario Party 8
wii
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
This is a classic side-scrolling platformer
that has you shaking the Wii Remote to
punch enemies. If you enjoy platforming
fun, this really is a must-have game.
Big Brain Academy
wii
In this classic party game, you battle round
a game board, playing crazy mini-games!
It provides hours of fun for everyone,
whatever their age or gaming ability.
Super Mario Galaxy
wii
Even people who don’t like videogames
can enjoy Big Brain Academy – its games
are fun for a crowd, easy to learn and you
can even play them with one hand!
WarioWare Smooth Moves
wii
The ultimate laugh-out-loud party game,
WarioWare Smooth Moves has over 200
micro-games that are sure to leave you
and everyone else looking joyously silly.
In this superb platform game, you explore
a surreal universe, bouncing from planet to
planet and even running upside down the
3D environments in your quest for stars.
Wii Fit
wii
The Wii Balance Board, which senses shifts
in your weight, has opened up a whole new
form of gaming. Wii Fit helps you get trim
with press-ups, squats, twists and more!
Mario Kart Wii
wii
It’s Mario Kart! On the Wii! Need we say
more? Well, it looks ace, its tilt control
system handles perfectly, it has fun online
play and loads of multiplayer options too!
INCOMING! Boxing on the Wii just got a bit more hands-on! Everlast, the world-famous boxing equipment maker, has created its own Wii boxing gloves…
14
WINTER 08
wii nintendo
Sight Training
ds
42 All-Time Classics
ds
If you want value and
variety, look no further
than 42 All-Time Classics,
which does exactly what
it says on the tin. It offers
everything from chess and
backgammon to darts,
poker, bridge, Connect
Five and solitaire.
Big Brain Academy
ds
Professor Kageyama’s Maths Training
ds
Sight Training offers you a
series of daily exercises to
keep your mince pies in
tip-top shape. The clever
bit? The software analyses
your visual strengths and
weaknesses and adapts
your exercises accordingly
to suit your needs.
The clever idea behind
Professor Kageyama’s
Maths Training is that
doing a few sums every
day sharpens your brain.
Its fun challenges make
it ideal for anyone who
enjoys keeping their little
grey cells fighting fit.
Big Brain Academy takes a
more colourful approach to
mind exercise than Brain
Training and is a bit more
of a gamey experience.
It even has a Multiplayer
mode where up to eight
brains can compete to see
who is the heaviest!
Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
Mario Kart DS
ds
ds
Crazy weapons, 32 tracks,
eight-player racing over
Wi-Fi and a new Mission
mode make this game a
Mario Kart fan’s dream.
A Retro Grand Prix mode
features 16 classic tracks
taken from previous
incarnations of the game.
It’s the brilliant game that
started off the whole selfimprovement genre! Brain
Training’s varied daily
exercises include Sudoku,
counting people as they
enter and exit a house and
reading classic literature
as fast as possible.
Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What To Eat?
Wii Music
New Super Mario Bros
wii
ds
This ingenious game turns your Wii Remote
into a host of musical instruments and lets
you jam with virtual band members or up
to three of your music-minded friends.
Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City
wii
Enjoy a virtual life in a town full of friendly
furry animals! It’s an addictive experience
as it takes place in real-time – if you don’t
visit your mates often, they’ll move away!
ds
This is a great mix of the
old and the new. In New
Super Mario Bros, Mario
returns to his heyday of
side-scrolling platforming.
Great new abilities, vivid
and colourful graphics
and a brilliant retro music
score makes it a winner.
This excellent cookery
teacher takes you through
every stage of cooking,
from the supermarket to
the plate. Its recipe book
is even voice controlled,
so you won’t get your
precious DS covered in
lots of sugar and flour!
Nintendogs
Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village
ds
A fun adventure story that
unravels as you solve
a series of challenging
puzzles, Professor Layton
and the Mysterious Village
has become a huge hit.
The DS touch screen can
even be used as scrap
paper, which is handy!
ds
They’re cute, they’re
cuddly, they come in all
sorts of breeds and they
don’t leave a mess on the
carpet. This puppy-rearing
sim is incredibly popular –
it has sold over 4.5 million
copies worldwide so far!
Woof woof!
WINTER 08
15
®
your store…
Chips letchworth
how to find us
address:
5 Central Approach,
Garden Square
Shopping Centre,
SG6 3DL
Telephone:
01462 675 333
OPENing hours:
Mon – Sat: 9.30am to 5.30pm
Sun: 10am to 4pm
we talk to MANAGER andrew Mahoney
>What was your
first console?
A NES, which I got for
passing my GCSEs!
>What’s your
favourite game
of all time?
That’s a difficult one.
I’ve had so many good
hours playing top
games, but if I had to
choose, it would be Mario Kart on the SNES or N64.
>What do you like about it so much?
The playability – you never tire of it. I remember
playing Battle mode with a friend for 32 hours
straight… when I was younger and had more energy!
>What consoles do you play on?
Over the years I’ve had pretty much every console
going, but at the moment I’m loving my PS3. It’s such
a high-specced console and the game choice now
seems to be catching up to the Xbox 360.
>What are your top five games ever?
1. Mario Kart (SNES/N64). It has immense playability!
2. Resident Evil (PSone). It had fantastic graphics, a
great story, plus it scared the pants off you!
3. Tomb Raider (PSone). It was such an atmospheric
game, it controlled well and had some great scenery.
4. GTA IV (PS3). I’m still playing this and am enjoying
every minute. The missions are highly addictive.
5. Metal Gear Solid (PSone). This had some of the best
touches to any game I’ve ever played!
>What games are you most looking
forward to this year?
LittleBigPlanet – the fully customisable and swappable
levels will add a new concept to the PS3 and should
boost the online aspect of the PlayStation network.
>How long have you worked with CHIPS?
I’m a relative newcomer, starting in June 2008, but I
plan on staying for the long term!
>Why did you want to work with CHIPS?
I love working with the public and it seemed like a
shop full of potential, with a good atmosphere. A keen
interest in gaming may have a lot to do with it too!
>What’s the most popular game in-store
at the moment?
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a big seller, and
GTA IV is still selling quite well too.
>Who else works with you at the store?
>What’s the strangest request you’ve had
during your time working with CHIPS?
My assistant manager is Daniel Pond and I have a
sales assistant called Lorna.
A lady once asked if we sold Long-Johns – not an
obvious item we would stock!
what’s instore?
REPAIR
YOUR DISCS
IN MINUTES!
Dust down your scratched games,
bring them in and we’ll try to make
them as good as new with our
PerfectPlay repair service. Then you
can take them home or trade
them in for cash or a
new game!
we buy,
we sell,
we trade
Are your old games gathering dust
at
home? Don’t delay – dust them dow
n
and pop them into our store and
sell for cash or trade them
with us for a spanking
new one!
GAMCHES
MORE
AND SO MU
As well as a host of new and retro
games, we also have a huge range
of goodies such as trading cards,
Pokémon Danglers and games
guides which all make great
stocking fillers.
To find out how to become a franchisee Visit www.chipsworld.co.uk or call 0870 013 0028 to order a franchisee pack
16
winter 08
£ undup
o
r
T
E
G
D
U
B
top games at rock-bottom prices…
£2
4.46
B e
g
[+] Format: Xbox 360 [+] Released: Out now
[+] Publisher: EA
➔ The Xbox 360 version of Tiberium Wars
achieved what was once thought impossible –
it brought intuitive real-time strategy game
controls to a console. It also delivers one of the
greatest single-player games seen in an RTS –
from the moment you deploy your first troops,
you’ll be completely engrossed in an epic war.
The Brotherhood of Nod, a religious cult led
by the mad, bad Kane, has launched a planetwide jihad. It’s up to the forces of the Global
Defence Initiative (GDI) to take him on. And then
a new threat arrives from the depths of space in
the form of a hostile race of aliens known as the
Scrin, who claim the planet for themselves.
Whichever side you play, you have to be
decisive, courageous, show the enemy no mercy
and know what strategies are going to work for
you. Each of the three factions has strengths
and weaknesses. The GDI has superior armour
and firepower, the Nod can produce units very
quickly and can flood the skies with its aircraft,
while the Scrin can develop powerful shields
and come with a mothership armed with a
devastating Catalyst Cannon. Once you’ve
proved yourself in the single-player game, you
can take your military skills online and show the
whole world who is the supreme commander…
£1
9.56
B
in
stl
re
W
INFO
INFO
Hu
… e!
or ag
t f carn
s
e g
[+] Format: PSP [+] Released: Out now
[+] Publisher: THQ
➔ Modern wrestling is a hilarious soap opera
and Raw 2008’s great Career mode reflects this
by letting you take control of the entire wrestling
world – right down to hiring scriptwriters!
Inside the ring, the PSP delivers solid wrestling
mayhem. During bouts, your wrestler’s
Momentum gauge shows how likely you are to
win grapples. The roster of wrestlers is split into
goodies and baddies and each wrestler gains
Momentum in different ways – the bad guys do
so by dishing out dirty tricks…
The game’s Multiplayer mode allows you
to enter into wireless title bouts. You can also
trade superstars as you progress and unlock
more fighters. A ‘Create a Superstar’ mode
lets you edit facial expression, body painting,
tattoos, piercings, height, body type and more,
giving grapple fans plenty to enjoy. ■
Burnout Revenge
… !
or un
tf gf
s
e in
B sh
a
Sm
£2
4.4
6
■
[+] Format: Xbox 360 [+] Released: Out now
[+] Publisher: EA
➔ Burnout really is a great laugh. It’s the
racer that actually rewards you for
smashing into everything, brutally yet
stylishly taking out your opponents,
and this edition of game raises the
Ama
Valu zing
e!
havoc and destruction to some quite frankly
insane levels.
When you crash and collide in high-def, the
sparks and bits of car fly off in glorious detail.
With more ‘vehicular deformation’ than ever,
you’ll be amazed at the different ways a vehicle
can be mashed up. In fact, enjoying watching
them explode and come apart in slow motion
is all part of the fun.
Adding a bit of strategy to the mix, Burnout
Revenge also lets you select from different
vehicle weights and classes. The smaller cars
are faster and easier to control but can be
caught by the wind when you catch big air.
Meanwhile, the larger cars may not handle
brilliantly but they cut through traffic like a
hot knife through butter.
As for the ‘Revenge’ bit, if a rival takes you
out, the game highlights them… and then it’s
payback time! ■
Fifa 08 Platinum
£1
9.5
…
or n!
t f io
es act
6
B al
o
G
INFO
… !
or es
t f attl
s
e b
WWE Smackdown
vs Raw 2008
INFO
Command &
Conquer 3:
Tiberium Wars
BUDGET
[+] Format: PS3 [+] Released: Out now
[+] Publisher: EA
➔ FIFA 08 is one of the best instalments in the
footy series so far, so get your boots on and get
ready to play! One of the really cool additions
in this version is the new Pro mode, which
allows you to play as a single player on the
pitch. By positioning yourself well, tracking the
right player, making intelligent runs and calling
for passes, you can change the outcome of the
match and become a heroic playmaker. In this
mode, you can also zoom in on yourself and
watch as you pull off tricks and you can play
online with up to nine other friends too.
Size-wise, FIFA 08 really is the boss. It
includes 620 fully licensed teams, along with
30 national leagues – that’s three more than
in FIFA 07 (it now features Australia’s Hyundai
A-League, the Czech Republic’s Czech
Gambrinus Liga and Ireland’s FAI
Premier Division).
If you want some quality football,
this really hits the back of the net. ■
WINTER 08 17
®
tips fallout 3
TIPS
›Xbox 360 ›PS3
Life is hard in the nuclear wasteland of Washington, so check out
our tips on surviving the mutant gangs and rampaging Radroaches
Listen up!
You old dad has gone and done a
bunk. As a dutiful son, you must
leave the safety of the Vault
and find him – and discover just
what’s going on in the nuclear
war-ravaged Washington. Survival
in the outside world is hard, but
with our handy guide to character
building and exploration, you’ll
at least stand a chance among the
gangs and mutants…
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. STATS
Don’t bother assigning points to Charisma or
Luck – they won’t help you enough in the game.
WEAPONS MANAGEMENT
Conserve ammo and change weapons to suit the
enemy you’re fighting – spare those Mini-Nukes
for Super Mutant Behemoths and put a Radroach
to the sword rather than using assault rife rounds.
V.A.T.S.
You have a Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System
to target body parts. Wear down enemies at a
distance and then use your V.A.T.S. at close range
multiple times a turn until your AP meter runs out.
18
Winter 08
KARMA
All of your decisions have consequences. Lie,
pickpocket or kill innocents and you’ll discover
that people have long memories. Tell the truth
and perform good actions during quests and
you’ll earn respect.
CARRYING STUFF
Don’t become over-encumbered – keep returning
to settlements to sell any unwanted gear. Head
for a shop when you have stuff to get rid of, and
remember that you can swap things too.
REPAIRS
The more you use your armour and weapons, the
more they get worn down, so remember to repair
your gear regularly.
HACKING
You’ll only get four chances before a terminal
locks itself, but it is possible to back out and
restart the process after your third go.
LOCKPICKING
Patience is the key. Jemmy the lock until the pin
shakes, then have a go from a different angle. The
longer you can turn the screwdriver without the
pin shaking, the closer you are to picking the lock.
CONSERVE MEDICINES
Save medicines for emergencies in the field.
You can go to a clinic to get healed or, even
better, sleep in a bed.
LEVEL UP
Never ignore an opportunity to earn experience
points. Seek out those new locations, kill every
foe you encounter, pick every lock and hack
every computer.
MARK UP
Put markers everywhere so you can use instant
teleportation later.
SKILLS
You only have a finite amount of points to spend
so try to concentrate on maxing out three skills.
You can’t be good at Energy Weapons, Bartering
and Science while also trying to specialise in
Small Guns, Speech and Repair!
SAVE!
The choices you make are important in Fallout 3,
and so it’s good idea to keep saving on a regular
basis. That way, you can go back and try another
tack if you find things are going so badly it’s
ruining your game.
tips spore
TIPS
›PC ›MAC
If you want to take over the galaxy in style, you’ll need our guide
to creating the best beasties in Spore’s fantastic Creature Editor
Spore blimey!
Spore’s Creature Editor is a
fun game by itself and the
possibilities are limited only
by your own imagination. Here
are few hints on building the
ultimate species…
TAKE WING
Wings are good for jumping and gliding about,
which makes them particularly effective for
evading foes.
SPIT VENOM
This is useful for both new and established
creatures, while Hockitlaunchers also give
you handy ranged attacks.
BEST FOOT FORWARD
The Scarmaker’s Speed, Jump and Dance stats
make it a great all-round foot.
PUNCH YOUR WEIGHT
If you have a limb with a weapon, make sure you
add a small Torsionwrencher to it. This will allow
the creature to punch with it, giving you another
weapon to use.
PUMP YOURSELF UP
You can add or subtract muscle mass simply
by moving your scroll wheel between limbs.
COMPLETE BALLS
If you make your species ball-shaped, you’ll find
that creatures with no arms or legs will float
along above the ground.
TALL TAIL
Arms or legs with appendages removed make
really good tails.
STICK YOUR NECK OUT
Use an arm for a neck and your creature will have
a great loping walk.
SMASHING PLATES
Parts that give hit points can be flattened out to
create sturdy shield plating.
TREMENDOUS TRIPODS
Place a single leg in front and the two hind legs
will move in unison.
SLUG IT OUT
If you want a slug, drag the spine to the floor,
make it flat and don’t add legs or feet.
QUIZZICAL LOOK
Use Hearbear ears and you can give your
creatures some really expressive eyebrows!
RED MENACE
You can colour co-ordinate your creatures to give
them a really cool look! For example, combining a
black coat that’s studded with red Heycorns looks
really menacing…
MOUTHING OFF
If you don’t really like your creature’s call,
experiment with it by hiding a second mouth
inside the first.
QUACK QUACK
Look at pictures from nature for inspiration. For
instance, it’s possible to create a giant duck…
KEY TO SUCCESS
The Tab key is your friend. Use it to align standard
parts for bizarre exoskeletons made out of antlers
and mouths…
SIZE MATTERS
Increase the size of an object on your creature
and you may get a shield or muscular
battle armour.
Winter 08
19
®
TIPS
tips CODE BANK
wwe smackdown! vs raw 2009
guitar hero world tour
Do we have some ring-bashing cheats for you!
To use them, just go to Options, then Cheat Codes
and enter the following case-sensitive codes…
Are you ready to rock? You will be with these cool cheats!
Go to Options and then Cheats, hit ‘Enter New Cheat’, tap
in the desired code and you can rule the rock world…
›Xbox 360 ›PS3 ›PSP ›PS2 ›Wii
›Xbox 360
Boogeyman
BoogeymanEatsWorms
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
Ryder&HawkinsTagTeam
Aaron
B, R, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, G
Invisible Rocker
G, R, Y, Y, Y, B, B, G
Jillian Hall
PlayAsJillianHallSvR
Alternative outfit for Chris Jericho
AltJerichoModelSvR09
Air Instruments
R, R, B, Y, G, G, G, Y
Johnny Viper
B, R, B, B, Y, Y, Y, G
Layla
UnlockECWDivaLayla09
Alternative outfit for CM Punk
CMPunkAltCostumeSvR!
Always slide (notes connected by purple line)
G, G, R, R, Y, R, Y, B
Nick
G, R, B, G, R, B, B, G
Ric Flair
FlairWoooooooooooooo
Alternative outfit for Rey Mysterio
BooyakaBooyaka619SvR
Auto Kick
Y, G, R, B, B, B, B, R
Performance Mode
Y, Y, B, R, B, G, R, R
Snitsky
UnlockSnitskySvR2009
Hornswoggle as a Non-Playable
Manager
HornswoggleAsManager
Change Flame Colour
G, R, G, B, R, R, Y, B
Rina
B, R, G, G, Y, Y, Y, G
Change Gem Colour
B, R, R, G, R, G, R, Y
Change Star Colour
R, R, Y, R, B, R, R, B
Tazz
UnlockECWTazzSvR2009
Vince McMahon
VinceMcMahonNoChance
Unlock the Saturday Night Main
Event Aren
SatNightMain
EventSvR
Hot
tip of the issue!
lego batman
Holy cheats! Access the computer in
the Batcave and enter the following
Batcodes in Enter Code…
Hyperspeed
G, B, R, Y, Y, R, G, G
›DS
mysims kingdom outfits!
›Xbox 360 ›PS3 ›PSP ›PS2 ›PC
Open the Pause menu and enter these codes:
Detective outfit – Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right
Unlocks Alfred
ZAQ637
Unlocks Batgirl
JKR331
Unlocks Catwoman (Classic)
M1AAWW
Unlocks Clown Goon
HJK327
Unlocks Fishmonger
HGY748
Unlocks
Penguin
Henchman
BJH782
Tattoo Vest outfit – C, Z, C, Z, B, A, B, A
Swordsman outfit – Down, Up, Down,
Up, Down, Up, Down, Up
Unlocks Poison Ivy Goon
GTB899
Unlocks Police Marksman
HKG984
Unlocks Police Officer
JRY983
Unlocks Freeze Girl
XVK541
Unlocks Riddler Goon
CRY928
Unlocks Joker Goon
UTF782
Unlocks Riddler Henchman
XEU824
Unlocks Joker Henchman
YUN924
Unlocks S.W.A.T.
HTF114
Unlocks Mad Hatter
JCA283
Unlocks Sailor
NAV592
Unlocks Man-Bat
NYU942
Unlocks Scientist
JFL786
Unlocks Military Policeman
MKL382
Unlocks Security Guard
PLB946
Unlocks Penguin Goon
NKA238
Unlocks Zoo Sweeper
DWR243
20 Winter 08
Unlock AT&T Ballpark
Y, G, R, R, G, B, R, Y
Unlocks all songs
B, B, R, G, G, B, B, Y
Vocal Fireball
R, G, G, Y, B, G, Y, G
wii music
Select different costumes
for use in jam sessions
›Wii
In the Quick
Jam or Custom
Jam mode, go to the ‘Start
Playing?’ screen, hold down a
directional button on the Wii
Remote and then hit the ‘Start’
button. This will let you start a
Jam Session with all the Miis in
different costumes!
Hold Right on the D-pad and hit
‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing ‘Wii
Music’ T-shirts
Hold the B button and Right on the
D-pad and hit ‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
DJ/beat boxer costumes
Hold the B button and Down on the
D-pad and hit ‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
Black Belt costumes
Hold Down on the D-pad and hit
‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
dog costumes
Hold Left on the D-pad and hit
‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
cat costumes
Hold the B button and Up on the
D-pad and hit ‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
rapper costumes
Hold the B button and Left on the
D-pad and hit ‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
cheerleader costumes
Hold Up on the D-pad and hit
‘Start’
All of the Miis will be wearing
smart tuxedos
®
www.chipsworld.co.uk
More than a Game store
Check out the brand new CHIPS website and you’ll discover the usual incredible selection
of games, accessories and consoles at unbeatable prices – and now much, much more!
Just click on www.chipsworld.co.uk and you can find all the latest and best kit, including:
CDs ★ Books ★ Digital cameras ★ iPods & MP3 players ★ TVs ★ DVDs
★ Sat Nav systems ★ Blu-ray movies ★ PCs & laptops ★ & much more!
visit chips online!*
*Promotional prices may apply
®
your store…
Chips consett
how to find us
address:
2 John Street,
Consett,
County Durham,
DH8 5LA
Telephone:
01207 506 688
OPENing hours:
Mon – Sat: 9.30am to 5.30pm
Sun: Closed
we talk to franchisee james tildesley
>What was your
first console?
The Sega Mega Drive.
>What’s your
favourite game
of all time?
If I had to pick just one,
I’d say Half Life 2.
>What do you like
about it so much?
It has a great story, great graphics and when it came
out, it brought a lot of new things with it, such as its
physics. It’s no doubt influenced a lot of other games.
>What consoles do you play on?
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3). Again, a perfect balance
between story and gameplay.
4. Halo series (Xbox 360). Incredibly good games which
have created a new gaming hero with the Master Chief.
5. Daytona USA (Arcade/Saturn/Dreamcast). I spent
hundreds of pounds playing it in the arcades, played it
again on the Sega Saturn and again on the Dreamcast!
>What games are you most looking
forward to this year?
Most are already out, but they were Call of Duty: World
at War, Gears of War 2, Far Cry 2 and Resistance 2.
>What do you like most about working in
the games industry?
>How long have you worked with CHIPS?
Sharing a passion about games with customers, and
the fact that the industry is always moving. I still get a
buzz every Friday when the new releases come out!
I opened the Chester le Street store in September 2003
and then took over the Consett store in October 2005.
PS3 and Xbox 360.
>Why did you want to work with CHIPS?
>What are your top five games ever?
I’ve always loved games, and I wanted to have my
own business. CHIPS seemed the perfect option.
1. Half Life 2 (PC/Xbox 360). Probably the best allround first-person shooter.
2. Call of Duty series (Xbox 360). They just keep getting
better each year and are the best online games.
>What’s the most popular game in-store?
Call of Duty: World at War on Xbox 360 and PS3.
>What’s the strangest request you’ve had
during your time working with CHIPS?
>Who else works with you at the store?
The Consett store is managed full time by Pat Spry,
ably assisted by Craig Beckham and Stuart Storey.
Somebody came in struggling to carry a huge, battered
box and asked if we would buy what was inside. The
staff took a look and found a broken lawnmower!
what’s instore?
REPAIR
YOUR DISCS
IN MINUTES!
Dust down your scratched games,
bring them in and we’ll try to make
them as good as new with our
PerfectPlay repair service. Then you
can take them home or trade
them in for cash or a
new game!
pick
games &
so much
more
Cast your eyes over our huge rang
of goodies, such as Halo figures,
Zelda statues, Pokémon danglers
and trading cards, games
guides and more…
our brains
e
Need advice? CHIPS prides itself on
offering great customer service and
independent and helpful advice,
whether you’re a hardened gamer
or mum looking for a great gift
for birthdays or Christmas
To find out how to become a franchisee Visit www.chipsworld.co.uk or call 0870 013 0028 to order a franchisee pack
22
WINTER 08
©
The UK’s largest independent video games retailer
Can you fill this space?
Interested in a
retail store?
Looking for a business
that’s fun & profitable?
Prepared to
work hard?
Exciting, fast moving & challenging
To find out how you could run your own CHIPS video games store franchise
call 0870 013 0028 for an information pack or visit www.chipsworld.co.uk
WE BUY WE SELL WE TRADE
®
★ The projected cost of opening a CHIPS Franchise is £80K inc of VAT and applicants will need to personally invest at least £25K
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…
Lara croft
raids Her eford!
Shoppers were in for a treat when Lara Croft
arrived in town. Visitors to the CHIPS Hereford
store were greeted by their very own Lara , new
part-time sales assistant Lucy Edwards.
The Lara Croft Day was dreamed up by
award-w inning store manager Richard Pascoe
and Lucy to celebrate the launch of the brilliant
new Tomb Raider: Underwor ld game. One lucky
store regular even walked away with an A2-size
poster of Lara when his ticket was drawn in a
free in-store raffle.
“Lucy is quite an action girl and bet ween
us we came up with the idea of celebrating the
launch of the latest Tomb Raider game,” said
Richard. “She looked absolutely great and the
customers were very impressed . We had a
really fun day.”
Ash ford arrival
Christm as really has come early for
CHIPS Ashford’s Chris Mucke ll.
This is his new daughter Lauren
who, very conside rately, waited
until her dad’s store had closed on a
Saturd ay night before making her
appearance in the world.
Lauren, who weighe d 7lbs 11oz,
is Chris and partne r Lynette’s
second daughter. Big sister Jessica is
picture d here with the new arrival
and very peacef ul they both look
too. Congratulatio ns to you all!
24
WINTER 08
contact us
If you have any CHIPS news, why
not send it in to us? If you’re a
budding artist, send us a picture
of your favourite game character,
or even your favourite CHIPS staff
member! If drawing isn’t really your
thing, then you can write us a letter
instead. The CHIPS team always love
to hear from you! Send us an email
to [email protected].
chat
Great gam e art!
The route to CHIPS Darlingto n is now much
brighter, thanks to local artist Carl Richards on.
Painting s were commiss ioned by Darlingto n
Borough Council in partnership with Darlingto n
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College for the ‘Art
in Yards’ 2008 campaign and this is the result.
The work, which is untitled, was created by
Carl, who gave it a videogame theme as he knew
it was going to be hung outside the CHIPS store
in Clarks Yard. We love it!
Chips Chums
Games mad? Tell us all about yourself
and you too could appear in CHIPS CHAT!
Alan Smith
Age: 30
Address: Hartlepool
How long have you shopped at CHIPS?
Six years
Best game ever: Street Fighter Alpha 3
Latest purchase: LEGO Batman
What’s great about CHIPS? The friendly
staff, plus the store has a really good layout
What can’t you wait to get your hands on? Ghostbusters
David Hardman
Age: 21
Address: Stockton-on-Tees
School/job: Glasshouse operative
How long have you shopped at CHIPS?
For many years
Latest purchase: A green Xbox
What’s great about CHIPS? I’d have to
say everything, including Ibby and Naz!
What can’t you wait to get your hands on? Gran Turismo 5
Ben Rose
i-ch eat cha mp
Wow! Here’s a happy chap! Dario
Simone , 11, of Blackpo ol was
delighte d to scoop the top prize
in our fantas tic summer CHIPS
Magaz ine compet ition.
After correct ly answer ing our
i-Cheat questio n, Dario’s entry was
picked out of the hat and now he
has a fantas tic red Ninten do DS Lite
and i-Cheat system , which helps
you make the most of your games
with codes, cheats and more! Dario
collecte d his brillian t prize from
CHIPS Lytham St Anne’s.
Now he’ll have to think of
someth ing else to put on his
Christm as list to Santa!
Age: 23
Address: Stafford
School/job: McDonald’s manager
How long have you shopped at CHIPS?
Seven years
Best game ever: Call of Duty 4
Latest purchase: Race Driver GRID
What’s great about CHIPS? Friendly staff and a great choice of games
What can’t you wait to get your hands on? Saints Row 2
Dan Mee
Age: 13
Address: Stafford
School/job: King Edward VI High School
How long have you shopped at CHIPS?
Two years
Best game ever: Kameo: Elements of Power
Latest purchase: Need for Speed: Pro Street
What’s great about CHIPS? The great quality of the games
What can’t you wait to get your hands on? Call of Duty 5
If you want to be a CHIPS Chum, just send us a picture of yourself,
along with the details below, to [email protected]. You
could also hand in a postcard at your favourite CHIPS store and
they’ll send it on to us! (If you’re under 18, remember to get your
parents’ permission.) Simply tell us the following:
1 Name 2 Age 3 Address 4 School/job 5 How long
have you shopped at CHIPS? 6 Best game 7 Latest
purchase 8 What’s great about CHIPS? 9 What can’t
you wait to get your hands on?
winter 08
25
®
yu-gi-oh!
!
H
O
I
G
YUA--GO-GO
In our look at the beast of a trading card
game that’s grown from collectible craze
to world-class tournament, CHIPS presents
ten steps to building a winning deck…
Limit your deck…
1
A Main Deck needs to be between
40 and 60 cards and you should
aim to stick close to that minimum
40 figure. It’s all just a matter of
probability, really – the more cards
you try to squeeze in, the less
likely you are to draw what you
need, when you need it most. Just
remember – a larger deck is a
sloppier deck, so keep it lean!
Pick your theme
4
your deck,
Choose a theme for
ellcasters or
such as Zombies, Sp
. This isn’t
Fire-based creatures
ck look cooler
just to make your de
t because
(although it can!), bu
of the same
rds
you’ll find that ca
tually
mu
e
vid
theme can pro
increase
t
tha
ts
ec
supportive eff
to summon
their strength or help
n gauge your
new ones. You can the
traps by how
choice of spells and
ur themed
much they support yo
os.
mb
monster cards in co
…but always
max the extras
Since you don’t draw from your
Extra Deck (or Fusion Deck),
make use of the full 15-card
allowance with any mix of Fusion
or Synchro monsters, as far as
your collection allows. After your
favourites and toughest cards,
a good tactic here is to get a
decent spread of creature levels
to increase the chance that you
can summon with whatever
happens to be on your field.
Going back
for seconds
WINTER 08
5
For the same reason that you try
to keep to that 40-card minimum,
look to include more than one
instance of your key strategic
cards. Unless duplication is limited
by the rules, you can be packing
twos and threes to increase
the predictable likelihood of
drawing them. The official rules
dictate whether a card is Limited
(maximum of one per deck) or
Semi-Limited (maximum of two
per deck).
INCOMING! Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 3 brings four-player, card-battling mayhem to the PSP…
26
2
Start with staples 3
Staples are cards that work well
with any deck. Their universal
nature makes them a good place to
start building a deck. For instance,
Lightning Vortex, Smashing Ground
and Sakuretsu Armour are strong
cards that can fit into a range of
deck themes and tactics. Some
staples are so powerful that they
have been banned in tourney play.
Regular players should anticipate
staples being played against them
and know how to overcome them.
Cards And Ratios
6
You need to keep monsters
on the
field if you’re to stand any
chance
of holding onto your health,
so
around half your main dec
k should
be creature cards to ensure
that
you have a steady supply.
For the
remainder, spells should out
weigh
traps. As a rough guideline
, in a
tight 40-card deck, you mig
ht
look at a ratio of 5:4:1, or
around
19-21 monsters, 14-16 spe
lls and
4-6 traps.
yu-gi-oh!
Artistic licence
7
Drawing card
s
is slow
The best monsters aren’t
necessarily the strongest, or the
coolest. Monsters with effects
make for smarter play than those
without, so start replacing your
weakest starter deck cards with
strong four-star-effect monsters.
Also, don’t include too many
Tribute monsters in the Main Deck.
One or two may be useful, but if
you can’t afford to summon them,
those five-star-plus creatures will
just sit in your hand unused.
The long game
8
Some cards look
powerful but as
k
you to discard an
other for their
effect, and playin
g too many can
leave you short-h
anded. Look for
cards that give yo
u the effect of
extra draws. So
me let you search
your Deck for in
stant access, whi
le
Cyber Dragon is
effectively selfsummoning in th
e right scenario
.
If you need Tribut
es to get out your
biggest beast, th
e likes of Junk
Synchron and M
arauding Captai
n
include a Specia
l Summons.
9
Refine your deck to suit a particular
style of play. A Beatdown deck
uses monsters with high ATK (or
‘beatsticks’, like Berserk Gorilla) to
deliver high damage. Burn decks
inflict damage through card effects,
rather than battle attacks. Stall
decks use defensive cards (high
DEF) and tactics (like Threatening
Roar) to buy time while you work
towards a major attack. Basically,
your deck should have a way of
winning at which it excels.
Losing is a learni
ng
experience
10
Experiment and mo
dify as you go.
Think about the stren
gths of your
deck and fill in the we
aknesses
exposed by play. De
ckbuilding is
an integral part of pla
ying Yu-Gi-Oh,
so don’t just blindly
copy others –
learn from the best
by looking at
the winning decks tha
t are being
played in tournaments
to see how
the cards work togeth
er. You can
get more information
on building
your deck from the
Upper Deck
website: http://tinyu
rl.com/64nsax
SYNC HRO
MONSTERS
Found in the latest 5D’s Starter Deck and
Crossroads of Chaos boosters, the newest
type of Monster Card also introduces a new
type of Special Summoning.
Identifiable by their white frames,
Synchro creature cards sit in the Extra
Deck and obey rules similar to Fusion and
Ritual cards, in that they are Summoned
by sending particular creatures to the
Graveyard. Each Synchro card details
the specific requirements but a Synchro
Summoning needs at least a Tuner and one
or more non-Tuner creature in play. Their
combined levels must add up exactly to the
level of the Synchro Monster.
Because Synchro Monsters belong in
the Extra Deck, they must be returned there
whenever they would normally be returned
to the hand or Main Deck.
Summoning all duellists!
Do you have an excellent Yu-Gi-Oh
deckbuilding tip or favourite
combo that might impress other
readers? Send your ideas to
[email protected]
INCOMING! You can battle duellists from all across the world over Wi-Fi with Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008 on DS…
WINTER 08
27
®
GEAR
Í ds lite magic skin
n Price: £4.88 n Release date: Out now
Want to protect your DS Lite from scratches while also giving
it a cool new look? Well, step right this way! These brilliant
Magic Skins put the ‘fun’ in ‘funky’ and will give your handheld
a whole new look. The tough skins are easy to apply and peel
off, without leaving any residue. They come in loads of different
designs, and all have the official Nintendo stamp of approval!
È wii remote stand
n Price: £9.78 n Release date: Out now
Hori’s unique Wii Remote stand is officially licensed by
Nintendo, and it’s easy to see why – it’s the most stylish
and flexible way of keeping your kit tidy. Each one holds
a Remote and a Nunchuk and can be folded flat when
you’re not using it. You can even link several together
to keep those extra peripherals safely stored!
R
A
E
G
P
O
T
Ë DS lite flip
and play case
È wii yoga mat
n Price: £19.56 n Release date: Out now
Forget about using just any old rug when you’re
getting flexible with Wii Fit’s yoga – this striking green
mat is the only way to stretch in style! It’s designed to
fit between your Balance Board and the floor, and its
extra-large size makes it ideal for all the family.
n Price: £9.78 n Release date: Out now
Offering smart good looks along with protection
for your DS Lite, these cases are a must-have
accessory. Whether you go for the white, black,
pink, blue or red leather finish, each offers a sturdy
built-in frame and a handy design, where you can
just flip open the case and start playing, without
removing the console. There’s a magnetic clip to seal
it up and you even get a spare matching stylus!
Á gioteck realtriggers
n Price: £4.88 n Release date: Out now
You’re in the heat of battle online, just about to unleash that killer
shot… and your finger slips off the trigger. Disaster! Thankfully,
these ingenious little gadgets are here to save the day. The
RealTriggers are easy to clip onto the R2 and L2 buttons of your
Dualshock controller and they give you unparalleled comfort and
control over your PS3 handset, making them a must-have for any
serious gamer.
28
winter 08
GEAR
Í mario & luigi duo case
n Price: £9.78 n Release date: Out now
This officially licensed DS game case comes with a great
image of everyone’s favourite Italian plumbers, Mario and
Luigi. It holds six of your games and a stylus snugly and it
even comes with a free matching stylus!
È pokémon ds styluses
n Price: £9.78 n Release date: Out now
Whether you pick Pikachu or Piplup, or choose Chimchar or
Turtwig, there’s a Pokémon character stylus for you! Larger
than a normal stylus for more comfort and ease of use, each
one also has a matching wrist strap too!
erything
v
e
t
o
g
e
ear, we’v with loads of
g
w
e
n
t
s
f the be
ts, along
o
h
p
g
i
ore!
l
u
m
d
d
e
h
n
l
l
c
u
o
u
o
r
r
t
m
s
n
’
nd
co
ue
In this iss ga mats to music- aracter styluses a
ch
yo
from Wii from cool cases to
t,
top DS ki
Ë DS lite charge stand
n Price: £14.67 n Release date: Out now
This is the sleek and stylish way to charge your DS Lite!
Officially licensed by Nintendo, the compact design of
the stand beautifully shows off your handheld’s smooth,
sophisticated shape. It’s easy to use too – all you have to
do is slot your DS in the top!
Á stagelight
n Price: £19.56 n Release date: Out now
Transform your front room into a rocking gig venue with the brilliant
new Stagelight! Perfect for Guitar Hero and Rock Band, this wireless
wonder has super-bright Darklite LEDs that are projected all around
as you rock out your riffs. Its sensitivity is fully adjustable so it looks
incredible, whether you’re plucking out a ballad or blasting out a
heavy metal monster! Even better, it works with any console, giving
you the perfect ambience for all your guitar games.
winter 08
29
®
CONFERENCE
The glittering
awards ceremony
These are the people that work so hard to make your CHIPS
store such a great place to go. Is your local shop a winner?
Franchisee
of the Year
CHIPS
CONFERENCE 2008
All the news and prize winners from
the CHIPS team’s annual extravaganza!
T
here was a welcome return to Durham’s beautiful Ramside Hall
Hotel for all the delegates at this year’s CHIPS conference. The
conference is an annual get-together for the franchisees, store
managers, staff and people from head office, who are all wined,
dined and treated to presentations about the top Christmas games. This
being CHIPS, what might sound like a dull corporate event is more of a
family affair, with old friends greeting each other, enjoying dancing and
games-playing lasting late into the night.
This year, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all presented their Christmas
blockbusters to a delighted audience and predicted another strong year of
sales for games. Then there was the annual awards ceremony where CHIPS
folk are singled out for performing beyond the call of duty and presented
with awards and prizes for their hard work in serving you. You can check
out the winners on the right!
Jon Doyle,
Lytham St Anne’s
Sponsored by CP Waites
This is the second time Jon has
scooped this title in just two
years. “It’s great to see all our hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed once
again,” says Jon, who works alongside his son Steven, Phil Nettleton,
Lee Revill and Charles Atherton. “The team here are always striving
to offer our customers the very best in terms of customer service
and they have played a huge part in the store’s success.” Employee of
the Year
Richard Pascoe, Hereford Sponsored by
Xbox 360
Richard wins this award after just
four months in his new job! His
drive and enthusiasm have made a huge impression in that time,
though. Richard, who works alongside Dean Lerigo and Lee Powell,
tells us, “Having joined CHIPS in the summer, I never thought in a
million years I would have won this and it is a great honour.”
Store of
the Year
Dudley, run by
Gav Pearson
Sponsored by
Faragher Jones
The last six months have been a rollercoaster ride for Gav. In July,
he escaped death when his car overturned and was run over by
a lorry. Just two months later, he got married! Winning the award
has delighted Gav, who said, “To be named top shop is great as it
recognises all the hard work my staff have put in. Lindsey Richards
and Phil Lowe work hard to give great customer service and the
trophy will take pride of place alongside the one we won last year.”
WE’d like to thank… The exhibitors and sponsors at the conference, as well as all the staff at Ramside Hall who made us so welcome…
30
winter 08
competition
COMPETITION
›
Thanks to THQ, we’ve got 12 top
games to give away! Two lucky
Nintendo DS fans will each be able to
get their hands on Back at the Barnyard
– Barnyard Games, Avatar the Legend
of Aang: Into the Inferno and SpongeBob
SquarePants featuring The Nicktoons:
Globs of Doom! We’ve also got two
fantastic Wii game bundles to be won,
each with the SpongeBob and Avatar
games, along with the brilliant Tak
and the Guardians of Gross too!
To stand a chance of winning,
just answer this question:
In Avatar the Legend of Aang,
what symbol does Aang have
on his forehead?
a) A skull and crossbones
b) A red cross
c) An arrow
WIN
!
HOW TO ENTER Put the answer, your name, age
and address on a postcard and send it to CHIPS 63-65
Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3AA by February 20th
2009. Mark your postcard ‘THQ Competition’. Remember
to state whether you’d like to win the DS or Wii games. The
winners will be contacted by CHIPS and announced in the
next issue of CHIPS Magazine. The judges’ decision is final.
Win wONDERWORLD!
›
Welcome to Wonderworld! Use the Wii’s
unique motion controller to throw, draw,
shoot, pump, grab and shake your way across
your very own virtual amusement park. Create
your own unique characters and challenge
friends to four-player contests. With winter
drawing in, this slice of summertime fun
could be just the tonic for your winter blues!
WIN!
Football frenzy!
›
With over 250 additions and
enhancements to the series, FIFA 09
is the most authentic football simulation
yet. New animation technology creates
more responsive first-time shooting
and passing, faster and more controlled
dribbling and new player momentum
physics deliver authentic jostling for the
ball and more variation in tackling.
last issue’s
WIN!
If you want to get your hands on
one of five copies of the game,
answer this simple question:
How many rides and games can
you enjoy in Wonderworld?
a) 15
b) 35
c) 55
See ‘How to Enter’ on this page for full entry information.
Mark your postcard ‘Wonderworld Competition’.
To stand a chance of winning
this fantastic footy game on
Xbox 360, answer this question:
Which Premiership player is featured
on the cover of FIFA 09?
a) Michael Owen
b) Wayne Rooney
c) Titus Bramble
WIN!
See ‘How to Enter’ on this page for full entry information.
Mark your postcards ‘FIFA 09 Competition’.
competition WINNERS
CONGRATULATIONS! These lucky winners have scooped goodies from last issue’s competitions…
LEGO Batman: Olivia Wesley, 12, of Nottingham scoops
an Xbox 360, LEGO Batman and loads of Gotham goodies.
Parents Go Free: The top prize of four THQ games is
heading to Jake Dyer, 14, of Yeovil, while each of these
runners-up wins a great game: Rebecca Hitchen, 8, of
Skipton; Ryan Coupland, 5, of Stokesley; Ricky Malhi,
9, of Dudley, and Joseph Loney, 10, of Orpington.
Monster Lab: Each of these lucky winners will receive
a Monster Lab game for the Wii: Robert Powell, 8, of
Tewkesbury; Alexander Jones, 14, of Stoke-on-Trent;
Amy Lanchbury, 8, of Herefordshire; Jesse Smith, 8, of
Lanchester, Durham, and Nathan Boon, 8, of Redcar.
winter 08
31
®
branches
Arnold
01159 209991
Ashford
01233 621710
Bishop Auckland 01388 606046
Chester-le-Street 0191 3875544
Chorlton 0161 8610909
Consett
01207 506688
Darlington
01325 381048
Dudley 01384 458531
Edinburgh 0131 6677001
Glasgow West End0141 3577201
Gloucester 01452 381123
Guisborough
01287
Hartlepool
01429
Hereford 01432
Kirkham 01772
Letchworth
01462
Longton 01782
Lytham St Annes 01253
Middlesbrough
01642
Newcastle U Lyme 01782
Northallerton
01609
Ormskirk 01695
637777
869800
278633
673300
675333
594041
789922
252509
660343
777612
580080
Finalist in MCV Independent Retailer Award 2007
Finalist in MCV Star Store Award 2007 – Orpington
Finalist in MCV Specialist Retailer Award 2008
Orpington Portslade Preston Redcar
Skipton
Stafford
Stockton
Woodley Yeovil
01689
01273
01772
01642
01756
01785
01642
01189
01935
835999
439500
787800
488522
700995
255553
618256
699166
434385
To download this issue of the magazine, go to:
www.chipsworld.co.uk