Game: Madden NFL 11

Developer: EA Tiburon

Publisher: EA Sports

Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PS2 and PSP (Xbox 360 version reviewed)

Every year, like the fanatical Miami Dolphins supporter we have huge expectations that our team will inevitably reach the playoffs and then the Superbowl. No matter how unrealistic these expectations are for such a mediocre team, we can but dream. This is the feeling every year for American football fans the world over whenever the yearly iteration of Madden NFL comes out. The expectations are so huge in fact those real life players even have issues with their own ratings within the game. As documented last year when the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh even called out the EA studios as to why he was only been given an overall rating of 91… so you can see, high stakes are at play.

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Game : Monster Dash

Developer : HalfBrick

Publisher : HalfBrick

Available On : Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Reviewed on iPhone 3GS)

As the market for pick up and play iPhone games gets more and more swamped with an obscene number of titles every day, it’s getting harder to find a title that is worth writing about, even more so, to find one that isn’t just a rehash of another game already out there, copied because it was popular with a “me too” attitude, created solely to make a profit on the wave of positivity of another title.  Monster Dash might seem familiar to you, but don’t be put off by that…read on!

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Game: Monster Hunter Tri

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Available on: Nintendo Wii

Monster Hunter has hit the next-gen era, but not necessarily on the console you would expect. Back in October 2007 when it was announced to be a Wii exclusive, it drew a raised eyebrow at a somewhat puzzling decision. Many were expecting Tri to follow on from its Playstation 2 roots and head (naturally) to the Playstation 3. Nonetheless, here is the third instalment of the hugely popular RPG-lite come action game, on a system that has yet to see an online game as big as Monster Hunter.

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Game: StarCraft II:Wings of Liberty

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

Available on: PC/Mac

Release Date: Out Now!

It has been a long time since the original StarCraft was released back in 1998, 12 years is a long time to wait for any sequel. However, Blizzard have been hard at work in those years, producing Warcraft III and that little online game they call World of Warcraft. It is StarCraft’s time to shine once again with “Wings of Liberty”, the first in a three part come back for Blizzards sci-fi real time stratergy game. Do Blizzard manage capture a new audience and still please the old guard? Read on for the full review.

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Model: Alienware M11xR2

Manufacturer: Dell

Price: ~ £879 / ~ $879

Available: Out now

If you have been checking out our Alienware reviews so far then you will have noticed that Calvin Robinson has been at the helm testing the gaming laptops.  Calvin reviewed the M11x back in March and has handed the mantle to me to review the new improved M11xR2. This review will be taking a fresh look at the M11x and highlighting what the improved model brings to the table.

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Game: Hydro Thunder Hurricane

Developer: Vector Unit

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Available on: Xbox Live Arcade

Hydro Thunder, released back in 1999 in arcades and on the SEGA Dreamcast, is a title probably many of you haven’t played or even heard of for that matter. For those of you who do know of it, well, you will know that  it was pretty good powerboat arcade racer. Admittedly, this isn’t a “genre” packed full of quality titles (or many titles at all) but, hey, the point is it was a good game. Fast forward to the present day and we finally have a “sequel”. The game is called Hydro Thunder Hurricane and it is being released exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade as part of Microsoft’s “Summer of Arcade” promotion. Almost 11 years on from the original does this “sequel” manage to storm its way to the top or does it get lost in a hurricane? Read on for the full review.

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Game: Transformers: War for Cybertron

Developer: High Moon Studios

Publisher: Activision

Available on: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS

Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Games based on big franchises don’t particularly have a great reputation in the games industry with the exception of a few standout titles (Batman: Arkham Asylum). For a long time High Moon Studios promised us that the latest foray into the Transformers franchise would yield good results with developer diaries and such but does it have the touch or is it heading for the scrap pile?

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Game: Crackdown 2

Developer: Ruffian Games

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Available on: Xbox 360 Only

Orbs! Orbs!  Orrrrbbbbbssss…OORRRRRBBBBBSSSS!  Ahem, sorry about that. The original Crackdown was released with little or no fanfare, overshadowed by the fact that it included a beta for Halo 3. However, thanks in no small part to that Halo factor, the game enjoyed becoming one of the fabled “cult classics”. Despite many flaws and plenty of the open world nastiness  that you always get with games of that size, the high praise is fairly justifiable.

Few games can boast the amount of fun you have in a Crackdown session, and now with members of the previous development team, rebuilding Pacific City from the ground up for the sequel and upping the ante with 4 player drop in/drop out co-operative gameplay plus new multiplayer modes, it’s safe to say that most people are hoping Crackdown 2 can live up to its predecessors  standards. Does it manage to do exactly that? Read on for the full review.

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Game: Football Genius: The Ultimate Quiz

Developer: I-Imagine Interactive

Publisher: RTL Sports

Available On: Xbox Live Arcade

With the World Cup in full effect, the world has gone rather football crazy. Despite lacklustre performances from some of the big teams (okay okay…..England) people the world over are getting the beers in, throwing another shrimp on the barbie (BBQ, not the childs toy!) and any number of other stereotypical pastimes enjoyed during the football.

Games wise though, after 2010 FIFA World Cup was released (and reviewed by God is a Geek) there’s not been much to shout about. Football Genius The Ultimate Quiz aim to fills that gap with a game that feels as though it was designed to be played pre-match, at half time and after the actual football is over.

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Game: Split/Second: Velocity

Developer: Black Rock Studios

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (reviewed on Xbox 360)

Towards the back end of last year we had a glut of “AAA” racers in the form of Dirt 2, Need For Speed: Shift and Forza 3, all three games were released within a few weeks of each other making it hard for budget gamers to make a choice. This year the racing pile up has come early with the PS3/PSP exclusive ModNation Racer clashing with the cross platform titles, Blur and Split/Second Velocity. All three racers have been released over the past few weeks offering up another tough choice for fans of the racing genre.

The first time I laid eyes on Split/Second was at the Eurogamer Expo 2009, the hype surrounding the game was non-existent making the few consoles set-up to play the game empty most of the time. The first play through at the Expo was surprisingly good, the game had a familiar Burnout feel but with unique adrenaline filled gameplay never seen before in a racer. Split/Second’s over the top environmental explosions, short cut mechanics and unique heads up display put the game firmly on my radar. Whilst the demo was fun and left a good impression, I had doubts about the final product and wondered how it would turn out. Well the wait is over, hit the jump and check out the full review.

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