NGamer Issue 9

Mercury Meltdown Revolution - 80



"This substantial race-against-the-clock ball puzzler will reduce even the most hardcore player to a sobbing emotional wreck in need of institutionalisation. In a good way. Not one for the lazy."

Heatseeker - 80



"Fast as you like, fun to control and a mindless diversion for military fetishists. Difficult, even on the easiest setting, but if you're up to the challenge you'll get loads of value from it.

Probably the one I'll pick up this month, although it's doubtful it will get played any time soon. Anyone experienced this one?

Harvest Moon DS - 82

"So much freedom in a lovely extensive game world. We think this is one of the best long-term companions your DS can find. "

SimCity DS - The Ultimate City Simulator (JAPAN IMPORT) - 81

"Just what the DS should be doing. As long as it's done right. Which it is. Ropey disaster minigames and the odd niggle aside, this is right up our street. "

Theme Park (US IMPORT) - 80

"Deep, involving management sim with an appealing theme and enough comical touches to make you forget that you're really playing a piece of A-level economics coursework."

Zendokua - 80

"Buy Picross DS for your mind and Zendoku for your fun. The thrill of using logical reasoning to kick someone's arse is a phenomenal experience. Single player's a good laugh too."

Professor Layton and the Strange City (JAPAN IMPORT) - 80

"Like one of those puzzle books you might do on a long journey, except with a connecting plot and loads of weird characters to meet. Super!"

Jet Impulse (JAPAN IMPORT) - 77

"Because they have to be moving constantly at great speed, aircraft are inherently less exciting than spaceships. Therefore Jet Impulse is not quite as good as Star Fox."

Bleach DS 2nd (JAPAN IMPORT) - 73

"Very little has changed since the original Bleach DS, bar a few new powerups and characters. Wave farewell to sophistication and there's plenty of lunacy to enjoy here." 

Quickspot (US IMPORT) - 72

"Slim like an After Eight but reasonably priced; Quickspot's absolutely cast iron guaranteed to make you smile, and surely your happiness is worth £10? Yes, yes it is." 

Death Note (JAPAN IMPORT) - 72

"Another quirky DS gem on the lines of Cluedo meets Phoenix Wright. The story is probably great, so hold out for an English version rather than import." 

Pokemon Ranger - 70

"Narrow-minded and frustrating, but Pokemon Ranger demands genuine skill. It gets so many things right that the RPGs get wrong. Give it a whirl." 

Boku Wa Koukuu Kanseikan DS (JAPAN IMPORT) - 66

"Pleasingly cerebral puzzler that unfortunately suffers from a combination of poor presentation and one-note gameplay. Solid, but a bit dull."

F-24 Stealth Fighter (JAPAN IMPORT) - 24

"Use the D-pad to steer instead and you'll stay alive long enough to realise that you were better off dead in the water. This fighter game gets a big fat F-."

A - Okami

"Swoonsome cel-shaded visuals that move like a watercolour painting, an astonishing soundtrack, and a game that almost out-Zeldas Zelda make this an adventure everyone should play. It's worth buying a PS2 for. Seriously."

B - Ico

"A beguiling dream of a game; your job is to ferry wraith-girl Yorda through a puzzle-filled castle and fend off shadow-beasts. Emotional, atmospheric and host to one of the most affecting game endings ever. "

C - Shadow of the Collosus

"From the Ico team, this is equally awe-inspiring. Clambering through a staggeringly beautiful and desolate world over 16 varied colossi in order to destroy them and save your dead girlfriend make for a haunting experience like no other. "

D - GTA: San Andreas

"Absurd culmination of the GTA template; Kittsy played it through twice, and he's got a heart of stone, which is all you need to know."

E - God of War 2

"Forget Devil May Cry. This is the most brutal, cinematic, set-piece-stuffed action game ever made, and it pushes the PS2's visuals into next-gen territory. The face-off against the Colossus of Rhodes is incredible. "

F - Canis Canem Edit

"GTA in a school? More or less. Sneak out after lights out, dodge lessons, and live every schoolboy's dreams. Oddly British in tone."

G - Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

"Perhaps even more pretentious and long-winded than any other Metal Gear, this is nonetheless the pinnacle of Hideo Kojima's philosophical war-and-stealth extravaganza."

H - Manhunt

"Deeply unpleasant but astonishingly gripping, this violent sneak-em-up has you in a snuff-movie nightmare, forced to murder your way out. Nasty but brilliant."

I - Final Fantasy XII

"The current apogee of the venerable RPG series, and certainly the best entry since the fabled VII; sumptuous, sprawling and open to exploration, with the new 'gambit' system allowing you to pre-program party members, cutting down greatly on mid-battle fiddliness."

J - Burnout 3: Takedown

"The most thrilling racing game ever made. The immortal Crash Junctions, numerous race-types, superb handling and insane speeds mean it's the best Burnout until the next one."