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London 2012 The Official Video Game (XBox 360)
by char2011
I had been eager to get an Xbox 360 ever since I saw the new SSX game be released and I wanted to play it as there was alot of talk that it is like the originals. I saw a deal online that was selling this game with and Xbox 360 and with the Olympics coming up I thought why not get it.
---------------Gameplay & ... Difficulty-----------------
I think this game is very good to occupy time if your into competitive gaming. The one thing I would say it's definitely not easy and takes some skill to get really good scores. The game has the modes easy, medium and hard which I feel is a good way to get everyone involved. I usually play the medium mode as hard is just beyond me. I think although there is an easy mode it still does take skill to even play easy because they haven't made it that easy.
----Modes of Gameplay
*****Olympics Mode
When you play in the Olympics mode you pick you team the pick you events and see weather you are good enough to qualify for finals. The way this mode works is you pick two sports from the list then try and qualify for the final. Once you have/haven't gotten through you will be able to win medal to add to your medal on the medal tally board. This is like the story mode of the game and I like it because it is competitive and it's like I am working to take my team to glory at the Olympics. The only thing that I don't like about this mode is that it's not long enough as you only compete in about 16 events over 8 days. I think it would have been better if it was like 2 weeks with one chance at each event.
I really like the structure of the Olympic Mode because it's like you are really at the Olympics. It starts with a introduction from an English man and a overview of the stadium and what's to come which sort of felt like the opening ceremony. After each final you get an overview of the medal tallies and it's just like the real Olympics. I think they did an excellent job of capturing the moment.
*****Event Play
This mode you can pick any individual event and play just for the fun of it. In this mode you can also put together your customs Olympics with what events you want and play it like the Olympic Mode but your own events chosen. These are also a few pre loaded ones on the game. I like this mode because everyone has there favourite sports and this allows you to only play only what you like.
My general overview of the Gameplay of this game is very good because I like this sort of thing and get really into it when playing. The only thing that I would say is that the don't have all the events from the Olympics. An example of what they are missing is Gymnastics uneven bars, floor. With some events they only include men and not women or visa versa. An example of this is the Gymnastics trampoline event only includes men's trampoline and not womens. I found this a little odd that they have done that to be fair.
The game has 3d capability so that's a bonus although I haven't checked that out yet. The game can be played against people on Xbox live but I haven't checked that out yet as I haven't got a subscription to Xbox live just yet. I has multilayer ability also but due to not having a second remote that's another thing I will have to update when I get one. I assume multilayer would be good because I'd like
----------------Graphics & Sound---------------
The graphics are very good in this game and they have captured everything extremely well. The athletes are very realistic to the countries featured which I thought was added to the game. When I say realistic I mean the body types, hair, structure, features and abilities. The Americans are good swimmers,the European countries do very well on the field events and Jamaicans are good runners. Since that is generally true to life it's good that it's like that in the game. All characters have very athletic builds and some have bandages and Athletes body language.
The sound couldn't be and better if you ask me. I think the introductions and commentaries are exactly what you hear in the Olympics. The sort of phrases used are very much spot on and I think it's what makes the game so real. I like that they don't just keep saying the same phrases in the game they have a large variety which helps you not hear the same thing over and over.
One thing that I was impressed with is the national anthems at the awards ceremony's at the podium because sound near enough correct and In the Mario version of the Olympic game that I have they aren't to good.
----------Overall Opinion----------
Generally I think this is a good game and I would definitely recommend it for the competitive types. With the Olympics ahead why not get this get and have some fun of your own. As this game is very new and has been out for only a few weeks it costs quite abit being the cheapest buy I have found for it is £20 second hand in CEX. I do think it's worth the money if your the competitive type and enjoy sports/Olympics. The game is rated 3+ so it is definitely family friendly.
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Sega Superstars Tennis (Xbox 360)
by iamasadlittleboy
As a giant sports fan I love video games based on sports, I've racked up days worth of play on game series like Pro Evolution soccer, Fifa, Madden and Tony Hawk Pro Skaters. So when I recently went to the local Cash Generator and saw a copy of "Sega Superstars Tennis" for just £3.99 I thought I'd give it a try, it wasn't like I ... was breaking the bank even if it was rubbish...thankfully however it's not rubbish at all, in fact it's turned out to be a bit of a bargain.
As you can guess from the title the game is a Tennis game, an arcade based tennis game with fun and simplicity at it's core though of course it also has Sega's sense of nostalgia. Rather than over complicating it's self with difficult controls and complex movements the game is actually really straight forward to play with all the shots played via the A and X buttons. This allows you to think more about where you want to play your shots than whether or not you're pressing the right button.
The fact the game is easy to play may fool some readers into thinking that it's just an easy Tennis game with out any real depth but when you actually get into playing it you're surprised by just how much there is to do. Not only is there the normal "exhibition" matches and tournaments that you expect in every Tennis game but there is also the excellent "Superstar Mode" which is where the bulk of the game is played.
In "Superstar mode" you play a series of mini games based on previous Sega titles, for example you need to collect rings in a Sonic themed challenger, or hit tennis balls at terrorists in a Virtua Cop style mini game. Whilst these can be painfully difficult at times they are engrossing and stupidly addictive as well as charming and have a huge sense of nostalgia that is rarely found in modern games. In fact the nostalgia is one of the games big selling points with the old music being played in the background and characters from our childhood smacking a Tennis ball around, it's hard not to be engrossed almost from the off.
You will get addicted to this and you won't even realise how long you've been playing some of these mini games, they really are that addictive.
Whilst "Superstar Mode" is the bulk of the game you can also, as mentioned above play exhibition games in either singles or doubles (versus either the computer or with/against your friends). This leads to yet another selling point, not only is it easy to play but it's enjoyable to play especially with your friends who even if they dislike Tennis will find something to like here. For example my girlfriend who doesn't know the difference between Novak Djokovic and Tim Hennman still manages to really enjoy the game.
With 16 characters ranging from a number of Sega franchises (including Sonic, Jet Set Radio, Samba De Amigo, Alex Kidd, Golden Axe, Space Channel 5 and Super Monkey Ball) and courts from even more franchises it's hard not to smile at just how much is crammed in here.
Sadly when it comes to complaints my major one is that the online play as good as dead with few players actively playing online. Other than that however the game is a genuine joy.
For an avid Tennis fan the game may fall short of the likes of the Topspin series which give the sport a much more "real" feel but for a video game fan this is pure unadulterated fun with a large sprinkling of nostalgia and simplicity. Yes it may be a Mario Tennis clone at heart but (as with Sonic and Sega Allstars Racing) it's a damned good clone, and at less than £4 who can really complain?
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