24 hours of Monster Hunter for charity

I've been playing and writing about games for longer than I can remember, so I thought I would put my skills to good use and raise money for The Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

On the weekend of October 11-13th, I'll be playing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U for 24 hours straight, stopping only for toilet breaks, coffee, the occasional snack and to sharpen outrageously huge longswords and forage for blue mushrooms and whetstones. It's going to be a gruelling play session but I'm hoping people will throw words of encouragement my way on Facebook and Twitter. I'll also be using both these sites to keep everyone up to date on how I'm getting on.

The venture is in conjunction with Edinburgh Sick Kids Friends Foundation - a charity which provides funding over and above NHS provision to help make time spent in hospital better for young patients and their families.

I know times are tough for everyone these days, but if you are able to donate even a small amount, your efforts would be very much appreciated both by myself and the charity. Even if you can't afford to make a donation, please spread the word and cheer me on from the sidelines. It's going to be a crazy 24 hours!

Here's a link to my Just Giving page, where you can make a donation: http://www.justgiving.com/kiltedmoose

Wish me luck!

Update: Well, I survived my 24 hours and had a blast in the process. I started flagging with around five hours to go, but a cracking online session with three Twitter friends raised my spirits and I finished up with a few low rank quests as my fingers had started to go to sleep.This is the final photo I took, and I think it captures how I felt at the end perfectly! Thanks for all the support.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Rejoice, my fellow hunters! Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is almost with us! Well, we still have a few months to wait, but I hardly need much persuasion to post something Monster Hunter related, so here we are.

Ultimate is stomping its way to the US on March 19, before swimming across the Atlantic - presumably tied to the back of a Lagiacrus - a few days later on March 22. Ultimate will be released simultaneously on Wii U and 3DS and that means one thing - I'll finally be picking up a Wii U to coincide with the release. I've been putting it off for too long and this gives me the perfect excuse to jump into Nintendo's new console.

While the Wii U version will have full online play, the 3DS version doesn't have this feature. However, cross-platform saves mean I gather resources on the bus to and from work on my 3DS and then transfer them to the Wii U when I get home. Perfect.

While it's doubtful we'll ever celebrate Monster Hunter like they do in Japan, I really hope this is the version which finally convinces those sitting on the fence how good Monster Hunter really is.

And, as if all this Monster Hunter goodness wasn't enough, there are rumours abound that Monster Hunter 4 - due to arrive in Japan this year on 3DS - will also be coming to Vita. The thought of playing an import version on the Vita's sumptuous screen is enough to make a wyvern cry shiny tears of joy.

I'm off for some 1000 Year Crab and Hairy Tuna sushi to celebrate!

The Monster Hunter Beginner's Guide

Since cutting my teeth on the first Monster Hunter on PS2, I've been a huge fan of the series and have watched it evolve from a decent idea hampered by unwieldy controls into the sleek and impressive beast it is today. However, despite my best efforts, I've found it incredibly difficult to persuade people to take the plunge.

Those who have tried it have either immediately fallen in love with the game or stopped playing within the first hour as they thought it was too complicated. But fear not, because help is at hand from the duo behind the fabulous and informative My Fair Hunter website.

Roy Blakely and Sarah O’Donnell have lovingly crafted the Beginner's Guide to Monster Hunter - a beautifully presented guide full of gorgeous illustrations and packed with practical information on the series. Topics such as upgrading armour, skills, weapon attributes, questing basics, the role of companions, combining items and recognising monster behaviour are interspersed with tips from the Monster Hunter community to give a general overview of what awaits first-time hunters.

Even though the guide - which is available in either print or digital versions - is aimed squarely at novice hunters, I still think there's enough here for existing Monster Hunter fans to enjoy and besides, it is a rather lovely product.

To get your copy - and to have a free sneak peek at four pages from the guide - head on over to Roy and Sarah's Culty website, where you'll also find a collection of Sarah's Felyne artwork, which can also be purchased.

Happy hunting.

Dragon's Dogma - Wolves hunt in packs!

I love Dragon's Dogma. Actually, scratch that. I ADORE Dragon's Dogma. Yes, the game which many thought would simply be yet another generic high fantasy adventure - including me - actually turned out to be a magnificent achievement by the team at Capcom.

I've just hit the 50 hour mark and for me, it stands head and shoulders above everything else I've played all year.

It's given me some of the most wonderful experiences over these last 50 hours and watching my small ragtag band of surprisingly dextrous travellers attacking monstrous beasts has given me a huge amount of pleasure.

Highlights include a gargantuan battle at dusk against a chimera, where lightning bolts, thick black tornadoes and jets of fire turned the tide in my favour; a night time battle against two hulking trolls at their makeshift camp; and an epic and nerve-shredding assault on a fort which gave the spectacle of Helm's Deep a run for its money.

Holding it all together are the wonderful visuals. There's a solidity to the world of Gransys which even the sprawling might of Skyrim fails to match and a sense of setting out on an epic adventure which so few games have managed to portray effectively.

The lighting effects are at times subtle but immensely effective - from the first grey light of day splitting the horizon, to the late afternoon sun sending golden shafts of light filtering through the trees in the heart of a deep forest. It's mesmerizing and these shifts in colour and hue help give Dragon's Dogma a spellbinding atmosphere - as does the eclectic soundtrack which ranges from rousing orchestral passages and haunting string arrangements to full-blown cock rock nonsense.

And unlike some other games where a day/night cycle simply means a change to the colour scheme, Dragon's Dogma makes tramping around at night a truly terrifying experience, sending the wary scurrying for the nearest campfire and nervously huddling together until dawn.

It's a remarkable game. It's as if director Hideaki Itsuno and producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi set out to make a western-style RPG and instead stumbled across something even better. It's like a perfect fusion of Skyrim, Monster Hunter and Dark Souls and it's magnificent.

All this and I forgot to mention the forgery shop, the barbers, the cross dressing, the creepy court jester, the seemingly endless supply of quests and the fact your trusty sidekick plays a role in other people's games online and returns home to tell you all about what they discovered - usually with a couple of mouldy apples in his pockets for his troubles. Amazing.

Here's to the next 50 hours.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD launches in Japan - but what happened to the menus?

While the Western world fawns over Deus Ex: Human Revolution, today, Japanese gamers couldn't give a monkey's about biomechanical augmentations or sneaking about futuristic environments.

That's because Monster Hunter Fever has gripped the nation once again thanks to today's release of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD on PlayStation 3.

But while the in-game screens look amazing, I received screenshots from Red Sun Gamer, below, which show that the menu system hasn't been lavished with the same care and attention as the rest of the game. Blocky and pixelated, it's disappointing to see, but I'm sure I could live with it because the rest of the game looks so good. Click on the images to see them in greater detail.

But while fellow hunters in the Far East are currently smacking Gold Rathians and Urukususu about with huge weapons and cooking 10 well-done steaks at a time - we are still waiting for Portable 3rd on PSP to arrive, never mind this HD version.

But with Operation Cherry Blossom in full swing, I'm still hopeful at least one of these games will be released in Europe and the US. In the meantime, I'll continue to slave away on my Japanese import of Portable 3rd - getting herbs, bones, bugs and potions horribly mixed up.

Come on, Capcom. Let's get this done!

Special thanks to Red Sun Gamer for supplying me with exclusive screens from the game.

Operation Cherry Blossom

I've been picking my way through Monster Hunter Portable 3rd on PSP since January. Not that I'm that far in, mind, as the Japanese text is stopping me from fully enjoying the game.

While I can recognise some Japanese Kanji, the staggering amount of items, weapons and armour in the Monster Hunter series means I am definitely missing out on a hefty chunk of the experience due to the language barrier.

I know I'm not alone in wishing Capcom would localise the game for the Western market and even if the PSP version isn't a possibility, hopes remain high that the forthcoming PS3 version will make it to the West.

But the Monster Hunter community are leaving nothing to chance and have set up a drive to make this a reality.

Fellow Monster Hunter addict and writer Brad Gallaway - check out his excellent Drinking Coffee Cola blog - brought Operation Cherry Blossom to my attention.

The Monster Hunter Podcast and the Well-Done Podcast, along with a helping hand from Capcom, have launched an initiative to get the game released in the West by trying to raise the series' profile.

While it's true that many online petitions and campaigns are doomed to failure, remember that Yakuza's fanbase were instrumental in getting Yakuza 3 released in Europe and the US - so there is hope.

If you have yet to sample the long-lasting delights of Monster Hunter, there is still plenty of time to get involved.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP and Monster Hunter Tri on Wii are available and are cheap as chips these days. Both offer hundreds of hours of entertainment and provide unforgettable experiences.

So let's do what we can to get Portable 3rd released in the West. It's easily the most accessible game in the series and it would be a real shame if it never saw the light of day in Europe.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - DS

Ghost Trick is another brilliant slice of detective work from the mind of Shu Takumi - the man behind the Phoenix Wright series of adventures. But unlike the Ace Attorney's legal dramas, his latest title is anything but a straightforward crime solver.

In Ghost Trick, the player takes control of the soul of Sissel, a recently murdered man who has no recollection about his death or his past life. With a limited time before Sissel’s soul winks out of existence, the player guides the ethereal being through a series of investigations to find out about his troubled past.

What awaits is a delicious blend of puzzles and a hodgepodge of interesting characters, all wrapped up in a well-paced murder mystery with a twist.

The story begins with Sissel’s crumpled body lying in a junkyard in the middle of the night. Nearby, a young woman is held at gunpoint and unless something happens quickly, she’ll be joining Sissel face-down in the dirt.

By manipulating objects and jumping back through time, Sissel’s soul can affect the world around him, changing the course of history and moving Sissel ever closer to the truth about his death.

But this journey isn’t a straight A to B race against time either, thanks in large to the game’s range of fabulous characters.

Their snappy dialogue and wonderful animation brings each of their off-the-wall personalities to life and gives the game a huge amount of charisma. Dipping into the lives of these colourful characters is a joy and adds another layer to an already absorbing game. It also helps that the stylish environments they inhabit are pleasing to the eye, with plenty of detail adding an imaginative flourish.

While this rag-tag bunch are some of the most lively characters to grace a videogame in years, the simple but effective gameplay holds the experience together.

Sissel’s ghostly countenance has a limited range of movement, leading to mini puzzles as the player uses tricks to move trolleys, knock music boxes from ledges and startle assassins with unexpected noises. He can also use telephone lines to whizz about the city and talk to other spirits he meets on his travels.

While the opening levels start out as nothing more than tutorials, Ghost Trick soon blossoms into a devious and engaging thriller, full of twists, turns and things that go bump in the night.

The player has plenty of time in some sections to alter the environment and fill the holes in the background story, but when Sissel has to rewind time to change a future problem, a countdown begins.

During these frantic moments, the player has to think on their feet as objects have to be triggered at the correct time to change history, otherwise it’s curtains. It makes for a wonderful change of pace and leads to moments of panic as the player frantically scribbles the touchscreen looking for the right solution.

There are several tense moments peppered throughout, especially late in the game which heightens the fear of failure. The flip side to this is that Ghost Trick often descends into a game of trial and error, with some solutions not becoming clear until the player has attempted the scenario several times.

But despite this, the game remains interesting, with the draw of finding new characters and exploring their environments keeping players ploughing their way through.

Ghost Trick breathes new life into the staid murder mystery genre thanks to its hatful of surprises and genuinely interesting roster of characters. As a result, it is one of the most refreshing titles to appear on DS in ages and is well worth tracking down.

Dark Void - 360/PS3

Nolan North is no stranger to voicing high profile video game characters. He's best know for wise-cracking, smooth-talking, all-action hero Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. Once again his vocals have been called upon, as he pops up in Dark Void to lend his voice to protagonist Will.

The similarities to Uncharted don't stop at Mr North's vocal talents, as the opening hour or so of Capcom's first big game of the year bears an uncanny resemblance to the PS3 title. Trudging through a jungle location and diving for cover behind ruined walls, it's hard not to think of Uncharted.

Fortunately, the game transforms into an altogether different beast - but it takes a while to get there.

The story focuses on Will, a pilot whose plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle. He soon finds himself in The Void, a world between worlds, where an evil alien race are based. Here, they shape-shift, secretly entering our world and worming their way into the hearts of governments across the globe. It's a ramshackle collection of incomprehensible nonsense, which involves alien robots, slick-skinned evil masters and dimensional portals.

Even Nikola Tesla makes an appearance, sharing his wisdom with Will in the shape of an unstable jetpack. Fortunately, the core gameplay holds up for the six short hours it takes to complete Dark Void. While the conventional cover system is ripped straight from other games, the vertical shooting action gives the game some originality.

Will nimbly leaps from one platform to the next, scaling huge structures, picking of sharp-shooting robots as he climbs higher and higher. It's great fun and leads to some genuinely vertigo-inducing moments. The jetpack is the main focus of the game, though, and Will can hover above his prey or fly like Superman depending on the situation.

It's a shame, then, that the first of three episodes fail to draw the player into the experience. It's not until Will actually enters The Void that the game starts to pick up. Swarmed by Boba Fett impersonators, he takes to the skies to do battle, but if truth be told, picking off these high flying enemies is easier if Will's feet are firmly kept on the ground.

Dark Void also offers large chunks of air-to-air combat. Will can either take part in these mid-air skirmishes with the aid of his jetpack, or commandeer other craft such as enemy flying saucers. These sections are entertaining the first couple of times, but in an effort to pad out what is still an incredibly short game, these high flying escapades are repeated throughout.

Along with Uncharted's influence, the game shamelessly rips elements from a bunch of other titles including Mass Effect, Prey and Dead Space. Ancient quicktime events also rear their head, usually when taking on a boss or smacking an alien in the face at 20,000 ft, so expect lots of frantic button mashing and furious stick waggling.

Dark Void provides a handful of enjoyable moments, but really there's not much here. It's certainly not better than the titles it's influenced by - perhaps the sequel will improve the formula.

Street Fighter IV - PS3/360

Arcade aficionados have been banging on about how good Street Fighter IV is for months, but now console gamers have the chance to throw themselves into what - even this early in the year - could be game of the year.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Street Fighter is a one-on-one combat game. Throughout the years, new characters have been added and tweaks made to the gameplay, but the core values of playability and almost limitless challenge have remained intact.

Street Fighter IV is a culmination of years of fine tuning, and, after ploughing around 16 hours into the game so far, I think it's the finest Street Fighter to date.

Experienced Street Fighter players will instantly take to the game, with old combos and button presses yielding familiar results. However, new players needn't feel intimidated. Yes, there is a lot to learn, but picking up the pad for the first time, it's still possible to string combos together, win some matches in Arcade Mode, and feel like you are making progress.

For the old hands, Capcom have introduced some new features. First up is the Focus system. By holding down Medium Punch and Medium Kick simultaneously, the player can charge up a Focus Attack which results in a powerful and effective new move. It can also be used defensively, allowing you to guard against incoming blows.

Along with the Focus Attack, a Super Combo is also open to the player. As you fight, a Super Meter fills along the bottom of the screen, when it flashes blue, the player can pull off a powerful Super Combo.

The third new addition is the much talked about Ultra Meter. When this builds up, the player can execute a move which is not only incredibly powerful, but visually stunning. The camera shifts perspective and the player can sit back and watch this cinematic move in all its glory. It looks incredible.

All this might seem like a lot of hard work, and it's true that practice really does make perfect, but you can hone your skills outside of Arcade Mode in either Training Mode or Challenge Mode. It's well worth investing significant time in these modes to learn your chosen character's combos and special attacks.

The character roster this time around is sizable, with all the old favourites such as Ryu, Ken, Dhalsim, Chun-Li and Sagat returning to the fold. There are also many other characters to be unlocked, while Street Fighter IV introduces new characters Abel, Crimson Viper, El Fuerte - who's sure to become a cult favourite - and Rufus.

Visually the game is stunning. The detailed and well-animated characters now sport impressive facial animations, and the game action is played out in front of beautifully crafted backdrops.

These background canvases are animated and packed full of neat little details. It's sometimes hard to concentrate on the fighting with so many things going on. The game's intro is also worth mentioning, as it is one of the most visually spectacular videogame openings I've ever seen.

While the Arcade Mode is the main focus for unlocking new characters, the main draw for many will be the robust online aspect. I have now played more than 30 bouts online, and I've only experienced hiccups in the framerate twice. That is impressive stuff.

To add to the enjoyment, Capcom have also delivered a wealth of unlockable extras. New online titles, icons, medals, character costume colours, movies and artwork can be unlocked as you make progress, giving the player extra incentive to keep playing. Gathering Gamerpoints on 360 and Trophies on PS3 also adds an extra layer of rewards for those willing to dig deep into what Street Fighter IV has to offer.

And that's not all. For PS3 players, it is possible to unlock Street Fighter T-shirts, which can be worn while you wander around Home - Sony's social networking hub. Again, it's another nice touch and shows that Capcom have tried to include as much as possible with this latest addition to the series.

Add to this feast of fighting fun the option to track your character's stats via the Player Data menu and the ability to change the English voices and music to Japanese, and Capcom have delivered the most comprehensive Street Fighter package to date.

The only downside to this magnificent fighting game is the controllers. The 360 pad and the PS3's Sixaxis just weren't build to accommodate the precision needed to get the most out of Street Fighter IV. While it's possible to execute every move in the game, it's sometimes harder than is should be. Of course, this is a criticism that has always followed the franchise on home consoles, but it is worth noting again.

Serious players might want to look at investing in something like the excellent Hori Street Fighter Arcade stick. It might be expensive, but it's certainly a worthwhile purchase if you plan on devoting yourself to this wonderful game.

I've never been much of a fighting game fan, but Street Fighter IV is one of the best games I've played in a long time. As you would expect, it's receiving great reviews acrosss the board, scoring a 93-94 at Metacritic and and an 8.7/10 from Test Freaks

Its rewarding gameplay, excellent sound and visuals and classic fighting action are second to none, and as a gamer, you owe it to yourself to check out this magnificent and landmark title.

Images courtesy of Capcom

Resident Evil 5 - 360/PS3

HOW much enjoyment you glean from Resident Evil 5 depends entirely on how you feel about the titles that have gone before. Those who love the panic-inducing moments, when, down to your last bullet you are confronted by a horde of salivating zombies, will revel in Capcom's latest survival horror. However, those who have found the series' archaic control set-up and clunky interface a pain, will be turned off immediately.
    Rather than moving the series forward, Capcom have instead decided to play it safe and have given fans essentially the same game they've been playing for years, albeit now in shiny high definition.
    The story this time starts in the fictional shanty town of Kijuju in Africa, where a biological outbreak has turned the residents into tongue-lolling zombies. Series fans will be giddy with excitement to discover the central character is Chris Redfield, the square-jawed protagonist from the series' 1996 debut. Joining him on the journey to get to the bottom of the terror sweeping the streets of the African town is Sheva Alomar. And while she can be something of a hindrance while playing the game solo, everything works a little better when two players join forces - either in local co-op, or online co-op.
    In single player, she often stands doing nothing while you are overwhelmed by the red-eyed undead. However, when a second player is introduced to the action, strategies materialise and the reassurance of a helping hand make the experience much less frustrating.
    I've already mentioned the archaic control system and it really does detract from the game. The main problem is you can't move while aiming your weapon. This leads to all sorts of problems when you're faced with a mass of festering flesh running towards you. You simply have to stand your ground and try your best.
    I understand this lack of movement adds to the feeling of panic, but EA's Dead Space lets you move when aiming while still managing to keep its panic-inducing gameplay intact.
    On the plus side, the pacing throughout the cinematic adventure is top notch, and Capcom have maintained their usual high production values. From the well animated characters and the cracking cut scenes, to the lighting effects and variety of locales, Resident Evil 5 is a visual treat.
    Ultimately, it's Resident Evil 5's co-op mode which saves it from becoming just another run of the mill survival shooter, but it's hard not to shake the feeling that Capcom could have done so much more with this latest entry in the popular series.

Zack and Wiki: The Hunt For Barbaros' Treasure - Wii

Zack and Wiki has been out for around a year in the UK, but as people constantly moan that there are no good games on the Wii, I thought I'd dust off my copy and give it a bit of a push.

Since the Wii was launched, we've used the Wiimote in various ingenious ways. However, many developers have failed to make good use of the Wii's unique capabilities, leaving many games feeling as though the motion sensing controls were a last minute addition.

So it's refreshing to play through Zack and Wiki again, a Capcom game which makes great use of the Wii's controller.

You play Zack, a young chocolate bar-loving pirate who, along with his monkey sidekick Wiki, set out looking for adventure, and find it by stumbling across a golden chest hidden deep within a forest.

Inside the chest, Zack finds a skull. However, it's no ordinary skull - it's a talking golden skull which turns out to be that of legendary cursed pirate, Barbaros.

Glad to be out of the gloom of the chest, Barbaros invites the plucky pair to undertake an adventure to find the rest of his golden body, which has been scattered across the land.

Each puzzle-based level tasks the player with finding a golden chest. But to reach the elusive prize, the player will have to utilise the Wiimote in a multitude of ways.

You'll be turning keys in doors, opening umbrellas, sawing through trees, shaking objects, playing musical instruments, sliding puzzle blocks around and you'll even find yourself doing the odd spot of dusting. It all adds up to ingenious use of the Wii's controller but most importantly, it all works perfectly.

In some levels enemies will try and hinder your progress, but with a quick shake of the Wiimote, Wiki turns into a bell which is usually enough to scare them off.

The game also has a tonne of unlockables to discover, and everything you find can be viewed via the Hideout, which includes a library and a world map. It is also the place to go if you need help or if you want to check on your game stats.

Capcom have a rich tradition in producing great looking games, and Zack and Wiki continues this trend. The game's art style is beautiful, featuring bright, colourful cell-shaded graphics, while the music, again in typical Capcom style, rarely disappoints.

For older gamers, this title will bring back memories of old point n' click classics such as Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island, and like those titles, the humour is firmly to the fore here, with some amusing sights and sounds to be discovered along the way.

Zack and Wiki may well have passed you by on its release last year, but it's a game that is well worth hunting down. You should be able to pick it up for a fairly good price these days and it's a Wii game that is not to be missed.

Bionic Commando Rearmed - 360/PS3

Another week, another fantastic download game, this time courtesy of the team at Capcom.

Essentially a remake of the classic NES original, this version of Bionic Commando not only looks great, but has gameplay to match.

What separates Bionic Commando Rearmed from other platform games is the inability to jump. Instead, you use you bionic arm to grab and swing your way across the intricate levels, while wiping out unsavoury sorts with your weapons.

Controls are initially slightly frustrating as your mind attempts to grapple with the lack of a jump button. But after 10 minutes, things fall into place, and traversing the levels becomes fluid.

But the game is rock hard. Even on the easy setting, it provides a stiff challenge.

Screenshots don't really do the game justice, as the game looks stunning on both 360 and PS3, with great animation and gorgeous lighting effects. The music, too, is suitably fitting, with a fantastic retro vibe.

The quality of downloadable games for both the 360 and PS3 has been fantastic over the last few weeks and Bionic Commando Rearmed continues the trend.

For just 800 points on 360, or £6.99 on PS3, it's a game that everyone should check out.