The Sly Trilogy: PS Vita Review

The Sly Trilogy: PS Vita Review

Released by Sucker Punch
Platform: PS Vita

Cartoony platformer Sly Cooper got a HD release a couple of years back with a wrap of all three of his games - and now it's time for these to be ported over to the PS Vita and the handheld crowd.

If you're not familiar with the game, then here's a basic overview - it's the story of Sly Cooper, a Raccoon who's got thieving in his blood thanks to the family heritage. On his adventures, he's assisted by Bentley, a turtle with brains, and Murray, a large hippo who's the brawn of the operation.

This trilogy collects together the adventures The Thievius Raccoonus, Band of Thieves and Honor Among Thieves, which sees Sly and the gang thrown into a series of capers and puzzles that you'll need all your wits to survive and succeed at.

It's all about stealth as you guide Sly around the various puzzles and baddies lurking in each game, with many ending up with a fight with a level end boss - but within each game, there's plenty to keep you amused and mini games for Bentley and Murray to be involved in as well.

Visually, the port is an impressive move across with the OLED screen giving it the vibrancy that this comic cartoon needs - the colours are bright and bountiful and look like they've slipped off the pages of a comic or a comic book on TV.

Unsurprisingly, the touch pad's also come into use for the VITA - with the backscreen being used for maps and the front to fire things and bring up Bentley's binoculars. It fits into the gaming and doesn't require too much fiddling from you to try and work it in, and with handhelds that's always a bonus.

Overall, the Sly Trilogy is a good fit for the VITA - it offers fun and thrills as well as silliness aplenty. The raccoon's there for enjoyment and the cartoon-like nature of the game means that it will appeal to all ages.

Rating:

Towerfall Ascension: PS4 Review

Towerfall Ascension: PS4 Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS4

It amazes me at the moment how the best games are the ones without the flashy graphics, the deep dive gameplay and the durability of a classic.

While Fez was a platforming blast from the past, this is a simple game of archery and strategy - with a hint of multiplayer thrown in if you so desire. All you have to do is fire a few arrows and see off some bad guys in Towerfall - sounds simple? Well, it sort of is, if you know what you're doing.

You've got limited arrows to let loose on the creatures heading your way, and thanks to the way the screen's set up you can go in on any angle - a la Pac-man - and disappear between levels if you so desire. But once your arrows are gone, you have the option to rush around your tomb-like location to grab them back. Simplicity is the name of the game here really - but the primitive graphics belie a game that's easy to play and an addiction that's easy to get engrossed in.

Power ups pepper the game as well, and occasionally they help, but once you bust out the multiplayer mode, you can see how the competition starts to really kick in as the pressure to grab these and arrows really starts to kick in.

Simple and playable, Towerfall Ascension isn't anything more than just good fun - its simplicity is duplicitous as you battle on. For an archery game, it really does hit a bullseye.

Rating:

Kinect Sports Rivals: XBox One Review

Kinect Sports Rivals: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One
Released by Microsoft

Here comes the first title for the XBox One which really relies on the Kinect sensor to propel the gaming along.

Sports Rivals sees you once again taking on the computer or some mates at various sports using the Kinect sensor to aid (or in some cases, fail to aid) you towards a winning path.

The game begins with the basics of setting up your champion, a start which could have been impressive if it weren't so cumbersome and slightly frustrating. (Sadly this is something which is symptomatic of the release overall). Using the sensor, you get to build your champion after selecting your gender - but despite Dr Who David Tennant's soothing tones, failure to get it spot on with the sensors could mean that you end up wanting to throw the thing out of the window. However, when it comes to the facial recognition the software is relatively spot on, using blocks to recreate you and giving you the chance to be in the action.

Once that's done, it's on to the games themselves - six of them to be precise; wake racing, climbing, target shooting, soccer, bowling and tennis. These games actually require you to get off your backside, off the couch and in front of the TV, pretending to be some kind of sporting expert. It ranges from the relatively easy - target shooting involves pointing fingers at the screen to quite difficult - the wake racing needs you to crouch, flex your hands and move your body all over the place. Bowling is also fun and brings back memories of the Wii and the fun that gave me as I fired the controller around, determined to get a strike and beat my wife.

The thing is with Kinect Sports Rivals, you will get as much out of it as you want - it's a social occasion in some ways, with a chance to get mates involved, but you need to make sure the motion sensor is at its best. All too often in this, I found myself verging on real frustration as the game didn't do exactly what I wanted to - but when it worked properly, it fires up well.

Kudos to those behind this title as they make the very best of the Kinect sensor. It's the first game to really do so and for that, it deserves to be praised.

Rating:

Carrie: DVD Review

Carrie: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent

So, after the 1976 classic of Carrie, starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie and Piper Laurie, we get the 2013 re-imagining of the Stephen King iconic story.

Kick Ass' Hit Girl, Chloe Grace Moretz stars as Carrie White, who this time around is an abused child, locked in the cupboard under the stairs by a religious puritannical fundamentalist zealot of a mother (Julianne Moore) traumatised by the birth and confused by the conception.

Shy, awkward and stooping, Carrie is an outsider at high school and encounters the first throes of womanhood in a shower in front of all her classmates. Mocked and bullied by them for her reaction, and taped on a mobile phone (one of only a few touches which suggest this film is in the modern day setting), Carrie begins to realise she has powers springing up from this life-changing event.

But along with those powers, the bullying of a group of girls increases and begins to make her life hell; with only the protection of Judy Greer's PE teacher, it's clear something's gotta give. However, a ray of light comes when one boy Tommy offers to take her to the prom (it's because his girlfriend felt guilty about the bullying) and soon Carrie starts to believe that she's normal and being accepted.

The prom comes around - and we all know what happened to Carrie at the prom....

The remake of Carrie is frightfully dull, despite the best intentions of those involved.

Chloe Grace Moretz doesn't quite give off the impression of a Carrie; she's all wide-eyed, open-mouthed, looking like she's permanently stubbed her toe as she wanders from one miserable encounter to the next. She only really comes alive and brings a few of the chills during the discovery of her powers with her mother and when asked to call upon the naively innocent girl within during being pursued to go to the prom. Elsewhere, she tries to deliver a performance that plays on the outsider but doesn't quite make it thanks to her really not looking the part in the same way that Spacek did.

That the film doesn't quite work is also due in part to the mostly stereotyped bullies, who are scantily sketched out and proffer up little character of their own, meaning there's hardly any kind of pull when the telekinetic storm is unleashed at the prom. That scene alone though is more of a performance though; Chloe Grace Moretz's almost orchestral and balletic movements seem like a show being put on as bits start flying around (a la many superhero origin movies you've seen) and the stuff hits the proverbial fan.

Equally, Julianne Moore gives relatively good unhinged as the mother who'd rather pray and banish Carrie under the stairs than connect with her growing daughter. Complete with self-harming, Moore's mother adds little to the film after a mightily impressive opening birthing scene which is truly horrific and packed with psychological damage.

Religious iconography is plastered rather scattergun throughout the film - a statue of Jesus bleeds from the stigmata when Carrie's trapped in her cupboard, one character's killed off in a crucifixion pose - and it's a little heavy-handed. A degree of subtlety, rather than plenty of slow-mo shots, would have been more effective in conveying the horror.

Overall, the 2013 remake of Carrie doesn't really succeed in bringing anything new or original to the cinematic table - it's all been done exceptionally well back in its 1976 version. This Carrie is a bit of a bloody misfire; not exactly a disaster, but not exactly a seized opportunity.

Extras: Creating Carrie, telekinesis coffee shop stunt

Rating:

Comedy Fest Q&A - Rhys Mathewson

Comedy Fest Q&A - Rhys Mathewson

1. Tell us the name of your show:
Hombre Lobo. Although I'm typing these answers up on my iPhone, so      it might have come out has Jumbo Kobi.

2. Which came first - the show name or the content?
Can anyone ever really tell? It's one of those "what came first, the garden centre or the cafe inside a garden centre?" type things

3. C'mon be honest...
Half the content - show title- other half of the content.

4. Any other working titles for the show?
No, but I have a whole bunch of titles for next year's show. Current front runners are "Tsar Bomba" "Nouveau Rhys" and "Woot Hang Clam"

5. How long - honestly - have you been working on this?
It started forming in my head around a year ago, but it didn't start getting worked on until the last 6 months.
Why do you keep asking for my "honest" answer? I feel like you as an interviewer, do not trust me. I feel like there are some trust issues here.

6. What's been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
Flying back from the UK. Boy, are my arms tired.

7. Who is your biggest comedy rival - and why?
Guy Williams. I don't really want to go into it, you should get Guy to tell you what happened. Suffice to say he knows what he did.

8. Who's your biggest comedy friend - and why?
TJ McDonald is my best comedy friend. We have a connection that no other comedian could understand.

9. Which show is your must see?
Nick Gibb - 4am Thoughts. I think Nick is the funniest joke writer in the country at the moment. Plus he's going to be my sidekick for one of the Wellington late shows, and this plug will make up for that.


10. Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival?
Having Tanukis, having a nap, doing my show, watching someone else's show, then drinking from the late show through til 5am. Then McDonalds. Far too much McDonalds. Then do it all again.
I am a Phoenix.

11. What goes through your mind, the minute before the curtain goes up?
Don't eff it up.

12. What about when you are on stage?
Trying to exist in the emotions of the jokes, being aware of how the audience is feeling and thinking, analysing the reaction to previous jokes by applying everything I've learnt from every other gig, using that analysis to correct the delivery of upcoming jokes. See, it's not so easy as talking about willies and balls.
Though there is a lot of that.

13. how easily distracted are you?
Very. I can tangent like a mutha.

14. Give us your comedy dream line up:
Jarred Christmas, Pete Holmes, John Mulaney, TJ Miller, Louis ck, Kyle kinane, Greg Fleet, Felicity Ward,  Nick Helm, Stewart Lee, Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres, Carey Marx, Phil Nichol, Flight of the Conchords, then Daniel Kitson headlining til the sun comes up.

15. Just finally, where will you be in 5 years time?
Hopefully everywhere, but that's just my messiah complex talking.

Comedy Fest Q&A - Paul Ego

Comedy Fest Q&A - Paul Ego

Tell us the name of your show:
‘AMAZINGBALLS’ (I like to use the full version of the word as it appeared in the New Testament)

Which came first - the show name or the content?
The content definitely. Then once I was content with the content I got a baby names book and chose something that matched what the show was looking like…and it looked more like an ‘Amazingballs’ than a Tobias or a Sophie.

C'mon be honest...
I’m being 100% honest not including GST, that’s as close as it gets for me.

Any other working titles for the show?
Yep, originally it was gonna be called CHOICE or HORSE but my wife didn’t like those as girl’s names.

How long - honestly - have you been working on this?
The majority of it has been honed on-stage over the past couple of years but some of it I’ve just thought of in the past couple of weeks. Plus I’ll probably throw in some stuff I haven’t worked on at all.

What's been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
Waiting to start! Once I had the name of the show I just wanted to do it straight away. I’m very impatient and get bored easily.

Who is your biggest comedy rival - and why? Currently it’s my 14 year old son, he loves his comedy, is better at voices than me and he has more energy. He’s tried out for the Class Comedians programme a couple of times but he’s too young yet to go through.

Who's your biggest comedy friend - and why?
Jeremy Corbett. Much as I mock him on 7Days he’s a great sounding board for ideas as we have a similar sense of humour and love silliness more than anything.

Which show is your must see?
Well I’d be an idiot if I didn’t say mine wouldn’t I?

Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival?
Thai food, couple of beers, then cram in a 7pm show, then an 8.30, then a 10pm and then a Late’n’Live.

What goes through your mind, the minute before the curtain goes up?
Did I go to the toilet?

What about when you are on stage?
I should have gone to the toilet.

How easily distracted are you?
Sorry, I was outside riding my bike, what?

Give us your comedy dream line up:
MC Tim Shadbolt followed by Craig Campbell, Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, Eddie Izzard and a baby called Charlie who bites his brother’s finger.

Just finally, where will you be in 5 years time?
About to open my new show ‘Phenomenuts’

Comedy Fest Q&A - Cori Gonzalez-Macuer

Comedy Fest Q&A - Cori Gonzalez-Macuer

1. Tell us the name of your show:

Hell Will Be Easier

2. Which came first - the show name or the content?

Name. Still working on the content.

3. C'mon be honest...

4. Any other working titles for the show?

Hell Would Be Easier, Hell Should Be Easier. I was on a roll that day.

5. How long - honestly - have you been working on this?

Probably a few months.

6. What's been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?

I haven't done a festival show for 3 years so i have a lot of material to go from. Figuring out if some of it is still topical is always a struggle. Went through a stage last year where i wrote a lot of material on Grumpy Cat who, it turns out, no one cares about anymore.

7. Who is your biggest comedy rival - and why?

Probably myself. If i put my mind to it I know I could be pretty good but I'm lazy and never really took comedy seriously enough. Hoping this show changes that.

8. Who's your biggest comedy friend - and why?

There's a lot of them. It's a pretty tight community but since I moved to Wellington i kinda lost touch with some people. I don't want to mention my favourites in case someone unfriends me on Facebook tomorrow.

9. Which show is your must see?

Brendhan Lovegrove is probably my favourite comedian in NZ,  Also went overseas at the start of the year to some film festivals with Rhys Darby,Jonny Brugh and Jackie Van Beek so I'm keen to see their shows from what they told me about them.

10. Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival?

In Wellington, go to Sweet Mothers Kitchen for dinner, go to a show then finish the night at one of the late shows at San Fran Bathouse. In Auckland, go Tanukis Cave, go to the Classic for a show then again, pick a late show. Heaps of local celebs hang out at the Classic so if you're into celeb spotting, i suggest hanging out there. I saw the girl from the Big Save Furniture ads there once.

11. What goes through your mind, the minute before the curtain goes up?

I hope I don't fuck this up. I hope there's  people there. I hope no one i knows is in the front row. I need to vomit.

12. What about when you are on stage?

Same as 11 but a bit more spewy

13. how easily distracted are you?

Very. I don't deal well with people talking during my shows. Instead of a witty comeback i either get angry or storm off.

14. Give us your comedy dream line up: 

Flight of the Conchords, Seinfeld, Steven Wright

15. Just finally, where will you be in 5 years time?

Married with kids, living in Glen Innes or something. Dream big.