Oscar nominations 2014

Below is a list of the Oscar nominations for 2014:

BEST PICTURE
"12 Years a Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Captain Phillips"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Gravity"
"Her"
"Nebraska"
"Philomena"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale for "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern for "Nebraska"
Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Chiwetel Ejiofer for "12 Years a Slave"
Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams for "American Hustle"
Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock for "Gravity"
Judi Dench for "Philomena"
Meryl Streep for "August: Osage County"

DIRECTING
Alfonso Cuarón for "Gravity"
Steve McQueen for "12 Years a Slave"
Alexander Payne for "Nebraska"
David O. Russell for "American Hustle"
Martin Scorsese for "The Wolf of Wall Street"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Barkhad Abdi for "Captain Phillips"
Bradley Cooper for "American Hustle"
Michael Fassbender for "12 Years a Slave"
Jonah Hill for "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Jared Leto for "Dallas Buyers Club"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Hawkins for "Blue Jasmine"
Jennifer Lawrence for "American Hustle"
Lupita Nyong'o for "12 Years a Slave"
Julia Roberts for "August: Osage County"
June Squibb for "Nebraska"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Broken Circle Breakdown" - Belgium
"The Great Beauty" - Italy
"The Hunt" - Denmark
"The Missing Picture" - Cambodia
"Omar" - Palestine

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Ernest and Celestine"
"Frozen"
"The Wind Rises"

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
"12 Years a Slave" by John Ridley
"Before Midnight" by Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater
"Captain Phillips" by Billy Ray
"Philomena" by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
"The Wolf of Wall Street" by Terence Winter

SCREENPLAY (Original)
"American Hustle" by David O. Russell and Eric Singer
"Blue Jasmine" by Woody Allen
"Dallas Buyers Club" by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
"Her" by Spike Jonze
"Nebraska" by Bob Nelson

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bruno Delbonnel for "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Philippe Le Sourd for "The Grandmaster"
Emmanuel Lubezki for "Gravity"
Phedon Papamichael for "Nebraska"
Roger Deakins for "Prisoners"

COSTUME DESIGN
William Chang Suk Ping for "The Grandmaster"
Catherine Martin for "The Great Gatsby"
Michael O'Connor for "The Invisible Woman"
Patricia Norris for "12 Years a Slave"
Michael Wilkinson for "American Hustle"

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"20 Feet from Stardom"
"The Act of Killing"
"Cutie and the Boxer"
"Dirty Wars"
"The Square"

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"Cavedigger"
"Facing Fear"
"Karama Has No Walls"
"The Lady in Number 6"
"Prison Terminal"

FILM EDITING
"12 Years a Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Captain Phillips"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Gravity"

MAKEUP
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"
"The Lone Ranger"

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
John Williams for "The Book Thief"
Steven Price for "Gravity"
William Butler and Owen Pallett for "Her"
Alexandre Desplat for "Philomena"
Thomas Newman for "Saving Mr. Banks"

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
'Alone Yet Not Alone' from "Alone Yet Not Alone"
'Happy' from "Despicable Me 2"
'Let It Go' from "Frozen"
'The Moon Song' from "Her"
'Ordinary Love' from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"

PRODUCTION DESIGN
"12 Years a Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Great Gatsby"
"Her"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Feral"
"Get a Horse"
"Mr. Hublot"
"Possessions"
"Room on the Broom"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"Aquel No Era Yo" (That Wasn't Me)
"Avant Que De Tout Perde" (Just Before Losing Everything)
"Helium"
"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?" (Do I Have To Take Care of Everything)
"The Voorman Problem"

SOUND EDITING
"All is Lost"
"Captain Phillips"
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Lone Survivor"

SOUND MIXING
"Captain Phillips"
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Lone Survivor"

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Iron Man 3"
"The Lone Ranger"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"

As is my normal practice, I shall post my predictions shortly before the awards and then rank the results idc.

2013 Review

 2013 Review

This is well, WELL, overdue. I normally finish this by the end of the year, but partially due to internet issues this has been delayed. I have also slightly shortened his to just cover my top films and games of the year will little else in the way of details... anyway...

Another year and another yearly review. So without further introductions:

Films

Top 3 films of 2013

Gravity

This is my top film of the year and I’m hoping that it is also recognized come the Oscars in 2014, as it certainly deserves all the awards that can be thrown at it.

In the past I have been very wary of 3D films, but some film have recently (whilst not completely) slightly converted me, and Gravity is one of the very best uses of 3D in cinema. It is a very simple and short film, but watching it in the cinema (even our pitiful local cinema) was breathtaking.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This seems to be a bit of a surprising entry into my top 3 films of the year, especially in view of the fact that I had a lukewarm response to the first film. This second film was, in my opinion, head and shoulders above the original.

It was an extremely dark film for a 12a rated film, prompting me to ask my son (age 10) on several occasions if he was ok during the first half of the film. It also tackled my very current issues surprisingly well, whilst still remaining a very entertaining film.

Django Unchained

It took me an age to watch this, after numerous failed attempts to watch it. In the end it was worth the wait, and is not only a great Tarantino film, but also a great Western as well. I just hope that Tarantino directs yet another western next (as he has recently indicated), as Hollywood needs more westerns of this calibre.

Games

Top 3 games on 2012

Persona 4: Golden

This was my first introduction to the Persona series and since playing this I have also now played Persona 3 portable (PSP) and also have Persona 2 to play at some point. Persona 5 (when eventually released) is also now one of my most anticipated games, despite knowing next to anything at all about it. That probably gives and indication of how much I am now taken by the series.

The fact that the series is based in a Japanese High School during a standard school year and not the typical Fantasy/Sci-Fi setting sets this apart from most RPG's. I also think that the mixture between the persona collection (which has similarities to Pokemon) and typical JRPG gameplay is genius and compelling.

A fantastic game the gripped me from beginning to end.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

I love the Advance Wars games (also from Intelligence Systems), but had never played any of the Fire Emblem games prior to this. I am now a convert. This is now my most played game on the 3DS (ignoring Animal Crossing – but that has been played more by Roz than me), with over 80 hours put into this.

A fantastic strategy game with a surprising marriage mechanic, which ensure that you do not want to let any characters die under any circumstances, and also due to the fact that time travel is involved, means that you get to see how the offspring of your characters turns out, who can also be called into the scenario.

The Last of Us

The Uncharted games from Naughty Dog have always been great, but it is good to see an original property from this game developer.

It could be easy to quickly consider this as an average post apocalyptic adventure that you see so often in games, but it is the relationships in the game and the bleak and desperate management of resources, together with the scrabble to survive which elevates this.

The best game on the PS3 during the year and very possible the best game overall during the year.

I really need to find some time to play through this another time before the first story DLC is released (which is a must buy)

Notable mentions:

Super Mario 3D World

A joy to play, and very almost made it into my top 3.

Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag

I didn’t like AC3, but this is a completely different kettle of fish (and whales and sharks). The best game so far on my PS4.

Remember Me

A game from my PS+ subscription which really surprised me.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

A great throwback to A Link to the Past

Note: Posted as 31/12/13 - but finalised much later than this

Most anticipated games of 2014 (and beyond)

Most anticipated games of 2014 (and beyond)

So here we are again, at this time of year I like to think ahead to the coming year (and perhaps beyond), to games which are on the horizon which I am looking forward to and then list these in order to determine my most anticipated games.

Starting from 10 to 1:

10. Watch Dogs (Multi)

I like many others was amazed by the demonstration of this back in E3 of 2012, and for me this was the reason for a next-gen system. It was somewhat of a disappointment that this was pushed back at the last minute from the launch of the next-gen systems.

I’m hoping that the delay allows them to shine up a good game into a truly great game.

9. Final Fantasy XV (Multi)

The game previously known as Final Fantasy XIII Versus.

This looks to be quite the departure from the Final Fantasy formula, not that I think that this is a bad thing. My feelings are that Final Fantasy has lost its touch since Final Fantasy IX (with Final Fantasy XII being the exception to this – but I know that many people feel differently to me on this).

I just hope that the gameplay is on par with the striking cinematics!

8. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)

This is still a bright spark in the announced games for the Wii U and it can’t come out soon enough. I’m just hoping that Nintendo can be persuaded to arrange for the original Bayonetta to also be released for the Wii U, a double bundle would be especially nice.

7. Infamous: Second Son (PS4)

Two of my favourite games from the previous generation were Infamous and its sequel and as such, I am excited to see how the next game shapes up on the PS4. The brief snippets shown so far have been very promising and seeing as it is due out in March 2014, there isn’t too much of a wait.

6. Monolith X game (WiiU)

I was a huge fan of Xenoblade and firmly believe that it was the best RPG of the prior generation and also one of the best games on the Wii. It’s one failing was that the graphics of the Wii did not meet the scope of the game, and this looks to be rectified by the next game by Monolith which is due out on the Wii U and as such can benefit from HD resolution.

From what has been shown so far, this looks to have similar elements to Xenoblade, but also involve mechs that you can control (rather than them being solely the antagonists of the previous game).

5. Uncharted 4 (PS4)

So far very little has been shown of this game, but every game that has come out of Naughty Dog the last 7 years has been absolute genius and I’m really looking forward to next-gen entry into this fantastic series.

Based solely on the previous output, this has made it to number 5.

4. Persona 5 (PS3)

Next to nothing has been shown of this game and it has in fact only just been officially announced, with a release date (in Japan at least) of the end of 2014.

During 2013 I have just started to get into the Persona games, having played both Persona 3 and Persona 4: Golden during the year, and it has to be said that they are now amongst my favourite JRPG’s going.

It’s a bit of a shame that they are being released solely on PS3 and not next gen systems, as there is a fear that by the time that it is released that it may be ignored because of this (which is effectively what happened to Persona 4 on release).

3. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Multi)

The fact that this has been split between The Phantom Pain and Ground Zero’s has meant that my anticipation of this game has dropped slightly (I hate it when they purposely split films in half to make more money, e.g. Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2, and the same applies to games).

As a fan of the series, I’m still looking forward to this coming out on PS4 and will likely (price dependant) end up buying both entries. There is no doubt in my mind, that this is looking to be a fantastic game (or 2 games)

2. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)

I have always been a very big fan of the Mario Kart series and Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS is the pinnacle so far. There may have been numerous other kart racers released, but nothing has ever matched the precision and the playability of the Mario Kart series.

I’m also proud of the fact that this is the one game that I can put my hand on heart and state that I am truly good at. There may be other players out there that are better than me, but I think that in general, this is one game series where I am amongst the better players.

What I have seen so far of Mario Kart 8 seems to suggest a slight blend with the F-Zero series, which is fine with me considering that Nintendo seems to have otherwise ignored this series since the Gamecube days. Overall, this looks cracking so far and I’m really looking forward to this.

1. The Last Guardian (PS4 - probably)

This game has been on my list of most anticipated games for 4 years previous to this (at times at the very top of the list). Recent hints have suggested that this may be moving to the PS4, which makes sense as I believe that the game was likely too ambitious for the PS3.

The sense of mystery as to what the hell is happening to this game has only heightened my interest. Surely this has to come out by the end of 2014!

I have nagging doubt that the end result may not live up to the anticipation of this game, but considering the fact that both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus were two of the finest games ever conceived (in my opinion) this has a lot riding on it.

Other games which I am interested in, which did not make the list:

Fire Emblem Vs Shin Megami Tensei (WiiU)

Mirror’s Edge (Multi)

Disgaea 4 Vita (PSVita)

Half Life 2: Episode 3 / Half Life 3 (Multi – hopefully)

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS)

The Division (Multi)

The Order:1886 (PS4)

Oscar predictions - my results

Unlike previous years, I don't think that I'll post all of the Oscar result (after all these are readily available just about everywhere).

What I will confirm, however, our how my predictions went:

Predictions correct: 12

Predictions incorrect: 9

As such, this give me a total of a 57% success ratio. Better than 50%, which I always aim for, but it still could have been better..

Changes to predictions

Just a very brief post to state that I have made 3 slight changes to my Oscar predictions this year, which are reflected in the previous post. Both the changed prediction, and that made by me previously have been shown.

Oscar Predictions 2013

Well here they are!

Only a few more weeks to find out how right or wrong I am...


Best Motion Picture of the Year

Prediction:

Change:

ARGO

I cannot get around the fact that I believe that Lincoln was a terrible film and as such I have gone with my gut on this and changed my prediction. Although I have not seen Argo, it is likely the film after Lincoln that is likely to win and as such, I have gone with this.

Previously:

Lincoln (2012): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy

I really, really want Les Miserables to win best picture, but as much as I want this to happen, I have to face the facts that this is unlikely to happen. Unfortunately, Les Miserables has somewhat of a Marmite effect, it’s something that you either really like, or just don’t get at all. The audience who have enjoyed the stage musical seem to have taken to it, but I don’t think that it has had a big enough impression (in America at least) in order to secure a win.

Argo, probably has a chance, but the Director snub goes against this, Zero Dark Thirty also has a chance, but the controversy around the depiction of torture goes against this.

Ultimately, seeing as this is an America ceremony, I think that this will go to Lincoln (despite my thoughts on the film).

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Prediction:

Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln (2012)

Although I didn’t like Lincoln, there’s no doubting that Daniel-Day-Lewis did a great job in it and I think that he is going to make it a hat-trick (pun intended).

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Prediction:

Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

There is a chance that Jessica Chastain may get this (and in my opinion would be the person I would give this to for her performance in Zero Dark Thirty), but there seems to be a lot of Hollywood love for Jennifer Lawrence these last 2 years, and I see this going to her.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Prediction:

Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln (2012)

There is a slight chance that this may go to Christoph Waltz, but I’m betting on Tommy Lee Jones, who was one of the few redeeming elements of Lincoln.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Prediction:

Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2012)

If this goes to anyone else, it will be a crime of epic proportions.

Best Achievement in Directing

Prediction:

Steven Spielberg for Lincoln (2012)

Although I don’t believe that it is deserved (for Lincoln at least), I think that this is Spielberg’s.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Prediction:

Django Unchained (2012): Quentin Tarantino

This is between Amour, Django and Zero Dark Thirty. I’m betting on Django Unchained, because as much as Hollywood are sometimes wary of Tarantino as a director, they often respect his writing skills.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Prediction:

Change:

ARGO

in view of the fact that I have changed my best picture prediction, I have also amended this category as well.

Previously:

Life of Pi (2012): David Magee

Both Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook are probably the frontrunners here, but I think the fact that Life of Pi is a higher regarded book, and also the fact that this was a good adaptation may go in its favour.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Prediction:

Wreck-It Ralph (2012): Rich Moore

This is a very tough one to call. I would love this to go to The Pirates, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this might go to Wreck-It-Ralph.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Prediction:

Amour (2012)(Austria)

As this is the only foreign film which is in the best film category as well, this is pretty much a given in my eyes.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Prediction:

Life of Pi (2012): Claudio Miranda

I would be disappointed if this went to anything other than Life of Pi in this category.

Best Achievement in Editing

Prediction:

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

Logic would predict that this goes to Lincoln (as it is often the case that editing also goes with best picture), but I think/hope it will go to Zero Dark Thirty instead.

Best Achievement in Production Design

Prediction:

Life of Pi (2012): David Gropman, Anna Pinnock

Again I think this will go to Life of Pi.

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Prediction:

Anna Karenina (2012/I): Jacqueline Durran

Elaborate costume drama = likely win for Anna Karenina.

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Prediction:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012): Peter King, Rick Findlater, Tami Lane

Lots of beards and fake noses makes this a likely win.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Prediction:

Skyfall (2012): Thomas Newman

I’m probably going to be wrong on this one, an alternative would be Life of Pi, but maybe Hollywood will fall for the Bond anniversary...

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Prediction:

Skyfall (2012): Adele, Paul Epworth("Skyfall")

In any other year I would have gone with Les Miserables, but Suddenly was a comparably weak unnecessary song. Skyfal, however, is the best Bond theme in some time and pretty much everyone loves Adele, so this it is.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Prediction:

Les Misérables (2012): Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Simon Hayes

The use of live performances probably clinches this for Les Mis.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Prediciton:

Skyfall (2012): Per Hallberg, Karen M. Baker

A tough call between Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty, but I’ll go wit Skyfall.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Prediction:

Life of Pi (2012): Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald Elliott

The easy prediction for this would be The Avengers (in view of its popularity), but I did not feel that it did anything special with its visual effects. For Life of Pi, however, they were integral to the story and used in such a fantastic way, that I think that this is most deserving the award.

Best Documentary, Features

Prediction:

No prediction made as I do not know enough about the nominees.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

Prediction:

No prediction made as I do not know enough about the nominees.

Best Short Film, Animated

Prediction:

Change:

PAPERMAN

After seeing this before Wreck It Ralph, I have changed my prediction to this, which was absolutely fanatstic.

Previously:

The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare (2012): David Silverman

I’m probably going to be wrong on this one, but I loved this short so much that I have to include it as my prediction!

Best Short Film, Live Action

Prediction:

No prediction made as I do not know enough about the nominees.

2013 Review

Another year and another yearly review. So without further introductions:

Films

Top 3 films of 2012

Looper

I think when I went to watch this, I was expecting an action film, a good action film, but still an action film all the same. It turned out that it was a very different beast than what I was expecting, with the vast majority of the last half of the film being set in a house in the countryside.

Although it was not a perfect film and it could be easy to pick apart several aspects of it, I still believe that the premise and the execution of the film was excellent and it is certainly my favourite Sci-Fi film for many years.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight was a very tough act to follow, and to my mind at least, the Dark Knight Rises is a weaker film than the middle film in the trilogy, however this isn’t to say that it isn’t still an excellent film in its own right. What Rises has done, however is crafted an excellent finale to the trilogy, not shying away from shutting the door on this aspect of the franchise, and in that respect it does a very fine job indeed.

I have always been a big Batman fan and as such, it ticked all the right boxes for me (except maybe for Bane – whom I’ve never been fond of as a villain). Overall, however, it is an epic film that takes things at its own pace and is an enjoyable ride (for me at least) from start to finish. I also have to add that it is by far the most enjoyable cinema experience that I have had this year (watching it twice at the IMAX in London)

Pirates: An Adventure with Scientists

Probably a bit of a bizarre choice for my top 3, but my goodness this was just such an inventive and joyous film that I think that it belongs.

It has often been the case that an animated film of some sort has made it into my top 3, often from Pixar, but this year (and last) Pixar's films have not been up to their usual standards. This year, it is time for Aardman to fit the bill.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

The Avengers

A great Superhero film, but I still preferred The Dark Knight Rises.

For the life of me, I can't think of many other films that I have seen over the course of 2012 that are really that worthwhile mentioning!

Games

Top 3 games on 2012

The Walking Dead (PS3)

Without a shadow of a doubt, this has to be my top game of 2012.

There seem to have been a lot of games of late where decisions that you make during the course of the game have an effect on the outcome in one way or another (The Mass Effect games and Heavy Rain spring to mind). The Walking Dead, however played this better than most, because you really cared about the characters, and while the end result of the game may have been similar despite your actions, the ongoing interactions with the characters certainly seem to matter.

It’s quite something when I can say that this game probably exceeds both the graphics novels, and TV series that has come before it. I can also unashamedly say that this is without a doubt the game that I have been most emotionally invested in ever.

Journey (PS3)

This is a very short game. So short, that I think I finished it in a single play through. Despite this, I still believe that this belongs in my list of the top 3 games of 2012.

First of all, the fact that you share your journey with a complete stranger, where communication is very limited between the two of you is absolute genius. It’s hard to explain why, but it just fits in so well with the game

Borderlands 2 (PS3)

I played the first game to death, and the same can be said for the sequel.

This seems to iron out the few problems that existed in the first game and at the same time ramped up the humour and story (which to be honest was a little lacking in the first game). I went as far as far buying the season pass for the game and whilst I have finished the first DLC, I'm still working my way through the second (although the Wii U has distracted me).

Overall, this is the pinnacle so far of the shooter/RPG blender genre.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Gravity Rush (Vita)

Very almost made it within the top 3 games of 2012 and by far the best game available on the Vita IMHO.

ZombiU (Wii U)

The finest game from the Wii U launch line up. This is the first time in ages where there has been a proper survivor horror game out there since the likes of Resident Evil became a third person shooter. In fact it plays very much like Resident Evil 2 but from a first person perspective.

The Unfinished Swan (PS3)

Another great downloadable title for the PS3, which is also back by rather a moving story.

Mass Effect 3

A fantastic end to the game series, which had a great payoff (despite all the online moaners)

Life

A few bullet points of memorable things in my life from 2012:

• Overall I have been in good health for the year, barring a spate of Labyrinthitus (vertigo induced extended dizzy spells).
  
  
• I have (somehow) managed to get further promoted at work this year, which I have been finding somewhat of a challenge.
  
  
• I've been very proud of both Roz and Elliot over the year. Roz for the effort that she has put into establishing a charity which is clearly close to her heart and also Elliot for doing so well at school.
  
  
• I also turned 40 this year, and boy am I starting to feel it... I'm not sure if it is a psychological sign of turning 40, but I certainly have been feeling older over the course of this year.
  
  
  Our holiday in 2012 unfortunately started with us all falling foul of Flu and as such, much of LA and Las Vegas was pretty much a washout. By the time we reached San Francisco we were all feeling better and we all had a great time during the last few days of our holiday  

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Wii U review

So, I've had the Wii U for a few days now, so I thought that I would take the opportunity to post my initial thoughts.

First of all, the console itself. To be honest, there isn't really a lot to be said about the physical console, it looks very similar to the Wii, but slightly longer and black (I have the premium model). The focus is really on the controller and as such, I shall cover that is greater detail.

When I first took hold of the controller my initial impression was that it seemed smaller than I'd imagined it would be, secondly it felt much lighter than I'd imagined. Although the screen is smaller than that of the iPad, and the resolution is just 480p, the quality is still excellent and more than sufficient when playing games solely off of the controller. The placement of the control sticks and buttons takes a little while to get used to, but after a whole it becomes second nature. Overall then, I have been very impressed with the controller and the console so far.

I have to mention the fact that the Wii U requires a large firmware update before you can use all the functions. This comes in at approx 1gb to download and will probably take around 1-2 hours to download. You can if you wish, when asked by the Wii U, cancel the download initially, then this will download automatically in the background, allowing you to spend the first few hour of your console experience playing games, rather than watching a progress bar. This is not very clear in the text shown by Nintendo and as such a good many people have been frustrated by this initial setup. Luckily, it was all fine for me, but all the same, it is not an ideal start and it is something that Nintendo really should have had in place when releasing the Wii U.

The really killer app with the Wii U (besides the unique controller) has to be Miiverse. This is installed following the firmware update and is the Nintendo social network that runs alongside the Wii U. It comes across as a mixture of Twitter, pictochat and a forum and works very well. I've also been very pleasantly surprised that so far there has not been any negative sides to Miiverse (such as online trolls and the normal idiots that you often find online). Instead Nintendo seem to have fostered a very positive community with Miiverse, and I hope that this continues. An example that I would give would be that I was struggling with a particular enemy in the Zelda minigame in Nintendoland, so pressed the home button, went into Miiverse and posted asking for help (including a screenshot showing where I was struggling), within minutes, I'd already received a few helpful replies. So overall I have been very impressed with Miiverse as well as the creativity of some of the artwork posted on this.

There has been some debate as to the actual power of the Wii U when compared to the PS3 and 360. From my experience I would say that the graphics do exceed that of the PS3, but only marginally so (I can't really comment in relation to the 360). So not a huge leapt, but then again I'm not someone who is craving anything that much more at present and as such, this hasn't been an issue for me in the slightest.

A quick note on the games that I have played.

Nintendoland - I have to say that I didn't have that high expectations for his and if it wasn't included with the premium pack, I probably wouldn't have bothered with it. I have however found that I have been very pleasantly surprised. There is a good mix of games included, all of which make good use of the different game pad functions. It is great on your own, but even better with a group of people. An essential purchase with the Wii U.

New Super Mario U - I have only played a bit of this so far, as I am saving this to play together with my family, but what I have played so far had been great fun. If you enjoyed that Wii version, I would also recommend this.

ZombiU - This is how Survivor horror games used to be. It's hard, very hard. This, however is a good thing, just don't go into it expecting your regular FPS, this is more like the old Resident Evil games but from a first perspective view. It also makes excellent use of the controller. So if you are looking for an old school difficult game, which is inventive and interesting, I'd also recommend this.

Sonic Racing - Got this as part of a bundle, but wasn't very impressed, as such returned it quickly and instead got:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - I haven't played a COD game in ages, but what I have played of this so far has impressed me. The campaign seems impressive and online works smoothly, the only complaint that I would say is that the online community is not as large as the other 2 consoles, but then again the Wii U is only just out. If you haven't go this yet and are interested, I can confirm that it works a treat on the Wii U.

Nano Assault Neo - a great twin stick shooter. Reminds me very much of Super Stardust, and that is good praise indeed.

Trine 2 Director's Cut - Have only had a quick go of this do far, but boy are the graphics impressive. It also seems to make good use of the gamepad. I'm really looking forward to putting more time into this.

I haven't mentioned yet, but the ability to be able to play a large percentage of the games without using a TV is also a killer feature. Should my wife wish to watch TV whilst I am playing, this is not an issue at all, I can just continue playing on the gamepad. I can see that this would be a huge bonus for most families.

So that's it, my initial impressions. To sum up, I would say that I have been very impressed so far. Once more Nintendo are doing there own thing, the console is certainly unique and different and I can't wait to see how developers utilise this further down the line.

Most anticipated games of 2013 (and beyond)

It is around this time of year that I tend to do a post detailing my most anticipated games of the following year. It has come to my attention however, that these games have often not come out in the year that I had anticipated they would, or even not at all (I’m looking at you The Last Guardian, and also you Final Fantasy Versus). As such, I have changed this to a list of my most anticipated games for 2013 (hopefully) or beyond.

Starting from 10 to 1:

10. Bioshock Infinite (Multi)

I loved Bioshock, and also Bioshock 2 (although I know many didn’t) and this game looks to improve further with the formula. Hopfully there shouldn’t be too much longer to find out exactly how great this game could be.

9. Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

Whilst GTA4 may not have been as good as the previous games in the series (IMHO), the DLC for it seemed to learn from its mistakes and invest a little fun into the proceedings. GTA5 however looks to be very ambitious and also, hopefully equally fun to play.

Very little is known about the game at present, but I’m still really looking forward to it.

8. Animal Crossing 3DS (3DS)

Unfortunately this missed the 2013 expected release date, although it is being released very early in 2013 in Japan. It seems like ages since I have played an Animal Crossing game and to be fair I only really got stuck into the Gamecube version, but this seems like such a good fit for the 3DS (especially including Streetpass functionality). It’s also good to see that there have been a few notable changes to the standards in the game which should make for a more refreshing Animal Crossing experience.

7. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS)

Take two franchise that I really love, mix them together and you get this gem of a title. Whilst I may favour the more traditional Ace Attorney 5, this still looks like a fantastic game, even if it may still be a little while until it comes to the West.

6. Ni No Kuni (PS3)

I’ve been looking forward to this for a few years now, and it will finally be released in January of 2013. After the missteps made by Square-Enix on Final Fantasy XIII, and the fact that Dragon Quest X has turned into a MMO, this is the one true traditional JRPG still standing. The fact that it is also created in conjunction with Studio Ghibli (and looks absolutely gorgeous as a result) is also a big bonus.

5. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)

This was the real surprise when Nintendo announced the price and release dates for the Wii U, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Nintendo would announce that Bayonetta 2 would be released exclusively for the Wii U. The fact that Bayonetta 2 is being released at all is fantastic, and it would seem that the only reason that this is coming to fruition is that Nintendo have backed this, when previously Sega backed out of agreeing to publish.

This, more than anything, is an attempt by Nintendo to show that the Wii U can appeal to the hardcore audience as well as the casual audience, and I for one, more than welcome its presence.

4. Ace Attorney 5 (3DS)

It feels like an age since I last played an Ace Attorney game with Phoenix Wright as a lead. The forth Ace Attorney game featured Apollo Justice, and whilst good, did not live up to the first 3 games. The fact that this is also now running on improved hardware on the 3DS is also a bonus. Overall, this has got to be my most anticipated handheld game of (hopefully) 2013.

3. The Last Guardian (PS3)

This game has been on my list of most anticipated games for 3 years previous to this (at time at the very top of the list). I am honestly starting to question whether it will ever be released at all, or whether it will skip the PS3 and instead head for the PS4!

I cannot deny that the stories of development difficulties and staff members leaving the project hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm a little, but after ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, how can I not still be excited about this game!

2. The Last of Us (PS3)

The Uncharted games have been the absolute highlights on the PS3 and this game looks to be just as good, but with a more realistic edge than any of the games in the Uncharted series.

Naughty Dog seem to be putting their all into this, and the fact that this is being developed by the team who produced Uncharted 2 (the best in the series) certainly shows. I just hope that it lives up to its promise.

1. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (Multi)

I have recently been replaying through all of the Metal Gear solid games and have been loving every moment of them (well maybe not so much the extended ending on Metal Gear solid 4). Then I saw the trailer for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and that totally blew me away.

My only suspicion is that the graphics shown really don’t look like they will run on the current generation of consoles and as such, this game may be pushed back until the PS4/Xbox 720 is released. Either way, this is now my most anticipated game.


Other games that I’m looking forward to, that didn’t quite make the list:

Tomb Raider (Multi)

Fire Emblem 3DS (3DS)

Aliens: Colonial Marines (Multi)

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (3DS)

Final Fantasy XIII Versus (PS3)

Half Life 2: Episode 3 / Half Life 3 (Multi – hopefully)

Tearaway (Vita)

Persona 4: The Golden (Vita)

Dragon Quest X (Wii/WiiU)

Rayman Legends (WiiU)

There are of course also a number of unknown factors.

- Only games over the launch window up to the end of March 2013 have been announced for the Wii U so far, and I would anticipate that Nintendo would be aiming to get a few strong first party games out by the end of 2013 (most likely a 3D Mario game and also something from Retro – a new Metroid Prime game please).

- It is not clear yet when the next consoles from Sony and Microsoft will be launched, but this may also be by the end of 2013, in which case there would likely be some strong launch games to support these consoles.

E3 predictions 2012

E3 2011 predictions

Okay, E3 is now less than a month away and as such, I thought that it was about time that I start making my predictions... So here goes

(I must state again that I have both Nintendo and Sony products, not Microsoft, as such, for this year I haven’t made predictions for Microsoft.)

Nintendo

For Wii:
- Next to nothing will be announced for Wii, this will be ignored. An announcement of Pandora’s Tower for the US is a possibility, together with a few other small games, but other than this, not much.
- A further price cut for the existing Wii

For 3DS:
- Footage for New Super Mario Bros 2 will be shown.
- There will be an announcement of a new Zelda game coming out, which will either be a brand new release, or a 3DS version of either A Link to the Past or Majora’s Mask.
- Footage will be shown of Monster Hunter 4.
- There will be no redesign for the 3DS (at present, this will be next year).
- Further footage will be shown of other games due for release, such as Luigi’s Mansion 2, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario and Fire Emblem.
- The 3DS will be integrated into a new online service (akin to Xbox Live and PSN) with the launch of the WiiU.
- DLC is announced for both Mario Kart 7 and also Mario 3D Land, with indications that there will also be DLC for other Nintendo games (such as Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing).
- A number of new games developed for the e-shop will be shown.
- The new game in the Brain Age/Brain Training series will be shown.

For Wii U:
- Wii U will be confirmed as the final name for the system (although the logo for Wii U will be changed.
- The console and the controller design will be changed from that shown at E3 2011. The controller will look sleeker and the console will look different enough to the Wii to distance itself from the prior generation.
- A worldwide release date is given, but not a price.
- I’m hoping that they announce that the console with be backwards compatible with both the Wii and gamecube and convert games to 720p or 1080p (which would be fantastic).
- It will be announced that the console will allow you to transfer all virtual console and Wiiware from the Wii.
- There will be a proper online service akin to Xbox Live and PSN and this will also be tied in with the 3DS friend code. Speaking of which, there will be none of the stupid friend code per game nonsense of the Wii. It is also a possibility that the online service may be connected to, or integrate with either Steam or EA Origin.
- Some form if trophies/achievement system is incorporated with the Wii U.
- A trailer will be shown for Pikmin 3 for the Wii U and this will also be playable (and look great in HD).
- Retro Studio’s will announce their next game for Wii U as a new Metroid Prime game.
- A trailer will be shown for the Wii U version of Smash Bros, although this will be very early on in development.
- Eternal Darkness 2 is announced.
- Footage is shown of Dragon Quest X running on the Wii U.
- Footage of a New Super Mario game (2D) is shown.
- Either a brand new F-Zero, or a brand new Starfox (more likely) game is shown.
- A brand new IP from Miyamoto is shown.
- There will be a great deal of support from some third parties, most notably the likes of EA, Ubisoft and Capcom.
- A fair few games will be shown to use near field communication to convert figures into in-game icons. One of these games will be Smash Bros.
- Footage will be shown of Aliens: Colonial Marines

Sony

For PS3:
- Extended service for Playstation Plus or a revised tiered service for customers will be announced.
- A further trailer for The Last of Us will be shown, with in game footage.
- There will be a further price drop announcement.
- Agent (Rockstar) will finally be shown (come on – surely).
- Nothing will be shown in relation to the Playstation 4/Orbis, other than perhaps a mention that they are currently working on developing next generation hardware.
- A new trailer will be shown for The Last Guardian, and a release date will be given as Holiday 2012 (it has to come out eventually!)
- New Footage will be shown of Little Big Planet Karting, God of Ware: Ascention and Playstation All Stars (together with an updated roster).
- A greater selection of PS2 downloadable classics will be announced, together with the fact that they can also be played on the Vita.
- There will be much less mention of Playstation Move then there has been the last 2 years.

For Vita:
- It will be announced that Resident Evil: Revelations is being ported to the Vita.
- A new Dissidia: Final Fantasy game will be announced.
- A Monster Hunter game will be announced or Sony will show a game developed internally which closely resembles Monster Hunter.
- New games in the Locoroco and Patapon series will be announced.
- New footage and a release date will be given for Little Big Planet on the Vita.
- A greater selection of PS2 downloadable classics will be announced, together with the fact that they can also be played on the Vita.
- An update will be announced for the Vita, allowing the emulation of PSOne game and PS2 games.
- Either a price drop, or a new console package (including a game or games) will be announced.
- A remake of Final Fantasy VII is announced for the Vita and will be shown together with the previously announced Final Fantasy X.

Multi platform

- A new trailer and launch date will be announced for GTA V (probably just ahead of E3).
- A new (fantastic) trailer is shown for Bioshock: Infinite
- A new trailer will be shown for Borderlands 2 (which will continue to look incredible).
- A new trailer and demo is shown for Tomb Raider, showing much more of the game than that shown previously.
- Mirror Edge 2 is announced (because it HAS to happen)
- Final Fantasy XV will be announced, which will be a single player game and also will have an old-school Final Fantasy look to it.
- The new multiplatform game from Bungie (a FPS) is announced.
- A new Burnout game will be announced by EA, and this will be akin to the Burnout’s of old rather than Paradise (i.e. similar to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit).
- There is news (and a tentative release date) for the next Half Life game (despite what Valve have said). They also state that they have scrapped episode 3 and instead will be incorporating this into Half Life 3 (fingers crossed).