Jason Bradbury

I filmed this before and after last night’s London Natal demo for my games column on five.tv/gadgetshow

If, like me, you’ve been waiting for every measly snippet of news about Microsoft’s potentially game changing Xbox 360 add-on, these three words will mean an awful lot to you: ‘I’VE PLAYED NATAL!!!!’ I’ll get straight to the point - while the demo rig I used has already been superseded by advances on the latest gen prototypes, it rocked my world. IT ROCKED MY WORLD, PEOPLE! It’s not bang on - you move a hand rather than a finger with this version of the hardware but there is an exactness to the experience that is missing from those waves of your Wii-mote and a kinetic connection to the action on screen. I played the bouncy ball demo. I now want a full on Kung-fu smack-down and gestural control of my movie collection.

With the right developers, we could be talking about a paradigm shift in our living rooms come release before Christmas 2010 (not actually sure what that means, but it’s late, I’m tired and I’m excited!)

Tired of planting Claymores and calling in UAV’s? Okay, neither am I – but there is an alternative. 1 vs 100 is definitely worth a bash, if you’re looking for a completely new experience from your Xbox 360.

1 vs 100 is a free to download quiz game from Xbox Live. Unlike most games, it’s organised into scheduled shows but there are a fair amount of quiz event’s to play every night. All planned shows can be found easily in the 1 vs 100 tier on your dashboard and here you can also set reminders.

The format of each show is simple: you have the crowd, which mops up most users and you have the mob, where one-hundred lucky people are selected to take part. And there’s THE CHOSEN ONE! That solitary, blessed user, gets to go up against a whole hundred people in a brain melting fight for fame and prizes. Yes, prizes! The most exciting thing about 1 vs 100 is the fact that you get to win stuff. There are chances to win actual TV’s and even holidays, and there is a whole heap of Microsoft Points to be won, which 360 owners will know can be spent in the market place.

The question and answer structure of a show follows the expected TV quiz show format - you are presented with a question and three answers. Interestingly, It’s not just answering questions correctly that is important, there are bonus points available if you can answer quicker than other players. Indeed, there are numerous ways of earning points, improving your rank and enhancing your chances of eventually joining the 100 or even being the much vaunted 1 in subsequent shows. And there’s something called ‘Amping’, the process open to all players of unlocking groovy dance moves for your avatar to use. As trivial as these pep ups may seem, like the ‘perks’ system in Call of Duty Modern: Modern Warfare 2, they contribute to a gaming experience based around reward and loyalty and are extremely effective at keeping players coming back for more.

1 vs 100 is clearly trying to open up the Xbox Live experience – shows are normally hosted in the evening, so they are accessible to families & working-folk, as well as Live’s usual hardcore online crowd.

One thing is for sure, 1 vs 100 is a bold experiment – a video game that’s more like the Family Fortunes TV show than traditional gaming fare - and if not for any other reason than that, you should give it a go. You never know, you could even end up as the chosen 1!

Written for Jason by Corporal Kitty

Bayonetta (Xbox 360) is an epic and fast paced Action game directed by Mr Hideki Kamiya, creator of Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. It offers a huge leap forward in the genre and the game is packed full of detail and anime gore. Bayonetta is also matched with a cowboy-bebop style sound track, which creates a rhythm to the game and a gives it a catchy charm.

This is a game that assaults the player with its over the top characters and an incredible fighting system; the game will certainly entertain you but will also challenge your combat skills until you shout like a maniac at your TV. There is a short introductory chapter to ease you into gameplay basics but the game overall is very fast-paced so prepare to learn and adapt swiftly. Your progress is marked by chapters and verses - but the object of the game is to proceed through the awesome free-roam chapters, solving puzzles, collecting items, fighting the demonic and angelic monsters, to achieve a high enough score to acquire ever ascending medals.

There is a range of customisation features to explore which relate to Bayonetta’s arm and leg weapon slots. Also, Halo’s need to be collected and can be swapped for a range of upgrades and accessories at a store located at The Gates of Hell. These open up more for you to enjoy in the shape of exuberant fighting techniques and draw you ever deeper into Bayonetta’s universe.

After completion the first time around, you can try Bayonetta on harder difficulties but keep your weapons and items, which is cool. In Normal mode there are a lot more goodies to nab and more secrets to hunt, so many in fact, you’ll end up feeling sickly with Bayonetta stash. I’ve played this game for twenty-four hours now (& I’ve only had it five days) and its own brand of visual style and kinky action are so very addictive, you’d better be prepared to lose a good chunk of your personal life to this the bespectacled temptress.

Not only does Bayonetta deliver an amazing combat experience with insane visuals, it also offers an intriguing storyline. It revolves around two clans who harness the power of light and dark and who are pushed into a devastating war by unfortunate circumstance. The story can be messy at times, which can be confusing, but overall, it’s a masterpiece; even the most psychotic parts of the narrative tie-in with the overall story arc.

This game has been weaved together exquisitely and the stranger elements - music and quirky dialogue - come together perfectly to create a unique and bloody tale. I am a huge anime fan and this game appealed to every side of my fetish.

A nutty storyline and huge amounts of gameplay detail make this an unmissable Action title.

Written for Jason by Corporal Kitty

Thanks to team behind my Gadget Show games review page for getting me a preview copy of Tony Hawk’s: Ride with the much anticipated board peripheral. What you see in this review is my first five minutes of play. The hardware board has had mixed reviews online, which I have to say I understand; it’s not perfect, but as you’ll see from my brief experience with it, you can ollie and you can rail slide - first time! It’s no hardcore simulation, but as a fun, physical addition to the skating game genre, I think it’s successful. Enjoy!

This is crazy good!!! Created by Joseph Nickson ( aka Blesshiscottonsocks), a young guy who I featured on my blog a month or so ago is this Line Rider tribute to my book, Dot Robot. Trust me, creating this driveable track in the game Line Rider, is incredibly complex. This guy is a young video-gaming Leonardo Da Vinci! Breathtaking work Joseph!

Also available to view in YouTube in HD!

I received an email from a young guy called Joseph Nickson ( aka Blesshiscottonsocks). He read my review of Line Rider on my Gadget Show gaming page and wanted to share his latest Line Rider creation. When I saw Joseph’s work, I was blown away. Enjoy.

Click here for HD version.