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A brief look at the Nintendo 3DS

April 29, 2011 By

A 3D screen that requires no glasses. Ironically, that is against a market backdrop that is seeing Sony throw 3D at everything it produces aside from the NGP.

 Look, we do not make the guidelines. The 3DS uses autostereoscopy to allot different parts of its graphical output to different parts of the screen and make a 3-dimensional effect. It is a depth-of-field trick, and there’s no argument that it’s totally provoking. Landscapes withdraw la Avatar instead of jumping out at you like Captain Eo. This is put to best use on the pre-installed augmented-reality games, which incorporate your environment into the action through the exterior cameras. As you shoot malevolent encroaching commuters as they appear magically from the Tube doors, you realize the device’s potential. Nevertheless the 3-dimensional appearance, which can on occasion be changed with the screen-side depth slider, is also disorientating and lengthened use can make your eyes feel beat and your grey matter feel softly scrambled. Something similar to the imminent Metal Gear Solid, which demands your close attention for hours at a time, could make us worry about our retinas.

There’s also a nagging feeling with some games that, very like their theatre opposite numbers, 3D has been tacked on to raise the SRP instead of boost the playing experience. Nevertheless the 3 dimensional effect isn’t compulsory. Turn the 3-dimensional effect slider down and the graphics still look great in 2D, the customized PICA200 chip powering animations that look smoother than the Wii. In spite of the claimed low power usage of the chip, the full-3D battery life-span of 3 to 5 hours sounds pretty pathetic. Either we’ll all become used to carrying chargers around with us on journeys, or there’s going to be plenty of disappointed game-players running out of charge halfway through critical supervisor battles. While the unit may look initially like an old DS with a lick of paint it’s backwards compatible and the OS offers nothing you will not have seen before from Nintendo it’s now packing both a gyroscope and an accelerometer for effective motion-sensing controls, and an iPhone-style Home button to take you straight back to the menu.

Better yet there’s now a 360-degree analog pad, which, reclining as it does in its own inset controller bath, is a pleasure to use compared with the PSP’s bevelled thumbkiller. The front-facing 640×480 camera can take 2D shots of your chiselled features, while the pair of matching cameras on the outside shoot reasonably electrifying, if faintly worthless low-res 3D images.

 Its main use will perhaps be in facilitating more AR games. The built in Wi-Fi does not just offer access to a Net browser and ultimately eShop game downloads but also other peoples’s content though the much-vaunted Street Pass idea, permitting the exchange of information between strangers, is of course heavily impeded by copyright principles. Somewhere else , there is a basic AAC / MP3 machine, while an in-built pedometer records how many steps you take when you are “with 3DS”, and rewards you with in-game extras. It is an enjoyably flaky addition that’s to be expected Nintendo rather like the 3DS generally, actually. With the NGP not out until “holiday 2011″, the 3DS has a good nine-month run at the next-next-next-gen hand held market. Its only real rivals are the old DS arguably, the 3DS is too like its precedent vis look and feel and too dissimilar vis pricing and smartphones.

Do you need a dedicated hand-held console with full-price games when your mobile telephone can rock PS2-quality games for a couple of quid, downloaded in seconds? That is the troublesome issue of the day. The 3DS is missing a trick by not having its eShop operational at launch, as outdated, dedicated, portable consoles could finish up being a thing of the past. Definitely one for Sony to consider over the next 9 months or so. As with theatre and Nintendo is inking deals with film firms to provide 3D motion picture content too 3D will be novelty enough to promise success, but it is a novelty which will wear off if not utilized properly. But you would be a fool to bet against Nintendo doing precisely that, and the 3DS, with its wealth of control options and much improved graphics, is in no way an one-trick pony.

Filed Under: Gaming Tagged With: , ,

Album Review-Beady Eye

April 20, 2011 By

Despite the continual disagreements between the Gallagher brothers, the split of Brit Pop sensation Oasis, shook the core of the musical world in 2009. Beady Eye has risen from the ashes without the lyrical genius Noel, to deliver a truly breathtaking debut album. The album still retains the iconic sound we instantly recognise with Oasis, but influences such as the Beatles and The Who are apparent through the opening tracks, showing a new edge to the band.There is a refreshed, enthusiasm for music again, with all the members contributing to the album, rather than a one man show as it was with Oasis.

The biggest song on the album is undoubtedly ‘Bring the Light’ which allows us to marvel in the rugged but beautiful voice of Liam Gallagher, back to his best.
Despite fears over consistency, the album delivers songs like ‘The Roller’ & ‘Four Letter Word’ which are bound to be huge hits displaying the unique Brit pop rhythm’s that circled around the 60’s British Rock and Roll scene.Obviously the band will always be compared with Oasis, but this album rolls back the years, and picks up from when Oasis were in their prime, delivering soulful songs which become iconic to the genre.

However it also retains a certain degree of originality on which the band can build upon, and maybe someday create their own musical dynasty minus Noel.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Manchester Art Gallery a hidden gem!

April 8, 2011 By

Regardless of its reputation it truly doesn’t rain all of the time in Manchester. But when it does rain there’s still always lots to do as the town hosts a variety of art galleries, museums and other “rainy day” attractions, not least of which are its eclectic collection of bars! The boozers apart though , the outright “Jewel in the Crown” must be the city’s main art studio which used be called “The Town Art Studio ” but is now simply called “The Manchester Art Gallery”. It could have modified its name since I lived here and undergone a multi-million pound make over however as with the town itself, it keeps its original fascinations and pleasures with the modern additions being a bonus instead of a back biting. This is an ideal example of a municipal art gallery offering a brilliantly various range of designs, of both local and world renown, classical and up to date, and has set out to try and appeal to as wide a cross-section of the populus as practical. The studio is especially family-friendly with two of the rooms devoted especially to interactive exhibitions intended to make an appeal to youngsters of every age and if my last visit is characteristic it certainly succeeds. As a fascinating piece of history the first collections were presented to the then Manchester Enterprise in 1882 by the Royal Society on the condition the Enterprise invested at least four thousand pounds a year on further aquisitions and the studio quickly grew beyond its original space. A second studio was then built ( The Athenaeum ), instantly behind, to provide housing for the overflow and the most recent redevelop has connected the 2 buildings and made another atrium space which now hosts varied non-permanent exhibitions like the current Choe U-ram’s works ( pic three ).

The gallery’s permanent collection includes works by many UK and Western european gurus from the 17th and eighteenth centuries as well as more recent pieces like Henry Moore’s “Mother and Kid ” and obviously examples of Manchester’s own LS Lowry’s uniquely unusual style.

The permanent collection also includes what is known as one of the best aquisitions of works by the Pre-Raphaelites who’s works were up to date with the city’s boom time and it’s indeed Rossetti’s rather georgeous ladies that have stuck in my mind ever since my first visit here years gone. The top floor is utilized for assorted short lived exhibitions and at the time of writing hosts an interesting set of sculptures by the Korean artist Gwon Osang and a summer vacation impressive based round the works of children’s writer and illustrator Lauren Kid who was momentarily a student here at Manchester Poly.

This actually is worth the visit and naturally being municipal is also free ( though a little donation is always appreciated ). Opening times are Tues. to Sun. 10am to 5pm plus Bank Holiday Mondays.

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Foo Fighters SXSW concert review

April 1, 2011 By

The wonderful thing about South by Southwest is that you never truly know what each night has in store for you. Sure, you can map out some form of schedule weeks in advance, detailing precisely where you ought to be at what time, but you better be prepared to throw those plans should something better come up. That was the argument for this critic when the 25th annual SXSW opened on Tues.in Austin, Texas. I hadn’t got any idea when my plane landed that day, nor for a few hours after I checked into to my hotel, that I’d spend a significant slice of the night watching the Foo Fighters in concert. But plans modified for thousands of festival-goers once word leaked the Foo Fighters were going to perform a “surprise” concert at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q. Hence there we were, the fortunate ones that truly managed to gain admission before the gates closed, watching a platinum-selling band which has titled stadiums in a snug outside location built for roughly 1,800.

What a rush. Head Foo Dave Grohl and his fellow Fighters were in the city earlier that day to observe the new documentary on the band, “Back and Forth,” which was receiving its world premiere in the film portion of SXSW. Visitors at the film screening were invited to an “after party” at Stubb’s and, at this point, everybody knew what the entertainment would be. Still, there had been a collective sigh of solace from the group at Stubb’s when Grohl and company ultimately took the stage shortly after nine p.m.

The vocalist-guitarist, who originally came to celebrity as the drummer in Nirvana, was definitely still giddy after the well-received film screening, held only a few blocks from Stubb’s. “Hey,” the 42-year-old figurehead roared to the gang. “We are ( swear word ) flick stars!” With that introduction, the five-piece band launched right into “Bridge Burning,” the 1st track from its forthcoming 7th studio album, “Wasting Light,” which will be out Apr twelve. The group would play all eleven tracks, in order, from “Wasting Light,” and the results were powerful galvanizing. As the Foos charged away with their powerful three-guitar attack, it was simple to picture 4 perhaps 5 of these new songs as major radio hits. The very best of the bunch were “Bridge Burning,” “Dear Rosemary” and “I Should Have Known.” As Grohl strummed the last line of track eleven, “Walk,” he expounded to the group : “And that is the new album.” And then came the two words that signaled even larger times ahead : “This isn’t.” With that, the group proceeded to play eleven more songs, the overwhelming majority of which can on occasion be found on 2009′s “Greatest Hits.” The band appeared to get stronger as it continued to roll thru such fan tops as “Times Like These,” “Learn to Fly” and “Monkey Wrench” during what turned out to be close to a 100-minute set. As the end drew near, Grohl, manifestly still feeling sentimental from just watching “Back and Forth,” delivered a message to the band’s longtime fans.

“To all you folk who saw us on that Mike Watt tour in 1995,” he claimed, paraphrasing the band’s trek with the famous rock bass player, which stopped in the Bay Area at Slim’s. “Congratulations.

You are still alive.” And so are the Foo Fighters. And this concert alongside the documentary film, served as a great reminder why the Foos should be listed among the world’s best rock and roll bands. For explanation, check out “Back and Forth.” The film will be released to theaters Apr five and, hopefully, it’ll screen in the Bay Area. Fans can also catch the documentary Apr eight on VH1 Television .

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