Currently Watching :

Eureka Seven (Series)

The Science of Sleep

Superman Returns

& many, many bad but oh-so-good DTV Slasher Flicks!

Film of the Month :

The Science of Sleep

XBOX 360 : THE GUIDE

So, most of you should have bought a 360 by now, but many of you may still be hanging on for the Playstation 3. Well, to be honest, that's fair enough. But sadly you're missing out on a truely wonderful machine that has grownin leaps & bounds since its release an incredible 8 months ago!

This is a small section dedicated to letting you know what games are worth buying & which ones aren't. The only problem with the 360 at the moment is that its release schedule is rather bereft of a steady flow, but at least what we are getting in largely A or B grade material. Just make sure that you have as big a tv as you can afford & that it is in HD!!!

The Absolute Essentials :

The Elder Scrolls : Oblivion

Well most of you will know about this one as it is the fastest selling game on the 360 by far. It is worthy of it's acclaim & whilst it is flawed, it's versatile, sprawling landscape is awe-inspiring & this is a must for RPG or Adventure fans. Or anyone really!

Ghost Recon : Advanced Warfighter

Another stunning title this. Incredibly realistic graphics merge with silky, intuitive controls. This is thrilling & incredibly atmospheric.

Call Of Duty 2

Simply stunning World War 2 game that suceeds where 'Medal Of Honor' has recently been failing in recreating the most gritty & adrenaline-pumping rendition of War possible in a game. Fantastic.

Highly Recommended :

Project Gotham Racing 3

How can it not feature here? This is one of the main selling points of the 360 & whilst it may not be as much immediate 'fun' as other titles, its depth is astounding & the graphics are realistically beautiful.

Far Cry : Predator

Despite its awful AI & the constant curbing of freedom from port-to-port, this is a brilliant game that is so open-ended (in places) & scintilating in its scorchingly aesthetic setting that its a real pleasure to play.

Amped 3

Nope, it doesn't do much new. But it's a veritable sandbox (snowbox) of open-ended mountaintops, brilliant varied music, & hilariously animated cut scenes. So much fun it hurts.

Table Tennis

The coolest title available on the 360 may not be as good as the all the hype would have you believe, but at a discount price & with some highly intuitive controls, it's a great game for multiplayer nights-in.

Recommended :

Condemned

It may get very repetitive & be incredibly short, but this game has the most suffocating atmosphere since 'Silent Hill 2'. Brutal, terrifying, & a real blast.

Dead or Alive 4

This is by far the most fun 3D brawler around &, for the time being, the most beautiful to look at. The enviroments are utilized expertly & the fighters are gorgeous to look at. Yes, yes, & all the bouncing is rather hypnotic.

Top Spin 2

This is the only competitor to Virtua Tennis' crown. It's still not quite as good, but this is a bloody great tennis game & is essential if you're a sports fan.

Burnout : Revenge

The flip-side of Gotham, this is blisteringly, ridiculously fast & kinetic. With simply jaw-dropping graphics & style oozing from its every pore. It can get a bit confusing & repetitive though.

Enjoyable But Flawed :

King Kong

With an immediately impressive atmosphere & some surprisingly scary set-pieces, it eventually disappoints as it revolves around obvious mechanics & very structured gameplay.

Lara Croft : Legend

A real return to form for Lara means that this is her best adventure yet, but will also feel too old & dated to anyone who was playing back in the mid 90's. The animation is wonderful though.

Fight Night Round 3

Surprisingly this is probably the finest graphical achievement on the 360 so far. It's also incredibly good fun with some friends, but as a single player experience it bores beyond belief & gets very repetitive, very quickly.

Hitman : Blood Money

If you know what you are doing, then this is an incredibly fun game. But as with most stealth games it relies upon the gamer 'feeling' out the right path to take, & learning the undependable rules of the gaming world. A real pity, as at times it is captivating.

Tiger Woods

Although Tiger still rules over all golf games by a golden mile, this is a disappointing entry as it loses many of the features present in the XBOX version! The graphics are nice though & the game still rocks, but we won't tolerate cheap ports!

Best To Avoid :

Gun

Promised as a GTA meets Wild West game, it is exactly that. The only problem is that the very foundations of GTA's enjoyment centre around the sandbox cities & countrysides that are teeming with possibilities. Unfortunately, the Wild West is rather barren, bland, & pretty dull.

Perfect Dark Zero

Over 5 years in development, this is an incredible let down. The graphics are slick (in a strangely murky sort of way), but the level design is simply appalling. Coupled with a dreadful storyline & awkward set-pieces it's simply a bad, bad game.

Chromehounds

Glossy graphics can't hide what is a clunky & rather dull exercise in Mechanized Warfare. Robots have never looked so shiny, but have rarely been so boring either.

Kameo

The other Rare title at release is another disappointment. It seems that Rare just cannot evolve & we are left with another game stuck in a formula that was growing old before the new century hit. Fun for kids though, i guess.

These films never leave the rack :

Buffalo 66
Swingers
Se7en
Magnolia
The Insider
In The Bedroom
The Royal Tenenbaums
In The Mood For Love
Switchblade Romance
Akira
The Descent
The Rules Of Attraction
Eureka
Jin-Roh
Princess Mononoke
The Blair Witch Project
JFK
Fight Club
Night Of The Living Dead
Solaris (2004)
Lost In Translation
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Romeo + Juliet
Cowboy Bebop : Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Lost Highway

These Games Never Leave
The Rack :

Halo 1 & 2
Silent Hill 1 & 2
Shenmue 1 & 2
Grand Theft Auto : Vice City & San Andreas
Resident Evil 4
Mario Sunshine
Far Cry
Street Fighter Alpha 3
XIII
Fahrenheit
Fable : The Lost Chapters
Zelda : The Ocarina Of Time