Is The Lion King Better Than Aladdin?

Disney has been producing video games featuring its characters for some time now. Mickey Mouse's first outing was in 1981 for the Nintendo; he has since gone on to feature in quite a lot of more games. Indeed, it shouldn't be too long before he appears in a 3DS game following its upcoming release. But what were the best titles in Disney's video game catalogue? Watch me try and figure it out.

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

First appearing in 1990, Castle of Illusion had Mickey and you rescue Minnie from the evil, youth-stealing witch Mizrabel (geddit?). In order to free Minnie, Mickey must acquire seven gems (these all held by bosses) to a form a rainbow bridge to where she is being held captive by the queen. The game was praised by contemporary critics.

Disney's Aladdin

Infamous for having five different versions (one for each platform on which it was released), the Aladdin game was initially released in 1992. Remembered fondly by fans, it was also well recognised by critics, the game receiving an award for its animation. Fondly enough to choose it and its kind over more recent PS3 games? Don't forget that nostalgia is a particularly potent sensation...

The Lion King

A 1994 release, The Lion King followed Simba's growth from adorable cub to majestic adult lion. The game was recognised for its quality, the music adapted from the film's soundtrack and the art and sprites done by the Disney animators themselves. Known not only for its enduring appeal but also its difficulty level; it gave even the most experienced gamers a run for their money in its day.

Epic Mickey

One of the more intriguing Wii games to appear lately. Trapped in a pen and paper world by Yen Sid, Mickey must save the forgotten place and defeat the evil Shadow Blot.

A Pirate's Life for You?

Age of Pirates: Captain Blood , due out in the first quarter of 2011, is an upcoming action adventure game. The game (based on Rafael Sabatini's novel) was initially meant to be released for the Xbox (the original one) in 2006, it instead ending up among Xbox 360 games due out this year. The game, not surprisingly, sees you cross land and sea fighting and collecting vast amounts of treasure as you go. So why have pirates suddenly become so popular in all forms of media lately (and what does it mean to be a pirate?)? Find out below, me hearties!

A pirate is an individual that commits acts of robbery or violence (or both) at sea. Piracy has been around for a long time, although it wasn't all bad; many crews exhibited precocious aspects of democracy as well as obeying a governing code. Important figures such as the captain and quartermaster were elected by the crew, and money was even set aside to compensate pirates injured in battle. Treasure was not always simply gold; it was often comprised of more mundane items as well, such as foods, clothes and even soap.

Today's most well known (and loved) pirate series is arguably the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The ride on which it is based was the last Walt Disney worked on personally before he died. Originally meant to be a walk through wax museum, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride instead turned out to be a series of humorous pirate-themed sketches acted out by audio-animatronic figures. Maybe one day it will be emulated as a 3DS game (which could potentially be both cool and terrifying)?

So if you're ever glancing over your PC games and find Sid Meier's Pirates! sitting lonely and unloved among your collection why not give it a whirl? Yarrrrrr, me hearties!

Is the 3DS the Only Video Game Release You're Looking Forward to This Year?

With the Nintendo 3DS release only a few days away, you might forget that other games are also about to hit the stores. There's hope for you yet! I'm here to inform you of some of 2011's other, equally hotly anticipated titles. Read on to find out more.

Pokemon Black and White

Arguably also likely to be a 3DS release at some stage, as always another Pokemon game is not something to be sniffed at. The fifth generation of the Pokemon series, Pokemon Black and White has a variety of new features. As well as the night/day cycle first seen in the Gold and Silver games, Black and White have a seasonal cycle, some Pokemon even changing their appearances to match them. As well as a general graphical overhaul (Pokemon sprites are fully animated, for example) there is also the presence of the Pokemon Dream World, C-Gear and Feeling Check systems.

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age II (2 or II, anyone?), on track for an early March release, sees you take on the role of Hawke, Blight survivor and Champion of Kirkwall. As with Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, choices made in the first game can impact on your in game experience in the second. Additionally, features such as Mass Effect's dialogue wheel and the main character being fully voice acted are also inherited by the latest instalment in the Dragon Age series.

Homefront

An FPS set in an apparently quite plausible speculative future, Homefront offers a smoother, more character-central game than its ancestor Frontlines: Fuel of War. The game's spectacular multiplayer mode is primarily inspired by the latter. A map will support up to 42 players with 16 on each team, focusing on large scale vehicle-based combat (each team's chances bolstered by their accumulation and expenditure of points earned in game).

Levelling Up This Valentine's Day?

If you're not a gamer yourself then finding appropriate video game-themed gifts can be tricky. You may both be gamers, but as with any occasion finding the perfect gift for them can prove tricky. So what sort of things are available for your video game valentine? Read on to find out.

Special Offers

Large companies like GameStop and Valve have a fair few things to offer. The latter, as well as having a sale in their store, are also bringing down the prices of certain games on Steam. "Turn your special date night into a late night with game night" is GameStop's advice; use the coupon code "datenight" and you can get ten per cent off new game (two or more) purchases. For the very pampered perhaps a 3DS is on the cards?

Food and Drink

You need not dine in a restaurant on the day in order to enjoy a nice meal together. Ordering your partner's favourite foodstuffs to your house (or even preparing it yourself; has Cooking Mama taught you nothing?) so you can both enjoy it alongside a romantic gaming marathon at home will surely be appreciated. Energy drinks could be replaced with, if you're of age, a decent tipple (also Wii games only get better with alcohol).

Cards

Do not underestimate the importance of cards. While often people like to say that they "don't do cards", the fact of the matter is that they are appreciated long after their initial giving (potentially even more than any gifts given, especially if they're edible). There's a vast choice of pre-made video game-themed designs for you to choose from online, but making your own from scratch will definitely earn you more XP. Bear in mind:

Roses are #FF0000

Violets are #0000FF

All my base

Are belong to you

Kobold, Troll or Orc: Who Would You Rather Meet in a Dark Alleyway?

There are certain monsters in the fantasy genre who, as their name suggests, just simply aren't suited to being the good guys (usually, anyway). The more "popular" (I use the word tentatively) monsters have spread to many different mediums beyond their literary (often Tolkienian) origins, such as films and video games; I bet an upcoming 3DS or Kinect title will have them at some point. If you're desperately waiting for the moment when your brand new Nintendo 3DS requires you to yell "WAAAGH" at it (or vice versa) then read on; after all, it's not easy being green.

Trolls

In Norse mythology trolls were originally evil giants, eventually becoming creatures in their own right thanks to Scandinavian folklore. Dwelling in isolated places such as caves and mountains (or bridges, if they take their fancy), trolls are generally dumb but large, strong and sometimes strangely agile. Frequently known for their toughness (stony skin and powers of regeneration are common, especially in Dungeons & Dragons), trolls are usually carnivores (and often, unfortunately for us, have a taste for people). Ogres, who are generally large, greedy and hairy, are often depicted in a similar way to trolls.

Orcs

Big, green and usually mean. Orcs like fighting and as such are usually quite good at it (in their own, violent way). Tolkien first began using this name for them, apparently desiring to ultimately change the spelling to "ork" (which you may have seen in Warhammer). In both World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons players can be orcs themselves. Goblins are often seen as essentially smaller, weaker, more mischievous orcs.

Kobolds

A spirit from Germanic mythology, in modern media kobolds are small weak monsters somewhere between a human and a dragon. In Dungeons & Dragons they are somewhat of a running joke due to their relatively low challenge rating.

Are You Suffering from Video Game Grief?

If you've played any online video game, chances are you've probably been a victim of griefing. As its name suggests, griefing is when players pick on (or grief) others in games for their own personal amusement. It's a frequent occurrence, over a quarter of customer support calls made to online games companies complaining about it. Technically it can also happen locally with console gaming: just imagine someone jumping in front of you while playing something on the Kinect or snatching your shiny new 3DS away from you (indeed, the Nintendo 3DS is apparently going to feature more prevalent online multiplayer and sharing capabilities, so stamping out potential griefing should be high on Nintendo's agenda). If the mere thought of this doesn't get your blood boiling, let's take a look at examples of griefing that crop up in some of the video game world's most popular titles.

Mouthing Off

Possibly one of the most irritating parts of in-game chats. With your opponents (or sometimes teammates) seeming to be either under fourteen years of age or unable to use the English language you are bombarded with lines of often offensive nonsense. Why can't you guys just get on with playing the game? You might have less reason to rage then.

"Stealing"

Both in and out of inverted commas, really. Whether it's in-game stuff or your whole account (which you pay real money for), it's hugely frustrating. As a matter of fact, the latter is equivalent to real theft, resulting in the griefers potentially being faced with criminal charges.

Hacking

Very unsportsmanlike. Whether it's phishing to steal passwords and other account information or in-game hacks in order to enhance the performance of the griefer, having to experience hacking is never fun. Some video game companies (such as Steam) work very hard to make their servers hack-proof in order to avoid this kind of griefing.

The Nintendo 3DS is Coming

Prepare yourself, Kinect! With the release date of the 3DS having been announced for the 27^th of March handheld gaming aficionados everywhere are drooling with anticipation. Creating a 3D effect via autostereoscopy (and thus not needing 3D glasses), the Nintendo 3DS will definitely be a popular purchase upon its release.

This isn't Nintendo's first foray into 3D technology, however. With Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally having come out in 1988 (utilising liquid crystal shutter goggles in order create its 3D effects), the Virtual Boy appeared in 1995, using parallax in order to create stereoscopic 3D graphics. Nintendo's GameCube console could even produce 3D visuals, although the sheer expense of utilising this feature meant it was never enabled (and only Luigi's Mansion, the system's launch title, was capable of utilising it). Nintendo's research included testing what would become the 3DS's screen with a Game Boy Advance SP system and visiting an exhibtion at intriguing Japanese theme park Shigureden.

The 3DS is well equipped to entertain, featuring a Virtual Console and backwards compatibility (great for those retro fans), Miis, the Internet, futurisitc augmented reality and wireless multiplayer and content sharing services. It also has a 2D mode, should you ever feel the need to use it.

Officially announced games include Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Animal Crossing, a new Batman title and Kid Icarus: Uprising (a sequel to 1991's Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, whose characters have appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl), with updated 3D versions of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox and the classic Mario Kart.