Features

Top Tips: Battalion Wars II

2008-06-24T17:53:00Z

Here are some tips to help you get better grades and improve your tactical game prowess.

When deciding how to go about completing a mission, make sure you have the three grades in mind: Speed, Power and Technique. Try to find a balance between all of these, rather than just focusing on one.
Deciding which unit you control matters more than you'd think. The most obvious option is to choose the biggest unit, such as a Heavy Tank. I always find that the best option is to choose a unit that hangs back more, like an Artillery unit. You should also always choose the one with less health. You are less likely to die in combat than a computer-controlled unit.
If you are having a one-on-one fight with another unit, always keep strafing side to side and do a combat roll while reloading. This will decrease the chances of you getting hit.
Never underestimate the importance of POW's If you think getting them is too hard and it isn't worth it, just move towards them slowly with your entire battalion.
If you have an artillery unit in your squad, try to range shot as many units as possible. This will make it easier for the rest of your units, and will increase your technique grade.
Prioritise your objectives. If you delay capturing a facility in favour of freeing POWs, the enemy will have more time to manufacture more units.
When guarding a facility, make sure all MG nests and all towers are occupied. Make sure all Bazookas and behind cover, as they are more vulnerable to fire.
Make sure you learn which units are vulnerable to which type of fire. Use the right type of unit to attack your opponent's.
If you have air units in your team, destroy any AA Towers and AA Veterans before allowing them anywhere near them. Likewise, destroy RPG Towers before allowing vehicles to advance, and destroy MG Towers before allowing infantry to advance.

Top Tips: Mario Strikers Charged Football

2008-06-24T17:52:00Z

Here are some great ways to help you play better:

First of all, Don't listen to what other people think about what is the best captain. Choose the one that is right for you, fits in with the rest of your team, and suits your playing style.
The same goes for the rest of your team. Choose all of the ones that are right for you. It helps you to develop your preferred playing style so you can get better more comfortably.
Try to choose a balanced selection of players. Realistically, you will need at least one shooter, someone good defensively, and someone who can pass. This means you are covered in all areas. It's pretty hard to exploit someones weaknesses if they don't have any.
When you get to the later cups, you will realise that just passing the ball around from player to player won't work. Try to use lob passes and dekes to move around the opponents to out-skill them.
Never underestimate the importance of items. If you have an item, try to use it as soon as possible. It could easily put an important game in your favour.
Use your dekes whenever possible. Depending on what character you have, it can be used to knock opponents out of the way, or dodge out of their way.
Certain dekes can also be used to score goals. When a ball is charged up, use Dry-bones, Waluigi or Daisy to teleport past the keeper into the goal. Toad's can even be used to jump over the keeper.
Try to charge up your shots and then, before you shoot, pass the ball or use a deke. This is a great way to charge up the ball quickly, rather than having to pass the ball around a lot. It also tricks your opponent into trying to tackle you.

Top Tips: Pokemon Snap VC

2008-06-24T17:51:00Z

If you haven't already downloaded this game, i suggest you do. Here are some great ways to improve your score from photos:

Try to get the pokemon to fill the screen, as this will give you full points for size. But be careful, if part of the pokemon is off-shot, it will seriously damage your score.
Pose is very important. The way to earn full points is to photograph a pokemon from the front (even though it looks better if it is to the side slightly). This is guaranted to earn you 100 points.
Always, always, always make sure that the pokemon is in the centre of the photo. this will double your score, and is vital to taking good pictures.
Make good use of your items. If you think a pokemon is hiding somewhere, throw a pesterball at it. If a pokemon is just standing doing nothing, throw an apple near it, and it might walk over to it and start jumping in happiness. use the pokeflute whenever possible, it may cause pokemon to start dancing, and makes the first pikachu in the beach start thunderbolting (big points!!).
One sure-fire way to earn points is to have more of the same pokemon in the shot. you get more points for having more pokemon in the shot, and how big they are.
If two pokemon are close together, try throwing an apple between them. This may cause them to fight over it, providing you with a brilliant shot.
If a pokemon is circling a pool of some sort, try knocking them into it. This could cause them to evolve, and taking a picture of them just as they are coming out, as this will earn you extra pose points.
If a very powerful pokemon has just emerged, a great picture to take is just as they are doing something spectacular (roaring, spreading the wings etc.)
Even if a pokemon isn't doing anything really, still try taking a picture of it, as they might start moving with each picture you take, leading to a spectacular pose.
If a pokemon is a short distance away from a certain item or area, try leading them to it with apples. This technique can also be used to lead pokemon towards the camera, providing a better shot.
Keep your eyes peeled. If there is anything in the level that looks like it can be interacted with, use any item on it. This could give you a great shot.
Try to use different combinations of items. Some pokemon require a complicated combination of items to provide the best possible picture.

Reasons NOT to Play Mario Kart

2008-04-12T11:49:00Z

5. It's always sunny. When the weather's particularly bad outside, playing on Mario Kart will only make you wish that you were in the Bahamas, and might push you towards suicide.

4. With Mario Kart Wii now supporting 12 player online battles, fuel consumption has gone up by 50%, and that's 50% more greenhouse gasses being produced. By playing Mario Kart Wii, you are harming the environment so DON'T DO IT!

3. What sort of example does Mario Kart set for new drivers. You can't go out on the M25 throwing Koopa shells at those in front of you, and leaving banana skins on the road.

2. Think of the Koopas - where did all the shells come from. I say we should all stop playing Mario Kart in a protest to Nintendo's systematic slaughter of the Koopas.

1. Mario Kart Double Dash was actually a recruitment tool for Al-Qaeda - why do you think the Bomb item and Bob-omb battle were introduced (and the answer's not because Wario and Walugi were introduced...)

Reasons NOT to Play Zelda Ocarina of Time

2008-04-04T11:49:00Z

10. The game is too long - surely you have better things to be doing with your time than sitting in front of the television for hours on end?

9. Why on earth would you want to explore inside a giant whale - it would smell for starters and you'd need to be paid after meeting the arrogant girl inside (what's she doing inside a whale's belly anyway!)

8. You play as a guy wearing a silly hat and in tights. To make matters worse, the hat's green. Surely the creative department at Nintendo could have come up with a better colour than green!

7. What happened to the 7 years in the middle of the game! Links Awakening is scorned at for having the "I woke up and it was all a dream" ending, but Ocarina of Time doesn't even have the dream part!

6. You're forced to carry around large amounts of junk for other people.

5. How on earth does Link carry all his items around? The only conclusion I can come to is that his tunic is a Tardis but surely the tunic would weight him down so much - link can barely hold up the Hylian shield!

4. Small annoying Kokiri can stop you in your path, even when you're twice their size and carrying a sharp sword. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that a small arrogant boy should give way to a large man carrying a sword and many other types of weapons

3. You have to smash pots for money. Even worse they come back once you leave the area and come back. What sort of example does this set for our children - vandalise other people's property and it'll return to normal as soon as you leave!

2. The RSPCA will come after you for cruelty to eponas and chickens - that is if the chicken's don't get to you first...

1. YOU CAN'T KILL THE DAMN FAIRY! The game creators allow you to harm animals yet they don't allow you to harm the most annoying of the lost - the one whom it's surely most justifiable to harm.

Seriously, Ocarina of Time is a wonderful game, regularly voted best game of all time, that everyone should have the chance to play during their lifetime. This feature was intended to be a bit of fun taking the piss out of small flaws in the game that caused it to miss the sacred 100% score.