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Xander's LBP level of the week: 03 |
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Written by Xander
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Sunday, 07 March 2010 22:48 |
Welcome UFOians to Xander's LBP level of the week, where both Sackboy and I travel the wondrous and imaginative world of LittleBigPlanet searching for creative and well deserved user-made levels to dedicate a whole week to.
So without further ado, may I present my third LBP level of the week.
Name: Pyramids of over-enthusiastic level design
Creator: SilverSpiritUK and Xander_123
Plays: 19
Overall user rating: 4/5
 
No it's not a slow news day, it's actually a brilliant level... and no, I'm not biased... Created by LorD and me a week ago, our level features fire, gas, water, spikes, boulders, tombs and a lot of swinging, hence its title 'over-enthusiastic level design'. We re-created the level from its original 'the pyramids of mild peril'. There are two pyramids and the aim is to stop the waterfall blocking the entrance to an old tomb in which there are some pretty mega goodies! We used camera angles and lighting to complement the environment of being in a dark, lonely Egyptian tomb. Making use of the history kit in particular, the hieroglyphics provide a subtle and continuous humour to the level (eventually). |
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Last Updated on Monday, 08 March 2010 13:50 |
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Xander's LBP level of the week: 02 |
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Written by Xander
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Sunday, 28 February 2010 16:24 |
Hello sirs and sir-ettes and welcome to Xander's LittleBigPlanet level of the week. Where I, Xander, pick out one user-created level from the imaginative world of LittleBigPlanet that simply needs a big shout out because of its abilities to captivate and wow the player.
Name: Silhouette Flowers
Creator: Gehaa
Plays: 62,515
Overall user rating: 4/5
 
In this level creator Gehaa has made wonderful use of the lighting, executing a perfect silhouetted ambience. The colours in the level are contrasting and strike off a warm glow; one of the highlights for me. The use of score bubbles must also be congratulated; occasionally Sackboy (or girl) will have to grab a piece of the environment that will make flowers and trees bloom with points. Although there are various traps and hazards awaiting you in this dreamscape of a platformer, the level in itself is pretty simple, which is good. Gehaa has set limits, making this a wonderful and exotic level to play.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 28 February 2010 18:16 |
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Hooty's gaming memories: Draconus |
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Written by HootyMcBoob
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Saturday, 27 February 2010 00:09 |
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My first real interaction with a video game was thanks to my parents' generosity towards my brother. Earlier than I can easily remember, he had the fortune of owning a ZX Spectrum. Not quite the system of choice for many UK households but one that pleased both my brother and me thanks to a certain game repeatedly whirling through the Spectrum's cassette deck. That game was Draconus. With 100 screens to traverse, this early platformer was as odd as any other 80s title. Back then we were led to believe eggs were called Chucky and miners were quite manic so a game where a creature named Frognum can morph into Draconewt was perfectly acceptable. Frognum was the creature's persona on land and Draconewt ruled the water each having their own abilities and tasks to complete in order to finish the game. Draconus was simple in concept; find some ancient artefacts, beat the end boss and save the day. Done. But I have to admit, I never got all that far into it as I spent more time aimlessly swimming around as Draconewt than breathing fire and punching my way to victory. Nevertheless, I still had immense amounts of fun and would eagerly rush home from school to hear that sweet sound of a screaming tape deck as it loaded my future gaming memory. |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 27 February 2010 00:37 |
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LorD's gaming memories: Pong |
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Written by LorD
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Friday, 26 February 2010 15:35 |
In 1972 I didn't exist. Not in my current incarnation. The atoms that would make up my body on the occasion of my birth some eight years later were, by and large, scattered liberally around the south east of England, while other particles of my future-being made their merry way, circulating the atmosphere and oceans of the planet known by its inhabitants as Earth, which I've always taken to be a rather unimaginative moniker. Where I - like many others here - existed but hadn't yet stumbled upon the instance of remarkable co-operation that forced myself into receiving a birth certificate, something rather more long-living did come into the world. Pong was a simple bat-and-ball game where everything was decidedly square and monochrome. And yet it captured the imaginations of so many people. It was revolutionary and once the home edition hit the scene, it was among the first home video-games.
Press fast-forward on your Betamax player and go and make a cup of tea, this may take some time because we're heading all the way to 1987. October 16, to be exact and the UK was reeling after the worst storm for nearly 300 years. With 23 people dead and widespread destruction, once the winds abated people emerged to examine the damage. We'd lost some roof tiles and a piece of coving had smashed through our conservatory, bouncing through our kitchen window but other than that and the obligatory lost fence, we got off pretty lightly. I will always remember that night, waking up to the violent rattling of sash-cord windows, finding everyone hunkered down in the lounge; midway through Jan Hammer's Crockett's Theme on MTV (this was back when they played music), the power went and seldom-touched drawers and cupboards were turfed out in the search for candles.
In the morning, amid the junk, there was a peculiar machine. Once the power returned, I hooked it up to the TV I used to play the Commodore 64 and turned it on. It flickered into life and a square white dot bounced around a black screen. The controllers were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. They looked like a thermostat, as if by playing the game, the room would flash hot and cold. The brushed metal of the dial fascinated me and I recall the paddle being surprisingly responsive. I played it against my mum, but she couldn't play for long; there was much to do in the aftermath of the storm. I played with my sister as we listened to Who's that girl and La isla Bonita.
Things returned to normal, though among the millions of trees blown down, six of the eponymous seven oaks went. I went to school and my father didn't miss a day of work. I reconnected the C64 back to the TV and Pong was put back in its cupboard among the long-forgotten artefacts of our cluttered, busy lives. Pet Shop Boys went on to beat The Pogues to Christmas number one that year and eventually, someone marketed nylon sportswear. Somewhere along the way, Pong and the cupboards full of junk simply disappeared. Lost, but not forgotten. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 26 February 2010 16:25 |
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Xander's LBP level of the week: 01 |
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Written by Xander
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Sunday, 21 February 2010 00:35 |
Welcome to a brand new feature of UFO Gamers, where I, Xander, shall be scouring across LittleBigPlanet in order to find one level that really does deserve a whole week dedicated to itself. The level must contain individuality, intelligence, but most of all, a creative and ingenious touch that will simply make the player think 'wow'.
So without further ado, may I present my first LBP level of the week:
Name: Lara Cloth: Tomb Raider - The eye of the Gods.
Creator: Kiminski
Plays: 30,458
Overall user rating: 4/5
 
Some may say I'm slightly biased because of my undying love for Tomb Raider, but this is not the case; this level is utterly brilliant. The key to its beauty is the use of the camera angles and lighting which really provide another dimension to the level. It's loosely based on a Tomb Raider concept, where Sackboy travels through a rather large and spectacular temple, only to find the artefact and have to escape before the temple crushes you as it starts to crumble. It looks stunning and has what every game should have: a challenge. Overall I spent about fifteen minutes playing this level. Kiminski (the creator), has created two more sequels (which are also based on later Tomb Raider games). Although this particular level was created before the water was introduced to us way back in December, they've used various materials, objects and lighting effects to execute the feeling of being underwater really well.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 21 February 2010 01:22 |
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Written by LorD
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Friday, 19 February 2010 12:38 |
Some of you may be aware that the UFO Gamers Show isn't all about games. Packaged in with the razor-sharp critiques and commentaries of the latest video-game releases, we have some play-at-home fun with some crazy silliness in the shape of UFO Gamers classics 'what have I got in my hand' and 'guess what'.
In 'what have I got in my hand', people have to establish what it is that one of the team has in their hand, hidden beneath the veil. And in 'guess what', we make Xander do some pretty stupid stuff and try to guess an element of that act. We've guessed how many Ferrero Roche he can eat in a minute, how many bubbles in bubble wrap he can pop in a minute, how long he can hold his breath in a bowlful of water and apples, how many puns he can slip into a phone call, guessed his bad accents and much else besides.
Each series of 'guess what' has thirteen episodes and as the league stands, Hooty and LorD each have one series win under their belt, while Saber has none. But what's really important is that you can help us by suggesting some more stupid, crazy stuff to make Xander do for the segment of the show. It doesn't have to even be done in UFO Towers, since we can record it outside and show the video during the show. So let's hear your suggestions. He said he'd do pretty much anything, though obviously his health is of the utmost importance and he's a vegetarian, so no meat-eating contests!
If you have some ideas, then post in our forum, here! |
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Written by HootyMcBoob
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 11:13 |
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After excitedly redeeming my code and waiting the time it took for the PS3 to download just under 1.8GB, I was ready to sink into a feeling of melancholy with the Heavy Rain demo. I pressed the start button with a sceptical jab wondering if Heavy Rain differed enough from Fahrenheit to be the awe-inspiring experience the predecessor was so shy of being. The first thing noticed and indeed analysed was the game's presentation. Heavy Rain started life not too dissimilar from a tech demo of the PS3's power and ever since has been judged by its visuals. The short section I played lived up to these ideals in every way. It was utterly gorgeous. By far the most impressive moments were in fact the rare load screens that showed a close-up of the playable character's face. The level of detail was outstanding and it lacked all the trademark faux pas that haunt other videogames. Like how eyeballs tend to be over glossy or the skin tone looks more plastic than human. Heavy Rain suffered from neither. And it shouldn't. Atmosphere is of huge importance to the game and is done remarkably well here. Dark arenas with ambient light sources add to the believable character models giving it a distinctive lead in console visuals. Read on to find out more.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 06 February 2010 12:52 |
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Read more...
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Written by LorD
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 18:35 |
This is still very, very funny indeed.
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