SuperCar Challenge PS3 Review

This is the second attempt by Eutechnyx at making a great sim racer. With Ferrari Challenge as prequel they've large shoes to fill. But there's something different about this game.



Unlike Ferrari Challenge this game features a whole new career mode that will let you drive around all continents in a search for racing points. With a curtain number of points you will unlock a new track or car. We've, game review, found this method of unlocking extremely pleasant and it's always a surprise what comes up next.



Apart from unlocking new stuff and a few trophies there's not much to see here. You can also take a crack at arcade mode. In this mode you will drive around three tracks aiming at curtain, game review, objectives like finish in the top 3. You will proceed to the next difficulty, game review, level after you've finished your objective. But,, game review, game review, unfortunately there're annoying developers, game, game review, review, choices made here. For one you can't save between each attempt.



Meaning that when you finished two tracks on the expert difficulty you won't be able to stop without having to re do all three tracks. For this reason this is also our least favorite mode. But there's more in SuperCar Challenge. You can do a quick race, time trail, paint your car and more! So in short you won't get bored here.



The presentation of SuperCar challenge is top notch as well. Graphics have made a step up since the previous challenge game, game review, . This time the colors feel more natural and the frame rate seems improved as well.



We know this, game review, has to do with the fact that this game is a PS3 exclusive (Ferrari challengewasn't) because the engine seems pretty similar. Sound is fantastic. Theengine sound (or music if you will) is better than ever and far above anything heard from a Polyphony Digital game ever. And if you don't like the sound of a screaming V12 behind you then you're given the option to listen to your own MP3s in the background, game review, . To fine tune the whole music vs engine sound phenomenon,, game review, you are given the option to tone down the engine sound as well as ambient sounds.



This is the way to go Eutechnyx, well done.



AI and steering, game review, are essential in every racing game and luckily it is done right here. The computer cars still block their lines but not as aggressive as in Ferrari Challenge. We actually, game review, liked the blocking AI, but now it's just perfect. For instance in the past the computer would try to block you even if the speed difference is immense, this time around they still do it occasionally but not as much. The driving with a controller and, game review, steering wheel both work well! We've had a hard time steering some of the, game review, cars with a controller because some of the cars were very unstable under braking.



But this is a plus because the game should be unforgiving with everything off and even better the cars really all drive differently in SuperCar Challenge. This effect is what makes this game a sim and a good one too.



Now the last chapter of this review in which we talk about the issues. Firstly while we feel you can never have enough Ferraris, a little more variation would be nice. From the 44 cars, game review, to choose from maybe 30+ are Ferraris. But we won't say this is a problem because the Ferrari cars were made already for the prequel so why leave something out just for the sake of a little more balancing.



More of a problem are the menus. They're slick and full of animation but maybe a little too much. This makes the interface feel sluggish at times. For example when you have to wait for the car preview to load before you can select the car and proceed. Another problem we found was the disability of the system to remember your driving aids at times. We've tried to remove, game review, the racing line but it magically came back in some of the modes. But nothing a short visit to the menu can't, game review, fix.



To end the issues we'd really like to see a mixed car mode. Sometimes it's fun to race against other types of supercars as well.



SuperCar Challenge feels considerably different from it's prequel. With good graphics, game review, and sound it's presentation is ever so close to Grand Turismo 5 Prologue. The driving is amazing and the cars, game review, all really feel different, like in real life. But sluggish menus and a lack of variation, game review, in the car can limit your experience. Also sometimes the game can be frustrating, especially with arcade mode.



Ultimately this game is highly recommended for simulation, game review, fans or people who really really like cars.

PSP 3000 Review

The PSP, game review, has never really been the must have gadget. When it was released several years ago it was a gaming device with extras. But since then the consumer changed and other features become important, game review, .



I know this is a dodgy intro but please allow me to explain., game review, The PSP was a gaming handheld released at a 250 price point when it got released. But then, game review, two years later internet became more mainstream and important. And the core design of the PSP wasn't aimed at internet features.



For example the WLAN switch is a stupid Engineering fault and it shouldn't have been there. The, game review, operating system wasn't really internet friendly, neither was the Wi-Fi adapter, it can't even do G! With the iPod, game review, touch doing games and media, a new feature became more important and again the PSP lacked behind. Consumers wanted to play music and watch videos on their handheld and the PSPs core wasn't designed for that. It's too big and fat to be a multimedia device, game review, .



Admittedly the video quality is great and the music features decent.



So the PSP doesn't do a lot of things right. It isn't the best multi media player, nor is it fantastic on the internet. But then there's the gaming feature. The fantastic thing about the PSP is that you can play blockbuster games on it everywhere. Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, and Little Big Planet just to name a few, game review, . And the experience is amazing. Most games play and look great. It is exactly what you would want from a portable device.



The screen size, game review, is spot on and the controls are comfortable even during the longer gaming sessions. But awkward hardware decisions should again, game review, be noted. The speakers for example aren't very loud. and we didn't like the thousand buttons on the thing. There's a brightness button, but the brightest is not so bright and therefor best for almost every situation. We don't like the volume buttons much and again the WLAN internet switch is just plain useless. I understand that it should support the battery but why not just program the OS to use the built in Wi-Fi during online tasks online, rather than to let the user make the switch.



The design and hardware decisions are questionable in our opinion but other people seem to love it. We don't like, game review, the plastic feel of it or the thousand buttons. It all makes the device feel cheap and makes it look big. In fact it could just barely fit my pocket. But with that said the buttons feel great and the screen, game review, quality -aside from the lack, game review, of brightness- is amazing.



The PSP 3000 ships for about 150, game review, euros so it's pretty cheap.



And it has a good list of blockbuster titles with more incoming so it's a good value. Granted it isn't the best looking portable or most practical device on the market but it is a great gaming device for an affordable price, and nothing more.



PSP 3000 Review