Slayer Goes To Church

Joe Kelly-Rock On!

A good friend of mine, Mr Joe Kelly, secured himself a place in the final of Open Mic UK yesterday in Cardiff. Well done fella!

If you want to check out some of his work here's a link to his MySpace page: JDKelly

Mortal Kombat-Ed Boon Interview

This is going to be ace.

7outof10 Needs You!

Whilst we’d normally be happy to offer up our consistent dribble of content onto the front page in the hope that some of you come back; we’ve recently caught a gust of windy motivation here at 7outof10 towers, and feel empowered – nay, driven – to bring those of you that gaze skyward along for the ride.

If you’re at all interested in writing about videogames – whether it’s reviews, previews, features, interviews, or the diaries of a real-life Katamari – please get in touch and you could soon have your own little graphical box on the front page. It might even have a number next to it, at which point all of your personal validation issues will instantly disappear, and life will become solely about fluffy kittens and dreamy comment unicorns.

We’re looking for anybody with a passion and aptitude for the task, and if you have any interesting ideas for content we’re open to suggestion and positively brimming with encouragement. We can’t offer payment just yet, but we can offer life-affirming feedback and the occasional free game, both of which – in this economic climate – are invaluable.

So, if any of that sounds like you (and particularly if you are a comment unicorn) drop us an email to:

mailbox@7outof10.co.uk

Get to it!

Emmanuel Brown
Editor-7outof10

Game Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2-Xbox 360, PS3

It’s clear from the off that Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 has been developed with its fanbase solely in mind and if-like me-you’re unfamiliar with this particular slice of manga/anime you may find the tale of a young boy’s journey to become the Ultimate Ninja, (or as it’s known in the context of the story, a Hokage), more than a little daunting. Never the less as far as fighting games go it’s a pretty solid affair, one that’s resplendent with beautifully drawn characters and environments and the kind of super slick, stylish animation found in many of today’s Japanese animated cinema.

Attack, jump, special moves and shurikens are consigned to each of the four main controller buttons making string attacks, juggles and combos easier to pull out of the bag. Whilst some may bulk at the simplistic control scheme there’s a good reason for why this approach has been adopted: fighting arenas in Ninja Storm 2 work in a full three dimensional plane that constantly shifts and turns depending on you’re location during combat. It’s an interesting take on the 3D fighter and one that works in considerable favour towards convincing the player that they’re in a living anime crammed with colourful explosions of power and dazzling pyrotechnics. Each of the characters can call upon ‘Chakra’ which, put simply, is a bond of elemental and physical energy that can be harnessed to unleash Jutsu (abilities) or Ultimate Jutsu (special finishers), all of which are quite magnificent in their execution and can turn the tide of battle in an heartbeat. Combining Chakra with simple attacks can also unleash powerful combos, allowing one to launch their opponent high into the air for a juggle attack before slamming them back down to the ground below.

What makes each fight so visually engaging is the camera frantically following the action frame by frame; from simple combo to spectacular finishing move it’s almost difficult to keep up with at times and it'll have your head in a spin. Unleash an Ultimate Jutsu and the camera will zoom in to capture your chosen fighters determination etched across their face and then just as quickly zoom out to show the entire arena before smoothly panning around as each fighter jumps back from a flurry of blows. The real skill involved in Ninja Storm 2 is being able to use the ever shifting three dimensional environments to your advantage, especially during team battles where you and your opponent can call upon others fighters to help out with guard, defensive and balance attacks. Constantly moving around the arena, using Chakra to quickly zigzag forward to then launch into the air at just the right moment to get behind ones opponent in a surprise move is a requisite for success. Done right it can be immensely satisfying and once mastered you’ll be able to give even the most challenging of players the run around, chipping away at their life force in a dazzling display of skill before taking them down with an audacious finishing move.

As well as a Free Battle mode, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 also allows you to take the combat online-the first in the series to do so- and, more interestingly, has an ‘Ultimate Adventure’ mode much like the story mode found in Tekken 6. However, unlike the former Cyber Connect 2’s offering doesn’t feel tacked on and is a much more fleshed out experience, one that goes a long way to explaining who Naruto is and some of the history behind the world and the characters therein. Beginning in a place known as Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto returns from a three year training stint and it’s here that you’re thrown into a brief introduction to the games key fighting mechanics, how to obtain, trade and buy items and how to explore and interact with the world Naruto inhabits. Encounters through the course of the adventure are played out the same as in the single player mode but with the added twist that boss fights are intertwined with QTEs and mini-puzzle games which add an extra dimension to the combat whilst also working as an excuse for the game to show off some of its stunning visuals.

Ultimate Adventure also allows you to unlock a huge array of extras and goodies for use in online play, VS and single player modes. Like with many of today’s beat em ups gamers expect more than just a simple Single Player and VS mode for their hard earned cash and so between Ultimate Adventure, Free Battle, VS, Online Battle and tons of hidden extras there’ certainly a lot of bang for your buck to be found here and as such you may quickly find yourself spending hours trying to discover and unlock all these hidden extras. It’s also worth noting that Ninja Storm 2 is infused with some fantastic audio. From the ‘whoosh’ of air as your fighter zip, flips and springs into combat; the deafening crack of lightening exploding forth from fingertips; and the thunder of the ground being ripped up through sheer force of will; there really is nothing quite like it in the fighting genre and will leave anime fans, new and old, breathless.

Still, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 won’t appeal to everyone outside of the core fanbase and with its strong leanings toward Japanese culture it could be off-putting for some audiences. It’s lack of depth, when compared to other fighters currently on the market, will almost certainly have beat ‘em up aficionados turn their collective noses up at it, and that it’s considered a ‘kids cartoon’ by many will undoubtedly see Ninja Storm 2 ignored by the older generation. Having said that, what it does do is not only offer up a unique spin on the traditional beat ‘em up, but it does it with a sense of style and razor sharp direction rarely seen in many of today’s video games. It’s not perfect, but its damn good fun and that alone is perhaps enough for Naruto to garner a few more fans outside of the land of the rising sun.

8/10

My Dying Bride

So, I’ve spent the best part of this evening burning all my CD's from my favourite band, My Dying Bride, then converting my favourite tracks to my phone. Being as I have their entire discography on original CD's it's been a mammoth task I can tell you. I've been a My Dying Bride fan since 1992 and while I don't get chance to see them live these days due to other, obvious commitments, (last time was at Derby on a friends stag do in 2006 where I got a drunken, 'metal face' photo-see below-with front man Aaron Stainthorpe and guitarist Hamish Glencross), I continue to be an avid fan. Even the wife, who has no idea who they are, surprised me one Christmas with their live DVD, Sinamorata, which was filmed at atHof Ter Lo in Antwerp in 2003. Bless her.


After meeting them and discovering that they're really sound guys who not only appreciate their fans, but who also have a lot of time for them regardless of age and who you are, my own appreciation for their music soared. May they long continue.

Yeah, a lot of booze was consumed that day and if my memory serves me correctly I'm sure I hit the deck in the mosh pit. Getting to old for that shit now-moshing, that is. Doesn't look quite as good with thinning hair either...



Van Helsing and those Vampires....

I was up late last night watching the Van Helsing movie from 2004 featuring Hugh Jackman and the lovely Kate Beckinsale. While it may not be the greatest of films it is mildy entertaining, boasts some rather good special effects and when it comes to portraying Vampires it, quite litterally, shits all over those awful Twilight movies...

This...(heeello)

Turns into this...

Then this monstrosity ...

That's how Vampires should be done, and for that Van Helsing garners some kudos.