Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)

The recent retro revival has thrown many great games and collections in our direction. Rez has hit XBLA, Contra is back on top form on the DS, and collections from the likes of Capcom, Taito and Sega have put a smile back on many a face. Konami's announcement of a PSP remake of the Japan only Rondo of Blood was good news for Castlevania fans (well, the ones who shy from imports and emulation, at least).

If you're reading this, chances are you know the original game was released on the PC Engine CD in Japan. You might even know it was the last title to play in a linear fashion, being followed by the Metroid style Symphony of the Night. Rondo of Blood is considered a classic game, and is one of the most rare and sought after titles in the series.

As is the trend for remakes on shiny new consoles, the graphics have had a polygon facelift. All characters are 3D, as are the backgrounds, yet the game sticks to its 2D plane. Other titles have tried this (XBLA's fantastic Prince of Persia remake, for example), but Castlevania seems to suffer. The collision detection is often ropey which makes dodging spikes and enemies awkward and jumps tricky.

The re-recorded soundtrack is a welcome addition, with a great orchestral score and English voice acting which gives the game more grandeur than other, lazier remakes. Even the cut scenes are a nice touch. Short and sweet, they usually indicate a boss battle, and look lovely on the PSP's gorgeous screen. In terms of presentation, Konami really has put the effort in.

As a collection, the Dracula X Chronicles is a good buy – the original Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night are essential titles for any self respecting gamer. Yet judged alone, the remake seems a bit pointless. It's essentially a flawed version of a much loved game, and considering that game is included on the same UMD, it makes the whole idea a little redundant. It won't win Konami any new fans for the franchise and its likely most people will be playing through the first three or four levels with the sole purpose of unlocking the two classic titles.

So we come to the score. It is great to finally have both Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood available on the move. But you can’t disguise the fact that the main game is flawed and average at best. This leaves you paying for a Playstation and PC Engine Port and that really isn’t good enough for a full price game

6/10

Written by Dan Gill

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core Review (PSP)

Square Enix has come under continued criticism for raiding its vaults in order to make a quick buck recently. They've been at it for years, and while sometimes it works out for gamers (Final Fantasy Tactics on PSP and Final Fantasy III on DS never made it to Europe originally), it often smacks of cynical cashing in, such as Final Fantasy I and II being released separately for the PSP. So a new title based on the much loved Final Fantasy VII should appeal to everyone, right? Well, yes and no.

Crisis Core is one of the titles that marks the celebration of Final Fantasy VII's tenth anniversary, the others being PS2's sub standard shooter Dirge of Cerberus and the pretty but shallow Advent Children movie. The good news is it's the best of the three. Set before the events of VII, you're placed in the boots of Zack Fair, SOLDIER member and walking commercial for V05 hair gel. Working beside legendary operatives Sephiroth and Angeal, you have to carry out orders for the company by: a) beating the crap out of things, and b) using magic and summons to beat the crap out of things. It sounds like a dumb idea for a prequel to one of the biggest, most deeply involving games ever, but Square Enix should be given a pat on the back for at least trying something different.

That's not to say Crisis Core features nothing from VII's combat- materia, limit breaks and summons (well, some of them) all make a reappearance, but in a cut down form. Materia isn't assigned to weapon or armour slots here, just to the character. The limit breaks and summons both work through a new device called the Digital Mind Wave – a slot machine style system which randomly assigns abilities in battle (a little like that of the one in Grasshopper's No More Heroes).

After meeting certain characters or monsters, they are added to the DMW. If all three slots display that character, a limit or summon is triggered. Also, different combinations can aid you with invincibility, no MP cost and so on. It's a system that could well annoy some, but one I found to be fairly competent- more so than NMH's slot/dessert hybrid. Rarely did a limit trigger at a pointless moment in battle, but sometimes you feel as if the DMW has given you a cheap win, allowing you to deliver a huge ass kicking with little regard for attack patterns or skill.

It's not really a difficult game on the standard setting, and only becomes a challenge very close to the end. Only when playing on hard mode do you realise that paying attention to attack patterns and knowing when to dodge are important, as you have Ability Points which account for these manoeuvres. Dodging and special attacks will slowly empty the bar, and finding yourself unable to roll away from danger will likely result in death.

When you aren't avoiding death or dealing out beatings, you will be prey to the cut scenes. They are many and range from bland in game subtitled conversations to beautifully rendered CGI. While these moments don't quite reach the heights of Metal Gear's 'story' moments, they can sometimes feel intrusive and unnecessary. One in particular does raise an important question, however. What is Sephiroth using on his eyelashes?

Crisis Core is an enjoyable title in small doses. Extended sessions result in boredom through repetition, and the 300 or so side missions on offer give little diversion from the main story- mostly existing only to extend the play time rather than enjoyment. The main focus here is on the characters. Zack becomes a very likable protagonist, and as the game moves on you get to experience some quality time with Aerith, meet Yuffie and hang out with Cloud. These are all things any fan would expect, and I must admit, it was exciting to go back to Nibelheim as Zack and experience Cloud's story as it originally played out. Yet that just sums the whole experience up- at the end of the day, Crisis Core is nothing more than fan service wrapped in a competent game.

6/10

Written by Dan Gill