Videogames of 2012

Done for the start of January for The Sunday Times' InGear section - here's my take on the biggest games of 2012 and what will be the hot videogame trends of the year, including Sony PlayStation Vita, Wii U, casual games, FIFA Street, Star Wars: The Old Republic (I know it technically arrived in 2011!), Halo 4, the Tomb Raider reboot, Grand Theft Auto V, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 and BioShock Infinite. Phew.

Mountain bikes, Mail On Sunday

A relatively recent spread of mountain bikes - one for all types of rider - in the Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine. Tested on Epping Forest's finest steep slopes and muddy puddles! (Ignore the fact that it's credited to my mate Chris Haslam - a subbing mistake. Also ignore the fact that some of the forks are the wrong way round - that's down to the photographer, not the tester ;-)

Commuting for dummies, Mail On Sunday

Excuse the sporadic posting here - far too busy doing other stuff elsewhere! Blogging, reviews and features for MSN, features for Stuff, Mail On Sunday and US websites, regular gadget coverage for Flipside, E&T and others as well as copywriting, of course. Anyway, here's a spread I did for The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine on commuting kit, that didn't appear online.

Ethical, environmentally-friendly bike manufacturer

Bicycles are great for the planet - getting people out of cars and requiring little more than bananas, flapjacks and the odd bit of oil to run. But most bike manufacturers aren't taking the environment into account much in manufacture.
Racer Rosa Bicycles make made-to-measure handbuilt bikes. The frames are made in Italy from Italian steel and shipped to the UK, then assembled with components picked for ethical/environmental benefits as well as quality, all in Walthamstow, East London. Want to know more? I wrote them up for The Guardian's Environment site.

Sat Navs reviewed in The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day

In-car satellite navigation systems from Garmin, Mio, Navman etc. get the once-over by me in The Mail On Sunday's Live Night & Day magazine. Pictured is the winning TomTom GO 750 Live.

Heavy Rain, BioShock 2 and Aliens vs Predator game reviews

Heavy Rain for the Sony PS3 is supposed to be an interactive movie. Actually, it's better than that - more on which as soon as I can here. But peep my reviews at MSN Tech & Gadgets and Electric Pig for the full emotional rollercoaster.
BioShock 2 also gets the review treatment at MSN Tech & Gadgets from me. The original was that rare beast: an intelligent, adult and philosophically sophisticated game that simultaneously looked great and kicked butt interactively. Can the sequel possibly live up to the original? Read the review and find out...
Finally, a lazy update of the rather brilliant 1999 PC game adds little beyond its at least inventive multi-player. Awkward controls and lazy design hamper Aliens vs Predator. For the full horror, see my reviews at MSN Tech & Gadgets and Electric Pig once more.

Bayonetta and Darksiders reviews

Bayonetta and Darksiders reviews at MSN's Tech & Gadgets Gaming section, by me. The overspill from the Christmas avoidance of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has begun - with two big games turning up for release on 8 January 2010.
Bayonetta's witch-with-guns-in-her-heels flamboyant take on the Devil May Cry shooting-punching combo genre is just about perfect in terms of its visuals and combats. But does it stack up in terms of longevity, script and progression?
Meanwhile, Darksiders is a grown-up, gothic take on a post-apocalyptic Legend Of Zelda - with one of the four horsemen hacking through demonic and angelic enemies and solving lots of environmental puzzles.
Which is better. Read the reviews and find out...

20 biggest games of 2010

The 20 biggest games of 2010? Step right over to MSN Tech & Gadgets to see my take on the games that are going to dominate next year's release schedule.
Included in the list are: Mass Effect 2, God Of War III and Halo: Reach. Of course.

WiiMote and motion-sensing gaming explained

By me in the latest (January 2010) issue of FHM: motion-sensing technology explained. From the WiiMote and Motion Plus to Natal and the PS3 Wand on the gaming side. And the Philips uWand and Firebox Wand remote controls too.

Stuff Dec 09: Xmas games, platform games in history, Sony PS3 Slim review

A slew of pieces from me in the December 2009 issue of Stuff Magazine, just got subscribers' copy.
1. Christmas games (in a big "12 Days Of Christmas" feature) including: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Assassin's Creed II.
2. A history of platform games from Donkey Kong in 1981 to Super Mario 64 to 2008's Mirror's Edge. And a sidebar on "missing links" including Knight Lore, Tomb Raider and Portal.
3. Long-term and in-depth of the Sony PS3 Slim.
Go buy it now!