The YLOD also known as the Yellow Light of Death can be one of the most frustrating encounters on a PS3. I just imagine that PS3 you bought for hundreds of dollars is now faulty. However, like any other electronics, the PS3 can be fixed. All you need is just a little time and patience. Just read on to learn how to fix playstation 3 ylod.
Here are some tips on playstation 3 ylod fix now:
· Turn off your PS3 for at least 20 minutes (to allow it to cool down), then turn it on again
· Check for any loose cables
· Take out your PS3's hard drive and put it back in (this may need to be done a couple of time)
If after trying those tips and no positive answer, then you can try the options below:
The first option is to send your PS3 back to Sony for repair
This option may seem like the easiest, but it isn't. However, you would have to spend $150, including shipping and handlings. And not to talk of the 4-6 weeks delaying period.
The second and ideal option is to carry out playstation 3 ylod fix by yourself
To the best of my knowledge, this option is by far the most efficient, safest and easiest option. Do you know that you can get your ylod repaired and your console up and running in under an hour? All you need is just the right guide and equipment.
This option is safe, easy, cheap, and no loss of your data. More so, you won't have to wait for weeks. In actual fact, within the hour, you are through with the repair process. So many people have learnt how to fix playstation 3 ylod using the option, so why not give it a try? Visit: YLOD Repair Guide and claim your guide now.
Lastly, if you want the ylod on your ps3 to be repaired quickly and cheaply, you should do it yourself with the help from a repair guide.
Whenever you are intending to download any games or whether it is just a word files showing you tricks or software, be sure to install your anti-virus program to prevent any damaging virus that can cause harm to your computer.
Beware of crack files or document files claiming tips you can use for gaming. It is a common method that virus gets to infect your PCs.
Explore the website before committing to download the free stuff. Check out the user reviews to get a feel of how others find the software. You can even go to psp game forums to check out whether has anyone used the free software that you are interested in. To search for the forums, just search for “psp game forums” and you should be able to find a list that you can start with. Although those software’s are free stuff, its still worth a small research to decide which on is worth downloading.
So make a move now and invest some time to search free psp games in the Internet.
About the Author: Jordan Michael writes on a variety of subjects and recommends http://pspblenderpspdownloads.blogspot.com for more information on Free PSP Game Downloads .
Notice - You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain active/intact and included with every reproduction.
The original Nanostray was a straight-ahead 3D shoot-'em-up that was light on story but big on weapons and some interesting visual design. Now Majesco and developer Shin'en are bringing the sequel to a DS near you with some twists to the standard shoot-'em-up formula that look to make the sequel an even more enjoyable experience than the original. We recently had a chance to check out Nanostray 2 during a meeting with Majesco reps to see how the game is coming along.
While the original game only featured vertically scrolling levels, Nanostray 2 will have both vertical and side-scrolling sections. We got a chance to play a portion of one of the side-scrolling missions that, in typical shooter fashion, started out with a relatively wide-open area. Then it progressed into tight, mazelike corridors we had to wind our ship through, all the while blasting enemies, dodging their attacks, and looking out for such sinister obstacles as pipes bursting forth with nasty green gas. If you fill up the new nanogauge meter, you can also earn multiplier bonuses as you make your way through the levels.
Unlike the original game, Nanostray 2 will have a storyline, complete with attractive cutscenes and voice acting. These are all found in the game's adventure mode, which will explore the mysteries behind the Nanostray virus. In arcade mode, players can replay any of the levels featured in the adventure mode at any time. Challenge mode will offer four sets of eight challenges: Completing a set will unlock new levels in simulator mode, which will give you the opportunity to play through entirely new levels. Nanostray 2's multiplayer will feature both cooperative and competitive play. Cooperative play will support multicard play, while dueling will support either single or multicard setups.
Before a level begins in Nanostray, you'll be able to choose your control style. The game will feature three control setups: classic (for those who don't want to use touch-screen controls) and left- or right-handed touch control. In addition to your standard blaster, you'll be able to choose from your ship's secondary weapon (controlled with the B button). These can include a heat-seeking missile, a radeon (a close range weapon), and a weapon that shoots in different directions. You can also place your weapons on your ship before a mission begins and change their positions (front, middle, or rear) on the fly by pushing the shoulder buttons as you fly through a mission. It's quickly apparent that switching your weapon position to the ideal position is very important when completing a level because enemies and obstacles will often appear at strange angles.
With 100 different enemy types, 16 bosses to destroy, and the ability to upload your high scores to the game's Web site using the DS's Wi-Fi capabilities, Nanostray 2 will certainly give fans of shoot-'em-ups plenty to do when it's released early next year. Stay tuned for more on the game in the near future. -GameSpot
Product Features * Advanced AI makes enemies smarter than ever and use their cunning in deadly attacks * Use the Action button for better player control * New 'Aim and Shoot' targeting for zeroing in on enemies with your weapons * Behind the camera view for intuitive movement * Conversations and monologues can be heard in real time
Product Description In Resident Evil 4 you'll know a new type of horror, as the classic survival-horror action returns with all-new characters, controls and storylines. We last saw Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 2 - a rookie cop in Raccoon City, fighting to stay alive. That was six years ago. Since then, government forces have managed to control the zombie threat and Leon has become a Federal agent. When the President's daughter is kidnapped, Leon tracks her to a remote, hidden fortress in Europe - where he'll relive the horror he faced six years before. Players will face never-before-seen enemies that make Nemesis seem like a kitten. You'll be wishing for the usual Resident Evil zombies! Buy now.Click here
It can't be easy for most publishers (that aren't named Microsoft) working on first-person shooters due out this fall. After all, said publisher's sci-fi shooter sequel Halo 3 is easily one of the most anticipated games of the year. However, Call of Duty is a pretty big series in its own right, dominating the popular World War II genre with excellent single- and multiplayer gameplay. And with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward has recharged its franchise by busting it out of the World War II setting and giving it a jaw-dropping graphics update.
Get ready for Call of Duty action in a modern-day war.
Perhaps the biggest news with Modern Warfare is that yes, it no longer takes place in World War II, the setting that has served it so well all these years. However, with most of World War II's major battles already featured in a Call of Duty game, it was perhaps time to move on. This new game is set in a modern-day conflict--not in the near future. While the conflict that the game portrays is fictional, Infinity Ward wanted the actual combat to be rooted in today's truth. There are no fancy prototype weapons or equipment here. Everything in Call of Duty 4 is supposed to feel as authentic as possible, and Infinity Ward talked to veterans fresh from Iraq to hear their thoughts on the modern battlefield.
The new game doesn't take place in Iraq. Rather, it sets up a conflict with a mysterious Middle Eastern dictator and his henchmen, who have teamed up with a Russian ultranationalist and his henchmen, thus giving them the media-friendly name of "The Four Horsemen." You'll play primarily as one of two different characters, though you'll occasionally see the conflict through the eyes of other characters as well. The first is a British SAS commando caught up in the Russian storyline, and the other is a US Marine in the middle of the Middle Eastern conflict. How those storylines intersect is the basis of the game's overall plot. Modern Warfare's story will be told mainly through the perspectives of these two characters, since there won't be any fancy third-person cutscenes or glossy news broadcasts. By introducing a modern conflict, Infinity Ward created a storytelling challenge for itself. After all, almost everyone understands what World War II was about, and who the good guys and bad guys were. Introduce an original story, though, and you have to spend a lot more time introducing the various players and factions.
Still, Modern Warfare is a Call of Duty game, and that means that you're going to experience an almost nerve-wracking amount of action. The missions that Infinity Ward showed us featured the trademark intensity that the series is known for, from a nighttime shipboard assault in the midst of a raging thunderstorm to a massive air assault featuring more than a dozen Black Hawk helicopters swooping fast and low over a Middle Eastern city. In fact, the action seems even crazier than before, thanks to the fact that modern weapons and equipment are so much more advanced and lethal than their World War II counterparts. Now, every soldier is armed with an automatic weapon, and there are night-vision goggles, Javelin antitank missiles, and grenade launchers. In at least one mission, you'll serve as the gunner aboard an AC-130 Spectre gunship, providing fire support for troops below; the gameplay looks eerily like real-world gun-camera footage, with radio chatter to match.
The game will feature a brand-new story and impressive new technology.
However, there won't just be wall-to-wall, over-the-top action in Modern Warfare. That tends to be a bit too emotionally exhausting, not to mention repetitive from a storytelling perspective. Instead, Infinity Ward is looking to really mix things up. "What we're really going for is massive variety of gameplay, so along with telling the story in a sort of a 24, never-know-what's-going-to-happen-next style, we're doing the same with the gameplay," said Jason West, Infinity Ward's chief technical officer. So, there will be sniper missions where you have to sneak around, or the aforementioned one-off missions where you experience life as someone other than the two main characters. You'll even get the chance to experience a coup firsthand--from the perspective of the guy being deposed.
Regardless of what you do in the game, it will look absolutely spectacular, thanks to the game's cutting-edge graphics engine. Infinity Ward spent a lot of time showing off the incredible level of detail in the game, including character models that seem as detailed as expensive, 12-inch premium action figures, right down to the shadows cast by individual bullets. Of course, it's hard to appreciate this when pretty much the entire world around you is going to hell--but even the chaos looks impressively realistic. While there's no large-scale environmental destruction, there is material penetration by weapons, so it's possible to kill someone who is crouching beneath a window, or shoot up through the ceiling to get someone on the floor above. "On Call of Duty 2 we were [an Xbox 360] launch title, everyone was learning and ramping up on beta hardware... So now, the artists have been trained up from day zero, so we think this is the best-looking game you'll see on a next-gen console," said Vince Zampella, Infinity Ward chief creative officer. "We've really squeezed a lot out of the hardware, and it looks 10 times better than Call of Duty 2. And I think Call of Duty 2 looks great."
The single-player game alone makes Call of Duty 4 seem very promising, but toss in the multiplayer and it becomes even more impressive. After all, Infinity Ward has built up quite a reputation for multiplayer. The developers note that the Call of Duty games are among the most popular on Xbox Live, and that Call of Duty 2 was the most popular multiplayer game on the Xbox 360 for almost a year. Modern Warfare won't just be Call of Duty 2 multiplayer with new maps and weapons; there are also a ton of new features designed to improve accessibility, community participation, and persistence. Perhaps the most intriguing new feature is the create-a-class ability, which lets you create your own custom soldier, armed with different weapons and equipment, depending on what you've unlocked. Even better are new special abilities that add an almost role-playing-like aspect to the game. There are potentially dozens of special abilities, but you can choose only one or two at any given time, so it becomes a matter of choice. For instance, there's last stand, which gives you a few seconds after you're killed to pull out and use the pistol to shoot the person who got you. Heavy endurance will let you sprint farther, and fast reload will let you reload faster. Or there's martyrdom, which automatically drops a live grenade if you die. Perhaps the nastiest one we heard of lets you eavesdrop on the other team's voice communications.
Call of Duty 4 will also offer brand-new multiplayer options to go with its intense action.
In terms of community, Modern Warfare will introduce a Halo-style party system that will make playing with your friends a lot easier. Best of all, the multiplayer graphics look as good as the single-player. There's no sacrifice in graphical quality that we could see, and it's quite possibly the prettiest multiplayer gameplay that we've ever seen.
Having the Call of Duty name is already enough to get the attention of most shooter fans, but Modern Warfare really looks like a huge leap forward for the franchise, and it's hard to imagine how this will not be one of the biggest games of the year. The shift to modern times has injected the series with new energy and gameplay, and it all looks great. But best of all, Infinity Ward has revealed that the game is already far along in development, and it's on track for release sometime this fall. -GameSpot
Publisher: Jowood Productions Developer: Provoxgames ESRB: T Category: Simulation Release Dates N Amer - 06/05/2007
Game Previews For PC Game
Description
Spaceforce - Rogue Universe comes with excellent graphics, accompanied by moderate hardware requirements and the full freedom of choice - in this non-linear space experience, the player is given the pportunity to master the game exactly how he/she wants. It includes trading, fighting, and raiding space stations and fortresses, but also the examination of cryptic artefacts and anomalies and, of course, mind-blowing warps through wormholes and long-distance space gates. Features
* An open ended, beautiful and innovative 3D space environment decorated with stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, star bases, and floating cities - all of which are ready for exploration, development, trade, diplomacy, or conflict
* Players will have the opportunity to explore the galaxy as a member of one of the 10 civilizations placed on different starting locations across the universe
* Non-stop action with a wealth of star vessels within beautiful constellations make SpaceForce 2 an intriguing and exiting space game
* Advanced graphics and particle features - True 64 bit HDR rendering, HDR fresnel, HDR specular, HDR bloom and glow star effect, tone mapping (adaptive exposure), HDR antialiasing, blue
* Each ship can be modified into your own creative style by upgrading: speed, target system, jammer, shield, armour, weaponry, afterburner, cargo space and weight
Try this Game, You will be enjoy.. infomation from pc.gamezone.com
Need for Speed Carbon Cheat Codes Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.
By: EA Games, EA Canada Genre: GT / Street Racing Release Date: Oct 31, 2006 Players: 1 Player PC Games
Codes For NFS-Carbon Type any of the following cheat codes at the 'CLICK TO CONTINUE' screen. Some codes may work if entered at the MAIN MENU screen. Cheat friendlyheadlocksapplied = Unlimited Crew Charge nosforeverever = Unlimited NOS slowitdownwhenyouwant =Unlimited SpeedBreaker
Review Games
Carbon continues the story where Most Wanted left off. For those just tuning in, Most Wanted ended with you recovering your stolen car and bailing out of the city of Rockport while the overzealous, anti-street-racing Sgt. Cross continued his pursuit. At the start of Carbon, you're making your way to Palmont City when Cross, now a bounty hunter, catches up with you and totals your car during the chase. Before he can collect his bounty on you, though, your old friend Darius steps in and pays off Cross. You are then put to work, taking over the turf of the other rival street-racing crews in Palmont City. It seems that you've got a history in this town that predates the events in Most Wanted. And during the course of the game, you'll learn more about that fateful night you skipped town. Different characters will give their takes on the night you supposedly ran off with a big red duffle bag full of cash. And by the end of the game, you'll not only find out what really happened, but you'll have taken over all of the street-racing territory in Palmont City.
Outside of the actual gameplay, one of the more endearing aspects of Most Wanted was the way it used live actors in CG environments for its story sequences. These sequences invariably featured plenty of actor/model types, trying a little too hard to talk tough and failing spectacularly at it. The technique remains the same in Carbon, though there are more story sequences now and a slightly more self-aware tone. The heavy use of flashbacks is an interesting idea, but the story ends up being kind of muddled. And none of the villains come off as particularly menacing. Although it's hard to really qualify any of it as sincerely good, it's just over-the-top enough that folks who enjoy stuff like The Fast and the Furious, ironically or otherwise, should get some enjoyment out of it.
God Ware II Cheats For PS2 High Definition Mode This code is entered any time before the "Sony Computer Entertainment Presents" screen. The letters on that screen will turn purple if done correctly.
Cheat L1, L2, L3,Circle and Square simultaneously Effect High Definition Mode
God of War II Secrets Bonus Play To Start a new game with all Weapons/Magic at the levels you completed the game at, simply save your game and start a new game. Choose the Bonus Play option and you can start a new game with all your weapons/Magic at the levels you beat the game with. You can only choose the Bonus Play option on the difficulty you've beaten the game on. They will be marked by a sword on the New Game screen.
Sex Mini-Game A little while into the area of Rhodes, the first area of the game, you will drop down into a bath-house/sauna type area. Instead of continuing and diving down, jump out of the water onto the area around it. There should be two screens which are breakable. Behind one of the screens are two topless women. By walking up to them and pressing the circle button, you initiate the sex mini-game in which you complete a series of button presses. When you have won, you will receive a large amount of red orbs and some green orbs. You can only receive the orbs once, however you may play the mini-game as much as you'd like.
Secret: Now I am become Death... message in the sky + extra red orbs Hall of Atropos - Upper Level - Do this AFTER the fight with Perseus. You are outside after defeating Perseus. Go back inside through the upper left door. Once in the chamber jump up on the ledge against the back wall but don't go out on the balcony just yet. To the left of the exit, in a dark area where it's pretty difficult to see there is a small star on the ground. Stand on the star and hit R1 a few times (though once is enough). Now run outside on the balcony. Around the corner to your right and under a window there is a second star on the ground. Stand on the star and hit R1 a few times (again, once is enough). Now keep going and quickly grapple across to get over the other side of the roof. Run around the corner and go all the way to the pressure switch, stand on the switch to activate the roots walkway. When the roots are nearly fully extended slow time with the Amulet of the Fates and quickly run across. Once on the center platform you will see the third star on the ground by the first tree. Hit R1 and the camera angle will shift and the following message will appear in the sky: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." As the message slowly appears in the sky a few thousand red orbs will also be given to you by the tree you are standing next to. The quote in the sky is from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. It was later famously quoted by the American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to describe the first nuclear bomb test on July 16, 1945.
This is a good Games for Music Mania. When we first got our hands on a preview build of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, we found the single-player experience to be much the same as the previous two installments in the hit rhythm series. We've now had some extra time to check out the multiplayer side of the game, and we can report that--much like single-player--things haven't changed that much at all. Not that that's a bad thing--more Guitar Hero, particularly with the kitsch songs this game focuses on, is always rocking.
The three multiplayer modes we’ve come to know and love are all still here--cooperative, face-off and pro face-off. Cooperative play sees you sharing a track between two players playing either lead, rhythm or bass, a feature first introduced in Guitar Hero II. Face-off remains unchanged, and allows you to play alternating sections of notes of the same song. You can also pick two different player difficulties in case the person you’re playing with is still learning their way around the frets. Pro face-off is still limited to one difficulty for both players and represents the ultimate battle for rock supremacy.
Difficulty was one area that surprised us in Rocks the 80s, with even some tracks on Expert seeming a tad easy. We’re by no means the best Guitar Hero players around–-we’re certainly not the worst either--but we breezed through many of the tracks with the difficulty cranked to 11 and still managed to hit a high percentage of notes. As a point of reference, we scored five stars on coop Holy Diver on Expert during our first attempt. As we played an early preview build there’s probably some difficulty fine-tuning to go before release, so we’ll reserve our final judgment until the game goes gold.
Functionally, Rock the 80s plays identically to the other Guitar Hero titles, with the only exception being the inclusion of significantly more three chord note combinations. They’re tough to hit accurately, but anyone who has played Hard or Expert in GHII shouldn’t have any trouble nailing them with a bit of practice.
Our hands-on time allowed us to play most of the full track lineup for the expansion, and while we can’t tell you about the unannounced songs, we were impressed by the ones still to come. A couple of old favorites even surfaced amongst the classics. Despite the apparent easier difficulty compared to the finger breakers of Guitar Hero II, the tracks on 80s seem a lot more fun to play. Fingering can be intricate and at times a bit frantic-–but nailing the big solos makes you feel like you’re actually up there, chafing in your leather pants and leading the band.
Since we got our first look at SBK'07 a couple of months back, much of the game has now been finished. Whereas many of the menus or even track textures were placeholders before, they're now done, so we took to the road with an updated build of the PlayStation Portable version of the game to see how it's shaping up. Generally speaking, playing SBK'07 on the PSP is close to the experience of playing it on the PlayStation 2, and having gained some experience with the driving model on the PS2, we decided to jump straight into a season.
The game is designed to cater to a whole range of racers and is split into two overall racing categories: arcade and simulation. The former is for anyone and incorporates a number of driving aids to give even complete beginners a decent experience of bike racing. It incorporates three levels of difficulty, from rookie to professional. The latter is really intended for more experienced gamers and will pose a significant challenge on the higher settings.
We decided to play the game in the arcade mode and on the professional difficulty level. This gives you a fighting chance of a podium place as long as you're familiar with the circuits and understand the way racing bikes take corners: You need to lean into the apex until your knee virtually touches the ground.
There are a limited number of riders who are available for selection when you first boot up the game, but you'll unlock some of the better bike and rider combinations as you win races and progress through the various game modes. One driver who is currently available from the off is Australian former world champion Troy Corser, who rides a Yamaha, so we selected him and got the season underway.
Each race event is split into a number of different stages, including several practice sessions and two actual races. You'll probably opt to jump straight into the races, but the other sessions are a useful way of getting to know the tracks. That knowledge will also be vital if you want to compete at all in the simulation mode.
There are some fairly extensive bike setup options, which enable you to tweak various elements of your ride's performance, as well as make crucial decisions on tyre compounds and weight distribution. Getting to grips with these options isn't crucial to do well in the basic arcade mode, but if you are more serious, you'll probably want to do a fair bit of meddling and find a good setup for each type of track.
Before each race, there's a warm-up lap that you can choose to watch if you prefer, and then it's straight into the action. The first corner is crucial, as in real life, and it pays to be careful. Depending on your difficulty level, the game's racing model will be more or less forgiving of gentle nudges against your opponents, but if you go in too hard, you'll end up unseated. Getting up and back on your bike is swift, and in easy races, you can soon catch up to the pack, but you'll need to avoid getting unseated in harder races because it will likely cost you any chance of a podium.
Another aspect of the game that's scalable is the way that the bikes handle. The simplest racing model will help you with accelerating and braking. It will even feather the throttle for you around fast corners, which is great if you're new to two-wheel racing. On the other end of the scale is the completely unassisted format, where leaning back while on the gas will result in a wheelie or hunching forward under braking could see you go over the handlebars. With traction control turned off, you have to be very careful of corners, and even looking at the grass the wrong way can send you spinning off with very little effort. And that's in the dry. If you try the realistic settings in the wet, you'll be challenged just to stay on the bike--let alone in the race.
After several races, we found we had begun to get into the rhythm of racing bikes: swaying first one way for one corner, then the other way for the next corner, straightening up for the faster sections, and putting the brakes on hard for a hairpin. It's satisfying when you string a consistent lap together, and taking the right line throughout the course is the vital aspect in winning races.
Playing the PSP does feel quite different from the home console edition especially because you have no analogue controls for speeding up or slowing down. After a few races, we found that our left thumb, which controls the bike's direction, was beginning to ache. But that's really down to the PSP's design rather than something you can blame on any individual game. We also found that some of the harder simulation settings were nearly impossible on the PSP because assistance on such things as speed is needed more on the handheld.
That aside, the two editions seem to play out almost identically, although we didn't get to try out the PSP's ad hoc wireless multiplayer mode, which could turn out to be a lot of fun. Based on our experience, a race weekend could take anywhere from 20 minutes upward to complete and depends on how many of the various practice sessions you take part in, but if your PSP gaming session doesn't stretch to that, there are also plenty of quicker modes to play. A time attack can last just a few minutes, which is perfect for short trips on the bus. While taking up a lap that's been paused midway might throw you off course a bit, it's not a big problem to try to pause, but only when you're on a straight. So far, the handheld version of the game mirrors the PS2 edition in that it's accessible and fun. The game's nearly ready to ship and will be released later this month, so check back later for a full review of the game.
According to historian and author Russell Lynes, "Tennis is an addiction that once it has truly hooked a man will not let him go." Based on time spent with a near-finished version of the game recently, it appears that Namco Bandai is hoping to achieve something similar with Smash Court Tennis 3 for the PlayStation Portable. The upcoming game not only promises to offer an enjoyable match of tennis, but also adds some quite detailed character progression and a number of inventive minigames to the mix.
The well-presented menu that greets you the first time you play Smash Court Tennis 3 has plenty of gameplay options for you to choose from. The best place to start is a series of 24 tutorials that do a good job of familiarizing you with and letting you put into practice many of the game's subtleties. Smash Court Tennis 3's responsive controls aren't radically different to those in other tennis games you might have played, but they're a little more challenging in that anything but a straightforward serve or return shot requires precise timing on your part. To use the game's own terminology, "easy shots" that afford you very little control over the ball can be performed simply by pushing a face button when you want to hit the ball, but "nice shots" and "hard hits" (so any shot that you want to direct or hit with some pace, essentially) require you to hold and release your chosen shot button at exactly the right moment. Topspin shots, flat shots, lob shots, and slice shots are each assigned to one of the PSP's four face buttons, but simply mashing those buttons and hoping for the best is not an option.
After playing through as many of the tutorials as you feel you need to, your options will include playing exhibition matches, the tournament-based arcade mode, the lengthy pro tour career mode, or one of three minigames. Ad hoc multiplayer is also supported, and the game-sharing option lets you play with limited options against friends who don't have their own copy of the game. The exhibition match and arcade options let you play as one of 16 licensed top professional players, but the pro tour mode--which is where we've spent the vast majority of our time with Smash Court Tennis 3 thus far--forces you to play as a custom character. The customization options available to you when creating a new character give you the freedom to determine their name, gender, nationality, height, weight, hairstyle, facial features, and equipment choices very easily, and after settling on all of that stuff, you'll get to choose a playing style, favored hand, backhand style, service motion, and receiving stance--really making the player feel like your own unique creation. The only other option you'll need to worry about at this stage is who your main rival is going to be, and depending on the characteristics of the player you created, you'll have up to three to choose from for your first year on the tour.
You can plan your entire season on the tour-calendar screen .
The tour-calendar screen on which you can plan out your year is divided up into the 52 weeks of the year, and you can choose to spend each week playing training minigames, negotiating contracts with potential partners or sponsors, competing in whatever tournaments are going on, or simply resting up to recover stamina. The fact that you don't automatically recover all 100 percent of your stamina before entering a new tournament or starting a new training exercise adds an element of strategy to the proceedings, because there's little point entering the US Open against the world's best players if you're still exhausted from competing the week before, for example. With that said, in the early stages of your career when winning the US Open would be a tall order, your ranking and financial interests might be better served by winning a smaller tournament that most of the higher-ranked players aren't even bothering to take part in. Doubles tournaments with a strong partner are also a relatively easy way to earn cash, and we were pleased to find that it's possible to assign net, baseline, normal, or I-formation roles to partners at anytime simply by pushing the directional pad in one of four directions.
At the end of each tournament, assuming you weren't eliminated in the first round, you'll be awarded a number of experience points that can be used to enhance your player's skills. Initially you'll need to spend most of your points on improving basic attributes that lend themselves to certain styles of play, such as ground stroke, technical, footwork, and serve and volley. As you improve those parameters, you'll unlock new skills that can be purchased in exactly the same way--many of which unlock new moves for your player. Some of the skills that we've put to good use so far include additional stamina, stronger forehand shots, and a sneaky underhand serve. The improvements that you make to your player are instantly noticeable the next time you take to the court, so it's really only a matter of time before the top-ranked players who feel unbeatable at the start of your career get what's coming to them.
All three of the non-training minigames are fun, especially against a friend.
If you feel like taking a break from the busy tournament schedule of a professional tennis player, Smash Court Tennis 3 has three (that we know of) minigames in which you can hone your skills. Bomb Tennis drops bombs that can be detonated with a well-placed shot on your opponent's side of the court every time they miss a shot. Galaga Tennis tasks you with destroying spaceships and rescuing abducted tennis players while playing an otherwise quite conventional match. And Pac-Man Tennis challenges both players to avoid ghosts while running around the court and using the ball to collect Pac-dots. We've had a lot of fun playing all three of the aforementioned minigames, and we're hopeful that one or two more might be unlockable as you progress through the game.
Smash Court Tennis 3 is currently scheduled for release this summer. We look forward to bringing you more information as soon as it becomes available.
