Hatake Kakashi after summoning his ninja dog (Pakkun)

This Hatake Kakashi figure is not only finely detailed but offers a fully removable jacket. Kakashi’s ninja dog summon (Pakkun) is also fully removable and is just as exceptionally detailed.

Kakashi’s jacked is fully removable

Even without Pakku and the combat jacket, Kakashi’s clothing and body detail is extraordinary. The effort that has gone into the crease detail, hip pouch and leg bandages, really help bring the character to life!

Small details really help bring Kakashi to life!

Keep it at D4G for more on the best Naruto collectible figures.

Yup, it was an amazing feeling holding some marketing creations that pretty much kick-started the games industry! Don’t worry, we’re going to share this amazing feeling with you by treating our readers to some retro gaming ad scans!

WWF – NES Wrestlemania Game and VHS Board Game Ad

A WWF NES and board game ad that appeared on the back of the Superman In Space comic book

1989′s edition of Superman In Space leant its back cover for the WWF ad. Although the NES version was amazing for us WWF fans, I couldn’t help but feel left out at the sight of a WWF VHS board game release! This must have been a US only release as many of us in the UK were fooled into thinking that Atmosphere was one of the first VHS board games!?

A WWF VHS board game!? To ebay, quick!

We’ve got plenty more retro gaming ads to come, including Atari and some cool Ninty accessories!

Day 1 Digital – Preparation to phase-out pre owned next-gen games, or just pure coincidence?

Lets take a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of Sony and/or Microsoft phasing-in some form of anti pre owned games system. At the moment, lets go with the ‘Pre owned Trial’ system. A method that will force the gamer to pay extra in order to unlock the pre owned game:

Advantages:

- Games developers and publishers should generate more profits with a majority of sales coming from new games. This will mean larger budgets to enhance existing game IP’s and also give developers a better chance of taking the financial risk of setting-up totally new IP’s.

- New releases (such as Far Cry 3, Dead Space 3, Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution) seem to be hitting the SALE sections much earlier, now. Think of the bargains that will await if devs and publishers are making even more money from their releases (platinum, classics etc.).

- You’ll no longer want to buy that pre owned copy of a game that smells like someone’s urinated on it and has an instruction booklet that looks like a dog, baby or grandma has been chewing at it. Eeeeeeeewwww….

Disadvantages:

- Gamers would certainly think twice before purchasing a console that restricts pre owned games being fully playable

- Pre owned games could end up costing the gamer even more than a new copy, pretty much wiping-out the pre owned market

- Game retail could shut down overnight. Pre owned games are a major money spinner for stores such as Blockbuster and GAME (stores that are already in trouble).

Looking at the pros and cons above, sure makes this a decision that Sony and Microsoft can’t make on a whim. The game industry may become stronger but potentially at the cost of retail stores that feed them. But…is Sony’s ‘Day One Digital’ system a move to prepare for such a pre owned strike? Have the major players already stuck a knife into the heart of game retail?

Hit the comments and let us know what you think?

OK, so what if you’re in the UK?

- WWE.com = Can’t play in your region

- WWE on Xbox Live = No such Xbox Channel/app exists

- WWE on PSN = Nothing. You’d be lucky to see a film from WWE studios

Of course, you can view by cable and satellite in the UK but the options have shrunk dramatically. WWE on the US PSN offers a HUGE collection of PPV, WWE compilation DVD’s and almost ALL episodes of Smackdown and RAW! (yes, right up to the current episode).

WWE made the move to SyFy but can it make the leap to the UK PSN and Xbox Live?

Here’s the thing, if a company wish to steer viewers/players/listeners away from piracy as much as possible, they need to focus on one thing…ease of accessibility. iTunes did it with the MP3, Love Film and Netflix have done the same with the amazing PS3 and 360 streaming apps and even Google Play now offer great prices on the latest music and films. Put simply, if the legitimate way is stupidly easy and fairly priced, the illegal way just seems like a complete waste of time.

Smackdown and Raw at £1.50 – £3.00 per episode seems like a great deal to fans. Even PPV events where you not only buy the full event but even pay a small amount for each individual wrestling match (yup, the US have this too) would be amazing to UK fans.

What do you think? Want to have easy access to everything that’s WWE on Xbox Live and PSN? Hit the comments below and let them know!

Access Games are soon to unleash Deadly Premonition – The Director’s Cut on the PS3, that offers fans control and graphical tweaks. But what could Deadly Premonition 2 do to get itself noticed more on its original release?

The engine of Deadly Premonition 2

This may be the ‘big one’ for many players. While we personally felt the engine was a breath of fresh air with a blend of Xbox and Dreamcast visuals, (that almost made us weep as we played through the game) we can totally understand if many gamers were put off by it. This is one decision where we’ll need our readers help. Hit our comments section and let us know if you think Access Games should invest in a more competitive engine for Deadly Premonition 2 or just improve on the existing one?

Things to keep in mind:

+ A better engine will bring a more believable and atmospheric world

- The new engine will take longer to build and take up more budget (that could be used on gameplay, character animations and character/story development

Lets do a quick comparison of the original and Director’s Cut:

The original Deadly Premonition

Now lets see how Access Games have tweaked the original for its Director’s Cut release:

Graphics from Deadly Premonition – The Director’s Cut

Combat and character movement in Deadly Premonition 2

It’s no secret that Access Games paid tribute to releases such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill. These tributes are more apparent in the games combat sections. The only problem with this being that an awkward movement and targeting system frustrated many players (causing many players to not even complete the games prologue section, therefore missing out on the amazing Deadly Premonition experience).

Will Deadly Premonition – The Directors Cut offer better combat mechanics?

Recommended Changes:

- Tweak pad layout so it becomes close to Resident Evil 4 controls (suits third person style much better) and have ‘fire’ as the right trigger…not the A button. Drawing your weapon could even be initiated by tapping the fire trigger once (if button mapping is an issue) for a quick and life-saving draw.

- No form of ammo indicator was displayed during Deadly Premonition’s combat sections. Some form of current clip/magazine counter would be extremely useful in Deadly Premonition 2.

- When picking up items and interacting with the environment, speech boxes would appear and the player would be unable to move, powerless to avoid or take-down any approaching enemies. This was more frustrating than the original Dead Rising’s ‘radio call’ bug and should be tweaked to give the player full control throughout.

- Some enclosed areas used random bursts of classic Resident Evil camera shots. While this was a welcomed tribute…the now extremely dated tank controls, were not. Ditch the sudden camera pans or at the very least, ditch the random tank layout. We lost count of how many times poor York face-planted a wall.

Combat Locations

Deadly Premonition’s masterclass in story and character development was separated by lengthy horror sections. These would see you (York) walk the path of the games ‘Darkworld’ (similar to that of Silent Hill games) where zombie-like enemies would attack and try to kill our protagonist. But while few puzzle sections and the occasional and imaginative Raincoat Killer chase tried to pace the combat, endless halls of the dark unknown could sometimes get a little tedious. Put simply, there was little variation. See an enemy, kill the enemy and continue to leg-it to the final door. This would have worked better in short bursts but Deadly Premonitions combat sections grew longer as the games story plunged deeper.

One thing that should never be changed is how Swery (the games director) creates and develops the story and characters

Recommended Additions:

- The locations of Deadly Premonitions darkworld started well (with forests, woodland pathways and cabins) but seemed to get more bland as the game progressed. This was due to red wall-like restriction that simplified York’s surroundings and eliminated any means of interaction or identity of another world. Loose red wall maze-like restrictions and instead, implement the darkworlds identity within more realistic environments.

- Although the imaginative Rain Coat Killer scenes were a welcomed addition, the player simply had to become very patient with the games main combat environment to actually experience these. We think adding such mini-game mechanics to other enemies would help set the pace better.

- The incredibly freaky looking dummy-faced enemy that would climb walls and partition you off from your goal, was the only real mini-boss in the game. Deadly Premonition 2 needs a variety of these and better still, a new enemy for every mini boss encounter. Each with different strategies required take them down. We would also consider losing the red wall partitions for such mini boss battles. Instead, consider actual areas that mini bosses would suit and how such locations could work to their attack and defensive advantages.

Driving Mechanics

Possibly the most criticised aspect of Deadly Premonition was vehicle handling. There wasn’t any. The real shame (and possibly what lead to Deadly Premonition becoming a budget release) was that driving made up a HUGE portion of the gameplay. After all, you were an FBI agent and needed to investigate, steak-out and question a living town. After experiencing Deadly Premonition’s amazing character interaction and development in the games vehicles, (as you’d chat with one another during longer journeys) we think vehicle handling is possibly the most important improvement that Access Games need to make for Deadly Premonition 2.

Will the Director’s cut of Deadly Premonition make crucial tweaks to the driving mechanics?

Vehicle Handling Improvements

- Research first-person driving simulators (Gran Turizmo, Forza and Need for Speed games) and try to implement realistic (but not necessarily racing) driving mechanics into Deadly Premonition 2.

- Vehicle upgrading was mildly played with throughout Deadly Premonition but the sequel (once vehicle handling is perfected) would need a much more solid upgrade system. Being as driving makes up a huge part of the game, it makes perfect sense to give this element good focus, too. First, upgrades could not only effect cars speed and handling but their interior too (hanging dice, anyone?). Secondly, the player would need somewhere to safely store all vehicles purchased.

That Darn Menu/Map Sound Effect!

Sorry, we had to say it! We couldn’t decide what made us shudder more…the cut-scene of that dummy looking, wall crawling freak or that horrid TWWAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGG every time we needed to check our map! We understand that it may have suited the chilling atmosphere of the game at first, but unfortunately it just got more annoying as the game progressed.

What Us Gamers Can Do

Deadly Premonition was an amazing game and an experience that everyone should have. But if you want to see a Deadly Premonition 2, then make sure you buy the new Directors Cut edition that’s released at the end of this month. Just think…if all us Deadly Premonition fans made an effort to buy the new release, then Access Games would have a great budget for the sequel!

Meet Swery – the man behind Deadly Premonition – Buy the Director’s Cut so he and his team can bring us an awesome follow-up!

New To Deadly Premonition?

If you’re new to the game then Deadly Premonition – The Director’s Cut edition is a perfect place to start. Don’t be put off with the tweaks listed above (some of them have even been fixed in the Director’s Cut). Deadly Premonition is a truly great game and once a sequel lands with these adjusted, that’s all it will take to make Swery’s work a gaming masterpiece!

Have you downloaded Pirate's Booty or Mr Torgue DLC, but can't see their locations at Fast Travel? Read on for help!

You may have read on DLC descriptions and some reviews, that Borderlands 2 DLC should easily appear on your Fast Travel system. In fact, it SHOULD appear on any fast travel system as soon as you’ve downloaded Captain Scarlett and her Pirates Booty or Mr Torgue’s  Campaign of Carnage. BUT…many of us are having issues finding these. Read on to find out how to fix these issues.

DLC KEY: 

Captain Scarlett and her Pirates Booty = ‘Oasis’ on Fast Travel system

Mr Torgue’s  Campaign of Carnage = ‘Badass Crater of Badassitude’ on Fast Travel system

Solution 1 – Character Level: Many gamers think the DLC locations are unlocked at level 20. In fact, Pirate’s Booty (OASIS) is actually accessible from as low as level 15 (as far as we know). Enemies also seem to balance to your character level (only being a couple above). Some gamers also think DLC enemies are level 50 (to meet True Vault Hunters needs) but this isn’t the case. They simply best match your character/s.

Fast Travel Location: Many gamers are also reporting that only specific Fast Travel systems will grant access to Borderlands 2 DLC locations. With testing, we have proven this theory wrong. In fact, you should be able to access this anywhere in the game, although we’d recommend attempting to hit the DLC after Sanctuary is in the air.

Console Cache (in system settings): Gamers are reporting that clearing their systems cache and then restarting Borderlands 2, solves their problem and allows the game to recognise DLC locations within the Fast Travel systems.

The XBL connection solution (below) is most effective at solving a majority of DLC Fast Travel issues

XBOX LIVE Connection (* Popular fix): After allot of testing, it appears all DLC content requires an Xbox Live connection on Borderlands 2 load-up, in order to communicate to the servers and make sure DLC content is downloaded and installed.

For example:

Local Co-Op Play: You and your local (sofa) co-op buddy download Captain Scarlett and her Pirates Booty DLC. You restart the game (with your network cable attached to each others consoles) but strangely the DLC location (OASIS) is missing from the Fast Travel systems.

SOLUTION: Before every game start, make sure both consoles are connected to the internet (by disconnecting network co-op cable). Once you’re both at the front-end, check your ‘Downloadable Content’ list. All downloaded content should now say ‘Installed’ next to them. Go back to your character screen, reconnect your network co-op cable (console may temporarily freeze for a bit…but don’t worry) and continue.

We hope this helps make your Borderlands DLC experience run a little more smoothly. Feel free to post your findings and other fixes, below.

After accepting the update, Mr Android made our day with his funky download and install animation (where he seems to give Iron Man’s tech a run for its money). As soon as the update finished and our Nexus 7 rebooted, it was time to have a play and find out exactly what Google’s minions have tweaked. But after scrolling through untouched settings and apps, we returned to our Nexus 7 dashboard and “AHHHHHHH!”. Our dashboard was in landscape mode!

The Android dashboard is alive...ALIVE! (it now auto adjusts)

Dashboard auto rotation is the most obvious tweak in Jelly Bean 4.1.2 with other tweaks improving the operating systems stability and performance.

If you find other improvements after the new Jelly Bean 4.1.2 update, hit the comments and let us know!

FPse has been updated regularly with tablet support and wireless/cable pad compatibility

The first thing you’ll ask yourself is how will FPse display on my Nexus 7 tablet? Will I get a compressed display (as if you’re playing on a mobile) or will it actually adapt to my tablets resolution? The good news, is that it WILL adapt to your tablets display and it won’t pixelate like some other emulators do. A lot of work has gone into keeping FPse up-to-date with the current gaming market and the 3 recent updates prove this (as of 12th September 2012).

It's amazing to play old classics like Persona 4 on your Nexus 7 tablet. RPG's also better suit digital touch controls

What makes the Nexus 7 the ultimate portable games system, is its pure power combined with its portability. If you could get such emulators on an ipad, imagine trying to hold the thing like a hand-held…you’d need a full-body massage after 30mins! Even with its 7″ screen and Tegra 3 muscle, the Nexus 7 is still easily held in the hands, giving great access to touch pad controls. Of course, you can also link it up to 360 and PS3 controllers for extra gaming comfort.

Persona 4 was one of the first PSone games we fully tested on our Nexus 7. Its unique take on turn-based battles and 3D environments (with a 360 rotating camera) gave it something over other RPG's

Lets get to the games. This article will become a FPse Nexus 7 list for fully playable PSone games. Being as the Nexus 7 is a very powerful system, we only want to list games that play very close to (or exactly) how they would on a PSone. Minor sound issues (if in certain points of the game) or minor audio slow down (noticeable if you pay attention but doesn’t really spoil the music or game FX) is an exception.

Nexus 7 FPse PSone Games List

Final Fantasy VII
Legend of Dragoon
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Tekken 3

We’ll keep updating this Nexus 7 FPse games list, so bookmark this page and keep checking back. If you know of any other games that should be on this list (providing they meet the conditions above) let us know via the comments section and we’ll test and add them to our list.

Google's Nexus 7 is the first Android device to boot and update to 4.1 Jelly Bean

Once you receive your shiny new Nexus 7 (stay off Google Play for just a few minutes…you can do it!) we recommend you head right to the “About Tablet” section in the system settings and hit “System Updates”. At first, you’ll notice the Android OS will refuse to update, saying that it already has the very latest version of Android for your device, but…you’ll still need one vital update before you go heading off to Google Play with your free £15 credit. Simply wait a few minutes to be automatically notified that an Android update is needed. Follow the steps and you’ll be seeing what the Nexus 7 can do, in no time!

The first thing you’ll notice about Jelly Bean is the pure speed. The time it takes to boot-up is exceptional, responding, flashing its trademarks and landing you comfortably at the Android dashboard within just a few seconds. It’s a far-cry from the painful hanging start-up of Android 2.1 (we honestly think our desktops booted and wi-fi connected, faster!).

A new addition you may not notice is the way 4.1 Jelly Bean makes use of the CPU and its 4 core muscle. When you leave your phone the CPU usage will decrease, saving precious battery life. A simple touch will suddenly boost the main processing unit, making sure the CPU (and its four cores) are only powered and feed from, when necessary. A very nice touch.

So what do you think of the Nexus 7′s Jelly Bean OS? Hit the comments section below and let us (and the Android developers) know what you love and what you would like to see worked on. Pros and cons, like and dislikes. You get the picture so get posting!

Deadly Premonition is now available on XBL Games On Demand for just £14.99

Deadly Premonition was released back in 2010 and took its place amongst the survival horror releases. You play as FBI agent Francis York Morgan, a unique individual who has been sent to investigate a bizarre murder case in the mysterious town of Greenvale. You pass time speaking to your imaginary friend (Zack),  have balls of steal in terrifying situations and can’t quite get the hang of talking to the opposite sex (yup…our poor Agent York has been burnt in the past). In a nut shell…you’ve got issues, but your one outstanding and reliable agent.

As the game opens, you can sense the love and attention to Deadly Premoniton’s story telling. It’s dark, murky and as you drive down spiraling roads of never-ending trees, the rain belts down around you. A tiny lapse in concentration, a misjudgement and your car is at the mercy of the water-drenched roads as you spin helplessly off into damp, dark woodland. Where the hell are you!?

Welcome to Greenvale. Hang on...she ain't bringing it in for a hug!

Deadly Premonition’s gameplay is a cocktail of survival horror mixed with the sands of freedom. Take some Silent Hill, a little Resident Evil, a pinch of Alan Wake and drop in a few cubes of sand-box mechanics. Deadly Premonition uses a very simple third-person style and from the moment you dust yourself off from your car accident, you’ll immediately notice the control system could be better. Fire is A, aiming can be a bit slow (but this does add to the tension) and you’ll need to rely on the lock-on and flick-up skills you mastered, while playing GTA 4. It’s not the best action mechanic in the world…but hang in there! Take out a few walking corpses and make it to the end of the prologue, (30-35mins) so Deadly Premonition can really show you what it’s made of.

Get through the prologue and Deadly Premonition offers nothing but reward

Once you’re out of the woods you’ll begin to meet the other characters of Deadly Premonition. The game may be based on an old engine but characters are still detailed and convincing to easily pull you into their world. The characters of Deadly Premonition are one of the games stronger points and as you awaken in your hotel room, you’ll admire the effort to make you feel like a newcomer to a living town. Meet and greet the owner, have some breakfast and enjoy your first cup of fortune-telling coffee. It’s time to grab the police car master keys and start your investigation (giving access to any police vehicle in town but you can still buy and upgrade others!).

It’s at this exact point where Deadly Premonition takes you by surprise. The entire town is your FBI playground and you’re free to question most of its population whenever you feel like it! Can’t see them around town? Get Metal-Gear on their asses and peek through their window to see what they’re up to (or even the window of their work or social place). Oh, but you can’t just drive around all day without a care. You’ll still need to re-fuel at your local gas station (where you can continue your questioning) and even have your car washed. In fact, you’ll even need to take care of yourself with a small wardrobe of suits (flies will begin to circle you if you don’t change regularly), mirrors to have a shave (it’s cool having the choice to strut with some stubble!) and food to keep that FBI brain of yours, alert.

Once you're out of the woods, Greenvale is your FBI playground

During your investigation, you’ll steadily progress with the games other cast. It’s here where everything glues so well in Deadly Premonition. You’ll have conversations with multiple characters in your car as you drive to destinations, (being able to turn your head and see them engage with you) hang-out with colleges in a local bar as you catch-up on current events and even call a town meeting to get to know all the towns people (as well as sneak in some FBI questioning). It’s all about character of the game and Deadly Premonition opens-up and swallows your mind-whole.

Keep yourself clean-cut to take-on another day of investigation. I still don't understand why even now, we still react to working in-game mirrors like they were new tech...

To top-off Deadly Premonition’s must-see-through qualities, gameplay is tweaked and changed throughout. First you’ll be blasting enemies. Then, you’ll be strutting around questioning people. Then, you’ll be burning around town, earning  prizes at the local firing range, fishing for valuable items, (and of curse…fish) carrying-out investigation puzzles, quick-time-eventing your ass away from an unstoppable threat, playing solid-snake in lockers to evade your predator and more. Yes, Deadly Premonition has a lot to offer. It’s still kinda hard to get your head around this title being a budget release??? Greenvale’s adventure may not have ‘the green’ but it certainly has heart.

As well as the varied gameplay, sanbox world and character development, the story offers some dark and gripping case scenes throughout

We could go into detail about what those threats are…but we won’t. You’ll just have to play it yourself. One thing is for sure, though…you will have never played a game like Deadly Premonition. You’ll be sceptical about it, force yourself to see the prologue through, and then fall madly in-love with it. Never wanting the curtain to close on the town or its characters. Yes, Deadly Premonition has some major gripes in some of its gameplay mechanics but they way it’s all gelled together from sandbox to amazing characters and from gripping crime scenes to useful case update break-downs, help make Deadly Premonition an absolute classic (even offering over 40hrs of gameplay!).

Do yourself a huge favour as a gamer…head to XBL and buy this game. It’s a game to lose yourself in and a true experience to pass-on.