The past few years have seen the way we play games develop amazingly. Seeing the games we used to play only a while back makes you realise that. Yes, some classics like Super Mario 64 never age, but just a glance at Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos, or even Crash Bandicoot tells you exactly how much our gaming technology has forwarded.

But after 2007’s great bounty of wonderful games, like  Pokemon Diamond/ Pearl, this year didn’t seem so great. This year seemed to harvest only stupid sequels and crappy spinoffs. Hasn’t it?

Well, yes. But also, we have made a giant leap too. Games like Spore and Little Big Planet have created a new genre of game, where you create your own! This genre has proved to be populaer, so will the games we play in the future be a bit more like these? Or will they be a bit more like Sonic Unleashed, another big game this year, where classic platforming merges with new age technology?

And what is coming out next year that will be worth playing? Not any of those Imagine games, which are probably going to have at least twenty moee titles out by the end of 09 (a good game cant be re-made and released every month). But the upcoming Pokemon Platinum, the next game in the Pokemon series (out in the spring 09) is set to be one of the greatest Ds games of all time, and aren’t we due for another Legend Of Zelda game anytime soon…?

All in all, this year has had a few hits, like Little Big Planet, Fable II, Mirrors Edge, and Tomb Raider Underworld, despite the many misses. Next year looks like it’s coing to be a corker too. So bring on 2009!

Wigglytuff (Japanese: プクリン Pukurin) is a Normal-type Pokémon. It is number 40 in the Pokedex and is the ballon Pokemon. It evolves from Jigglypuff by Moon Stone. It is the final form of Igglybuff. Wigglytuff resembles a pink blob with a fluffy tuft of fur on its head and long rabbit-like ears and a white belly. It has large blue eyes and stubby arms and legs like its pre-evolution, Jigglypuff.

Wigglytuff are capable of inflating themselves to big sizes in order to scare off enemies. Wigglytuff can also sing soothing lullabies to make anyone fall asleep, but its reputation for doing so isn’t as famous as its basic form, Jigglypuff. Like Clefable and its pre-evolutions, Wigglytuff is capable of wielding various elemental attacks. Despite its cute demeanor, Wigglytuff are sometimes known for being very aggressive and DoubleSlapping anyone that gets on their nerves. Wigglyfuff can be found in vivid green plains and grassy fields.

Apparently, Wigglytuff love eating Perfect Apples, as shown in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon 2.

Wigglytuff is also in the anime. In Lights, Camera, Quacktion!, Cleavon Schpielbunk was going to have a Wigglytuff have the starring role in his movie, “Pokémon in Love”, alongside Misty’s Psyduck. It is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in the Japanese version and Rachael Lillis in the English version. A Wigglytuff was seen in Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was captured and cloned by Mewtwo. A Wigglytuff is used in the Fallarbor Contest. Harley used a Wigglytuff in the Kanto Grand Festival. Guild Master Wigglytuff makes an appearance in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness special.

Looking to buy a video game as a Christmas present? Here are six big-name games to avoid…

Golden Axe Beast Rider (Xbox 360, PS3)
With a name like ‘Golden Axe Beast Rider’, you know you’re not heading for high-brow entertainment. And that’s fine. Even in its heyday (the late 80s) ‘Golden Axe’ swung purely for spectacle while knuckle-heads thwacked buttons to hack-‘n’-slash through pseudo-medieval magical beasts. And, yes, got to ride a few as part of the act. Our favourite was the mutant chicken leg. Anyway, this long-time-coming sequel aims to recapture some of the old glory. But that’s the whole problem – the gameplay is just plain old. And sticking a girl in a bikini won’t even lure Neanderthals to the feast.

Consider these instead: Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360), Tomb Raider Underworld (360, PlayStation 3, PC), Uncharted Drake’s Fortune (PS3)

Facebreaker (Xbox 360, P3)
Don’t you just hate it when people think they know all about you? ‘Facebreaker’ is one of the most cynical efforts from EA. We imagine it must’ve looked terrific on the drawing board, and tested well in focus groups. ‘Hilarious’ caricatures knocking seven bells out of each other, the worst of stereotypes from the usual national suspects, and with gameplay to match this short-sighted and very unhelpful view of the world. That is overly-simplistic, infinitely unrewarding, and deliberately dumbed-down for mass market consumption. Ugly.

Consider these instead: Fight Night Round 3, Virtua Fighter 5, Soul Calibur IV (all 360 and PS3)

More Game Party (Wii)
Three simple words that, when used individually within a sentence that makes grammatical sense, can be evocative of good times. Which ‘More Game Party’ most certainly does not provide. Unless you rush home of an evening to play Lawn Darts, but damn that British weather; Puck Bowling, Hoop Shoot and Swing Ball but if only there were more space in the living room… we thought not. However via the magic of Nintendo Wii we’ll hold hope for anything mundane to be rendered ‘innovative’ and ‘unique’. Sadly swinging your arm endlessly to and fro in each of the events here is just pure tedium. You can’t even use your Mii character, it’s that basic.

Consider these instead: Rayman Raving Rabbids, Warioware Smooth Moves, Wii Sports (all Wii)

America’s Next Top Model (DS)
All the glamour and the excitement of the real thing… not found in this Nintendo DS game – sorry!. And is it really any wonder? Nintendo DS can just about draw cute dogs and your basic videogame nasties to put to the sword. The choice of console might earn Tyra Banks’ approval, but fashion-conscious kids will quickly grow tired of such basic interactions as applying cosmetics and directing photo shoots of the 10 wooden contestants completely robbed of charisma. Come to think of it, ‘America’s Next Top Model’ on Nintendo DS is rather authentic…

Consider these instead: My Secret World, MySims Kingdom, Nintendogs (all DS)

Alone in the Dark (Xbox, PS3)
Alarm bells ring when we encounter a game that facilitates ‘fast forward’ through all the tricky parts. ‘Alone in the Dark’ presumes that the quality of its motion-captured heroes voiced by no-name actors are compelling within a non-interactive drama. Instead you want to skip through the cut-scenes too, making it one of the shortest-lived games in history. Watch TV instead.

Consider these instead: Dead Space, Fallout 3, BioShock (all 360 and PS3)

Lost: Via Domus (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)
Or you could fly direct… but you’re still wasting time if you expect ‘Lost’ the game to be in the same league as the TV show. Fans of the series and / or pure gamers will only view this cash-in as a ‘Thing That Should Not Be’. The plot jars with the original show, making more of a muddle of loose ends. The gameplay meanwhile is really quite hopeless – your character is a journalist supposedly aboard Oceanic flight 815 who takes photos during flashbacks but mostly trots from A to B solving dismal puzzles. Everything happens for a reason, this time it’s to exploit the audience. Don’t let this be an insult to your intelligence.

Consider these instead: Fable II (360), Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii), Mass Effect (360, PC)

Star Wars games have always lacked a certain something. They feature the obligatory aliens, droids, blasters and spaceships, of course, as well as the stirring orchestral sounds of John Williams cashing yet another royalty check. Sometimes they’ll even throw in a Mark Hamill cameo to keep you mildly interested and keep him off the streets.

But the one thing you never get to do – and the one thing that all of us have been dying to do since Obi-Wan first terrorized the Cantina – is dismember, decapitate and otherwise destroy stuff with a lightsaber. If that old geezer could slice enemies’ arms off with a mere flick of his wrinkly wrist, 
why can’t we?

Well, actually, we can. And so can you.

Here’s the trick. Load up Star Wars: Jedi Knight II – Jedi Outcast for the PC and hit the “Shift” and “~” keys together. A prompt should appear. Type “devmapall” to unlock cheats and “g_saberrealisticcombat 999” to unlock dismemberment. Realistic combat, indeed!

The Peanutmaster Team has got together to bring you the ultimate Christmas countdown of the bets games out there now. And for the first time in Peanutmaster history, YOU helped us! A while back we asked you for the games you thought were the best, and we’ve compiled them to complete our list! Also. I have to specially thank Peanut, the second in command here and Simon, our co-editor! So here it is!

1) Zelda: a link to the past – -N64
2) Animal Crossing Wild World — Ds
3) Star Wars: Force Unleashed — Wii
4) Little Big Planet — Ps3
5) Star Wars Battlefront II — PS2
6) Zelda: Twilight Princess — Wii
7) Grand Theft Auto 4 — Ps3
8 )  Mario Kart DS — Ds
9) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories — Psp
10) Star Trek: Birth of the Federation — PC
11) Warhammer 40,000 – Dawn of War: Soulstorm — PC
12) Animal Crossing City Folk — Wii
13) Super Mario All Stars — Wii
14) Super Smash Bros Brawl — Wii
15) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games — Wii
16) Super Mario Bros 3 — Gameboy
17) Gears Of War — Xbox 360
18) Star Wars: Empire at War — Pc
19) Pokemon Sapphire — Gameboy
20) Pokemon Diamond — Ds
21) Mario Kart 64 — N64
22) Mario Kart Wii — Wii
23) Runescape — Online
24) WarioWorld — Gamecube
25) Shadow the Hedgehog — Ps2
26) Sonic Adventure 2 Battle — Gamecube
27) Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga — Ps2
28) Dead Space — xbox 360
29) WarioLand: The Shake Dimension — Wii
30) Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion — Xbox 360
31) Wii Sports — Wii
32) WiiFit — Wii
33) Super Mario 64 DS — Ds
34) Sega Mega Drive Collection — Psp
35) Super Mario Super Sluggers —  Wii
36) Lord of The Rings: Battle for Middle Earth: rise of the Witch king — PC
37) Ratchet And Clank: Tools Of Destruction — Ps3
38) Warhammer 40,000 – Dawn of War: Dark Crusade — PC
39) Loco Roco — Psp
40) Lord Of The Rings: Battle for Middle Earth — Pc
41) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 — Ds
42) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon — Ds
43) Lego Indiana Jones — Ps2
44) Super Mario 2: The Lost Levels — NES
45) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Ds
46) Pac-Man — Arcade
47) Need For Speed Carbon — Ps2
48) The Simpsons: Hit & Run — Ps2
49) Pokemon Battle Revolution —  Wii
50) Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII — Ps2

This christmas we are counting down the best of everything Video Game! And to start it off, here’s the best cheats that we could dig up. And the first one’s  a bit obvious…

Yes, you must have seen this entry coming a mile away. The choice is obvious, clichéd even, but no one can deny the game-changing influence of Tomb Raider’s various “nude” patches and mods. The experience isn’t transformed merely by the sudden and distracting presence of a naked lady, though such an addition is guaranteed to alter almost any situation in life pretty damn quickly.

No, what changes is the purpose and meaning of the game itself. Before, you played Tomb Raider for the acrobatic gameplay, archeological puzzles and exotic environments, but really you were just playing to stare at Lara’s ass. After the “nude” mod, you stopped having to pretend. And Tomb Raider’s creators, who shamelessly chose to put a wealthy, globe-trotting scientist in skin-hugging short shorts, got the game they probably wanted to release all along.

Hmm, so maybe nothing changed here after all? We’ve confused ourselves – must be the presence of the naked lady.

  

What? You think we’re going to tell you where to find this kind of filth? No way!

Froslass (a personal favourite) is a dual-type Ice/Ghost Pokémon.

It evolves from Snorunt♀ by Dawn Stone.

Froslass doesn’t have any feet, so it floats in the air like its counterpart, Glalie. What appears to be its torso is hollow, as it is stated in the Pokédex’s entry for Froslass, which is probably the reason for its surprisingly low weight. This “body” appears to resemble a kimono, especially due to the fact that the red band around its waist is reminiscent of an Obi. Froslass’s head must serve as its actual body. Its arms, which hang off the sides of its head like ears, are flared at the wrist to further give it a kimono look. Froslass’s head is shaped like a droplet of water turned on its side. The head has two ice crystals on top of it, as well as several holes through which a purple skin can be seen. From two of them, crystal-blue eyes with yellow scleras peek out.

 

Froslass is a female only species. Glalie partially counts as its male counterpart, because they both evolve from the same Pokémon. However, a Glalie could still be female.

Froslass has slightly weaker defensive stats than its counterpart, Glalie; however, Froslass has more speed than Glalie. Froslass has a few noticeable differences in its movepool as well. For example, Froslass can use more Ghost-type moves than either Snorunt and Glalie can (such as Confuse Ray and Ominous Wind) instead of learning moves like Dark Pulse, Earthquake or Explosion. Froslass can also wield Electrical attacks much like other Ghost Pokémon. Froslass live in snowy areas. While it is difficult to tell what it feeds on, they are sometimes found with a Babiri Berry in their possession.

 

In the anime, Froslass makes a cameo in the movie Giratina and the Sky Warrior.

Here’s a video review of the best and most anticipated games of the past year.

The Peanutmaster team has gone locoRoco crazy recently, with the sequel to this, the most random game I have ever played, now in stores. But is it really worth it? Isn’t the first game brilliant as it is? How could anyone possibly add anything to it?

Well, they have added to it – and done it well. For a start, don’t worry, all the simple, rolling, randomness is still there, with the same, easy tilting controls. But now, there are more moves, to try out to destroy the evil dark blobs that the muchas have spread across the lands by singing. Secondly, there is more to every level. You can now collect musical notes by doing things like rolling past flowers so they open. There are also parts of a level where you use a hard, hollow object to roll and destroy things in your path like rocks. On top of this, instead of just waiting and watching in the singing sections, you join in by drumming out the beat with the O button. But the biggest change is, rather than something like the world map in LocoRoco 1, LocoRoco 2 has split up the menu into a few sections, and you scroll through them usuing the rolling buttons. Each section has a theme, like jungle, or artic, and it is in these sections you find levels of the same theme. The levels themself have dont feel so random, either, with a proper kind of goal behind most. Oh, and of course, there is a new LocoRoco – Viole, the purple tomboy. And her song is great!

So, all these extras mean LocoRoco 2 isn’t just a stupid sequel like many other games, but a great excuse to get rolling again!

RATING: 89%

A tale of good versus evil – and everything between…

The eternal wrestling match between good and evil looms large in Fable 2. And not just in that hollywood sense where you’re one man on a mission to restore order, get the girl and achieve endless fame and riches. Of course, you can do all of that, but you don’t have to be a saint to do so. Making moral choices isnt new to game. The original Fable did it brilliantly. But in the sequel, everything feels a little more significant. Even the most insignificant actions. You see, it’s not a question of being good or evil, because there are so many shades in between.

On the surface it’s an action adventure with the production values (and cast) to rival a Harry Potter movie. But stray from the prescribed paths liad out by a handy golden breadcrumb trail and you’ll discover a dizzying amount of freedom. You can be whatever you like in Fable 2. Be it a hero, villian, husband, adulterer, father, saviour, murderer, blacksmith, thief or chicken-kicker. And no, you can’t steal cars, but there is still more to do in Albion than there ever has been in Liberty City.

What’s more everything you do has concequences – short term or far reaching. Steal from someone’s home and you will be punished. Kill townsfolk and you will be hated and feared, do the nasty with a village girl and you’ll become a father. It’s alot like real life, only much more exciting – unless you already live in a magical tolkien-esque kingdom and hunt bandits for a living.

Enhancing the experience is co-op play, a vastly improved combat system, some clever AI, masses of side quests and a dog. It’s not without flaws – some characters are a little overused for instance – but it’s hard to overstate Fable 2’s brilliance. Immediately accessible, it draws you in like an open fire on a cold night before casting it’s spell – and before you know it, it’s 2am in the morning and you’re still smithing goblins, chatting up wenches and hunting for treasure. Again.

RATING: 94%

Manaphy (Japanese: マナフィ Manaphy) is a Water-type legendary Pokémon. It is Pokedex number #490. It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon. However, it has the unprecedented ability to breed, though the offspring is a Phione. Manaphy was the last Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex before the Platinum expansion.

Manaphy is a small, blue, aquatic Pokémon. It has stubby feet and club-like arms that are longer than its body. Manaphy has a red gem on its chest. Manaphy has a round head with a pair of long blue antennae. Eighty percent of Manaphy’s body is made of water and is highly susceptible to its environment. One of these reactions is that when Manaphy reproduces in an ocean that’s warmer than those that they are native to, the child will be a Phione as opposed to another Manaphy. Manaphy is genderless.

Due to Manaphy’s high water content in its body, it can heal itself whenever it is raining. Manaphy can control water and focus it into attacks such as Water Pulse and BubbleBeam. Manaphy can also switch the perspective of people, and Pokémon, with each other, by using its signature move, Heart Swap.

Due to the presence of the special egg, most portrayals of Manaphy are newborns with a childlike demeanor. Manaphy appears to be native to the cold oceans of the Fiore region, but cannot hatch there, instead only being able to be hatched in the Sinnoh region. Strangely, all eggs Manaphy produces in Sinnoh hatch into Phione.

Manaphy is the star of the ninth movie, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. It is initially an egg that an evil gang and its leader wants to steal. Manaphy hatches in May’s hands and helps the People of the Water to find the Samiya. It is known as the Prince of the Sea.

Manaphy also makes a cameo in Together and in We Will Be Heroes.

Here are maps of every important island and dungeon (and ghost ship) in Phantom hourglass, complete with where every item is. Good luck exploring!

Mercay Island – Temple Of The Ocean King – 1st Island

Isle Of Ember – Temple Of Fire

Cannon Island

Molida Island – Romano’s Archery Minigame

Isle Of Gust – Temple Of Wind

Ghost Ship – 1F

Ghost Ship – B1

Ghost Ship – B2

Ghost Ship – B3

Ghost Ship – Boss Arena

Goron Island – Goron Temple

Isle Of Frost – Temple Of Ice

Isle Of The Dead

Isle Of Ruins

This will be updated to show the secret Islands like Dee Ess Island.

The Little Big Calculator

Over the next few weeks, Peanutmaster is counting down the best levels we have seen you create so far on Little Big Planet. Already we have seen a brilliant God Of War themed level, and now we present….

Many of you might have already seen this excitingly named level on YouTube during LBP’s public beta phase, and those of you who already know its secret: while a simple calculator that can add and subtract might not seem like much, the real draw here has nothing to do with the equations. No, the reason to dive into LBC is the machinery behind it all, which extends for what seems like hundreds of feet above the main calculator interface and consists of an insanely complicated-looking network of color coded switches encased in a few dozen floating enclosures.

The level even includes a jetpack, enabling you to fly up and see it all for yourself once you’re done playing with numbers, although you won’t really get the full effect until you’ve looked at it in the game’s Create mode. Do that, and you’ll see an enormous network of wires – normally hidden during the Play mode – that make everything more mind-boggling and confusing than you already thought it was.

So while Little Big Calculator is far from being one of the most enjoyable or exciting LBP levels, it’s definitely one of the most technically impressive – as well as one of the few that indicates a level of dedication that may border on insanity.

All songs:

At the ‘press Start’ screen, press red, yellow, blue, red, red, blue, blue, Red, Yellow, Blue to unlock all songs. Alternatively, press Triangle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Square on the controller. NOTE: this code disables saving.

Bonus Gold Instruments:

Gold drum kit – Complete Solo Tour mode on drums on the medium or higher difficulty setting.

Gold fender american deluxe stratocaster Hss guitar – Complete Solo Tour mode on guitar on the medium or higher difficulty setting.

Gold fender bass – Compete Solo Tour mode on bass on the medium or higher difficulty setting.

Gold Microphone – Complete Solo Tour mode on vocals on the medium or higher difficulty setting.

Avoid Losing Fans After Failing a Song In Band World Tour Mode:

If your band fails a song, unplug one of your instruments (it must be a wired instrument). Use a different instrument controller to select the ‘return to main menu’ option. Once you are back at the main menu, select Band World Tour mode to continue your career without losing any fans.

Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos, is a brilliant 3D platformer, macking appearances on the SEGA Saturn, PSX, Pc and Gameboy Advance. It was my first proper game, and I think that Croc is part of the gamer I am today. But sadly, Croc is hardly ever accounted for in the lists of great games. I have never heard any big sites talk about it, almost as though it is a reject to Mario, Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, whose games were massive while this came out. So we decided to have a tribute to Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos.