Alex Donaldson (Page 3)

A child, wearing a Meta Quest 3 headset, plays with virtual Lego blocks, courtesy of a VR-enabled version of Lego Bricktales.

Article

PANCAKE DAY | Meta Quest 3 is the first VR headset that doesn’t feel like a pain in the neck

The Meta Quest 3 is a VR headset that runs the Goldilocks Gambit; not too expensive, not too crap.

Nov. 23, 2023 Alex Donaldson

The classic Bond opening 'viewfinder' focuses on the face of Brain Cox, the spymaster from 007: Road to a Million.

Article

SCHOOL OF HARD COX | 007: Road to a Million is the rare big franchise spin-off with soul

It's not quite a new Bond film, but Amazon's peculiar 007 spin-off understands what makes the spy thriller tick – and is a refreshing take on cash-in media.

Nov. 22, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

TOAD TO PERDITION | Super Mario RPG review: a classic reborn

Though it can be a little easy, the Super Mario RPG remake scratches all the right itches – even a few decades on.

Nov. 15, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Sonic Spinball, with little Sonic hunched over like a pinball, with pink, green, and yellow 'echoes' of him behind.

Article

ON TILT | Sonic’s greatest spin-off is 30 years old today – and it’s time for another one

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball – also known as Sonic Spinball – is now three decades old. And it's still the blue blur's best non-canon outing.

Nov. 14, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ZERO GRAVITY | I love Mass Effect, but I’m impossibly bored of the yearly N7 Day teases

As we pass another N7 day of teases for the future of Mass Effect, it's dawned on me I don't want to see any more until there's an actual game to show.

Nov. 8, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Mario and Luigi in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Article

DOUBLE TIME | At 20 years old, Mario Kart: Double Dash remains one of Mario’s racing best - and it needs to come to Switch

I don’t care if it’s a port, or if the next Mario Kart brings back the doubled-up gimmick - Double Dash is a gem, and deserves a victory lap.

Nov. 7, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

GOD OF WAHHH! | WarioWare: Move It review – an enjoyable, if flawed, waggle frenzy to make the Wii proud

Here, in WarioWare’s second Switch title, we have a love letter to the Wii – for better and for worse.

Nov. 3, 2023 Alex Donaldson

The little, squat version of Mario stands looking a bit worried in front of a nice, cosy house and a signpost in a screenshot for Super Mario RPG remake.

Article

MALLOW OUT | Super Mario RPG remake is gloriously faithful to an all-time great – hands-on preview

Remakes can go one of two ways, but you'll be pleased to know this SNES throwback is hyper-faithful – perhaps to a fault.

Nov. 2, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Star Ocean Second Story R protagonists in key art for the game

Article

COSMIC SANS | Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a Remake with a capital R with a plan to please three decades' worth of fans

Star Ocean: The Second Story R buries the lede, but once you dig into it, there's something very appealing to long-time series fans.

Oct. 31, 2023 Alex Donaldson

The Polymega console and its pad, presented at a jaunty angle.

Article

WAITING GAME | Retro console maker Polymega reckons it'll ship all remaining pre-orders this year, if you’re feeling lucky

After years of stock troubles, one of gaming’s most impressive retro indulgences might soon be readily available.

Oct. 27, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Tanooki Mario flies over World 1 (pixel form) from Super Mario Bros. 3

Article

TANOOKI SALON | 35 years later, Mario 3 still does some things better than every Mario since

If all the world is a stage, then Mario is adept at playing all the roles – something Miyamoto was very keen to tell us.

Oct. 23, 2023 Alex Donaldson

A screenshot of Cities Skyline 2, with a 4-star rating and the quote "the foundations of a generational classic" over the top.

Review

CITY PERFORMANCE | Cities Skylines 2 review: a solid foundation for a spec-hungry future classic

This is an excellent sequel, and an exciting foundation for what I’m sure will be a bright, addition-packed future.

Oct. 19, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

TUSKMASTER | Super Mario Bros. Wonder review: 2D Mario is finally back at his best

Mario’s latest fuses past and present in a rare display of perfectly balanced design chemistry – and it’s one of the best games in a stacked year.

Oct. 18, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

GET N OR GET OUT | The retro king, Analogue, takes on the N64 next with Analogue 3D

Not content with impressing everyone with the Analogue Pocket, the king of retro hardware turns its sights on the 64-bit generation.

Oct. 16, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

EGGMAN ON YOUR FACE | Sonic Superstars review: a faithful (if deeply uneven) return

Though it's not as polished as Sonic Mania, or as fascinatingly weird as Sonic Frontiers, there's a space for Sonic Superstars.

Oct. 13, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Split image, with key art from Cypher 007 in each half.

Article

GOLDENAGE | Cypher 007 is James Bond via Metal Gear Solid – and the best Bond game in decades

This is the best Bond game in years – probably since 2004’s Everything or Nothing. And you can play it now, on Apple Arcade.

Oct. 12, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

VICE, VICE, BABY | Crypto, Poker, and Phil Collins: What we want in GTA 6

Read VG247’s GTA 6 Wishlist – I bet you a Great White Shark Cash Card it’s different from all the other ones you’ve read so far.

Oct. 7, 2023 Dom Peppiatt

Split image featuring Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves' characters in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Article

IN THE END | Phantom Liberty keeps Cyberpunk 2077’s glorious endings intact – and that’s amazing

CD Projekt Red knows that there's no success without pain, no legend without compromise. And that's part of what makes Night City so special.

Oct. 6, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Guide

IT'S BEEN A BLAST | Cyberpunk 2077 Best Ending | How to get all endings and secret ending

Get the ending you want — including the one newly added with Phantom Liberty.

Oct. 4, 2023 Alex Donaldson

A close-up of Wario's big, horrible face.

Article

WAH NEVER CHANGES | WarioWare: Move It offers up some brilliant Mario Party-style multiplayer shenanigans – hands-on

What if Mario Party... but Mario Farty?

Oct. 3, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

PAWN COCKTAIL | Dragon’s Dogma 2 is more of the same (which means it’ll probably be a stone-cold classic) – HANDS-ON

This is like the first game, but better, which means Dragon's Dogma 2 is likely to be unstoppably good.

Sept. 29, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Triple-split image with the new art-style Mario in the centre, flanked by Elephant Mario

Article

LIFE'S A PEACH | Super Mario Bros. Wonder appears to be the 2D Mario I’ve wanted for 20 years – PREVIEW

Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like Mario’s nostalgia-stoking Sonic Mania moment – and isn't that just the most exciting thing?

Sept. 28, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

GOLDEN AGE | Millennia is Paradox Interactive’s new Civ rival – and it promises a dynamic twist to the 4X genre

The 4X strategy genre has a new upstart – with Paradox’s Interactive’s Millenia taking aim at Civilization’s crown.

Sept. 21, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Aerith, Cloud and Tifa stand and look at the stars in a planetarium.

Article

(ZACK) FAIR GAME | Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is bigger, bolder, and better than the excellent FF7 Remake – hands-on

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel, but is content to iterate. A good job, then, that it’s iterating on the best FF since the PS2 era.

Sept. 21, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

DOG EAT DOGTOWN | Phantom Liberty and Patch 2.0 make Cyberpunk 2077 the game it should’ve been: a must-play classic

Finally, CDPR has realised its lofty vision with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty irons out the bugs and makes this a classic.

Sept. 20, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

IMPERFECTIONS | Starfield is the most flawed game I’ve truly loved in a long time

There's something truly morish about Bethesda's spacefaring RPG.

Sept. 15, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Key art featuring a gorgeous city scape built around a huge river in City Skylines 2

Article

PLAN ABOUT TOWN | At the eleventh hour, Cities Skylines 2 emerges as a GOTY contender in a truly packed year

2023, eh? Will it go down as an all-timer? With games like Cities Skylines 2 up front, it just might.

Sept. 12, 2023 Alex Donaldson

The player character stands next to Sam in Starfield.

Article

TERMINAL VELOCITY | Starfield is incredible, but following slow NPCs is making me want to put my controller through the wall

Even the best of games can be needled by a frustrating stop-start dance with slow-moving NPCs.

Sept. 6, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

PINK POWER | Can’t wait to play Sonic Superstars? One of the best Sonic games just got better - and it’s free

Amy joins the fray in one of the best Sonic games in recent years - and it's not even made by SEGA.

Sept. 6, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ANIMAL MAGIC | The chaotic cuteness of Party Animals is sure to be an Xbox Game Pass winner

Move over Gang Beasts, there's a new pudgy little party game in town – and it's going to be a Game Pass smash.

Aug. 29, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

OK, BOOMER | Sonic Superstars gets the all-important physics right – and the odd thing wrong

Not quite as impressive as Sonic Mania, but a damn sight better than Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega's latest blue blur offering ticks all the right boxes.

Aug. 29, 2023 Alex Donaldson

A Lego Goomba and a Lego Badnik stare at each other, both are cross, and the backgrounds are slightly blurred versions of each respective models home level.

Article

WAY PAST COOL | With Lego Sonic, Sega does what Nintendon’t once again

Lego’s take on Sonic offers a more traditional, 90s-style playset approach than Mario - and it’s for the better.

Aug. 10, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Guide

PUNCHING UP | Street Fighter 6 Gifts guide: Best Gift & Special Gift for Each Master

Street Fighter 6 might be a fighting game, but it's got some dating game DNA, too. This gift guide will help you get closer to those masters.

Aug. 9, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

NOT SHELLING OUT | Street Fighter 6’s Ninja Turtles DLC is stupid expensive - but fans are hilariously taking matters into their own hands

Capcom's TMNT crossover for Street Fighter 6 is very, very expensive. But some fans have figured out a work-around...

Aug. 9, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

MISSED MARVELS | The time is right for Marvel vs Capcom to return

As the MCU circles the plughole, a classic resurges at EVO, and Street Fighter 6 remains unbeatable, Capcom is in a position to deliver a legendary crossover.

Aug. 4, 2023 Alex Donaldson

News

PERFECT HARMONY | An incredible must-listen new Final Fantasy orchestra album hits stores next week

One of the most prestigious video game concerts is back with a new recording, this time celebrating the music of four classic Final Fantasy games.

July 27, 2023 Alex Donaldson

A sleeping Pokemon, Raichu, in a split image with a mobile phone screen displaying data from Pokemon Sleep.

Article

DROWZEE DOES IT | Pokemon Sleep is weird, wonderful, and a little under-cooked

Gotta catch some Zs.

July 26, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Street Fighter 6's Rashid in a mirror image over a background of blurred Fighter Coin currency.

Article

TAKE THE WIN(D) | With the Rashid update, Street Fighter 6 proves its DLC plan is (almost) perfect

The master of the Turbulent Wind has brought more than just sick parkour and the latest gadgets to the world of Street Fighter 6.

July 25, 2023 Alex Donaldson

A split image consisting of the back of an Omega Speedmaster (with an engraving referencing that it is a flight-qualified watch for NASA) and a piece of concept art for Starfield, showing a human character interacting with the controls of a busy space ship console.

Article

IT'S ABOUT TIME | Starfield’s Collector’s Edition watch is the perfect tribute to one crucial spacefaring tradition

More than just Collector's Edition tat, that ludicrous Starfield watch actually pays homage to something really unique – and on-brand – for Starfield.

July 20, 2023 Alex Donaldson