Stephen Gordon
ROCKBAND UNPLUGGED
Format: PSP
Price: £24.99

This is the new PSP version of the Music game, Rock Band. The adaptation of it on the PSP is tricky to get used to as you play all four instruments at one time. But once you get used to it, the controls are easy.

You play all four instruments (guitar, drum, bass and vocals) by using the L and R buttons. Once you have completed on part of the song on one instrument you can switch over by using the L and R buttons. For example you could do one part of the song on drums then switch to bass. But if you only want to play a single instrument is the training mode where you don't need to switch instruments.

The game has a lot of songs (41 at the moment) including some well know ones, like ABC (by the Jackson 5), Livin' on a prayer(by Bon Jovi) and Ace of Spades (by Motorhead). EA (the game makers) are planning to make more available via download so you never know there could be more songs you know.

This game is very addictive and once you start playing, you can't stop. There is a demo version available on the Playstation Store so if you dont want to buy the full game just that, the demo is here to tempt you.

I think this is a great adaption of the RockBand game for Xbox 360 and Playstaion 3 and is great for on the go, music game on the go.

Poem – F1 Racing Alex Risely

Poem – F1 Racing

Speeding down the track
At 200 miles per hour
No one can spot me
They are in a dust shower

Right behind in 8th
Trying to overtake
Swerving, turning, skidding
Scared to make a mistake

Just finished lap 50
Only one more to go
Giving it 100%
Can’t be going slow

Turning the last corner
Flat out through the straight
Overtaking some drivers
My car begins to shake

The finish is in sight
The chequered flag is waving
Will I be victorious?
The podium is waiting

Seasons

Spring, spring, leaves growing on the trees,
Then slowly appear the bees.
Temperature starting to increase,
But dark nights decrease.

Summer, summer, leaves on the trees,
Flying around are the bees.
Temperature high and hot,
Sun stays out for most of the day.

Autumn, autumn, leaves falling off the trees,
Then slowly disappear the bees.
Temperature starting to decrease,
And dark nights start to increase.

Winter, winter, leaves off the trees,
Flying around are not the bees.
Temperature low and cold,
Moon stays out for most of the day.

Sam Rose - Ode

Ode to the red dawn,
That can only mean death,
Ode to those soldiers, who were born,
And drew their last breath.

All in honour for a Nation they thought so great,
Filled with such anger and hate,
For those who tried to overrule,
A Country so powerful yet so small.

Of we fought them, although we were weak,
With limited supplies and food to eat,
Long in battles so horrific and bleak,
On and on we fought them, week on week.

However, we needed help from countries afar,
And with their help we showed them how strong we are,
We shot bullets at them from our guns like bees from a hive,
Ridding ourselves of them in 1945.

Dark Awaiting - Chapter ThreeDark Awaiting

Dark Awaiting
Chapter 3

Page 211. Blunt’s diary. Age 3.
...Blunt walks towards his mother. He cries insanely for he had banged his head on the wall. His mother picks him up and says, “Don’t cry, it will be fine in a minute”. His mother then kisses him on the forehead and then he stops crying. Blunt is put down by his mother. Blunt falls asleep and that is the last time he sees his mother.

I drift through the space around, with lights of all colours passing by. Despite the lights being there I have no vision at all. In fact I have no senses whatsoever. I just know they are there. Something of me tells me what is going on around me. It tells me I am moving to the left, then few moments later it tells me I am going to the right. It was a strange feeling but yet it was very useful. Otherwise I would not know what was going on. At once I stop, not knowing why. I then descended to what I was being told was water. I stand upon the water and do not sink. I then hear a deep, croaky voice coming towards me. “Greetings young one...we have been awaiting your arrival.” The voice said. “I shall now give you back your senses.” I was at once filled with energy and was now “human” again. I open my eyes and look around me. All there is is a dark murky water of which gently flows. Then once I get used to the sensation of standing on water. I look for the source of the voice that welcomed me. I turn round and see it. It was a shadow, a reflection, of me. It had streams of black smoke coming from its feet and looked as if it were pulsing. “What are you?” Blunt calmly says. “And who are you?”
“I am what you were, are and will become.”
“What do you mean?” being slightly scared now.
“I do not take this form to scare you, Blunt. For you see I am a part of you. A part of you that has been there since the day you had life. I am your mind, your conscience, your heart. I am the very thing that makes you who you are.”
“You are not me. There is only two parts to me of which I have with me right now.” Blunt now becoming impatient and upset.
“And what are those things, may I ask?”
“Something you don’t have, a body and a soul.” Blunt snarls.
“Ha, ha, ha. Do you not see it yet boy? I may not have a body or a soul but I tell you this. I am you, for I was the one that told you what to do throughout your life. I made you who you are right now.”
“That’s impossible no one can see their own mind.”
“Yes, that is true but, when you were killed, I was able to take on another form that was visible to you.” Blunt starts to walk around the place shaking his head in disbelief. The shadow moves his head to where Blunt is positioned. Blunt waits a moment as he thinks about what he just heard.
“So why can I think for myself right now then? Unless you’re talking to yourself. Not so smart now, are you?”
“By the way you just insulted yourself. But anyway I gave you a temporary self mind so we could talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“Your future, your diary.”
By Christopher Hewett

A Review of the Nintendo Wii Fit By Mitchell Hill

A Review of the Nintendo Wii Fit

The Wii Fit is a great game for people that are trying to lose weight and get fit with the advantage that it can be done in the comfort of their own living room. The game is an add on to the existing Nintendo Wii games console and consists of a balance board, which is slightly larger than a set of bathroom scales and a disc, which contains the Wii Fit game itself. The balance board communicates via infra-red signal with the sensor, which should ideally be positioned on top of your television.

The game requires the participant to stand on the balance board and starts by calculating your body mass index (BMI), by measuring your weight and putting this into an equation with your height that is entered into it manually. The BMI figure tells you if you are over weight or not and how much weight you need to loose in order to achieve an ‘ideal’ BMI for your height. A BMI of 18 to 25 is considered ‘ideal’.

The next step is a balance test where the participant has to move their body weight around the balance board in a series of tests that are designed to calculate your Wii Fit age. The results of this test can be quite shocking and it isn’t unusual for the participant to have a Wii Fit age far in excess of their real age, but don’t let this put you off as it’s quite good fun. You can even design a character from a drop down menu that is supposed to be you when you are doing the exercises and save your individual profile so that multiple users can use the Wii Fit.

The Wii Fit games themselves consist of balance games, muscle workouts, yoga and aerobic exercises where it is possible to achieve target levels for ability as well as a target weight loss over a period of time. It is suitable for all ages from 3 years and at £70.00 is great value for money as it’s far cheaper than the average gym membership and much more fun. However, be warned, this game is extremely popular and last Christmas it completely sold out all over the world.

By Mitchell Hill

Night at the Museum 2 - Joe Smith

This is a fantastic film with great actor Ben Stiller as the main actor following the sequel of the first ‘Night at The Museum’ film. The film also contains Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais.

Larry Daley is an average night watchman at a museum of natural history in Manhattan where, at night, the wax figures come to life! This all happens in the first film so I won’t go too far into it. At the beginning of the second film, all of the figures get shipped to a completely different museum. Larry therefore goes to that museum and attempts to get his friends back although the museum is about 3 times the size of the one back in Manhattan. There are many things that happen, which include famous figures for example: Einstein, Pharaoh etc.

But Larry is facing many problems; they include the tablet making more exhibits coming to life, exhibits trying to attack Larry (like Pharaoh with a lisp!) and the guards of the museum trying to stop Larry from escaping from the museum. Although these problems seem like quite a threatening experience, Larry gets on with it with assistance from some ‘good’ exhibits.

In my opinion, the last scene is the funniest because of the argument that occurs between Larry and Pharaoh and the war between the exhibits! Personally, I would submit a ★★★★ to the directors, creators and so forth because it is an all round funny film, which is good for families. If you get an opportunity to, please watch it.