In a time when games are being hyped through the roof, it indeed comes as a welcome surprise when some of them do manage to live up to all the hype that they have generated. That’s the case here with EA Canada when it comes to the latest game in their long running FIFA series. EA was quick to announce that this iteration has more than 250 tweaks to it that will change the look and the feel of the game. True to their word, EA Canada has managed to pull of this impressive feat and this year’s FIFA does look and feel like a new game all together. The beautiful game has never been this beautiful before.

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People must really love playing with little virtual lives that go about their digital existence without suspecting something bigger (and in my case, meaner) watching over them. Me, I just love spooking hapless Sims or creating funny ways for them to die. For the rest of them who want to see what happens when you stick a couple of them in an apartment, there’s always the new Sims 2 Apartment Life expansion pack. We’re just going to let the press release speak for itself – what more can we say? Except that we’re a little concerned, especially the box art seems to feature some sort of Sim voyeur peeping through someone’s window through a telescope.

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The month of May seems to have started off on a great note, what with E-Xpress Interactive playing Santa and leaving us a PC preview copy of the highly anticipated multi-platform game GRID. Knowing the rich history that Codemasters has when it comes to the racing games genre, the racing buffs in us were eager to try out the latest offering from their able-stables. Certainly then, braving the Mumbai traffic to rush back home was something that we were not really too keen upon. However, once back home and having installed the game, it just took us a couple of minutes into the game to know that all the trouble was worth it.
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2007 was a good year for racing games. Fans weren’t exactly spoilt for choice, but it was more a case of quality over quantity. There was something for everyone; Forza Motorsport 2 for the purists and car enthusiasts, DiRT for some off-road escapades and the best car damage ever, and the highly underrated and overlooked PGR4 with its addictive pick-up-and-play approach.

Like in most other genres in 2007, the Xbox 360 came out on top here was well. Forza 2 and PGR4 were exclusive to Microsoft’s console, while DiRT came to the PlayStation 3 months after it did on the Xbox 360.

But 2008 is a new year, and it’s already off to a smashing start – literally. Here’s a look at what racing fans can look forward to in 2008. Once again, there’s something for everyone – simulation, arcade and even some combat racing. And Sony fanboys can finally stop sulking now, because from the looks like it, the PS3 has got some heavy-hitters lining up on the grid.

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We, at The Angry Pixel, like to believe that we are pretty weird, but in a good way, though many might not agree with the “good” part. So we are always on the lookout for stuff that compliments our image. A normal search on the good ol’ Google always throws up some really crazy and weird stuff all the time. But sometimes, we stumble across something that makes even us go, “WTF!”!

While looking around on Google for some weird gaming peripherals, the search results regurgitated this piece of gaming goodness that has us scratching our heads (for a change!) that such masterpieces do truly exist in the gaming world. So presenting before you, our very first Weird Game Of The Week, Namco’s Chizu Saeki’s Dream Skin Care for the Nintendo DS.

The guys behind the game probably do not have a high opinion about the age-old adage that beauty is only skin deep. So they have come out with a game that will afford the gamers a chance to get all the goodness a beauty parlor has to offer, right on their couch, with their DS. Feed in your Basal Body Temperature (huh?!), weight, your living conditions, your skin type and even your menstrual cycle and it will chart out a beauty regime for you. Give it the details about the time period as in maybe a friend’s marriage date and it will spit out the skin care tips and cooking recipes that will ensure that you are the envy of all on the D-day. The game also includes 34 hour long videos that you can go through at your own pace to get an even more in-depth look.

While we are all game for innovative titles, this one is probably something of an overkill. We wonder how many copies this game has managed to sell considering there is really not much of it on the World Wide Web, and that’s saying something. If you are not on The Net, you do not exist for all practical purposes. We, at TAP, have crossed our fingers least we get to see a, God forbid, How To Conceive A Baby soon. Thank you Nintendo, but if we want to know, we will find it out the good ol’ way.

P.S. If you have been wondering who the guy in the picture is, it’s our Associate Editor, Reggie. I told you! We ARE weird!!

Yeah, so the last article I posted didn’t actually say Part 2, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t!

In part 3 of our WCG 2007 (and definitely our final article on this event, we bring you an interview with one of the WCG participants - Ajay Chekalia. We also interviewed another gentleman who pretty much kicked ass at Counter Strike : Amitoj Duggal, however, due to extremely fucked up audio, there’s no way we can put it up here.

We spoke to Ajay about the event and what he thought about it. He shared some interesting insights with us and explained the advantages of using a wheel for racing games, the super-quantum flux theory and why Freud dreamt of trains going into tunnels.

An interesting (but we found amusing) point he made, was the fact that once you’ve played 1 racing sim, you’ve played them all. Ajay came 2nd on day 1, in PGR3, considering that the only other contender was his friend, but overall he ranked 4th in the Delhi leg of the tourney - but this was the 1st time EVER, he’d played the game. So all his practice hours were pretty much spent with NFS Carbon. Yeah - you got it. NFS Carbon is the shit!

Overall, this guy pretty much knew what he was talking about and we found it quite a delightful experience talking to him. Good luck in Mumbai, old chap. Have a jolly good time and bring us back some goodies. Perhaps we’ll invite you over to a cup of Earl Grey, lad!

Download the video here.

If reincarnation were ever an option (I’m not much of a holy person), I wouldn’t mind coming back as a wolf. A real wolf, that is! Not like the ones that give me the power to grant miracles through my magical celestial brush strokes, mind you, although that would be kinda bitchin’ now that I think about it. No, wait! A real wolf sounds far less selfish and hackneyed. Yes, indeed.

So, check this out. The Minnesota Zoo and eduweb are teaming up to create a realistic multiplayer role-playing game for the PC and MAC, called WolfQuest. From there you take the role of a wolf and are assigned to form a pack in order to survive in the great unknown wilderness. For the amazingly entry price of free, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with your online “kindred” and take on many common everyday tasks – like hunting for meat, defending yourself against other predators (wolf or not), mating, raising your own cub family, howling, peeing and so much more! Check out the exciting video from the official site.

Okay, so it won’t topple the massive multiplayer juggernaut collectively known as WoW, but then it’s not supposed to. Minnesota Zoo’s focus here is to bring “the immersive, compelling drama and action of video games to informal science learning while creating a model for nationwide distribution.” Think Animal Planet audience here, people. Digital vindication, at last? For its admission ticket (Free!), I’m willing to take a closer look before I decide that.