The Zoom comes in a great package, which is really neatly put together, it looks the business, as a nice surprise as so many xbox 360 accessories are poorly packaged these days. Once unboxed the Zoom neatly clips on to the front of Kinect without any problems. The good news is that if you are using a Kinect TV Mount or another other Kinect accessories to hold your Kinect in place, then the Zoom won’t interfere with them, as it doesn’t infringe of the space the stand needs.

So how does the Zoom do then? Well the claim from Nyko is a fairly big one, and the answer is yes it works, sort of. Inevitably when you interfere with the optical sensing, and try to manipulate its great, cutting the space needed by about 40% is a big claim, reducing the space needed to just 4-6 feet. Overall the device is very good, and 90% of the time it works exactly as it should do, so it’s a winner in my book.

I’ve never had any issues with the Kinect detecting me, and I was able to stand around 2 foot closer to the screen than I ever had, having to move some of my Xbox 360 cables out of the way to get there! I had no issues calibrating the device, and all appeared to be going smoothly.

However, occasionally I had a few issues, such as me needing to hide my non-using hand as it detects it incorrectly, and the device is certainly not quite as smooth as it used to be. This is perhaps why Microsoft issued their warning saying it wasn’t compatible, I guess they wouldn’t want people blaming the Kinect, when it’s the Zoom at fault. Despite this though, the Kinect worked very well, and it was only occasionally that it became frustrating.

Conclusion

I was sceptical after all the hype, however overall the Zoom is a great device, and well worth it if you haven’t been able to use the Kinect as there’s not enough space in your room. There are a couple of minor frustrations, however the benefits far outweigh them.

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Who are Razer?

Razer are arguably one of the biggest names in PC Gaming, so if you’re reading this then you’ll know exactly who they are. Razer make amazing gaming mice (obviously), keyboards, headphones and have also recently ventured into games console territory with the Razer Onza for Xbox 360. Their style is jet black, with amazing LED style lights, with the best quality components and engineering to back them. Razer really are the complete package, so I’m expecting good things from this left handed gaming mouse.

Specification

This mouse is wired, meaning there is no lag between your movements, and what happens on screen – crucial for competitive gaming. Razer claim that this mouse is 1ms, which of course is unnoticeable. The mouse has 3500DPI which, based upon my testing of the mouse, was extremly responsive. The precision with which you were able to move and react is nothing short of fantastic. One of the useful things about this mouse is that is features 5 fully programmable buttons, which you can customise as you like. So for example, I could set the buttons to be any key on my keyboard, giving you the quickest access the commands. The 3500DPI sensor can also be switched on the fly, meaning you can change sensitivity for example from gun to gun that you use, perfect for pin point accuracy when sniping.

Is a left handed gaming mouse better than an ambidextrous one?

Without a doubt yes! Razer have obviously spotted that there is real lack of left handed good gaming mice around, with the ambidextrous mouse not being as good an option. Having the “arch” of the back of the PC gaming mouse, with the correctly positioned thumb buttons makes all the difference. Of course the ambidextrous mice work well, and have been designed specifically to suit both types of people, but I can’t help but feel like the design has been compromised in some way to cater for everyone.

Does the mouse light up?

Like most of their other products, this Razer Mouse has an awesome blue glue, emitting from the design on the top, as well as the mouse wheel. When you play in a darkened room, like most people, this mouse looks amazing!

Razer DeathAdder Left Handed Gaming Mouse Features

So let’s have a run down of the Razer DeathAdder’s features:

• Colour: Black with Blue lights
• Wireless: No
• DPI: 3500 (adjustable)
• Programmable buttons: 5
• Orientation: Left Handed
• Warranty Type: 1 Year
• Manufacturer: Razer
• Price: £48.95

Conclusion

As one of the very few purely left handed gaming mice, the Razer Deathadder really is in a league of its own. It’s so good to have a mouse that feels like it’s designed to work for me, which the other left and right handed mice never managed to do. The mouse is just under £50, but you aren’t paying for the privilege of it being left handed, as the right handed Razer DeathAdder is the same price, so it really does feel like you’re getting a great product for a good price. Of course both mice are identical in terms of specification, and as one of Razer’s most popular mice, you can be sure this is an excellent choice!

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Who are Turtle Beach?

Turtle Beach Headsets are some of the best quality gaming headset you can buy. with their distinctive white and black styling, they have come to represent a superior brand in the gaming accessories world. The US based company, produces a number of products, across a broad range of prices, from the X11 up to the X41 as well as sound cards, bluetooth headsets and the extremely popular, and soon to be released in the UK Turtle Beach DSS Dolby Mixer. Take a look at the official Turtle Beach website!

Turtle Beach X41 Unboxing

The X41 comes in a blister pag inside a stylish green and black box. The front is open so you can see the headset directly inside, sitting neatly on top of the surround sound unit. The blister pack is a bit annoying to open, but at least I know it’s definitely new, as it would be very obvious if it had been opened by someone else! Inside the blister pack is of course the headphones, the mic which is already attached, the amp unit, 2 AAA batteries, the cable to connect to the xbox controller (which has a volume control) and the usb cable which powers the amp unit from the xbox. There’s also some instructions, but I had no need for them as the set up was fairly straightforward, unlike the Tritton AX Pro which I’ve also tried.

Wireless 7.1 Surround Sound

Sounds pretty impressive doesn’t it? One of the great features of the X41, although it is not a universal headset, is that it offers amazing 7.1 quality surround surround, but that it is wireless – no tripping over cables, or having to tidy them away. When you’re finished using the headset, it neatly slips on top of the amp unit, onto the metal bracket. The sound quality is truly amazing, I’ve never felt so many games feel so alive and given such a rebirth. The Dolby Sound is crisp and responsive, and the x41 gives you amazing control over the levels too. The built in bass boost is really noticeable, but isn’t overpowering, it just sounds awesome!

Turtle Beach X41 Configuration Options

Many of the top headsets provide you with much more than just an inline controller which allows you to control chat and game audio independently. The Turtle Beach X41 comes with an amp basestation, comes with a whole host of configuration settings, however to the honest the headset sounded amazing right out the box. It’s been specially designed so that no matter how loud the headset volume, the sound did not bleed through to the mic on Xbox live – something I’ve noticed on other headsets. The wireless digital transmitter features and LED status light, bypass switch and optional headphones jack and volume control.

Turtle Beach X41 Features

So let’s have a run down of the Turtle Beach X41 features:

• Colour: Black and White
• Sound: Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound
• Wireless: Yes
• Inline volume control: Yes
• Warranty Type: 1 Year
• Manufacturer: Turtle Beach
• Price: £144.95
• Also included: Presentation Case
• Compatibility: Xbox 360 only unless you use the Turtle Beach PBT which allows you to use it on the PS3!

Conclusion

Overall the Turtle Beach X41 is a fantastic headset, with truly amazing sound quality. The fact it’s wireless is a big bonus for me, as the Tritton AX Pro and other comporable headsets leave annoying cables lying around. Fortunately the sound quality remains in tact, and is lively, accurate and gives and amazing boost to so many games. The Dolby 7.1 surround is amazingly accurate in game, and works well with films too. This is a superb quality headset, and one that has to be considered if you’re looking to make a serious investment, however the near £150 price tag might scare people away.

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Limited Edition Presentation Box

The first thing you notice about these joysticks are the size of the box that it comes in. The massive display box features stylish Street Fighter 4 inspired artwork and the certificate of authenticity. Should you choose to keep the joystick as a display piece, the box comes with a nice window so you can see the joystick without having to open the box up, although this is somewhat of a waste. One of the best quality joysticks on for the Xbox, the Tournament Edition Fightstick combines both style and performance.

Fightstick Components

The Tournament Edition Fightsticks are designed purely with competitive play in mind. As such, there are no novelty features, no lighting and no frills. The Xbox version comes with a headset socket so that you can use an Xbox Headset with it, the same way as with the standard controllers. Both the PS3 and Xbox joysticks are wired which may come as a surprise to some, but in competitive play every millisecond counts and wireless control cannot give the response rate that a wired joystick can. What it does feature is genuine Sanwa components, the same as used in the arcade machines. These components give faster, more accurate response and are amongst the best quality parts you can get. Designed to sustain a considerable amount of punishment, they are extremely well built and are designed to give split second advantages over your opponent.

Fightstick Usability

The joystick also weighs a lot more than your average joystick, giving it extra stability on any surface that it is used on. With an extra wide body and added stability, the joystick feels solid to use and you never have to worry about it sliding. It also comes with the collector’s edition display box, making it a great show piece as well as a precision piece of equipment.

One of the other key features of this joystick is that it is extremely customisable. It is very easy to change the parts in the joystick, should you choose to replace the buttons or stick with different coloured ones or change the image with your own customised template. This gives you a degree of customisability and lets you personalise your joystick. Visually, both the PS3 Fightstick and the Xbox Fightstick are nearly identical and both perform equally well.

These are the same joysticks as used by the professionals in world championships and tournaments, proving they are some of the highest quality joysticks around. Designed specifically for Street Fighter but ideal for any fighting game, this is an essential purchase for collectors and players alike.

Tournament Edition Street Fighter Fightstick Features

So let’s have a run down of the Fightstick features:

• Colour: Blue with Chun Li Graphic
• Warranty Type: 1 Year
• Manufacturer: MadCatz
• Components: Authentic Japanese Sanwa arcade parts
• Limited Edition: Only 2000 made
• Price: £119.95
• Also included: Presentation Case
• Compatibility: Xbox 360 and PS3 version available

Conclusion: Amazing Limited Edition Product – but for die hards only!

This fightstick from MadCatz is no doubt a great product and a must for any die hard street fighter fan. The fightstick is Limited Edition, and the box is amazing, however at £119.99 you have to be a real fan to want one!

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Who are SteelSeries?

If you’re reading this review, then there’s a very high chance you know who SteelSeries are, otherwise you’ve landed on this page by accident! Just for the record. The company has been around for nearly a decade, and was started by two people in Copenhagen. Some of their best selling products are the SteelSeries headsets, as well as their mice and keyboards. Steelseries sponser some of the top gaming teams in the world, including Fnatic and Evil Geniuses. Their products are of the highest quality, and designed by gamers for gamers.

Customisation

Here’s where the keyboard really comes into its own. This has to be one of the best keyboards for customisation – there are so many options to make it your own, which makes it ideal for any game you choose to play with it. One of the most obvious features is the changeable keyset. The advantage of this is that you can purchase other keysets which are game specific, with specially programmed buttons. For example there’s a World of WarCraft: Cataclysm Keyset or a Medal of Honor One. Pretty awesome really and it opens up a lot of options for all the different games you might play. While I haven’t got my hands on any of the other keysets to play with, I can see how easy it would be to switch having tried to remove the provided one. I didn’t feel like the keyset would break or snap as I put it into place, and it certainly is hard wearing. The keyboard itself has 8 mappable keys along the top of the keyboard, each of which can store 3 different profiles – perfect for macro recording. Perhaps one of the shortfalls is that it doesn’t have metalised keys like the Saitek Cyborg v7 gaming keyboard (as it’s officially known), however, I don’t believe this keyboard will wear out – it is designed to last for 15 million keystrokes per key!

Connectivity

The keyboard itself is wired, for the highest response times, as all top end gaming keyboards are and connects via USB 2.0, meaning there is no lag that you sometimes experience with wireless keyboards. The keyboard has gold plate microphone in and audio out ports, and two USB ports.

SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard Features

So let’s have a run down of the SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard features:

• Colour: Black with white lights
• Connectivity: 2 x USB, Gold plated microphone in and audio out
• Warranty Type: Replacement
• Warranty Validity: 12 months
• Macro Recording: On the Fly, 8 buttons, 3 profiles for each
• Anti Ghosting: For up to 7 simultaneous keystrokes
• Price: £84.99

Conclusion: SteelSeries Shift Gaming Keyboard has amazing customisation potential and durability

Without a doubt, this is an amazing keyboard and the £20 difference price difference from its rivals is justified if you need the ability to switch keysets, which is probably the biggest draw to this model of keyboard. Having played with it for a few days now, I can say this is a great keyboard, highly responsive, very well made and is very comfortable to use, even after longer sessions going on into the small hours. Overall a fantastic product!

A big thanks to GamingZap.com for sending it to me to review!

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The new PSP Iphone?

In other words, Sony isn’t really offering anything in the way of major game playing improvements, and with the dropping of the UDMA drive, the PSP Go! looks a little like a disabled iPhone substitute for gamers . Cheap, small, elegant, and potentially limited in usefulness, the PSP Go! Looks like an attempt to get more money out of gamers.

Perhaps Sony thought the iPhone represented a brand new form of computing rather than seeing the iPhone as a temporary marketing trend which may be replaced by any number of open source Google Android enabled portable phones.  Looking at all the glossy magazine ads touting the latest "apps" it seems apparent the Apple wants to believe they can charge people for what are essentially glorified shortcuts or proprietary alternatives to services easily found for free on the web.  This may work in the short term, when Apple has all their customers in AT&T contracts, but soon – perhaps by the end of the year – alternatives will be available.

Perhaps the whole thing will go the way of Sony’s ill-fated iTunes-like music subscription service, and millions of customers will be left holding hard-to-use pieces of hardware without software support.  It seems all the talk about Sony finally “getting it” when it comes to the Internet is not entirely accurate.

What gets people to buy the next great thing is either innovative game play like the Nintendo Wii, or lower price points like the Gameboy.

Sony PSP Go! will have a hefty price tag

Sony’s Go! promises may be a little pricey, especially compared to the iPhone, which gets subsidized by the sales of phone contracts. And when it does come out later this year, it will have to compete with all the new Android gadgets so it will have a lot of proving to do.  So what in the end will Sony have achieved?  They’ll possibly end up getting out of the portable gaming market all together. They are certainly distancing themselves from their current PSP customer based by shedding the internal UDMA drive and with it the ability for any GO! purchaser to play the games they already own.

This may all end up for the better, because once Sony gets its hand out of the software distribution market it may be able to once again refocus on hardware  and come out with some elegant and pricey Vaio type Android-compatible products.

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The Wii Sports Resort technology

Wii Sports Resort utilizes the Wii MotionPlus hardware accessory, which is included in the game package. This responsive tool plugs into the Wii Remote to make the game more in tune with players’ movements. The Wii MotionPlus is a small device that does not weigh down the Wii remote or make it overly bulky. Its purpose is to recognize more complex motions than the remote could respond to on its own. Additionally, the Wii MotionPlus enhances response time so that users’ motions are instantly reflected on the game screen. In addition to Wii Sports Resort, the Wii MotionPlus has also been used with Crazy Mini Golf, Red Steel, Academy of Champions, and other newer Wii games.

A fun, family friendly multiplayer game

Like the original game, Wii Sports Resort is designed for multiplayer usage and for friendly competition among family and friends. As such, it can accommodate up to four players in each game. Nintendo has yet to reveal all the potential games available, but some of the sports options will include Frisbee, jet skiing, sword play (Kendo), ping pong, and golf. All in all, at least ten games will be included with Wii Sports Resort with the potential for more to be made available through an expansion pack at a later date.

Users playing Wii Sports Resort play using their Mii characters. A Mii is a virtual avatar that users can create and use with a wide range of Wii games. A Mii also allows a player to keep track of high scores and earn bragging rights both with friends at home and across the Wii network.

Wii Sports Resort is a simple, intuitive game designed for users of all levels. Players do not need any familiarity with video games to appreciate the Wii Sports Resort experience, and there is little, if any, learning curve associated with game play. Plus, like many Wii games, Wii Sports Resort gets players off the couch and promotes active play instead of sedentary gaming. The game is set to be released in the summer of 2009, and will likely boast top sales marks among Wii owners.

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Warning Desktop Tower Defence is extremely addictive!

The goal of Desktop Tower Defence is for players to protect their desktops from invaders. The name comes from the setup of the game screen, which is designed to resemble an office desktop. The invaders, or “creeps”, start at one side of the screen and attempt to travel to the other. If they reach the right side of the screen, the player loses a life. Once all twenty initial lives are lost, the game is over.

To attack the creeps that are trying to invade a player’s desktop, users have a number of attack tools. For one, they can create towers to block paths and shoot at the enemies. A tower costs money, though, and the better the tower the higher the price. There are ultimately six upgraded varieties of towers to choose from with each offering a unique advantage.

Killing the creeps is how players earn additional gold for tower building. Extra money is awarded for destroying tougher boss enemies, which only appear every seven levels. Each level consists of one wave of twenty creeps and lasts roughly 25 seconds. Some creeps will also have special abilities. For example, there are waves that will fly and others that will come at higher speeds. Additional cash can also be gained by selling towers, though this requires time.

To get started with Desktop Tower Defense, it is recommended that new users try the Quick Start Tutorial mode. This will cover the basics of game play as well as familiarize a new user with the keyboard controls used in the game. After this, players should join the Desktop Tower Defense community. There, they can submit high scores and even setup friends-only boards to brag to their peers. Those who play Desktop Tower Defense find the game to be highly addictive, but also report that it is excellent for relieving stress.

Join the thousands of other people killing the creeps!

The year it premiered, Desktop Tower Defense was named one of the top ten entertainment web applications. Since then, its popularity has skyrocketed, and today millions of users log on to fight the creeps and upgrade their towers. In fact, the game’s popularity grew so much that a Nintendo DS version was made available in May 2009.

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