I was pleasantly surprised to find out, when I booted up Guitar Hero III tonight on my Xbox 360, that a new track had been added to its semi-decent DLC list. Better yet, it's one of the best glamrock movie hits of the 80s ... the Top Gun theme. Originally composed by Harold Faltermeyer--who wrote other classics like the Beverly Hills Cop theme "Axel F"--and performed by guitarist Steve Stevens, this new version was performed by Steve Ouimette who is also responsible for other performances on the GHIII list, We Three Kings (a free download last Christmas?) and The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
Anyway, enough about Guitar Hero. If you're a child of the 80s and want a blast from the past go get the song now.
If that's not enough 80s nostalgia for you, how about you go pick up THESE PUPPIES:
Yup Nike has released a new pair of hightops called the Nike Hyperdunks based on the pair Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future II. Unfortunately the new pair doesn't include powerlaces, but they still look pretty sweet! More over on Wired's Gadget Lab. Apparently they'll be available at the end of July, but hopefully not at the price of $2015, as one online retailer has advertised them at (or the lofty prices they're currently going for on eBay). If they're a reasonable price I'm so getting a pair while over at E3 in a week's time.
If shoes that vaguely resemble Marty's ones aren't cool enough, check out what's on the tongues:
Great scott! Pretty cool, I think.
What better time to launch a new tennis game now that Wimbledon is upon us? Unfortunately Top Spin 3 doesn't actually include Britain's hallowed shrine to tennis, but neither does Smash Court Tennis 3 or Virtua Tennis 3. Nonetheless, Top Spin 3 is still an ace serve when it comes to tennis games and one of the best I've seen for a while.
I've just finished up writing the reviews so if you're interested to find out what we thought of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, click the relevant link.

* Note: box art may differ according to region including photoshopped picture of Andy Murray (on the UK version) to make him look more aggressive than normal. *
Euro 2008 is down to just four teams: Germany, Turkey, Russia and Spain. Our second round of predictions are up now, based on those team and the results are certainly less predictable than you'd think. Head on over to the Sports Beat blog if you want to see who the official game's simulation mode is predicting to the be ultimate victor.
We'll be running our last predictions based on the two final teams once the semis are over.

Go! Now! Find out who's gonna win the cup!
I'm running Euro 2008 predictions over on Sports Beat, the GS blog for all things sport. If you want to know who'll win the tournament based on our results with the official game's simluation mode head over and find out the results! We've done one for the quarter finalists with some interesting, and surprising, results.
We'll also be doing separate predictions based on which teams make it to the semi-finals and final game so stay tuned for more Euro action as it unfolds.
By now all those dedicated Metal Gear fans should've snapped up a copy, taken it home, unwrapped it and locked in some solid gameplay (see what I did there?) since the game's launch yesterday. Guy and myself, never ones to shy away from a midnight launch, went down to Zavvi Oxford Street to see if anyone still cares about an old, washed up veteran. Is there any life left in the old battleaxe? Find out what the fans think right here in our video!
If that's not enough for you, the latest episode of Start/Select has just been pulled out of the oven and is piping hot! We look at Skype and Go!Messenger on the PSP, play a game of Smash Court Tennis 3, and speak to the developers of Mercenaries 2. Oh and in case you're wondering, Kevin VanOrd has posted our thorough (and I mean thorough) review of the Metal Gear Solid 4. You can read and watch all about it here.
I tagged along to Hideo Kojima's appearance at HMV Oxford St yesterday. Those that got there early on were lucky enough to get a limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 sleeve, personally signed by Kojima, lead artist Yoji Shinkawa and one of the game's voice actors Yumi Kikuchi.
As if he wasn't considered rock star enough by his fans, Kojima-san is apparently also a huge fan of Joy Division. He walked on stage to Atmosphere, and was also wearing a shirt of the band. Here's a few of the best pics I snapped at the event. For the full story on the London Calling blog, click here.




My Recent Reviews
Top Spin 3 is a great tennis game, offering a deep challenge for diehard fans and one of the closest experiences to playing a grand slam. Continue »
Top Spin 3 is a great tennis game, offering a deep challenge for diehard fans and one of the closest experiences to playing a grand slam. Continue »
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue may be only a practice lap for the real thing, but it's a beautiful joyride while it lasts. Continue »
Pro Evolution Soccer returns for a third PSP outing, and though it still plays a good game of football, it offers relatively few new tricks. Continue »
Terrible presentation and poor controls mean PDC World Championship Darts 2008 is a long, long way from the bull's-eye. Continue »



















