Beat ‘em ups have been hit and miss for me. Going back to classic ones they are old, clunky, and frustrating as hell to play. Newer ones can be better but the graphical style can sometimes interfere with easily seeing how to interact with the world and lanes. Well Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has come along to see if it can balance newer gameplay, and beautiful pixel art graphics. But does it succeed?

Nostalgia

There have been plenty of TMNT over the years, but as I am a bit of an old fart, the classic cartoon characters are what resonates most with me. April with that terrible yellow jumpsuit is an icon and I won’t hear anything else about it. So with this I was so in.

Then we bust in with the villains, classic Shredder, classic Beebop and Rocksteady, Classic Krang in the old beefy body. It oozes old in all of the right ways.

More nostalgia, just better

Then there is that sweet, sweet pixel art beauty. Everything in this game looks so good, and in that way they get nostalgia right. If it looks too much like a classic beat ’em up it would look so much worse. Seriously go watch some old NES games and see how it doesn’t look the way you remembered them. This has been an experience that has scarred my memories as I go back to ‘stunning’ games and am greeted with awkward pixelated horrors. Some games don’t age, some do.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has taken the pixelation, but made gorgeous 2022 graphics with it. The animation is a little bit jittery, but so well designed. In this way it feels more like how you remember old games looking, as opposed to what they actually look like.

More modified notalgia

Gameplay is another issue that ages with Beat em ups. A couple over the years have clicked with me, but so many are clunky. Not being enough to the side for your hits to land, weird enemy hit boxes, Beat ‘em ups have aged hard over the years.

Fortunately Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has been designed in a way that feels like how I remember the games working. It plays so well and is so damn fun. SImple combat, repetitive enemies, excellent boss battles. It’s so damn well designed.

Best of all, the levels are super short. I was always surprised how quickly I got to the boss but this is a pretty key aspect of what I enjoyed about the game. The levels being short and snappy means any repetitive enemies don’t hang around for long enough to get boring. This means someone wanting to enjoy the game on ‘easy’, can beat it in a day. Someone wanting more can take on harder difficulties, and try beating the other challenges that levels have to offer. Since they get as hard as not taking any damage, there are heaps here for completionists.

Turtle Power

I figured the game would be fun enough, and maybe scratch a nostalgia itch. I was not expecting a genuinely fun and engaging experience. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge delivered so much more than I was expecting.

If you have a group of friends then the game gets even better. But on your own it is still a damn fun game. Turtle Power!

If you have ‘Game Pass’, it is already there. Check it out!

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

I have played racing games for many years, but have always done it with a controller. I wouldn’t say I am a master, but I would say I suck. Smashing my way through Gran Turismos since GT2, crashing into walls in Forza, I love ‘em, but I suck at’ em. So the question is, can my love of them be enhanced using a racing wheel?  

After some time with the Logitech G923 Trueforce Racing Wheel the short answer is … Yes.

The Kit 

Pulling out this beauty it is clear that Logitech has built some solid tech here. The units are weighty and feel nice and strong… with the exception of the cables. I was surprised how thin they were.  

But back to the kit. You pull out the wheel which has all of the PlayStation buttons on it for navigation and the like, a set of pedals, and a power brick because with all of its features, the G923 won’t be powered by USB.  

There is a clutch pedal which can be used if you buy an additional gear shifter. Fortunately you don’t need that as you can go automatic, or use the tiptronic paddles on the steering wheel. It seemed kinda odd that it didn’t come with the stick, but given the cost is already around $700, if you aren’t going to use it then saving $100 makes sense.

Getting up and running.

One amazing thing about this racing wheel was how easy it was to get up and running. After plugging it all in, and then turning on my PS5 and signing in with my controller, I was up and running. Next I navigated to Gran Turismo 5 on the menu using the steering wheel buttons and boom, I was in the game.

Navigating the menus wasn’t too easy, but it wasn’t too bad either. It would have been cool if Gran Turismo had a feature where it simplified the menus when detecting a wheel was plugged in, but that has nothing to do with the racing wheel so I will move on.

Given it is the PlayStation compatible version, one weird thing is I never found a way to turn my PS5 on with it. I pressed the Playstation button but no change. I had to use the controller to wake the PS up then press the PS button on the wheel to connect it. I mean it’s a minor thing, but still.

Racing has never felt this good

I mean, having to wake the console up is one thing, but it’s a racing wheel, how it feels to race is the most important thing. To put it lightly, holy crap, this wheel is incredible.

Everything about this experience kicks serious ass. When you go faster there is more resistance when trying to turn the wheel. When someone catches your tail and the car spins the wheel pulls itself around despite your best effort to hold it still. When your car’s wheel hits the grass and the steering wheel shudders and pulls slightly left. Holy crap this thing is incredible!

“But what if I don’t have a copy of GT7?” I hear you ask. Well first, it’s a pretty damn good game, silly progression aside, so check it out. Second of all, other games can, and do, use it. One of which is Dirt Rally 2.0 so I took the racing wheel to the dirt track!

Immediately something was clear. Gran Turismo, despite being harder than previous installments, was still coddling me. Dirty Rally, with the feedback and the pressure in the steering wheel feels so good as you slide around a corner. But, I didn’t have many of those moments, because as much more fun as the game is with the G923, it is also WAY harder.

A little annoying thing, that will only hit newbies like me, is getting respawned on a track. There were so many times that I had my foot on the accelerator and the steering wheel hard to one side. It then respawned me back on the track and I immediately slid straight off as I didn’t have time to release the accelerator and return the wheel to neutral.  

Cables choices that are…choices

One annoyance is the cables. I already mentioned that the cables are kinda thin which is annoying as they seem like they would be too easy to break. But added to this is that the steering wheel is the main cable hub.  

This is weird as it means connecting to the steering wheel is the cables connecting the unit to the power, the PS5, and the pedals. This is definitely an annoyance as I had the cables hanging in the air from the steering wheel to the PS5. Since the cables aren’t overly long, I was only a couple of meters from my TV and the cables were hanging in the air. Perfect for someone to run past and yank it out at best, or take your PS5 at worst.

This seems like an unnecessary oversight. The pedals are closer to the console, and even placed on the floor. This would mean you could have the cables running along the ground, and then have one cable coming up to the steering wheel from the pedals. This would give you slightly more distance from the TV and not have wires dangling everywhere.  Win win win win.

Alas it was not meant to be.

Of course if you are one of the hardcore peps that have a full custom built driving setup at home, this would feasibly cover the cables and probably have some kind of setup for extending the distance. But for the average Joe, well the average Jo with a spare $700, this could be a real annoyance.

Should you get one?

Look, let’s be honest. This wheel is insane. I absolutely adored racing with it. A couple of my racing games are on PS5, and heaps are on Xbox. If, like me, you are in this situation, it is unfortunate you will need to buy a separate one to use the wheel on both platforms. Though if note if you have a grunty PC, you can jam the Xbox ones on there with the PS5 console.

If you are looking for an outstanding racing wheel for one console, the Logitech G923 Trueforce Racing Wheel is the choice for this. It made the games so much more engaging,and so much more fun. The price point is pretty high at $700, and even on special at around $600 that is still a lot of money.

If racing games are your bread and butter, e.g. you’re a 600 hour racing gamer, then all of a sudden that price is worth it. If you are a casual racing game enthusiast that has other financial drains, like kids, it might be a harder sell.

The post Logitech G923 Trueforce Racing Wheel Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

I have had a Chromecast plugged into my TV for many years. The ability to throw something to your TV from an app on your phone is an absolute godsend. This is especially useful when you are traveling and don’t want to miss watching the Warriors get thumped, as you can take your Chromecast, plug it into a TV, and boom. In seconds you can watch the Warriors dropping the ball, or scoring epic tries in a game we lose by 30 points in real time.

The bad news, it is going to be a long year for Warriors fans. The good news is the latest Chromecast lets you install apps and comes with a remote.

The justification

There is always the question of if you need something new, or need that upgrade. So in this case, why would you need this when you can install apps on your TV? The easy answer is Smart TVs go out of support all the time. My Panasonic has had a few apps already go out of support. With all the minor tweaks in OS and hardware variations, it isn’t surprising that app makers will only be able to support hardware for a limited time.  

As such, the ability to use a separate bit of kit that will stay in support for longer is pretty damn appealing. Consumer NZ and Fair Go covered this a while ago, where Hayden explained this better than I can. If you don’t trust me, surely you can trust Consumer NZ and Fair Go. Heck I would trust fair Go with my child, I tried, but apparently they don’t want to babysit.

There are a few options out there like SmartVu but when it comes to a device being supported, the actual makers of Android are pretty damn enticing. Here we have it, the  Google Chromecast (4th Generation) with Google TV which I will be calling the Chromecast 4 for the rest of this review.  

The remote

Current Chromecast users will first notice the biggest change. There is a remote.  

Previous Chromecasts were basically a unit to project what you were running from your phone. The Chromecast 4 is that streaming unit that is equipped with the remote will satisfy most of your streaming requirements.  

The remote itself is a tidy little unit that feels well built. It meets all the requirements, but for those Google Assistant fans out there, it comes with a button that will make you happy. Pressing the weird bubble symbol you can ask for what you are looking for. The show, movie, series, or weather. You ask, Google Assistant can find it. I found it worked well in testing. I’m not the biggest fan of those kinds of tools, so I stopped using it immediately, but it’s there if you want it.

The only real issue is the remote apparently appeals to 12 month olds. My little dude eyed it up the moment it came out of the box, and if you leave it within reach then your show is gonna change at random times.  

Setting it up

Speaking of out of the box, setting up a Chromecast is so damn silky smooth. Plug the Chromecast into an HDMI port on the TV and the power and the bad boy powers up.  

Make sure the Google home app is on your phone and then you follow the simple instructions on the app and TV.  This part was easy as hell, and even with all of the extra capabilities of the Chromecast 4 it threw up no challenges. One new step has you choosing the make of your TV to sync up the remote. I told the Chromecast it was a Panasonic, and it tried to sync up. The power button on the remote turned off my TV, but wouldn’t turn it back on. After choosing the option saying it didn’t work, the Chromecast tried a second time and voila, the Chromecast remote can turn on and off the TV, and volume settings.  

What surprised me the most, after this, my TV remote also worked on the Chromecast. All of a sudden I have two Chromecast remotes.

What if two remotes aren’t enough

I figured that a unit made by Google surely had to have an app that would let me put passwords into apps from my phone. A quick Google search later and I discovered that in the Google Home app there is a remote function, but it wasn’t available for me. The Google troubleshooting gave a list of minimum requirements, as opposed to checking and confirming for me the issue.  

I did everything from updating the software, uninstalling and reinstalling apps, everything before I almost gave up in frustration. Almost, until I found one last thing. It turns out that if you swipe down on your android phone, and expand that to see hidden icons, there is one for Remote. Enabled that and Boom, I was in action again.

Learn from me. Enable that now and never have to spend far too long being annoyed.  

The UI and apps

Booting I was kind of expecting to start it up and be presented with a classic App screen. Instead the Chromecast 4 presents you with a Home which includes a bunch of recommendations from multiple streaming services.

I have a love-hate relationship here. Ideally I would personally rather be given a generic app screen on the front page but I am sometimes an old fuddy duddy. I decided to try embracing it, and I honestly found some gems being recommended, and over time it gets better. Annoyingly it would recommend stuff on services you aren’t subscribed to. I even uninstalled the Disney+  app to see if that would stop it but I still got Disney+ recommendations

Having said that, when you search for a show using the Chromecast search, it is handy showing other services so you can see where you can find the show you want. Maybe there is a streaming service you didn’t know about that has the show you need. So again, love it at times, hate it at times. In reality, pressing the right button gets you to the screen with your apps, so it isn’t a major problem. Also you can turn this off and make it show apps and a few ads in the settings if you don’t get used to it.

What I was hoping for was a Sky Go app that would mean I could take my Chromecast 4 with me and watch the Warriors lose in style. Well that or watch the Phoenix win in style, in Talay we trust. Unfortunately there isn’t a Sky Go app on there yet, so you will need to keep casting from your phone for now. Not a major, but it would be a good thing to have.

The games

I know what you are thinking, this is for watching TV right? Well yeah, but you can also install games. Don’t worry, you aren’t going to try to play games on your remote. All the ones I saw asked for a gamepad.  

But where will I find a Gamepad, you ask? Well do you have any bluetooth controllers? Like your PS4, PS5, Xbox, or a PC one? Pairing my DualSense controller to it took seconds and I was off playing a below average rally game.

There may be some value here playing the actual decent games on the Play Store. I was only playing a below average rally game because I was testing with the first free game I found. If you spend a few bucks there are amazing mobile games to be played. The real strength here will be if they get the Xbox Game Pass app on there and you can Cloud Stream to it. All of a sudden your Chromcast will become an awesome little Xbox you can take on your holiday. For now the Steam Link one there if you have a gaming PC.

Should you get one?

Absolutely. At $110 it is a pretty damn good value way to make you turn any TV into a smart TV. The small form factor means it stays hidden away behind the TV, and is super easy to transport so you can take your apps with you on holiday.  

I am absolutely enjoying the hell out of using it, and it is a justifiable upgrade from an older model.

The post Google Chromecast (4th Generation) with Google TV Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

When I reviewed the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 370 in 2020 I was blown away at the sound quality and the battery life. It quickly became my staple PlayStation headset. Now the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid has come along and for about $80 more at a massive $430 the question is, is it worth it?

One thing that can be annoying about headsets is their limited connectivity. Due to console makers being stubborn, they have issues a plenty with Xbox and PS headsets not working alongside each other. The Arctis 1 worked around this by including heaps of cables which is fine as long as you remember to take the right one. The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid on the other hand put this new fancy technology in the headset called Bluetooth. Oh and they also included some cables.

Connecting to all the devices

Being able to connect to Bluetooth means that you can easily connect to your phone, a computer or the Switch wirelessly without the use of a dongle. So immediately we have some great versatility here, but then it comes with a dongle as well. This is a super easy way to connect to your PS5 or your computer. I plugged it into the PS5, turned on the headset and boom, I was listening to my games in sweet ass quality in seconds.  

But how do I connect to my Xbox Series X? Well fortunately the headset comes with that one crucial cable, a sweet 3.5mm cable that can connect to your controller.  Anything else with the 3.5mm plug that is like a PS4. Immediately it is clear, this headset will work with everything. 

Get rid of that pesky world around you

I know the world still technically exists when you can’t hear it, but drowning it out certainly helps. Fortunately you don’t have to smash what is left of your hearing to focus on the game by cranking up the volume. Instead these beasties come with ANC (Active Noise Canceling), which means you can listen to your games by turning down the sound of the outside world rather than cranking up the volume.

I was using it at what I would call a comfortable volume, and I got some noise bleed through the cups on the headset. This isn’t a big deal for a couple of reasons. The first is I had the volume surprisingly low, because with ANC on you don’t need the volume up to hear it over the surrounding sounds. The second reason is sometimes you do actually need to hear that something is happening around you. What it did though was drop the background noise a massive amount and I was super comfortable using it.

Need to game for ages

The GSP 370 had up to 100 hours of battery life, which is absurdly high. So does the H3PRO Hybrid come with this battery life? Well, no. As I said, the 100 hours is absurd, but this beasty comes with a, still excellent, 19-30 hour life depending on what features you use.

So if you have it connected to one device, and have no noise canceling on then it would get more battery life. I on the other hand had it connected via the dongle and occasionally Bluetooth, with ANC on all the time and that 19 hour life seemed about right. It comes down to how you are using it, but 19 hours battery life on a headset is still more than reasonable. If not, plug it in, and have a two hour nap, you do need a break now and then.

Speaking of charging, it boasts a two hour charge time. I got it from empty to full in two hours which is absolutely banging. Two hours is no time to wait for a full charge, and if you are that desperate to get back in the game, a quarter charge in 30 minutes ain’t too shabby either.  

Gotta be comfy

If you are gonna be wearing your headset for that serious number of hours, then it needs to be comfortable. I mean don’t actually go for 19 hours straight though, take a nap or something. But back on topic, let me tell you, the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is comfy as. The ear cups are super soft, and have a velour material on the the part making contact with your ears. It has some foam at the top as well with a mesh that feels super soft on the top of your head.

When I say comfy as, I mean comfy as.

Do Not Disturb – Enhanced Noise Cancellation for Gamers

The one thing is that to make it super comfy, it is super light. The majority of the unit’s exterior is plastic and it moves a lot. This obviously allows it to mold to your head, and means it doesn’t weigh as much on your head.

The only thing is I don’t know if it will last a long time. I have no specific reasons to think it won’t, it didn’t creak under pressure, but it is worth keeping an eye on. I moved the headset at some uncomfortable angles, and it handled it fine, but at month 15 will it still be? Only time will tell.

Remove the mic

With the headset being Bluetooth compatible, you may want to use it on the go. Connected to your phone for Netflix, or jamming the Switch on the train, this headset wants you to enjoy it. The major issue is it looks tacky having a massive gamer mic on the train. Well the H3PRO Hybrid lets you remove the mic. Boom problem solved.

Removing the mic is as easy as pulling it out, and it has a nice chunky adapter so you don’t feel like you are going to bend or break it. In the box is a sweet cover that covers the port and it goes from being a headset to headphones.  

This is an awesome feature because I loved the sound quality that they provide. Probably the best sound, especially when gaming, that I have heard. The mic itself isn’t the best, it is easily good enough quality but you sound like you are using a headset. So this won’t be the headset you use for recording your sweet ass podcast, but it’s easily good enough for online gaming.

Should you buy one?

The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is easily my favourite headset to date. It has been built to be versatile, and delivers so damn hard. Need it to be a headset? Done. Need it to be headphones? Done. Need it to connect to your Switch, PS5, Xbox, PC and phone? Done.

The $430 price tag is a high price point, but it is a damn good headset.

The post EPOS H3PRO Hybrid Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

People in Aotearoa New Zealand like our games, and now we can confirm it with data. Some digging was done Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) and we spend heaps on games.

Like heaps heaps.

IGEA showed that the demand for video games in Aotearoa continues to explode according to consumer sales data.  In 2021, Kiwis spent over $540 million on video games and consoles. So, like, heaps heaps.

Video game hardware sales were almost $71 million dollars, leading to strong software sales in both digital and physical formats.  Kiwis are mostly purchasing products in a digital format including mobile games with sales exceeding $197 million in 2021.

Tom Wijman from Newzoo confirmed as much. He adived that New Zealand’s market for digital PC and console games grew again year on year to $225 million. The increase in the install base of the consoles and lockdown saw a spike in sales in 2021.

Apparently the global average sees mobile market toppling consoles and PC. But not here. According to Tom Wijman “The market for mobile games grew faster than any other segment. But unlike the global average, New Zealand’s PC and console markets are still larger than its mobile market.

A study of one conducted by myself confirmed, yes console and PC games are awesome.

IGEA has recently updated agreements with data suppliers sourcing consumer sales from GSD and Newzoo++.  GSD reports on major publisher and hardware sales in both physical and digital format across numerous international markets, while Newzoo reports on game sales data globally. Working with IGEA members, we ensured both sources offer reliable and consistent consumer sales data from around the world that identifies global trends.   Newzoo also provides subscription data which is essential when looking at how subscription services impact the way Australians are now playing games.

Aidan Sakiris, ANZ Territory Manager and Senior Analyst at GSD contributes, “Total New Zealand video game spending was in growth for 2021 driven by a sizeable increase in Hardware sales year-on-year. This was largely due to the heightened availability of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S throughout the year, but also the increasing relevance of Nintendo Switch in the New Zealand market. Software charts comprised of new releases including FIFA 22 and Far Cry 6 as the top performers, but also select titles generally being sold alongside new hardware purchases such as Spiderman: Miles Morales on PS5 as well as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.”

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA says “New Zealanders have long had a love for playing video games and continue to embrace playing games in all formats.  According to our Digital New Zealand 2022 (DNZ22) report, over 3.7 million New Zealanders play games.  Games are played not only for fun and entertainment but for social connection and education with consumer sales growing accordingly.  Playing games is part of every day life for the majority of Kiwis ”

An accompanying sales data infographic can be downloaded here.

About the research

Games Sales Data (GSD) is a video game sales and reporting initiative for the games industry, by the games industry. GSD report on the sales of both physical retail and digital network markets. Launched in 2017 by ISFE, GSD provides sales figures across EMEA, expanding to APAC in late 2019. Sparkers are the operators of GSD on behalf of the video games industry.   For more information visit: www.sparkers.com

Newzoo Newzoo is a provider of games market data and insights. The data provided to IGEA is sourced from the Newzoo Global Games Market Report April 2022.

For more information visit: https://newzoo.com/

Digital New Zealand (DNZ22) is a report commissioned by IGEA and can be downloaded here.

The post Kiwis spent over half a billion on gaming last year appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

When I first tried out a honeycomb cutout mouse I was pleasantly surprised. The holes created a weirdly comfortable feel in the palm, as well as the other obvious benefits such as airing out your nasty sweaty palms and less plastic means the device is lighter. This time I get to try out the Steelseries wired honeycomb mouse with the Aerox 3 and I am … on the fence.

First things first, the comfort.  

The shape of the mouse is interesting. It isn’t the tallest or longest mouse I have used which means it didn’t hold the shape of my palm the way other mice do. Fortunately I am mostly a claw grip user and it was great for that. If you are a claw or fingertip gripper then the shape should be sweet as. If you are a palm gripper then you will want to double check that size because it was too small for my large hands.

The other thing that people will love or hate when it comes to comfort is that honeycomb body style. I mentioned it in the intro but there are a few benefits like airing out those sweaty palms, I mean you could take a break, I think people do that. Even better through, get holes in your mouse and no break required. It also adds a comfortable texture to the touch that is going to gel with some people, but maybe not everyone.  

Fortunately it is IP54 rated, so the dust and your nasty sweat won’t drip inside the mouse and wreck the components.  

But how does it move on the desk? I hear you ask

Well my friend, phoooo boy. Having used the Steelseries Prime for a bit I have discovered that Steelseries makes some seriously good glide skates. Those are the sexy pads on the bottom of the mouse that determine how easy it is to move across your desk. The ones on the Aerox 3 are no exception. The thing slides across the desk so damn easily and so damn smoothly.  

Adding those sweet glide skates with the lightness to the mouse makes for a match made in heaven when it comes to performance. Coming in at a tiny 59g this thing is seriously light. The wireless edition adds a few grams if that is your preference, but this thing is light as hell.

Unfortunately it is held back a little by the cable.

Is there a negative?

The weirdest part of the mouse is that it is a wired mouse, with a detachable cable. When I first opened the mouse I had a brief pause before realizing that the mouse was indeed cabled. This was because out of the box, it doesn’t have a cable plugged in. Instead the mouse has a USB-C port at the top just like its wireless brethren would. It, you know, needs it to be plugged in to work.

Now this part has its pros and cons. I quite like the USB-C cables that come with a Steelseries mouse. I find the material they are housed in is quite nice and sits comfortably enough on a desk and has a generous length. But with a wireless mouse this is only temporary, and any time it isn’t convenient, you switch back to wireless and use whatever juice you have left. When forced to use it permanently I found the cable was slightly more annoying. The detachable cable has a longer stiff section than an inbuilt one would and I found that it pulled the weight off a bit. This minor inconvenience is a permanent minor inconvenience in a cabled mouse. How much this annoys you will likely depend on your desk configuration and how much space you have.  

There is also a big benefit to it being a detachable cable. That is of course if you can literally grab a USB-C cable that works on your desk or in your environment better, and plug it in. Being able to customize that is definitely a big plus.

Ok now that I have grumbled about a thing, let’s talk about lights.

Another benefit to the honeycomb style, other than the feel and comfort, is there is more holes for lights. Now RGB lighting may not be the most important aspect of a mouse, it sure can look purdy. Steelseries has taken this one to the next level. It has a sexy bar along the base at the rear of the mouse that looks amazing under your palm. Then the lights coming up through the honeycomb around your fingers looks dope as hell.

Yes I am an old man so I say old man things like dope, ‘tis what ‘tis.

The whole mouse is an incredibly good looking design. The buttons overhanging the front slightly covers the connector and gives the whole unit a nice elongated look. Added to this is the Steelseries pattern rigged into the clicking wheel which adds style, and comfort. Once you have installed the software and played with the RGB settings this mouse can be the centerpiece of your gaming setup. If anything it reminds me I need to upgrade my keyboard.

On the whole

The Aerox 3 is a pretty damn good mouse. Almost all of the negatives come back to it being the cabled variant. I haven’t used the wireless version but if all else holds true, then the Aerox 3 Wireless is probably a peak ass mouse. Given the price range, deciding between the Aerox 3 and the Pulsefire Haste will likely be the shape of the mouse. That being said, it is a solid, great performing, amazing looking bit of mouse.

The post SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wired Mouse Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

We have certainly fawned over Oppo phones on this site, mostly because every time they release one, they blow us away. Well, after playing with the mind blowing Oppo Find X5 Pro, it is time to test out the cheaper sibling to the Find X5 family, the Oppo Find X5 Lite.

Camera action

First things first, one of the best parts of the Find X5 family is the Hasselblad camera technology. It blew me away in the X5 Pro, and it comes in the middle child X5, but the Lite doesn’t come with this sweet tech. I can’t comment on how well it operates in the mid-sized model but in the oldest sibling it is some truly incredible tech.

But back to our little friend the X5 Lite. Given it is about half the price of the X5 and even less in comparison to the X5 Pro, we need to keep things in perspective. The 64MP Main camera, the  8MP Ultra-Wide and 32MP front camera are right in line with other phones in the price point. It has an extra 2MP (Macro) main camera  used for a mode to get more detail on things you are super close to, I honestly never saw any benefit in it.

The software in the cameras in Oppo phones tend to be on point, and I was still impressed with the snaps I got out of this little beast. Added to this is the excellent shaky camera which makes videoing your kids on the playground or running look a lot less like you are gonna hurl when you watch it back on your big TV.

Battery Life

One of my favorite parts of Oppo phones are the sweet ass battery life they come equipped with. Consistently they have outperformed their competition, and under heavy use most phones these days struggle to get through a full day. Thankfully the Find X5 Lite hasn’t left us behind here. Without removing any of the battery draining apps like Facebook, and using it to game, listen to music and podcasts, stream videos and chromecast to the TV, I easily got a day and a half out of a full charge.

Now that is more than solid, but what’s the point of half a second a day’s charge if you need to charge it in the middle of the day? Well let me tell you, Oppo’s charging tech that they have boosted in the Find X5 series hasn’t left their baby brother totally behind. It doesn’t support wireless charging, but it does support fast charging. I constantly got it from 5-10% to 100% in under half an hour.  

That’s right, under half an hour for an almost full charge. That means about half the battery in 15 minutes, so when you are in a pinch a fraction of a charge is more than enough to get you juiced up for the rest of the day.  

This means if you need your phone next to you at night, you should have more than enough charge, then you can load it up while you have a shower and do the dishes and boom, you are good to go.

Performance

The phone has relatively similar specs to other phones in the price range. You can find some phones with a little more beef, but to be honest I never noticed any issues. With app use or general gaming I was happy with how the phone handled itself.  

The sound quality from the speakers weren’t perfect and at the highest volume it was a touch tinny. If you’re gonna be doing that on the regular then you should probably pick up a bluetooth speaker. Of course, it is a relatively low specced phone, so keep your expectations in check and this aspect is fine.

The display is rocking a 6.43in AMOLED screen and it performs perfectly. It gets bright if needed, and the quality, honestly I couldn’t have been happier with it.  

All the bits

It does come equipped with a SD card slot which isn’t a given in every phone these days. So well worth looking at if that’s important to you. If it isn’t important, then the 256GB of space should certainly keep you sorted.  

Of course, as always with Oppo phones, it comes with the screen protector applied and a gel case in the box. This one comes with a transparent case which makes sense since it is a damn good looking phone. I was sent the Starry Black phone which is more of a dark purple. Thought the starry fits as it’s that dark purple the night sky sometimes gets. It is bloody gorgeous. They absolutely smashed the color here as it looks different, simple, and elegant. The only issue is that it has a beautiful matte finish which is of course covered by a screen protector.

Of course the phone comes with a charger which is massive thanks to its powerful fast charging abilities. This uses the USB-A to USB-C cable to connect to your phone which makes sense. I noted in the Find X5 Pro Review that it was kind of weird to use USB-A to USB-C. This is because when you start the phone up it says the best way to transfer data to se up the phone is using USB-C to USB-C. Which isn’t included in the box. The flip side is for compatibility, this cable is more useful at the moment. After all you are far more likely to find USB-A supported devices or plugs.

The verdict

For its price point, the Oppo Find X5 Lite is an absolute banger. It’s a solid phone in its price point, equipped with a battery and charging well outside its price point. If you are buying in the under $1K range then you will be happy as hell with this phone. Especially given the jump to the nearest sibling.

That Hasselblad tech though….

The post Oppo Find X5 Lite Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

When you are spending $2000 or more for a phone then there has to be something that makes it special. The Oppo OPPO Find X5 Pro for instance has the insane Hasselblad camera technology in it. Well the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has one trick up its sleeve, well in its s-pen Slot….It has a s-pen. 

Sturdy bit of tech

Having played with other phones like the Oppo Find X5 Pro and the Oppo Find X5 Lite, there is something to be said for them being light. Both of those phones don’t feel like you are holding the kind of kit you are. The S22 Ultra does feel like you are holding a solid bit of kit.

This is a weird horses for courses moment because this will appeal to people in different ways. I definitely liked how metalic and sturdy the S22 Ultra felt and it certainly had the solid build that gave me confidence in its build.

The disadvantage to this is that despite being about the same size as the Find X5 Pro, I wasn’t that comfortable using it in one hand. The large phone size is fine because I have massive monster hands, but the weight was enough that it didn’t balance on my fingers well on the go.

But the S-Pen

As previously mentioned, this phone was way more comfortable being used with two hands rather than one. This seems even more by design thanks to that slick little S-Pen in the bottom. A press of a button and you are writing away on your S22 Ultra and swishing through menus with ease. 

The biggest benefit to this was when it came to signing PDF’s which I handily did a couple of times when using the phone. If you have tried signing something on your phone with your finger, you know the struggle is real. Again. this device seems like a good fit for a work device.

It has been a while since I have personally used a S-Pen as most touch screens I use my stubby fingers. Seconds in I remembered how slick it can be. This is where it comes down to the use case a bit more though. For the general phone in my pocket, I won’t be getting out the S-Pen a lot as I whip it out, change a song or check a text, flick it back in my pocket.

If you are more of a writer or designer, then this addition will likely make this one your no brainer.

A cracking screen to edit your pictures

One of these use cases for the S-Pen will be if you are likely to be editing your photos on the phone. Of course for that to be relevant you need some sweet ass cameras. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has some powerful cameras with the 108MP main cameras allowing for a 10X Optical zoom. This is truly impressive.

This is where we get back to the right phone for the right people. The insane detail in the pictures definitely mean that if you are design or photo minded then you can do some truly amazing stuff. Shot for shot I prefered the ones I got from the Find X5 Pro with no modification. Both natively are pretty extraordinary though.

The screen itself is insane quality which will also help for those people who are in their designy  moods, but also for those watching some Netflix on the train. I mean at a certain point you have good enough quality on a small screen, but I enjoyed watching anime on the way to work on this beast.

Battery Life

One thing I was disappointed in was the battery life. In general usage I was running out of juice by the end of the day. This isn’t so bad when you have had a phone for a year or two and have been thrashing it and installed heaps of apps you don’t use any  more, but I found it a  touch concerning this early on.

The charging was pretty good. It took about an hour to get a full charge which is fine. Not mind blowing but it will get you enough juice if you are running low to get through a day.

A Galaxy worth exploring

The thing that will make the decision for most is that comfort level. There are a bunch of phones in the price range that have pretty similar specs and have slight variations. Using this for a short period of time I didn’t adjust to it, but it is possible that after a month I might have. I still prefer a lighter phone that sits on the edges of my fingers without being worried I’ll drop it. But for those that will get lots of benefits from the S-Pen, this is a bit of a banger.

The post Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

When it comes to tech you can fill any budget. By that I mean no matter how massive your budget is, you can use all of it should you so desire. The extraordinary Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 will definitely use all of it!

A massive curved screen

So why would you want to buy this screen? Well it is extraordinary.  

Given most of us use dual screens for work and play these days, it doesn’t feel excessive. The 49 inches wrapping around your vision actually feels a lot like having two screens. Well like that but without the awkward join and two flat surfaces meeting at an angle in the middle.

That continuous screen was one thing, but then there is the insane screen quality. The thing is made from Mini LEDs which allow the screen to not only get bright, but also allows the colours to shine in a way I haven’t experienced. That and the insane refresh rates and response times made the thing run so damn smooth.

My gaming PC isn’t that powerful so I couldn’t put the monitor through the paces it deserves, but I was still surprised what it got out of my PC.

If your PC costs more than your house, then you will be able to take advantage of the G-Sync or AMD FreeSync compatibility. This is handy as it means whether you are rocking a high end AMD or NVIDIA graphics card, it will work beautifully with this monitor. I do not.

It still looked all kinds of awesome though.

If you are like me, then setting up back lighting seems like far too much work. Well you are in luck with the Odyssey Neo G9, it has back lighting built in. This means you won’t want to line the monitor up to a window as late at night the street will know what you are up to.

A massive amount of desk space

The biggest challenge I had was my desk. Using the stand it took up three quarters of my desk. This is awesome sauce as it makes you get enveloped by the screen curving around your vision. However long term this would be a pain in the ass if you need things on your desk, like you know, books, paperwork, action figures, etc.

If I was going to permanently use this beautiful beast then I would likely have to mount it using monitor arms, or mount it to the wall. This would give you the best of both worlds, being able to move this beautiful machine around, but also giving you that sweet desk real estate.

A massive price

Unfortunately, it is incredibly unlikely I will have one of these for one major reason. It costs over 3K!  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it is not worth it. This is the best damn monitor I have ever used, and the quality is better than my TV, and that quality comes with a price tag.

With that, you have to have either lots of disposable cash, or one beefy PC that takes advantage of its power. I have neither.

A massive amount of awesome

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is one truly incredible monitor. Seriously I have used nothing like it. If I had that kind of disposable income then it would be a no brainer for me. Unfortunately for many, I suspect the price will be the barrier.

The post Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Lego games are fun. Do you like Lego games? Great, you will like this game. That is all, play Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Oh I need to fill in more words?

OK well, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga gives us the main nine movies in one sweet Lego game. To say this game is big would be an understatement, but that comes mostly from the freedom you gain outside of the story. 

To follow the story you pick whichever trilogy you want, then jump into the first episode. Each episode takes a few hours, depending on how much you piss around. Completing an episode lets you unlock the next episode in the trilogy, rinse and repeat.

I liked the story mode except for some of the unnecessary walking.

This is because you spend a lot of time walking or running across a hub to start the next mission. Now where this deserves credit is you have some freedom to complete mini missions and puzzles to unlock Kyber blocks. If you want to do that then this is a nice break from the story, but if you would rather return to this after the story, then it’s a lot of unnecessary faff.

Now for the story itself, I mean it’s a Lego game. It obviously follows the main beats from the nine movies but sillys it up a lot. The game is built, and built well, for a family audience. This means it throws silly jokes at you a  lot, but plenty land even for an old man like myself, like watching the edge of a ship coming into view, to zoom out and see it is cake being shoved in Poe’s mouth, for example. Classic and silly humor. Listening to force ghosts giving advice and Anakin’s voice comes over saying “I don’t like sand”. Silly? Yes. But good? Also yes.

The gameplay itself is pretty stock standard. When you get to fly that is pretty damn fun, but the majority of your time will be the platforming.

You will mostly platform your way through levels, hack and slash your way through enemy minifigs, and smash Lego to reconstruct it in different ways to get across challenges on the map. You know, it’s a Lego game. When in a story mission you only have the designated story characters, but when in those hubs/free roam moments you can switch around characters to collect those hidden kyber bricks that need a certain class of mini-fig. It is incredibly easy to lose a lot of time doing this.

Speaking of which, kyber bricks. These are the main collectibles dotted around levels and open worlds. They may be tucked away somewhere waiting to be found, they may need a certain character’s ability to reach, or they may involve more complex puzzles/mini games. The good news is if after the game you want some decent post-game content, well there are 1166 of these suckers. You use them for class upgrades as well so you don’t collect them for complexion alone, which is cool.

For context, when I beat the story, I had roughly 150 kyber bricks, so I have heaps more to go back and get should I be so inclined. Added to this of course are hidden characters to unlock, and heaps of mini kits. So if you so desire, you can sink hundreds of hours into this one, and you might because once the story ends and you get free reign to explore the galaxy, there is so much fun to be had.

The game wasn’t bug free which was annoying.

I had cut scenes where it went to black so I would have to close the game and reopen it. Sometimes I was surprised how much progress I lost. I had the game crash twice while playing the story. Also not ideal. These weren’t that regular, but still annoying.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a pretty easy sell. Do you like Lego games? Do you like Star Wars? Well then you should enjoy the hell out of this game. Minor quirks aside, it is a banger, and given how long it has been since I played a Lego game, well worth it.

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