Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo, Desktop Computer

It's been quite a while since these two last got into a spot of bother in A Close Shave, but now they're back in a new adventure, this time courtesy of the PC. Developed by David Braben's Frontier Developments, Wallace and Grommit: Project Zoo is a 3D platform adventure in which the ham-fisted heroes once again have to use all their wits and wonderful inventions in a quest to thwart the evil plans of a villainous penguin. As the story goes, the diabolical penguin has become the Mr. Big in his zoo 'prison' and has incarcerated all the junior residents in order to persuade their parents to do his bidding by manufacturing gems using the incredible Diamond-o-Matic. Subsequently, it's up to clumsy inventor Wallace and his laudable pooch to come to the rescue, in this case via the aid of a giant Trojan Penguin, no less. The game itself sees players take on the role of resourceful and adventurous Grommit, assisted throughout by Wallace, as they embark on the quest to free all the captives. Along the way there are scores of weird and wonderful inventions to make use of, designed to challenge the mind and aid the journey, as well as provide a bit of fast-paced fun. Contraptions such as the Porridge Gun, Turnip Launcher, Springy Boots, and Techno Trousers can all be taken advantage of, assisting players in their quest. There are five expansive levels to explore in total, plus 24 sub levels and mini games, set across eight different animal houses in the zoo. A host of popular and recognisable characters, evil zookeeper henchmen and mischievous monkeys populate each level, as well as an assortment of new characters, designed by Nick Park himself. Developer Frontier has co-operated closely with Aardman throughout the game's development on such aspects as artwork and scripting to ensure authenticity and emphasise the charisma of both the well-known and new characters. The visuals also do justice to the films, making use of such graphical techniques as environment-mapping, specular lighting and depth-of-field blur to ensure faithful visual recreation. If you're a fan of these particular claymation characters then you definitely want to consider this latest PC title - it'll certainly put you on until the next film, due in 2005.

Buy Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo for 1.99 GBP

Schizm II: Chameleon
The original Schizm was one of the last in a dying breed of adventure games that relied on 2D, pre-rendered backgrounds. It comes as no surprise then that this sequel, Chameleon, has undergone a snazzy 3D makeover, courtesy of Monolith's Jupiter engine (of No One Lives Forever 2 fame) and as such delivers another slice of serious adventure gaming, albeit with a much more immersive gameplay environ...
The Movies
Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios isn't just about Black and White you know. In production for some time now has been a highly intriguing concept game - The Movies. Old Molyneux is known for dreaming up games with ambitious premises, and The Movies is no exception, with its professed goal nothing less than pulling the player through the entire history of modern filmmaking. Starting from humble beg...
Rallisport Challenge
In the absence of a World Rally Championship or V-Rally equivalent for PC, software behemoth Microsoft has produced a sound alternative in the guise of Colin McRae Rally 3 for PC. Console owners, here's what you're missing... In terms of game structure, Rallisport Challenge is fundamentally the same as its rivals, except each aspect of this rally game is more extensive. There are four distinct ral...
Monopoly New Edition
The history of board games dates back many, many years. The popularity of the social game genre was huge, especially when you consider the lack of small scale, table-top entertainment in the early 20th century. Giving players a chance to meddle with fictional finances, Monopoly proved to be one of the most popular board games around. Decades later, it's still touted as one of the all time classics...
South Park: Chef's Luv Shack
South Park: Chef's Luv Shack is a multi-player party experience hosted by the swinging lothario, Chef. Up to four gamers take the role of Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, or Stan and compete in a combination of wacky trivia showdowns and South Park episode-inspired mini-games such as Cartman's German Song, Beefcake, and Spank the Monkey with Mr. Mackey. In Beefcake, gamers play the role of Cartman, who hurri...
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Hitman: Codename 47 was a greatly anticipated little stealth thriller. It offered an interesting plot and an absorbing game world. It is now, however, probably remembered more for its flaws than for anything else. A game with some great ideas, it was ultimately let down by an unforgiving camera, difficult control mechanic and, most importantly, the lack of an in-game save option. Developer IO Inte...