A company in China has come under fire in the last few days when details were revealed of an ‘internship’ that saw students from the nearby Xi’an Institute of Technology working at a plant assembling one of the next-gen consoles, the PS4.

Foxconn’s Yantai plant is reportedly being staffed with a number of students from the Institute’s IT Engineering course, working for long hours. Students have also been told that if they refuse to participate in the scheme, they will lose six course credits which is enough to ensure they cannot graduate. Students have also complained of being put to work doing jobs that bear no relation at all to what they are studying, including the grunt work of shipping and distribution. There are paid workers there too, but unlike the students they are there by their own choice.

Foxconn told the Oriental Daily that it had no interest in stopping the students from leaving the scheme if they wished to, but the Xi’an Institute had no comment when asked if they had received an agent’s fee for the internship and didn’t directly answer the question about whether the program was forced. They did insist though that it was all legal and was “mainly about making students learn about society and experience life.”

This isn’t the first time Foxconn and the Xi’an Institute have been found to be involved in schemes that involved compulsory and slightly iffy student internships. Last year it was the iPhone 5 being built by student labour, with the Institute reportedly receiving 100 RMB/about $16 per student provided.

Now the WiiU is getting massively overlooked during this console war, but after returning from Eurogamer and seeing the new line ups for 2014 it’s high time for this underdog to jump back into the fight.

The Console

Contrary to popular belief (popular belief being a mixture of parents in toy stores and endless arguments with friends) The WiiU is NOT a portable Wii, the number of people that seem completely confused by the WiiU Gamepad is astounding, but I’ll get to the pad shortly.
The actual console is big, well compared to the Wii at least it’s only slightly wider than its older brother but it’s about twice as deep (and Heavy). This dramatic size increase is equally mirrored by the Game pad.

The Gamepad

Now this is the most outrageous controller redesign of any console in this, or come to think of it any generation. This is personally my favourite thing about the WiiU, The touch screen opens up so many creative avenues for Nintendo *cough* as well as an opportunity for them to port some of their more recent portable titles to the big screen *cough**cough* but unfortunately of the few games that they’ve released in the past year none of them fully grasp everything that this new control style has to offer.
The most inspired use so far has been an easy to access inventory. Hopefully some of the newer titles such as Wonderful 101 will explore this wonderful bit of kit more. And hey if you don’t like the giant screen on the pad you can always get a Pro Controller. (Which looks surprisingly similar to the current 360 controller)

The Games

There aren’t any …

This is the main issue with Nintendo of late, they’ve had a year’s head start on the competition and have literally done nothing with it, and most of the WiiU’s library consists of ports from other existing consoles.
But the few original games they do have, REALLY shine and my god is it bright. The main heavy hitter for me is surprise surprise a Mario game.

Super Mario Bros. U.

This is easily the best side scrolling Mario game since 3 and world. The level designs are some of the sharpest of any Mario game and they’ve FINALLY included new and interesting power ups and characters.
There is also a marvellous challenge mode that lets you show off your skills to all of you friends, just like when you’d take your copy of Mario 3 round to your friends 20 years ago just to rub it in that you knew where the hammers and warp whistles were. Except this time you can view it all online (slightly less personal but it fits into you now adult busy schedule)
You can also indulge in the absolute mayhem that is 5-Player local multiplayer, just trust me it has to be experienced.

Things to look Forward to

Sonic Lost Worlds

Yes for so many years the blue hedgehog has been subjected to subpar games. But after the turnaround that was Sonic generations, Sonic Lost world looks as if it’s going to finally prove to us that Sonic belongs in three lovely dimensions. The Super Mario Galaxy esc level designs really compliment how Sonic moves through the world. When I got my hands on this at Eurogamer it hit me “This is it! This feels like I’m back playing the original” I have never smiled so widely as I did when I realise that this game is Sonics rebirth into gaming.

Mario Kart 8

Every generation has its own version of this beloved franchise, they always provide a great time whilst playing and are arguably one of the best multiplayer games in existence. But (and this is a big one) there’s nothing massively different in this instalment bar the graphics and the ability to drive on walls, now I know the age old proverb of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” but innovation is the backbone of what made Nintendo what it is today.
Saying all that I’m still going to buy it … DON’T JUDGE ME!

Super Smash Bros. U

A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES! This game is the sole reason why 90% of Nintendo fans will purchase a WiiU if you ever wanted to settle the age old argument of who would win in a fight between Mario & Sonic (well you could have settled that in the Wii version) but now that annoying friend that always says “yeah but if Megaman…” can join in too. It’s a futile argument because LUIGI is the devourer of souls, but the can have their fun.
The new smash bros. offers even more character than any previous version, and with compatibility with its sister game Smash Bros 3D the possibilities are endless.
I just hope that the new developers Namco Banda can live up to the example set by HAL Laboratories in the previous games.

A Whole Lot of Indie Goodness

Now for all of you that have just realised that I have done nothing but talk about Mario & Sonic games. Yes that is unfortunately always going to be the main focus of Nintendo but probably the most exciting development for the WiiU is the insane amount of awesome indie support the system is providing.
Shovel Knight, Steamworld Dig, Scram Kitty, QUBE there is a massive list of quirky titles developed entirely by hipsters in a basement flat with no money between them. And that is an incredibly exciting thing, where the Nintendo have been very reserved in the past towards 3rd party content they seem to have seen the light and opened the floodgates. Now that may sound scary, But I’ll be damned if it’s not exciting.

Overall

So is the WiiU worth spending your hard earned money this Holiday season my honest answer is … No. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t get one, you almost definitely should, just wait for some of the future titles to hit the shelves.
But in the meantime you could do what I do and use it as an alternative to paying £1000 on a cartridge of Earthbound, £5.49 on the EShop DONE!
The WiiU is a great experience to play and I’m looking forward to see what Nintendo will bring to the system in the future.

Space Hulk developer Full Control has announced the strategy game’s first expansion “Fangs of Fenris,” which adds the bearded and rather tough Space Wolves chapter into the fight. See the first image of them here.

In a press release issued to VG247 this morning, Full Control confirmed that “Fangs of Fenris” will add the Space Wolves’ ‘Wolf Guard Terminators’ unit into the mix. The expansion is due ‘late 2013′ and will play out across three new missions.

To celebrate the announcement, Full Control will discount Space Hulk on Steam by 33% for 24 hours. You can check out the game’s product page here.

Thomas Hentschel Lund, CEO of Full Control said in a statement, “When it came to selecting the first expansion chapter for Space Hulk we felt that the introduction the Space Wolves would be both a great addition to the game, and a nod to the fact that our studio is based in the heart of Scandinavia – the Viking kingdoms of the past.

“Devastatingly ferocious in attack and immovably resolute in defence, the Wolf Guard will be a fantastic addition to the Space Hulk universe introducing new gameplay styles and methodology into the classic turn based action”.

Now then, here’s a picture of that beard, I mean, Space Wolves chap.

In the final issue to be printed before the worldwide release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y in just two days time, CoroCoro took to officially revealing a number more Pokémon that would be introduced in the new game. And while the information on other Mega evolutions may not have revealed much new – Mega Kangaskhan was first shown off in the World Championships; and other Megas were leaked last week by mainstream media – the issue finally reveals the last evolutions in the three new starter’s lines of progression, as well as Japanese names for each.

Chespin’s final evolution, Burigaron, is a 1.6m high Grass/Fighting-type weighing exactly 90kg. Fennekin’s final evolution is Mafoxy, a Fire/Psychic-type that like its pre-evolution is an anthropomorphic fox; but this time having an appearance more akin to a robed magician. It appears to use a lit stick for some of its attacks. Finally, Froakie’s final evolution, Gekkouga, is a Water/Dark-type. If Froakie was clearly a frog and Frogadier edges closer to Gecko, Gekkouga is like a weird mutant of the two; and even appears to have – to my eyes at least – a frog’s tongue as a hairstyle. It’s 1.5m high and weighs exactly 40kg.

Courtesy of Bulbanews, we can bring you scans of the CoroCoro pages showing you each final evolution’s official Sugimori art. As for their in-game appearances… well, we’ll just have to see them for ourselves in two days time 😉

Burigaron – Chespin’s final evolution

Mafoxy – Fenikkin’s final evolution

Gekkouga – Froakie’s final evolution

An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

I missed this one at the cinema over the summer and damn I wish I hadn’t.

We’ve had some stunning special effects films this year, (Iron Man 3 for instance) but this is a tour de force of special effects!

Now I am a sucker for illusion (just ask Movian, he rarely paid for a round just because of his card tricks) and Now You See Me had me totally sucked in from teh beginning

I’ve become a bit of a fan of Mark Ruffalo since Avengers (of course taking over the HULK role from Edward Norton, and honestly, I think it was a good change) and he is damned good as the FBI agent continually on the back foot and spun around by the Four Horseman.  His Interpol partner Alma Dray (played by Mélanie Laurent) is a great juxtaposition to Ruffalo’s Dylan Rhodes, Learning and reading all about the culture of magic and magicians circle, etc, plus a budding romance that is actually quite sweet.

Of course, the stars of the film are the Four Horsemen, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinnley (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco).  Jack is the new boy, picked for his brilliant pick pocketing and illusion skills, but Atlas, Reeves and McKinnley have history (Reeves being Atlas’ assistant in the past and then going her own way solo), all bought together by a mysterious figure and given all the tools and planning for a year of amazing magic and illusion (and a few massive bank heists thrown in the mix)

The film is a rollercoaster ride, its a constant up and down, but the pace is magnificent.  The characters work brilliantly, including Morgan Freeman‘s Thaddeus Bradley, who professionally debunks and exposes magicians tricks after not getting into the magic circle himself and wanting revenge on the whole business, plus Michael Caine‘s Arthur Tressler, the Four Horseman’s financial backer (or is he :P)

This is, as I said, an amazing film, it’s beautiful, it’s funny and grimm in equal measure, the characters are genuinely likeable and you will them on.   The action is grand and the effects are LITERALLY magical (sorry, I had to)

If you haven’t seen this film, go get it

9/10  A Must See!

~Lone