From the ground up

The basics of SimCity have remained the same since the first game back in 1988. You build your city from scratch, choosing a location, then planning the different areas while making sure there are enough utilities and amenities to keep the population happy and healthy.

Single or multiplayer?

When you start a game, you can join a populated region, which will have other online players, or to start a fresh region yourself. Cities are limited in size, and SimCity works best when you have multiple cities that cooperate and specialize.

Whether you prefer to play alone or with others, it's enjoyable, but it's clearly designed more with multiplayer in mind. You cannot play without being connected to EA's servers, and while we expect early reliability problems to be resolved, never being able to play offline is a shame.

Playing the game

SimCity's interface is excellent. A beautifully designed thing that lets you do everything, while allowing you to enjoy the impressive views of your creation. The amount of information and detail available is incredible, and really gives your city the feeling of being alive.

You can learn about every individual resident's wishes and concerns, and pull up statistics on pretty much anything about the development of your city. You can also check out neighbors to see how they might complement you or offer you services.

Graphics and sound

The graphics cannot be faulted. SimCity just looks great, and the filters you can add mean you can make the game look the way you want. When you're zoomed in, the detail and animation is great, and even each resident seems to have somewhat of a personality. Everything is accompanied by pleasant background music and ambient effects.

Conclusion

SimCity is an excellent and very impressive game. But it's not quite the same as it used to be. This SimCity thrives in multiplayer games, and whether you enjoy that will dictate to an extent how much you like the game.

The teething problems with servers won't last, but even reliable servers won't allow you to play the game on your laptop away from an internet connection.

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First touch control

The new first touch control system will revolutionize the way you receive the ball. Control will become a matter of skill rather than something automatic. In FIFA 13, trapping and controlling the ball are influenced by variables such as positioning, responsiveness and the attributes of the player receiving the pass. Improper control of the ball could let your opponent in or cause the ball to run out of play.

This change is similar to when tactical defending was introduced into FIFA 12. Even experienced FIFA gamers were annoyed at first by the switch but mastering it felt oh-so satisfying. It’s likely to be the same with first touch control in FIFA 13, and hopefully, like tactical defending, there will be an option to turn it off, if you need time to get used to it.

Attacking AI

The lack of options and opportunities when attacking was one of my main problems with FIFA 12. The AI (artificial intelligence) of the attackers has been improved in FIFA 13, and players will now move around intelligently depending on their location, what’s happening in the build-up and where the spaces are.

In addition, some attackers will be better than others at avoiding being caught offside, while others can perform smart tactical movements to punch holes through for the wingers or fullbacks to run onto.

Impact engine

The impact engine is the technology that’s designed to make collisions between players more realistic. This engine has been enhanced in FIFA 13 to remove bugs. It includes a new series of animations to enhance the realism even further.

There will be better jostling between players, who can now use their shoulders and arms to help shield the ball or to tackle an opponent. Physical challenges affect speed too in FIFA 13, with attackers being slowed or thrown off balance slightly if they get knocked while in possession.

Dribbling

In FIFA 13, the ability to go past an opponent with a simple change of direction disappears. New moves and refined touches are introduced that allow you to select to use the inside or outside of the foot. This will be a real delight for technically-savvy FIFA players, and will bring more skill into beating your man.

Tactical free kicks

With free kicks in FIFA 13 you can have to three players around the ball. You can now create new patterns and unpredictable kicks, fake shots, and drag players out of the wall.

From a defensive perspective you can add players to the wall, or instruct one of them to come off to intercept a rebound. You can also sneakily move the wall forward a by a few inches. However, if the referee notices this, you risk getting a yellow card.

Graphics, career mode and multiplayer

FIFA 13 brings some tweaks to 3D modeling of players’ faces through the use of Dimensional Imaging. The resemblance to the computer characters’ real-life counterparts is therefore even more accurate than ever.

FIFA 13 boasts an extensive career mode, in which you assume the role of coach, player and manager of your team. In terms of online multiplayer, EA has promised – without yet revealing details – an important update to the Head to Head season.

Overall, FIFA 13 promises to be one of the most comprehensive, realistic soccer games we've seen.

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If you love cars and racing games, you'll want to give Simraceway a try. It is a free to play game with a bunch of cars, tracks, and unlockables to keep you playing. Even though this game is free to play, it is feature-packed and will have you entertained for hours.

The main selling point of Simraceway is the fact that they have a huge online multiplayer racing community. You can watch live feeds of your friend's races and chat with other spectators. You can also record and share your favorite racing replays to show off your skills. Simraceway's gameplay keeps things fresh by rewarding racing with money, credits, and cash to spend on cars and upgrades.

Driving in Simraceway is not for the faint of heart. It is a true simulator and those used to arcade-style racing and physics may become frustrated. Give car too much throttle or toss it into a corner too abruptly and you'll soon find yourself barreling into a wall. Racers will want to bring a game pad or better yet, a PC compatible steering wheel and pedals. Simraceway even has their own controller that you can purchase from their site. Playing with a keyboard is next to impossible.

Graphics are good but won't blow you away if you're used to seeing graphics in Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 4. There are plenty of beautifully-rendered cars for you to purchase in Simraceway and the developers are constantly releasing new cars.

Overall, Simraceway is a fun racing sim with a huge online community. Game play is fun and there's no reason not to try it since it's free!

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After free registration, you can play randomly against other opponents. There's a handy tutorial to get you started but BasketDudes is not complicated.

To begin with, after you login, the game will automatically take you to the team creation screen. Later on you will be able to create additional teams if you want to. Creating your team consists of choosing players, the kit they wear and the badge of your five players and even your stadium which you can improve and extend depending on how many points you win when playing.

Thanks to the diversity of choice provided by BasketDudes, you can create different types of teams: defensive, offensive, balanced, based around a star player etc. To find an opponent, you can log onto the integrated BasketDudes chat feature that allows you to organize games against random opponents.

The gameplay is very simple and doesn't have a steep learning curve. BasketDudes is very much a pick-up-and-play game that anyone who understands the basic rules of basketball will enjoy. The game is also rewarding in that as you win points during a game, you can buy and trade players so that you can climb the league.

BasketDudes isn't a particularly realistic basketball sim but it's very easy to pick-up and play and playing against real opponents is a lot of fun.

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Tropico 3: Gold Edition which offers 10 new mission campaigns that aren't available in Tropico 3. Tropico 3 Gold challenges you to build cities and play the part of an all-powerful “Presidente” in a resource-rich paradise. It’s your choice whether you play the part of a benevolent dictator or a ruthless thug.

In Tropico 3: Gold, you have control over everything from your island’s infrastructure to its economy and diplomatic relations with competing superpowers. You have to deal with the demands of domestic disputes as well as manage international relations in a game which is loosely based on the Cold War (and with more than a hint of inspiration from Cuba and Fidel Castro).

There are two main modes: a 15-mission Campaign Mode and a Sandbox Mode where anything goes. There are plenty of real-world elements such as election recounts, rebel attacks, bribery and corruption to deal with. You can also pick to play famous characters such as Che Guevara, Evita Peron and Fidel Castro. Alternatively, you can create your own dictator and write your own speeches and manifestos.

Tropico 3: Gold takes elements of Sim City but with an original political twist that makes it an excellent game.

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Like all the FIFA games, FIFA 07 is about as realistic as it gets for soccer sims since it has the licensing to use the names of real players unlike its closest rival Pro Evolution Soccer. FIFA 07 was something of a watershed for the franchise however because it involved a complete overhaul of the game engine meaning you need to employ real world tactics and think like a real player and manager in order to win matches.

The sound effects were significantly improved with realistic chanting and fan songs plus for the first time, FIFA 07 featured a new online mode that enables you to play against real-life supporters of other teams in the EA Sports Interactive Leagues. The realism even extends to a real-world schedule i.e. when they play, you play. The graphics meanwhile were good for the time but they now look rather dated.

The gameplay in FIFA 07 was improved with more intelligent AI that make your players play and act more realistically on the pitch, the way they find space and the way they pass and shoot the ball. If playing isn't enough, then you can take on the challenge of Manager Mode where you can buy and sell players, set wage thresholds and make important tactical decisions. However, this is relatively limited especially when you compare it with FIFA Manager 2012.

With over 10,000 players in 27 leagues around the World, FIFA 07 set the standards that we see today in FIFA 12.

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In recent years, the FIFA series has developed into a worthy rival to Pro Evolution Soccer, and in fact many will argue that FIFA 12 is a more complete soccer experience than PES 2012.

What's new in FIFA 12?

Building on the success of recent years, FIFA 12 introduces three main developments: precision dribbling, tactical defending and the player impact engine. These all - and especially the latter of the three - have a major impact on the gaming experience.

What does this mean?

The impact engine has arguably the greatest impact on gameplay, and it really changes the dynamics of tackling and contact in the game. FIFA 12's impact engine makes tackles look and feel much more realistic, and will no doubt result in more player injuries! When two players jump for a ball in the air in FIFA 12, they will no longer always land together perfectly, but may fall depending on the contact made with the other player.

Defending in general has been refined, and it's not longer possible to just hold down the 'pressure' button and expect the nearest defender to squeeze up and snatch the ball from the attacker. In fact, do that in FIFA 12 and you can seriously mistime the challenge and allow the player through. Timing is everything in this new tactical defending system, and while it's frustrating it's ultimately more rewarding when you start getting it right.

When dribbling in FIFA 12, you do feel in much more control than previous versions. Getting past defenders is more enjoyable as a result, and neat tricks seem easier to pull off.

How realistic is FIFA 12?

Very. As always, FIFA 12 is fully licensed so you'll be able to play with your favorite players and clubs, and the game will follow the summer and winter transfer windows, so teams will mirror their real life counterparts.

Graphics have had an incremental improvement, and animation is also better than last year's game. The full version of FIFA 12 will also have a big online component, with a much greater social element. Support Your Club League Tables will exist, allowing your performances with your favorite teams to contribute to their community standings overall. EA is also promising to keep FIFA 12 fresh with real-world soccer news.

What's in the demo?

The FIFA 12 demo gives you access to Manchester City, AC Milan, Olympic Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Arsenal. The options are fairly limited, and settings such as choice of ball, weather and length of the halves are not incorporated in this demo. All other aspects of the game are also missing, so you play just one practice game, but it still gives you a good impression of FIFA 12.

FIFA 12 is an incredible soccer gaming experience which is as close you can get to playing a real game of soccer on your PC.

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If you want a Basketball sim for your PC, NBA 2K10 is your only serious choice, but happily it's a good one! This game looks great, with really well animated players featuring signature moves. The game feels like a Basketball broadcast, which helps to make the whole experience immersive.

There are two new modes in NBA 2K10 - NBA Today and My Player Mode. The former gives you real up to date NBA news and results, while My Player gives you an RPG-style career. Design your own player, pick a position and style, then play through the ranks of the game up to being an NBA All-Star. For fans of Basketball this will be a really addictive element of NBA 2K10, and you certainly care more when you've invested so much time in your player.

Add in classic modes like quick matches, championships (online or single player), training, dunk competitions and more, and NBA 2K10 is pretty much the complete Basketball game.

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The game sees you assume the role of a single player, who must help your team of five human or computer-controlled players (or a mixture) defeat the opposition. The game controls are something of a breath of fresh air compared to the fiddly keyboard command systems employed by some of the bigger games like FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. Instead, United Football adopts a method similar to first person shooters, whereby you use the mouse to direct the player, pass and shoot and just rely on four keyboard buttons for moving forwards and backwards and strafing left and right.

Once you've mastered this fluid control mechanism using the helpful in-game tutorial it's time to battle it out against your pals, or friends from across the World. United Football is solely an online game, but it's fast enough to be as enjoyable as any offline soccer sim. You can choose to join a game, create your own, or text chat with the rest of the community to arrange your own matches. Unfortunately, the United Football community is still a little small so you'll struggle to find a game where both teams will feature just human players.

Graphically, United Football adopts a cartoony approach rather than going for realism. This works well though, the animation is smooth and the customizable characters look great.

If you're fed up with the clumsy controls and graphic-intensive demands of the big name PC soccer sims, then Ultimate Football makes for an immensely playable alternative.

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The game features a series of significant, much-needed improvements to PES 2010. Gameplay has been tweaked to improve control, more game modes have been added, and the graphics and overall presentation of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 are breathtaking.

Enhanced gameplay

The biggest changes in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 are to be found in its gameplay. The last couple of PES releases were panned for not innovating on the game mechanics, and for making silly little changes that only served to hamper playability. This time, developer Konami has essentially ripped out the game engine and fashioned a new way to play Pro Evolution.

Passing is one of the most immediately obvious improvements in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011. In previous versions, passing the ball to a team-mate was quite a rigid experience, with the ball being drawn automatically to the receiver’s feet. Now when you make a short or a long pass, you need to be much more aware of where you want the ball to go, directing the ball precisely with the d-pad as you hit it. Use of the new power meter that appears under the player is crucial for weighting passes. With the right combination of direction and power Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 lets you play satisfying balls into space for a player to run on to.

Defensive controls have also been tweaked in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 so they rely less on AI. Previously, defenders would automatically hone in on attackers (even when not highlighted), whereas now it’s up to you to bring them out, apply pressure or let them hang back to hold up play.

Attacking is made more exciting in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 with the inclusion of assignable feints. There are lots of new flicks, tricks and moves to try out, and you can pre-select which ones you want to use, assigning them to a particular analog stick gesture.

More power to you

Make no mistake, Pro Evoltuion Soccer 2011’s new gameplay system is tricky to master and requires lots of sharpness and concentration. But this is very refreshing given the last few iterations have felt sluggish and automated. One of our favorite improvements was the way the system no longer remembers button presses for so long when the ball is about to be received by a player you’re controlling. This makes it easier to pull out of a tackle or change the direction of a pass before you make it.

The tactics system in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 has been revamped as well. The confusing card-based player profile system from PES 2010 has gone. It has been replaced by a more intelligent, less confusing interface, where formations and player roles can be set by dragging and dropping their icons around the pitch board.

Graphical improvements

Out on the pitch, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is, for us, the most realistic looking football game to date. Player movements are slick and feel natural, and the flight of the ball is much more authentic than the dead-weighted pig bladder of previous versions. Up close, player likenesses are accurate, although Konami still seems to have a problem with mouths, and everyone looks like they’ve got a mouthful of stones.

There are several new games modes in Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, including new competitions such as the Copa Libertadores and UEFA Super Cup. Interestingly, there’s now also the option to play Master League online.

Presumably an effort to keep up with FIFA 10’s expandable content, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 includes a range of fun extras to play with. There’s a stadium editor and league editor, as well as more comical stuff like the ability to turn the ball into a piece of candy, or deck your players out in cowboy hats and other accessories.

Licensing is one area where Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is still lagging behind FIFA. Sure, it now has the UEFA and CONMEBIOL tie-ins, but the major leagues of Europe are still not fully licensed, meaning more fake names and made-up leagues for PES fans. Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a game that deserves to have the full rights afforded to FIFA.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a true return to form for Konami, offering an authentic football experience that FIFA 11 will find it hard to match.

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Considering the amount of money EA must make from FIFA 10, it's amazing that the games publisher has chosen to release FIFA Online as a free game. It's not as fully fledged as the latest incarnation, and graphically it's more similar to FIFA 08. Not that we're complaining though!

FIFA Online includes a multitude of different game modes. You pick your favorite team from a large selection of leagues and clubs (all with real life player data) then you must lead that side to glory. You can play single-player leagues, online tournaments with strangers, friendlies against friends, and even choose to play in the FIFA World Cup 2010 tournament.

FIFA Online has a lot of depth to it. There's a fairly detailed management mode in which you must set formations, negotiate contracts, deal with player injuries and suspensions, and more.

In it for the money

Of course, EA didn't make FIFA Online as a goodwill gesture to players. It made it to make money. Players are invited to buy tokens that are used for everything from unlocking certain game modes to helping a player to recover quicker from an injury.

Of course, the polished 3D graphics, full voice commentary and the sheer size of FIFA Online take its toll in terms of system requirements. You'll need a decent processor (upwards of 1.8GHz, ideally) and a fast internet connection if you want to avoid lags and frame rate.

It's still in beta stage, yet FIFA Online already shows signs of ushering in an exciting new generation of football games.

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Nostalgia Baseball is a challenging, unique, and captivating baseball sim played over the internet from a colorful software package that sits on your computer. As a comprehensive baseball sim, the program incorporate all the facets of owning and managing in a professional baseball league, from the draft to the league championship - all in a way that honors baseball's fabulous history.

Once you download the free software, you'll have a chance to get a free franchise in a practice league. In addition to the practice franchise, we're offering you a free franchises in one of our regular leagues for a limited time. Check out the regular leagues and see which one is right for you. Then, request a franchise with a free season. Requests will be filled within 12 hours with emailed instructions telling you how to install.

Nostalgia Baseball features highly reliable statistical outcomes, an innovative concept, and many more owner controls than fantasy baseball. It also connects you with a close community of owners and provides the consummate strategic challenge for the long haul.

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I'm not particularly fond of football but I must admit I had some fun while testing Football Challenge, a simple 3D online football simulator that you can play for free.

Be aware that this is no FIFA or PES. In fact football sim junkies may feel a bit disappointed at the game's simplicity in graphics and controls. Here you won't get the official player names or uniforms – in fact you can customize the team's shirt any way you want. What's more, there are no special moves or button combinations: the arrow keys and two action buttons (kick and pass) is all you need to play. On the other hand, this easy gameplay is what makes the game attractive even for people like me who don't know what an offside is.

Football Challenge includes both offline and online gaming modes. You can play against the computer and also enroll in online tournaments just by filling in a simple form and creating your team right away. The game will automatically find a match partner for you to start playing. Obviously, the more games you win, the higher you'll reach in the player ranking.

Football Challenge is a simple football simulator with support for online games, great for some easy fun but definitely not aimed at hardcore football fans.

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UEFA Euro 2008 plays virtually the same as FIFA 08 aside from a few tweaks. For instance, there's a new 'flick' mode for free kicks (and penalties), where you control the power and swerve of the shot using your right-analog stick. It's certainly an improvement, but still too fiddly and difficult to master.

Other additions to UEFA Euro 2008 over FIFA 08 include in-game player ratings which update in real-time depending how each individual is performing, and improved collisions, trapping and goalkeeper AI. You even get to see the managers' reactions to goals, free kicks and near-misses.

Aside from the gameplay changes in UEFA Euro 2008, there are a couple of new game modes. Captain Your Country sees you take the role of your team's skipper and influence the other players while you're out on the pitch, and there's a new online mode called Battle of the Nations.

Of course, all the official stadiums, real players, kits, balls, haircuts, etc. are there, and UEFA Euro 2008 features 52 European teams. Of course, there were only 16 teams at the 2008 Euro Championships, but by increasing the number EA has helped to add more depth and longevity to this title.

UEFA 2008 is a great international soccer sim. However, if you already have FIFA 08 it's probably not worth getting

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ToCA Race Driver 3 is the latest edition of the long-running series that's famous for providing the most exciting wheel-to-wheel racing action on console and PC.

ToCA Race Driver 3 takes the variety of motorsport experiences available in Race Driver 2 and expanding on it even further, so no matter what your taste in racing, you'll find something to suit you.

Featuring the British GT championship, series stalwarts the DTM and Aussie V8 Supercars, Sprint Cars, Rallying, and open wheel racing all the way from karts to the BMW Williams Grand Prix Cars, and much more ToCA Race Driver 3 has something for everyone.

Race on tracks from all over the world, take the story-driven "world tour" mode if you want to get straight to where the action is, or for the people wanting the nuts and bolts, take the "Pro Career" mode and work you way up the ladder in different disciplines of motorsport, aiming for the pinnacle of your chosen field.

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So you’re the typical r/c racer that can’t wait for the weekend? VIRTUAL RC RACING brings exciting r/c racing to your PC. And the VIRTUAL RC RACING v2.0 starting package is FREE! Race as much as you like off-line on the FREE RC Speedway and Oslo tracks, or compete in the exciting FREE ongoing online Daily Challenges on these tracks.

All you need to do is download VIRTUAL RC RACING from Free Downloads. Hook up the unique VRC-2 USB adaptor (available from the e-shop), switch on your transmitter and you’re ready to go. Race any car on these 2 tracks any time and as long as you like! Additional tracks can be purchased from the e-shop. Of course VRC v2.0 can also be tried out and raced using keyboard or joystick. To compete in online competitions you need Racing credits (you get 4 free credits after signing up!) or a VRC Racing License. These can be purchased in the e-shop.

VIRTUAL RC RACING is the ultimate r/c learning tool AND the ultimate r/c racing sim. Its graphics, sound, control, AI cars and game play are so realistic that you will soon be using VIRTUAL RC RACING to prepare for your next r/c race. The only thing missing is the smell of nitro! Improve your driving, set-up and race skills while having lots of fun.

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