Final Fight/Magic Sword (Capcom) / RunKeeper (FitnessKeeper Inc.)
Platform: PSN, XBLA / iPhone, Android
Rating: If you're bored / Try the free edition
Length: 1-2hrs / N/A
I should be reviewing Scott Pilgrim right now, but as always us insignificant Australians have been shafted. Released inexplicably two days after the American debut, we only had enough time to beat one of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends before deadline.
Alas I turn my attention to the warm-up acts - two of the classics that set the scene for Scott's side-scrolling action; Final Fight and Magic Sword. From the authentic arcade machine framing to the RAM checks at the start, both games are faithful copies of the brilliant originals (ignoring the overbearing achievement system). Immediately transported back to my adolescent days, pumping quarters into the AMF arcade machines, it was great fun to relive the memories.
Now, don't start thinking that I'm going to rant on about how these games represent the pinnacle of game design. In the same way that any modern FPS beats Goldeneye, (with the possible exception of Metro2033), these games provide a timely reminder of how far we've come. By today's standards they just don't stack up, but then they're not there to. So whilst one could be forgiven for thinking that $8.45 is a little pricey for a trip down nostalgia lane, given you're still getting a solid hour or two worth of entertainment, why the hell not?
***
Whilst this one ain’t technically a game, the Canberra Fun Run is just over the horizon. Taking into consideration the anticipated number of competitors, as well as the average fitness levels of BMA's readership, there should be at least seven people interested in this review, so let's plough on.
With the Apple app store recently hitting over 200,000 applications, 5,000 of which are devoted to health and fitness, it's not surprising that there's more than one offering to help monitor your workouts. From my experience though, the best is RunKeeper. Focusing on simplicity, you can start and stop workouts, view a map of where you've travelled and for those of you keen enough to get the full edition (which is worth doing if you’re wishing to hone your speeds), you also get regular verbal progress updates. Once you want to start looking at your overall progress, that's where the website comes in. It's sleek and functional, allowing you to not only access your data, but that of your buddies.
The system really helps to motivate your fitness and what's more, unless you're a fitness freak requiring more features, it's also free. So my advice is join the fun run, grab this app and start running fatty.
