Blood Bowl has been around as a board game since 1987, in June 2009 the game was adapted and released by Cyanide as a PC title however, and as of November 2009 the game has been available for the Xbox 360.

If you’re a fan of the Blood Bowl board game then there’s a good chance that you’ll thoroughly enjoy playing this title for the Xbox 360, if you have a PC that meets the minimum requirements for the Blood Bowl PC game however then you’ll probably want to buy this game for the PC rather than the 360. The reason I say this is because when comparing the Xbox 360 version of the game to the PC version; the Xbox 360 game suffers in key areas. Whereas the PC game offers you the ability to compete in online leagues and you can build up your team as you play against fellow human gamers; with Blood Bowl for the Xbox 360 there is only the option to play one-off games against other human players, and in terms of online gameplay you therefore don’t get anywhere close to the same experience that you’d get with the PC game.

With that out of the way, whilst the online experience may not be the same, the actual quality of gameplay is still quite strong for the Xbox 360, and although the occasional glitch may be experienced; Blood Bowl board game fans should be able to get many hours of fun out of this video game. As an Xbox 360 title you would perhaps expect a little more in terms of the quality of graphics and sound, if you’re a fan of the board game looking to play a good few games of Blood Bowl on your console though then the game should surely satisfy.

If you’re not someone that is familiar with the Blood Bowl board game then this may not be for you. Blood Bowl is a turn-based strategy game, and whilst it may be loosely based on the game of American Football, this is definitely not a pick-up and play title for fans of Madden NFL. Don’t assume that because you like Madden NFL you will also enjoy Blood Bowl; you may well be someone that will enjoy both games, it’s definitely not a given though, and if you’ve never before played the Blood Bowl board game then this is a game that may take some time to really get, particularly given the fairly sub-standard tutorial that is offered. A greater tutorial would definitely be of benefit here, Cyanide is clearly hoping mainly to target those that are familiar with the board game however, and this can be seen as the reason as to why the tutorial is not as in-depth as it perhaps might have been.

The game has eight playable races; Humans, Orcs, Wood Elves, Dwarfs, Skaven, Lizardmen, Chaos, and Goblins, and if you’re planning to play this one as a single-player title then there’s definite fun to be had in watching your team level up after each match. If you were hoping for an online mode to rival the PC version of the game then as previously stated you’re going to be left sorely disappointed, and although Cyanide has done a decent job in porting the game to Xbox 360, the PC game is still superior, and if you want to purchase the game then it’s worth checking those specifications to see if you’re going to be able to run the PC version on your machine.

Blood Bowl for the Xbox 360 is far from perfect, it does still remain a very playable game however, and whilst the PC version offers more for the gamer, this is still a title to look to if you want to play Blood Bowl on the screen as opposed to the table.

6/10

When it comes to signing strikers in Football Manager, I have long found that buying Brazilian talent is best. There are obvious exceptions to the rule, and Edin Dzeko, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, and Wayne Rooney are all strikers that should certainly be signed if possible; more often than not it has been my Brazilian strikers that have impressed me most however, and I shall here list some of the Brazilian strikers that I have found to be amongst the very best.

Players such as Pato, Guilherme, and Neymar I was really very impressed with in Football Manager 2009, and in Football Manager 2010 I have discovered that the same names are once again hammering in the goals when brought to the English Premier League.

Vagner Love was always a player that was raved about in FM2009, and in 2010 he is once again a striker to sign. The CSKA Moscow man really can grab an incredible number of goals, and if you’re in need of an extra player upfront then you can definitely do a lot worse than signing Vagner Love.

The previously mentioned Alexandre Pato of AC Milan is another striker that can bang in the goals, and although not my personal favourite, he is very young at the start of the game and if you do sign him then you’ll have a quality striker for many seasons to come. Guilherme (CSKA Moscow) and Neymar (Santos) were the other two players I mentioned before as having been brilliant in FM2009, and given that Neymar is only 17 at the start of the game, he is another player that can serve you well for many seasons. Guilherme was my absolute favourite striker to sign in FM2009, and once again in FM2010 I have found him to be an absolutely stunning signing. More often than not he scores when he starts, and if you’re managing a team with ambitions of winning the title then Guilherme is most definitely a player to invest in.

In Football Manager 2009 I never came across the Brazilian attacking midfielder/forward Taison (Internacional), in FM2010 he has been one of my very favourite purchases however, several times finishing the season as my top goalscorer. Taison is another player that I’d most definitely recommend signing, and if you do so then I’m sure that you’ll be hugely impressed with his ability in front of goal.

Villarreal’s Nilmar is another striker to watch out for, a 25 year-old that can definitely pitch in with a goal or two when you most require it.

Last, but definitely not least, Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano is a Brazilian striker that I have had varied success with in Football Manager 2010. He’s an expensive purchase, and at 28 years-old should perhaps not be the player at the top of your transfer wishlist, I have had great success with Luis Fabiano however, and although I’ve also signed him once or twice and had it not work out; Fabiano can definitely become a key member of your squad. Fabiano is a big strong striker with a real eye for goal, and at best can be a real difference maker in your squad.

I’m sure there are some other strong Brazilian strikers that I’ve perhaps missed out here, and if you know any of your own that you feel are worthy of a mention then please do feel free to leave a comment below.

With the full band package setting you back about £150; Guitar Hero/Rock Band can be quite an expensive hobby to have. You can opt to purchase the game and guitar package, by doing so you’re losing out on two very fun components of the game though, and to buy the official equipment you will still need to shell out a fair amount extra in order to experience the game in its full glory. Right now Amazon is selling the Mad Catz Rock Band Portable Drum Kit for just £7.25 though and this therefore offers a very affordable way to kick off your plastic drumming career.

Right now you can buy Rock Band complete with the Mad Catz Portable Drum Kit and Microphone for just £33.97, or Rock Band 2 with the microphone and drum kit for just £46.97. This really is a great price for buying the game complete with its (arguably) best components, and a guitar can soon be sought out if needs be.

A review of the Mad Catz Rock Band Portable Drum Kit will soon be added to the site, if you don’t already have a drum kit for your fake plastic rock game of choice though then I’d definitely recommend investing in this piece of kit from Mad Catz.