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Street Fighter X Tekken – The Game Review

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The mother of all fighting games is finally here, featuring what has to be the most incredible of two very different fighting worlds and styles into mixing them up into one astonishing fighting game. But does more always equal more or does two of the best equal one of the worst? Here is my video game review.

Until Resident Evil came along Capcom was always best known for its long-established fighting game mechanics. It did not matter what game you were playing Capcom games always came out on top. Even in the very basic of game’s mechanics such as the sideways beat-em ups you could always tell if it was a Capcom game. The Street Fighter series has earned itself a place in history because it both created and helped evolve a  genre quite simply because it has been so good. Don’t believe me – just look at how many times the game has been cloned over the years. One of the ways that Capcom has managed to keep the game exciting has been by introducing new characters and worlds for their characters to battle against. We have seen it in Marvel Vs Capcom and X Men Vs Street Fighter.

Street Fighter games thrive on skill; make no mistake, you need to know what you are doing. You need to know the moves and then be proficient at them enough to pull them off quickly. The game rewards you for doing so and punishes you with defeat if you don’t – simple as.

Tekken games on the other hand come from the equally mighty Namco. Developers of the mighty Ridge Racer and you know what that means – shocking detail, kick ass technology and replay value. Whilst not having Street Fighter’s 25 year old legacy it still has 18 solid years. Historically Tekken games rely more on technique, moves are easier to pull off and the level of detail and storyline is one to be envied even by the Ryu wannabes of this world.

Graphically the two games could not be sat further apart; Street Fighter (except in it’s EX series) has always remained 2D, matches go at an ADHD pace and look like a fireworks display. Tekken on the other hand has always been 3D with lush landscapes and the ability to avoid projectiles by moving into and out of the screen. Matches in Tekken land have long pauses whilst each player looks for weaknesses and when the impacts come, they are quick and short lived. Hence to bring together such a game like this was either going to work or fall flat and very miserably at the first hurdle.

So what was the cause of this mash-up? A magical box from the space called Pandora’s box crash lands on…Earth I assume and naturally both the good and bad guys want it for the own ends. To the victor go the spoils.

So how does it play? Well to say that it is incredible just does not give it justice. Street fighter X Tekken is so deliciously extraordinary it captivates and rejuvenates what for many could be described as a tired genre. Just when you think you have had enough of Marvel Vs Capcom along comes this. Here Street Fighter is the dominant partner (while Tekken will take the lead in Namco’s version of the game, whenever it chooses to surface) and the foundations of the game are built from Street Fighter 4’s building blocks and aesthetics i.e. combos, special moves and power bars.

Therefore if you have been used to the Street Fighter game and know the likes of Ryu, Ken, or Chun-Li you will feel right at home here. Many of the trademark moves have stayed the same, the inputs for the most part remaining the same, even if the speed and magnitude of what you see on screen are different from their previous incarnations the characters still look good and solid. The game moves forward at a rapid pace; gameplay thankfully slower than the hyperactive sugar rush of Marvel Vs Capcom but still faster than Super Street fighter 4. The complexity of pulling off super combos has been reduced to make it more accessible to newcomers, as has the introduction of a ‘gem system’ which can make certain inputs easier once activated for your character.

The first time you fire the game up Street Fighter’s cool but utterly useless character Dan beckons you into a tutorial about the game mechanics and I highly recommend that you don’t skip them. The introductory sessions last about 20 minutes as you are guided through mechanic after mechanic for high-level play. You have a Cross Gauge, a special meter divided into three sections that fills as you execute attacks. You have gems and you have charge attacks.

The tag team element is the main part of this game and there are so many ways in which you partner character can be called into play for example you can use the Cross Rush – by hitting any attack buttons in ascending order of strength – this will send your character into a bone crushing combo that ends with a launcher move which tagging in your second character to continue the attack.

The special meter has a number of uses, built up during the course of the match either when you hit your opponent or block or counter their blows. The gauge is principal to special attacks. One section of the gauge can be spent in a variety of ways, unleashing EX versions of your standard special moves that have stronger properties, a la Street Fighter IV. A section can also be spent on a Cross Cancel, which allows you to counter from a block with a launcher, sending your opponent high into the air, or a Switch Chance, which allows you to tag in your partner mid-combo for a spot of Tekken-style juggling.

Spending two sections of the gauge will allow you to execute a Super Art, the game’s version of Street Fighter 4’s Ultras, while if you have a full gauge you can spend it all on a Cross Art, which will have both members of your team perform a combo Super Art for incredible damage. Alternatively, the entire gauge can be splurged on a Cross Assault, a spectacular two-man attack that brings your partner onto screen to join in the attacking for a few seconds under AI control.

Lastly, you have the Pandora move – a controversial sort of kamikaze gamble – which can be triggered if your on-screen character has 25 per cent health or less, a move which will kill the character you are currently using whilst imbuing your remaining partner with a gigantic boost of power. However, this only lasts for ten seconds and, if you fail to win the match within that time, you lose regardless.

As you can see – whilst the gameplay in general has been somewhat simplified all of these different options and methods at your disposal still adds to the complexity and depth of the game.

Equally noteworthy is the game’s different customisation options. You can now choose the different colours for each part of your characters dress, skin tone and hair colour so you can have that full individualised look. Wanna see Ken with grey hair? I did. How about having green top and white bottoms and change that head band to blue Ryu? Not a problem. As you can see fashion just might not be my thing, but having those options is a nice touch.

Other real gems exist in the voice over’s – for example you can have the characters talking in their native language and have subtitles. So Ryu talks Japanese, Ken speaks American etc which I think is really good given that the characters are supposed to be from around the world.

The backgrounds are really nice too – embodying the Street Fighter / Capcom world with stages such as Dino Crisis having multi levels with which to fight on.

So how does this title fair in terms of multi-player? Well – Capcom has brought in a number of multiplayer innovations that make Street Fighter x Tekken perhaps one the most exciting co-operative fighting games made to date.

Online, you can now pair up with another fighter to take on other two-man teams, each player controlling one character in a normal tag match. An online Briefing Room actually allows players to train together remotely and one can’t help but to get excited about the possibilities for future tournaments will shape.

There is also a Scramble mode which has four players all fighting on screen at once, either online or off. It’s a mish-mash of punches and kicks and special moves which is incredible to watch. Equally, the usual array of SF4: Arcade Edition lobbies and match videos make an appearance, providing the game with a framework for community-building from day one.

Significant work however needs to be done on the netcode playing this game last night I was appalled to see that there were still problems playing online. Sound effects jittered online players dropped out of the game at will – and not just because I was winning. This was quite sad as it just mudded the online experience for me.

My Verdict

Street Fighter X Tekken is an astounding piece of work and a worthy purchase to have on your shelf if fighting games are your thing. Extraordinary to watch and intense and captivating to play it rejuvenates what for many could be described as a tired genre. Incredible just doesn’t do the game justice; yes it has its minor gripes but as a solid fighting title Street Fighter X Tekken is accessible, enjoyable and fun to play whilst having enough depth to keep existing players of the franchise more than happy. It simply hits the mark.

9.3/10

Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within 8 Minute Film Hits The Web

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Street Fighter X Tekken has got so many people worked up into a storm it is incredible. The following Tekken short film, Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within, is already being labeled as “epic.”. There is a whole load of action packed into this 8 minute movie and the costumes and hairstyles stay true to the videogame.  The film was released yesterday and over 114,000 people have viewed it on YouTube.

Thousand Pounds Action Company released the film to build interest in the Street Fighter X Tekken: Special Edition videogame for Xbox360 and Playstation 3. On release in the UK tomorrow.

Have a look below and judge for yourself – with so much action and so many moves packed into a mere 8 minute film it is clear that this production team has talent.

One question though still remains: Why oh why has a cinematic movie that remains as faithful to the game it comes from been so sorely lacking? Some times it really just needs fans who love the subject matter to make it happen.

Enjoy

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_HaEf62h4&w=560&h=315]

 

Top 10 Street Fighter Facts

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Here at Frost, I am getting all excited about the latest bone crunching matchup release that is Street-fighter X Tekken.

In case you didn’t know anything about it – it pairs up the mighty and most loved characters from the Street-fighter arena and flings Tekken fighters into the mix for an all hands down, blood sweat and tears fisty cuffs. Think of Marvel Vs Capcom, but with finesse. Think of Tekken Tag Team but with more accessible moves, think of Father Christmas Vs the erm…Easter Bunny – yes, it sounds insane but it does work.

Street Fighter X Tekken hits the shops this Friday, and of course the review will be here in Frost Magazine. But for now to get you excited as I am here are some top facts about perhaps the biggest and well-known franchise of all time.

  1. If Ryu was a real person he would be 47 – yep, you heard that right, in the original Street Fighter game Ryu’s date of birth is clearly stated as July 21, 1964 which makes him 47 to date. So, not so much Hurricane Kick as Hurricane wheelchair. Not like I would ever tell him that to his face…obviously.
  1. Ken and Ryu are the only characters that have appeared in every single Street Fighter title. In the first StreetFighter, you could only play as Ryu by default in single player, and player two as Ken in multiplayer. The two are best friends (and rivals) from different sides of the world. Ken is an American-born fighter, and Ryu from Japan. According to the storyline, and the fantastic Manga Movie they trained at the same school of martial arts – the same school that can been seen on the first stage of the original Street fighter game. Their tournament led them to take on the final boss, Sagat. In the final battle between Sagat and Ryu, Ryu defeated Sagat with a mighty dragon punch, leaving him with his iconic chest scar.
  1. Evil Ryu was a fluke and came about by chance. I am going to feel like I am telling a child that Santa doesn’t actually leave presents but it’s true. You can believe the ‘published’ stories that Ryu succumbed to ‘the dark side’ but the reality was that in the arcade version of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo there was a ‘cheat’ to get a hidden character – Akuma. To do so required a series of button presses on the character selection screen which would land on Ryu at the last step. If you did it correctly Ryu’s face would be replaced with a blacked out image of Akuma, which would reap incredible kudo’s and benefits in the game for the player.  However if you did it wrongly you would still end up choosing Ryu but a somewhat tanned version which would reap humiliation because everyone would know what you had tried to do. This was originally meant to be an in-game joke but such was the feedback that Capcom in later additions gave the tanned version extra abilities which were similar to Akuma and thus a new character was born.
  1. There were two American Street Fighter movies made, the first, titled Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, and Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue as Cammy. The second adaptation released in 2009 was called Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li which stars Kristin Kruek as Chun-Li, Chris Klein as Charlie, Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, and one of those dudes from the Black Eyed Peas (Taboo) as Vega. In essence all you need to know is that they are crap. Well, that’s not entirely true the first movie is crapity crap, crap and the second one is, well…average…o.k. no it is crap.
  1. Super Street Fighter 4 was the first game in the series to be released on console before hitting the arcade. The simple answer to why this happened is because the arcade industry is slowly dying. Blame it on the recession, or newly formed anti-social behaviour with this generation of couch-dwelling gamers. Don’t believe me? Well check out the once flourishing arcades known as Namco Wonder-Park or Fun Land Trocadero in central London. Once upon a time games developers would prize themselves on bringing out ever more elaborate gaming cabinets and gaming hardware. Once upon a time it would be the hardware in the arcade pushing the home markets. Now it is the opposite and you will find that these gaming arenas are slowly closing their doors, making it difficult for game companies to justify making a true arcade game over a console game.

Ever get that feeling when you see someone who looks exactly like you?

  1. Dee Jay, Super Street Fighter II’s Jamaican kick boxer, was originally designed to have pants that read “MANTIS” down the side of his leg. However, the words would not have looked right when his sprite was mirrored to face the opposite direction. To save time and resources the game designers changed the word to the vertically symmetric “MAXIMUM,” so it can be spelled correctly facing either direction. Think “MAXIMUM” is cheesy? Other options for his pants could have been “YUMMY”, “WAX MOUTH”, “OOOH YUMMY MUMMY” or “HI WHY AM I A MOM”.

Sheng Long...you know? Dragon Punch thingy? ...oooh just forget it!

  1. Quite a few things were lost in translation. Whenever Ryu won a match during the one of the early iterations of Street Fighter II, he would say, “You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance.” Who or what the heck is Sheng Long? I hear you cry well, “Sheng Long” is actually the Chinese pronunciation of “Sho-Ryo”, as in “Sho-Ryu-Ken” (better known as the Dragon Punch). What Ryu was trying to say at the time was that his opponent needed to master his technique in order to defeat him. Due to one poor translator’s epic mistranslation, many gamers across the world believed that Ryu’s cryptic words hinted at a hidden character named Sheng Long. Taking full advantage of gamers’ gullibility, Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine pulled off one of the greatest April Fool’s jokes of all time and claimed that Sheng Long is indeed a playable character. The long-rumoured master of Ryu and Ken can be unlocked by performing certain ridiculously difficult feats, causing players from across the world to pour in quarter after quarter into Street Fighter II machines in order to unlock him. So how did Capcom respond to the Sheng Long fiasco? They made him a real character of course for the release of 2009’s Street Fighter IV.
  1. Bruce Lee lives on – Street Fighter’s very own Fei Long has more than a striking resemblance to what many would call the god father of Martial Arts Bruce Lee but it is not the only game where his likeness appears. It seems as if any fighting game worth their salt pays homage to his memory and with damn good reason; the man, the myth and the movies are the reason many a man has jumped about, pulled a mean scowl, imitated his cool noises and even tried to do a bicycle kick. He has appeared in many many games but here are a few: Liu Kang (Mortal Kombat)  Jann Lee (Dead or Alive) Kim Dragon (World Heroes) and Marshall Law (Tekken). Now Fei Long versus Marshall Law would be the mother of all match ups but will they make it to the final rosta of characters?

Fireball is just a projection but still looks cool and is well handy....

  1. No such thing as a fireball – just a cheap trick. I used to think that it was a huge ball of energy moving out of Ryu’s hands whenever I managed to pull off his fireball move. That is until I saw the picture above. Look closely at the still image of the Hadoken Fireball. The centre of the flame of the fireball is an image of Ken and Ryu’s hands. Developers at Capcom must have been laughing.
  1. Street Fighter X Tekken is the first time that a Street Fighter game will actually become a crossover. Capcom does come out with a lot of crossovers, but this is the first time they’ve teamed up with Tekken. Announced at the “Street Fighter Mania! SSFIV and Beyond” panel at Comic-Con 2010, it is another benchmark in the Street Fighter history books.

 

SSX Game Review

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If gamers are completely honest with themselves Extreme Sports games have been severely lacking in this generation of consoles. Yes, the XBOX has had the…erm, Motion Sports titles but come on, really now, all you have had to do is essentially strike a pose and look surprisingly un-cool. If we are completely honest, gone is the insane rush of pulling off trick after trick; gone is the feeling of utter wow whilst your mates go ‘did you really just do that?’ SSX Tricky on the PS2 was the last game to do that me, and not even being able to download it from the PSN store was going to make me feel that way again – until now.

SSX has exploded back on the scene in such a way that many of its competitors will just probably want to turn away from the starting line and hang their heads in shame. Such is the wealth of options, such is the banging-ness of the tracks, such is the literally obscene nature of the tricks, such is the colour and richness of the graphical nature, such is the sheer speed of the game and finally such is the seamless incorporation of all what games developers EA have learnt so far with their other titles such as Need for Speed and its Auto log that many other games just wouldn’t stand a chance.

EA Canada decided to show the world what happens when you don’t just put the game out every year, but instead put your heart and soul into it and take time crafting it, polishing it and the result is an  ultimate experience.

I’ll forget the storyline (is there ever a storyline?) and break this game down to you in the simplest of terms. You will go down mountains – admittedly fantastically rendered mountains. You will have an articulated lorry of tricks at your disposal and these tricks accumulate points which can be traded for speed. Like Need for Speed there are a range of different events – here classified as either “Race It,” in which you have to speed down the slopes against competitors, “Trick It,” in which you need to pull off tricks and outscore the competition, or “Survive It,” which is the final region challenge pitting you against one of the elements.

While there are only three basic modes, there’s a good mix of racers and racing conditions to keep things exciting. You will attempt to conquer slopes all over the world, be that in china or even the Andes.  Each location is interesting and each race has a lot going on.

“Survive it” is the real new addition to the series. Borrowing a lot from Motorstorm Apocalypse you take on the elements  for example thunderous avalanches will try to swallow you up, freezing cold temperatures and lack of oxygen will attempt to suck the life from you, jagged rocks and trees will threaten to turn your bones into mash potato. The skill level is graduated so you get a bit of equipment, like a headlamp, a wing suit or sonar goggles, and you can conquer the very different problems you face on the mountain in each location: the wing suit will help you cross substantial gaps, sonar goggles can help you find a path in whiteout conditions and the headlamp will illuminate even the darkest of caverns.

Control wise this game is quite good; making use of the analogue sticks as well as L and R buttons too to create smooth transitions between tricks. What I thought was really nice is that there is a classic button selection too. So if you were used to the old button setup of the last generation you can select it and pull of moves via the button mashing system of old. You also have a rewind button so if you wipe-out you can go back in time and alter your fate so to speak – although this does cost you points.

Whereas Need for Speed had Auto Log, SSX has Rider Net. It keeps track of your progress. Rider Net alerts you about what your friends are doing. Any scores posted or collectibles acquired pop up, and the game sets challenges for you based on your friend’s scores.

Multiplayer in SSX comes in the form of Global Events, a constantly updating series of challenges open to everyone in the world. EA has challenges going all the time and you can just drop in and try and post a high score or fast time.

As you’re racing through a course, other players doing the same will just show up alongside you in a crazy simultaneous event. For some, it may seem loopy but there is no denying that it keeps the edge and playability of the title top notch. Besides, what else can you do with a snowboard?

My Verdict?

SSX may not be a title for everyone but it is a title that has been long overdue in a genre that sorely needed it. If snowboarding is your thing, if racing games have been getting boring for you or you just want to try something fun, fresh and funky do check out SSX – it’s incredible.

9.2/10

The Bourne Legacy Trailer Hits the Web

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The Bourne Legacy has hit the web to a very warm reception from fans of the franchise.

Renner; fresh from his role in Mission Impossible stars as a new character called Aaron Cross, although he calls himself Kenneth in the new trailer.

As the first titles come onto the screen we are told that ‘Bourne was just the beginning’

Like Bourne before him, the trailer appears to show Cross being perhaps double crossed and ‘going rogue’ as he goes on a violent rampage, which features a novel unique use for a fire extinguisher and a house being blown up.

As Byer tries to find a way to hunt Cross down he says: ‘Jason Bourne was just the tip of the iceberg,’

later we hear Cross being described as an Outcome agent or – ‘Treadstone without the inconsistency’.

Rachel Weisz is a new addition to the cast as Stephanie Snyder while Joan Allen has reprised her role as Pam Landy.

Director Tony Gilroy has gone on record as saying that Renner was not replacing Damon and The Bourne Legacy was a ‘stand-alone’ film.

He told Mania.com: ‘This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel.

‘There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter…this is a stand-alone project. The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal… Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he’s very much alive.

‘What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I’m building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy.’

The Bourne Legacy is released in the UK on August 15. Keep this one firmly in your sights.

You can watch the trailer below

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVPpc4pk6RE&w=560&h=315]

Second Trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Hits the Web

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Yes indeed, the second trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man movie has hit the web and seems to have got the whole world in a spin.

Whilst there have been many skeptics (and who could blame them; after all a reboot of Spider-man is about as much needed as a reboot of Harry Potter)  Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Spiderman / Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s version (in the trailer at least) looks much more serious, determined and full of all those angst that teenagers have had to endure over the…erm, centuries.

So what are the changes? Well for a start there’s a whole different dynamic between Parker and the object of his affections, Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy, it could be a real love triangle – or web.

Then there’s the fact that in this reboot Peter Parker has man-made rather than organic web-shooters. This allows the film-makers to play up the teenager’s status as something of a budding scientific genius, rather than just a talented student. This in turn ties into the key plotline within The Amazing Spider-Man which revolves around Parker’s relationship with scientist Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans).  For those of you not up to date with the comic book, Connors once worked with Parker’s late father, adding an extra layer of intrigue when his dodgy experiments transform him into the Lizard. Director Marc Webb, speaking in LA, said his film would examine “the emotional consequence of what it means to be an orphan.” He added: “We wanted to treat Peter Parker in a more realistic, naturalistic way. There are a lot of things from the Spider-Man canon: this starts off with Peter Parker and his parents.” Interesting eh? I thought so.

Lastly the production has been shot entirely in stereoscopic 3D. which can only be a coop for Sony who are looking to push their ideas of creating 3D within the home.

Might just be my opinion but the new trailer looks awesome. I am still not so sure about that suit but one thing is for sure is that there is action, tons of it and most importantly, although trailers tend to just show the best bits it looks like they are holding nothing back. It seems as if Spider-man is about to come of age.

The Amazing Spider-man is due for release July 4th – Check out the trailer below

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tnxzJ0SSOw&w=560&h=315]

Frost's Review of 2011

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2011 was an eventful political year, with the Arab Spring, phone Hacking and the death of more than one tyrant. On the flip side, it was also a year of wedding fever, Prince William finally made an honest women of Kate Middleton on April 29. Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, Lily Allen and Sam Cooper (she also announced her pregnancy), Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig, Prince Albert and Charlotte, Zara Phillips and Mark Tindall and Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell all tied the knot. Kim Kardashian got married too, but so briefly it is barely worth mentioning.

There was tragedy when Japan was struck by an record 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami. Followed by nuclear disaster at Fukushima, which is still being cleared up by brave workers, at serious risk to their own health.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher.

In August London burned as riots spread all over England, people died, lost their homes and taxpayers were left with a bill of over 100 million.

The Arab Spring started when 26-year-old vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi. set himself on fire in protest in a Tunisian marketplace on December 17th 2010. It lead to leaders all over the Arab world standing down including Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the death of Gaddafi in October.

Silvio Berlusconi also finally stepped down.

Osama Bin Laden was killed ten years after 9/11.

The press went mad over Pippa Middleton’s bottom. As did PR companies.

Super Injunctions were the buzzword of the year, but the name of the footballer came out after he was named by multiple people on Twitter. The film star who slept with the same prostitute as Wayne Rooney, however, got away with it. Our article on it was one of our most popular of the year, getting over 14,000 hits in a matter of hours

Borders book store closed down, as did the Space Shuttle Programme and Harry Potter ended after a decade.

The Iraqi war ended in December. A date set by the Bush administration.

Liam Fox lost his job.

The Phone Hacking scandal ran and ran.

Charlie Sheen lost it, but bounced back.

Aung San Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest.

Frost’s Politician of the year is the people of Libya.

Anders Behring Breivik went on an murderous rampage in Norway on the Island of Utoya, leaving over 80 people dead and many more injured. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called the attack a “national tragedy” and the worst atrocity in Norway since World War II. Stoltenberg further vowed that the attack would not hurt Norwegian democracy, and said the proper answer to the violence was “more democracy, more openness, but not naivety”. In his speech at the memorial service on 24 July 2011, he said what a proper reaction would be: “No one has said it better than the AUF girl who was interviewed by CNN: ‘If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show, standing together.’

The end of Harry Potter.

Frost started a campaign to end Prescription charges in England, the only place in the so called ‘United’ Kingdom still paying them.

Jessie J had a breakthrough year and confessed to being bisexual.

David Walliams swam the Thames. He raised £1 million for Sports relief.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher split.

As did J-Lo and Marc Anthony

Ryan Gosling had a brilliant year and was in the brilliant Drive. http://frostmagazine.com/2011/09/drive-film-review/

Sir David Attenborough dazzled again with Frozen Planet.

Frost Women of the year: Kate Middleton. After ten years and two break-ups, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton finally married her Prince Charming. Their wedding was watched by more people than 20 million people and the new Duchess of Cambridge has been wowing press and public alike with her style, charm and poise.

Man of the year: Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs died too young, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer. He changed the world with his vision and business acumen and when he died the outpouring of grief would rival that of Princess Diana. A true loss of a visionary man.

Most inspirational person: Eva Schloss. Eva survived the holocaust. She lost her father and her brother, her mother also survived and went on to marry Otto Frank and Eva became Anne Frank’s step-sister. She is truly the most inspirational women I have ever met. If you don’t believe me, read her books. The Promise: The Moving Story of a Family in the Holocaust
or Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frank
[Full disclosure: I was in the West End Production of the play of Eva’s life; And Then They Came For Me.]

Kim Jong-il, Lucien Freud, Christopher Hitchens, Liz Taylor, Amy Winehouse and Vaclav Havel all died in 2011.

Adele and Katy Perry released the albums of the year.

Kristen Wiig co-wrote and starred in the hilarious Bridesmaids, which proved women could be funny.

Unemployment was high and economical troubles rumbled throughout the year. The US lost their triple AAA credit rating.

Finally, a great article.

http://frostmagazine.com/2011/10/top-10-common-faults-with-human-thought/

Staying Safe this Christmas and New Year – Top Tips!

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Staying Safe this Christmas and New Year – Top Tips

As a key Youth Leader when it comes to gangs and breaking the cycle of criminal behaviour one of the key things I get asked by people of all ages is ‘How do I avoid becoming a victim?’

It is really tough question isn’t it? I mean, if the headlines are to be believed you are almost twice as likely to become a victim as you were this time last year. Although we are living in tough times Christmas means that people are out and about doing Christmassy things; enjoying themselves, getting merry and having a host of parties and clubs to go to. In the midst of this hustle and bustle some are ever more desperate to steal, rob or take advantage.

I for one know someone who had their card cloned only a few weeks ago and the upheaval it can cause is immense. So these words of advice I am about to offer come not a moment too soon.

  1. Taxi Cabs – this is number one on my list as I am still in awe of how many people don’t know this despite the horror stories and despite the ad campaigns.  If you are going to be drinking pre-arrange how you will be getting back home. Black cabs can be hailed off the street but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should anyone get into an unlicensed taxi/and or minicab off the street. It is illegal for minicabs to tout for business. Minicabs must be pre-booked. Listen if you get into an unlicensed cab then essentially it is just a stranger’s car and there is no telling what will happen so please – don’t do it!
  1. Drinking – do your best to drink less alcohol and drink more water during your night out. A top tip is to have one drink of water for every two glasses of alcohol. Do your best to stick to the same drink, try and not mix your drinks and always make sure you have your drink with you. Yes girls – take it with you if you are going for a pee. If you leave your drinks unattended then DO NOT drink it. This is one of the ways drug rape can happen. A long time ago I was a First Aider in clubs – spiking as it is called (when someone puts drugs in your drink) was a big issue for us back then – my friends who are still in that field have said on good authority that it is still a big issue now.
  1. Drugs – Lets get it straight – taking drugs is illegal. However if you do then do not buy drugs from someone you have just met. Most of the time drug dealers at clubs / bars are selling to the masses and are not selling you what you think you may be buying. They can easily combine it with chemicals that will be very harmful to you and your body, and you could have a very bad reaction to it. I suppose the final point I want to make is that if you do decide to take do the stupidest thing and take drugs then you should never be left on your own until everyone has recovered. There are reactions and delayed reactions and both could potentially be fatal.
  1. Being sensible – This is one of those tips that sound easy on the ear but can be difficult to put into practice. Firstly be sensible in your approach. If you are talking to a stranger for the first time then do not give him personal details about yourself like where you live. Do not make yourself vulnerable. Secondly never leave your valuables such as your purse or phone with them while you run to the loo or leave your bag or valuables on the table or at some distance from you. Your phone should be locked with a pin that only you know and you also should be sensible with your social network – that is, it and your personal details should be set to private. A new trend is for guys to butter up women with soft words etc but there are lots of instances where once the woman has gone they are gone except they have gone with cash, plastic and I-phone tablets.
  1. Confidence is crucial – Being confident and assertive can assist you from staying out of danger. This is reflected in your body language and demeanor. Keep your head up and use eye contact. Becoming drunk and very loud can sometimes draw the wrong people towards you. Essentially most predators know that the less aware and less able a person is, the more easy they are to take advantage of and the more likely they are not to defend themselves properly.
  1. Fight or flight – If a fight breaks out / and or other trouble then remove yourself very quickly from the venue and call the police for help. This is crucially a tip mainly for the guys out there but as it seems to be a paradox akin to finding the ‘god atom’ it is there for everyone. Here’s the problem – good friends, both male and female want to protect the ‘ones they love’ from ‘bad’ people. The problem is that ‘bad’ people can be everyone especially once a fair bit of alcohol has been drunk. You’ll be surprised at the amount of arguments and fisticuffs that can flare up over mere ‘looks’ ‘knocks’ on the dance floor and people being rude. Ask either party to just walk away and you’d have more luck trying to explain the euro crisis. Yet you have your mobile phone in your pocket so rather than choosing to join in on the rugby tackle why not just use it and get help. Trust me; you’ll thank me in the morning.
  1. Cold and hard can only be cash – Try not to carry large sums of money, credit cards and other valuables with you. I am going to say it again but DO NOT leave your bag unattended. Just bring what you need for the night. A top tip is to put some money safely on you away from the money you will be spending on your night out. So if unfortunately if you are a victim of crime and your money / cards are stolen you have some money to get home with.
  1. Keep your eye on the prize – When paying for anything by credit / debit card make sure the machine is brought to you and you see what is being done. If anyone ever takes your card away / and or behind a bar they may be cloning your card. A big tip is to keep all of the receipts from the night, perhaps in your purse and then the following day check back with the money that has been deducted. If you need to you can query with the bank if any amounts seem unjustified.
  1. Mobile phones – Do not talk on your mobile phone when you get off London Transport and think this is going to save you from being attacked, it just makes you more vulnerable as you cannot see and / or hear what’s going on around you. What’s more people can see what mobile phone you have and that could make you a target too.
  1. Keep in touch – Number ten is my greatest gem. Be with at least one person you trust and make contact with them when you get home, so they know you are in safe. If you out and meet members of the opposite sex and are having a good time, why not stay together until you are in a cab (a licensed one obviously) where you can cab share until you part company.
  1. Be aware – please be aware of the people around you. Not being aware has consequences. This is especially true at cash-points but even places like at the bar or till can be crucial for someone looking to glance at your pin or hear the code word for your tab. I have seen many offenders hear ‘Table 12’ shouted across a noisy bar and then casually saunter over and order drinks for themselves and their mates moments later claiming to be from the same table. Equally a friend of mine had her phone stolen when someone came round with a collection box for a ‘charity’ and took her phone from the table whilst she took out some money from her purse. Be aware
  1. Never blame yourself – my final tip is the same as last year. Just remember even Justin Bieber has been a victim of a crime at one point – probably. Some people just do bad things – it’s as simple as that. The main thing is that they are counting on your silence so they can do it again. So talk to someone you can trust and report it. Most importantly though never blame yourself.

So ends my tips on staying safe over Christmas and New Year – I am not aiming to make anyone nervous or afraid as there are bundles of fun to be had lets just keep it safe and sensible. If you have any questions, comments or even tips of your own please post them. Here’s to an exciting and prosperous New Year!