Protect your children! That teen is wearing a hoody!

I am stood at the bus stop, waiting for the 36 to take me down education lane and in the distance I see a mother walking her child to school. They were laughing and enjoying their time together before the two parted ways for the day, however, all that stopped as they see me stood there with my flat-peak, hoody and lip piercing. The site of me forces the mother to stop laughing and draw a look of concern across her face, for thought of what cynical plans she believes I am devising in my head. As she gets closer she steps the other side of her daughter, putting the mother in the middle of me and the small child, she then pulls the child closer. Fearing that this may be their last moments together. As they pass me, their faces clenched with fear, I pull out my smile, wish them a nice day and get on the bus.

On the bus to college I cant help but feel offended that the mother was so intimidated by my appearances that she felt the need to protect her child. I may not look extremely approachable with my hair covering one eye and my ipod playing Escape The Fate at full volume, but in no way do I appear dangerous or aggressive. I mean what did she really think I was going to do to her and her daughter? Did she expect me to pull out a knife?

Then I begin to notice that she isn't the only one.

On the very same bus journey, an elderly woman stepped onto the bus and choose to stand rather than sit by me! I didn't put my bag on the seat, I was just sat down reading the metro, I looked up and gave her a smile but she still felt too threatened to sit by me. I was left confused to what it was about me that made her feel that she couldn't trust me enough to sit within a 1 meter radius of me!

Then I realised that i shouldn't let it bother me. If someone is intimidated by an item of clothing that has a hood attached to it, then they have to start thinking carefully about there attitudes and prejudice state of mind.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

This is not a misprint! Two of the greatest forces ever to be welcomed to our planet are at war via the world of 3rd generation consoles!

2008 was a big year for games, it saw the release of Call Of Duty 5, Pro Evolution 2009, GTA 4 and many more. However, on a personal note it was THE biggest year for gaming! It was a year when i saw the return of some of my childhood heroes, Liu Kang, Raiden, Sub-Zero amongst others made Mortal Kombat the iconic game it was, and when i heard that they were returning to rage war against DC Universe i only had one response......Awesome!!

After i bought this game i rushed home with anticipation that this game could emulate Mortal Kombat games of the past and the minute i opened my door i threw the game into my PS3 without a moment to loose! As the opening credits rolled in front of my eyes i could only dream of what i had in store for me, in a matter of minutes i would be reunited with Scorpion and Sub-Zero as they fight the likes of Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel. Then, suddenly, the main menu loaded up and i was faced with the options of Story Mode, Arkade Mode and Player vs Co.

I don't want to get into every single aspect of my experience playing the game as i would be here all day, so i will cut to the really important info. This game has been updated with new features to add to the Mortal Kombat experience such as 3D fighting modes, enhanced graphics and rare characters like Jax and Deathstroke. The Story Mode is packed with gripping plots and twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. The classic Arkade Mode has not changed one bit from the original game and has a certain vintage quality to it.

However, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe is far from flawless, the Story Mode is filled with far too many cut scenes used to link fights together as the only time you have control is whilst fighting. Its like Metal Gear Solid 4 gone mad! Another problem is how frustrating it is to gain Trophies. After completing the story mode i collected grand total of 1 trophy! After a while you will find yourself banging your head against the floor!

Despite these flaws this is still a brilliant game and any hardcore Mortal Kombat fan will not be disappointed. So remember......FIGHT!

Street Fighter IV - Return of a Classic

What's all this? Street Fighter? On a 3rd Generation Console? In 3D?



Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. Ryu, Ken, Guile, Blanka and that speedy bastard Bison are back to kick your joypad all over the place. New characters, new game modes, unique character moves and Xbox LIVE and Playstation Network battles allow you to challenge people all over the world and allow them to get better acquainted with your combos.



I haven't played the game that long, but I am big Street Fighter fan and I loved the previous titles on the old -school consoles like the Super Nintendo and was quite excited when I heard that Street Fighter IV was winging its way to my Xbox 360. Although, I found that no hype was made in any way, shape or form about the revival of the fighting game. Oh well, I have it now.



Good news for all: Capcom have changed no aspects of the gameplay. All the punch, kick, combos and the like haven't been tinkered with, they just feel a lot smoother when performing them. Strangely, I can still remember most of Ryu's combos thanks to hours of button bashing in the past and those skills haven't been wasted thanks to this lack of change. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Someone should tell that to a certain design developer at Epic Games...



Admittedly, fighting games do seem to be mostly the same which ever one you buy and have probably run their course by now, however, SF IV is a damn good way to prove skeptics wrong. Thanks to the added element of Super and Ultra Combos, you can release some truly damaging moves. And they look pretty cool.



Ultra and Super Combos are unique to each character and are visually stunning. There are many new characters that allow newcomers and veterans alike to start learning new kick ass moves to lay down and taunt their opponents online with. Like Japanese student Sakura, Lucha Libre El Fuerte and martial arts master Gen. All of which make up a pretty diverse bunch.

All in all, this shit is happening!

You, Buy Now!

Beckham still has a lot Moore to give

David Beckham's football career has been decorated with success over the years. He has won the Champions League, the Premier League, FA Cup, Copa Del Rey, La Liga, the list goes on. He has played for the biggest teams in the world, Manchester United, Real Madrid and now AC Milan, and last night he achieved something that no one thought was possible. By making his 108^th England appearance he has equaled the great Bobby Moore and is only 17 appearances behind the current record holder, Peter Shilton. However, based on the evidence shown last night, it seems that Beckham's England career is far from over as he still has a lot to offer to an under-achieving side.

Beckham started last night's match on the bench and had to watch on as England went 1-0 down due to a brilliant finish from the Valencia striker David Villa. Spain moved the ball about quickly and dominated possession throughout the whole match and Fabio Capello's side just couldn't cope. Half time brought the moment everyone was waiting for, David Beckham. He came on to replace Downing and a huge cheer went up as he stepped onto the field to reach this famous milestone. Beckham struggled to get into the game at first, rarely getting a touch on the ball and not making an immediate impact. However, it wasn't long until he hit one of his trademark, 60 yard, cross field passes, directly to the feet of Shaun Wright-Phillips, creating a great chance that Wright-Phillips should have done better with.

Beckham showed great determination and the 'never-say-never' attitude he brings into every England game, even when Spain made it 2-0 through an excellently delivered ball into the box by Xavi and a bullet header from Llorente, Beckham was the one getting the lads' morale up and getting them going. He then created the best chance of the game when Carlton Cole's effort was cleared off the line by Marchena after he got on the end of Beckham's perfectly delivered through ball.

It seems that our modern day 'Roy of the Rovers' still has a lot to offer Fabio Capello's England team and if he continues to progress at AC Milan as he has done then there is no reason why Beckham can't beat Peter Shilton's, long standing, record.

Guitar Hero or Guitar Zero

Back in the very long summer holiday that we had after doing our GCSEs, I purchased Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it and eventually became quite good at it, managing to play on Hard and Expert. My friends then joined me in my rock star fantasy and we had good fun rocking out to some classic tracks such as Sweet Child O' Mine, Freebird, Are You Gonna Go My Way, Welcome to the Jungle and Do It Again. However, I find that whenever I mention to anyone who plays an instrument that I have played Guitar Hero, they immediately verbally abuse me and say things like "You can't really do it!", "Stop living a fantasy!" and "You have no idea how hard it really is!". I never said I could play real guitar, although I have bought one and I am learning so ha.

This is a very short article, but leave a comment or two and let me know how you guys feel. Guitar Hero is there for fun, not so people can say "Yeah I play Guitar................Hero".

Liverpool - A Ticking Time Bomb

The moment it all fell apart

Liverpool Football Club, one of the most famous teams in the world and currently still the most successful team in English history. Premier League champions 09-10? They wish....

Before reading this article, you must know that I am a Manchester United fan and have been so since 1995, so I obviously have some bias views on this topic but I will try to keep my words as in perspective as possible.

Every year in the Premiership, the usual winners names are tossed around, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as an outside chance. Although it has been proven many times that Liverpool are a powerful team to be reckoned with, I personally just can't ever see them grasping the title and spraying champagne everywhere, while Rafael Benitez sits calmly on the bench showing no emotion as usual. Even Arsenal are now a fading light of a team, with their young talent unable to get leadership and sometimes losing their heads on the pitch causing them to fall behind in the title race. Granted Liverpool are currently second in the table with only two points behind Manchester United, I think everyone is just waiting for the clock to hit 12 on their Cinderella season.

I can easily see them lifting many of the other silverware on offer to them, such as the Champions League or FA Cup and at the same time giving us neutrals incredibly close and tense matches to watch as they score with -10 minutes to go. However, I think Rafa, the players and the fans want to win the league, seeing as it is the last trophy they have yet to win since the Premier League's formation back in 1992.

I also probably wouldn't have written this article had Robbie Keane not spoken out in earlier in the month about telling Benitez to "Stick" his medal. He doesn't even have a medal to stick you Irish failure! Then the beanpole bad boy Peter Crouch sticks his oar in and agrees with Keane. Crouch doesn't deserve Meals on Wheels!

All in all, I don't think Liverpool will win the league, at least not with their current manager who unnecessarily changes the team for no reason and lack of depth they have within the squad. Gerrard gets injured and Lukas replaces him. Not very reassuring is it? Feel free to comment and tell me how right or wrong I am.