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"  Also available on: N/ADeveloper: Insomniac Games / Idol MindsPublisher: SonyGenre: Platformer Sony has revolutionised the gaming industry since its entry into the sector in the mid-&amp;#039;90s, but surprisingly enough, the company is yet to find a mascot with enough calibre to rival the likes of Mario and Sonic. However, there is a duo who came close. Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank&amp;#039;s PlayStation 2 outings defined platforming on the console, and they&amp;#039;re still going strong today. Following in the footsteps of the God of War and Sly Cooper HD collections, The Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank Trilogy collects remastered ports of the first three entries in the series. Aside from an extra coat of gloss, there&amp;#039;s nothing new to be found on this disc, but the games themselves have aged remarkably well and continue to set the standard for 3D platforming.  For anyone unacquainted with the protagonists, Ratchet is a animal-like alien who is handy with a wrench, and Clank is his pint-sized robotic companion. The player takes control of the former, with his sidekick serving as an array of tools to help them out along the way. The original Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank was a revelation when it arrived on PS2 in 2002. It wasn&amp;#039;t revolutionary, yet its combination of refined melee combat, light first-person shooter segments and robust platforming mechanics made it one of the best things to happen to its genre in a console generation. None of these qualities have dulled over time, and the graphical facelift makes the title look as appealing as any of its modern counterparts. Its sequel Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank: Going Commando was more of the same platforming gold, with subtle adult humour to broaden its appeal. Role-playing elements, such as upgradable weapons, were thrown into the mix, serving only to enhance the formula. Revisiting the game in HD, it feels grander in scope and scale than its predecessor with bigger guns, vaster, more colourful worlds to explore, and new mini-games to tackle.      The dubiously titled Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank: Up Your Arsenal ups the ante even further, expanding on all aspects of its predecessors while introducing multiplayer to the series. Deathmatch, Capture the Fag, and Siege modes are now fully supported by the PlayStation Network, rather than the PS2&amp;#039;s ethernet connection, so the stage is set for players to get more out of these modes than ever before. Moreover, good old-fashioned split-screen play is supported for those who prefer competing closer to home. Thankfully none of these games has aged a day in the gameplay stakes, and the same can be said from a visual standpoint too thanks to some expert upscaling from Sony-owned studio Idol Minds. Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank&amp;#039;s mesmerising alien worlds look dazzling in HD, and have lost none of their clarity during the conversion process.   Cutscenes remain in their original resolution, which wouldn&amp;#039;t be quite as noticeable were there not unsightly black borders on either side of the screen while they are playing. Nevertheless, it&amp;#039;s a refreshing change from blockbuster cutscenes outshining in-game footage. Other extras are thin on the ground. Aside from Trophy support, there are no bonus features on the disc to speak of, giving it the feel of one of those bargain basement DVDs that come with only the bare bones. Given that this is a 10 year anniversary collection, we&amp;#039;d have liked to have seen Sony throw in some additional incentive for fans who already own these games on the PS2, but it&amp;#039;s still great value for money for the quality of each title. In summary, The Ratchet &amp;amp;amp; Clank Trilogy collects three games that everyone should play in one affordable bundle. Extras might be few and far between, but Idol Minds has done a great job rendering the titles in HD. It&amp;#039;s cross-genre gameplay at its finest, complete with memorable characters, expert level design and one of the best arsenals this side of Borderlands. A highly recommended trip down memory lane.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a390101/the-ratchet-clank-trilogy-review-the-sharpest-tools-in-the-shed/>