Five Under the Radar Games

Holy cow.  There's a lot of games out there that most people overlook.  Too many people follow the advice of this guy, and it's a real shame.  If you follow Extra Credits on youtube, you've probably seen their series of games you might not have tried.  They are a great resource of options, and I've found a handful of good examples, as well.  All of the games that I mention have their share of fans, just not many.  For some, this is a perfect time to try them out.  Either way, you'll be hard pressed to find games in here that aren't worth your time.

Scrooge Alert! Metro 2033 for $5!

Bourbon wants you to buy Metro 2033.  Go do it!

Those of you who read my review of Metro 2033 and didn't buy it now have no excuse to pass it up.  Green Man Gaming has the game available for PC download for all of $5.  Go do it, now!

Review: The Conduit

Platform: Wii

Players: 1 (up to 8 online)

Rating: Teen (Blood, Mild Language, Violence)

Developer: High Voltage Software

Publisher: SEGA

Since this review is going live on July 4th, it's only fitting to do a "patriotic" game.  There's really not many examples of "modern" patriots in gaming.  Save, of course, for Michael Ford.

Metro Last Light teaser now online!

Those of you who saw my review of Metro 2033 yesterday will be interested in this little tidbit...

Review: Metro 2033

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360

Publisher: THQ

Rating: Mature (Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence)

Players: 1

Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Metro 2033 literally flew under the radar of most of the gaming communities when it came out in 2010. It's based on a Russian novel by Dimitry Glukhovsky, and set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow.  After playing it, I really wish I'd stumbled upon this game sooner.

Retro Review: Area 51

Players: 1-2

Rating: Mature (Realistic Violence)

Reviewed on: Saturn, PS1, Arcade (Yes, I've played all three, and recently!)

If there's any genre that gets a ton of attention out of me, it's the light gun shooters.  There's something about the actual holding the gun and actually aiming that Call of Duty and Half-Life just don't do for me.  And Area 51 is quite probably one of the quintessential light gun games of the late '90s.  For a game that gave me the willies when I was younger, it really has its charms.

The Great Update Revolution: Is it really helping?

One of the modern trappings of video games is updates after a game has been released.  A lot of people cry foul when it comes to this sort of thing, and with good reason.  Online networks can only provide so much in terms of fixing stuff that's broken.  However, there's other underlying issues at play here.  Patches and updates are increasingly used to fix game-breaking bugs, and this is hurting the gaming industry in general.

Top 5 Gamecube Games

Now that Gamestop has officially cut off trade-ins on Gamecube games, it's time to go back and look at the best of an era.

Nintendo's Gamecube, originally, code named "dolphin," was a real underdog in the console wars.  Even so, there's still so much epic win on this console, that I suspect it will have its fans for quite a while.  Let's look back on the best of the best, from a console that hasn't seen a new game in five years.

Top 5 Bad Ideas in Video Games

Thanks, XKCD!

Bad ideas seem to invariably start with a frat boy origin. "Guys, we should do this.  It would be totally awesome if we do this!"

And then, they fall flat on their face.  Every industry has its share of good ideas and bad ideas.  It just happens that the bad ideas in the video game industry are far more humorous than other industries.  Video games have had their share of gaffes, and some of these are worthy of making a Top 5 over it.  So, here's my Top 5 bad ideas in video games.

Top 5 video games based on movies

Ah, the ever classic movie tie-in.  It's the bane of quality video gaming, full of rushed games and frustrating controls.  Every now and again, however, a shining gem appears out of nowhere.  Here's five of them, epic games based on movies.

Five video games that were marketing ploys in disguise

As long as video games have existed, there has been someone looking to advertise in them.  Some companies go a step further, making a game that serves as one big advertisement.  Some of these games are surprisingly enjoyable, and others are notable in a historical sense.  So without further ado, here's five video games that were marketing ploys in disguise.

Top 5 Strangest Bosses

One staple of video games is the bosses.  They make for a great end to a level, and they serve to prepare the transition to the next level.  But every now and again, you'll run across a boss that makes you scratch your head, say, "what the f***?" and walk away.  With that in mind, here's:

Top 5 Strangest Bosses

Defending Duke Nukem Forever

I know it's been established that I'm completely and utterly insane.  However, this next post might actually put me in the looney bin.  I'm going to defend Duke Nukem Forever.

...Why?

Too many people like to rail on the king with "balls of steel," and he doesn't deserve all the bad rap that he gets.  For that reason, I'm going to ignore all the bad stuff in DNF and talk only about the good stuff.

(Disclaimer: I have received no compensation by 2K games, 3D Realms, Gearbox Software, or anyone related to the development and publishing of Duke Nukem Forever.  I am simply stupid enough to write an article like this for the lulz.)

Top 5 Creepiest Non-Player Characters (NPCs)

Non-Player Characters, or NPCs, are a staple of most single player games.  They can be hapless civilians, wizened teachers, or merchants willing to keep you stocked in exchange for a few coin.  As always, however, there will be at least a few characters that make you scratch your head and wonder what is wrong with them.  Here's my picks for:

Top 5 Creepiest NPCs

5. Christopher (Shadows of the Damned) 

Christopher is not so much creepy as he is misunderstood.  It's easy to brush him off as another demon at first glance, but he's got his charms.  I still can't forget that cut scene when you first meet him. Of all the faces he could have made, why did he have to choose this one?






4. The Merchant (Resident Evil 4)

"Geetings, Strange-ah!"  Just the way that he greets you is more than slightly unsettling.  When you factor in the firepower he's packing at some of his shops, you really have to worry that this guy isn't going to go on a murderous spree or fund people who will.  I dunno about this one, he just seems like a loose trigger.









3. Plasma Man (Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon)

 PU-LA-ZU-MAAA! He sure doesn't wear much. I wonder if that's how he attained enlightenment?  Those awful, heavy clothes must really weigh down your brain.  If we all go nude, maybe we'll be as wise as him!  (Seriously guys, DON'T DO THIS!!!)




2. Happy Mask Salesman (Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Yeah...this is one guy you don't want to make angry.  One minute, he's all smiles.  The next, he's about ready to slit your throat.  He really needs to relax.  Perhaps a cruise to Koholint island would give him the stress relief he needs...










1. Great Fairy (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

I'm not even going to say anything about this one.  Just watch the video...

Are you creeped out yet?  Good!  I'll see you again in two weeks.

The end is nigh! (and that's not a bad thing)

There's an apocalypse coming!  And we're NOT gonna die!




Whut?




There's an old proverb: "those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."  It means that we can learn from past mistakes to prevent future ones.  What if repeating history would be good instead?  Before you start dismissing this as a 2012 rant, it's not.  Gaming is on the cusp of another crash, and I can't wait for that to happen.

2011: Year in Review and Game of the Year

It's a big year for video games.

With spaceships and zombies in flames.

We've seen booms and busts

in under 12 months,

And all of it from games we play.

All joking and limericks aside, it's been an amazing year in gaming. 2011 saw Sony's flagship PlayStation Network get breached, a plethora of huge titles released, and even a few long-awaited reboots. So now, let's take a look at the last 12 months for a Year in Gaming: 2011

Top 5 Video Game Openings that Tell you Nothing About the Game you're Playing

I'm starting up something new now:  I liked writing that 5 Wii Games article, and there's enough content I can do to warrant adding an extra article each week.  So, this one will be every other Thursday, for starters.  If I can keep it up, it will become a weekly column here.  So anyways, to start this blog off, here's:

Top 5 Video Game Cinematics that Tell you Nothing About the Game you're Playing

EA's forum ban policy: How much is too much?

EA, what happened to you?

There's an article over on GamePolitics that talks about EA's Origin service and how people banned from the forums are subsequently unable to play the games they paid for.  After reading the comments and linked articles, there's a few sticky topics that I want to pick apart.

Digital Rights Management is ruining my gaming experience

So, I spent a good half an hour installing Batman Arkham Asylum on my PC, fully intending to get a head start before running off to work today.  What with Arkham City just around the corner, I figured it was worthwhile to brush up on the happenings prior.  Well...that didn't exactly happen.  Thanks to some wonderful software included with the game called "SecuROM," it's not working for me.  I had installed this game over a year ago, and had no issues whatsoever.  One system upgrade later, and I'm left in a frustrated heap, rocking back and forth and muttering incoherently.  There are right ways to do DRM, and there are wrong ways.  Honestly, there must be something better than this.

DISCLAIMER:  Before people start accusing me of being anti-DRM, I just want to say for the record that I'm opposed to DRM which excessively restricts the games I pay for.   I'll elaborate on this later on, but I figured it'd be good to get this out of the way now.

The Great Censorship Dilemma

My, what big teeth you have!

One thing that regularly bugs me is the when a game (or other entertainment media) is censored in a way that degrades the overall experience of the selected media.  Movies do this, music on the radio does this, TV does this, and video games do it too.  For the wayward youth, censorship is a real bummer.  It's a road block to everything those boring adults don't want them to see.  But with some entertainment, the content loses something when it gets edited.  Various companies are making inroads into bridging the gap, but at what cost?  How far is too far?  Should the entertainment industries be playing parent?