Allied Star Police

Make-A-Wish and Popcap Games helped a 9-year old Leukemia patient accomplish more in his life than I have at 24. It probably doesn't help that by sheer coincidence I was listening to: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" while watching it. ಥ_ಥ


But seriously though, games will turn us all into murderers and stuff lololololoololo

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~A.H.

PSO2 Trailer

As the title says, here is the trailer for Phantasy Star Online 2. Like the other series Sonic Team works on, this one's had a string of titles ranging from merely tolerable to history's greatest crimes. From what I've heard, the difference between "Online" and "Universe" is the difference between Batman Begins and Batman & Robin. Looks like they're going for the middle ground here(Batman Returns?). But like the Sonic games, the music seems to be the only aspect of these games that rarely suffers. And there's also the matter of continuity betwee-

Holy shit! Blackface!

Wow.

Actually though, it's not nearly as bad as say, Oil Man. The face actually could work. The problem is the colour of his lips and face, which spring to mind Al Jolson instead of what dark-skinned human beings actually look like. At least this would be an easy fix when it comes stateside.

Well, except there's also the writing. I mean, yes, sometimes we get Sazh Katzroy from Japan, but we're not always that lucky. But then, I wonder how many people will even notice this in a game that is more about online co-operative gameplay than a focus on story...

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~A.H.

Yahtzee: "The Enemy Within"

Who would be so foolish as to think he could legitimately judge a console that's only a few weeks old under the same criteria as dead products, without the benefit of hindsight that comes from analyzing the Turbografx-16? Who could exhibit such a lack of accountability, or even common sense as a critic, beyond a member of the Fox News family?

This is Ben Croshaw. He is the worst thing to happen to video games since Full Motion Video Dana Plato. He didn't create the wailing and gnashing of teeth that consumes intelligent discourse in this hobby. But he has seen an inexplicable rise to fame for exacerbating that feral atmosphere. He didn't start the fire, but he is throwing a peculiar number of tires on it. And this only acts as an encouragement to the folks who are normally told to shut their pie holes already, nobody cares that you think "Xbox is gay", Steve.

George Romero With An Electric Hammer

...Game of the Year?

Okay, technically it's DLC for a game that's already out. But come on. Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robert Englund vs. zombies. That should be EVERY GAME!

(If there's a low-point, it'd probably be Michael Rooker, who you might remember as the worst character from The Walking Dead.)

EDIT: Wait, I was mistaken. Michael Rooker isn't the main character in The Walking Dead. I thought that was the guy with the one stoned facial expression. Turns out Rooker's the one who played the racist biker dude character.

Okay nevermind, I'm glad he's in there now.

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~A.H.

Grand Jury Prize 2010

After my "Ten Favourites" list, I decide on 'an alternative to 1st place', just as a special mention. Got the idea from Roger Ebert's Best Of lists. He calls it the Grand Jury Prize, which he based on the way film festivals go about it. And I am nothing if not unoriginal and completely lacking in imagination.

In 2008 I chose Braid.

In 2009 I went with Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.

Here's my choice for 2010, and why:

In Defense Of Cutscenes

...I like cutscenes in video games.

No, I don't know what is wrong with me. Or why I am "teh GAYZ", as I imagine would be the typical reaction if I could think of anyone else who liked cutscenes in video games. Perhaps it would help if I re-iterate:

I like GOOD cutscenes.
 

Pictured: A damn good cutscene. Think games are art? You pretty much have this to thank for that.

I don't like unskippable, badly-acted, quick-time event, Resident Evil 5, free time-destroying travesties. I like being able to put the controller down and see a little movie as a treat, maybe to learn about the characters and situation in a way I couldn't when I was in control. Maybe see a dramatic camera angle or the expression on a character's face that we usually don't get to see. Maybe to hear someone attempt to say something clever. Maybe to see something dramatic happen to one or more of these characters, in ways that couldn't be done with gameplay.

Ways like body-language. There's only so far you can go with canned animations.

An Open Letter To Xbox Live Arcade

To the people in charge of the Xbox Live Arcade service, specifically whoever decided on the transaction specifics for the Indie Games section:

Why, why, WHY do I have to always have an online connection to play Indie Games? Especially ones that have no online functionality, beyond a leaderboard for comparing how long it took you to beat.