It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, fyi, and all across the United States people are using the vaguest amount of Irish heritage to excuse their drunken and disorderly behavior. I remain sober and dedicated to you all as I assemble this very special green edition of the Community Spotlight.

Michael Rousseau starts with an atypical look at the fury of Street Fighter fans over Super Street Fighter 4 – a screenplay revolving around pants. Alex Hann is next with his stance that the soundtrack to a game is probably the most important part of the playing experience.

Jon Porter considers Yoshi’s Island, looking beyond the charming exterior and simplistic-yet-engaging gameplay to find the horrors of thinking too deeply about supposedly whimsical characters. Jose De Jesus spent a lot of time rummaging through the seemingly endless supply of fan-made, fake-video-game movie trailers, and narrowed his list down to his five personal favorites.

Finally, Michael Edwards traces the origin of interactive films back to Dragon’s Lair and shows how Heavy Rain might be the first to really get this type of gameplay right.

Jean Fighter: A Short Screenplay
By Michael Rousseau
Rather than address the anger of Street Fighter fans over the minor changes coming in Super Street Fighter 4 in a typically analytical way, Michael puts his creativity to good use to deliver a screenplay instead. Although brief, he humorously hits the root of the matter via the medium of comfortable clothing.

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Editor's note: Let's hear it for -- no, let's drink to -- timeliness! -Demian

Saint Patrick's Day is a holiday that calls for debauchery. Whether it be car bombs, drinking until you can’t feel feelings, or getting into rowdy ruckuses with guys who wear way too much green, the Irish stereotype calls for much celebration. While too much celebration may give the law a reason to lock you in the hold, there’s certainly no reason not to imbibe a bit of the spirit and allow these Irish video game characters to help you tip your hat to the holiday (c'mon, you try and make that segue):

Atlas (Bioshock)

I hope I don’t have to throw a spoiler warning on a game that came out almost three years ago, but, if for some reason you haven’t played it yet, go ahead and skip over this character, as it involves a pretty huge spoiler for the game.

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It's no secret -- DICE and Infinity Ward share an amiable rivalry. After all, the two companies are responsible for some of the most successful infantry-combat simulators on the planet. But when DICE dropped a new promotional video for Bad Company 2, their simple rivalry devolved into adolescent name-calling.

Before you check out the video below, watch Modern Warfare 2's original PSA here. In case you're still confused, allow me to clear the air after the jump. 

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If only there was a way to print those digital Final Fantasy 13 pictures, then you could make your own physical art book for under 10 bucks! 

News Blips:

Square Enix releases the Final Fantasy 13 Larger-Than-Life Gallery, a digital art book, for the iPhone/iPod touch. The app features high-resolution images of the FF13 world, a clock and calendar function, and costs $8.99. I'm left a bit confused how something on the pocket-sized iPhone could be considered "larger than life" -- whose life? 

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I recently hit a bug in God of War 3 that forced me to start the game over entirely from scratch. I reached a section in Hades where I'm supposed to fight two giant hellhounds. That sequence never triggered, so I couldn't continue any further. This may be an isolated situation (no one else I know ran into this problem) but lesson learned: Keep multiple save files.

Even though I lost a few hours of progress, I didn't exactly mind because -- holy crap -- the first 20 minutes of GOW3 are beyond epic. I felt like I was going up against the final boss, not playing through an introductory chapter.

Check it out for yourself, courtesy of our video partners over at Frame Rated:

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I'm a little late on this month's top 10, but thanks to Andrew Hiscock (himself a familiar face in the top 10), I now have the 10 most-read community submissions from the month of February.

Did you make the cut? There's only one way to find out!

10) The Not-So-Secret History of Video Game Peripherals -- Jeffrey Michael Grubb   

9) Breaking Mafia Wars: Casual Gaming Meets Hardcore Gamer -- Sam
Bardelson        

8) BioShock 2 Review PS3 -- Michael Wenzel         

7)  Five Time Wasters That Are Worse Than Playing Video Games -- Brian Shirk      

6) Dudebro II: The Birth of a Meme and How NeoGAF Began Its First Video Game -- Andrew Hiscock    

Hit the jump for the rest of the top 10

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If I ever apply for a game-design job, I wonder if I could put WarioWare D.I.Y. down on my resume.

Video Blips:

• This tutorial in making your own microgames is giving me all sorts of Mario Paint flashbacks. Based off of Lesson 2, though, I think that this would all be a little too much for eight-year-old me. [GameVideos]

Continue after the break for the Dragon Age: Origins -- Awakening and God of War 3 launch trailers. Plus, a Battlefield: Bad Company 2 spoof on a controversial Modern Warfare 2 ad.

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Final Fantasy 13 debuted to a number of mixed reviews. Gamers continue to discuss -- sometimes quite heatedly -- whether the changes in FF13 are too much, especially for longtime fans of the series.

Much of the debate centers around one important question: Is Final Fantasy 13 really a Final Fantasy game?
 
Brian Shirk, the Bitmob community’s resident Japanese RPG expert, joins Bitmob Managing Editor (and RPG nerd) Jason Wilson in a discussion about this heated topic. This is by no means an exhaustive review of the game (you may find Brian’s spoilerless review here); this is two devoted fans of the RPG genre discussing their thoughts on the latest game of one of their beloved franchises.
 
(Editor’s note: While we dance around many plot points, a certain type of reader throws fits if any discussion of a recently released game doesn’t carry a “Spoiler Warning.” Consider yourself warned.)

Jason: Is Final Fantasy 13 really a Final Fantasy game?
 
Brian: Final Fantasy 13 changes the battle system in a radical way, but it still retains the series' traditional feel by including familiar spells, weapons, and summons. Likewise, the story is a bit of a departure, as it’s more character-focused, but its plot is similar to past Final Fantasy fare.
 
Do you feel that it's as radical of a departure from other Final Fantasy games as Final Fantasy 12?

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Someone claimed on Reddit that the Plasma Rifle from Halo looks like a bird staring at its own reflection. I put this comparison picture together to test that claim:

You'll never look at Plasma Rifles the same way again.

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Editor’s note: Kratos may very well be a gigantic jackass, but I give credit to Sony Santa Monica for sticking with such a contentious hero. Although, I hear that he’s got quite the sensitive side as well.... -Rob

I’ll just get it out of the way -- God of War 3 is out and I can't wait to play. In the previous months, I viewed every screenshot and watched every video. When the demo released, I downloaded it immediately. I've since played it several times through, and it's only made me want the game more.

I have just one problem: Kratos is an irredeemable asshole.

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When the Pokémon Pikachu toys first launched, it was impossible to separate me from my glorified pedometer. Every step counted as I sought to earn watts to satisfy my adorable traveling companion.

Pikachu walked with me, played, napped, and generally melted my heart with each gift I gave him. I never imagined I would be without him until the day his battery died and I could not find the right screw driver to open him up to replace it.

The horror of letting Pikachu die like that caused me to slip the gizmo into a box of random junk I wouldn’t touch again until I moved out of my parent’s house.

That was years ago. My drive to walk to satisfy a digital character went dormant, but I assumed it was gone. That was until the Pokéwalker entered my life.

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Editor's note: We all have a different spin on it, but it seems like most people tend to game for escapism or empowerment. Is that good? You know what, I'm going to think about that more after I play some SteamBirds.... -Demian

Bitmob is a unique place. I know that isn’t really a special statement or even something that hasn’t been said before, but it's true. We have a number of different people from multiple locales all working towards a common goal: intelligent discussion about the entertainment and technology that we all love.

Because of our differences, we're in a position to learn about and explore those cultures, viewpoints, and backgrounds that we may not be familiar with.

We’re all here because we love to play video games and discuss the culture surrounding them. But the question this edition of Mob Rule seeks to answer is: “Why did we fall in love with gaming in the first place?”

So without any further fluffing on my part, here are the answers your fellow community members came up with:

Andrew J. Hiscock says: I play video games because I need something I can control. Few things in life provide the rules, the constraints, and the agency a video game does. You have distinct tasks, and the ability to perform them. I love achievements, beating games, and side quests, because these are minor goals that I complete with relative ease. Conversly, I don't control my job, my household, or much of what I do in my day-to-day routine. Not that I'm complaining -- most of the time I'm happy to be along for the ride.

But video games provide a balance for me. For a small portion of each day, I am at the helm and in full control. In the grand scheme of things video games are unimportant, sure, but even if the rewards are illusionary, they are nonetheless rewarding. The feedback loop in games is great enough that I can always rely on it, even if I never get that in real life most of the time. 

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These days, we moan and complain if a recently released game doesn't stun us with its visuals. It seems we're all obsessed with silly things like particle effects, ambient occlusion, and bump mapping. Well, this video reminds us to forget about fancy visuals and embrace simple, sprite-based charm.

The sprites come from a PC game released in '84, entitled Karateka. Since the original developers never animated any sweet moves for the game's protagonist, a loyal fan decided to liven up the end-game sequence with a Daft Punk dance routine.

Personally, I think this is way cooler than any "/dance" moves that Blizzard's World of Warcraft characters perform [via YouTube user, Benify].

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The motion control frenzy that's underway within the industry is no laughing matter -- the risk of striking embarrassing poses in your underwear in order to swat a virtual tennis racquet is more prevalent than ever before.

News Blips:

Speaking with IndustryGamers, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime is skeptical about the PlayStation Move. Citing a lack of motivation from consumers to invest into the PS3 for its motion controls, Fils-Aime also remarked upon the industry's inattentiveness to the consumer perspective. "One of the things I find very interesting about this industry is that people don't seem to want to look at propositions from the consumer viewpoint. And I think that's very troubling." Take cover -- this could be the start of a nerdy slap-fight between Sony and Nintendo.

Game designer Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War) gives his support to Microsoft Natal. In an interview with IGN, the design director for Epic Games (who is also known as CliffyB) expressed his interest in motion controls, including Microsoft's Natal project that utilizes unique tech from Epic. "I think Natal’s going to be very big, and Microsoft’s using our technology on a number of products to make Natal-based video games."

To mark the June 8 release of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Sony will be releasing a limited edition "spirited green" PSP bundle. Along with the game, the bundle includes a vibrantly green PSP, a 2GB memory stick, and a coupon for a free PSN movie. Standard in-game bonus content -- such as exclusive camouflage and weapons -- rounds out the bundle deal. No word yet on the possibility of the new PSP giving gamers a refreshing mint flavor when held. [1UP]

Kotaku reports that freezing issues are cropping up within the Western release of Final Fantasy 13. Players have claimed that in-game actions are impossible whilst still being able to access the various menus, coupled with extremely loud sound effects. While not a widespread problem, there were similar issues with the Japanese version of the game. Wait a minute -- am I lead to believe that there's more to this game than flashy lights and loud noises?

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

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I’m not always playing, writing about, or reading about video games. On occasion, I leave my house and go out where that “sun” thing is. But lately, I’ve found that being out of the house isn’t enough to get away from games. It seems like no matter where I go, the ever-expanding influence of video games is present. Sure, I sound crazy now, but have a look at some of the weird stuff I’ve encountered lately!

I was in Oakland (aka: minus world) and ran into this question block beneath an overpass. The mushroom that popped out didn’t make me any bigger, but I did see a bunch of giant flying turtles after I ate it....

Hit the jump for more.

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Hello, Bitmobbers! We had a great round of responses to our show last week, and we look forward to hearing more from you for the next show. Send on over your email and audio responses by 6 p.m. PST on Thursday for inclusion in the next episode!

This episode's community question is for all of you who have pesky things like jobs, families, and obligations that get in the way of your gaming:

With the glut of great games coming out this year, there are bound to be some you want to play but will have to pass up due to time constraints. What games will you unfortunately have to neglect and why?

By the way, a little tech update: We've changed the way we present voice mails, which means we can now insert them as we record for instant feedback. In other words, record away!

How you can respond to the question:

1) Record a sound clip on your computer, upload it to Houndbite.com, and then send us an email at PixelRevoltDL@gmail.com (Preferred)

2) Email your answer to PixelRevoltDL@gmail.com

3) Leave a comment here!

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The only thing missing in Metro 2033's bleak landscape is Morpheus from The Matrix spouting quips about pills and deserts.

Video Blips:

• The launch trailer for Metro 2033 reminds us that a post-apocalyptic dystopia can still be endlessly fun. Gee, it looks like I'll still have to kill rats in a sewer -- but in Russia. [GameTrailers]

Continue after the break for some serious shredding in Power Gig, the high-octane hijinks of Need for Speed: World, and a most interesting meeting in 3D Dot Game Heroes.

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Editor's note: Michael has got some fun and helpful guidance for those you looking to become better game-advocate emissaries. My advice? Do read this article. -James

You love games. They’re a part of your identity -- a part of your personality. You grew up stomping turtles, throwing fireballs, and toppling mad scientists. Now, you’re an adult -- or soon to be one. It’s time to be a responsible and productive member of society.

Thankfully, that doesn’t mean giving up who you are. It was OK to be a gamer growing up, and it’s OK to be one now. Regardless of the fact that video games are now more socially acceptable and prevalent in our society than ever before, we have a right to express our love of games in public. We don’t have to hide who we are.

Gamer Style

Do feel free to wear game-related t-shirts in public. Your attire should always be an expression of who you are, so wear what feels natural. The trick is to remain appropriate and presentable. Wear clean, wrinkle-free, tasteful shirts. Simple designs and abstract game imagery generally work best, though you can’t go wrong with retro shirts. Best of all, they act as great conversation starters!

As a side note, it may be a good idea to invest in some quality slacks and a blazer that complements your shirt selection. I’m no fashionista, and you don’t have to be either. But being able to break free of the “t-shirt and jeans” look will diversify your style and make your apparel suitable for all but the most formal occasions.

Don’t wear greasy, dirty, or faded game shirts in public. Save those for hot days at home or for house painting. You want to take pride in your appearance no matter your personal style, and that old Metal Gear Solid pre-order shirt just isn’t going to look flattering. In fact, game shirts with massive logos often look gaudy, so avoid them altogether if you can.

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Pixels are squares. Lots of other things are squares, too. Nerds around the world delight in arranging all sorts of quadrilateral objects to form their favorite 8-bit characters. But have you ever seen this accomplished with bread? Well, that needs to change [via Epic Win FTW]:

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Each of these pictures has something wrong with it. Are your eyes and your video-game knowledge sharp enough to spot the problems?

1)

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