This edition of the Bitmob Community Spotlight focuses on must-see Horror Week articles, but we've sprinkled a few others in there as well. Chris Whitehead leads the way with his look at Za Shinri Ge-mu, a visual novel so obscure that googling it only shows this article. That's intense. He's followed by Richard Eisenbeis and his discussion of tank controls in older horror games. Nick Giunta wraps up the selection with his memories of The 7th Guest, and how it scared him as a child.

Alex R. Cronk-Young is back this week with his collection of Bitmobbers on Twitter, and Michael Harnett hopes but simultaneously doubts that the Sonic the Hedgehog series will ever go back to what made the first games fun. Norman Tran wraps up with his in-depth account of how universities are using Second Life as a teaching tool.

Rare Horror Visual Novel: Za Shinri Ge-mu
By Chris Whitehead
Hundreds of stilted horror games exist, many of them informed by the largely underwhelming adventure game D. Looking at the box art for Za Shinri Ge-mu, it is easy to assume that it's another D clone and dismiss it. But what lurks behind that eerie graphic is actually a visual novel, a type of game that has very limited success in the Western world.

Horror Game Controls: The Bane of the Genre
By Richard Eisenbeis
Ah, tank controls. They plagued the survival sorror genre for years, but for what reason? Could it be a fear of change, or the thought that the clunky controls enhanced the tension in the game? Whatever, they should remain a fragment of Survival Horror's past.

The 7th Guest - My 1st Scary Game
By Nick Giunta
Weird FMV puzzle games from the '90s do have an element of creepiness to them, no matter their initial intent. Maybe it's the surreal color palettes and unnerving acting. While the 7th Guest likely wasn't trying to play to the same audience interested in Phantasmagoria, it sure scared the crap out of Nick.

Bitmobbers on Twitter: One Letter Off Games Edition
By Alex R. Cronk-Young
If you don't follow Bitmobbers on Twitter, you're certainly missing out on fine moments like these. Alex kicked off a round of one-letter-off games, where the object is to change one letter in a video game title for humorous effect. The results are both disturbing and side-splitting.

Why Sega's Vision for the Sonic Franchise is Horribly Blurred
By Michael Hartnett
The Sonic franchise is in a bit of a slump, one it's not likely to pull out of any time soon, what with Sega's emphasis on marketing to children over older players. With the announcement of a 2D project, Michael fears that Sega is trying to snare older fans by playing up the look of the game, but will fail to deliver on what really makes Sonic the Hedgehog fun.

Universities Use Second Life for Education
By Norman Tran
Just saying the words "Second Life" will often send people running for the hills, as if you have murmured some forbidden phrase that heralds the end of civilization. The people who run haven't given much thought to other applications of Second Life, besides those that allow furries to go about their business. The University of Texas is taking this massive communication tool and putting it to practical use, simulating real-world science for students all over the country.