Our latest community spotlight post covers such diverse topics as why we choose particular character types in fighting games, how Left 4 Dead simulates an aspect of World War 2 combat better than any WW2 game, and the surprisingly good Buzz! HQ quiz game in Sony's Home. Read on after the jump for more entries!
Buzz! HQ: Finally Something to do at Home
By Benjamin Torrey
Though not the world's biggest Home fan, Benjamin ventures back into the breach and ends up loving the recently-relaunched Buzz! HQ.
How Multiple Endings Can Ruin a Game
By Derek Amundson
It's not that Derek doesn't like all games with multiple endings -- just most of the ones we have now. BioShock, Infamous, and Fallout 3 get a lambasting for gameplay choices that sometimes aren't actually much of a choice at all.
Why Left 4 Dead is Secretly the Best WW2 Shooter Ever
By Jim Savannah
Jim makes the somewhat unsuspected argument (assuming you don't read the title of his post) that L4D's sense of camaraderie is something that no dedicated World War 2 game has ever equaled.
Intermissions: Citizen Kane Mobile
By Brett Bates
Have you been waiting and waiting for the Citizen Kane of videogames to show up? Well, it's finally here!
Rapture On My Mind
By Daniel Feit
Daniel's essay on Rapture and BioShock maybe be a bit late to the party, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.
BlazBlue and the Theory of Forms
By Tyler Gund
Via the vehicle of BlazBlue's furry Taokaka and the philosopher Plato, Tyler theorizes that players' choice of character type in fighting games reflects their ideal real-life physical traits.
My Summer of Open World Games
By E.K. Powell III
You've probably read plenty of Infamous vs. Prototype comparisons, but how about Infamous vs. Prototype vs. Red Faction: Guerrilla? My money's on the miner with the sledgehammer.
Are You Hardcore or Casual and Who are the Hardcore Gamers?
Peter Larmey and Alex Quan-Madrid both tackle the hardcore/casual divide from different angles. Peter explores the way Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are adjusting their messages to appeal to certain types of gamers, while Alex looks at the question on a more personal level in an attempt to better understand the definition of hardcore.
Wii Shall Overcome
By Mattias Hammarström
Imagine a rousing locker room speech before the big game, except instead of players it's Wii owners, instead of a coach it's Mattias Hammarström, and instead of a speech about heart and grit, it's a preview of all the Wii games Mattias is most looking forward to. Like Muramasa: The Demon Blade, pictured below.
