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Editor's note: You know what? Liam is dead on target. I'd never really considered it, but developers should use animal companions more often. They are generative of emotional attachment without all the fuss and muss of voice acting, quality writing, and valleys that are uncanny. -James

Video games need pet companions. These days, many titles leave you all by your lonesome. Most games consist solely of your player and the hordes of enemies he blasts away with psychopathic glee. Granted, some give you other characters to talk to -- complete with twitchy facial animations and strange, unrecognizable accents -- but whether it's the original Half-Life, Halo, or BioShock, you are alone for most of the game with nothing but your shotgun for company.

And you know what? In many of these games, I kind of like it that way. Let's be perfectly honest: Most game companies nowadays -- with the exception of a few like Bioware -- can't write worth crap. And if you can't write, don't. Just leave me alone, and give me some guys to shoot.

That is one of my favorite things about pets in games. They're characters in their own right, but they play to many game developers' strengths (i.e. they don't talk). Ironically, the companies who use pets are often the ones who can write a decent story, but that is neither here nor there.

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GameTrailers has started a new series called Pop-Fiction. It's sort of like a MythBusters for gaming. The first episode deals with the Chris Houlihan Room, a supposedly secret area in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Chris Houlihan won a contest in Nintendo Power to have his name put in the game. This ended up being a small room -- named after him -- with random and bizarre prerequisites to enter.

I was always familiar with this story, but I never knew how to get to the room...or if it actually existed. Well, if you're like me, now is your chance to finally see Houlihan's virtual pad.

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Editor's note: I also have an "on again, off again" relationship with FAQs. Though I relish the challenge of solving puzzles on my own, sometimes the mood strikes me to complete every last thing in a given game in a single play through. I'd like to know how the rest of you weigh in on this issue. -Jay

The water temple in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time became the first time that the puzzle-solving trio of my two brothers and I hit a wall we could not climb. Normally, if one of us had a boss or puzzle we couldn't overcome, we could usually call the others for help and collectively figure out the solution to the problem. We looked at the problem of lowering and raising the water level to advance from every possible angle with little success, so we finally decided that we needed outside help. 

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It's Cinco de Mayo, everyone! It's just another holiday people use as an excuse to get incredibly drunk but with the added bonus of Mexican food. Ah, cultural sensitivity at its finest. Before you head out bar-hopping or Corona-guzzling, here's the Wednesday edition of the Community Spotlight.

Fable 3 Wants to Touch You
By Frank Anderson
Peter Molyneux has a history of being extremely outspoken about his upcoming projects, and Fable 3 is no different. Frank takes a look back at the series and speculates on how Molyneux's excitement  for Natal could influence Fable 3.

Narrative Techniques: A Look at Setting Characterization
By Nathan Andrews
Think of the games that really hook you, from the personalities of their characters to the world you're playing in. How much does the setting and tone of a game affect on your enjoyment? Nathan expands upon the idea that the setting of a game is a character, only it's a silent one that can have more influence on the experience than the protagonist's story ever could.

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The first Picross on the DS remains one of my favorite games on the handheld. It's the perfect synthesis of logic and creativity. You're given a grid and a set of numbers, and you must use those numbers in order to deduce by process of elimination which squares should be filled in and which should be left blank. The end result is a pixelated image that gives you a feeling of accomplishment that "clear the board" puzzles can't match.

Now Nintendo has released Picross 3D, and I've fallen in love all over again. In Picross 3D, each puzzle starts out as a cube, and you must methodically chisel away to discover the underlying figure, much as a sculptor reveals the hidden form inside a block of marble.

For those of you used to the 2D grid of the old Picross, this is a heady concept to wrap your head around. So let's go step-by-step through a custom puzzle I made especially for Bitmob.

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Super Street Fighter 4 came out last week, and we had a little fun with our favorite games. When we opened up discussion on both these topics through our Twitter account and Facebook page, the community responded quickly.

This week's Tweetbook Q&A collects our favorite answers to the questions we asked last week. Who do you agree with?

Super Street Fighter 4 is set for release this week. Will you be picking it up? Why or why not?

Via Facebook:

Aaron Dlugos: Probably not -- they shouldn't have released it unfinished in the first place, and I wouldn't have to pay for it twice.

Stephen C. Webster: This is Capcom we're talking about, not EA. Sequels mean a bit more to them. I've bought every Street Fighter since Street Fighter 2 Turbo, and I don't plan on stopping now.

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Everything's better in cube form!. Don't ask me for examples; just go with me on this one. What, you don't believe me? Well then, I'll just have to convince you with these adorably square renditions of some of Capcom's greatest characters [via Capcom Unity]:

Let's see how many I can name -- no cheating, I promise: Dante from Devil May Cry, Ryu from Street Fighter, the wolf from Okami (hey, looking up the proper name would be cheating), the dude from Dead Rising 2, Phoenix Wright, Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, a Servbot from Mega Man Legends, Chun-Li from Street Fighter 2, Mega Man, Zack from Zack and Wiki, and Blanka from Street Fighter 2.

Can you guys help me identify the rest of them?

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Maybe we should start a collection to help the "Halo 2 12" pay for their electric bills.

News Blips:

Microsoft won't give Halo 2 holdouts the boot. Speaking on his weekly podcast, Xbox Live Director Larry Hryb (Major Nelson) had a few words of encouragement for the group of 12 Halo 2 players who have yet to disconnect from the original Xbox Live servers, which Microsoft officially shut down two weeks ago (by simply not logging off, they have been able to keep playing online). Hyrb said that "if you're one of the 'Halo 2 12' still playing, know that we're rooting for you; we think what you're doing is great;, and [we] are not going to pull the rug out from under you." We here at Bitmob are totally rooting for you guys, too! [Kotaku]
 

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Pixel Revolt is Bitmob's community-driven podcast, in which Derek Lavigne, Jeff Grubb, Brett Bates, and a special guest dive into the Mobfeed to discuss interesting posts written by Bitmob members. For the second half of the show, they throw a question out to the community so that you can have your voice heard. If you'd like to contribute your opinion to the show, follow the upload instructions after the break.

Pixel Revolt -- Episode 23

On this episode, the guys welcome frequent podcast contributor Frank Anderson to the show to discuss streamlining genres, objective vs. subjective narratives, and upcoming sequels to games that either under- or over-performed. All this and your answers to our community question!

(Oh, and be sure to tune in after the outro for a special treat!)

Direct Download (right click save as)

Subscribe via RSS

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Due to the announcement of Field Week, we're extending our latest community callout by one week. That means you have until May 19 to submit your articles dealing with walkthroughs, guides, and FAQs.

Here are the official rules to participate in the callout:

1. Write any article about walkthrough, guides, or FAQs. Keep it concise -- about 200-400 words should do it, but you can go longer if you choose.
2. Tag that article with the following tag "Walkthroughs" -- we'll use it as a catchall for this activity.
3. Submit your article to the Mobfeed by May 19, 2010.

Remember that we're asking you to write about walkthroughs, not to actually write them!

Also, please note that Michael Rousseau has dropped a new Writing Challenge on the community: Fog of War. It will be a great chance to improve as a writer!

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Word association: When I think of the subtitle of Ninjatown: Trees of Doom, I'm reminded of id Software's popular shooter, which I don't believe had any trees.

Video Blips:

• I'm not sure why the trees in the new Ninjatown game are of the doom variety; they look pretty standard to me. Well, besides the fact that they're littered with adorable little monsters who have a vendetta against ninjas. [GameVideos]

Continue after the break for a behind-the-scenes peak at Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle doing voice overs for Iron Man 2, a look at the elemental powers of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and a special message from Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

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This edition of the Bitmob Community Jukebox features community-submitted songs from a ton of underappreciated classics. Bitmobbers Matt Giguere and Jimmy Flores show some B-list love for lesser hits like Kirby 64 and Golden Sun. And make sure to check out the selections from recent mixed-review efforts like Deadly Premonition and Fragile Dreams.

I'd also like to send a special plea to a certain British Bitmobber who keeps suggesting dancehall music: Please, no more...I implore you on bended knee.

Not sure what a Community Jukebox is? Want to be in the know? Hit the jump to find out more.

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