Editor's note: GameSetWatch first uncovered the strange story (and alternate reality game) behind not-actually-real blogger Rachael Webster, AKA PixelVixen707, but this update is well worth checking out. Read Webster's interview with Robert Ashley here (her initial contact email to Robert included a link to the GameSetWatch article, but he didn't click it and was none the wiser). -Demian

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Genuinely thoughtful commentary on videogames doesn’t come by all the time, and how much the rarer is the emergence of a truly worthy and unique voice. So when Rachael Webster, an aspiring writer stagnating at a menial job at a small and mostly unknown city newspaper, first took up the pen for her blog in the fall of last year, she quickly found herself amongst enthusiastic supporters and a welcoming community. PixelVixen707, as she called herself, brought a sharp-tongued but winsome pluck to the conversation about games, along with unusual, sometimes genuinely surprising, insights. Rounding out the program was an occasional note about her personal life— and that is where things fell off the rails a little bit.

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We all love videogames, sure. But some folks out there love them a wee bit more than us. Don't be jealous, though -- these superfans show their adoration by creating tons of cool, cultural things for our own amusement. That's why we've starting the Cultural Corner -- each week we'll showcase a fan whose talents extend far beyond pushing a bunch of buttons.

First up: Grub-time doodler Derek and his personalized lunch bag art. Every day he makes some cool art for his kiddos and posts them on his website. It's here you can check out his near-perfect renditions of videogame characters, Pixar-inspired Batman rides, and even KHAAAAANNNNN! We recently chatted with the talented food-cover scribbler to find out more about his hungry hobby.

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Here it is. Monday. Podcasting day. Mobcasting day. And while we taped a delightful episode, with G4's Patrick Klepek joining the gang of Shoe, Demian, Ford, Donahoe, and Robert "voice of God" Ashley, something happened. Maybe it was a bum fetzer valve, maybe an inadvertently ejected dilithium core, but by the time Robert made it back to his HQ, the file was gone, and no file-recovery utility could bring it back again. We all knew that one day there'd be an unexpected disaster and a "lost Mobcast," but we didn't know it'd be so soon. Mobcast #2, you never deserved this.

But next Monday is a new Monday -- tune in then when we bring on three more special guests to discuss five topics of our choosing, plus one of yours. To submit a topic you'd like us to yap about, shoot an e-mail to letters@bitmob.com with "Mobcast" in the subject line.

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Editor's Note: I really have nothing to add except: read it! -Demian

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Almost ten years ago to the day I was crammed in the back of a Jeep with three friends, slowly climbing the impossibly steep roads that snake their way up the Himalayas. Our destination was Darjeeling, India, the “Queen of the Hill Stations.”

We had initially planned Darjeeling to be a stop-off on the way to Tibet, but when 1600 Maoists laid siege to a Tibeten police post, we were advised against unnecessary travel. We didn’t argue.

Darjeeling had its own attractions, though. Our lodgings looked out on the vast expanse of lush tea bushes stretching down along the hillslopes. You could just about make out the figures of tea-pickers in the fields, old ladies with baskets draped over one arm, quickly making their way along the steep, leafy rows. The town itself is so high that when we opened the balcony doors, clouds poured into our room. Everest loomed in the distance. It was stunning.

Despite this, it isn’t the views that are my enduring memory of Darjeeling, but something a little more unique. For among the little shops and restaurants sat high in the Indian sky is a small room, little more than a shack really; the highest arcade in the world.

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Editor's Note: Rob makes a strong case for the little-known but very importable Demon's Souls, a game that features zero historically accurate giant enemy crabs. -Demian

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The question on most readers' minds will not be the one posed in the title, but rather, "what is Demon's Souls?" While I won't have anything to write that likely hasn't already been written elsewhere by now (since the game has been out for several months), I haven't read anyone discussing the title here and I believe this is a game that deserves as much print as it can muster.

Demon's Souls is a dark fantasy action-RPG from developer From Software which aims to be a spiritual successor to their previous series, King's Field. Played from a 3rd-person perspective in real-time, Demon's Souls charges the player with ridding the land of (what else?) soul-stealing demons. The game is largely influenced by western RPGs -- you'll select a character class with a set number of attributes, level up, and equip your character with various weapons, armors, magic, and miracles. Those are the basics; the other gameplay concepts are what really make Demon's Souls worth your time.

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Capcom does a really good at pleasing its hardcore fans. People asked for bizarro Wii fighter Tatsunoko vs. Capcom to come to the States and Capcom promptly set up a green card. Now if we only had a new Bionic Commando game. Oh, wait... Uh, Resident Evil 6?

New Blips:

• Tatsunoko vs. Capcom boards small white plane for USA. Gaming mag Nintendo Power officially announced Wii fighter Tatsunoko vs. Capcom will soon be coming stateside. Don't know who Capcom is fighting? It's cool. We won't tell 'em. [Kotaku]

• Kojima Productions teaser page continues teasing for your displeasure. Yep, it's that damn site again. The one we talked about on two occasions already. So what's new? Just a countdown clock. Oh, and a storm. Get this: We hear at 48:15:16 it will start raining. But we could be teasing. Come back here tomorrow morning to find out. [1UP]

• Bethesda's spastic arm motions indicate Wii game announcement soon. The folks behind Fallout 3 and Oblivion will be revealing a "big" title made specifically for the Wii later this year (E3?). No word on what kind of game it will be, but if it doesn't involve prettying up ponies with armor, we're so not interested. [GamesIndustry via Kotaku]

• Team Ninja turndown Pirate offer; stick with Ninja Gaiden franchise. Even though former series director and lover of physics-defying boobies, Tomonobu Itagaki, is no longer working at developer Team Ninja, the members left confirmed they will continue making Ninja Gaiden games. Or at least until Robots give them an offer they can't compute. [Kikizo via Joystiq]

Hit the jump for a pre-teaser teaser for Mass Effect 2, Microsoft press conference scuttlebutt, hot Mirror's Edge cosplay, and...more.

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Editor's Note: Despite Reed poking fun at the fact that he's doing a list, he's covering a pretty interesting topic that demands more feedback. Also: probably the only time you'll see Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind referenced on this site. -Greg

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Hey, you guys love lists, right? I love lists, too! This is a list of games that aren't simply revolutionary like Wolfenstein 3D or Super Mario Bros., but games that really showed that they can be considered art while using the medium they're on to its highest potential.

1. Shadow of the Colossus

This game has improved the medium for two main reasons: 1) its minimalistic storytelling that was not spoon-fed to you, and 2) its beautiful graphics for the time. SOTC's storytelling has been mirrored in games like Braid, where you actually have to think, and I like that. The graphics, on the other hand, blew my mind. The fact that when you climb a colossi you actually feel like you're holding onto its hair/moss is remarkable. This game is an obvious contender for "Games as Art" because of its stunning visuals.

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This week, we talk writing tips, games journalism, EGM back issues, and GTA sales on DS. As always, send your letters to letters@bitmob.com -- because the spam filter never lets our stuff get through. And away we go:

My boss and I were having a discussion about Flash-like minigames (Bejeweled, and other PopCap and Pogo games) becoming a huge hit within the last few years for various reasons. He alleges that these games are actually pulling graduating talent away from the higher-end gaming market. I argued that minigame developers are probably mostly self-taught designers without a ton of traditional education, and that people graduating from various schools are still going to larger companies like EA or Activision Blizzard. Who's more right?

-SjSchoo

 

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Howdy, folks! Here's the second episode of The Hoe Down. This week, I attend the Burn Zombie Burn party and yap it up with zombies. Oh, and I eat brains, too. And y'know what? They actually tasted pretty good. Mmmm...purple.

Just like last week, I wanna thank Area 5's Jason Bertrand for his help slicing this up. And I also wanna thank fellow Bitmobber Aaron Thomas for his help filming me acting like a jackass.

Aight -- hope y'all enjoy it.

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We've had tons of great stuff in the Mobfeed lately. These are just a few of our recent don't-miss posts:

Chessmaster Live Review
When Derrick Hopkins isn't helping us build Bitmob (he's one of our developers) or hosting Dead Pixel Live, he's writing game reviews that aren't like your normal game reviews. His first was Street Fighter 4, his second is Chessmaster Live. Whether or not you consider it a review in the traditional sense is secondary -- it's a really good read.

Thou art check, mated, and eyebrow'd, sirrah!

What's Wrong with House of the Dead: Overkill
Luke McKinney would like to tell you exactly what is wrong with House of the Dead: Overkill, and he brought some helpful visual aids. Also: He still loves it.

House of the Dead: Overkill Wii zapper control set-up.

Pixellation: The People of the Game Industry
This documentary proof of concept by Tim Thomas, TJ Babcock, and Jason Lataillade has a very personal, 1UP Show-esque feel, and features interviews with ex-1UPers Philip Kollar and Anthony Gallegos. We'd love to see a longer version with more developer interviews mixed in!

 

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Most everyone will agree that Super Mario Bros. is a good -- if not great -- game. Absolutely worthy of preservation. (See my previous post for more canonical games.) But what about the not-so-good games? And what about the absolute dreck like Superman 64, one of the most critically reviled games of all time? Wouldn't it be better to dump those games in a New Mexico landfill and pretend they never happened? Why save Superman?

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Peripherals have always been popular, mostly because they offer that arcade experience we all miss. But, uh, a skateboard controller? We hope it at least comes with a helmet -- we break easily. Just ask Shoe.

News Blips:

• New Tony Hawk forgets it's a game; adds skateboard peripheral. Guess the rumors were right -- Activision Blizzard officially unveiled a new skateboard doohickey for the upcoming Tony Hawk Ride. Looks cool, but it seems to be missing wheels. Um, getting around on that thing is going be a total drag. [Kotaku]

• Nintendo DS duals with other consoles; wins because it has two screens. Oh, and a new version came out last month, too. That probably has something to do with it. Regardless, the DS totally dominated last month's game sales, selling over a whopping million units. Pretty good for a cheater. [1UP]

• Nazi-killer simulation coming to Xbox Live Arcade. The predecessor to Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, is making its way to Xbox Live Arcade sometime in the near and distant future. While it probably won't hold up, it's still fun to shoot Nazis. Because they're bad. And shooting bad guys is OK. Yay for morality! [Kotaku]

• Take-Two cooks defeat; dumps a silo of salt on 3D Realms wounds. The would-be publisher of Duke Nukem Forever is suing developer 3D Realms for not releasing the game. How much does failure cost, you ask? Oh, y'know, only about 12 million dollars. Hell, at this point, they may as well ask to screw all the developer's wives, too. [Shacknews]

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Video Blips:

• A trailer tailor-made for manly men. Just watch. Preferably with your shirt off. In a thong. Flexing in front of a mirror. This is Muscle March, a WiiWare gaming coming to Japan later this month, from your ripped friends at Namco Bandai. [Namco-Bandai via Kotaku]

Hit the jump for some video clips, including a "trailer" for Tony Hawk Ride, a glowing Rock Band mod, and...more.

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Editor's Note: James isn't the only one who misses arcades. In fact, I have many fond memories of visitng arcades as a wee youth. Get this: I had my big sis's friend's brother take me to a local arcade to teach me how to play Street Fighter II (no joke!). How silly does that sound now? Actually, I can't believe I just admitted that. Ahem, anyway -- arcades are awesome. -Michael

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I do. After spending the last week in Japan (and a good deal of that time in arcades in Shibuya, Shinjuku and Akihabara), I know two things, one: those crane games totally cheat, and two: I miss good, old-fashioned arcades where people played amazing games that were miles better than anything you could play at home.

All the Sega arcades and Taito game stations were a nice reminder of my youth when I could go to pizza parlors and play Street Fighter II, or go to the 7-11 to sip on a Slurpee while dismembering limbs in Mortal Kombat 3. Or even the local Wonderland, where I could pay the admission, get the tokens, and spend an hour playing 5 cent games on a kid's birthday.

Today, no one wants to do that. No one wants to go to an arcade when they have 50-inch TVs and Xbox 360s in their living rooms. Maybe it's a sign that I'm old, but I miss the almost ironic social atmosphere of nerd-filled arcades, where you quartered-up and lost in one go to a guy who mastered Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting instead of calculus.

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Guessing which games are going to be at E3 is hard. Unless you ask a PR person to tell you what's going to be there. Then it's easy. Really easy, apparently.

News Blips:

• Beyond Good & Evil 2 may be beyond attending E3. According to UGO, a PR rep at publisher Ubisoft told them the sequel to the cult hit from last generation won't be shown at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean they were telling the truth. We lie all the time. Just kidding. See? That's a lie! [UGO via 1UP]

• Kojima Productions teaser teases with another teaser. Remember the other day when we thought the Metal Gear Solid makers were going to announce a new game via a mysterious website? Well, they didn't. But they did put up a picture of a field. Which is pretty mind-blowing if you're a farmer. If you're not, you should really consider it -- fresh food is mighty tasty. [Kotaku]

• EA's new hockey game is the first to add first-person fisticuffs. EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore revealed on his personal blog that NHL 10 will allow you to punch players in the first-person. What? No first-person puck mode? Lame. [PeterMooreBlog]

• Rock Band 2 reminds you Alice Cooper still exists. Harmonix announced both Alice Cooper and Taking Back Sunday track packs will be available next week for you to download and pretend to play for real. Before you download the tunes, ask yourself this: Are you worthy? [Kotaku]

Hit the jump for some video blips, including some snazzy Uncharted 2: Among Thieves footage, POW-worthy Batman brawling, a Lego Nintendo, and...more.

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We've got to hand it to GameSpy for their recent article, Casting Revealed! Videogame Industry: The Movie. Frank Langella as Peter Molyneux, James Lipton as Peter Moore, Christopher Lloyd is Jack Thompson...this thing's got legs! Although we're going to have to agree with commenter 'Nanotriad,' Jake Busey would be a better FATAL1TY than the older brother from Home Improvement. Actually, just cut FATAL1TY altogether and put him in charge of merchandising.

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The PlayStation family always seem to lose weight, so we're not surprised if the PS3 really is going on a diet. All this really proves is one thing: Sony products are incredibly vain.

News Blips:

• PS3 possibly loses weight; 360 now feels fat. Even though Sony has publicly denied rumors it's starving its flagship system, a Chinese message board has posted some suspicious photos of what appears to be a slimmed-down version of the previously portly PS3. Looks pretty convinving to us. Hmm, maybe Wii Fit really does work. [1UP]

• Harrison Ford appears in Harrison Ford game...twice. Bet y'all didn't see this coming: StarWars.com officially announced that Han Solo will show up as a bonus character in the upcoming Wii game Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. Guess it's a better choice than Howard the Duck. [Kotaku]

• Factor 5 closes in 5...4...3...2...1. Sad news today for the developer of Lair and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron -- the company officially announced they will be shutting down. Hopefully, like Obi-Wan, killing them will only make them stronger. If that doesn't work, at least they'll get to recite iconic lines in people's heads and appear as sweet ghosts. [Kotaku]

• Former Sucker Punch developers are officially loose canons. Two former game makers at Infamous developer Sucker Punch have formed their own studio entitled Loose Cannon. The two plan to create a new IP for consoles that they say will "blow you out of the water." OK, maybe they didn't say that. But it'd be punny if they did. [Gamasutra]

Click the jump for some video blips, including a whole lot of BioShock 2 gameplay, people playing Punch-Out!! before you, Street Fighter toys, and...more.

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It's been slim gaming-related pickins in the twitterverse lately, seems like everyone is in a blind rage at the change to how @replies work (I think it's actually for the better), chronicling the trek to Game Developers Conference Canada in laborious detail, or giving it the "OMG Lost!"

Microsoft Games Studios' Ryan Payton, creative director on an upcoming Halo project, prepares to hunt heads in Canada.

If G4 host and number 96 on Maxim's Hot 100 Olivia Munn offers you a ride, take a cab.

Self-appointed major Major Nelson, the PR face of Xbox Live, lets the world know his broadcast day has ended. Is this acceptable behavior now? When you're done twitting for the day you make sure everyone's apprised of that fact via a tweet?

Taking it down a notch, game designer and professor Brenda Brathwaite, on her table top game Train, in which players load passengers onto a train car and race to the end destination, which turns out to be Auschwitz. Read more here, because the particulars of Train are way beyond the scope of this blog post.

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Jeremy Parish of 1UP and Gamespite fame has more Wii friends than God.
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OH HOLD UP he's back online! Unbelievable! And with shocking information about new virtual footwear!

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Activision Blizzard really likes sequels. And war. War sequels? Even better.

News Blips:

• Back to the front: Call of Duty 7 looks to be in development. A developer over at Treyarch listed Call of Duty 7 on his LinkedIn profile leading savvy Internet job profile-stalkers to post the intel on the Internet. Not really surprising, but it's odd that game makers haven't learned not to post unannounced information on the Web for everyone to see. Hmm, wonder if Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has a LinkedIn profile... [Shacknews]

• Blizzard's next big game may be Craftless. Blizzard's community manager has confirmed its massively multiplayer online role-playing game currently in development will not be a spin-off of an existing franchise, but will instead be a brand new property. So long as it inspires Halloween costumes and ridiculous pornos, we totally support this. [Joystiq]

• Unofficial Lost iPhone app is fun for the first 108 minutes. Some Lost-loving iPhone developers created a "game" that lets you input numbers (not the official ones, sadly) into a crusty computer just like on the show. And, just like on the show, you have to do this every 108 minutes or something really, really bad happens. We think. Actually, we're not really sure -- we quit after the first 30 seconds. [Touch Arcade via Kotaku]

• New racing game is like a first-person shooter without the shooting. Or so says Activion CEO Michael Griffith. He's talking about Blur, the new racer by developer Bizarre Creations, the pros behind Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars. In the game, you pick up power-ups on the tracks, so apparently that's similar to picking up weapons in a FPS. Wait, does that mean Mario Kart is really FPS-racer? Weird. [Kotaku]

• This is ironic: GamePolitics and Destructoid fight over videogame violence. Grab some popcorn and watch read the drama. [GamePolitics]

Hit the jump for some video blips, including a Ghostbusters trailer, baseball pinball, a dirt-eating Pac-Man, and...more.

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A feel-good tale turned feel-bad now has a chance to come full circle. The 2007 film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters documented one Steve Wiebe, a totally average guy who transformed into a nerd hero, on his quest to best a pompous Billy Mitchell and his Donkey Kong high score. Too bad after the movie came out with its underdog-beats-the-world-record happy ending, "bad guy" Mitchell got the top spot back.

Now Wiebe is back on the steel girders, looking to surpass Mitchell's 1,050,200 points (as recorded by Twin Galaxies). If he can beat the world record at this year's E3 in Los Angeles, CA, Stride Gum has an interesting reward for him: a year's supply of gum and $10,001 worth of quarters, which, for you youngsters out there, is how we used to pay-for-play on our ancient arcade machines.

First of all, isn't Stride Gum supposed to be the one that lasts forever? So if that marketing's accurate, that prize would amount to one piece of gum. Second, that's a lot of quarters. Can't imagine Wiebe will be able to carry all that coinage after a marathon session of jumping over barrels has cramped his muscles up.

These days, a sackful of 40,004 quarters would be annoying as hell. But back in the 80s, that would've been any kid's dream (unless you had to feed them into a change machine to convert each one into a token).

If I had all those quarters, here are my top five old-school arcade games I'd spend them on:

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