Sure, the PC version of Half-Life was a great game, but I'm more of an old-school guy. That's why I preferred the classic NES original. That game offered a lot of 8-bit, crowbar-swinging good times. I'm also not a fan of those fancy 3D graphics. Nothing beats pixels [via VGBoxArt]:
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A few weeks ago, I welcomed a well-loved Game Gear into my collection. This officially completes my set of the main Sega consoles, but the quest for games has only just begun. The only problem is that not much of the system's library really holds up in 2010.
Like this curious selection here [via The Retroist]:
Hmm, no.... These titles don't fill me with confidence. I'm really only after the Shining Force game, but tracking that down is even more difficult than finding a Game Gear with a working speaker -- which I wasn't able to do....
Read more >>In an attempt to "provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox LIVE community," Microsoft will pull the plug on XBL support for original Xbox games on the 15th of April.
This discontinuation extends to all backward-compatible games playable on the 360. So bid farewell to Conker: Live and Reloaded, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and -- most of all -- Halo 2.
While the 15th of next month will undoubtedly be a sad, somber day, Bitmob plans to liven our spirits with a Halo 2 Game Night!
So keep your Battle Rifle close and hope that Dan Hsu, Demian Linn, Brett Bates, and Rich McGrath provide adequate cover fire this Friday. Here's the game plan:
1. Add Dan Hsu to your XBL friends list. His Gamertag is Bitmob Shoe.
2. Log on to Xbox Live at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST) this Friday and wait for an invitation.
3. Guard that flag, hold that skull, and drive that Warthog like you life depended on it!
Read more >>It's always good to have a friend. Can you match these video-game characters to their loyal companions?
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Training videos aren't supposed to be entertaining. Their purpose is to drill your respective company's policies into your brain with constant and repetitious descriptions of every aspect of your employee requirements. FuncoLand, now GameStop, felt a romp through the land of video games was just the setting for their heavy-handed -- and I'll venture to say trippy -- video.
Now you can experience the same horror of a FuncoLand employee circa 1998. Remember, someone thought this was a good, hip idea.
Part 2 is after the jump.
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Somebody take their big PlayStation 3 back in time to a little over 10 years ago and see it's Y2K compliant.
News Blips:
Due to an internal clock bug in non-slim PS3s, many users are unable to sign onto the PlayStation Network or play any games -- even single-player ones -- and some have even lost their trophies. Sony has a list of the various error messages that have popped up and estimates they’ll have things figured out “within the next 24 hours.” In the meantime, the company recommends that non-slim PS3 owners don’t turn on their consoles until the issue is resolved. Follow the PlayStation Blog for updates. I wonder what the error was -- did some developer program 2010 to be a leap year when it wasn’t?
Activision puts a halt to a fan-made sequel to King's Quest. The affected independent development team originally made a deal with Vivendi Universal back in 2005, allowing them to create The Silver Lining as part of a non-commercial fan license. Now Activision, who picked up the rights to the King's Quest license when it merged with Vivendi back in December of 2007, has decided to shut down the operation. Let us have a moment of silence for this (one-of-many) fan projects taken out by the man. [Joystiq]
Game Politics reports on two research groups' conflicting findings on the effect of violent video games on youth. Analyzing 130 existing research reports on the subject, Iowa State University's Craig Anderson and his team concluded that "violent video game effects are significant in both Eastern and Western cultures, in males and females, and in all age groups." Anderson feels that these findings are "definitive." Researchers Christopher Ferguson and John Kilburn of Texas A&M International University, however, released a paper that challenges Anderson's findings by identifying holes in the studies used and claiming a lack of real-world evidence (i.e., more violent video games today but low crime rates among youth). Video games don't make me violent -- researchers that say they do make me violent!
Ubisoft is giving away free copies of the Assassin's Creed 2: Multiplayer iPhone app for the first 48 hours of its release. Afterward (aka Wednesday), the price jumps up to $2.99. Be warned: If you don't like the game, you won't really be able to get your money back. [AppAdvice]
Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.
Read more >>Comedians Sheila Bryson and Dave Karraker join Bitmob's Dan Hsu and Demian Linn on the latest and greatest episode of the Mobcast.
The group discusses each person's first professional experience in the gaming industry, Nintendo's recent press event, interesting console launches, personal metrics of nerd cred, and which game hunks Sheila finds attractive.
Click here to learn more about Cross Platform Comedy 3.0 and how you can see the show with the Bitmob crew. If you want to know even more about the event, head to the official website.
Have a question you want answered? Want to share some important insight with the world? E-mail the crew at letters@bitmob.com.
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Two weeks ago, it was the common cold. This week, it was a damn computer virus. I got it when I was poking around on some shady sites for the official track listings to a few of the community's game-music selections. Not to worry though. I sprang in to action and quickly arrested the problem -- no traces of the bug remain.
For the 29th Jukebox, regular contributor Michael Pangelina brings us a tune courtesy of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider, Jukebox Archive curator Evan Killham tosses is a song from Heavenly Sword, and don't miss Eric Sapp's selection from Silent Hill 4.
Also, as a small announcement, next week's Jukebox will be the 30th edition. Keeping with tradition, I'll be posting a special version based around a special theme. This time I'm looking for arranged instrumental versions of classic tunes. Whether it's some random, super talented pianist on Youtube piano or a selection from Video Games Live, this is your opportunity to share a favorite instrumental interpretation with the community.
Anyone can join in the fun and show the community some great game music. Hit the jump to find out how.
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Editor’s note: When I was younger, "children's games" never earned a spot in my collection simply because they were usually poorly executed. I suspect those experiences have carried over with journalists reviewing games today. And I fear that I won't have the same patience as Matthew to sit through Bakugan with my own son when he's older. I can only hope to instill a decent sense of taste.... -Rob
When I read reviews that are meant for a younger mindset, I cringe. No matter how many times the reviewer says that he’s doing so with respect to the game’s audience, you can tell that just isn’t true. I don’t know whether it’s because reviewers can’t think like a 9-year-old or that they’re just afraid of losing their “hardcore” cred in whatever culture they wrap themselves, but they miss the point every time.
Want to know how to review a game with adorable woodland creatures sporting googly eyes or whatever flavor-of-the-week cartoon character happens to be the current fad? You play the game with a kid.
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This week on Hit or Miss: Nintendo announces some release dates or something (is that a big deal?); Doritos tries to convince us that lending their brand to a "Pro-Gamer Combine" can make the idea of a "Pro-Gamer Combine" not-absurd; Tecmo tries to convince us any pornographic undertones in Dead or Alive: Paradise were totally "unintentional" (large, obvious wink); and Electronic Arts suggests the new Medal of Honor may -- gasp! -- actually be a thoughtful and empathetic examination of real-life combat in a big-budget shooter.
Where the hell do they get off, right?
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Having this fancy new article editor has doubled the number of posts I've seen in the Mobfeed compared to recent months. Glad to see so many people are taking advantage of this opportunity and cranking out intriguing stories.
Jeremy Sigor starts with his stance on Darwinia+, and how developers could learn a thing or two about porting RTS games from PC to console based on Darwinia's XBLA release. Next, B.J. Saricks is fed up with 1-10 review systems that refuse to accept five as their average score. It's in the middle, what's the problem?
Fred Olson II finds comfort in assuming a decisive role in games, finding the ability to make world-changing decisions and to do the right thing in situations empowering. Finally, Chas Guidry tackles the latest news on a remake of Final Fantasy 7, and why an HD version of the game may not be the best option.
Three Simple Ways Darwinia+ Teaches Us How RTS Games Can Work on Consoles
By Jeremy Sigor
Fans of the strategy game Darwinia were concerned at how it would fair when ported to Xbox Live. While many RTS titles don't stand up when brought over to consoles, Jeremy feels Darwinia+ not only works, but sets the bar for future games making the jump between platforms.
Editor's note: Jeff's history lesson provides a sobering -- and hilarious -- look at the history of gaming peripherals. It's a must-read for anyone excited about Project Natal or Sony's wand controllers. -Brett
Maybe you've seen them at your local video game shop: piles of odd looking plug-ins, add-ons, and thingamajiggers in the corner collecting dust, over-excited proclamations screaming from their worn boxes -- "FULL BODY ACTION!" "Everything else is child's play!" "Now nothing comes between you and the game!"
What are they? Gaming's forgotten history, that's what. A history that could possibly repeat itself with the heaps of futuristic peripherals coming out from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.
Not that I blame them for trying to sell gamers on the future. The positive perception of any video game company is fueled by technophiles in lust. However, if the technophiles would stuff their e-boners back into their file and think back a decade or two, they might remember that while the tech has improved, the promises haven't changed much.
And if they don't remember, I'm here to help: Here are five gaming technologies that were ahead of their time -- and the lessons companies can learn from them today.
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