Midweek/Christmas Video: Henchman 21/24 Sing Wonderful Christmastime

A Venture Brothers Christmas song... an annual tradition.

My Year At Steam

Since there is a huge end of the year sale going on at Steam, and I've been using the service for about a year now, I thought I would share my thoughts on some of my favorite games that I've played on Steam over the past year with some quick reviews.

The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind: I have to admit, my conception of what a role playing game was supposed to be was very much rooted on the Japanese side of the pond, where there was a central narrative and a lot of invisible walls guiding you towards the end, with few deviations, and yes, I had played a few games which were sandbox games with RPG elements, but it wasn't until I played Morrowind (with some graphical mods to bring it up to today's standards in terms of visuals) that I really understood what a Western sandbox role playing game could be. There was just so many ways to play and so many places to explore that it was easy to just go off and do your own thing. While I did not finish it, my experience was exceptional, and I look forward to playing Oblivion, the Fallout games and eventually Skyrim.

Beat Hazard: I was never really into bullet hell-type shooters, but the lovely twist on that genre is that each level is generated by whatever piece of music you play it to. And since the elements are pretty much the same every time you play that particular song, you can compete against yourself to better your score or coop/play against your friends who have that same song. It is a brilliant design decision. However, it is certainly not a game for those who have epilepsy. But if you can take the flashing (it took me a while to get used to it), it is a very enjoyable experience.

AI War: Fleet Command: This is a relatively new entry for this list, but it does have more than a few little tricks up its sleeve to make up for that. The premise is simple... there was a war between two competing factions on Earth who both created AI forces to try to defeat each other. However, over time, the AI conspired with each other to try to take humanity out, which pushed the remnants of the human race together against the foe they had mutually created. I know it sounds like something out of the Matrix, but it does give the whole game a great atmosphere. Blending elements of real time strategy, tower defense and other tactical gaming, you really do get a sense at the beginning that you are fighting a hopeless battle (and the AI swatted me enough times when I was playing a little too brash for my own good). I also love the fact that when you play with other people online, they are always on the same team as you... that they have the same goal as you... to defeat the two AI forces (which each have their own unique fighting styles) and win the galaxy back for humanity.

The Binding of Isaac: There are a few phrases that I can use to describe this game. Gross. Blasphemous. Zelda-clone. Rogue-like. And yet, they don't really get down to the essence of what makes this game so fun (and at times frustrating). With its cartoonish graphics about a child escaping from the mother who wishes to sacrifice him to God through the underworld beneath his home, it's charm is easy to see, and it is clearly a game designed with a perverse sense of humor, and the fact that it mimics a lot of the aesthetics of the original Legend of Zelda is also a huge selling point. But what makes this a stand out title for me is the fact that every time you play it, the dungeon changes, as do the powerups you find, which gives the game a lot of replay value. Add to that the choice that you only have one life with no continues, which increases the difficulty, and you can see why this game might also be maddening. So if you don't mind a lot of blasphemous content in your games, you will probably enjoy this game.

Team Fortress 2: A first person shooter with a wicked sense of humor, great visual style and supports a lot of different play styles. And its free. It is the game that just keeps on giving for me. I love, love, LOVE this game and unlike some of the other multiplayer games I've played, generally the other people playing are cool too. I have almost 100 hours of play in this game and I can literally count the number of times I've been insulted by another player on one hand (with some fingers to spare). I've met a lot of people who were just getting into Steam, and it is the first game I recommend. It is a game that is easy to get into and one which is very much geared for a quick play, but with all the weapons that you find, it also rewards persistence and strategic thinking, because some combinations will be much more conducive to a particular play style.

I never thought I would say this, but I think I've finally become an whole hearted advocate of digital game distribution. The sheer availability of legally obtainable games at my fingertips is amazing. I've played a lot of games I would have never even been able to find at a store, games crafted with love or from an area of the world where distribution in stores in North America would be a pipe dream, and for that I am thankful.

My year with Steam has been memorable and has opened my eyes to just how wonderful gaming is.

The New NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I think this image might have the mojo to siphon off some of the support the Darth Vader Comic version of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! has.

I mean, I may use it in the future when talking about an ill-advised remake.

Midweek Video: A Calvin and Hobbes Christmas

This is very quaint, yet disturbing look back at the snow handiwork of Calvin and Hobbes that ends with a wonderful message.

If You Plan On Doing Some Scott Pilgrim Sightseeing...

...then this tumblr post from Gabdar is the perfect place to start.

It matches a lot of Toronto landmarks to their in-comic references. While not complete, it is a great start to the process of identifying the various places around the city that were inspiration for the graphic novels/movie.

Now That Is A Christmas Lawn Ornament!

via: Unreality Mag

Why didn't someone else think of this before?

Calvin and Hobbes is always awesome.

1985's Epic Battle of Diss

I love the fact that there is an entry about the multiple participant rap war of 1985 known as the Roxanne Wars, starting with Roxanne, Roxanne and then Roxanne's Revenge before just rolling out of control after that.

A diss battle that blew up but doesn't seem to have resulted in any real violence or anything... just a lot of records in a short period of time.

You would think that with Youtube and all the various ways of distributing work, we might be able to see another epic battle like this take place over a summer.

I would love that. We need a good old artistic diss battle without bloodshed.

Midweek Video: Sequelitis on Mega Man Classic and X

I was really impressed by this breakdown of how the early Mega Man games were designed in a particular way that taught you everything you needed to know to play them without holding your hand or breaking the action.

It is a long video and there is a lot of swearing, but it really highlights an issue that plagues modern games... that designers sort of treat gamers like idiots that need to have everything explained to them in tutorials rather than teaching you how to play by setting up situations where you naturally discover how to play it by experimenting.

I played Mega Man X on a PS2 collection and it is exactly how he explains it. It was an example of a game creating set pieces that teach you how to play the game organically, and it is something that other designers should take note of.

A Quandary A Lot Of Us Are Facing

It seems to have taken hold hardcore all around me.

Sunday Video: Game of Thrones Theme With Bagpipes

Strangely appropriate.

Just one of the many cover versions of that theme song.

Damn You Hollywood Redux

You know that scene in The Godfather where Sonny beats the crap out of his brother-in-law in the street after finding his sister was a victim of domestic abuse?

I'd love to see that happen to the executive who greenlit the remake of Starship Troopers, because they are an asshole.

Still, I don't hate them as much as I hate the person who said yes to remaking Robocop. They should be thrown down the stairs like Bear in Get Shorty at least 3 times a day for the rest of their lives.

Of course, they could be one and the same person. Then they deserve so much worse. *shake fist*