Kotaku: Not:spoiler Alert

Half-Life 2's Most Magical Moment

Kirk Hamilton — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Half-Life 2's Most Magical Moment" alt="Click here to read Half-Life 2's Most Magical Moment" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_a222e538b5fa232684a7e6bdc845e11f.jpg"/>

Well, if we're going to be doing more recent games for Total Recall, we'd better talk about Half-Life 2 sooner rather than later. As is true for so many people, HL2 is one of my favorite games of all time, an evergreen gem that I replay about once a year. More »

Grim Death Never Looked So Lovely

Kirk Hamilton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST

Over at the International House of Mojo, they've put together a terrific retrospective on the equally terrific adventure game Grim Fandango. More »

My Addiction to the Original Saints Row

Kirk Hamilton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:00:00 EST

Saints Row" alt="Click here to read My Addiction to the Original Saints Row" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_461a20389d64b6a95c1ec68154ce52f4.jpg"/>

Programming note: Check the arrow for more on "Recent Recall." More »

Total Recall Starts Here

Kirk Hamilton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:59:00 EST

Welcome to the Friday Night Total Recall, a night that hasn't traditionally had Total Recall. More »

It's a Snap!

Kirk Hamilton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST

Hello, Kotaku, and welcome to the week-ending Open Thread. It's been a fun week here, and we hope you've liked all the new kinds of stuff we've been running. More »

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:00:00 EST

As Kotaku's weekend editor, my problem is the fact Friday is my hump day. Now, I know it's a lot of other folks' hump day too, but for different purposes. But when I talk about what I'll be playing this weekend, bear in mind this is like what you would be playing on your Thursday and Friday. More »

The Best Use of the Vita's Rear Touch Panel So Far

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST

One of the best uses of the PS Vita's rear touch panel comes from the FIFA folks at EA Sports, who realized that the back of the Vita and the back of the goal aren't that different after all. More »

This Week in Evil DLC

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST

Downloadable content. Everyone hates it—but everyone buys it. Here's a look at the latest package of extensions and pre-order bonuses designed to crowbar the last dollar out of your wallet. Can you still respect yourself if you buy it? More »

Someone's Making a Twisted Metal Flick and I Can't Wait for the Reviews

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST

Twisted Metal Flick and I Can't Wait for the Reviews" alt="Click here to read Someone's Making a Twisted Metal Flick and I Can't Wait for the Reviews" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_12dc0191a0895bef8c92e60e40bc7cb3.jpg"/>

Let me put this delicately. I don't want to see a Twisted Metal movie. But I do want to see a Twisted Metal movie get made. I want to see what happens when the whole thing gets trashed in a review. If it's anything like what happened with the game's review this week, it'll be far more entertaining than whatever garbage Hollywood thinks gamers want to see. More »

Questionable Words With Friends

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:02:00 EST

I sometimes play Words With Friends, and I play it the way I play Scrabble: using words that a) I know and that b) I'm sure are words normal people would use. More »

Why Skyrim and Arkham City Don't Have Multiplayer

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST

Skyrim and Arkham City Don't Have Multiplayer" alt="Click here to read Why Skyrim and Arkham City Don't Have Multiplayer" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_06b6534a48e1aa44109b290c9fb668b6.jpg"/>

Who needs multiplayer video games? More »

A Different Interpretation on the Chell/GLaDOS Relationship

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST

Internet Harmony | Reddit user GryphElyse drew Chell and GLaDOS in adorable kitten form. (Photo: Imgur)

What MLB The Show's "Diamond Dynasty" Is, and Why It Isn't Another Ultimate Team

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST

MLB The Show's "Diamond Dynasty" Is, and Why It Isn't Another Ultimate Team" alt="Click here to read What MLB The Show's "Diamond Dynasty" Is, and Why It Isn't Another Ultimate Team" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_ca8912def4bf0d64703ac953b0c635e0.jpg"/>

Cards, collections, virtual currency— when "Diamond Dynasty" appeared in a retail listing as a new mode for MLB 12 The Show, everyone thought they knew what it was: A feature that would borrow heavily from EA Sports' "Ultimate Team," which has been a cash cow for its FIFA, NHL and Madden franchises. More »

Jeremy Lin Gets Another Ratings Boost in Time for the Weekend

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST

News and notes from around the world of sports video gaming: More »

Biff Tannen Predicts This Weekend's Biggest Sports Matchups

Owen Good — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST

Hey, are you a sports fan on the go? Who has time these days to watch the big game, or bother with messy DVR, or boring highlight shows? With Biff Tannen's Sports Almanac, we'll give you the weekend's biggest matchups before they happen, thanks to these highly accurate peer-reviewed scientific simulations of sports video gaming's finest titles. Biff Tannen's Sports Almanac appears Fridays on Sportaku. More »

Major League Gaming and Mad Catz Team Up for An Xbox 360 Controller With Some Pros and Some Cons

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST

With the collective profile of eSports rising over the last decade, you've seen an ever-increasing prominence of the kind of endorsed accessories and products that hover around physical sports. Gaming mice, keyboards and gamepads that promise to make you better, faster and more accurate sell to hardcore fans who want an edge in matches where split-seconds matter. So, it follows that Major League Gaming promotion would try its hand at the accessories game. More »

The New and Improved Week in Gaming Apps, Now With 50 Percent More Flavor

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

It's a brave new Week in Gaming apps as Kotaku's fresh new faces take a crack at the millions of smartphone and tablet titles available for purchase and download. Guess what? A couple of them are Android-exclusive. Gives you shivers, doesn't it? More »

Mysterious Trailer Teases Unknown Game

Kate Cox — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST

I fall for puzzles and mysteries. Put a code in front of me, or a series of entirely unrelated clues, and I will sit there for hours if I have to, attempting to solve it. Even if I end up completely uninterested in the product a puzzle is promoting, I generally leap at the chance to make sense out of vague patterns. More »

The 3DS Circle Pad Pro is Mostly Great, Actually

Kirk Hamilton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

It sure has been a week for twin-thumbstick portable gaming. In addition to the PlayStation Vita (which has two thumbsticks built in), I've been playing around with the "Circle Pad Pro" attachment for the Nintendo 3DS. More »

The New SSX’s Ready to Take You Around the World in These New Videos

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST

SSX’s Ready to Take You Around the World in These New Videos" alt="Click here to read The New SSX’s Ready to Take You Around the World in These New Videos" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_2463439dee395edfe4ccc358f6043d59.jpg"/>

The dev studios working on EA's upcoming snowboarding reboot are using satellite data to recreate some of the world's most iconic mountan ranges. How do the results look? You can take a gander in three clips above, which take you to near the South Pole, the American Midwest and into a plucky Pacifica principality. There's snow everywhere, waiting for you to own it. SSXis out in about two weeks. More »

Introducing 'Random Encounters,' Your Weekly Destination For All Things JRPG

Jason Schreier — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

There's a little Lego figure standing next to my computer screen. It's a miniature depiction of Darth Maul, from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and he's holding a double-sided lightsaber. More »

Sleeping Dogs Screenshots Give Glimpses of Open-World Hong Kong Chaos

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

Sleeping Dogs Screenshots Give Glimpses of Open-World Hong Kong Chaos" alt="Click here to read Sleeping Dogs Screenshots Give Glimpses of Open-World Hong Kong Chaos" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_a19f2ecbadbbb642f2ce56bcffde291f.jpg"/>

First we had that crazy live-action trailer, complete with obligatory Asian crime movie kitchen fight. Now come screens from the game formerly known as True Crime Hong Kong, showing off chases on land and water and some combat besides. Sleeping Dogs is due out later this year. More »

Why Did Batman: Arkham City Have 440 Trophies? Why Did Batman Fight A Shark? And More Questions Answered

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Batman: Arkham City Have 440 Trophies? Why Did Batman Fight A Shark? And More Questions Answered" alt="Click here to read Why Did Batman: Arkham City Have 440 Trophies? Why Did Batman Fight A Shark? And More Questions Answered" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_775a10b86c80cdf1e5148b3bf3385913.jpg"/>

I had a chat with Sefton Hill, chief game designer at Rocksteady Studios, in Las Vegas last week. The man's team just made two terrific Batman games, so it was time we talked. More »

Black Ops 2 Reportedly Outed by Amazon as This Year’s Call of Duty

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

Black Ops 2 Reportedly Outed by Amazon as This Year’s Call of Duty" alt="Click here to read Black Ops 2 Reportedly Outed by Amazon as This Year’s Call of Duty" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_25e48d1de3d81f155be797b26149388a.jpg"/>

French game site Gameblog.fr reported earlier today that Amazon's French digital storefront leaked details about the next installment in Activision's blockbuster FPS series. More »

Pick Bachelor Number Three, A Pigeon, in Hatoful Boyfriend

Kate Cox — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST

Hatoful Boyfriend" alt="Click here to read Pick Bachelor Number Three, A Pigeon, in Hatoful Boyfriend" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_73742ff8f634dbf0e7a3ebcb3995e680.jpg"/>

Hatoful Boyfriend puts the player in the shoes of a reasonably well-adjusted high-school sophomore girl. She attends class, studies hard, participates in extra-curricular activities, and works part-time in a café during the summer. More »

WTPT: Kick Off The Weekend With Some Laughs at the Mario Bros' Expense

Tina Amini — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

Before you clock out today, don't miss the videos we've compiled for you, as well as our Gaming App of the Day. More »

Here's How Alan Wake's American Nightmare New Survival Mode Plays

Elyas Gorogo-Baker — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:20:00 EST

Alan Wake's American Nightmare New Survival Mode Plays" alt="Click here to read Here's How Alan Wake's American Nightmare New Survival Mode Plays" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_6b6c87ebe9936fc7150636dd5cedf301.jpg"/>

After playing a few hours with it, I can say that Alan Wake's American Nightmare's survival mode, officially dubbed Fight 'Til Dawn, feels spiritually closer to Resident's Evil's survivor mode than Gears of War's Horde mode. More »

Fling Fowl Where No Fowl Has Been Flung Before in Angry Birds Space

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:20:00 EST

Angry Birds Space" alt="Click here to read Fling Fowl Where No Fowl Has Been Flung Before in Angry Birds Space" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_f079e50efd77a7e35babcfd9dc7f4d62.jpg"/>

Next month Rovio launches a whole new game in the Angry Birds universe ... into space! More »

Witness the Interspecies Fighting Game Insanity of the Animal Kaiser evo.3 Trailer

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:15:00 EST

Animal Kaiser evo.3 Trailer" alt="Click here to read Witness the Interspecies Fighting Game Insanity of the Animal Kaiser evo.3 Trailer" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_32f31a247ac66304ffe900ada3b4137a.jpg"/>

I'd never heard of Animal Kaiser before seeing this video but, after seeing animals doing backflip bodyslams off the top rope of a wrestling ring, I can only weep at the fact that this game isn't in my life.
More »

Quell Reflect is a Soothing Puzzle Game for Grown-Ups

Kate Cox — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:10:00 EST

Quell Reflect is a Soothing Puzzle Game for Grown-Ups" alt="Click here to read Quell Reflect is a Soothing Puzzle Game for Grown-Ups" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_ec523948108ac2a75905ddc2f961f3c4.jpg"/>

Most of the games I have on my phone are in some way frenetic. They're filled with bold, bright colors, quick action, and noisy effects. After watching my friend's preschool-aged niece school us all at Angry Birds, I have found myself occasionally desiring something a little more calm and adult. More »

Perfectly Pixilated Prince of Persia Prowls the Streets of Israel

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Prince of Persia Prowls the Streets of Israel" alt="Click here to read Perfectly Pixilated Prince of Persia Prowls the Streets of Israel" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_427447261d952a36680cb289eb52192e.jpg"/>

In this brilliant video from Israel's Karahat, the hero of Jordan Mechner's 1989 platforming classic comes to life in pixel-perfect form, right down to the stumbling animations and Mario prison romance. More »

Today's Video Gaming Kids Don't Know How Good They Have It

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

In today's completely grown-up edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter DukeofWulf muses on how easy it is for kids today to fill all of that free time they've got with copious amounts of free gaming, the little snots. More »

Fifth Annual SOE Competition to Award $10,000 Scholarship

Kate Cox — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:40:00 EST

Sony Online Entertainment has just announced their fifth annual "Gamers In Real Life" (G.I.R.L.) scholarship competition. Although the acronym has always mildly annoyed me, I think the program itself is great. Winners receive $10,000 in scholarship funds and the opportunity for a paid internship at SOE's San Diego headquarters. More »

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Evan Narcisse — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:20:00 EST

What madness is this, then? This is Kotaku's official forum, known affectionately as Talk Amongst Yourselves, where we gather on a daily basis to discuss the joys and wonders of gaming all rolled up into one. More »

Bethesda: Skyrim DLC Will Feel More Like Expansion Packs

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Skyrim DLC Will Feel More Like Expansion Packs" alt="Click here to read Bethesda: Skyrim DLC Will Feel More Like Expansion Packs" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/02/small_183bdc18d84d22427d2fc5017d9ff8ef.jpg"/>

We've been promised substantial downloadable content for last year's blockbuster Skyrim, but it sounds like Bethesda is thinking really big. More »