Kirk Hamilton

The Smiths’ Greatest Hits, Re-Imagined As Classic Video Game Covers

Morrissey and his not-so-merry band of misfits could get a bit glum, and one wouldn’t think they’d fit with the candy-colored world of classic video games. One wouldn’t think Good thing there’s artist Butcher Billy to prove us wrong, posting this amazing gallery of classic Smiths tunes re-imagined as video game covers. I would hang…

Grammy-Nominated Journey Composer To Make Music For… Leisure Suit Larry?

Austin Wintory’s soaring orchestral score for Thatgamecompany’s Journey will not be forgotten anytime soon. Not only was it a fine collection of music in its own right, it is the first video game soundtrack to be nominated for a Grammy But of course, Wintory’s career hasn’t culminated with Journey. Like any professional, he’s moved on…

Forza Developer: Cars Are Basically Big Trumpets

“The best way I’ve ever been able to describe a car is think of it as a really complicated wind instrument. The engine is sucking air in, it’s causing an explosion, and it’s sucking air out. That creates a note that resonates through the pipe much as you would with a brass instrument. By adjusting…

Hotline Miami Has Been ‘Torrented To Extraordinary Levels’

Hotline Miami is the sort of game that is unabashedly Not For Everyone. But it IS for people who like awesome things, and so it’s heartening to hear that it has sold well. Speaking with Eurogamer, Hotline Miami creators Jonatan “Cactus” Söderström and Dennis Wedin revealed that the game has sold 130,000 copies since its…

British Developers Get Tax Breaks For Including British Characters in Their Games

Say you’re a game developer in the UK. You’re working on a new game about, I don’t know, aliens planning a casino heist. You’re thinking about setting it in Las Vegas, or maybe Dubai. But wait… wouldn’t it be cool if you set the game in jolly ol’ England? It would be! And best of…

Assassin’s Creed III‘s Final Chase Sequence Was The Worst Thing I Played All Year

As I leapt into the fire, dying for the 28th time, I didn’t feel anger or frustration; I felt resignation and a little bit of wonder. How, I asked aloud, to no one in particular. How on earth does something this awful wind up in a big-budget video game in the year 2012? I was…

This Game Will Randomly Generate Dozens Of Other Games

Ever feel like the games you’re playing are a bit too formulaic? Wish you had a machine that could combine elements of each one into something new and exciting? Well, if the folks behind GameTron 1000 have their way, you’ll get exactly that. The concept is a bit batty: It’s a PC/Smartphone game that spins…

Get A Peek At The Wintersday Festivities That Await In Guild Wars 2

The folks at ArenaNet keep on adding new content to Guild Wars 2, from seasonal updates to new instances, group events and other tweaks that will live on past any holiday. The latest season is upon us as Wintersday arrives in Tyria. The video above gives a taste of what’s in store, and has a…

Check out this harsh but well-argued critique of Far Cry 3 by noted Far Cry 2 expert Ben Abraham.

Now You Can Memorialize Your Fallen XCOM Soldiers On Facebook

One of the neater (and sadder) aspects of the new XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the fact that your base comes with a built-in memorial wall for your fallen soldiers. It’s a great idea, though the execution is only okay: You don’t get to post a picture of the soldier, nor any info beyond their name…

Nintendo: Wii U’s Weird European Store Restrictions Due To German Law

Last week, it was revealed that European Wii U owners can only purchase 18+ rated games from the Wii U eShop during certain hours of the night. It seemed like a curious decision by Nintendo of Europe. As it turns out, the policy exists in order to comply with German law, which requires that any…

Bob Loblaw Would Approve Of These Amazing Arrested Development NES Carts

There may not have been an actual Arrested Development Nintendo game, but that hasn’t stopped the folks at 72Pins from imagining what might have been. You can now get a set of 6 carts for made-up Arrested Development games, each one created by artist Jesse Eisemann. There’s Mr. Bananagrabber, Steve Holt!, and of course, Chicken…

In Europe, You Can Only Download Mature-Rated Wii U Games At Night

If you’d like to buy 18+ rated games on the Wii U’s European eShop, you’ll have to do it after the sun goes down. When the kids are tucked into bed, and no one can see you sin. The policy came to light after NeoGAFer Panajef2001a tried to access the Italian store during the day,…

Far Cry 3 Patch Will Let Us Remove Annoying Pop-Ups

And the tigers wept, and the tapirs sang: Ubisoft has confirmed that they’re working on a patch for Far Cry 3 that will let players adjust or remove the game’s clutter-y user interface. In a statement sent to Kotaku: Based on feedback from both press and fans, the Far Cry 3 production team is working…

2012 Movie-Trailer Mashup Achieves Melodrama Overload

I love a good movie trailer. It’s all drama and intrigue, panning shots and portentious voice-overs, with some exciting music underneath. Who knows if the movie will be good? And in the middle of a good trailer, who cares? And so, I love this supercut by SleepySkunk, which combines a crapload of trailers from the…

Donkey Kong Country 3 Gets A Mondo Remix Album, Years in The Making

The giant video game musical collective Overclocked Remix has turned their attention to Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble! and released a massive, 77-song remix album. It’s their 36th remix album, and it features over 69 artists, including musical performances by DKC3 composer David Wise. (Who, incidentally, is still working, making the music…

This video about trying to understand music (and how you maybe don’t have to understand it) is pretty fantastic.

Show Us Your Picks For Best Video Game Music Of 2012

Last year, I had a ton of fun running the Best Game Music Of 2011 series. Over the course of a dozen or so posts, we looked back at all the best video game music of the year, from Portal 2 to Sworcery. This year, I’d like to do something a bit different. Since I’ve…

The New Best Way To Play Far Cry 3: HUD-Free And Loving It

Far Cry 3 is a very good game. So good that, even after beating the main story, all of the radio towers and a good percentage of the outposts, I’ve started a new game and am still playing. All these hours later, one thing still grates: No matter what you do, you can’t turn off…

League of Legends‘ Massive Pre-Season-3 Patch Released

Riot has released a whopping pre-season-3 patch for League of Legends, which will doubtless make a ton of diehard players very happy. Since everyone loves massive patches that change tons of things about their favorite video games. In the video above, Riot’s Joshua “Jatt” Leesman and Ryan “Morello” Scott walk viewers through the many changes…