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A Salute to Dani Berry, a Transgender Video Gaming Pioneer

There are plenty of legends in the world of video games whose names will fly off the tongues of casual fans. Nolan Bushnell. Trip Hawkins. Shigeru Miyamoto. Will Wright. Sid Meier. It’s a shame, then, that so few can name another of the all-time greats, Danielle Bunten Berry. The designer, born in 1949, is important…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012

Culture

The Sweet Art of the New Twisted Metal Game

So, the new Twisted Metal game was quietly released yesterday. In honour of the affair, and the fact the game has also been picked up for a movie adaptation, here’s some concept art from the latest entry in the long-running serires. This art is all the work of Eat Sleep Play’s Donald Yatomi. If you’re…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

It’s Time for a Magical Sound Shower

Ah, Magical Sound Shower. Could there be a better soundtrack for driving around a two-dimensional landscape in an expensive car with a sexy lady beside you? No. No, there could not. The original piece from the original Outrun was composed by Hiroshi Miyauchi, but I very quietly prefer the campier version from Outrun 2, which…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

WHAT WILL THE FUTURE BRING FROM NINTENDO?

It’ll bring…well, the complete opposite. Which is a pity. Wall-mounted control pad dispensers in dimly-lit sci-fi corridors would be great! Total Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends. You’ll find Total Recall stories every Mon-Fri between 11pm and Midnight ET.

By Luke Plunkett Published February 14, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Hey, is That Indiana Jones Rescuing Princess Leia?

It sure looks like it. This is Challenger, a Famicom game released in 1985 by Hudson. Look at the cover art and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was some shitty Lucasfilm clone, lifting its two biggest properties and dropping them in an unlicensed video game rip-off. That would be a little harsh. Sure, at…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 14, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The Amazing Place Where Mario & 80’s Pro Wrestling Came Together

That amazing place being the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which in these episodes below went all-out and brought in both Sgt. Slaughter and Rowdy Roddy Piper as guest stars. Aside from their wrestling fame, you may know the Sergeant as a GI Joe character. You should also hopefully know Piper as one of the…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 14, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Winter Isn’t Coming, It’s Already Here

The real stars of video games aren’t the characters. They’re awfully fickle, and easy to kill. But background art? It’s forever. Welcome to Background Story, which will run most days as part of our new, expanded Total Recall programming block [via noirlac]

By Luke Plunkett Published February 13, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The Only Japanese Video Game Starring…Bruce Willis, Mike Tyson and…Alfred Hitchcock?

If you’re the kind of person that believes violence isn’t the answer, then I have just the game for you. I hope you’re good at trivia questions instead, because otherwise you won’t get far in SNK’s 1991 quiz-em-up Quiz Daisousa Sen – The Last Count Down. Also, you’ll be off my team for the pub…

Luke Taylor Published February 13, 2012

Culture

Find Retro Atari Classics on the Back of Specially Marked Boxes of General Mills Cereal

It might not be the video game-branded cereal Lisa Foiles craves, but the Atari-classic branded General Mills cereal boxes popping up at Target stores across the country might have you bringing the box back to the breakfast table again. Five different cereals, five different games. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of video game pioneer…

By Mike Fahey Published February 13, 2012

Culture

Let’s Twist Again

The reboot of the car combat standard-bearer Twisted Metal arrives on Valentine’s Day for PS3. Also, though you can’t play them until Feb. 22, many of the launch titles for the PlayStation Vita become available in North America this week. UFC Undisputed 3 for Xbox 360 and PS3 also arrives Tuesday. Monday • Rhythm Heaven…

By Owen Good Published February 12, 2012

Culture

Sunday Comics: Me Time

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Legacy Control by Javis Ray published Feb. 6.—Read more of Legacy Control Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Feb. 6.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by…

By Owen Good Published February 12, 2012

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘Activision Should Man Up and Buy Take-Two.’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Activision should man up and buy Take-Two.”—Asif Khan, analyst with Panoptic Management Consultants, on what Activision should do to make sure their sales numbers continue to look good. QUOTE | “THQ is dancing on the edge of the abyss.”—Steve Peterson, West…

Steve Peterson Published February 10, 2012

Culture

Reckon With Some of Kingdoms of Amalur’s Concept Art (Sorry)

With the game out this week, now’s as good a time as any to look at some concept art from Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning While a whole team of artists worked on the game, today we’re taking a look at the colourful contributions of Big Huge Games’ principal concept artist Sean Andrew Murray. If you…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2012

Culture

Commander Shepard, You’re Looking Awfully Dangerous Today

Theo Stylianides is a concept artist working in London for Opus Artz, a studio that’s provided content for series like Dead Space, Infamous and BioShock Today, though, we’re looking at Theo’s personal project, Helldiver, which he describes as “pretty much sci-fi-inspired super soldiers selected from the best military forces in the world, brought together to…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 8, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

When EA Sports Accidentally Put a Game’s Source Code on a Demo Disc

In 1997, EA Sports released a demo disc for the latest iteration of its FIFA football series. Anyone picking this disc up got a lot more than they bargained for. Late last year, Blackbird Interactive’s Yossarian King (whose studio is now working on Hardware) wrote a piece on industry blog #altDevBlogADay about building engines. Tucked…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 5, 2012

Culture

Reckoning and Revelations

38 Studios’ action-RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning leads the list of new titles deploying this week. Other big names include Resident Evil: Revelations and The Darkness II Tuesday • Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition (PC, PS3, 360) • Forza Motorsport 4: February American Le Mans Series Pack (XBLA) • Gotham City Impostors (PC, PSN)…

By Owen Good Published February 5, 2012

Culture

Sunday Comics: Point of Reference

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Jan. 31.—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Jan. 30.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by…

By Owen Good Published February 5, 2012

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘Xbox 720, PS4 Must Show a Dramatic Leap in Quality’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Xbox 720, PS4 must show a dramatic leap in quality.”—Epic CEO Tim Sweeney discussing what he expects from the Xbox 720 and the PS4 in terms of graphics capability QUOTE | “Holy shit, now what?”—Kaz Hirai, new CEO of Sony corporation,…

Steve Peterson Published February 3, 2012

Culture

Some Kick-Ass Robot Designs From One of Hawken’s Artists

Multiplayer shooter Hawken snuck into our collective megacity last year and stole our robotic hearts. Sadly, it’s been a very long time since we heard or saw anything about the game. To satisfy both yours and our appetite for more hot giant mech fighting action, then, here’s a collection of mechs, tanks, robots and other…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 3, 2012

Culture

The Half-Eaten Valve Art of Peter König

Peter König is a concept art legend. Over the past quarter of a century his creature designs, sculptures and animation work have been featured in blockbuster hits like Jurassic Park, Starship Troopers and Cloverfield. Which is all well and good, but he’s also spent the last four years working as a concept artist, modeller and…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 1, 2012