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Screw the Vita, Let’s Talk About the Other NGP

The PlayStation Vita is out today in the US. Before it was known as the Vita, you may remember it was called the NGP. Which was a little awkward, since there had already been a handheld gaming system called the NGP. And it sure wasn’t made by Sony. While Sony’s NGP stood for “Next Generation…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Sunset, Big City

You know, last week, I was so excited to be posting awesome Metal Slug art as part of our first Background Story that I forgot to say it was from Metal Slug. Which, turns out, only made it more fun. So let’s do it again. Guess the city and you’ll be halfway to guessing the…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 20, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The Laziest Box Art in Video Game History

I have a fetish for old Sega Master System box art. If I could have that pattern made into a tablecloth, curtains and bedsheets, I would, and when my wife complained, I would just stare at her, like what is wrong this stuff is perfect. Some of my favourites from the system, though, are also…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 20, 2012

Culture

Syndicate-d Action

The reboot of Syndicate joins Capcom’s sci-fi/fantasy battler Asura’s Wrath as the top console releases this coming week. The rollout of the PlayStation Vita’s launch titles continues, in time for the device’s full North American release on Wednesday. Tuesday • Army Corps of Hell (PS Vita) • Asura’s Wrath (360, PS3) • Metal Gear Solid:…

By Owen Good Published February 19, 2012

Culture

Sunday Comics: Waiting is the Hardest Part

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. Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published Feb. 15.—Read more of Penny Arcade Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Feb. 13.—Read more of Awkward Zombie…

By Owen Good Published February 19, 2012

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘Xbox Live is Going to Lose Out’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Xbox Live is going to lose out.”—Tim Schafer, CEO of Double Fine, talking about what Microsoft should do to stem the migration of developers away from Xbox Live QUOTE | “You belong in a subset of human beings in a circle…

Steve Peterson Published February 18, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Half-Life 2‘s Most Magical Moment

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. It’s hard to put my…

By Kirk Hamilton Published February 18, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Grim Death Never Looked So Lovely

Over at the International House of Mojo, they’ve put together a terrific retrospective on the equally terrific adventure game Grim Fandango. It’s a fun, comprehensive retrospective, but what really grabbed me was the illustration that Colin Panetta did for it, of a skeleton that’s recently been “planted.” Death-by-flowers has long been one of my favorite…

By Kirk Hamilton Published February 17, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

My Addiction to the Original Saints Row

Programming note: Check the arrow for more on “Recent Recall.” These days, Saints Row is very much a household name in gaming. It’s a critically successful franchise, a game that has become notorious through its marketing and gimmickry, but also by being a whole lot of fun. The Saints Row concept really came into its…

By Kirk Hamilton Published February 17, 2012

Culture

The Dinosaurs, Robots and BioShocks of Artist Ben Mauro

Ben Mauro is a concept artist from New Zealand who has recently worked on The Hobbit. The new Superman movie, Man of Steel. Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. Even the upcoming Star Wars TV show, Underworld He’s also done video game work with Insomniac Games on both Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, as well as helping out…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Why People Give a Shit About a 1988 PC Role-Playing Game

Brian Fargo, whose credits include Bard’s Tale and the original Fallout, wants to make a new Wasteland game. This is a very good idea. It’s also a very good idea that Fargo wants to be involved, because there wouldn’t have been a Fallout without Wasteland Released in 1988 on the PC, Wasteland was a pioneering…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

Retro Rumble Episode 1 – Don’t Pee in the Pool

You know how outfits like Major League Gaming are full of sponsored kids playing the latest game at breakneck speeds? This is the exact opposite. Welcome to Episode 1 of Retro Rumble, where a bunch of guys play (usually) terrible old video games to see who is the best. Or, least terrible. Today the crew…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

We Asked The Red Carpet: Were Old Video Games Actually Bad? Or Good?

I have a nearly irrational dislike for retro video games. I assume most of the old “classics” wasted my youth with their needlessly bottomless pits and/or a hunger for my quarters. Do old video games deserve my scorn? Will no one speak up for the quality of these things? I sought an answer to my…

By Stephen Totilo Published February 16, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

The TurboGrafx-16 was more exciting…

…than a Nintendo Entertainment System. Which wasn’t really a fair comparison to make, but hey, this was the late 80s. Video game advertising was a killing field back then. 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…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

No, System of a Down Did Not Make a Zelda Song. But This Guy Did.

Let’s give a man his dues! For over a decade now, there’s been a kinda-famous song about Zelda on the internet that many people believe was written and performed by System of a Down. It wasn’t. The song, simply called “Zelda”, was actually written (and sung) by a man named Joe Pleiman. It was released…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012

CultureTotal Recall

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