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CultureTotal RecallThe Moment When Max Payne Realized He Was In a Video Game
It’s not that common that a video game character realizes that he’s actually in a video game. And like any fourth-wall breaking shenanigans, it can be a tricky maneuver to pull off. Leave it to Remedy, the guys running the Max Payne franchise before Rockstar took over, to put their own paranoid protagonist through the…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 5, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThe Forgotten TV Debut of the Original Star Wars Game
Happy Star Wars day! There have been, to date, one jillion Star Wars video games. (That figure is approximate). But in many ways, there was only one—the 1983 Atari game Star Wars. I played this game when I was barely old enough to understand the films, much less do well at any of the levels,…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 4, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallCut a Rug to All of the Greatest Video Game Dance Routines
You know what the world needs more of? Choreographed dance routines. You know what I’m talking about. This is what I’m talking about. In the storied history of video games, there have been a surprising number of amazing dance numbers. Just for you, Chris edited together this video of… pretty much all of them. Sit…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 4, 2012 -
Culture
From EVE Online to…Deadwood?
Andrei Cristea is a lead character artist at CCP, the developers behind EVE Online. You know those awesome human face screenshots we showed you the other day? That’s the team Andrei is on, with work pioneered by guys like Jeff Miller and Vigfus Omarsson. But pretty faces and hair aren’t all Andrei can do. So…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 4, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Cover Your Eyes, it’s the Horror of Third-Party N64 Contollers
I hated the N64 pad. Hated it. Didn’t like the button placement, didn’t like the ergonomics, really didin’t like the fact the little joystick was broken on half the controllers you ever picked up. But you know what? I could easily live with it if I had the choice between Nintendo’s official pad and those…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall“Celebrate” May 4th With Possibly the Worst Star Wars Video Game Ever Made
There are loads of terrible Star Wars games. We’ve talked about them here before. But there’s different reasons someone can say a game is terrible. They might not like the genre, or the platform, or the way the game has treated the Star Wars canon. One thing many will agree on, though, is that the…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Welcome to Total Recall
Total Recall is Kotaku’s nightly look back at the history of video games. Think you know where video games come from? You might know a little, but our aim with Total Recall is to dig a little deeper and shine a light on some of the more bizarre and interesting elements of this medium’s past.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2012 -
Culture
Legend of the Time Star is a New Game With Old Visuals
Currently in development (sort of) at New York-based indie outfit Attack Mountain, Legend of the Time Star is a love letter to old 16-bit, side-scrolling RPGs, particularly those coming out of Japan. Thanks to the input of Jake “virt” Kaufman it’s already sounding like its inspiration, but it’s thanks to Brazilan artist Dudu Torres that…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallA Booze Company Smuggled the Sega Mega Drive Into India
Take a look at this commercial, for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis). It’s for the Indian market, and while it’s a little rough around the edges, it’s mostly what you’d expect from the mid-90s. Except for that weird “Shaw Wallace” business. That’s not a YouTube uploader’s watermark, it’s the name of the company that handled…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 2, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
What Assassin’s Creed Looked Like in 2004
Nothing will make you realise just how old this console generation is than today’s Total Recall, which looks at the very first concept art ever put down on paper/computer for the project that would become Assassin’s Creed It was put down in 2004 That’s eight years ago, and while a lot has changed for the…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 2, 2012 -
Culture
The Astounding Video Game Art of Yang Qi
Yang Qi is a concept artist working in the video game industry. Currently based in Shenzen, he’s most recently worked on Asura Online, a Chinese game. Note in some of these that, in addition to his character artwork, Qi has even dropped in mock screenshots or dioramas featuring the characters or places in question. Neat…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 2, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallSega Debuts the World’s First Hologram Video Game
We’ve looked at Sega’s pioneering role in the world of 3D gaming before here on Total Recall, but only briefly stopped on Time Traveler, one of the company’s two and only attempts at holographic, 3D arcade gaming. This antique video, from Time Traveler’s 1991 debut, gives only a few hints as to how unsuccessful these…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Just How Many Damn Call of Duty Games is This Now, Anyway?
Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Activision and Treyarch will spend the next six months telling you this game is a sequel, but the fact the game’s name starts with “Call of Duty” reminds us we’re way past the point of using the number “II” when it comes to these shooters. Unless it’s XII. Or,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 -
Culture
It’s the End of the World as This Concept Art Knows it
Ioan Dumitrescu is a Romanian concept artist who does mostly freelance work in the video game industry. While you’ve likely never played some of the games he’s worked on, like World of Mercenaries, that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying some of his amazing artwork. You can see more of Ioan’s art at his CGHub site…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThe 1970s Movie That Looks Just Like a Video Game
In 1976, a short film called C’était un Rendez-vous was released in France. It ran for ten minutes. And if you’ve ever played a driving game you’ll probably want to watch it. There’s no real plot or anything to it, at least not until the end. It’s just a guy driving a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 30, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Video Game Books Used to be Amazing
If cheap magazines or dummy’s guides to dummy’s games are the only exposure you have to video games and the world of words on paper, I’m sorry you weren’t gaming in the 1980s, when you would have been treated to some of these I shared one of them a few weeks back, but seeing a…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 30, 2012 -
CultureGas Station Hot Dogs: The Snacktaku Review
Is the hot dog a snack, or is it a sandwich? Snackologists have long debated whether these discount sausage rolls fell under their dominion or were the bailiwick of the culinary elite. I have formulated, I believe, the ultimate answer. If you purchase a package of hot dogs from your local grocery store, bring it…
By Mike Fahey Published April 30, 2012 -
Culture
Time for a Snipe Hunt
Sniper Elite V2 leads the hit list of retail releases for this week. Assuming all is well with the publisher, Awesomenauts is due on PSN and XBLA this week, too. Tuesday • Mortal Kombat (PS Vita) • Sniper Elite V2 (360, PS3, PC) • Forza Motorsport 4: May Top Gear Pack (360) • Awesomenauts (PSN)…
By Owen Good Published April 29, 2012 -
Culture
Sunday Comics: What Would Valve Do?
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. Virtual Shackles by Jeremy Vinar and Mike Fahmie published April 27.—Read more of Virtual Shackles Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published April 23.—Read more of Awkward Zombie…
By Owen Good Published April 29, 2012