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CultureTotal Recall
A Beautiful Collection of Awesome Nintendo Logos
I like the games and the hardware, of course, but one of my favourite things about Japanese video games from the 1980s were the logos. And some of the best ones came out of Nintendo. I’m not talking about the company’s primary logo, either. I’m talking about the series of logos drawn up for the…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 23, 2012 -
CultureThe Ultimate Jeremy Lin Highlight Reel Arrives in the Nick of Time
Of all the tributes to the Knicks phenomenon Jeremy Lin, the best one on video might be stitched together from highlights in NBA 2K12, where Lin is currently rated a 75 and, who knows, may see the mid-80s before the end of the month. This video was cut by Operation Sports’ Shady 00018. Last night…
By Owen Good Published February 23, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallWho Needs The Wizard When You’ve Got Surf Ninjas?
The Wizard, a 1989 movie starring Fred Savage, was little more than a 100-minute commercial for Nintendo. Surf Ninjas, a 1993 movie starring Ernie Reyes, Jr., Rob Schneider, Leslie Nielsen (doing his best M. Bison impersonation) and Tone Loc, was much the same for Sega’s Game Gear handheld. Only it was way better. The film…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallSega Lost the Handheld Race Long Before it Lost the Console Race
People are still, a decade on, shedding tears over Sega’s last home console. We get it, it’s sad, but let’s not forget that other Sega gaming machine that was killed off by stronger competition. The Sega Game Gear. When Nintendo released the Game Boy in 1989, arch-rivals Sega decided it had to have a dog…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012 -
Culture
The BioShock, Dead Space & InFamous Art of Opus Artz
Opus Artz is a concept studio in London which specialises in production art for the video game industry. Among its artists are guys like Bjorn Hurri and Theo Stylianides, so yeah, we’re about to see some good stuff. The studio has worked with clients such as EA, 2K, Paradox and Square Enix, on games like…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallHow Sam & Max Hit The Road Taught Me To Love Words
People who know nothing about video games like to sling mud. They’ll say that games rot your brain, waste your time and distract from your studies. I’m here to tell you that that’s a lie, and I have proof. Be sure to click the video above to see how educational this game can really be.…
By Chris Person Published February 21, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallScrew 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 RecallHalf-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 RecallMy 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 RecallWhy 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 RecallRetro 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 RecallWe 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