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CultureTotal RecallThe 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 RecallNo, 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 RecallIt’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 RecallWHAT 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 RecallHey, 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 RecallThe 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 -
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
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