Reconsidering Backbreaker

This past week I had so much fun tinkering around with a game that I’m almost embarrassed to go back and read my original review. Because I was very hard on Backbreaker I was far from the only one. Praised for its exceptionally realistic animations and luxurious visuals, Backbreaker was ripped, deservedly, on the building…

Time-Lapse Videos Reveal the Beautiful Designs of Red Dead Redemption

Didn’t know this: Red Dead Redemption has an “afk” mode – don’t move the controller, and Marston and the HUD disappear, revealing a panoramic view. Digital Foundry used this mode to create startlingly lifelike time-lapse videos that you may download. The video, hosted at Eurogamer, is embedded on that site, so I can’t put it…

Killer Gets Two Life Sentences in Xbox-Motivated Murder

A Colorado Springs teen who killed a developmentally disabled man – investigators said he wanted the guy’s Xbox – will spend the rest of his life in prison for it. Kyle Sebastian Stott, 19, killed Jason Holley 22, in January 2009, hiding his body in a ravine near a hiking trail west of Colorado Springs.…

Box Scores: Let’s Go to the Tape!

Kotaku reader OTCIXS faced worse than an embarassing loss; as a diehard Penguins fan, he faced losing to Philadelphia – and to a live opponent assuredly ready to talk trash about it. And then a miracle unfolded. We have video! Tied 1-1 in overtime, OTCIXS took one of those ticky-tack penalties that has you believing…

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Get Kane & Lynch 2 Demo a Week Early

If you’ve bought into PlayStation Plus, on Tuesday you can get the Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days demo shipped to your console via automatic download. Everyone else gets it July 27. Automatic downloads are a feature of PlayStation Plus, though the demo is available through the PlayStation Store for subscribers too. The demo announcement…

The Moneysaver: If You Can’t Spot the Sucker in the First Half Hour

You spot a man’s tell, you don’t say a fuckin’ word. I finally spotted KGB’s. And usually I’d’ve let him go on chewing those Oreos ‘til he was dead broke. But I don’t have that kind of time. Hardware • Reminder: Walmart’s offering Kinect preorder bundles – get the device and a $30 gift card…

The Week in Review: One Hundred to One

News that 1 vs. 100 wouldn’t see a third season was hardly shocking. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t disappointing. True, no one was going to buy an Xbox 360, or any other console, because of a clever gameshow being run over its online service. That probably wasn’t the measuring stick for 1 vs. 100, either.…

My Summer Vacation To The EVO Fighting Championships

Last weekend, I joined a group of more than 5,000, many who had traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to compete against and witness the best fighting game players in the world at the annual EVO championship. Temperatures in Las Vegas in mid-July were well over 100 degrees Farenheit. The rooms of Caesars Palace, including…

A Street Fighting Fantasy

Our Street Fighter fantasies have never been this literal before. By Genzoman, as seen in Udon’s upcoming “Art of Capcom 2” book

Are You Proud To Be A Gamer?

Guess whose computer died this morning. Guessssssssssssssss. Never mind that! That is about me. This? This is about you. This is Tell Us Dammit. Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re…

New Bayonetta Figure Truly Captures The Essence Of Bayonetta

Yeah, we’ve seen our share of Bayonetta figures before. Thing is, there was always something wrong with them. Big heads, small heads, always something not quite right. This custom piece gets things right It’s due to make an appearance at Wonder Festival 2010 Summer in Japan next week. Get a look at that pose! Flexible,…

The Helmets, Visors & Master Chiefs Of Halo: Reach

When Halo: Reach is released, players will be able to choose from a wide selection of customisable armour components to get their Spartan looking just right. Here are the pieces of kit you’ve got to choose from. Note these are just the initial pieces; unlocking higher levels through playtime will grant you access to new…

A Guide To Building The ‘Perfect Arcade’ From Scratch

Don’t feel like dropping a few thousand on luxury arcade cabinets? Build your own! Gamespy’s thoroughly detailed look at building a custom arcade cabinet from the ground up might be a good way to spend your next fifty weekends. [Gamespy]

Operation: Mind Crime

If you wouldn’t mind handing me that fork, I’d like to stick it in this week. We’ll celebrate the weekend with a little off-topic conversation in this nightly post where anything goes. Guys, I’m outta here. Gonna go see Inception. Who’s with me? If you’re not with me, don’t be against me, just tell me…

Valve Unleashes An Alien Swarm On Steam

The Alien Swarm Unreal Tournament 2004 mod becomes a full, Source-powered four-player co-op tactics game, available for free on Steam this Monday, courtesy of the nice folks at Valve. Valve hired on the team responsible for Alien Swarm two years ago. Since then, they’ve been busy working on the Left 4 Dead series and now…

Swarm Screens

Atari Reviving Centipede, Star Raiders Too?

Earlier this week, Atari revealed an unexpected retro-revival, a new game based on the original Haunted House for the Atari 2600. Atari’s plans for breathing new life into old brands may not stop there. Siliconera spotted two more Atari throwbacks, Centipede and Star Raiders, at online rental outlet Gamefly, listed as future releases on the…

The Pause that Definitely Refreshes

Mega Man, reimagined in one of 12 old-school ads by Brian Miggels and Brian Altano of IGN. Zelda, Pac-Man, Solid Snake and more are at the link. [IGN]

Nintendo DS Steals XL Sized Piece Of Japan’s Pie

The XL sized Nintendo DSi LL continues its streak as the bestselling piece of hardware in Japan this week, helping to give Nintendo more than half the pie. But the super-sized Nintendo DS’s lead is starting to wane. Fortunately for Nintendo, its nearest competitor is itself. The Wii is the country’s second bestseller, according to…

Pro Football’s Glamour Divisions Get Their Close-Up

Now that we’re done with the AFC, it’s time for Madden NFL 11 to go to the league’s men’s department: the NFC, and proven leaders like Matt Leinart; old school hardasses like Wade Phillips, and perennial champions like the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are 39 screens of the NFC East and NFC West, which account for…