The First Japanese Sales Numbers of 2015 Are Not Surprising

We’re in 2015. Last year is last year. It’s over. The past! But let’s take a look at which games dominated the Japanese sales so far this year. Brace yourself for games that… also dominated last year. Japanese website 4Gamer published a list of the country’s top selling games from the first sales week of…

Mario in Puzzle & Dragons is a License to Print Money

How do you make even more money off of one of the most popular game franchises? Add a dash of gaming’s most iconic character, that’s how. GungHo Online Entertainment just announced today an upcoming collaborative game on the Nintendo 3DS, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. While it looks like Puzzle & Dragons with…

The Definition Of Boss

How can you see this and not have this song go through your head?

Zombie Studios, opened all the way back in 1994, has closed its doors. Best known for its work on the original Spec Ops games and Blacklight series, Zombie also did a lot of licensed stuff, from Zork games to Saw. For once, the reason for a studio closing down is not “run out of money”…

Spare The Time To Appreciate The Art Of Strategy Games

Strategy games on the PC aren’t – Civilization aside – known for their sense of style (though some are trying to change this). I may be biased because I’ve spent so much time staring at it over the past few years, but I think Crusader Kings II is one of the prettier examples. It may…

Valve Rejects Team Fortress 2 Map, Fans Release It Anyway

It’s always a shame to see hard work go to waste. After nearly 40 versions from a pair of dedicated fans, Valve scrapped CP_Snowplow from Team Fortress 2‘s “End of the Line” update. There’s a silver lining to this dark cloud, though: you can still play the map. Right now. This video from ValveTime outlines…

Neat Made-Up Smash Bros. Mini-Games You Should Try Out

One of the best parts of the new Super Smash Bros. is its level editor, which has made it easier than ever to create custom stages for players who want to take a page from the Calvinball rulebook. Let’s take a look at some of the coolest mini-games players have come up with so far.…

People are coming up with some, uh, creative uses for Amiibos. Andrew K managed to stuff the technology powering his Pikachu Amiibo into a Pokémon Yellow cartridge. Not only does the Pokémon Yellow cartridge act as a novel Amiibo, the cartridge still works in a Game Boy Color! You can reach the author of this…

Jelly Babies And 14 Other British Snacks You Should Try

While Snacktaku tends to focus largely on foods available in the U.S. or Japan, we must never forget that the world is filled with wonderful things to put in our mouths. Things like Jelly Babies, Aero bars and the rest of the British candy showcased in the latest vid from Anglophenia. British actress and writer…

Hearthstone‘s Latest Trend: Making Your Opponent Run Out Of Cards

It is testament to the brilliance of the digital card game Hearthstone that its players have come up with dozens and dozens of crazy, effective strategies over the past year. One tactic that’s becoming particularly popular these days? Forcing players to run out of cards. Let me explain. Every Hearthstone deck consists of 30 cards,…

How To Play The Independent Games Festival’s Grand Prize Nominees

Each year, the Independent Games Festival rounds up standout games made by solo developers and smaller teams, awarding prizes to the best. The nominations for the 2014 calendar were announced today and, no surprise, they’re all titles that are worth your time. Here’s how you can play the titles in the running for the Grand…

30 Minutes Of Impossibly Precise Mario Speedrunning

You probably know the story behind Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, otherwise known as the real Super Mario Bros. 2, deemed too challenging to release in America back in the NES days. (The SMB2 we know and love is called “Super Mario USA” in Japan, which probably should be grounds for World War III.)…