Welcome to the Best of Kotaku, where I round up all of this week's best content.
First up is the image above. We look into the real eyes and mustache of Mario, thanks to deviantART artist CALLit-ringo. Be sure to hit up the link for the full-sized image. Thanks to dotcore for the find.
Moving on to our Best Of content this week, we kick things off as usual with a comment from the community.
The Best Comment From The Community
Our favorite comment of this week comes to you from rathorial:
ALL choice in video games is an illusion. The thing people don't seem to get correctly, is that every mechanic in a video game is an illusion of you doing something. If I'm playing through a character action game, all these complex animations and hit detection are being simplified to button press combinations and me moving the analog stick.
All the matters is the system presenting you the illusion doesn't suck. If the illusion is strong, the player buys in. Bayonetta is a strong illusion of combat, and Ninja Gaiden 3 is a garbage illusion of combat. Witcher 2 or Fallout: New Vegas are good illusions of player choice, while Mass Effect1-3 and Dragon Age 2 are bad illusions of player choice.
I do think Diablo 3 would be better if my character stuck up for himself, and had a personality to go with the voice. It would be even better if I got to make the damn choices in the game, since all the combat is built around me deciding what abilities and runes to use, along with what type of equipment...it just seems so natural for you to do the same with how you communicate with the world. Heck, then Diablo 3 would actually be an RPG, instead of an action game with RPG combat and character customization mechanics...seriously nothing you do outside combat makes it an RPG.
Though, if you wanted the humor angle we all also enjoy this comment from WolfRogers. You should check the article for context:
Well folks, Gotta Go!
The Argument For a Very Violent Scene in a Very Violent Video Game
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Assassin's Creed's New Black Heroine Represents a New Kind of Liberation
Evan Narcisse explores the first black female lead in Assassin's Creed. More »
Gender-Bending: 8 Impressive Girls-As-Guys Cosplays
Lisa Foiles unveils some of the most impressive gender-bending cosplay. More »
I Finally Beat Diablo III. What A Letdown.
Kirk Hamilton is underwhelmed by the Diablo III ending. More »
This Might Be The Best Way To Play Zelda At Work
Jason Schreier finds a nifty way to play Zelda as a flash game. More »
The Comics That Helped The Dark Knight Rise
Evan details the comics and inspirations that went into The Dark Knight Rises. More »
Anti-Bigotry Gaming Site Defaced With Racial Slurs
Jason interviews the man behind an anti-bigotry gaming site about getting attacked with racial slurs. More »
Athene, The 'Best Gamer In The World,' Is Taking Your Questions Right Now
Professional gamer Athene answered your questions live. More »
How To Buy Video Games
Kotaku's Dos and Don'ts to buying video games. More »
Review: The Astro A50 Wireless Gaming Headset
Kirk sizes up Astro's new headset. More »
How To Kill Civilians In A War Game
Kirk chats with the lead writer on Spec Ops: The Line about killing civilians in the game. More »
Five Spoiler-Heavy Reasons The Dark Knight Rises Fell Flat
Mike Fahey is not as pleased with The Dark Knight Rises. More »
One Of The Designers Of Guild Wars 2 Is Answering Your Questions Right Now
Guild Wars 2 content designer answered your questions live. More »
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Evan makes a connection with a small polygonal figure. More »
The Inside Story of the Making of Warcraft, Part 1
Patrick Wyatt, former Blizzard executive talks about the early making of Warcraft. More »
The Heavy-Metal Art Of Darksiders II
Kirk talks to the artist for Darksiders II about Death (the character, not the thing that puts you six feet under). More »
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Is All About Fresh Power-Ups, Spiteful Multiplayer And Coins, Coins, Coins
Kirk enjoys the many, many coins in New Super Marios Bros. 2. More »
5 Ways To Be A Massive Jerk To Your Opponents In Video Games
Patricia Hernandez gives us some not-so-serious advice on how to be a jerk to your opponents in video games. And some serious advice on how to combat the jerks. More »
RPGs Deserve A Better Class Of Criminal
Jason wants to see better villains in JRPGs. More »