Hardcore. If you're a gamer, chances are you've heard this term being thrown around to describe multiple things. A "hardcore" game, a "hardcore" game player, a "hardcore" difficulty level. The word is normally associated with something that's not recommended... [more+]

The news of Nintendo not having a major press conference this year at E3 is fairly surprising, as it places them as the only one of the big three not doing a large-scale presentation. Instead, they will be holding smaller presentations within their setup on the show floor. Obviously, people are... [more+]

We play video games because they take us out of this world and put us into another. We play them because they give us the opportunity to do things we could never do in reality. Whether these worlds are completely made up or a fictionalized version of what we know, sometimes we can only wish we... [more+]

In this episode, I explore the browser game, Super Mario Crossover, which combines retro NES characters like Simon Belmont, Samus, and Link, then puts them into the world of the original Super Mario Bros. Created by Exploding Rabbit, which is the alias of Jay Pavlina and his one-man production company,... [more+]

Hello fellow readers! This is me just riffing on why I love Castlevania while discussing four games from the franchise (Castlevania 1, Castlevania 3, Bloodlines, Circle of the Moon) and many others. ... [more+]

We've been having some fun with these crazy and highly unlikely video game character hybrids. It's chimera time! and no, I'm not talking about Resistence chimeras, but our very own video game chimeras, fresh out of the drawing board... well, Photoshop. Could you imagine Nathan Drake on... [more+]

I loved LucasArts. I got my start in the industry there. Many of my closest friends were made in the forge of those long hours working on Star Wars games. I can think of a thousand reasons why I'll miss LucasArts so much. I'll try to limit myself to just a handful here. Check out the video... [more+]

Even before its release, Metal Gear Rising: Revengance was criticized for being too different from the series' established formula. It's easy to see the logic behind these critiques, because many of the themes people associate with Metal Gear Solid are minimal or absent in the new title. Still,... [more+]

"You are bad guy. This does not mean you are bad guy." - Zangief, Wreck-It Ralph.  The above quotation pretty much describes exactly what I'm going for with this piece. Too often, it seems we forget that villains don't necessarily have to be complete monsters or power-mad maniacs.... [more+]

Game development isn't exactly an easy job, and the games industry can be a rather unstable place. Releasing an amazing game doesn't necessarily guarantee you're in the clear, nor does an immensely popular game always get a sequel. Bad things happen: developers shut down, publishers axe... [more+]

There was a time not so long ago when not every video game sported a sweeping, grand orchestral score; a time when you didn't need a world-famous, critically-acclaimed composer or a whole sound team to cobble together a soundtrack for your game; a time when music in video games was simpler; a series... [more+]

With Blizzcon officially set to make a return this year at the Anaheim Convention Center this November, the obvious question that's on everyone's minds is just what exactly does Blizzard have in store for us? Diablo III is out the door, WOW: Mists of Pandaria is still going strong, and Startcraft... [more+]

Gun control is no doubt a hot topic within today's political mindset, and we're barely two months into 2013. After the Sandy Hook shooting that shocked the country last year, some people are now calling for tighter restrictions on guns, particularly ways to prevent assault rifles from being... [more+]

I get it, developers. You want your characters to be memorable. I understand that you want people to look at them and go "wow, cool!" And I know that one of the best, most common means of accomplishing this is by giving the character an original, creative, or unique weapon. Unfortunately,... [more+]

Today's breed of gamer is significantly different from 20 years ago. We have become a more varied and diverse species of human with different tastes and preferences. However, new traits are becoming the norm. Traits such as being unable to commit as much time to their favorite games, not being... [more+]

Valentine's Day can be a painful reminder for the single about their unwanted singleness. However, love has just as much baggage as it does rewards. For those spending V-Day alone, here are ten reminders from popular video games that it could be much, much worse. (Note: SPOILERS for the games follow.) 10.... [more+]

The conventional wisdom will often tell an actor to play a character with a nuance and understated approach. However, sometimes the most memorable characters are the ones played by actors who threw subtlety to the wind and chewed up the scenery. This is especially true with video games, which often... [more+]

The "next generation" of console gaming is fast approaching - and no one has been able to stop talking about it for the last few years. As with Microsoft, everyone wants to know what Sony has up its sleeve for the PlayStation 4. As a result, we've been treated to wild speculation, hit... [more+]