Since I was busy having a social life last night, I was unable to do my regularly scheduled underrated/overlooked feature on time, however I found a somewhat (Sony biased to a certain degree) related feature on GamesRadar looking at the biggest games of the year that we all seemed to forget about. Kind of an intersting take on some of the top games of the year, but an important one nonetheless. Anyways, here's what they came up with (in the order they were presented):
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP): Whoa wait what?! There was an MGS on PSP this year? I had no idea. Dang, add that to the reasons for me to get a PSP...
Heavenly Sword (PS3): YES! That is a great game, but very short though, which is why people probably forgot about it. What's more shocking about this is that the article said it's been outsold by freaking Lair, and isn't even in the top 20 selling PS3 games list this week. Amazing.
God of War 2 (PS2): I was tempted to include this on my overlooked games of the year list, because really, have you heard much about the game since it came out last February. I sure haven't. Probably because it was released on a last-gen system early on in the year and got overshadowed by all the other next-gen games that came out later in the year. Make sure you do not forget this game as it is one of the 10 best PS2 games ever made.
Motorstorm (PS3): This was actually a very very good game that for some reason isn't mentioned very much any more...outside of the monthly downloadable content additions to the game on the Playstation Store.
SSX Blur (Wii): I admit, I've never played SSX Blur, but I've heard nothing but good comments about it. It seems odd that an SSX game is forgotten about so quickly though.
Stranglehold (360, PS3): I've only played the demo, but I don't know that Stranglehold exactly qualifies as one of the best of the year. It's certainly a very fun game with many imaginative features that really make you feel like your in a big hollywood action movie, but the thing is that the game is not extraordinary. I would pay $20 for it, but not the next-gen price of $60.
Crysis (PC): I think the only reason this game is on the list is because 90% of gamers don't have a PC good enough to run it, thus forgot about the game. However, when I get a computer that can actually run the game decently (in 8 years or so knowing me), I'll definitely give it a shot. But the game was published by EA, so chances are there will be a port for 360 and PS3 (that is if EA can get their head out of their asses when it comes to programming for that system)
Project Gotham Racing 4 (360): Now, I recall this one coming out and doing fairly well, but I haven't heard much about it after the amazing fall season the 360 had. It's a shame because PGR has been a great series.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3): Yes. Yes. FREAKING YES! Now, it's well known to PS3 owners but who else cares about it? No one really, especially Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, who's never heard of it.
So, RFGen, what are some of your favorite huge games of the year that you just don't hear mentioned any more?
Third party accessory developer Nyko has announced a Wii accessory that is actually very useful, unlike the multitudes of attachments, wireless sensor bars and controller gloves. This accessory being a wireless nunchuk. Finally, Nyko has freed us from the chains of wires on the Wii, and protected us from strangling each other with that one foot long nunchuk cord.
The wireless nunchuk works by attaching a little receiver to the bottom of the Wii remote which takes the signals from the nunchuk and delivers it to the Wii remote. Pretty clever, but it would have been nicer if it linked to the console directly, but I don't know if that is possible given that the Wii is set up only to work with Wii remotes for Bluetooth input (at least to my knowledge).
However, all may not be well in Wiiland. This wireless nunchuk could end up using yet another set of batteries. Or they could end up going the route of drawing power from the Wiimote itself. No details have been announced about how exactly it will be powered, but no matter what they do, it will end up costing you more batteries. Unless Nyko has the smarts to make it rechargable. Too bad Nintendo wasn't smart enough to actually make the Wiimote itself rechargable using USB or something of that sort. Oh well, it's in the past, nothing we can do about it now...other than bitch and moan to Nintendo to do it.
And of course, what wireless Wii accessory wouldn't be complete without its very own tacky wrist strap? Well, the nunchuk is definitely not one of those, as it does have its own wrist strap in order to protect you from yourself. No word on when the wireless nunchuk condom will be coming out.
However, the major downside of this is that the nunchuck is technically not a nunchuk, as it is not connected to something else. Sorry all you wannabe ninjas out there, you'll have to go find some other nunchuk to fool around with instead of being cheap and using your Wiimote/nunchuk between games of Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution.
2007 was the year of hype in gaming. Between Halo 3, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Crysis, and Assassin's Creed, this year has seen the release of some of the most talked up games of all-time. While some of them fell far short of the hype, there were plenty of other far superior games that came out, but received little to no attention from mainstream gamers. So, continuing now and on every Wednesday (or Thursday) until the end of the year, I will be giving you a look at two games released this year that deserve your hard-earned cash and attention. At the end of this five-part series (ending the day after Christmas), I will list them in order of the most overlooked/underrated.
First up this week is the Halo 3 BetaCrackdown by RealTime Worlds and published by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 (I know, Ctrl-Alt-Del sucks, B^U, etc etc, but this one isn't half bad.). Before I talk about it, I want to confess that I have never actually played the game, but I'm just going based off of what Tynstar has said about the game on our forums and what I have heard from elsewhere on the web. Crackdown is an example of when something with not much anticipation rides the coattails of another more popular thing (like The Decemberists riding Stephen Colbert's coattails). Some previous examples of this in gaming include Zone of the Enders (Came with the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo) and Dragon Quest 8 (came with the Final Fantasy 12 demo). In Crackdown's case, RealTime Worlds' corporate overlords (in the publishing sense) at Microsoft thought, "Hey, why don't we give people who buy Crackdown access to a time-limited beta version of Halo 3! It will increase sales for us because Halo fans will buy anything related to the game..." Okay, maybe they didn't say that exactly, but that seems to be the logic. Include a demo for the most anticipated game of all-time with a game that wouldn't sell very well on its own in order to boost sales. Makes sense. Well, the plan worked, as Crackdown went on to sell 1.35 million copies. Now why, would I include such a successful game on this list? Simple. It only sold that many for the Halo 3 beta. Just go to any used game store and you'll see a boatload of copies of Crackdown available for sale. It's a damned shame too because it's actually a great game and got very good reviews and response from those who actually played it. In the game, you play as a genetically enhanced cop with superhuman, comic book esque abilities. The game revolves around you taking down three gangs that control the city. The game has been described by many people (including our very own Tynstar) as very addictive, and definitely worth picking up. So, those of you with a 360, definitely look into getting this game.
Next game I'd like to feature is one of my favorite games of the year, Picross DS by Jupiter and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Now, as many of you on this site have discovered, Picross DS is a very addictive DS puzzler which is controlled entirely by the stylus (or the dpad if you please) and is a followup of sorts to Mario's Picross released here in the US 10 years ago on the original Game Boy. Now, many Picross games came out in Japan after Mario's Picross, but they never were released here because Mario's Picross was a commercial failure here, but 12 years later, Nintendo has tried out Picross in the US and Europe again. However, the DS iteration did not do extraordinarily well over here as well. But, for $20 it's a damn good value that will have you hooked for months. Picross DS is kind of like Sudoku, but with pictures. The numbers across the top of the puzzle tell you how many squares to fill in going down (and how many in a row there are), and the numbers going down the side of the puzzle do the same thing, but for going across. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you try out a few puzzles online, you'll understand it. Check out Wikipedia article about Nonograms in order to learn how to play them. You can also try your hand at a few nonogram puzzles by going here. Back to Picross DS, the game includes over 135 puzzles, a Daily Picross feature with five different unlockable minigames to test your puzzle solving skills, a puzzle creator, and online play. The coolest feature about this game are the free downloadable puzzle packs Nintendo has been releasing biweekly. Right now, you can download over 120 additional puzzles to your Picross DS cart (which can hold up to 100 puzzles). The puzzles are mostly from Mario's Picross on the Game Boy, but Nintendo has been having contests to make puzzles and some of those will be posted in a pack. Another online feature the game has is that you can send puzzles you created to your friends and have them solve them. All that for only $20. You really can't go wrong with Picross DS.
Check back next week when we look at something I haven't decided yet. Oddly enough I have no clue what I want to feature the next two times, but I know what the final part of the series will be. Oh well, check back and we'll see what I do.
2007 was the year of hype in gaming. Between Halo 3, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Crysis, and Assassin's Creed, this year has seen the release of some of the most talked up games of all-time. While some of them fell far short of the hype, there were plenty of other far superior games that came out, but received little to no attention from mainstream gamers. So, starting today and on every Wednesday (or Thursday) until the end of the year, I will be giving you a look at two games released this year that deserve your hard-earned cash and attention. At the end of this five-part series (ending the day after Christmas), I will list them in order of the most overlooked/underrated.
First up Dewy's Adventure for the Nintendo Wii. Developed by the same team at Konami that created last year's sleeper hit Elebits, Dewy's Adventure is a platformer with a very distinct twist. In the game, you play as a cute little drop of water named Dewy, and what you do is tilt the level and change the temperature. Very simple yes, but it provides many challenges. By changing the temperature, you change the form Dewy takes on. If you raise it, he will become mist and a cloud, and will be able to hit enemies with lightning. If you lower the temperature, he will become ice and slide across large pools of water. The game is also like its cousin, Elebits, in that it grades you based on your performance in each stage, so that adds some replay value. Also featured in that game is a multiplayer mode, and the ability to create levels and send them to your friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. If you own a Wii and don't mind a cute, somewhat childish looking game with a pro-environment message and odd loading screen advertisement messages for Nestle bottled water, by all means, give this one a look. I have a feeling that you will be seeing this profiled in some magazine in three years for a "best games you've never played" feature. But don't take my word for it, here's a cool little video explaining one guy's opinion on why the game is so awesome.
Or if a cute platformer isn't mature enough for you, then check out The Darkness (for both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3), developed by Starbreeze, the same studio behind the underrated Xbox/PC game, Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (look for the remake on PS3 and Xbox 360 in the near future!). The Darkness is a game based on the comic book of the same name in which you play as Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman blamed for double crossing Uncle Paulie, the New York mob boss. Oddly enough, on the same day this happens, Jackie is posessed by an alien creature named The Darkness, which gives him superpowers, but takes over his will. The main game plays as a standard modern day console FPS, complete with regenerating health and dual weilding, but when you summon The Darkness, the game changes completely. When summoned, The Darkness will appear as two tentacles which come out of Jackie's shoulder, giving him strength and four special powers. The first power will make The Darkness extend one of its tentacles, allowing you to look ahead, pick up guns, and kill enemies using it. The second power will give you two super powered guns. The third power will give you a sharp tentacle, which can pierce through enemies and obstacles. And the fourth power will create a black hole which sucks in EVERYTHING in its vicinity. Also, when you have The Darkness summoned, you are able to call Darklings, which are little critters that comes in different varities (Kamakazie, Gunner, Light Killer) to aid you in destroying your enemies and creating darkness for The Darkness to feed off off, since light is its only weakness. No overview of The Darkness would be complete without praising its superb voice acting. Mike Patton's (vocalist for the bands Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantomas, and some others) vocal performance, which was unedited and has no studio effects applied to it, is one of the best ever heard in a video game. However, the coolest part about the game is the sheer amount of content one can watch on the in-game television sets. Instead of having generic stock footage like in most games, The Darkness opted for public domain films, cartoons, and one full-length licensed movie, To Kill A Mockingbird. Yes, that's right. You can watch the entire, unedited version of the 1962 classic right in the game. Or if Popeye, The Three Stooges, or Flash Gordon is more you style, you can always watch some of those. However, it should be mentioned that the PS3 version has much much more in-game television content due to the increased disc size that Blu-ray offers (most notable: five additional Popeye cartoons), however, both versions have plenty to watch. A complete listing of the movies and animated shorts that can be found in the game is located here (I think this list covers the PS3 version).
Check back next week where we take a look at a game that's as addictive as crack (and a great stocking stuffer to boot), and a game that many cared about only for the bonus it had.
This is by far the most important Free Game of the Week feature I've ever done. Read on...
Alright guys, the on-demand gaming service Gametap (which just added its 1000th game, by the way), has added the Tim Schafer classic, Psychonauts, to its free service until December 31st. If you know me, you'll know that Psychonauts is easily one of my five favorite games of the 2000s.
In Psychonauts, you play as Raz, a ten year old boy with psychic powers who was raised in the circus. The game revolves around Raz and the other children at the Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp in which Raz has run off to. Along the way you'll meet a large cast of characters, each with their own very unique and hilarious personalities, and uncover a deviant plot to steal the minds of these young children and use them for evil purposes.
All you need to do in order to get free access to Gametap is download the client (click here: 35mb download), install it, and create an account. Once you've done that, launch the client and start downloading Psychonauts (about 4GB, so sorry those of you with dialup). And while you're at it, check out some of the other great games up on Gametap for free. Right now some of the games up for free are Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, Bloodrayne, Second Sight, Myst Online: Uru Live, Bubble Bobble, Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2, realMYST, Metal Slug, last week's free game of the week: Sam and Max: Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die, and many many others, all for free. A listing of all the games available for free can be viewed here.
So, you have a long Thanksgiving weekend coming up. Why not spend some of it at the Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp and get to know Raz, Dogen, Lili Zanotto, Agent Cruller, Sasha Nein, Bobby Zilch, and all the other people at the camp? Oh and don't forget about the milkman, who's milk is delicious.
As most of us in the US know, this upcoming Friday is considered Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The day which stores open very early and offer insane deals on the hottest items for the holiday season. Now, these deals are not just limited to Tickle Me Elmo and power tool sets, video games are included as well, and there are some great deals that will save you money if you're looking at buying for a loved one or getting a little treat for yourself.
Well, I have taken the liberty of compiling some great game-related deals that you will find this Friday so you you can plan your full-scale retail assault in advance.
Hit the jump to see the full list of deals. For your convenience, I have bolded what I think are the best deals.
Sweet mother of double jeopardy backstroking in butterscotch! In celebration of Season Two of their critically acclaimed Sam & Max episodic game series, Telltale Games has released Episode 4 from last season, Abe Lincoln Must Die!, for free! That's right, FREE!
The game continues the adventures of the Freelance Police: Sam, a detective dog, and Max, a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". This time, they must travel to Washington DC and take care of the President who is enacting federally mandated group hugs before sporting events, putting an embargo on pudding, and requiring mandatory gun registration! Along the way, you will encounter many hilarious situations, such as Max becoming president of the United States, an incredible musical number, and the Soda Poppers becoming the Governors of North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Dakota (newly formed).
This game is a must play for it's sharp writing and intelligent humor, both of which are very rare to find in gaming (or any other media) these days. You can download the game direct from Telltale Games for free. If you like this episode, be sure to buy Sam & Max Season One from Telltale ($30 for a download of all six episodes, plus a free bonus DVD with the episodes and a ton of bonus features) or the boxed retail version from The Adventure Company/Dreamcatcher Interactive ($30 as well, but you don't get as many extras). Also, remember to check out Season Two, which just started on both Gametap and Telltale's website.
Seriously guys. This is by far one of the best games out there right now. I urge each and every one of you to try it out and see what you think.
Starting on Decmember 4th with the fall update, you will be able to purchase and download games from the original Xbox from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Among the first games offered for download are Fable, Indigo Prophecy (the best of the initial offerings, in my honest opinion), Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Burnout 3, and some other TOTALLY OBVIOUS game which need not be mentioned here. These six games will run you 1200 MS Points (that's $15 in real money), and obviously will not work on the Core/Arcade model unless you have a hard drive added in.
I think that while it's nice that they are adding downloadable games from the original Xbox, I think that $15 is too much to pay for them, especially when you can go to Gamestop or the local pawn shop and get those games for a much lower price than $15. Seems kind of a waste if you can get the game cheaper and can get the physical media and manual as an added bonus. In addition, these games will probably be up to 7GB in size, which means you won't be able to store very many on a 20GB system. So that means you'll have to take the Nintendo-recommended approach and delete games from your hard drive that you aren't using.
It should also be noted that all of the games up for download are currently backwards compatible with the 360. Why sell them for $15 then? Probably so MS can try and capture some money from the sale of secondhand games is my guess. However, I am happy they are doing this because it will be nice to have a catalog of the original Xbox games up for download when they become harder to find.
In a surprising move, EA has shut down their Chicago studio and is moving its 150+ employees to other studios owned by them. In a company memo, Frank Gibeau (President of EA Games) mentioned that the reason the studio will be shut down is that it has not been profitable and is not expected to be profitable. What's really strange about the whole situation is that they only started in 2004 and have done just two games, Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon. I don't understand why EA would close down a studio after only two games.
The future of their in-development games (a Def Jam Icon sequel and a Marvel comics fighting game using the Def Jam Icon/Fight Night Round 3 engine) is unknown. However, I do hope the those two games get made because I LOVED Def Jam Icon (the demo at least) and I would love to see a game using Marvel characters made with that same engine. It could be especially fun with all the environmental damage and weapons found in Icon, like throwing people into the car wash or into a gas pump.
If you have a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, consider checking out Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon as both games are quite fun.
So, best of luck EA Chicago employees. Hope the closure doesn't hit you too hard.
So, I was checking out Surfer Girl Reviews Star Wars for the latest insider gaming information, and she posted this YouTube video, claiming it was the best game trailer ever. Reluctantly, I played the clip. Five seconds in, my head asploded...
Believe? Mad World? FORGET THAT! They aren't Rasta Style, now are they? That's right, a Bob Marley mobile phone game based on crappy flash games. I...I...I can't believe that Hudson got the rights to use Bob Marley's likeness for this "game".
You know, this is why the gaming industry is going down the crapper these days. People are willing to make crappy games for a quick buck, even if it means raping the legacy of a legendary person.
Some lucky guy in Marina, California managed to snag Rock Band early from the local Best Buy there. Instead of setting the game up as a demo, the Best Buy accidentally put it out for sale. This guy, "timenz", spotted it, bought it, and put it up on eBay. Needless to say, EA was not very pleased by this at all and gave the man a call asking him to return the game to the store. However, he did not do that. Then he got a call from Best Buy saying that if he returned it, he would receive a full refund and a $100 gift card, but he still refused to do it. He kept the eBay listing up, and now it is going for $326 (as of the time this article was posted).
So, fellow gamer nerds, what would you do in this situation? Auction it or return it for $100?
I'd auction it. He's doing quite well for himself if I must say so myself.
Typically I wouldn't cover ad campaigns, but I felt this one was kind of important to cover. Not just because it's Sony (admittedly, that's a part of it), but because this new campaign Sony is going to roll out is perhaps one of the best I've seen backing a game console.
As many of you may remember, PS3 ads from last year were filled with creepy babies, exploding Rubix Cubes, and eggs. Those ads caught a lot of heat for not showing off any games or being too artsy. Regardless, I thought they were alright in a David Lynchian abstract kind of way (speaking of David Lynch, look up his ads for the PS2, they're awesome).
However on Playstation.Blog, Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing & PLAYSTATION Network, announced the beginning of a new era in PS3 ads. No more abstract ads like last year, now there will be ads actually showing off games, the online capabilities, and other features of the system. As Peter said "The games are here, the price point is now $399 and we wanted to make the news loud and clear. But we need to deliver that in a way that befits the PlayStation brand." So, the result is this new ad:
Perhaps the best console ad ever. It's so damn good it makes me want to get another PS3. Peter also says that more ads are on the way, including ads that feature "upcoming third-party exclusives such as Haze from Ubisoft and Metal Gear Solid 4 from Konami" and "other great PS3 games like Burnout Paradise, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008, Assassin's Creed, Madden NFL 08 and Time Crisis 4." Also, Peter stated that this new campaign is the most expensive they have ever done for hardware. Looks like Sony is trying to finally pick up the ball they dropped with the PS3 launch and everything leading up to it.
Let me just say, BRAVO SONY! Way to get your head out of your ass and make some ads that people are actually PRAISING!
Following in the steps of the Halo 3 Future Weapons special on the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel will be airing a special on the making of the hotly anticipated game on November 20th at 10PM (that's Central time because it's the only time that matters). Some details on the special can be found on Sci-Fi Channel's website. Nothing really is known about the special other than it will be on Sci-Fi, will show a look behind the game, and they will be giving away copies of the game. Very descriptive, I know.
So, I was browsing the interwebs today, and I saw an article on Kotaku which mentioned Re-Volt in the headline. My first thought when I saw it was "OMFG!! NEXT GEN RE-VOLT!?!" but then I calmed down once I saw the article is about a new downloadable game from Sony and Game Republic called Toy Home. Skeptical about Kotaku's claim that it looks like a next-gen Re-Volt, I decided to check out the video, and lo and behold, it is!
The game, which will be released on the Playstation Store for Playstation 3, is a racing/combat game, in which you drive as supercharged wind-up cars through in evironments such as a kid's room, what looks like a daycare center, and a living room (I think).
Here is the trailer for the game:
Also, if you've never heard of Re-Volt, you owe it to yourself to hunt it down on either PC, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation, or Nintendo 64. I give it my stamp of approval (mainly the PC and Dreamcast versions, as the PS1 has some trouble running it).
Today in the mail, I got a package from everyone's favorite console maker, Nintendo. Enclosed in the package were four of their new (undoubtedly court mandated) silicone Wii Remote Jackets. Now if you didn't know, because people are still morons with their Wii Remotes and throw them around like they are spears, Nintendo had to step in yet again to help save people from themselves with the all-new Wii Remote Jacket.
This is not a major problem, but based on my observations in the sensitivity adjustment area of the Wii, when you have a low sensitivity and are a fair distance from the "sensor bar," having the jacket on the Wiimote will affect how well the signal from the sensor bar is read. However, if your sensitivity is adjusted properly, I found that there was no difference in the readings. A test run on Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition confirmed my findings, as it played the same with and without the jacket on.
Also, like any of the other third party Wii Remote Jackets, changing the batteries becomes a nightmare. However, it is less of a nightmare compared to the the third party ones I've used (thanks OatBob), as the official one slides onto the Wii Remote very efficiently and with very little effort. However, it still is very annoying.
But the worst thing about the remote jackets is what they do to your Wii Remote. They basically turn it into a even more of a dildo than it already was, giving people like even more fuel to their beliefs.
Want proof of how horrible the jackets look on the Wii Remote? Consult the following comparison: [img width=250 height=188]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Tondog/wiimotejacket/wiimotenojacket.jpg[/img][img width=250 height=188]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Tondog/wiimotejacket/wiimoteandjacket.jpg[/img] [img width=250 height=188]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Tondog/wiimotejacket/wiimoteandjacketside.jpg[/img][img width=250 height=188]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Tondog/wiimotejacket/wiimoteandjacketback.jpg[/img]
Notice how the normal Wii Remote on the left hand side looks like a regular old remote, but the one on the right hand side looks like it is some kinky sex toy your girlfriend might enjoy (just add this program and you'll be set). Also notice, it is ribbed for her pleasure!! This new jacket is a first step towards this and this this (both links=NSFW).
However, as much as I think the new Lawsuit Preventing Wii Jackets are a lame idea overall, I do like a few things about it. First, it's pretty comfortable to hold and doesn't affect the feel of the remote too much. But if you are like me and get sweaty palms while playing games, it will feel slippery while using it. Second, they are padded pretty well to prevent a TV breakage, but I still think that you could break a TV even with it on if the remote flys with enough force. Third, I like that they used a decent amount of silicone. That will cause a shortage of silicone, thus not as many people will be getting breat implants. NATURAL BOOBIES FTW! Also, the built in cover for the accessory port is a very nice thing and should have been on the Wiimote from the get-go.
That about wraps up my look at the new Wii Remote Jackets. If you want to get them, all you need to do is go to http://www.nintendo.com/c.../jacket/jacketrequest.jsp and you can order up to four of them for free. It should take less than two weeks from the time you order them to the time it shows up in your mailbox. Also, for our friends in Canada (aka: Tan), this offer is open to you as well. Free Wiimote Condoms for all! Isn't Nintendo wonderful?
Since I was busy having a social life last night, I was unable to do my regularly scheduled underrated/overlooked feature on time, however I found a somewhat (Sony biased to a certain degree) related feature on 
Third party accessory developer Nyko has announced a 
First up this week is the 
Next game I'd like to feature is one of my favorite games of the year, Picross DS by Jupiter and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Now, as many of you on this site have discovered, Picross DS is a very addictive DS puzzler which is controlled entirely by the stylus (or the dpad if you please) and is a followup of sorts to Mario's Picross released here in the US 10 years ago on the original Game Boy. Now, many Picross games came out in Japan after Mario's Picross, but they never were released here because Mario's Picross was a commercial failure here, but 12 years later, Nintendo has tried out Picross in the US and Europe again. However, the DS iteration did not do extraordinarily well over here as well. But, for $20 it's a damn good value that will have you hooked for months. Picross DS is kind of like Sudoku, but with pictures. The numbers across the top of the puzzle tell you how many squares to fill in going down (and how many in a row there are), and the numbers going down the side of the puzzle do the same thing, but for going across. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you try out a few puzzles online, you'll understand it. Check out 
First up 
Or if a cute platformer isn't mature enough for you, then check out 
This is by far the most important Free Game of the Week feature I've ever done. Read on...
Sweet mother of double jeopardy backstroking in butterscotch! In celebration of Season Two of their critically acclaimed Sam & Max episodic game series, Telltale Games has released Episode 4 from last season, 
Starting on Decmember 4th with the fall update, you will be able to purchase and download games from the original Xbox from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Among the first games offered for download are 
In a surprising move, EA has shut down their Chicago studio and is moving its 150+ employees to other studios owned by them. In a company memo, Frank Gibeau (President of EA Games) mentioned that the reason the studio will be shut down is that it has not been profitable and is not expected to be profitable. What's really strange about the whole situation is that they only started in 2004 and have done just two games, Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam Icon. I don't understand why EA would close down a studio after only two games.
Some lucky guy in Marina, California managed to snag Rock Band early from the local Best Buy there. Instead of setting the game up as a demo, the Best Buy accidentally put it out for sale. This guy, "timenz", spotted it, bought it, and 
Following in the steps of the Halo 3 Future Weapons special on the Discovery Channel, the Sci-Fi Channel will be airing a special on the making of the hotly anticipated game on November 20th at 10PM (that's Central time because it's the only time that matters). Some details on the special can be found on 