The Fourth Annual Coint and Plick Video Games Poll - Part Three: #53 - 79

What's come before:

The Fourth Annual Coint and Plick Video Games Poll - Part One: #106 - AKA the 26 games that got one vote and five points

The Fourth Annual Coint and Plick Video Games Poll - Part Two: #80 - 105

#80: Halo Reach – System – 10 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
#80: Infinity Blade – iPhone – 10 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
#80: Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 – Wii/DS/PC/PS3/360/PSP/iPhone – 10 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
#80: Ys 7 – PSP – 10 pts – 2 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Alice in Wonderland – DS – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: MLB ’10: The Show – PS3 – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: NBA 2K11 – PS3/360/Wii/PC/PSP – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: NHL 11 – PS3/360 – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Puzzle Quest II – DS/360/iPhone/PC – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#83: Settlers 7 – PC – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#83: Soosiz – iPhone – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#83: Space Invaders: Infinity Gene – PS3/360/iPhone – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#83: Space Miner: Space Ore Bust – iPhone – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Super Mario All Stars: 25th Anniversary Edition – Wii – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Super Scribblenauts – DS – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Trauma Team – Wii – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Veggie Tales 3D – PC – 10 pts – 1 vote- FREE!
Download Hub
#84: Victorian BMX – Flash – 10 pts – 1 vote – FREE!
Official Game Site
#84: World of Goo – iPad – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#84: Yakuza 3 – PS3 – 10 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#100: Metro 2033 – PS3/360/PC – 9 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#101: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood – Wii – 8 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#102: Half Minute Hero (UK Release) – PSP – 7 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#102: Qrank – iPhone/Facebook – 7 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#105: NBA Jam – PS3/360/Wii – 6 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#105: Tilt to Live – iPhone – 6 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#:106: Achievement Unlocked – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote - FREE
Official Game Site
#106: Bit.Trip.Beat – Wii/PC/Mac/iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Chaos Rings – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Cut The Rope – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: DC Universe Online (Demo) – PS3/PC – 5 pts – 1 vote[/b]
Official Game Site
#106: Deathsmiles – 360 – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Desktop Dungeons – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote – FREE!
Official Game Site
#106: Epic Citadel – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Espgaluda II – 360/iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: FIFA 2011 – 360/PS3/PC/Wii/iPhone/PSP/DS – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Final Fantasy XIII – 360/PS3 – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Galaxy On Fire 2 – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: GunGirl 2 – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote – FREE!
Official Game Site and Download Hub
#106: Lara Croft and The Guardians of Light – PS3/360/PC/iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition – PS3/360/PC/iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Monster Hunter Tri – Wii – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Osmos – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Playpen – Web Based – 5 pts – 1 vote - FREE
Official Game Site
#106: PrincessRL – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote – FREE!
Official Game Site and Download Hub
#106: Shoot First – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote – FREE!
Official Game Site and Download Hub
#106: Sin and Punishment 2: Star Successor – Wii – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Sleep is Death – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote – Only two bucks (minimum)!
Official Game Site and Download Hub
#106: Slingo Supreme – iPhone – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Sly Cooper Collection – PS3 – 5 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
#106: Taberinos – Flash – 5 pts – 1 vote – FREE online
Official Game Site
#106: Teppoman 2 – PC – 5 pts – 1 vote - FREE
Official Game Site

yay forks go go go

#79: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – PS3/360 – 11 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
http://paulrobertson.mechafetus.com/toddingram_freakout_a.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN43uZPgmiU

Jamescobo: Because my parents were infuriatingly protective dicklords who refused to let me have any sort of video game apparatus when I was a kid, I never really got into River City Ransom until I played it on an emulator. I could tell it was great, but it also felt really archaic not being able to save or with such a rudimentary (by contemporary standards anyway) leveling system or etc. Scott Pilgrim, then, is basically the same exact framework, but with all of the modern gewgaws developed in the 20 years (gawd) since RCR's release. Bonus points for the 8-bit art style (great) and the music (GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT).

http://ii.alatest.com/product/600x400/3/e/Scott-Pilgrim-vs-The-World-The-Game-PS3-0.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h31OGqXn2VI

Polyphonic: Like Castle Crashers but better.

http://www.saveongames.com.au/images/3441.ScottPilgrimVsTheWorldTheGame_5F00_KimAngstWave.jpg

.gif madness

http://www.crunchdot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/5e865779d7bombs2.jpg.jpg

Soundtrack Composer Interview

http://nerdnightmare.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/scottpilgrim.jpg

Designer Interview

http://paulrobertson.mechafetus.com/lucaslee_dash_skateboard.gif

Gametrailers

http://paulrobertson.mechafetus.com/scott_pummel.gif

Metacritic

that game owns so fucking hard

Played this game for about 15 minutes in single player. I am a major SP fan AND a major RCR fan, but it was kinda frustrating tbh, it just seemed to take SO LONG to kill anyone...

how long is this game?

To really play Scott Pilgrim you gotta play multiplayer, in my opinion.

incidentally, the blog has gotten a few excellent inbound search terms recently:

"living penis"
"kids penis"
"cosplay deathsmiles"
"i found my house in fallout 3"
"monster hunter fucking"
"boring heroes"
"ice bro mario"
"play doh sculptures"
"agoraphobic"
"r is gay"

where's the blog? a blog of this countdown? sorry, I'm sure the link has been posted before, but I it's prb faster for me to just ask than to go searching for it at this point

http://cointandplick.wordpress.com/

Those search referrals are great. Could be the makings of a concept album.

That site works beautifully in ipad flipboard.

#78: Specter Spelunker Shrinks – Flash – 13 pts – 1 vote - FREE!
Official Game Site
http://img.youtube.com/vi/1efc7OPceZs/0.jpg

abanana: Fantastic idea; I hope Ken Grafals completes the full game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efc7OPceZs

Dev Site

http://www.indiegames.com/blog/images/timw/sshrinks3a.png

Forksclovetofu: Damn fun. I'd love to see this mechanic gets picked up for a full length release.

http://shadowcovenant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/spelunker.jpg

Doctor Casino: I do have to say I don't love the 3-D engine, which feels kind of incidental to the shrinking/growing gimmick... the perspective just makes it hard to figure out distances, which is always an unforgivable problem in a platformer. Beautiful concept though.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NVkGR52OLQM/TQFqXbEtu6I/AAAAAAAAAI8/KOhkH_itXGs/s1600/specter%2Bspelunker%2Bshrinks.jpg

Composer Site

2 way tie for #76

#76: Puzzle Agent – PC/iPad – 13 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
http://cf.gzimg.com/t/b/2/d/3/www.joystiq.com-b2d3609f3d2291ae0e84d858b36a8794029a4886.jpg

Graham Annable Interview

http://cdn.pocket-lint.com/images/wXFH/aotd-puzzle-agent-hd-ipad-1.jpg?20100914-213938

Nhex: Didn't finish this yet, but likely the funniest game I've played all year.

Metacritic

http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2010/119/PuzzleAgent_03058_screen.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG4sT1IEKeE

a passing spacecadet: How do you fit puzzles seamlessly into a hyper-realistic and fast-moving plot? Ah, don't bother. Goofy knowingness + retro cartoon visuals = a pleasant use of an evening. Hoping for a sequel, if only to explain the ending.

http://buttonmashing.com/wp-content/uploads/pa2.jpg

Sequel on the Way

http://www.hookedgamers.com/images/1848/puzzle_agent/previews/header_697_puzzle_agent.jpg

Forksclovetofu: Layton fans will eat this up with a spoon; the kooky art style is tremendously winning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8dK3EnIr6k

http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/pa_2.jpg

a total layton knockoff at around a fourth of the length. i like the look of the game though.

#76: 3D Dot Game Heroes – PS3 – 13 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site
http://www.whoaorno.com/images/190.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-feI0Y6f8Hc

Matt D: I've made very little progress in this because I spend too much time designing pixel block characters at the start. It's basically old-school Zelda with some decent humour and blocks. There's a texture skin for Minecraft that gives it much the same look and feel as this game - it's good synergy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoFYEtj2tDw

Gametrailers

http://admintell.napco.com/ee/images/uploads/gamertell/3d_dot_game_heroes_02.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C86AZxnpIjI

Jamescobo: Fanservice gone impossibly right. Old-school as fuck in terms of difficulty and helpfulness, but built from the ground up to cater to the type of gameplay old-school gaming used to inspire (i.e. "next time I play through I'll talk to X and Y and hit up the From Cave and and and..."). Also deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as WipeOut HD in terms of best graphics on the platform; whether in motion or sitting still, it just looks like the type of game you're excited to pick up and play.

http://ps3media.gamespy.com/ps3/image/object/143/14350003/dot_610.jpg

Metacritic

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/104/1045698/3d-dot_111609_624_1258421695.jpg

The Perils of Localization

http://gamesareevil.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/3D_Dot_Game_Heroes_Gameplay1.jpg

Forksclovetofu: I really WANTED to love this but it honestly bored the hell out of me. Unnecessarily slow loading times, clunky writing and level design and generally bleh combat suggest that the creators confused the least enjoyable qualities of old-school gaming with "retro". Gorgeous design though.

http://inadawords.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/3d-dot-game-heroes-octorok.jpg

Dev Interview

3D Dot Game Heroes was ok, but has got to be the most crash prone game I've played on a console.
They made a patch, and then refused to release it in the EU! Cheers guys!

All the pre-release hype for 3d dot game heroes got me really excited. Then it came out and everything I read made it seem like a wasted opportunity. It's on my 'pick up when you see it for £5' list.

#75: Railworks 2 – PC – 14 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/images/04/78/47864_RailSimulator2RailWorks-05_normal.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN47wFcnRJc

BBC News Interview

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-90AMs6iWPDc/TVkVq7yTJTI/AAAAAAAACpA/nzvcwtRI8FU/s1600/RailWorks+2-SKIDROW2.jpg

Jim D: There are bits in this game where you need to do nothing more than stare out of the window for 8 or 12 minutes. The challenge comes from maintaining concentration on doing nothing for that long, without then forgetting to reduce your throttle by 5% when those 8 minutes are up. Weirdly fun, pretty zen, and unlike anything I've done in a game before, so for that reason it gets a strong vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMZdy8mkvYs

http://img.listal.com/image/713913/936full-railworks-%28rail-simulator-2%29-screenshot.jpg

Princess TamTam: I'm starting a railworks clan everyone. Please add =[420]=LoCo-Motive to your gamertags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYH_0GqeYKM

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5OxOd9vstGo/TNF5AIUeqWI/AAAAAAAAAI4/mInExHipvfM/s1600/RailWorksProc22010-11-0302-03-31-46.jpg

4 way tie for #71

#71: Alien Swarm – PC – 15 pts – 1 vote - FREE!
Official Game Site
http://www.mostiwant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Alien-Swarm-free-Steam-Game.jpg

Nhex: Once again proving that Valve knows how to acquire talent, this game brought out the obsession in me for a good chunk of this year. It's basically a co-op time attack game with very well designed levels and a pretty awful community, likely due to being free. The EXP unlock / prestige system is a little evil, but I damn well know if they ever get around to releasing new weapons or maps I'll jump back in. It's a shame this will probably be ignored by Valve, because the effort of design shows, it gets shockingly deep and brutal. And free!

Wait...free?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TLwLgWoAIw

http://stggamers.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/alienswarm.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldFzzVq4lc

Touching heroics in Alien Swarm

http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Daily/2010/07-Jul/20/Valve%20promo/alien-swarm2--article_image.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_XohhTkbMs

http://www.gossipgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/alien_swarm3-590x331.jpg

#71: Hero Core – PC – 15 pts – 1 vote - FREE!
Official Game Site and Download Hub
http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/hero_core_indie_game.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu_xdCHdSqg

Top 10 Gamasutra Indie Games

http://www.pixelprospector.com/wp-content/themes/arras-theme/library/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/hero-core-logo.png&w=630&h=250&zc=1

Download the Soundtrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIppXw6TYI0

Nhex: So many Metroidvania clones, so many games that use a Game Boy aesthetic. This one, from the maker of the high quality Iji, nails it. Super tight controls, 2-bit graphics, a little bit of carefully placed atmospheric design and music - shows what it takes to outclass the masses of solid but unmemorable flash action games.

http://www.pixelprospector.com/wp-content/gallery/hero-core/hero-core-02.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXU286GPgvk

http://www.diygamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/herocore-map.PNG

Indie Game Review

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/213/4/7/Hydra_lic_Systems_by_Oneiric_Studios.png

man this last run has been like 100% itisamystery.gif to me

lol macuser

i love that you can spend thousands of dollars on railworks DLC

You're not alone in that jjjustin. Macusers unite!

i think alien swarm is mac compatible?

Nope.

sadly no, despite being Source engine, Valve never ported it to Mac

having a bootcamp partition is totally worth it for stuff like those two, really fond memories of playing both

i pretty much just look at my mac every so often and think "wow man that looks a lot like one of those things that other people get to play games on!"

help me forks i am bored at work

props for linking back to Iji, btw

nhex's quote made me try hero core. it's a fun little game.

got NBA Jam & it is tight, sorta my perfect explosive & kinda repetitive game

still bored at work today fyi forks, you can swoop in and save me from posting on random big 4 threads all day long

dittttttttto

jjjusten, why don't you play the Digital sequel and we can discuss how creepy it is?

digital sequel?

oh wait i found it

#71: Perfect Dark – 360 (XBLA) – 15 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
http://www.addictedgamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/perfect_dark_xbla.jpg

Gametrailers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4fw0VvPg9w

Salsa Shark: I'm going to be honest here: I've never played the campaign mode of either this or the N64 version. And I probably never will. If you feel that this should discount this vote because of that then fine, but given the number of people who vote for FPS games in these GOTY things without bothering to play the single-player mode it might be a bit unfair. Anyway, I've given this 15 points because there are some differences between the remake and the original, but almost all of these are positive. Perhaps the best change is that you no longer have to play through various combat challenges to unlock MP maps (though some weapons remain to be unlocked). Since the combat challenges get controller-throwingly difficult towards the second half and the default map selection in the N64 game was dire, this is a hugely welcome change. The starting line-up of weapons is decent enough that MP can be played straight after downloading with enough weapon variation to satisfy most people. The only minor complaint I have is that you can only load in four sims, which limits the possibilities for local MP team-based games. Still, the game is just as fun as ever and finally actually playable now that the consoles have caught up to the online and technical aspirations of the original version.

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/perfect-dark-xbox-live-arcade-screenshot.jpg

Metacritic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keUWOu6a_bE

Producer Interview

http://mktplassets.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/AC110852-22BB-478C-908E-FF80DB5B27FA/0/simPerfectDarkXBLA01.jpg

Eurogamer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmBtHCnhaLM

cozwn: perfect dark. xbla. 1080p. 60fps. fuck. yeh.

http://www.gameinformer.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Components-ImageFileViewer/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles-00-00-00-00-06/5353.PERFECTDARK.jpg_2D00_610x0.jpg

Neogaf Thread

http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/perfect.jpg

i played the original but not the remake -- it looks amazing

forks u are a hero

i never played the original or the remake - i had kinda a FPS blindspot for a long long time, didnt really shake it until bioshock/orange box

#71: Split/Second – PS3/360/iPhone/PSP/PC – 15 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site
http://www.thebitbag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Split-Second-Disney-Racing-Game.jpg

Gametrailers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oirFKi6Sfo

How Black Rock Uses Code Branches

http://www.gamersmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/split_second_screenshot.jpg

Euler: I loved Pure and Split/Second is like that but sorta more 2D until you start falling through the freeway because some wise guy decided to blow up half the board. It's the first worthy Burnout 3 successor I've played, with just enough non-linearity to make it ~next gen~.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKgcLzcO4_c

Tech Director Interview

http://ui04.gamespot.com/1155/splitsecond1_2.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Vkc86jI80

http://files.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/190448_S/SplitSecond-Release-Date-And-New-Name-Revealed.jpg

Metacritic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9StneNAPJ7M

http://www.game-debate.com/games/screenshot/Split%20Second/1.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNfISo0nSmg

jjjusten: Oh man u guys, Split/Second fucking owns!

http://www.futuregamez.net/ps3games/splitsecond/splitsecond2.jpg

see thats what im talking about! i just got this yesterday but burned through like 6 hours like a crackhead last night. unless something goes terribly wrong, this would have been on my ballot if id gotten to it sooner.

apropos of nothing but the last racing game i ever bought was gran turismo (3? 4?) on the ps2 and it was so boring i never bought one again

ha im going to get yelled at for this by some of the dudes around here but thats because gran turismo is one of the most boring awful nongames ever. did you ever try any of the burnout games? car wrecks are key imo.

like hardcore gt dudes remind me of the guys that played lots of flight simulators back in the day - why r u perfecting a really accurate not having fun simulator?

oh man, lots of stuff today, lots of links for me to get reading!

I voted for Puzzle Agent and I must admit I may be one of the only people alive on ILG who has never played any of the Professor Layton games, but I've never had a DS/Wii. So if it really is a shameless ripoff, I wouldn't know, but it was fun. I thought of it as a funnier, animated version of the Usborne spy puzzle adventure books I remember being just too old for as a kid.

xposts good to see some PSP games on here, have only bought like 1 game for it in the past year, hope that might change after this poll

Gran Turismo is sort of intentionally boring. You need an arcade-style game I bet.

(I love Gran Turismo AND Burnout though.)

les rallizes denudes track in that youtube clip - nice!

#53: Mirror’s Edge – iPhone – 20 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/09/edgephone.jpg

Autumn Almanac: The designers really thought about how to execute parkour platforming on a touch screen and it shows.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2829849839_765697c938.jpg

abcfsk: Mirror's Edge is just wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i791LVFlxQg

http://i.neoseeker.com/gg/uploads/news/10-2008/news_img_14791_5.jpg

Touch Arcade review

IGN review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr5LQq42l4M

Probably my last one until next week, btw.

bummer. i hope this list finishes before we start soliciting ballots for 2011

If forks has some free time he can always tag in during my absence.

bummer. i hope this list finishes before we start soliciting ballots for 2011
too late TACTICS OGRE 4 PRESIDENT 2011

honestly wish i had more time for this guys. candle already burning on both ends

Well, let's see if I can polish off the 53's at least

#53: Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi – 360 – 20 pts – 1 vote

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33346/1349472-ketsui_large.jpg

We have the year 2054 and we are in the middle of a War. An Evil Company by the name EVAC is making massive Profit by, illegally, Producing and selling Weapon Systems. The United Nations discovered EVAC's doings and asked them to immediately stop all actions and to Destroy all Facilities. EVAC refused to take any action and now the United Nations started a preventive War against the evil Company.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhSLrU6jtjk

Trivia: The Evil Company's name EVAC is the word CAVE spelled backwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcBJUBc-3qY

#53: Guwange – 360 – 20 pts – 1 vote

http://javs.it/files/2010/02/Guwange.jpg

Despite being more well-known in the West for games like DonPachi and Deathsmiles, Guwange is one of Cave's most revered shooting titles in its native Japan. This is for two reasons: its medieval setting is a nice break from the usual science-fiction fare found in the genre, while its unique "shikigami" mechanic turns what could be a tedious shooter into an enthralling blend of frantic action and delicate positioning. - Kotaku

http://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410a78/1033/screenlg2.jpg

Alan N: This was the year that I officially regressed into a moldy retro gamer. the focus is really narrow on my list: shmups, j-rpgs, and platformers. I'm basically OK with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaAYgvxyHCg

Eurogamer review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz0gGDRNCMc

were these last two voted on by the same person?

hah, yes. that would be me.

#53: Epic Mickey – Wii – 20 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site

http://slyoyster.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Epic-Mickey.jpg

Princess TamTam: An enchanting journey into a dreamworld of magic.

http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/D/Disney%20Epic%20Mickey/Everything%20Else/Super%20Review/epic-mickey3--article_image.jpg

Warren Spector Interview

http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2010/333/reviews/975515_20101130_640screen013.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0RcVD6_RA

Eurogamer review

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XdP6Lp2ceqY/TIMZWdCcCHI/AAAAAAAAa5c/XJ_pvWhOSf8/s1600/4827461956_3508bc8771_z.jpg

i do love ade's facetious quote for that one.

Additional quotes:

salsa shark: Not too sure what IGN is on about. I think the camera works fine for the most part, with only rare instances where you can't swing it behind you or go into first-person mode. Otherwise, you can move it all around you, though it's a bit slower than I'd normally like. The control scheme is basic but there are only two times it's irritated me: first, when trying to jump near a NPC, who I then end up talking to, because A is both jump and 'interact with NPC'; second, when trying to paint/unpaint a chunk of scenery on the ground and not being able to paint it because for whatever reason the game doesn't seem to understand where I'm pointing (it's hard to explain, but thankfully so far this hasn't rendered crucial parts of the game unplayable).

If there's anything that has me near Wiimote-throwing point, it's the poor quest management and the way every task seems to turn into a fetch quest. A number of non-essential quests 'expire' if you neglect to complete them during a specific moment/area of the game (the world isn't fully explorable; I don't think you can retrace your steps and revisit old areas unless it's part of the storyline moving forward), and I find the quests themselves are all kind of redundant. Collecting 5 spark plugs turns into 5 fetch quests for various NPCs who all look similar and are easy to forget/mistake for one another. It's all 'oh yeah, I have a spark plug, but you can't have it unless you throw these bunnies into a vacuum tube,' or 'yeah, I'll give you this statue, but you have to find me a flower so I can woo Henrietta,' then 'I'll help you arrange a bouquet of flowers, but you have to find me three flowers first,' then AARRRGHGHGH WHERE TF ARE THE STUPID FLOWERS JUST LET ME GET TO THE NEXT PART OF THE GAME ALREADY. Okay I love quests and adventure games but seriously this is almost too much even for me.

But it's a very nice game to look at and I'll stick with it for a while longer.

CaptainLorax: I read this thread before I went to sleep last night and at one point in the dream I was playing this game or something. I just remember the Bunny Kids except they were Bunny Boys that had chairs for faces. They were actually pretty cute.

Noodle Vague: Emo versions of kids cartoons are probly the most horrible fucking thing ever invented ever.

Warren Specter followed up this success with writing a DuckTales comic.

DuckTales!

#53: Deadly Premonition – PS3/360 –20 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site

http://beefjack.com/files/2010/08/deadly_premonition_03.jpg

jjjusten: yeah yeah everybody is going to think that im being captain challops here but this really was my second favorite game of the year. it is completely unhinged but theres something so good underneath the slapdash budget production that everyone (well everyone w/a 360 at least) really ought to give it a try. this is a game that should be used as an example of the difference between badly thought out mechanics and broken mechanics, and a lot of reviewers seem to have flubbed that one. the gameplay is at times, and maybe often, kind of shitty (it does get better), but that isnt the point here, its a suda 51 sort of experience where the depth of abject weirdness just gets more and more satisfying until suddenly you dont care that the cars all drive like bricks and the combat mechanic is pointlessly easy once you get one of the special weapons and that the character models are at least a generation or two behind par. also make no mistake, the dudes behind this game are totally in on the joke, and if you stick with it long enough you will reap the rewards.

FAIR WARNING: if you have a pulse, you will hate the first hour or so of this game, no question, but stick with it because it's worth it. Repeat this mantra the first time you drive (oh and also be sure to hit the a button to talk every chance you get, there is hidden gold, especially when you are driving alone). Also keep this persistence creed in mind the first time you have a long long long series of timed button presses to escape from danger (trust me, you'll know it when you see it).
also, BEST PAUSE MENU IN ANY GAME EVER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp5krDoflLI

Jordan: i'm heartened that there are still broken + hilarious games being made for the youth of today

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/104/1043970/deadly-premonition-20091110000512473_640w.jpg

Polyphonic: I enjoyed playing the first two hours of this. Definitely going to pick it up at some point. It is sort of a so-bad-it's-good thing though. I think you could combine elements of Nier, Deadly Premonition, and Alan Wake and make one amazing game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzvXBFwcyek

Eurogamer review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3AI7riy1Qk

Something Awful review

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/104/1043970/deadly-premonition-20091110000457552_640w.jpg

Goole: you know now that i think of it "deadly premonition" makes some actual sense as a phrase unlike "resident evil" and "silent hill" which are just stupid.

http://img.listal.com/image/1403774/936full-deadly-premonition-artwork.jpg

poly seriously you are awesome dude. thanks

#53: APB – PC – 20 pts – 1 vote
Official Game Site

http://gamernode.com/upload/manager///News%20Images/PC/epic_games_may_save_apb1284740256.jpg

Princess TamTam: Like James Dean... taken before its time…

http://www.pcgamersworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/apb_11-05-10_11.jpg

Will M: that oficial apb character artwork is really boob. i mean uh breasts. good. i meant good.

PC Gamer review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T8HjJNvqYo

Ste: APB doesn't look as impressive as first suspected

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JpVHuYRfWA

And that'll do it for 53s. See ya next week.

that deadly premonition cut scene is just, well, i cannot find the words

I just read that APB is actually coming back.

I just remembered that I completely forgot to send forks my write-up about why Epic Mickey was my Disappointment of the Year:

I disliked that the story was so heavily managed, like that you couldn't travel through/to various worlds at will and once you left certain parts of the game you couldn't ever go back to them. It was really the most closed-off 3D platformer I've ever played.

Also, the collectibles are the most pointless I've ever seen in a platformer and that includes Donkey Kong 64 with its 500-bananas-per-level ridiculousness. And then after you finish Epic Mickey, it essentially erases all the work you've done and makes you start again from scratch, so you can't even marvel at all the useless collectibles you've accumulated. I also changed my mind about the camera. It is pretty annoying as the game progresses.

Anyway, judging from the interviews and previews I had read before playing the game, I had really hoped that Epic Mickey would be a super creative celebration of old/forgotten Disney characters and art (say what you want about modern Disney as a horrible creepy corporate mastercompany but there was a time when they did interesting stuff with animation). Instead it was just sort of cartoony colourful 3D stuff that only felt Disneyesque because of the characters (who were very repetitive, which made quests difficult); the settings could've been from any children's game. The 2D sections were the only parts that I thought were interesting and creative wrt old Disney canon, and unfortunately they comprised only a small part of the game.

Sorry for the tldr here, rant over. Everyone can now go back to keeping it posi abt video games in the 2010.

I don't think you need to defend your love for Disney. They still make great flicks!

FAIR WARNING: if you have a pulse, you will hate the first hour or so of this game, no question

ha this happened to me, rented this and played the first couple of hours, but just couldn't summon the willpower to go on. see also : Alpha Protocol, Alan Wake.

deadly premonition was the game that started off as a VERY blatant twin peaks clone, right?

found the original trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbbhwO7pRHA

so, yes.

whoa the videos of 2 japanese schmups up there remind me why i both have tremendous respect for u dudes twitch reactions and why i also think ur all crazy

see i cant even spell shmups right, i obv have no business attempting to play them

im also glad that the video for deadly premonition up there gives everyone a sampling of the soundtrack built almost entirely on repetetive tuneless whistling

kind of curious how somewhere during development a game went from being a noir-investigative-horror-murder thing to…strawberry turkey sandwiches and rhyming wheelchair-pushers

looking over the list so far im p sure that at least one person voted for every single one of my pix, for the first time.

Same here! Maye we voted for the same stuff :|

Hey dudes, I am embarrassed to say that I messed this thing up from the beginning. I thought forks had finished the #66s so I started with #64. I'll do the other three #66s here. Before I move on to the next list.

OOOPS

#66: Digital: A Love Story – PC – 15 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/8/87209/1672835-box_digital_super.png

Mordy: Digital is superficially a love story. It's really about that feeling you get at 2 in the morning when insomnia has you surfing the internet checking out forums and pages you haven't been to in years. I can't remember the last time I connected to a BBS, but when I played Digital all those memories came flooding back. Downloading warez with my 56 kpbs (and less!) modem, listening to that satisfying dialing noise, playing MajorMOO and chatting strangers on bulletin boards. More interactive fiction than game, but one of the most moving things I've played (or interacted with) all year.

http://blog.hep-cat.de/pics/Digital_A_Love_Story_library.png

Nhex: The gameplay is bad and gets worse the further you get into it - fortunately it's only about an hour long, and well worth it if you have any memories of dialing into BBSs. I think RPS's take on it was pretty OTM:

RPS review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPDXTP2QyI

http://www.commentsbling.com/graphic/cat/love/digital-love-myspace-graphics.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3SkgokbK7E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVP7N9_Q6hs

Good job dude.

#66: Gran Turismo 5 – PS3 – 15 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site

http://www.gamemanx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gran-turismo-5.jpg

Adam: the oddness of GT is a large part of its charm. completely bonkers menu design, the downtempo smooth jazz aesthetic, the baroque installation mechanics--at this point, like 12 years or whatever after the first GT, this shit is soothing.

http://www.windingdown.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/gt5-prologue-ss.jpg

Jeff LeVine: For me, the variety of content is the best thing about the game, but sometimes it's a weakness as certain areas seem to lack focus (rally in particular feels like shit to me). Online is undercooked and a mess... and that you don't get credits or experiences for online races is absurd (they claim it will be patched in at some point, I guess). Also the cars I'd most like to drive are too fucking expensive - I mean 14,000,000 credits expensive - THE GRIND. I don't want to lecture from the mountain tops, but if you're only going to turn off one assist, PLEASE turn off the racing line... you will find the driving much more fun the less crutches you use, but that one is the worst & totally ruins immersion in racing games, imo. Even with all the assists off, the fact that you can't turn off the HUD is also still a HUGE assist as you don't have to really learn the tracks or even braking points as there is no way to stop the game from telling you when to brake or downshift with a giant red flashing number. Also always having the map on screen should more than make up for no driving line even if you don't take any time to learn the track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2uQ2ayvvWY

if: Having not played a Gran Turismo since Gran Turismo 2 on the PS1, this certainly benefitted from a massive hit of nostalgia as the realisation hit of how much the familiar old tracks were still imprinted on my mind. The driving and range of features are more awesome than ever too though and eventually you even start to filter out the loading times and Byzantine menu structure. Racing around a virtual central London getting distracted by spotting familiar Chinese restaurants is also a great experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oRe7j9xHPg

Tracer Hand: can i just say again how much i love this game?? like, <3 <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HnaPkPXyPM

Eurogamer

this is exactly the kind of game i would rent if i rented games. i would love to have a go but there is no way i ever buy this until i see it for $5.

#66: Shatter – PC – 15 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site

http://www.aeon.net.nz/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Shatter_Title.jpg

Nhex: Hadn't heard of this game at all until it went on sale during the Steam summer sale. Yeah, it's another indie PC Arkanoid clone among millions to come over the last twenty years - but it's just really fun. Sometimes the presentation can just win you over in games like this, which should be another generic clone, but the graphics were pleasing and the music just completely put it in another tier. I'll say it again: the soundtrack rules. http://sidhe.bandcamp.com/album/shatter-official-videogame-soundtrack

http://www.pcgamersworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Shatter-ps3-screenshot.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwx2czYmlT0

Will M: I love brick-breakers and since I got rid of my Blackberry this is what I've got. And the music!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLB2hdCbJek

Hamildan: Shatter is quite an addictive game....With trophies and a cosmic soundtrack you cant go wrong

Destructoid

this is exactly the kind of game i would rent if i rented games.

Yeah, I got it off Gamefly. But I think I'm going to buy it in a year or two once it drops in price a bit. Definitely a great game to have in your library.

Overall, Gran Turismo 5 took more than five years to complete, with a total cost estimated at approximately $80 million, making it the second most expensive game in history to developed, just behind Grand Theft Auto IV.[31]

#66: The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom – PC/360 – 15 pts – 2 votes
Official Game Site

http://bulk.destructoid.com/ul/164708-review-the-misadventures-of-p-b-winterbottom/004-620x.jpg

Salsa Shark: Great soundtrack, great concept, great mix of difficult and easy puzzles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Triirdqmevo

if: Ok so it is pretty much a less divisive, less ambitious Braid, but that game actually did comparatively little to explore some of the fantastic time reversing mechanics that it had come up with, and there was definitely space for someone to do this good a job of doing so.

http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/images/06/24/62444_orig.jpg

abanana: hey guys don't buy p.b. winterbottom it is a bad game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEW6o5egk5Y

1up review

i stand by my quote. it is poorly programmed too.

Are you guys ready for the next part?

Grind baby grind. how much did you finish over the weekend?

Nothing, man. I do all of these a la carte.

Wait, I think I meant "to order". haha

they're delicious regardless.

for some reason wordpress is being assy about which YT videos it chooses to embed rn