Kotaku

Sunday Comics [Webcomics]

Owen Good — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Penny Arcade

published Nov. 18

PvPonline

published Nov. 18

ActionTrip

published Nov. 16

2P Start!

published Nov. 18

EXTRALIFE

published Nov. 16

GU Comics

published Nov. 18

Dotgif

published Nov. 16

Ctrl-Alt-Delete

published Nov. 18

Dueling Analogs

published Nov. 18

Nerf NOW

published Nov. 16

Rooster Teeth

published Nov. 17

Monday Night Crew

published Nov. 18

Virtual Shackles

published Nov. 16

Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves [Official Kotaku Forum]

Owen Good — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0700

You know what would be really awesome? Dadaist Assassin's Creed II. But before Ubisoft starts animating Ezio ramming someone's head into a urinal, let's calm down and have a civil conversation in Kotaku's Official Open Thread.

Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.

Valve Rolls Out Patch for Left 4 Dead 2 [Patch]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:30:00 -0700

The PC version of Left 4 Dead 2 has been patched. Just fire up Steam and it'll fix and update a slew of issues. Got a bug? Maybe it's covered in this, check the jump for more.

Highlights of the fix include:

• Fixed performance problem when rendering lots of decals, notably when fighting tanks with shotguns
• Fixed rcon response not working on Linux dedicated servers
• Fixed matchmaking problem matching into Advanced and Expert games
• Fix bug that would cause other specials to try to pummel a player a Charger disconnects or reconnects
• Fixed versus mode results panel being cut off in transition stats screen in non-english
• Found games: fixed non-player entries drawing the wrong type of icon in the selected item name label
• Game mode selector on main menu now takes keyboard input

There's more via Steam.

Left 4 Dead 2 Patch Update [Steam via VG247]

Noby Noby Boy Makes it to Jupiter [Noby Noby Boy]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0700

Hooray! Noby Noby Girl, apparently abetted by another Lucky Week adding a multiplier to reported scores, has managed to encircle Jupiter, and deliver new worlds for Noby Noby Boy (and you) to explore.

The video below shows Boy discovering the Bespin-y qualities of this new environment, unlocked thanks to the collective efforts of Noby Noby players reporting their scores back to Namco. Crushing atmospheric pressure and poisonous clouds of ammonia seem not to be much of a problem here.

For those keeping score, Girl reached the Moon on Feb. 23, four days after the game's release. Mars was next on May 23, and now Jupiter on Nov. 20. At this rate, I'd say ETA to Saturn is late 2010.

Jupiter Here We Are! [PSN Stores]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Glitch Discovers Fountain of Coins, Youth [Glitch]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:30:00 -0700

So far, it's not known how if this glitch is repeatable or what circumstances would force it, but, dang, that box is barfing infinite coins and, thus, infinite lives, in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Glitch Causes Infinite Coins/Lives [Go Nintendo]

Rebellion Vows Dedicated Servers for Alien vs. Predator [PC]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0700

You might recall last month that David Brickley, a Rebellion senior producer, was asked directly, three times, to confirm dedicated server support in Alien vs. Predator, and wouldn't say yes or no. The studio's chief now officially confirms its presence.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Jason Kingsley, the CEO, said:

Despite rumours, Rebellion has always been planning to support dedicated servers for Aliens vs Predator PC and we can now officially confirm that this is the case. Rebellion has always appreciated fan support. We're really looking forward to the release of Aliens vs Predator as much as you guys are!

I'm not sure the earlier report was "rumour" as much as it just left a question unanswered. Regardless, you can expect dedicated servers in this game if that's how you roll in multiplayer.

I am wondering, a little, if Rebellion waiting to see how much hell Infinity Ward would catch for its decision to drop dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2, then DICE cashing in on the controversy by vowing dedicated server support, and decided the latter was their better marketing option.

Dedicated Servers for Aliens vs. Predator [GamesIndustry.biz, thanks Warboy]

Open Your Browser and Close Your Eyes and BioWare Will Give You a Big Surprise [Sooprise]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:30:00 -0700

Well, you might want to open your eyes, too. Sometime "next week," a surprise will go up on the official Mass Effect 2 web site. Whatever could it be?

Well, it was also called "the coming surprise," and, you know, ew. Alright, that was lifted out of context for a cheap laugh. Here's the verbatim post on Mass Effect 2's official fan page on Facebook:

Man, so much time tied up today in meetings and "secret stuff" I didn't get any time with ME2 at all. =( Still with the coming surprise for next week on the ME2 website, I'm sure fans will forgive me for no update. Did I, Evil Chris Priestly, just drop a hint? Yes. Yes I did.

Read literally, that could mean it wasn't Chris Priestly dropping a hint, but in fact it was Evil Chris Priestly his palette-swap nemesis from planet Zantrar 5.

Mass Effect on Facebook [via Hot Blooded Gaming]

After a Trying Week, Saboteur Goes Gold [Pandemic]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0700

Pandemic Studios, scene of deep job losses and the effective closure of the studio earlier this week, pumped out one final piece of happy news - The Saboteur has gone to gold master - with an apropos and semi-ironic signoff.

Says Mathew Everett, the Pandemic Community Manager, in a message on Saturday afternoon:

I am very proud to communicate today that The Saboteur has officially gone "GOLD" on all 3 planned platforms (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 & PC). This has been a very difficult week for Pandemic Studios, but does not change the fact that a team of amazing people worked very hard to make The Saboteur a great game that fans will be able to enjoy this holiday season. As planned, The Saboteur will be available across Europe starting December 4 and throughout North America on December 8. Vive La Resistance!

The Saboteur will be released Dec. 8.

NFL Head of Refs Runs Replay with 360 Controller [Oddities]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0700

Every week Mike Pereira, the NFL's chief of officiating goes over some of the league's more controversial calls and, as hawkeyed reader Matt M. spotted, he does so with the aid of an Xbox 360 controller.

Actually, it's likely an Xbox 360 Controller for Windows - I doubt they're using a console to display the video. It's probably something their production team put together on a PC and gave Pereira the controller for ease of use.

But it is intriguing, I suppose. It also reminds me of how I completely screw up my replays in Madden and NCAA 10 because I'm moving the two sticks like an FPS camera.

No PC DLC for RE5, Says Capcom [No Plans Watch]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Capcom's announcement of a DLC bonanza on Wednesday conspicuously excluded PC versions and dates. That's because the company doesn't intend to release it for the PC. For now, anyway.

G4 spoke to a company rep who confirmed that lack of dates for PC versions was no accident. "No plans for PC at this point," said Capcom. And that was that.

That means no costumes, no new episodes, no new Mercenaries multiplayer, zip. You want that, grab the console version, or wait for Capcom to change their minds, I guess.

Resident Evil 5 Downloadable Content Not Planned For PC Version "At This Point" [G4 via VG247]

Microsoft Tesla Owner Records Sounds for Project Gotham Racing? [Rumor]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0700

A Microsoft exec who also owns a Tesla Roadster writes that he provided recordings of his car for both the Forza and Project Gotham Racing teams, which some take as further confirmation of PGR 5.

Tom Burt, who owns #203 of the all-electric sports car made by the Silicon Valley company, wrote on Tesla's "Customer Blog":

A team of sound engineers from Microsoft Game Studios (some working on Forza, some on Project Gotham Racing) asked if I was willing to take my Roadster to a track so they could record a variety of sounds. Some time ago they had the opportunity to record Tesla motor noises when a prototype was being run on a dyno at Tesla. But the teams were excited about the prospect of recording other sounds, particularly tire skid and squeal noises, without the interference of loud engine and exhaust noise. Of course I said "yes."

Burt provided pics of his miked-up ride, which you can see above. (There are more at the link).

Burt is listed on Microsoft's official site as a corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for litigation. The Tesla Roadster did appear in PGR 4 (released 2007). Of course, why would they re-record the engine note if it wasn't needed for a new game? It could also be that Burt misspoke or misunderstood who was asking for the audio.

We've reported on rumors of PGR 5 in development in the past, so this is not exactly surprising. Still, I've emailed Microsoft to notify them of Burt's comments and ask them for one.

Microsoft Executive Confirms PGR5 in the Works [Kokugamer via GameStooge]

The One About the Guy Who Married a Video Game [Wtf]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0700

This week a church in Guam pronounced a man and his copy of dating sim Love Plus husband and, well, wife, and the happy couple will be hosting a reception in Japan that you are cordially invited to view tomorrow.

The unnamed man took his DS and the game to Guam where he said vows ~~with~~ to Nene Anegasaki, one of three virtual girlfriends featured in Love Plus. Tomorrow, the couple will have a reception held on Niconico Douga at around 12 p.m. (no time zone given, check local listings on the site, if you can read Japanese.) The media has been invited to attend; slides will be shown from their time dating up through the wedding.

I've heard of dudes marrying a mannequin before so, this not in fact the most weird-slash-creepy-slash-pathetic thing I've ever heard. But my forced nonjudgment about this really needs its own word. Begrimaced? Bittersad?

Some Dude Married His Love Plus Girlfriend [Tiny Cartridge via Gizmodo]

Morale Booster Connects Troops with NFLers on Xbox Live [Nfl]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Members of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers engaged U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq in a Guitar Hero battle, which would have been a heart-warming story if brickheaded quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hadn't called the game "Rock Band" on the teevee.

Well, alright, maybe it's a heartwarming story anyway. The jamfest was put together by Pro vs. G.I. Joe, which arranges morale-booster multiplayer competitions between sports stars and service members overseas. Via Xbox Live and a satellite connection, Roethlisberger (git-tar, second from right), and his offensive line - Ramon Foster (guitar, left), Willie Colon (vocals) and Trai Essex (drums, looking like he's playing on easy) took their Guitar Hero 5 skills up against the Army's 336th Military Police Company.

Afterwards, Big Ben orated:

To be able to interact with these guys and enjoy it – and I could see the joy on their face – and get to beat them a little bit in some Rock Band. It's a lot of fun.

Facepalm.

Madden NFL 10 cover boy Troy Polamalu didn't play, but he did show up in grass-covered sniper camouflage (yes, really.) I bet Hines Ward's eyes got real big when he saw that, thinking that getup would be perfect for his next out-of-nowhere blindside hit on Keith Rivers.

NFL Super Bowl Champion Steelers Connect with Soldiers in Iraq for Guitar Hero Competition [Ripten]

Cooperative Multiplayer with the Devil You Don't Know [Weekend Reader]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0700

New Super Mario Bros. Wii released a week ago, and even its lighthearted cartoon environment and four-player cooperative mode still manage to bring out the worst in multiplayer behavior - if you don't know your partner, that is.

"Being granted the opportunity to be friends or adversaries, games allow us to act out the worst of human pathologies and encourage behaviors that would get us yelled at, arrested, or killed in the real world," writes Jamin Brophy-Warren for Slate. This is hardly a news flash. But it's depressing to consider that, in a Mario's return to a 2D platformer after 20 years, we still haven't progressed much further than adolescent brothers taking advantage of the game to antagonize each other.

I'd argue that the reason he had a bad experience with it is because he didn't know his co-player. That made the guy completely unaccountable, and his provocations would stand unless and until the writer called him on his bullshit, which would be more uncomfortable to do face-to-face to a stranger in a "fun" environment than just walking away.

Brophy-Warren ponders why multiplayer is an inherently brutish or uncouth pursuit, and I think he answers it in his last paragraph: When you game with people you know and respect, you're more likely to actually cooperate. Otherwise, "Most cooperative games lie in a vast middle ground, however, a no man's land between altruism and gaming Darwinism that offers up a host of ways to misbehave."

Et Tu, Mario? [Slate, Nov. 13]

Jesper Juul, a video-game researcher and professor at NYU's newly minted Game Center, argues that multiplayer games give us three things to balance. Players want to win and they want the game to be fair, but they also need to navigate whatever relationships they have outside the game-that is, if you shoot your friend in the head in Call of Duty, you'll have to answer for that in the offline world. My brother and the jerk from E3 were solely concerned with winning. I mostly cared about the game being fair. None of us, though, sat down and talked about the third factor-what we were planning to do during our journey as in-game teammates.

This planning comes up most frequently in massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft. In that game, players create guilds and go on quests in pursuit of gold and weaponry. Defeating an enemy yields goodies that guilds must choose how to distribute. In a perfect world, everyone would work together to give the appropriate items to the most deserving players. There is a breed of WoW player, however, known as the "loot ninja" or "greeder," a scoundrel who steals items from fallen comrades or takes more than his share after a battle. (There are also more flagrant modes of sabotage. In the infamous Leeeroy Jenkins video, an overexcitable player decides to take on a difficult boss single-handedly, sabotaging his guild's meticulous plan. The results are predictably surreal.)

This type of stuff was happening long before World of Warcraft. In side-scrolling brawlers such as the early-1990s title Streets of Rage, power-ups appeared along the way that could heal your wounded party or give players special abilities. Bleeding-heart video-game liberals like myself would argue that health packs should always go to the weakest member of the party. This would often lead to discussions about who "deserved" the triage, which begot a lot of petty bickering, which begot fistfights. This Photoshopped box art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II-which includes the tagline "It's My Turn to Get the Pizza You Asshole I Need it More!"-is a perfect encapsulation of the phenomenon.

Part of the problem (and the joy) of playing games is that such behavior isn't explicitly condoned or condemned. Looting and friendly fire aren't forbidden by most games, which leaves us to figure out our own rules. This is the right decision: Good game designers allow players to be whoever they want and trust they'll come to their own consensus about what constitutes "fair play." That's why the New Super Mario Bros. Wii was more enjoyable when I played it as God intended-with a good friend and copious amounts of beer. There was no back-stabbing, and no one's feelings were hurt.

- Jamin Brophy-Warren

Weekend Reader is Kotaku's look at the critical thinking in, and of video games. It appears Saturdays at noon. Please take the time to read the full article cited before getting involved in the debate here.

The NIMF is No More [Parenting]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0700

The National Institute on the Media and the Family - whose annual report cards were more fair and reasonable than such an Orwellian name might imply - will close at the end of 2009 after 14 years of watchdoggery.

The closure is apparently tied to the end of funding from a primary NIMF source, Fairview Health Services, which had committed $750,000 annually to the Institute. WCCO-TV of Minneapolis reported that Fairview Health Services knew back in the summer that, in light of the current economy, "We can't continue," supporting NIMF.

NIMF was known for its annual Video Game Report Card, released around this time of year. The 2008 report gave an A grade to the ESRB, for its new game rating summaries; a B+ to retailers, for following rating and sales policies, and an "incomplete" to parents for not availing themselves of parental controls or closely following what their kids play.

While NIMF occasionally blasted the odd violent video game here or there, at least it wasn't part of the tinhorn orchestra that obligated the ESRB and retailers to do all the parenting by themselves. Game Politics notes that the Entertainment Software Association gave NIMF a $50,000 grant last year.

In a statement, NIMF said it hopes to continue its programs and research through other non-profit organizations.

NIMF to Close at Year End [Game Politics]

No Less of a Memory — The Human Drama of Video Game Sports [Stick Jockey]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Some video game sports moments are so indelible we remember and narrate them the same way we do the ones from real life.

I'm not saying we confuse the realities, necessarily, although anyone who's completed his third season of a dynasty in any simulation can be forgiven for wandering into an alternate reality. "My star linebacker, Rocky Doss, was lost for the season with a broken leg today," my friend Dav, playing his fifth season as Air Force's head coach, told me a few years ago. "And honestly, I really felt sorry for the guy. He was in the second game of his senior year."

Andy Hutchins, who writes The Arena sees things in just such a way. I went to him a week ago with this Greatest Sports Moments idea. He immediately rolled off an AP-style lede, complete with a quote. And to be fair, if I took Northwestern to a national championship, I'd probably be hallucinating, too:

The nation's top two scoring offenses entered the BCS National Championship Game expecting pyrotechnics. But it was Tim Vincent and the Northwestern defense that proved more explosive, leading the Wildcats to a 17-14 win and their third straight national title.

Vincent, the NCAA's all-time sack leader, harassed Oklahoma's signal callers all game, sending two to the sidelines with injuries on his two sacks, and the Wildcats' defense gave up no points after the first quarter, holding the Sooners to just 143 yards of total offense.

"I've been a part of three special teams and three special defenses here at Northwestern," Vincent said. "What this defense did tonight makes this the sweetest win we've had."

So in this spirit, I asked around for some folks' top moments in sports video gaming. They follow below, with mine going last. Of course, feel free to share your own in the comments, and I'll excerpt some of them into this column in an update later today.

Steve Noah, Operation Sports (MLB 09 The Show)

I like to create myself in a lot of games, just to see how accurate the game is, compared to my real life, uh, non-existent professional career.

This time it was baseball, playing MLB 09 The Show. Building myself into a cyber-steroid emerging uber-talent was hard. But after a few years, I was eventually plugged into the starting lineup of the San Francisco Giants. Even though I had a great average with good power and speed, I wasn't what you'd call clutch.

It seemed like every imaginable time I had runners in scoring position, during the season or in the playoffs, when the team needed me the most, I would choke, crumble and let them down. Every single time. I'd dribble it off the plate, pop it up or just strike out at the most important time of the game.

That is, until Game 7 of the World Series. Steve Noah, "Mr. Choke Job" himself, stepped up to the plate, bases loaded, bottom of the ninth with one out, trailing 6-3. It was something kids daydream about when growing up. On a 3-1 count, the count that I would usually jump all over, only to see disappointment, I hit a 390 foot home run to win the game! I was jumping up and down, screaming and yelling like I actually did this in real life. Like I was a kid again, like a professional baseball player, living a dream. OK, maybe not. But damn, did it feel good, and to do it against the Yankees was icing on the cake.

Commenter "Michael Dukakis" (MLB 08 The Show)It all began as a baseball conversation among friends. With two Mets fans, two Yankees fans, and a Red Sox fan no matter how civil the discussion began,it always quickly devolved into something similer to the Dawn of Man scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. So as our "discussion" continued it came to a bet. Me and one of the Yankee fans 1 on 1 MLB 08, $10 to the winner and of course, bragging rights. I, the Mets and he of course, the Yankees.

Before I was even settled in the La-Z-Boy a Derek Jeter home run makes it 1-0. No biggie, Carlos Delgado immediately homered and I was right back in it. The 1-1 tie held until the top of the 8th, when Jeter smacked a two-run double (Pixelated Aaron Heilman, my starter, was just as bad as his counterpart apparently).

Mariano Rivera began warming up, due to face the bottom of my lineup. My first two batters were retired on strikeouts. But a walk to a pinch-hitter and a base hit gets me in business. Rivera goes to full count on my next hitter and then walks him. That brough up Carlos Beltran, with the bases loaded.

Now this was a year ago so I can't quite remember the exact pitch sequence, but I remember the last pitch. Oh what a shot it was, clearly into the virtual parking lot. The gloating and $10 mine. That is my greatest sports video game moment ... and sadly, probably one of the biggest wins any Mets team has had in quite a while.

Jim Harris, Operation Sports (NHL 94)

As a teenager growing up in Winnipeg in the early '90s, to say we were preoccupied with NHL 94 would be the understatement to end all understatements. We played it when we were bored. We played it when we were avoiding homework. We played it to determine our social standing and our own sense of self worth. My younger brother and I were especially transfixed. We spent hours and hours battling it out in one fictional seven-game series after the next.

Having played the game so much, we were essentially equally skilled. If we played 100 times, he might win 51 games to my 49 (but I'd probably win six of the 11 ensuing fistfights).

One particular seven-game series still stands as my favorite sports moment. Having gone back and forth over the course of a particularly tense series, we finally entered Game 7. Much to my chagrin, my brother got the best of me that game, building up a comfortable lead over the course of the first two periods. When the horn sounded to end the second period, the taunting began. He started ripping into me like only a younger brother could. I was finally getting my comeuppance.

Then something strange happened. Singing a happy victory song at the top of his lungs, he danced his way right out of the room. After a moment, I realized he'd mistakenly thought the game was over. At that point, I did the only thing that was right to do: I turned down the volume on the TV and played out the third period against an absent opponent. I called my brother back into the room to politely alert him to his oversight, just as the third period wound down.

As I recall, he didn't take it too well ...

Owen Good (Hardball!)

This is from 1992, after my freshman year of college. By now I had been playing Hardball! on a Commodore 64 with a Wico Command Control joystick for close to five years. We'd gotten it from our next door neighbor, who was the software buyer for the catalog showroom store in town. He'd been sent a bunch of samples and regularly passed them along to us.

Somewhere around my sophomore year of high school I began keeping box scores on notebook paper in a three ring binder. I could routinely log a 10-run, 20-hit game against the computer, and with the right pitcher, toss an 18-strikeout shutout.

But never a no-hitter. I was Hardball!'s Dave Steib - the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher who twice took a no-hitter to the final out only to lose it. In this case, I was convinced the game's AI was rigged to assure you never threw a perfect game against it. Repeatedly - it must have been half a dozen times, minimum - I would record the first 26 outs and get to two strikes on the game's final hitter, who would then drop an unplayable flare just over the third baseman's head. No matter where positioned the infield or the outfield, they couldn't get to it in time.

So that summer in 1992, I sat down to play Hardball! on a Saturday. I took the Champs' screwballer, Pepi Perez (with the deceptive 5.47 ERA) up against the All-Stars (the only other team in the game.) Sure enough, I powered through the first eight innings without a runner reaching base.

In the ninth inning, after getting two outs, I figured the perfect game had been proven an impossibility, but I was not going to waste a no-hitter. So I decided to pitch around the final batter and see if I could get the next hitter.I threw every ball out of the strike zone, just to see how committed the game was to screwing me. The computer swung at two pitches and looked at the rest, running the count to 3-2. I delivered the final one low and outside, absolutely intent on walking the computer.

It hit the ball directly to my third baseman, who didn't have to move. He caught the ball for the final out. I'd finally thrown a perfect game in Hardball! I turned off the computer and never played the game again.

Update: More Reader Memories

Marcus Stephenson, (Producer, EA Sports Vancouver; Madden NFL 08)

To pass the time, I was a store manager at Game Crazy, and we were on a conference call. I hear this voice on the phone say "If anyone wants to play me at Madden for money, let me know." I spoke up, since my background is Madden (owned Maddenmania.com), thinking nothing of it actually. A month later, we had a district meeting with all of the store managers, and this guy (first time I've met him) brought his own controller to the meeting, and reminded me that we needed to play.

We sit down to play, and I'm playing a conservative —bend don't break defense, running the ball, and short passes. This guy is the Chargers (I'm the Cowboys), and he gets to the goal line twice, and goes for it on 4th down twice and fails. I end up winning the game by 21 because of this, and he just shuts up. The entire group of store managers was huddled around us watching. It was classic. "This guy" later became my brother-in-law, and is Justin Dewiel, who now works as a Community Manger at EA SPORTS.

Snakepliskin (NFL 2K3)

I've had a couple good sports game moments. Last one i can remember was actually on the dreamcast. Me and my brother drove down to visit some family and we pulled out the old dreamcast to play nfl2k3.

My brother always whipped my ass at every game we played. So im playing against him and my cousin and i got one of my cousins on my team. I hadnt played on the dreamcast in a while but the vmu playcalling still worked and i still remembered the plays i use to run.

Either way my brother lights us up goes ahead by 2 scores and is leading up to the 4th. But then it starts clicking for me.

I hit my tight end going across the middle 3 times in a row till he finally adjust. At which point i throw to my receiver running a go route down the sideline for a score.

Still down 5 we get some luck when my cousin playing on my brothers team inexplicably moves out of his route for an incompletion, followed by a clutch sack by me. We get the ball back but time is running out. I make one throw on a crossing route. My cousin who made the mistake the last time made another one, he jumps going for the pick and misses leaving my receiver wide open and nothing but open space for the td. Nothing like beating your brother.

trunkenmath (Bases Loaded)
Bases Loaded on the NES. My Dad and I were crazy into this game. We played every single day when he got off the boat. He never let me win though, he would adjust his game to give me just enough hope to continue improving and coming back for more.

Anyways, one day I beat him and he told me it was time to hold our World Series, Best of 7 match to determine the champion. On the line: If I could win he would buy me a Sega Genesis. This was a dream chance for me.

I was too young to remember the details, but I can clearly remember the worst part. I won game 6 and forced a final battle. Excited he tucked me in and I went to bed dreaming of NES baseball and the wonders of Sega.

The next morning I woke up and rushed into my Dad's room but the bed was made and my mom was just in there alone. The night before my father's submarine had been deployed for an unknown amount of time. I was distraught.

After months of worrying and waiting my Dad came home. The first thing he said to me after he walked off the pier was "Game 7?". I don't recall how, but I won. My Dad and I celebrated like it were the real thing. Cakes, Soda, Pizza, driving around the block in a victory parade, no little detail was left out. Sure it sounds kind of lame but for us it was epic.

BryanH (NBA 2K8)

My friend would always play as the Spurs, because that's his favorite team, he's a huge nerd for Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and whatnot. I decided to be the Mavericks, no real reason, I don't even like them all that much. For the majority of the game, he's beating me pretty bad. He loves staying on Parker and annoying whoever has the ball, bringing in the big men to double whenever I get close to the rim. I can sometimes dish it out to an open man for an easy basket, but his plan is working, and by the time the 4th quarter rolls around I'm down by 20+.

This is when I go into 'screw it' mode. I think anyone who has played sports games knows what I mean, when you're either doing so good or so bad that you just say 'screw it' and start messing around, figuring the game is pretty much over anyways. In this case, I decided to start shooting 3 pointers with Jason Terry, just running up and immediately shooting it, defender in my face or not.

The first went in. The second too. And the third, and the fourth... Suddenly Jason Terry is on fire, exploding to make something like 13 of 15 three's. My friend is making some baskets on his end, but not enough to hinder my onslaught. At this point he's cursing Terry in real life, wishing him to drop dead as his virtual counterpart continues to score. Like a true bitch, he starts to intentionally foul me, but I still manage to cut it to one with the final possession, so he can't foul me now.

At this point, I'm already dying from laughter, both at his newfound hatred of Terry and the fact that I've made a comeback somehow. Despite needing only a 2 point basket to win, I looked at my friend and told him, "I'm going to shoot a three pointer with Terry and win." The fact this is my favorite story should tell you the outcome.

huginn (NCAA Football 07)

As an NCAA Junky my self, I can atest to the personal game drama a series can bring. And each title brings with it it's own stories and memories.

I can remember 07, playing Online with my PSU lions verse another who lovely decided to play OSU buckeyes. Up by 7, OSU runs a late 2 minute drill in the fourth quarter. With 5 seconds left, a quick corner strike goes to the endzone. OSU's WR (Ginn I believe) catches the ball.. but lands out of bounds as time expires. No review called but on replay, it looks close...

This year, I'm taking Louisville into a mutli-year season and had one game where I started a freshman QB who had a terrible 53 awareness rating. He throws 3 picks and I find my self benching him for my bench riding backup. I'm down 28-0 against kentucky and have to pull out a hard fought double overtime win to keep the upset from happening.

In my head I an see the coach (me) screaming at his players to play better, while consoling his freshman QB that it's ok. Little stories like these are about as non-linar as gameplay comes, and this experience is what keeps me coming back to sports titles.

Han (Brian Lara Cricket 2005)

In Brian Lara Cricket 2005 Australia needed 3 of the last over to win a match having scored 22 of the last Shane Bond over. I let the virtual me bowl and the over went like this.

Wicket, Wicket, 1 Run, Wicket, Wicket, Dot Ball.

And this was also on the hardest difficulty.

We obviously won and were off the the World Cup final when under the pump against Pakistan at 28/7 in chase of 46 for victory (10 over games) McCullum hit 20 of Afridi to win the World Cup.

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 10 a.m. U.S. Mountain time.

Weekend Coupons: Home Stretch [Dealtaku]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0700

This Friday won't be the death of Internet specials, but you can bet retailers with a physical location will be trying to drag you in there for values, rather than ship 'em to your door.

Online shops will be trying to keep up, too, but come Nov. 27, everyone's gonna try to make both their quarter and their year all at once. And the best deals might be more on gifty-type games than ones we focus on here. So let's get a good look at your pre-Black Friday values, because next week it'll be a completely different story for a full month.

Hardware

• PS3 buyers don't have to settle for a single DualShock. SonyStyle's offering a free, second controller with both of its PS3 Slim configurations, 120 GB and 250 GB, plus free shipping o'course. Dealzon points out the best price on a controller it can find is $43 so, even after tax, this remains a good deal. [Dealzon]

• Amazon offers a $50 gift card if you buy a Wii with Wii Fit Plus and a Balance Board for $289.98. The package would run $350 ordinarily. It's a pretty shrewd deal, buy up the exergaming bundle for your mom or wife or girlfriend, pocket the gift card for whatever you want, and then be accused of thinking she is fat or out of shape when she opens her gift. Amazon, delivering holiday magic. [Dealzon]

Software

• GameFly also is dumping a bunch of used games for less than $10. The list isn't that current or impressive but, then again, neither is The Warriors, and I still bought it used a couple weeks ago. So maybe there's an oldie-but-goodie in here for you. [TechDealDigger]

• GoGamer's usual 48-Hour Madness sale is highlighted by Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway for $9.90. Savings also can be found on Dragon Age: Origins for the PC and for Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles on Wii. [GoGamer]

• Amazon's also starting the enticements for BioShock 2. A preorder gets it for $7 off plus a $10 credit on another game purchase. Offer's good for PS3 or Xbox 360 [Dealzon]

• Reminder: Walmart's 2-for-$30 video game sale continues. Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 titles are available on the selected list of eligible games. [TechDealDigger]

• GameStop's weekly ad is slender as far as current deals; however, Left 4 Dead 2 has been added to the bounty board, so if you trade in two games they really want you can grab it for $19.99. It joins Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II and a ton of others. [GameStop]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

once you get it to work right 1. delete ... [From Comments]

hatmantc — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:19:41 -0700

once you get it to work right 1. delete app 2. deactivate video/comic playback 3. download comics(there are four of them) EC2N-9HBR-HJD6 63N8-R2BF-9E4D FF3N-H7B6-M2JF 4. redownload app & reactivate video/comic playback after those steps the app actually works very nicely. but its just a hastle to get it to work correctly

Kotaku Originals: Review to a Thrill [Original]

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0700

The releases of Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 dominated this week's news cycle, with McWhertor and Totilo supplying immediate reviews of what both offer. The end of Pandemic, as a studio anyway, was the big headline.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Assassin's Creed II Review: A Season For Masterpieces
Left 4 Dead 2 Review: We Don't Care How You Did It Up North
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Review: Nuke The Mini-fig
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Impressions: The Day After Christmas
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Review: Deja Vu in Space
Phoenix Wright WiiWare Preview: Throwing Out Objections
Torchlight Review: The Fate Of DiabloCraft
Frankenreview: Left 4 Dead 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Multiplayer Preview: Spreading The Phantom
Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games
Frankenreview: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

News
Turbo: The Struggle To Make A Better Video Game Movie
Hey, It's The World's Fastest Graphics Card
iPhone Chart Toppers: Asphalt 5 Takes Second
Firmware 3.10 Update Is Live
How 2010 Is Actually Christmas 2009 (In Disguise)
Jersey GameStops Break Street for Assassin's Creed II, L4D2
Testing Ubisoft's "Frequent Flyer" Rewards Program With Assassin's Creed II
EA Talks Command & Conquer's "New Digital Model," Medal of Honor "Re-invention"
What Left 4 Dead 2 Boycotters Are Playing
Sports Authority Fitness Retailer Inks Deal to Sell Wii
New Kingdom Hearts PSP Fit For Japan

Features
In College, the Party Never Stops - for LAN

Sports
Leaked Survey Tips Off MLB 2K10 Cover Athlete - Updated

Columns
Well Played: All Out War (Games)
Stick Jockey: Maybe the Greatest of All Time, but not In Its Time
Notebook Dump: Excuse Time
Old News '90: Nintendo Says NES Final Fantasy Is Geared To Adults

Kotaku Talks to Reggie
Reggie: Wii 2 Theories Miss Key Point
Nintendo Talks Mario Multiplayer And Keeping Zelda's Secrets
Nintendo Dissatisfied With Sales Of Some Games, Dates Vitality Sensor Showcase

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii In-Game Tips
Nintendo's Temporary Mario Museum, The Video Tour
Mario Vs. Bowser, Waged Through Chess

Outreach
A Room Full of Loot
Win Ryu in LEGO

Modern Warfare 2 Selling Just Fine On PC [PC]

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Proving that the Modern Warfare 2 "boycott" was more hollow tantrum than actual boycott, Infinity Ward have revealed that the PC version of the game has been outselling its predecessor.

"The PC version of Modern Warfare 2 has actually outsold the PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in it's first week", IW's Robert Bowling posted on the company's message boards. "Making it the most successful PC version."

The quote was made in response to claims that the PC version of the game accounts for only 3% of MW2's total sales in the UK, Bowling adding "Essentially, all this percentage proves is that the console versions sold great, not that the PC version sold poorly".

3% of overall sales [Infinity Ward]

Sony Giving Away Free Comics [Psn]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0700

While Sony's digital comics store for the PSP won't be launching until next month, that hasn't stopped the company from teaming with IDW to give away some free comics to tide you over. Free doesn't need a store!

The publisher is offering an issue of Star Trek: Year Four - The Enterprise Experiment, which you can get by visiting the regular ol' PlayStation Store and entering the following code:

724K-A4BG-JLD7

Bam. Free comic. There are more codes for more comics (Transformers) being handed out on the PS Comics site and via Twitter, so those wanting to give the PSP comic reader a good workout, you know what to do.

Interestingly, it says the Star Trek offer is good only until December 16, giving you a fairly good indication of when the store is due to launch.

Digital Comics Reader Now Available for PSP – Get a Free Issue! [PlayStation]

The Life and Times of Luigi [History Lesson]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 -0700

If you ever wanted to know why Luigi is thinner than Mario or how he bears living in the shadow of his older brother, this exhaustively researched article over on GamesRadar's got you covered.

"Luigi: A life in the shadows" cover the other brother's origins from palette swap to star of his own (two) video games. Anybody else remember playing Mario is Missing? Yeah, that game starred Luigi.

Best bit? Right here...

But Luigi's heart has strayed at least once during the previously mentioned Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. The Beanbean Kingdom the two stars explore has a prince to match the Mushroom Kingdom's Princess Peach. Prince Peasley is a dashing (if self-absorbed) pretty boy, who throughout the game slowly gains Luigi's attention. As time goes on, Luigi seems almost enamored with Peasley, blushing at his compliments and eventually trying to hug him, which Peasley deftly dodges, as Peasley seems to only love himself. But this bi-curious side of Luigi has yet to return, as he's since stayed pretty true to Daisy. However, that hasn't stopped the devs of the M&L series from continuing to ramp up Luigi's effeminacy to Tingle levels of fab.

I totally did not know that. I thought when Luigi wasn't with Daisy, he was letting Peach cheat on Mario with him. Also, I thought John Leguizamo and Samantha Mathis as the "ideal" Luigi/Daisy couple.

Check it out, if you're a little Luigi-curious:

Luigi: A life in the shadows [GamesRadar]

Microsoft Denies "One Million Banned" Report [Microsoft]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:00:00 -0700

There are some out there who believe that during the recent wave of Xbox Live bannings, Microsoft kicked as many as one million people off their online service. It's a belief Microsoft execs do not subscribe to.

"We didn't release the number", Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten told VentureBeat. "I cannot explain to you why people would think it was a million people. It wasn't a million people".

So, those who had money on it being one million, sorry. You're out. Until the cold day in hell Microsoft actually disclose the figures, though, those with money on it being 999,999 or 1,000,001, you're still in the running!

Microsoft's Xbox Live chief on banning modders and browsing Facebook photos on TV [VentureBeat]

Virtual Console: Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Pilotwings, All Coming [Wii]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:30:00 -0700

Has a year of uninspiring selections all but made you forget the Wii's Virtual Console even existed? Understandable. Might want to buckle up, though, because three of the most-requested games for the service are finally making an appearance.

This coming Monday - November 23 - sees the release of the original SNES Mario Kart, for 800 Points. Good news. Better news is to come, though, as "sometime this holiday season" Nintendo will also release the original SNES Pilotwings and the original N64 Smash Bros. Exact release dates and pricing to come on those two.

Leaving just one game on my Virtual Console wish list. Jurassic Park. Chop chop, Nintendo.

Super Mario Kart drifts onto Wii VC [GameSpot]

Valve Bans Gray-Market Modern Warfare 2 Keys [Banhammer]

Owen Good — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Some who bought CD keys for Modern Warfare 2 - no physicial media in other words - from import resellers have seen their access to the game vanish, as Activision has apparently asked Valve to ban such keys.

A poster in Valve's official forums complained that a key he bought through G2Play.net no longer lets him open and play the game. A Valve representative, BurtonJ, called such sales "illegitimate" and confirmed the ban. He recommends buying a full version of the game - maybe through Steam? Hint hint.

VE3D, which spotted the thread, points out that calling the key sales "illegitimate" is not entirely true. The keys are typically sold legally in Asia and other territories and while game makers try to ban it, their ability to do so is not absolute. Of course, the interest is clear: The keys being sold cost less than the full game, and both publisher and digital distributor stateside want to protect their bottom lines.

Valve's only advice to gray-market key buyers is ask for a refund and get a "legitimate" copy of the game.

Valve Banning Grey-Import Modern Warfare 2 CD Keys [VE3D]

Nintendo's Denise Kaigler Has Left The Building [Business]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0700

Nintendo's vice president of corporate affairs, Denise Kaigler, has announced that she'll be leaving the company after less than two years in the position.

Some may know Denise as that lady who replaced Nintendo fanboy icon Perrin Kaplan in the job. Others may know her as that lady who played splish-splash with Totilo, as both tried really hard to pretend Times Square was somewhere a little more tropical.

Either way, she's gone. Kaigler cites personal reasons for the departure (she lives in New England, Nintendo live on the other coast), with today her final day in the job.

In a statement issued to Kotaku, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing, Cammie Dunaway, says "Denise Kaigler has been a valuable part of the Nintendo of America team for the last two years. Shes made a personal decision to spend more time with her family in New England. We wish her all the best in this next chapter of her life, and we look forward to continuing to deliver great Nintendo experiences to people of all ages as we head into this holiday season".

Best of luck, Denise.

[image: JesseAngelo.com]

New Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Costumes In Action [Screens]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:20:00 -0700

Tecmo recently updated the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 cast's wardrobe, offering style savvy ninja masters new, sometimes inappropriate attire for Ryu, Momiji, Rachel and Ayane. If you didn't download the pack, here's a revealing look at what you've been missing.

Frankly, I think the four bucks is a small price to pay to improve upon Ayane's look and give Rachel something more business-like to wear. But it's also four bucks worth of virtual clothing. You'll have to judge for yourself.

Child's Play Drivers Pile Back on the Bus [Charity]

Owen Good — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0700

Take a seat and don't stand forward of the yellow line - Desert Bus for Hope kicked off its third marathon o' masochism, and looks to top the $70,000 it raised last year for the Child's Play charity.

Online sketch comedy team LoadingReadyRun is back behind the wheel, promising to play the most boring video game ever designed - Desert Bus, from Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors for Sega CD - in return for your donations. Desert Bus is a simulator that depicts driving a bus between Tucson, Ariz. and Las Vegas in real time. The game cannot be paused.

The first hour of driving - which begins this very minute at LoadingReadyRun's bus campaign HQ in Vancouver - requires only a $1 donation. But additional hours require donations that increase by 7 percent every hour. You keep donatin' and they keep drivin'. As of writing, they had already collected $5,640 before even cranking the bus' engine, buying a total of 88 hours so far. By their scale, a million dollars donated would double that playing time.

The bus crew played the game over five days last year, raising $70,000 in the process. Penn Jillette referred to the marathon in the latest edition of Game Informer, marveling that the team was able to pile up a score of "eight points." You get one point per completed trip between the two cities.

You can follow the action on two live streaming cams: The driver cam, and the bus cam. Donation info is at the link below.

Desert Bus for Hope [site]

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Snow Temple Preview: Ditching Zelda [Preview]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:40:00 -0700

Two of the major selling points for The Legend of Zelda: Spirits Tracks have been the train and the addition of Zelda to Link as a companion character. But what can you expect from the rest of the game?

I sat down at Nintendo's Redwood City office to get a good look at the single-player mode for myself (since all I had to go on were Nintendo Power previews and Stephen Totlio's experience) before diving into the multiplayer mode. I was given a choice: I could replay the same demo Nintendo Power and Totilo had already covered, or I could be one of the first to see the second dungeon in the game – the Snow Temple.

What kind of correspondent would I be if I didn't go for the latter? A copycat, that's what!

What Is It?
The Snow Temple was described to me as the "second" dungeon in the game once Zelda and Link are sent to the Tower of Spirits to restore the Spirit Tracks of Hyrule. The level began outside the snow-covered structure with the train parked out front and Zelda hovering beside Link.

What We Saw
The temple had about three floors and judging from the main room that requires puzzle solving, I'd say I completed three quarters of it before having to stop to play some multiplayer.

How Far Along Is It?
The game comes out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that could well be a final version of the game.

What Needs Improvement?
My Snow Temple For An Item-Toggling Button: Link started this dungeon with the Whirlwind item and earned the Boomerang about halfway through. To use an item, you've got to select it from a menu so that it appears in an icon in the upper right hand side of the lower screen. Tapping that icon activates the item and then you do whatever is required of you to use it (blow in the mic for the Whirlwind, draw a path on the screen for the Boomerang). There came a point in this dungeon where you had to use the boomerang to create a path of ice over water (by crossing its path through an ice torch and back across the water) – and then quickly change to the Whirlwind to activate a switch out in the middle of the water. Because the ice path melts quickly, your timing has to be spot on and it can get pretty fiddly when you're trying to bust out the Whirlwind, aim it and THEN blow into the mic. I died at least twice, wishing in vain that a tap of the shoulder button would switch between items.

Dude, Where's My Zelda? As soon as I set foot in the Snow Temple, Zelda shrank and faded away with a sigh. It turns out she can't go with you or help you within the Temples and you can't talk to her for advice the way you could with other companion characters in other Zelda games. This turned Spirit Tracks into an experience that was an awful lot like Phantom Hourglass. Phantom Hourglass was good, so that's not an automatic minus – but I think people were expecting the all-new Zelda gameplay to be a consistent feature instead of an area-specific thing.

What Should Stay The Same?
Shallow Learning Curve: Truthfully, I never beat The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and it's been ages since I've touched it. But it really didn't take long to master the stylus-only controls and the menus weren't at all difficult to navigate and interpret. People who missed out on Phantom Hourglass are going to be just fine adjusting to Spirit Tracks.

Sure Rings My Bell: The entire temple was based on moving three bells into a main room together so that Link could trigger them in a sequence to open a door. This objective was communicated entirely through visuals (little panels with bells on different note lines, panels on the floor, etc.) and all of the puzzles were familiar slide-the-block, clear-the-room-of-monsters affairs that I know and love in Zelda games. I got so caught up in the familiar, simple gameplay, I didn't mind dying twice and getting stuck three different times.

Final Thoughts
Despite not having beaten Phantom Hourglass and not really liking The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (yeah, I said it – you wanna fight?!), playing Spirit Tracks felt like coming home. That's probably the best feeling I could ask for from a game, especially so close to the holidays when I long for that feeling and have all this extra time to play games.

Gameloft Cuts Android Efforts, Says It's Not Alone [Gameloft]

Owen Good — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:20:00 -0700

The French mobile games developer Gameloft has scaled back its development on Google's Android platform, complaining that the Android application store is "not as neatly done" and offers little enticement to buy games offered there.

This is interesting because, as MacWorld points out, smaller developers had welcomed Android as an alternative to the sometimes inscrutable policies and decisions of the iTunes App store. Not Gameloft (though hardly a "smaller developer,") which says it sells "400 times more games on iPhone than Android," according to the finance director Alexandre de Rochefort, speaking at an investor's conference.

Moreover, "we have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like ... many others," Rochefort said, as reported by Reuters. "It is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android nobody is making significant revenue."

Reuters says that iPhone applications generated 13 percent of Gameloft's revenue in the last quarter.

Gameloft Says It, Others Reining in Android Plans [Reuters via MacWorld]

Ubisoft Says No Thank You To No More Heroes PS3, 360 [Grasshopper Manufacture]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0700

The recently announced Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 port of Wii game No More Heroes is now on the hunt for a new North American publisher. Ubisoft says it's passing.

In a statement to G4, the French publisher said that unlike the original Wii game and its sequel No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise shan't carry the Ubisoft logo on these shores. No reason given, apparently, but here's to hoping Grasshopper Manufacture can find a friend for those of use interested in experiencing "Very Sweet Mode" stateside.

Ubisoft Not Publishing No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise (Aka No More Heroes HD) [G4's The Feed]

Haters Gonna Hate [Note]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:08 -0700

To: Luke
From: McWhertor
Re: Funds Raised!

Well, this week sure was capped with blustering nonsense! I can't wait to drink away this work week's worth of silliness, conclusion-jumping and finger-pointing, forgetting my troubles with a few games of Left 4 Dead 2 and whatever libation I choose to purchase from my local Vons. Look, I realize I bring up Left 4 Dead a lot, but it—and its predecessor—happens to be one of the few online shooters that somehow maintains a stranglehold on me for longer stretches than the average game.

Perhaps the only other games to do so were Counter-strike and Team Fortress 2. See a pattern there?

Anyway, I know you're flying the Kotaku Starship solo tonight, so best of luck out there.

Here's what you missed...
Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games
Left 4 Dead Campaigns Now (Unofficially) Work In Left 4 Dead 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Multiplayer Preview: Spreading The Phantom
Kotaku Game Club: Modern Warfare 2 Discussion Resumes.. NOW (Levels 13-15)
Mysterious New 2K Games Shooter Teased By Spike
Sackboy Gets Furried By Sonic The Hedgehog
Left 4 Dead 2's Midnight Riders, Ellis Take To YouTube, Facebook

A New Look At Borderlands' The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned [Gearbox Software]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0700

Who's excited about fresh Borderlands content? Even if it's zombie-related? I know I am, planning on downloading The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned as soon as is humanly possible. Or within my window of laziness. Anyway...

Gearbox Software released a batch of new media for the Borderlands expansion, content that looks like it would've been great to play on or around Halloween and will give my Siren a bluish hue that I'll really enjoy. More reanimated screens in the gallery below.

Notebook Dump: Excuse Time [Extras]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:10 -0700

Today's Notebook Dump is different.

I usually use the Notebook Dump as a place to tell readers about facts I've picked up that don't merit their own posts. Today, however, it's more relevant to talk about why I don't have as much to share this week.

A game reporter spends some weeks... distracted. This week was like that for me. I spent a chunk of Monday completing Assassin's Creed II. I spent part of Tuesday sitting for a gaming-related interview for Spike TV (extending my streak of weeks during which I've worn make-up to two). On Thursday, I was indisposed for a couple of hours at one of those secret-for-now preview events for a game that comes out next year. All of this, in addition to spending a few hours chipping away at the Modern Warfare 2 campaign to keep pace with our Game Club, keeps a game reporter from doing that much, well, reporting.

That's not ideal for me, mind you. For years, people have replied to my description of what I do for a living by asking me what it's like to play games for work. They assume I play games from nine to five, but that's something I've tried to avoid. It's less easy to avoid that this time of year. Playing games spills into working hours. Working hours become added gaming time. Less reporting gets done. That's yet another sign that the job of the reviewer and the job of the reporter aren't made to overlap. Some would argue that they should not — or even that one person shouldn't do both. Tell that to all the people who conflate games journalism with games reviewing.

Enough of this irregular Notebook Dump. By the way, that's an image up top of a Mario t-shirt that I photographed at the Nintendo World store this past weekend. Say hello to his little friends.

Games I Got But Didn't Write About (Yet?): NCAA Basketball 10 (Xbox 360, PS3), Assassin's Creed Bloodlines (PSP), Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (Wii)

Left 4 Dead 2's Midnight Riders, Ellis Take To YouTube, Facebook [Valve]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:23 -0700

Gamers looking for more story in their Left 4 Dead 2 experience may want to refocus their efforts on the web. Ellis, one of the game's new Survivors, and his favorite fictional band, the Midnight Riders have YouTube accounts.

Right now, there's not much to the Midnight Riders' YouTube channel, just like the web site that bears their name. What the Riders do have is a legion of similarly fictional fans, many of whom are infected with the "green flu" but plan on catching the band at Whispering Oaks or the Peach Pit.

One of those fans is Ellis the mechanic. His YouTube account—showing his taste for the Midnight Riders and Swedish country techno band Rednex—is full of Ellis personality. The same for his Facebook page.

Left 4 Dead 2 fans looking to explore the story on a deeper level should befriend and subscribe now.

Midnight Riders & Ellis [YouTube - thanks, P-Zan!]

Yes, Mass: We Pray Was More Dante's Inferno Schtick [Marketing]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:36 -0700

That Mass: We Pray trailer posted earlier this week? Totally Dante's Inferno marketing. And well done too, as numerous sites both within and outside the video game coverage space posted it as genuine.

But marketing it is, the latest in Electronic Arts' attempts to drum up interest in Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno, due early next year. We'll just have to wager a guess that the spot, the web site, the cross controller and kneeler accessory were the work of ad firm Wieden + Kennedy, responsible for some of EA's previous viral and non-traditional ads, like the Tiger Woods "Jesus Shot" video and Spore billboard campaign.

Mass: We Pray ties into the Heresy circle of Dante Alighieri's version of Hell—and the level of the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP game—but also lets Facebook users "damn" their friends and acquaintances. But that's not a very nice thing to do.

Modern Warfare 2 Deployed To NASCAR Paint Job [Sports]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Just as DJ Hero, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Guitar Hero have done before it, Modern Warfare 2 will grace the chassis of GameStop's NASCAR Nationwide Series entry car. It'll do so this weekend, too!

Driver Joey Logano will go round and round in the Modern Warfare 2 themed stock car, moving at high speeds at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, viewable on ESPN2, aka The Deuce.

"This is the perfect race to have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the car because it is the last race before the holiday season," Logano said. "GameStop gave me a copy last week, and it is an unbelievable game. It should definitely be at the top of a lot of Christmas wish lists this year."

Sure, I guess that makes... sense?

Sackboy Gets Furried By Sonic The Hedgehog [Downloadables]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:58 -0700

Sonic the Hedgehog fans looking for something 2D and side-scrolling to tide them over until Sega's "Project Needlemouse" pokes its way to consoles can spend some time with LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy later this year, thanks to new Sonic-themed costumes.

According to PlayStation.com's Hong Kong presence, as spotted by Siliconera, LittleBigPlanet costumes that ape Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Werehog, Tails, Dr. Robotnik (aka Eggman) and Knuckles will be available later this year. December 17, at least in Hong Kong, to be exact.

While we'd PlayStation.com to be right about the particulars, we're checking in with Sony and Media Molecule to see when we can enjoy dressing our Sackboys up as Sonic and his friends on our PS3s.

LittleBigPlanet Sonic the Hedgehog Costumes (English/Chinese Ver.) [PlayStation Hong Kong via Siliconera]

ModNation Racers: Express Your Inner Pink Kitty Girl [Clips]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:20:00 -0700

The latest trailer for the PlayStation 3's ModNation Racers gives us a much better feel for the sheer amount of customizing you'll be doing when the game launches next year.

Once more I get the distinct feeling that I will spend hours upon hours designing my racer, car, and special tracks, only to get bored with the actual racing afterward. I've not had a chance to play the game yet of course, so perhaps my tune will change, but in the meantime, I have to ask myself how much being able to create a pink kitty girl racer is worth to me.

Millions.

Review Round-Up: Assassin's Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, Indiana Lego 2, And More [List]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:09 -0700

We reviewed a bunch of games this week on Kotaku and dare I note that the sequels had a better batting average than the originals?

EyePet Review: His Master's Voice
In which Luke Plunkett's furniture and lighting fail to meet Sony standards.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert Micro-Review: Palm-Size Power Trip
In which freelancer Matt Cabral forgives a key omission.

Left 4 Dead 2 Review: We Don't Care How You Did It Up North
In which Michael McWhertor no longer worries about the corny and the hokey.

Assassin's Creed II Review: A Season For Masterpieces
In which I praise, among many other things, the game's infidelity joke.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Review: Nuke The Mini-fig
In which Brian Crecente finds a silver lining to a Crystal Skull.

Asphalt 5 Micro-Review: Pedal to the iPhone
In which Cabral is driven to temporarily dislike one of his favorite bands.

Torchlight Review: The Fate Of DiabloCraft
In which Michael Fahey is on the verge of laughing — but holds back.

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Review: Deja Vu in Space
In which Brian Ashcraft fires the Ion Cannon a tad too much.

Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games
In which I praise a game that can be played on shaky boats, wobbly subways and other unstable places.