Christopher Lloyd Reprises Role As Doc Brown For Back to the Future GamesPosted by Eddy on September 1st, 2010

OK, the Back to the Future fanboy just has to get this out of the way right off the bat. Ready for it? Great Scott!

Anyway, several months back, Telltale Games announced that they were going to be developing some Back to the Future and Jurassic Park adventure games. Well, today they let loose a little bit more information about the project, and the details are certainly enticing. For one, there are going to be a total of five episodes of gaming goodness. For dos (that’s Spanish for all of you keeping track at home), both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd have released their likenesses for use in the game.

On top of all of that, Bob Gale, one of the key people behind the writing of the movie trilogy, will be contributing to these games to make sure they are in keeping with the series. And last but not least, Christopher Lloyd will be reprising his role as Doc Brown, lending his vocal talents to the project. Heavy. I can honestly say that these are some of my most anticipated games in development right now, and I’m going to jump on any news that comes out of these guys. I hear they’re going to have a DeLorean at PAX, so Mitch, that means you need to take pictures.

Anyway, who else is pumped about these games, and this news? What do you think of the new concept art? Go!

Source- Telltale Games

Why Can’t This Sonic and Knuckles 3D Level Be Real?Posted by Eddy on August 25th, 2010

Oh Sonic. Your franchise, along with Sega, have become quite the punching bags in the gaming industry of late. You used to be so spinny, so fast, so fresh (and bright + vivid), but now you’re just a retro-gen has been. As much as it pains me to say it, it’s true. It’s so true in fact, that every time we get a glimpse of how good you could be, we get a little weepy, and mourn for the Sonic that we knew and loved.

Take this video mock-up of Sonic and Knuckles 3D. It’s a re-creation of the Mushroom Hill Zone level from that game, done in widescreen and updated graphics. Sadly, it’s not playable, but gives a great sense of that old school Sonic flavor. Sega, I have to ask you an honest question: why have you been unable to pull this off? This game should have come out years ago.

Who else wishes they could play this?

Scott Pilgrim Brings The Retro Gaming Easter EggsPosted by Anthony on August 12th, 2010

As some of you may be aware, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is set to come out in theaters tomorrow. For those of you who have not seen the preview, I urge you to google it right the hell now. If you like video games, you will, at the very least, be amused by the trailer.

The movie is based on a graphic novel, which contains tons of references to old school games, some so old that I had forgotten about them completely until now. Our good friends at GamesRadar put together a nifty little list of them and I thought it might be fun to share it with you guys.

Personally, the River City Ransom “BARF” and the coins dropping are my favorites. I’ve always had a soft spot for that game, ever since I first read about it in Nintendo Power back in the 80s. What references did you think were cool? Are you planning on seeing the movie?

BARF! I mean, GO!

Source: GamesRadar

The Curse of Fat Sonic 2 XLPosted by Eddy on July 15th, 2010

OK, I’ve seen a few bizarre mods and hacks to videogames in my day. Some of these range from funny to weird and ridiculous to just plain awesome. This one for Sonic 2, dubbed “Sonic 2 XL“, actually might cover all of those categories, while smashing a few new ones all its own.

The hack basically puts a new spin on the Sonic franchise: namely, that rings transform our favorite speedy hedgehog into a morbidly obese blob that can’t move, and thus, dies. Like I said, it’s weird but also manages to be hilarious to look at. I laughed out loud at fat Sonic trying to outrun the explosions towards the end of the game.

What do you guys think of this? And what are some of the cooler mods you’ve seen to games? Also, this makes me want to go and play the real Sonic 2 quite badly.

Games as Art: Looking Back at MGS 2Posted by Eddy on July 3rd, 2010

Metal Gear Solid 2 is a game that gets quite a bit of flack from some of the gaming community. The MGS fan kingdom seems to be split down two camps of people that have opposing feelings for the sequel to the hit PS1 game. Personally, I fall into the group of people that generally dislikes MGS2. I remember being so excited for its release, especially after playing the demo that came packaged with Zone of the Enders. I loved the first game’s comic book Die Hard feel, but the sequel just got much too campy, and Raiden was nowhere near as good of a hero as the beloved Solid Snake, in my opinion.

Some years ago, the Delta Head Translation Group published a formal analysis of Metal Gear Solid 2, which is one of the most fascinating pieces of writing I’ve ever read on a video game. It breaks down some of the meta-narrative of MGS2, and what the game might have actually been designed for: to leave the player feeling frustrated. Agree with it or not, it actually gives a really enlightening look at the game, and might even give you pause about your assumptions.

I was reminded of this article because I got into a discussion with JJ about Roger Ebert recently backtracking on his “games can never be art” infamy; he now says that some day they might be. JJ and I got on a tangent about it being hard for something to be fun, artistic, emotional and medium-transcending all at once. I was arguing that fun might not necessarily be a requirement for video games to be art- after all, is watching Schlinder’s List “fun”? In the MGS2 article, the author argues that perhaps the game was designed to make you feel the way it did, and not designed with a fun-factor in mind. If this is truly the case, then perhaps MGS2, as flawed as it is, might be a video game that approaches that territory, where games are turned on their head and go beyond the medium? Portal is probably one of the best examples of a game that deconstructs gaming yet manages to be entertaining and well made.

Anyway, all that mumbo-jumbo aside, you should definitely check out the article, it’s long, but worth the thoughts it gives on what games are supposed to make you feel. And while you’re at it, feel free to weight in on the “games as art” discussion.

Source- Delta Head Translation Group and Roger Ebert

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Summer Gaming Memories?Posted by Eddy on June 29th, 2010

It’s the middle of the summer, just after E3, which of course means that video game news has largely slowed to a halt again. Things will pick up after a few weeks, I’m sure, but until then, expect lots of editorials and questions about your lives as awesome gamers.

As many of you are no doubt on summer break, I wanted to talk a little about summer gaming. When I was younger, I remember several days in the summer months where I would just get up and play the NES or Sega Genesis all day long, walking to Blockbuster to rent games and then promptly dispatching them as soon as I got home. It was a glorious schedule, and one I long for again. I think my favorite summer gaming memory, though, comes from the summer of 1997, when Star Fox 64 came out. I remember walking to the GamePower, a local video game shop, trading in several video games and then running back home with a copy of the game in my hand. I then beat the game in one sitting, and my brother and I played multiplayer matches with our friends nearly all night.

Man, that just made me crazy nostalgic. What about you guys? What are some of your favorite summer gaming memories?

The Video Game Level Hall of ShamePosted by Eddy on June 28th, 2010

At present, we’ve already had two sets of inductions into our very own GamerSushi Hall of Fame: one for solo campaign levels as well as multiplayer maps. When I wrote those, I was sure to note that they were by no means a final list, and that we would be adding plenty of new groups in with them. That’s why I’m here today to bring a new set of candidates, but with a bit of a twist: The Video Game Level Hall of Shame.

This wing of the Hall of Fame is devoted to those game levels which are masochistic in their design, ever demanding more skill from us, more hours and frustration and yes, even blood sacrifices in order to add their notches to our belts. The Video Game Level Hall of Shame is reserved for those notorious offenders that made us collectively throw our controllers in frustration and disdain, scorning the forges that could create such misery in video game form.

Allow me to display the first inductees: More »

Russian Snack Company Wins the Internet With Their CommercialsPosted by Mitch on June 10th, 2010

You probably read that title and asked yourself “why is Mitch posting about Russian commercials?” Simple answer my friends: they are awesome, and video game related. The ads take two iconic video game franchises, like Contra and Tetris, and mashes them up in a versus setting. These ads have been running for quite a while, so there’s a few gems in there. The animated commercials are also a bit more mature than we’re used to in North America, but we’re all adults here, right? Catch Tetris versus Contra here, and Mario versus Pac-Man after the jump.

Contra versus Tetris:

More »

The Dreamcast is Back as Downloadable Content!Posted by Mitch on June 10th, 2010

This will surely be good news for those of us who fondly remember SEGA’s last foray into the console business as it has just been announced that the Dreamcast’s library of titles is being made available on the PlayStation Network and the X-Box LIVE Arcade. The Dreamcast garnered over 650 titles during its lifespan, which started on September 9, 1999 with Sonic Adventure.

While some Dreamcast games have seen re-releases on previous generation consoles (the Sonic Adventure series being the most notable) this is the first time they’re being set loose on the current generation featuring all the fancy bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect like updated graphics, sound, and online integration.

SEGA’s VP of Digital Business, Haruki Satomi, had this to say about the Dreamcast’s resurgence:

“The Dreamcast is fondly remembered by a large community of dedicated fans as a console that was ahead of its time in terms of graphics, quality and online gaming. There are few things that are more requested from us than making Dreamcast classics available for download in today’s digital market place. We’re very excited to begin offering gamers our beloved Dreamcast titles again on the current console systems.”

The first games to be out in the fall will be Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, and I can tell you that those are on my list. What about you guys? Excited about the Dreamcast coming back? What games would you like to see?

Source: Kotaku

Obligatory Viral Video Post: Mortal Kombat RebirthPosted by Eddy on June 9th, 2010

By Internet standards, this news is a couple of days old, so by now it’s practically ancient history. However, that hasn’t stopped people from talking incessantly about this brand new Mortal Kombat short film that made its debut on the tubes and swelled to mythical proportions in just hours.

Here’s the rundown: it’s a gritty, well made depiction of the Mortal Kombat universe with some excellent production values behind it. No, it’s not a trailer for a new game, nor a trailer for a new movie. It is, however, a brief proof-of-concept that director Kevin Tancharoen made to pitch to Warner Bros., in the hopes of getting a new movie produced.

While I’m not quite as enthralled as the rest of the Web seems to be over this, it’s still pretty damn entertaining, and would make a great opening to a potential new Mortal Kombat film. If this guy gets picked to bring the next one of these to life, then sign me up.