My Rant for the Year: The Female Gaming Issue (Yes, This Again)

My comment posted at 2:19am on this Destructoid Blog.

Do you know why game companies market badly to female gamers now? Because female gamers started complaining that game companies didn't market to them or create games specifically for them. See what you did! Now we get dumb games like Imagine Babyz and Hell's Kitchen: the Game.

I remember when girls played videogames because they were fun, not because they empowered our feminist movement or some bull. Gaming shouldn't have to include messages about women's lib for a woman to be happy to play it. I grew up playing Mario and I think I turned out pretty good, so why does this generation need a series of games that empowers them as females?

There is no such thing as a female specific videogames anyway because I know men that loved Cooking Mama. Why demand a genre of games now, if we didn't need them to get us into games in the first place?

Also I agree that there are idiots online that treat women gamers like crap, but there are idiots online that treat everyone like crap. My bf is a 30-year-old straight white male and he gets douchebags calling him names online.
You ignore them and get on with your game.

That is all I have to say on that.

Nothing against the blog author but I've been reading a lot of blog posts and articles lately complaining about the plight of female gamers and I am personally sick of the bitching and complaining.

Just stop it! We are not a repressed bunch of people, ladies. Stop thinking the gaming industry doesn't market or develop for you and stop thinking that every idiot online is out to put you back into the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. Okay. I support my fellow female gamers as much as the next gal, but if I have to read or listen to one more person go on about how unfair people are to us, female gamers, I will start matching those posts with my own posts about all the real injustices in this world.

Like the other day, I heard a horrible story about how executed Chinese prisoners were being harvested for organs and sold in order to raise funds for hospitals How is that justified? Treating human beings like open organ markets just because they committed a crime. Suddenly female game marketing doesn't seem so important, now does it?

Playstation Store Downloads for June 25, 2009

Downloadable Games
Droplitz ($9.99)
Immerse yourself in this addictive puzzler that’s all about strategically twisting and connecting mismatched dials to save precious droplitz. Just making a single junction is child’s play; can you master the art of the combo or will you let your pipes runneth over? With four unique play modes, a variety of board sizes, and infinite replayability, Droplitz promises to drain all your time away.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 144 MB

PSone Classics PS3 / PSP
Mobile Light Force ($5.99)
This classic vertical scrolling shoot ‘em upbrings all the best of arcade action games into your home.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 69 MB

Game Demos (free)
The BIGS 2 Demo
The BIG LEAGUES just got BIGGER! The BIGS 2 allows fans to experience heroic gameplay, legendary game modes and incredible player models. Experience a 3 inning game between the American and National League All Stars, as well as Home Run Derby Pinball in the all new Las Vegas level. The BIGS gets BIGGER 7.7.09!
File size: 562 MB

Add-on Game Content
High Velocity Bowling 60’s Surf Ball Pack ($0.99)
File size: 5.08 MB

High Velocity Bowling Tiki Polynesian Ball Pack ($0.99)
File size: 5.52 MB

LittleBigPlanet Summer Solstice Costume (free)
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Artists Sitcker Pack - Jon Burgerman ($1.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

MotorStorm Pacific Rift Wombat Signature Livery Pack (free)
File size: 100 KB

Cross Edge Mystery Synth Pack (free)
File size: 111 KB

Cross Edge Mighty Rare Pack (free)
File size: 111 KB

Cross Edge Additional Dungeon 1 (free)
File size: 111 KB

Disgaea 3: Absence Of Justice Class World Command Attack Mode ($3.99)
File size: 1.23 MB

Cuboid Bundle Pack ($4.99)
File size: 100 KB

Cuboid Level Editor ($3.99)
File size: 100 KB

Cuboid Booster Pack ($2.99)
File size: 100 KB

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Chalk Dust Torture (Live)” by Phish ($1.99)
“Down With Disease (Live)” by Phish ($1.99)
“Sample In A Jar (Live)” by Phish ($1.99)
Phish Live Track Pack ($5.49)
File sizes: 52 MB - 63 MB (singles), 169 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Little of Your Time” — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
“Makes Me Wonder” — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
“Wake Up Call” — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
“Maroon 5 Pack 1 ($5.49)
“21st Century (Digital Boy)” — Bad Religion ($1.99)
“The Downfall of Us All” — A Day to Remember ($1.99)
“The Flood” — Escape the Fate ($1.99)
“I Didn’t Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard” — Chiodos ($1.99)
“Reinventing Your Exit” — Underoath ($1.99)
Warped Tour 2009 Pack 1 ($8.49)
“Alive” — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
“Brother” — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
“State of Love and Trust” — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
Pearl Jam “Ten” Bonus Pack ($5.49)
File sizes: 21 MB - 42 MB (singles), 94 MB - 140 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)
inFAMOUS Commercial
File size: 23 MB (HD)

Mini Ninjas Gameplay Trailer
File size: 56 MB (HD)

Mini Ninjas Hiro Trailer
File size: 55 MB (HD)

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Handover Video
File size: 55 MB (HD)

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Hunt Video
File size: 101 MB (HD)

The Saboteur E3 Trailer
File size: 85 MB (HD)

Darksiders Story Trailer
File size: 51 MB (HD)

The BIGS 2 Legendary Catches & Big Slams
File size: 50 MB (HD)

The BIGS 2 Teaser Trailer
File size: 78 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes
Battlefield 1943 Theme (free)
File size: 3.77 MB

Elven X III Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.95 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP
Downloadable Games
Brothers in Arms D-Day ($14.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
On the night before D-Day, the 101st Airborne parachuted behind enemy lines in Normandy. The hopes of the free world rested upon their shoulders.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.05 GB

Chessmaster: The Art of Learning ($19.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
The world’s best program for beginners and advanced players. Play the best selling chess program for the first time on PSP.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 84 MB

Driver 76 ($19.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
Take to the streets of 1976 New York, in this action packed, Hollywood style driving game, where you can become the ultimate godfather of the street racing!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 637 MB

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ($19.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
Based on the CGI TMNT movie, Ubisoft’s TMNT video game takes place in New York City, a city plagued with fast-moving shadows and attacks from strange creatures. Could the wealthy and mysterious Max Winters be involved? New York City needs the Turtles now more than ever but they face their most trying time both as heroes and as brothers.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 864 MB

Add-on Game Content
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Pack 2 (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 1.13 MB

Rock Band Unplugged (also available from PS3 storefront)
Build your Rock Band Unplugged library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Afterlife” — Avenged Sevenfold ($1.99)
“Dr. Feelgood”— Motley Crue ($1.99)
File sizes: 20 MB - 22 MB

PSP Themes
Elven X PSP Theme 5 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 545 KB

Elven X PSP Theme 6 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 661 KB

Review: Marble Saga: Kororinpa

Marble Saga: Kororinpa
Konami, Hudson Entertainment
Available for Nintendo Wii

An object rolling through multiple perilous mazes, attempting to reach the goal in each one, isn't a new concept at all. Of course, they've been around long before the days of Marble Madness with those wooden labyrinth toys you'd tilt to get all of the iron balls into the goal. Wii owners especially have already seen an abundance of these types of games with Super Monkey Ball, Mercury Meltdown and the marble mini game in Wii Fit. Hudson released its own take on the marble maze game with Kororinpa: Marble Mania, now a hard to find title and this game was fun but flawed. The problem was that you essentially only got one level per dollar of the $40 price tag, so rising to criticism, Hudson has released the sequel, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, with 150 unique levels, but will this sequel out do this predecessor?

The main course of Marble Saga is a story mode featuring an extremely simple tale revolving around an ant named Anthony. He needs the Golden Sunflower to save his land, but the catch is that the treasure is sealed up inside the Stump Temple. Traveling from maze to maze, it's your job to collect stump pieces and crystals as you roll through the perilous passages. As you complete each maze with all collectable items in tow, you’ll unlock new marble pieces with unique traits that you can use inside each maze.

There are several themed areas you and Anthony must travel through from sandy dunes to the ocean blue. Each area has ten main levels to conquer. These can be tackled in any order once you've unlocked the latter five levels of an area. Once the eleventh level, a slightly more difficult challenge level, is completed, you can open up the next area on the world map to explore. It's not however as simple as going from point A to point B. It's about going from point A to point B while collecting all of the orange crystals to unlock the goal.

The early mazes will have quite a few railings to protect your marble from falling off and very few obstacles to move around, making them an easy challenge to run through. Elements like slick floors, pinball bumpers, cannons, tubes and deathly spikes will start appearing in the later mazes as you work your way long in order to make things more challenging. Thankfully, most levels have multiple checkpoints, so you won’t have to keep running the maze from the beginning every time you lose a ball. Annoyingly, you do get a three second penalty each time you fall which you will do a lot.

Unlike the original Kororinpa, Marble Saga gives the player the choice between two control schemes for the story mode, both of which are available through the wii remote. There are a few dozen levels which support Nintendo's balance board peripheral, but you don’t have to own the board to finish the levels. To actually control the game, you must use the motion sensor inside the wii remote to tilt the maze to move your marble around the board. This must be done gently or the marble will roll out of control and you’ll lose it to a trap or over the side of the maze. This control concept wasn’t too bad to work with, except for the few times you had to twist the board around in a strange angle and really just ended up twisting your wrist. Ouch!

Further frustrating was the camera which is always facing one angle which sometimes resulted in you not being able to see your marble as its rolling and would cause you to lose your marble over the edge or something.

If constantly failing the story mode mazes gets you down, you can always check out the robust level creator. If you can think it, you can most likely build it and then send it to your friends via WiiConnect24. Unfortunately, the quirky design choices don't end with the game play as almost every worthwhile construction piece must be made by combining multiple materials. And where are these materials found? Why, in story mode, of course! Look forward to playing through the same levels over and over again just to grind for materials needed to build cool doodads and gadgets. If you rather avoid the “Do it yourself” route, Hudson promises to provide additional mazes through the downloadable content menu in game.

For all my issues with the controls, Marble Saga's presentation isn't too shabby. A comparison of backgrounds from the original Kororinpa to backgrounds of the sequel, Marble Saga is like night and day. Marble Saga has much more detailed backgrounds filled with things to make it look busy and full of life. Some of the music can get stuck in your head as it's quite catchy while other tracks can be completely forgettable.

With so many bad third party Wii games coming out every day for the Nintendo Wii, I’m always the first to point out the good and the bad games for the system as to spare my readers a waste of their valuable dollars. Anyone who enjoyed games like Marble Madness back in the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System might actually find themselves loving this game, if they can get passed the cheesy storyline and cutesy exterior. I definitely think this is a neat title and well worth a look see.

Rating 7 out of 10
Rent it!

Epic 8 Bit Bead Art: Sonic the Hedgehog Logo

SonicGGLogo2, originally uploaded by redherring1up.

Another amazing bead art piece from a member of my bead sprite forum and this time it's from Redherring.

Redherring created the Sonic logo from the Game Gear version of the series. The logo from the Sega Genesis version is much bigger but this is still pretty amazing.

Another week, another amazing bead art piece. These people never fail to amazing me.

You can check out more of Redherring's picture on flickr.

Review: Sonic Unleashed

Sonic Unleashed
Sega, Sonic Team
Available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 2

Sonic is back again as the Sonic Team tries once more to revive the franchise that was king back in the days of 2D adventures. Sonic Unleashed brings a new element to the Sonic franchise with a strange day and night effect on Sonic and his world. Is this enough though to bring life back to this dying franchise?

The story behind Sonic Unleashed is pretty simple as Sonic is once again doing his best to try and save the world from Dr. Eggman. The only difference though this time is that Sonic has been altered a bit into the form of a were-hog. This were-hog comes only out at night and changes the way Sonic moves, how he reacts to things, etc. This basically takes the entire Sonic character, all of the abilities and such that he is known for, and throws them out the window, introducing a whole new set of things he can do.

The game is really split up into two different worlds as you have levels that take place during the day and the levels that take place during the night. You can get to these levels and such by going through the hub world as you please or going to the different areas, talking to NPCs, etc.

The game shines with the levels that take place during the daytime; as you get all of the good stuff that Sonic fans absolutely love. The sense of speed as you are flying around in the daytime missions is astounding, as you blast through the 360 loops in glorious brightly coloured environments. The game also does a great job of switching through various styles of play from 2D to 3D as you are speeding your way through these levels.

The game feels fantastic during these daytime levels as the game has been built to showcase the true speed and excitement that Sonic has always been known for. Needless to say, you will be on the edge of your seat in these levels as you need to have the reflexes to react to all the elements thrown at you. This is what Sonic is all about, and if the whole game was set-up like this, it would be a home run.

Unfortunately though, there are these levels that also take place during the night, where you have to take control of Sonic the Were-hog. These levels at night feel like an entirely different game as everything is slowed down to a dull crawl.

The combat system is pretty deep for these night levels, but the fighting that takes place gets very repetitive and the controls do not work all that well, as you will grow tired of them and want to get back to the daytime levels as fast as you can. I have to admit this really aggravated me. The night time levels come across as very average and without any real creativity. The only highlight to these levels is the boss battles, which I will admit have some real creativity to them.

In regards to the graphics, the game looks absolutely gorgeous especially during the day time levels with their brightly coloured 3D elements. There are no words that could really describe just how good the game looks when you are playing as the real Sonic, dashing through them at his sonic speeds. The way in which the game flows with its amazing sense of speed, and vibrant colors, it will have you have you awe-struck. The only downside to the visuals is that when there are many enemies on screen you will run into a few frame rate issues.

Sonic Unleashed is probably about half of what Sonic fans were hoping for with the release of this new game. Sonic Team did do one thing right here, and it is that they have proven that Sonic can be just as much fun as it was on the Sega Genesis in this generation of consoles. Now if they could just stick to a basic Sonic plus speed plus gorgeous environments formula for all their games and leave out all the crazy ideas like Were-hogs and King Arthur’s court then the franchise would probably be okay.

I think though this is probably the best Sonic game we can hope for at least for a while, so for the hardcore Sonic fan out there, I would recommend you check this game out.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Rent it!

Link Munny and Zell Munny

Miss Shelby is back with some new and amazing munny designs.

The crafty lady behind the Boo munny has created one of the best Link munnies I've seen yet as well as a neat little Zell munny from Final Fantasy VIII.
I've always been impressed with the kinds of characters that come out of these blank munny figures and still want to try my hand at making one. That's a project for this summer maybe.

8 Bit Pwny Club Ep.1: Top 5 Toilets in Videogames

Check out the first episode of the 8 Bit Pwny Club with your hosts, Spader, Cookie and Daze. In this episode, they take a look at the best 5 toilets in videogames.

[Via Weebl's Stuff]

88 Lines about 45 Videogame Girls

Zelda was a Hylian girl,
she held a secret power deep inside.
Chun Li was a different type,
she's the one who’d put you on your ass.
Lulu was a magic girl,
and I was enchanted with a girl like that.
Sheva, a member of the BSAA
took the enemies down flat.

Rikku was an Al Bhed girl,
and a Gullwing member.
Ivy was a domination freak,
she liked that kind of misery.
Ulala had this special way
of turning us on with a song.
Cortana couldn't sing,
but she kept us going and kept us strong.

Faith was an runner,
the aerial queen the queen of spirit.
Hannah & Rain thought men were second best
to playing with each other.
Blood Rayne was a specialist,
she really had that gift to kill.
Lara's point of view was this:
Never miss a prize or a thrill.

Tala was another girl
who left her mark upon your neck.
Kasumi liked to beat me up,
and leave me lying on the ground.
Daphne had this nightclub walk
that left grown men wanting more.
Samus Aran, we thought a guy
until she left her armour on the floor.

Gloria the Order’s girl
was disappeared into the night.
Trish was really Gloria
ready to bring Nero into the light.
Nariko who knew no pain,
was never ever satisfied.
Ayumi came and went so fast,
she didn't even say good-bye.

Well Yuna had a mission in Spira,
lived to bring about the calm.
Aeris had a mission too,
had ancient power in her veins.
Jill thought Wesker was trustworthy,
blew him up so she thought.
Claire faced the zombie threat
and so she too Wesker fought.

And no, Wesker is still alive.

Pauline thought that love was simple,
but monkeys tend to mess things up.
Joanne was complicated,
like some secret spy film's plot.
Nina was the perfect agent,
always kept her buckles tight.
Peach was a rich mushroom Princess,
silver spoon and a warp pipe.

Farah was an ancient princess,
moving through the sands of time.
Elika held you and her own
in a crazy kind of mystic way.
Sarah Morrison, box art girl
you’d find her in a girly mag.
Terra's esper form was quite the thing
left her clothes torn to rags

Relm was an artistic girl,
her images would throw you far.
Alyx’s father had a pet,
A head crab named Lamarr.
Kitana fights in tournaments,
because she lost her loving home.
Sophitia also fights in tournament,
she fights them hard, and she fights alone.
Fran joined a fighting band,
and changed an empire for the best.
Lady Ashe who started it all,
fought for freedom and all the rest.
Celes was on the wrong side at first,
just needed to find her way.
Marle was much more my style,
a fiery red-head come what may.
Ayla went long for ride
happy to smash things with her club.
Ada maybe a sexy gal
but she could take out every guy in the pub
Tifa came from Midgar,
she's handy with her fist.
Cammy was my favourite gal,
I chose you to end this list.

[Parodied on 88 lines about 44 Women. Picture by Highwind Design]

Epic 8 Bit Art: Li'l 'Busters

Li'l 'Busters, originally uploaded by JSMc 2082.

It's all about the Ghostbusters!

I've seen these Ghostbuster sprite before on Spriter's Resource and thought about making them. From the Sega Genesis Ghostbusters' game, this little paper cut-outs are so cute. I love how JSMc 2082 made them into a little scene with the guys taking down Slimer too.

I plan to post more Ghostbuster's stuff throughout the week. Just in the mood for it.

Old Super Mario Bros. Comic

HPIM0249, originally uploaded by RoccoAnthony.

I found this on Flickr via the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool. Thought it was cute and had to post it. I can't tell how old it is, but I just love how Bowser is doodling all over Mario's picture.

Epic 8 Bit Bead Art: Giant Final Fantasy & Chronotrigger Art

Next to Doctor Octoroc, this new artist is my hero. He's inspired me to redo my Final Fantasy VI project (which now has a home with a Destructoid community member) and make a giant scene like one of these.


Dunhour, a new member for the Pixelgasm forum, has been wowing the whole lot of us with their giant mural size Squaresoft videogame scenes. Taken from Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy IV and Chronotrigger, this giant scenes must have taken Dunhour days to complete.

To give you an idea on how big these pieces are, quite visible in the middle picture are the squares that the mural is made up of. Each square is roughly 5.5 inches x 5.5 inches, so count the number of squares in that mural on each side - 6 wide & 4 high and you find that the piece is 33 inches wide and 22 inches high.

If you really want to get technical, there are 841 beads per square and there are 24 squares in the mural total, so there are 20,184 beads in that piece overall. That's a lot of bloody beads! Imagine having to place each one by hand following a pattern and then having to iron the whole thing, all the while hoping to God that you don't mess the piece up. Now, that's dedication.

I hope to make something that big someday but I need to finish my orders up first.

[Editor's note: The top Final Fantasy VI piece was originally arranged by artist, PaperRockScisorz]

Leon Kroft? - Random Sprites from Pixel Joint

Now there's an image to keep you wake at night.

Pixel Joint, a community for pixel artists is one of my favorite haunts to find new and cool pictures for my beading projects. Every so often I find amazing remakes of videogame characters that scream to be made into a bead piece. The sprite, Leon Kroft by Rabidbaboy, you see above is not one of those.

However, the ones below are.

Guybrush remade by JinnDEvil

Final Fantasy X-2 Girls by Doctor Octoroc

Resident Evil fighting game by Chanfan

BioShock - 8 bit by Badassbill

I highly suggest checking out all the artwork on Pixel Joint because there are tons of cool animated and non-animated sprites to find on there. I wish I was so talented with the pixel to create such amazing artwork.

[Via Pixel Joint]

Mini Bead Bowser - Made in 60 Seconds

Ever so often I get asked how I make my bead creations and one day I actually plan on making a tutorial for the process but until then, I offer this incredible video featuring the fastest made mini hama bead project ever - the mighty Bowser in 60 seconds.

Created by JavICO, a new Pixelgasm forum member.

Real Life Aperture Labs Van Spotted

Fan tributes are pretty cool but this would be a little creepy to see outside your house.

At least, I think this is a fan created Aperture Laboratories decal taken from the Portal game. It would be down right scary if this wasn't fake.

[Via Offworld]

Review: Guitar Hero Metallica

Guitar Hero: Metallica
Activision, Neversoft
Available for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Playstation 2.

Guitar Hero: Metallica is the second attempt for Activision into a band specific Guitar Hero, and the first using the World Tour design. What does that mean for gamers? Well, the biggest thing is being able to play all four instruments. Players can now sing as James Hetfield, play lead guitar as Kirk Hammett, be the bassist Robert Trujillo or go for the ultimate punishment and play as drummer Lars Ulrich. Read on to see if Metallica was worthy of their own GH game.

If you play Career modem, it starts you off immediately with a cut scene of Metallica walking out before the game has you play “For Whom the Bell Tolls” followed by the encore of “The Unforgiven.” It’s after this you can create your own character and actually start the story, which once again involves Lou. One problem I had with creating my character was that even after creating it, you don’t play all songs as who you make. If you play a Metallica song, you play as a group. That’s nice, but I don’t feel like I’m connecting to my custom-made character like I did in past music games.


Activision also brought back the old set list mode from GH II and III, instead of how World Tour was with the already made lists. After playing to get the certain amount of stars needed, new venues open up with brand new songs. The stars also give you new items as you advance, such as instruments and clothes. After beating a song, extras also open up about the songs, including videos, lyrics, song information and sometimes Metallifacts. Metallifacts are just the band performing the song picked, but with bits of information popping up while watching them (think Pop-Up Video from VH1).

In multiplayer, each band member now has an individual pass/fail meter on the song, but players don’t fail out. If one hits the red, the overall band meter just drains extremely fast. While this is nice to see who’s to blame, just having a member fail out and then saving them still is a nice feature GH hasn’t implemented. On a quick Battle Mode side note, the attack power-ups return, but are all Metallica themed, like “Ride the Lightning” or “Fade to Black.”

Guitar/ Bass: Everything from World Tour is still seen here, including the two note types introduced there. Actually, the new note types make some of the songs easier like Metallica’s “One”. During the fast solo, not having to strum to play the notes made it a lot easier for me than it was in GH III. The difficulty is progressive, so not all Metallica songs are insanely difficult on hard or expert, but the songs that are played towards the end of the Career mode are significantly harder than those at the beginning.

Microphone: Not much is different about the mic from World Tour either. The one thing I did notice, that I don’t believe was in World Tour, was the ability to gather star power constantly while singing. As long as the star power isn’t currently activated, whenever a phrase is song correctly you will build star power. To balance the amount gained, however, you have to sign more phrases to get the same amount of star power a guitarist would get after two star power phrases.

Drums: This is the instrument that received the most changes, one to make it the easiest instrument and one the hardest. By entering a code, players can get an Always Drum Fill mode. In this, as long as the drummer is hitting something during the song, they will get points. This is great for new GH players, or for veterans who just want to mess around.


The graphics in this game are great, but with Metallica being a real heavy metal band I almost feel like the character design should have been better rendered to look exactly like them. However, keeping with the Guitar Hero style, the group still looks great. A lot of their quirks on stage are also captured really well. The backgrounds are also detailed for the game. The venues are based off of previous locations that Metallica has played at and they were replicated quite well.

Obviously, the sound is amazing here as the game is full of master track and some songs were even rerecorded just for this game. I thought the overall list of Metallica’s songs were great with a wonderful mix of new and old songs. I wasn’t a big fan of the guest acts picked by Metallica though as most of the bands were just a bit too hardcore metal for my taste. While some of the extra songs were great like Foo Fighter and Queen, a lot of the choices were head-banging metal that only hardcore Metallica fans would probably like.

Overall, while I enjoyed playing this game I think Guitar Hero Metallica is only suited for hardcore fans and the regular Guitar Hero fan would have been much happier buying Metallica’s music via downloads online. I’ll recommend it but only to Metallica fans like me.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Buy it!

Piece for Sale: Cloud from Kingdom Hearts

I finally mounted my Cloud Kingdom Hearts piece onto a background. I used some red bristol board and some stryofoam/cardboard backing I found at the local discount store.

The edges aren't perfect on the board but I would figure this piece would be better framed in the end anyway. The board measures 19 inches high, 18 inches wide and 0.4 inches thick.

I'm selling the piece at $30.00 plus a shipping. (Please contact me at thegirlgamer.net@gmail.com about shipping costs for this piece.) I'm not putting this item on Etsy right away due to the shipping costs. Too expensive to do flat rate for Etsy.

Ghostbusters: The Videogame Launch Trailer

They're the best. They're the beautiful. They're the only Ghostbusters and they're back in videogame form. Out today in Ghostbusters: The Videogame from Atari. Available today on various consoles and handheld devices, the boys are back and ready to bust some ghosts.

The original cast is all here to provide not only the voice-overs but also the storyline for this incredible tale. I look forward to picking up my copy later this week. As a huge fan, I am not missing out on this game.

Epic 8-Bit Bead Art: Cloud from Kingdom Hearts & More

I've been a busy girl this weekend. Beading up a storm for both myself and customers, I made a ton of wicked videogame pieces.

At the top of the page is my favorite - Cloud from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

I also finished my Mana Spirits set and Neko the Cat from Secret of Mana.

And I made Zero from the Mega Man series and a Ninja from Final Fantasy Tactics.

I still have a whole bunch of orders to finish like three new Monkey Island pieces that I will post when finished.

E3 2009: Brutal Legend Trailer

The new Brutal Legend trailer from E3 2009 featuring the first list of celebrities in the game: Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne.

I love Jack Black movies and I can't wait to get my hands on this game.

E3 2009: Dissidia Final Fantasy English Trailer

The newest English trailer from E3 2009 for Dissidia Final Fantasy. This fighting game for the PSP will be hitting stores shelves on August 31, 2009.

This is the first Final Fantasy game that I know of where so many different characters from the Final Fantasy franchises appear in one game. I can't wait to kick everyone's butt with Jecht and Cloud.

Epic 8-Bit Bead Art: Princess Zelda is Friggn' Gorgeous

Okay, so maybe I'm getting a bit carried away by my title statement but this has to be one of the best Zelda custom sprites I have ever seen.

Now the original sprites was created my master sprite creator, Abyss Wolf, who's wonderful artwork can also be found on Deviant Art, but the final bead project that you see above was created by my favorite snack lover, Xstatic.

Xstatic unfortunately doesn't have any websites that I know of, so just check out her stuff here at the Pixelgasm Forums.

Playstation Store Downloads for June 11, 2009

Downloadable Games
Heavy Weapon ($9.99)
Mount an assault on the enemy like never before with Heavy Weapon and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system! Launch your mission as an atomic tank to collect power-ups from friends and engage the enemy! Choose Mission or Survival modes to blast your way through 19 exciting stages or see how long you can stand against the enemy. Heavy Weapon features new and unique PLAYSTATION 3 system trophies!
ESRB: E10+
File size: 48 MB

Gunstar Heroes ($4.99)
The Gunstar 9 planet was peaceful for many years until the vicious dictator, Colonel Red, kidnapped the Gunstar twins’ older brother and used mind control to make him his slave. You’ll face many different enemies and bosses as you battle to stop the dictator from unleashing “Golden Silver the Destructor” with apocalyptic consequences!
ESRB: E
File size: 35 MB

Bomberman ULTRA ($9.99)
Because you demanded it! Bomberman ULTRA gives everyone who picks up the controller the chance to bomb their way to victory. Hop online to play against up to 8 people from around the world! Pick from any of 14 levels and mix and match over 50 character costumes with over 150,000 possible combinations! Stat-tracking leaderboards will show just how good you are!
ESRB: E
File size: 71 MB

PSone Classics PS3 / PSP
Medal of Honor Underground ($5.99)
The classic Medal of Honor franchise is back! Germans have invaded your country. Now you must take the battle underground and lead the resistance in the fight against tyranny.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 474 MB

Game Demos (free)
Heavy Weapon Demo
Mount an assault on the enemy like never before with Heavy Weapon and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system! Download the demo now to launch your mission as an atomic tank to collect power-ups from friends and engage the enemy! Choose Mission or Survival modes to blast your way through 19 exciting stages or see how long you can stand against the enemy. Heavy Weapon features new and unique PLAYSTATION 3 system trophies!
File size: 48 MB

Bomberman ULTRA Demo
Because you demanded it! This demo of Bomberman ULTRA gives everyone who picks up the controller the chance to bomb their way to victory. You can play offline against 2 CPU opponents in the traditional Bomberman game mode in the classic Bomberman arena! In the full game you can hop online to play against up to 8 people from around the world! Pick from any of 14 levels and mix and match over 50 character costumes with over 150,000 combinations!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 71 MB

Add-on Game Content
Killzone 2 Flash & Thunder Pack ($5.99)
Download this Killzone 2 pack for a trip down memory lane with two classic multiplayer maps from the original Killzone, updated with new, even more brutal gameplay environments. Revisit the Vektan shores in Beach Head and battle through the wastelands of the Southern Hills.
File size: 169 MB

LittleBigPlanet ICO Costume Pack ($5.99)
The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this pack and pay homage to characters from the critacally aclaimed ICO Franchise!
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Gaius costume ($1.99)
Pulled from the critically acclaimed PS2 adventure- Shadow of the Colossus, get this new costume and dress up as the Colossus Gaius!
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Quadratus costume ($1.99)
Pulled from the critically acclaimed PS2 adventure- Shadow of the Colossus, get this new costume and dress up as the Colossus Quadratus!
File size: 1.04 MB

LBP Ico costume ($1.99)
Pulled from the critically acclaimed PS2 adventure, ICO, get this new costume for LittleBigPlanet and make your Sackboy resemble the brave horned hero of the game.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Wander costume ($1.99)
Pulled from the critically acclaimed PS2 adventure - Shadow of the Colossus, get this new costume and dress up as Wander, the brave hero of the game.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Yorda costume ($1.99)
Pulled from the critically acclaimed PS2 adventure- ICO, get this new costume and dress up as Yorda, the main character companion.
File size: 1.04 MB

MotorStorm Atlas Signature Livery Pack (free)
Make your vehicle stand out from the crowd with this exclusive MotorStorm Pacific Rift livery pack, available for a limited time only from PlayStation Store.
Reminder: to use this download, you must own MotorStorm Pacific Rift.
File size: 100 KB

The Last Guy Add-on ($1.99)
You are the chosen one, a zombie hero from the Himalayan mountains, and it is up to you to rescue the last survivors on Earth by leading them to safety through zombie-infested streets. Make your way through 15 detailed real-world cities, shown from a classic arcade style overhead view, and lead them to the Escape Zone before time runs out in this frantic, addictive game.
File size: 68 MB

Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island ($12.99)
Get this pack and head over the suspension bridge at the end of 4th Street to reach Big Surf Island! A whole new location packed with gameplay.
File size: 100 KB

Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 2 ($9.99)
Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 2 continues the addictive COD multiplayer with 4 new maps. Battle to control the river in “Banzai” featuring a waterfall and hidden caves. In “Corrosion” face your enemy in a shattered train yard and in “Sub Pens” struggle over a bombed-out submarine base. And Zombies return in “Shi No Numa” (Zombie Swamp) with new Trophies and flaming Hell Hounds.
File size: 729 MB

DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM 2 DWG2 - Pack 7 (free)
Focus! Defeat all the squad leaders within the time limit. Every 100 units defeated will extend the time limit. Once all squad leaders have been defeated, you can obtain the license for the Musha Gundam Mk I or II! Remember, they’re mobile suits, not people! Whatever that means…
File size: 128 KB

DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM 2 DWG2 - Pack 8 (free)
Decisions… decisions…Two longtime foes and their selfish fighting is wreaking untold havoc and destruction! You must end their stalemate by joining one of the forces and defeating the other! Which side should you join? I don’t know, flip a coin or something.
File size: 112 KB

DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM 2 DWG2 - Pack 9 (free)
True Dynasty Warriors Gundam II! Surface Edition! Just when you think you’re done with this mission. It comes crawling back. This time you will face off against the greatest Gundam pilots the universe has ever known! If you can survive this ordeal, your name will be renowned forever as the greatest Gundam pilot in the universe… on land.
File size: 100 KB

DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM 2 DWG2 - Pack 10 (free)
True Dynasty Warriors Gundam II! Space Edition! Just when you think you’re done with this mission. It comes crawling back. This time you will face off against the greatest Gundam pilots the universe has ever known! If you can survive this ordeal, your name will be renowned forever as the greatest Gundam pilot in the universe… in space.
File size: 100 KB

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com

“Adrenalina” by Finley ($1.99)
“Cadillac Solitario (Live)” by Loquillo y Trogloditas ($1.99)
“The Bitter End” by Placebo ($1.99)
European Track Pack 06 ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “The Bitter End” by Placebo, “Cadillac Solitario (Live)” by Loquillo y Trogloditas and “Adrenalina” by Finley. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.
File sizes: 31 MB - 59 MB (singles), 121 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Aces High (Live)” — Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“2 Minutes to Midnight”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Run to the Hills (Original Version)”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Number of the Beast (Original Version)”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“The Trooper”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Can I Play with Madness”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“The Clairvoyant”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Wasted Years”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Hallowed Be Thy Name (Live)”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Powerslave”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Fear of the Dark (Live)”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
“Iron Maiden (Live)”— Iron Maiden ($1.99)
Iron Maiden Pack 01 ($19.99) - Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Iron Maiden 01. This pack includes “Aces High (Live),” “2 Minutes to Midnight,” “Run to the Hills (Original Version),” “Number of the Beast (Original Version),” “The Trooper,” “Can I Play with Madness,” “The Clairvoyant,” “Wasted Years,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name (Live),” “Powerslave,” “Fear of the Dark (Live),” and “Iron Maiden (Live)” by Iron Maiden.
File sizes: 26 MB - 60 MB (singles), 473 MB (track pack)

Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack ($2.99)
Download all-new Empire City & Adabat adventures! For the final downloadable pack, play four daytime & four nighttime stages that range from a high-rise metropolis to an exotic jungle strewn with ancient ruins. This pack includes three brand new stages and three new missions. Be sure and download the other location packs to unleash the full Sonic experience!
Note: These stages are accessed in Empire City & Adabat, so unlocking Empire City & Adabat are requirements to play these additional stages.
File size: 585 MB

Saints Row 2: The Unkut Pack (free)
Pimp out your personality with over 60 brand new customization items including Unkut watches, necklaces, bracelets, shirts, jeans, and hoodies. Show your love for the Row with 16 brand new tattoo options.
File size: 53 MB

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X - Supremacy Pack ($9.99)
Secure a powerful fleet of 16 mainstay and prototype aircraft and fight for supremacy in online and single player modes. This download combines three packages: the US Eagles pack, the European Assault pack, and the Russian Falcons pack.
File size: 1.95 MB

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Spyglass Hill Golf Course ($7.50)
Discover Pebble Beach’s hidden gem, Spyglass Hill. This course is consistently ranked as one of America’s Greatest Public Courses and is known for having some of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour. Watch out for holes 6, 8 and 16 in particular and be ready for a great challenge.
File size: 231 MB

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Course Pass ($2.25)
Instantly unlock all the courses in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 with this download. You can play through the game to unlock each of these courses or unlock them all now.
File size: 100 KB

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Apparel (x16) ($1.50 - $2.25)
Use Apparel to increase your created golfer’s Attributes. Note: You can play through the game in order to unlock and purchase each item individually, or unlock and purchase the entire collection now.
File size: 100 KB each

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Equipment (x16) ($1.50 - $2.25)
Use Equipment to increase your created golfer’s Attributes. Note: You can play through the game in order to unlock and purchase each item individually, or unlock and purchase the entire collection now.
File size: 100 KB each

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Intermediate, Advanced and Expert Clubs (Drivers, Woods, Irons, Wedges and Putters) (x15) ($1.50 - $1.99)
After your purchase, don’t forget to take your new clubs to the in-game Club Tuner so that you can customize your clubs to match your personal play style. Note: You can play through the game in order to unlock and purchase each item individually, or unlock and purchase the entire collection now
File size: 100 KB each

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 Max Stats Costumes ($3.75)
Max out your original golfer’s Attributes. Save yourself the time of building up your golfer, and instantly set all Attributes to 12!
File size: 100 KB

Game Videos (free)
PAINalympics Trailer
File size: 70 MB (HD)

Fat Princess Developer Diary Video 2
File size: 225 MB (HD)

Burnout Paradise Big Surf Island Trailer
File size: 96 MB (HD)

Cell Factor Launch Trailer
File size: 15 MB (SD) 47 MB (HD) 73 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes
Bomberman ULTRA Theme (free)
File size: 4.30 MB

Terran 3020 PS3 Theme ($1.49)
File size: 4.76 MB

Anime Snipers PS3 Theme ($1.49)
File sizes: 3.60 MB

Wallpaper (free)
Final Fantasy XIII E3 Wallpaper
File size: 371 KB (SD) 457 KB (HD)

PlayStation Store for PSP
Downloadable Games
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 ($22.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
Step out of the clubhouse and onto the tee box with Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2. The classic, entertaining golf franchise returns to the PSP system with new quirky characters, beautiful courses and a huge variety of customizable options that enable you to take your golf game wherever you go.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 742 MB

Add-on Game Content
Rock Band Unplugged (also available from PS3 storefront)
Build your Rock Band Unplugged library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Constant Motion” — Dream Theater ($1.99)
“Sex Type Thing”— Stone Temple Pilots ($1.99)
File sizes: 16 MB - 27 MB

PSP Themes
Terran 3020 PSP Theme (x2) ($0.99 each) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 639 KB - 676 KB

Anime Snipers PSP Theme (x2)($0.99 each) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 518 KB - 525 MB

E3 2009: E3 Coverage Wrap Up

[I've linked a few topics in this article to some of my smaller E3 articles, so if you'd like to know more about the subject, just click the link.]

Last week every gaming company in the world converged on Los Angeles, California for the yearly Electronic Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as E3, to showcase all their upcoming gaming projects. E3, a trade-only event, is considered one of the most major gaming events of the year and has seen some of the most major announcements in gaming history like Microsoft’s jump into the gaming console market with the Xbox system.


The highlight of every E3 is the press conferences held by the 3 major gaming companies, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, where each company shows off their exclusive projects for the next year or so. Microsoft started off the conferences with a bang as they opened the event with a demonstration off the new Beatles Rock Band that will be hitting Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii on Sept 9, 2009. This demo was beautifully finished off with an appearance by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who fully endorsed and helped create the game.

Tony Hawk showed up to show off his new game, Tony Hawk Ride, which included a new wireless, motion sensing skateboard peripheral. Infinity Ward showed up to demo some of the single player game play on their upcoming title, Modern Warfare 2 which included some cool ice climbing action and snow mobile chases in the frozen tundra.

A new avatar game called Joy Ride was announced for the Xbox Live Arcade. This free to download, racing game created by Microsoft Game Studio is one of many new arcade games coming soon to the marketplace. Epic Games will be bringing their new side shooter, Shadow Complex to the arcade and even Lucasarts is bringing an old favourite to the marketplace with the re-imagined, Secret of Monkey: Special Edition.


The exclusive list for Microsoft was an impressive one with games like Forza Motorsport 3, Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2, Alan Wake, Crackdown 2, and Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction which had quite an impressive demo. The Halo franchise was also presentation at the conference with a demonstration of Halo 3: ODST single player game play and the surprising announcement of a new first person shooter Halo game, Halo Reach which will take place during the Fall of Reach events.

They also announced a new Metal Gear Solid game for the Xbox 360 called Metal Gear Solid Rising, but Solid Snake fans will not be happy as this game follows Raiden, much like MGS 2: Sons of Liberty did.

Finally show was finished off with the announcements and multiple demonstrations of Microsoft’s newest Nintendo Wii killer, Project Natal. This full body motion controller is a two camera sensor device that attaches to any Xbox 360, new or old. The device will allow users to control their games via the body movements and even have it recognise voice commands.


Multiple demonstrations were shown during the conference including a block breaker game where you could hit the ball and a Lionhead Studios’ game called Milo that interacted with you as if Milo were a real boy. Though the demos were impressive, I’ve holding my opinions until I try out this product for myself. I learned my lesson with the Wii.

Nintendo followed up the next day with their press conference which started off with a fan favourite, the announcement of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game which followed in the footsteps on the Nintendo DS version except with the inclusion of its multi-player and co-op modes.

Wii Sports Resort and the Wii Motion Plus were brought back to the table after being announced official at last year’s E3 event. This time they were providing us with an actual release date of June 8, 2009 for the Motion Plus device and July 26 for Sports Resort. With all the new motion devices announced this year, Nintendo’s motion plus device better be the amazingly 360 degree of control they are claiming it to be.


The Nintendo DS received some love with announcements for games like Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story coming out in Fall 2009 and a new Golden Sun game scheduled for 2010. Even the DSi Ware catalogue had a cool announcement with Mario vs. Donkey: Mini March Again which available for download right now.

To close out the show, Nintendo blew the crowd away with two amazing game announcements that no one could see coming. A new Super Mario Galaxy Wii sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2 which included everyone’s favourite ride, Yoshi and a new Metroid game for the Wii, Metroid: Other M which is created by the amazing developers at Team Ninja. This game will be history in the making not only because of the development team behind it but also because we get to hear Samus Aran speak for the first time.

Sony was the last of the big 3 but the not the most boring show of them all. They opened the show with a great single player demonstration of the upcoming Naughty Dog game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a personal favourite of the show. They also announced the start of the multi-player demo at the midnight that evening which was open to Qore subscribers and people who purchased copies of inFamous.


MAG, the much anticipated 256 person multi-player FPS game was also demonstration at the conference and though my readers know I’m not a huge first person shooter fan, you have to stand up and take notice of this huge achievement in gaming technology. Rockstar showed up to announce their new exclusive title for the PS3 called the Agency which takes place during the height of the cold war. This game will center on 1970s espionage.

The tiny PSPgo or the worst secret of this year’s E3 was also announced. This tiny “media on the go” device is meant to be a gaming and media device for those constantly on the go. It will no longer use UMD technology to play game but instead download all content to 16MB of internal flash memory or the external memory stick drive. This new addition to the Sony gaming family is not meant to replace the existing PSP though as Sony will continue to sell the original PSP for hardcore gamers who prefer the bigger design.


Hideo Kojima made an appearance to announce a new PSP Metal Gear Solid game, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Maker which will be a huge Kojima project. This game is intended to be a main MGS story that will follow Solid Snake. Ubisoft brought Assassin’s Creed 2 to the conference and showed off some of the single player game play. This sequel will take place in the Italian renaissance and will pick off exactly where the last game left off.

Square Enix brought a new trailer for Final Fantasy XIII which slowly coming to the store shelves much to my annoyance. Summoning skills were shown off at the Microsoft conference with the Odin summon but the real news here was the surprising announcement of Final Fantasy XIV online which honestly I thought Jack Tretton was joking about at first. This game will be console exclusive to the PS3.


Microsoft and Nintendo were the only companies to talk about new motion technology at their conference this year as Sony brought out a new toy that we’ll call the Sony Motion Sensor Wand as it has no real name yet. This motion sensing device is a small wand device with a round light on top that can change colour and buttons on the handle. The device appeared to have 1:1 tracking that worked with the Sony Eye Camera technology.

While still a work-in-progress, this new controller could be used for various applications such as writing, blocking building, targeting for first person shooters, and with two wands, a sword and shield. The tech demos shown during the event was quite impressive but again I have to reserve all judgements until I get a hands-on demo. This had to be my favourite motion controller device of them all though. It seemed the most impressive and the most believable of them all.

Sony finally closed out the show with two spectacular games, Team ICO’s Last of the Guardians and God of War 3. Though Last of the Guardian has been leaked on the internet a couple of week ago under the name Trico, the show’s trailer included new footage of creatures that looked like hybrids of cats and dragons. God of War 3 brought to the table some incredible single player game play footage that included what looked like a Titan and the God, Helios.


Beyond the conference news, I personally am looking forward to the new Telltales games, Tales of Monkey Island episodic games which were created by previous Lucasarts developers from that adventure game era. They will be available on Wii Ware and PC in July 2009. The Overlord II and Overlord Dark Legend from Codemasters were on the demo floor but happily are coming out this month. There is a demo for Overlord II on Xbox live right now, so get on there and start clubbing baby seals like the Canadians you are. (Just kidding, don’t send me angry rants.)

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for the Nintendo DS is coming to North American shores finally, though no actual date has been announced. Just nice to know that we are getting an English version after the first game was so cool. EA was present with Brutal Legend featuring funny man, Jack Black and the apparently protested game, Dante’s Inferno. And finally my favourite company Square Enix had games o’plenty on the show floor like the fighting game, Dissidia Final Fantasy for the PSP, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days for the Nintendo DS and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for the Nintendo Wii.

While I wish I could talk about every little game that appeared at the show, I unfortunately don’t have enough room to cover everything. Right now the internet is still a buzz with everything that happen and I recommend that everyone go and check out all the cool trailers, game play footage and even the conference feeds because seeing is believing.

E3 2009: New Wii Zelda Game in 2010?

So this is the secret Zelda concept art that was shown to the media behind closed doors to announce that there will be indeed a new Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii in 2010.

Many are speculating that the mystery woman in the picture is a living incarnation of the Master Sword for two reasons:

- Link is missing his sword in the picture
- the woman's body is similar in shape the hilt of the Master Sword.

I'm not jumping to any conclusion right now as all my theory brain space is reserved for Lost. Not a lot of room in there for videogame theories with all that "what happened to Jacob?" and "what was that white flash?" pondering to do? And don't get me started on the evil guy that's in Locke's body.

I figure we'll know more soon as no gaming company can keep a lid on a game this big for long.

Best Spam Titles Ever - NSFW

So my favorite forum site, Pixelgasm is bombed by spammers at least once a day and they get hit with at least one spam thread per forum area. The spammers are generally horrible.

But tonight I had to laugh all some of the spam titles that were posted in the forums because they were some of the most ridiculous advertisements I've have ever read. I don't know - maybe I'm behind on the new types of internet porn but I'm pretty sure I haven't heard of these kinds before.

* fairy's and elf's sex wwe pornstars - When did fantasy creatures start doing porn with the members of the WWE?

* what is the v sex position ron dietz sexual - what is the v sex position and what does it have to do with ron's dietz being sexual?

* what girls want in sex park seed co landscaping - part sex advice, part landscaping advert.

* hot men f*%k sexy videos sex slang dorito - yummy, two men doing it on top of dortios.

There was so many more but I couldn't post them. They had too many bad words in them but they were funny.

The Girl Gamer on Jinx.com

Trying to build up my points over at Jinx.com, I've submitting any pictures of me wearing their t-shirts to the website. So far 3 out of 4 pictures have been approved.

You can find them all here, here and here. Don't judge the crappy pictures. I'm doing it for the gold and experience points over there as I love their stuff.

If you happen to see anything you like while you're over there, here's my referral link. Show some love.

Epic 8-Bit Bead Art: Ultimate Mega Man Collection

While my collection of Final Fantasy VI characters will still always be a masterpiece in my mind (perhaps one that needs more characters added to it ... hmm?), I know there will always be other collections to out do it.

For example, the wonderful Satoshi Matrix from the Pixelgasm forums has created a giant collection of Mega Man or Rock Man bead sprites from Rock Man 1-9 and Rock Man & Forte. This huge collection includes not only almost every single character in the games but also the portraits.

Now I'm not familiar with the series (fanboys may shoot me now), so I can't tell you anything about the characters in the pictures but luckily Satoshi Matrix provided a nice list of all the pieces in the main sprite collection.

Rockman 1

* DLN-000 Blues (Protoman)
* DLN-001 Rockman (Megaman)
* DLN-002 Roll
* DLN-003 Cut Man
* DLN-004 Guts Man
* DLN-005 Ice Man
* DLN-006 Bomb Man
* DLN-007 Fire Man
* DLN-008 Elec Man

Rockman 2

* DWN-009 Metal Man
* DWN-010 Air Man
* DWN-011 Bubble Man
* DWN-012 Quick Man
* DWN-013 Crash Man
* DWN-014 Flash Man
* DWN-015 Heat Man
* DWN-016 Wood Man

Rockman 3

* DWN-017 Needle Man
* DWN-018 Magnet Man
* DWN-019 Gemini Man
* DWN-020 Hard Man
* DWN-021 Top Man
* DWN-022 Snake Man
* DWN-023 Spark Man
* DWN-024 Shadow Man

Rockman 4

* DCN-025 Bright Man
* DCN-026 Toad Man
* DCN-027 Drill Man
* DCN-028 Pharaoh Man
* DCN-029 Ring Man
* DCN-030 Dust Man
* DCN-031 Dive Man
* DCN-032 Skull Man

Rockman 5

* DWN-033 Gravity Man
* DWN-034 Wave Man
* DWN-035 Stone Man
* DWN-036 Gyro Man
* DWN-037 Star Man
* DWN-038 Charge Man
* DWN-039 Napalm Man
* DWN-040 Crystal Man

Rockman 6

* DWN-041 Blizzard Man
* DWN-042 Centaur Man
* DWN-043 Flame Man
* DWN-044 Knight Man
* DWN-045 Plant Man
* DWN-046 Wind Man
* DWN-047 Tomahawk Man
* DWN-048 Yamato Man

Rockman 7

* DWN-049 Freeze Man
* DWN-050 Junk Man
* DWN-051 Burst Man
* DWN-052 Cloud Man
* DWN-053 Spring Man
* DWN-054 Slash Man
* DWN-055 Shade Man
* DWN-056 Turbo Man

Rockman 8

* DWN-057 Tengu Man
* DWN-058 Astro Man
* DWN-059 Sword Man
* DWN-060 Clown Man
* DWN-061 Search Man
* DWN-062 Frost Man
* DWN-063 Grenade Man
* DWN-064 Aqua Man

Rockman 9

* DRN-065: Concrete Man
* DRN-066: Tornado Man
* DRN-067: Splash Woman
* DRN-068: Plug Man
* DRN-069: Jewel Man
* DRN-070: Magma Man
* DRN-071: Hornet Man
* DRN-072: Galaxy Man

Rockman & Forte

* KGN-001 Dynamo Man
* KGN-002 Cold Man
* KGN-003 Ground Man
* KGN-004 Pirate Man
* KGN-005 Burner Man
* KGN-006 Magic Man

Fun fact: When looking up information about this artist, I discovered they live Ontario, Canada like me and they were at the same Video Games Live concert as me in 2008. Small world, huh?

Technology Rocks!

I know this probably sounds totally geeky but yesterday I watched all three big game companies press conferences, both live and in reruns on my TV via my Playstation 3's internet browser.

I just loaded up the feeds on Gamespot.com on the browser and moved the video into full screen mode. The video wasn't all HD or anything it was still such a cool experience to know that technology as come so far that I can watch a live event in another country over the internet and run it through my TV.

I wouldn't have believed it possible so many years ago. It's so beautiful. Now where's my holodeck and food replicator? A transporter would be nice too.

E3 2009: Super Mario Galaxy 2 & Metroid: Other M Trailers

I posted these yesterday as they happened but Nintendo has finally released full screen and better quality trailers for Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Nintendo Wii

Metroid: Other M for Nintendo Wii

E3 2009: New Super Mario Bros. Wii Trailer

I recently I purchased up Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 & 3 for my old Nintendo system and despite their age, the games are still fun. After watching this trailer for the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I know that this game will be just as fun too because it has all the same great elements that those games did and honestly, who says you have to play with others?

E3 2009: Alan Wake Trailer & Game Play Video

Up to this point, I hadn't paid much attention to the game, Alan Wake but after watching the a rerun of the Microsoft conference yesterday, I'm paying huge attention now. Alan Wake, a unique narrative, horror survival game follows the character of Alan Wake as he tries to find his wife after she disappears much like a character in his recently written novel.

Both a new trailer and game play was shown during the Microsoft press conference on Monday, both of which you can check out here.

Game play demo from conference.

E3 2009: Xbox 360 Natal vs PS3 Wand

Both Microsoft and Sony revealed new motion control technology for their consoles during their press conferences. Both were significantly different from each other in how they worked but ultimately they both were designed to allow full body control in game.

Sony's motion control device was a wand with a light sensor device on top that could change colour and buttons on the back. This wand which could be used in twos, allowed for 1:1 movements on screen that were both smooth and extremely accurate.

The tech demo shown live on stage during the Sony press conference showed off several different uses for the device including writing, painting, fighting with sword & shield, throwing stars and guns (use of two wands here), directing a flash light, building a tower with blocks and hitting a tennis ball.

This new technology unfortunately will not be coming to the Playstation 3 until Spring 2010.

Microsoft revealed their Project Natal which is a full body motion control device that plugs into an existing or future Xbox 360 device. It incorporates facial recognition, full body motion controls and voice recognition.

This device uses no sensor device on your body anywhere but will allow you to use the device in various ways like scanning real life objects for in-game use, clothes modeling, game controlling and even turning off your console using voice commands.



At the Microsoft press conference, they showed off a few tech demos for Project Natal live like a full body control brick breaker game and a dancing avatar. Those these demos looks alright they didn't really show off some of the better ideas posed in the trailer they featured at the conference as well.

Until I actually see all of the promised features of the device shown in real time, I don't believe the hype around this yet.

In the long run, I think Sony has the better motion control device here as they have proven live that the motion control wand has the smoothness and most accurate controls out of all the game companies.

But in reality, real gamers tend to want to sit on their butts and game, so all these motion control devices won't decide the fate of the console wars anyway. Tell me when someone makes a holodeck and then I'll claim them the new winner.