27 January 2013

That Thing With the Links That I Haven't Done In Months

Someday - someday! - I'll get back to original content. For now, here are some articles and videos that are very worth your while.

Laura June - The Verge
For Amusement Only: the life and death of the American arcade
This is a tremendous article. I'll admit, if you've read any books on video game history, you won't find much new information here, but you will find clear, concise writing from someone who clearly has a commanding grasp of the subject, and its her perspective, emphasis, and conclusions about a well-documented slice of Americana that held my interest from start to finish. And if you're new to arcade history, wow, you're really in for a treat.

Bonus: This might be the best Web layout I've ever seen. I really need to start reading The Verge.

Ryan Davis and Partick Klepik - Giant Bomb
Quick Look: Tokyo Crash Mobs
In 1998, development Studio created a a new type of match-three puzzle game with Puzz Loop. They later followed it up with the incredibly similar Magnetica, while imitators like Zuma and Luxor did little to differentiate themselves. Now, Mitchel is back to breath a little life in the tired formula, and the result just might be one of the most delightfully bizarre games I've ever seen.

Tony Ponce - Destructoid
Boob Wars, the  last game you will ever need
Boob Wars: Big Breasts vs Flat Chests might be one of the most bizarre games I've ever prayed to never see, and not in a delightful way. If that title isn't enough to convince you that the human race is wretched blight on this poor planet, one that deserves nothing less than immediate extinction, the game's official description (found in the link above) should be more than enough to change your mind.

Leigh Alexander, Jenn Frank, and Mattie Brice - GDC Vault
Writing the Unsung Experiences: Gender In Game Storytelling
Recordings of several panels from previous Game Developers Conferences have recently been made available online for free. That means you can watch three cool, smart people talk intelligently about a subject that deserves intelligent discussion.

Will Wright - GDC Vault
Classic Game Postmortem: RAID ON BUNGELING BAY
I will gladly listen to Will Wright (SimCity, The Sims) talk about anything. The man's a genius. I've always heard that Raid on Bungeling Bay was fairly mediocre, and Wright starts off this talk by echoing the sentiment. After listening to a few minutes of what went into making Wright's first game, I'm not convinced that it's the most exciting thing to play, but I do know that I want to play it for myself.

Mark Cerny - GDC Vault
Classic Game Postmortem: Marble Madness
One more GDC postmortem, and this time it's for a great game I have played. It's a good talk!

EDGE
Time Extend: P.N.03
P.N.03 was one of those games that grabbed my interest from the moment it was released, but I never played it outside of a few minutes at a demo station in a Wal-Mart or something. Reviews were none too positive, and I always suspected I would either find a misunderstood work and fall madly in love it or completely hate it. This article comes from someone in the former category. Maye it's finally time for me to give P.N.03 a shot.