The great Zelda musical tribute celebration! Day
three!

Today's festivities are all about sick flows and phat beats. We kicked off yesterday with a lyrical spin on the NES original, but today we flip the script and lead with "Zelda II" by my favorite geek music duo, The Adventures of Duane & BrandO. Unfortunately, Duane and BrandO have since disbanded, but they've left behind a legacy of fun jams that you just wanna rap along to on long car rides.

DnB also have a cover of the original game, which I've slotted after the jump. Also after the jump, catch a joint by none other than Mega Ran plus a hilariously awesome Wind Waker beatbox. Let's get to steppin'!

And here's "Zelda" by The Adventures of Duane & BrandO. Obviously, I should have posted this one before the follow-up; I just think "Zelda II" is a billion times better. You should notice a few lyrical motifs shared between the two songs, linking them not only thematically but structurally as well. It's a nice touch.

Hell yeah, Mega Ran! Off Random's Forever Famicom DLC EP is "Hero Muzik" featuring Ilyas of hip hop group Tanya Morgan. It uses the title theme from Zelda II as a backing for a "hero to the rescue" anthem. It's also injected with a bunch of game references beyond Zelda, from God of War to Millipede. Bonus game love!

"Link's Barrel Beat" by Jake "Jenjamik" Clark takes Link's various grunts from Wind Waker and arranges them into one totally sick beatbox. The best part about it is that it loops endlessly! To get the full experience, hit the link to visit the movie's Newgrounds page and just let that sucker run for about half an hour or until your ears bleed!

TTFN! Ta ta for now!

_{["Octorawk" artwork by Glen Brogan]}

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The DTOID Show: Jonathan Holmes reviews Skyward
Sword!

Happy Wednesday, duders! I didn't get a chance to say my classic opener on the show today, so I figured I'd save it for you guys. How's that for generosity?

Tonight on the Destructoid Show's Variety Hour, I provide details for the first DLC pack for Assassin's Creed: Revelations and chastise THQ for giving PS3 owners the shaft, while Max talks about how popular Skyrim is and then puts on his Captain Obvious hat to report on the latest next-gen console news.

Best of all, Jonathan Holmes sent in his video review for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which may or may not have caused me to sit in front of my computer for five minutes pinching his cheeks through the screen. (I may or may not also need professional help.)

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Big Head Mode in Batman: Arkham City is pretty
ridiculous

video details and more

I tend to think of sports games when it comes to Big Head Mode, but Rocksteady Studios was willing to apply the equally creepy and funny style to Batman: Arkham City. Good on you!

All that's required to enable the mode is holding down both triggers and moving the analog sticks in a circular fashion. Though the video demonstration showed this happening while the Cryptographic Sequencer was out, I don't think that having the device active is a requirement.

Haven't had time to try this out for myself, but others are saying you can even initiate it from the main menu. One has to wonder what else Rocksteady has hidden in Arkham City.

Batman gets a big head in this Arkham City Easter egg [Joystiq]

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New screens released for Ninja Gaiden 3

by: Russell Archey
NEWS - Team Ninja has released some new screens for Ninja Gaiden 3.  The screens show Ryu transported to the modern city of Dubai, and in the game you'll be challenged with some new enemies such as the Alchemist Forces.  For those waiting to get their hands on the game, it'll be available in early 2012 for the Xbox 360 and the PS3.


Read The Full Article:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/New-screens-released-for-Ninja-Gaiden-3/Item2
4769.aspx

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Sins of a Solar Empire now on Steam, more
Stardock coming

Guess what, Steam gamers? (I think that's just about everyone on PC these days.) Stardock is now offering its games on the popular digital distribution service. The first title, Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity, is already available. It will be $19.99 regularly, but right now it's on sale for $14.99.

Stardock used to own its own digital distribution service, Impulse. It's since been sold to GameStop, so they don't have any reason to to keep their games off of Steam. Sins is just the first one, and Stardock is planning on introducing more titles over the next few weeks.

If you have never played Sins, then you need to drop everything you are doing and go get it immediately. It's a giant scaled real-time strategy game, and it will let you carve out your own empire in space. There is plenty of fun to be had battling the AI, or you can fight with your friends in some multiplayer action. It's one of my favorite games that I have never had time to really play. Now that there is a version of it on Steam, maybe I'll finally find some friends to play it with me.

Other Stardock games which could become available include Elemental: War of Magic, Demigod, and Galactic Civilizations.

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Preview: SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online

The Gundam series is unarguably one of the most influential anime series to have ever left the shores of Japan. I mean, what's not to like about it? It has giant robots, crazy space battles, and enough compelling content with the myriad animations, toys, and videogames it has conceived to last a lifetime. 

The latest to join the ranks of (its often mediocre at best) videogame entourage, is the free-to-play, MMO third-person shooter SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online. A collection of Gundam's past and mostly present -- containing mechs up to the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 series -- fans of all ages have a lot of nostalgia to discover when this game blasts its way onto PCs next month.

SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online (PC)
Developer: Softmax
Publisher: OGPlanet
Release: December, 2011

The first thing enthusiasts will notice about SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online is (like the "SD" suggests) this title brandishes the super-chibi style of Gundams that are fun for all ages, and not the traditional style mechs of the animes. Some may be disappointed with this design choice, but it's hard to be upset for very long once you see how adorable these tiny little badasses are in action.

Perhaps what makes them so infectious is the games unique and clever way of distributing each Gundam. Whether it be through real or in-game currency, players unlock new Gundams by spending money on capsule machines. (You know, the things you once crammed quarters in at the front of the grocery store to get a giant sticky hand or stale skittles.) The thrill of opening up these rare and powerful Gundams adds tremendously to the game's childlike charm, but it's not the only means of acquiring powerful units. Blueprints are also offered as a way of cashing in lower-level Gundams (as spare parts) to make stronger mechs for those who have bad luck with the capsule machine's randomness.

Every Gundam can also be fully customized when it comes to paint and stickers -- just like building a model kit at home. Paints can be added individually or, for faster results, by using preset schemes and there are even high-gloss finishes. Unfortunately, there's no mixing and matching of parts to create crazy Franken-Gundams. On top of altering the look of each Gundam, players can also adjust the skills of their mechs with experience earned from battles. With the right augments, a class C Gundam can hold its own against a more powerful class A, which currently is the highest rank.

Combat in SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online is very fast and intense -- at least in the co-op mission I played during my preview. My first go tossed me, with a developer of the game, into a highly chaotic fight where we were tasked with taking down four much larger "boss" Gundams. As someone who is used to the traditional WASD keyboard and mouse setup, getting the feel of my mech was instantaneous. Scrolling the mouse wheel (as well as the 1 through 4 keys) cycles weapons and double tapping any direction results in a quick effective dash.

With this knowledge at hand, I was ready to make scrap metal out of the opposition with my sword and blaster. Trying to run and gun by yourself will -- as I quickly and repeatedly found out -- lead to very fast death. Fighting the giant Gundams with their irksome troops running interference, on first attempt, proved to be too much for us. It's not a one-death sort of situation in a co-op mission, but boss Gundams can pack a series punch -- which for me meant getting constantly trapped in its deadly laser blasts -- leading to many deaths and our ultimate failure.

But we were not going to let this defeat crush our spirits. Enlisting the help of a third player (co-op supports up to four) I took, along with my team, a newly found respect for the tactical aspect of SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online's skirmishes. The city environment our encounter took place in offered many tall buildings to snipe and hide from. This cover became extremely beneficial when the boss Gundams would fire their massive laser beams. With this much more coordinated attack, we were able to effectively draw fire from our enemies and flank them 'til victory was had. The game may have a simple look, but fans of Gundam young and old will find plenty of challenge in the tough-as-nails AI.

As a third-person MMO (I use that term loosely), SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online's biggest draw is in its player-versus-player combat. Up to 12 players can duke it out in four different modes that range from points, tag, stock, and greed. Battles can range anywhere from 6v6 down to smaller 2v2 matches and some modes even allow for units to be swapped during the middle of combat from a support ship.

While I didn't get a chance to try this mode out, it's apparent from a design standpoint that PvP is the game's focus. There are 30 PvP maps to fight in, where as of now, co-op only offers nine missions and the brief single-player only has two.

SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online has a simple look, with very generous minimum computer specs needed to play, but the combat mechanics strike a balance that should offer a rewarding experience for those who invest the time. I only worry that there may not be enough content to keep the more casual fans entertained for the long haul. Regardless, diehard Gundam followers have a lot fan service to look forward to when the game launches in early December.

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Gamers' Brains Are Different

A Belgian study claims there's a direct correlation between time spent gaming and the size of brain matter directly attributed to feelings of reward and satisfaction.

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Unidentified Furry Objects; puppets from space

Once Upon a Monster came out last month, and now has some DLC coming out which adds a new chapter to the storybook game. Starting November 22 and for 400 MSP, you can shake your booty with all of the usual Sesame Street gang, their new monster friends, and now aliens.

Double Fine has released some screen shots of the new DLC, so you know what you're in for, but really it is just more cuteness. How can you say no to cuteness?  

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PS3 Saints Row: The Third bonus content: Saint's
Row 2!

The bonus content for the PS3 version of Saint's Row: The Third has been revealed by THQ today. Get the game and redeem your online pass in 90 days and get a digital copy of Saints Row 2 for free! Sometimes "additional content" is crap costume DLC. This time it's a free game, and a good one at that.

Your free Saints Row 2 will be available early next week. If you've already redeemed your code, keep your eye out for the content. For the rest of you, this offer expires at midnight on February 13, 2012, so get on it! 

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Giant Robot Snake Fights Climate Change

A vast team of engineers, programmers and other perpetrators of science are fighting climate change the only way they know how; by building a colossal robotic snake.

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