Egoraptor turns a critical eye towards
Castlevania IV

post from Destructoid on 27 January 2012 09:05:34 PM. © Destructoid

Egoraptor turns a critical eye towards Castlevania IV screenshot

Egoraptor's Sequelitis, if you haven't been following along, is a fairly new series that breaks down the game design advancements and downgrades between sequels, while also adding a bit of that manic Egoraptor pizzazz that we all love so much. This latest installment is an addendum to his first episode that compared Castelvania to Castlevania II, this time bringing Super Castlevania IV into the mix -- he apparently hasn't played Castlevania III yet, if you were wondering.

While he doesn't say that IV is a bad game, he feels that by not re-balancing the game to account for the more versatile whip, Konami broke the Castlevania structure. There's no point in acquiring sub-weapons when the basic whip remains superior, and there aren't any new mechanics aside from swinging to test the whip's enhanced capabilities.

I have to agree somewhat with his assessment. Still, it's f*cking Super Castlevania IV, so PFFFFFTTTT to you, Mr. Hanson.

Sequelitis: Super Castlevania 4 [YouTube]

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Drakensang Online Walkthrough (Online)

post from Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More on 27 January 2012 08:34:59 PM. © Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More

Drakensang Online is an action RPG from Bigpoint, and is playable in your browser. As a freedom fighter, it is your duty to bring freedom to your people and for the world. Freedom fighting is tiresome, and often difficult, but with Gamezebo?s quick start guide you?ll have no problem getting going.

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http://www.gamezebo.com/games/drakensang-online/walkthrough

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Watch this dude play (Street Fighter 3) with
himself

post from Destructoid on 27 January 2012 08:06:17 PM. © Destructoid

Watch this dude play (Street Fighter 3) with himself screenshot

This is sick. Dude, stop it. You're making everybody uncomfortable. Have you no shame?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is fighting game virtuoso Desk as he plays a few rounds of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike one-handed against... himself! He's operating two characters at the same time and making it look like the most natural thing in the world. He's serving up parries, supers, and counters like grits at a Waffle House. Then at the 1:14 mark, the asshole whips out his cell phone and starts texting while wrecking Remy with the other hand. Good gravy.

desk vs desk [blog of desk via EventHubs]

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Indie developer redesigns UI specifically for one
player

post from Destructoid on 27 January 2012 08:06:17 PM. © Destructoid

Indie developer redesigns UI specifically for one player screenshot

User-interface design is a tricky part of game development. You have to find the right balance between usability and attractive aesthetic choices. This is only taking an "average" gamer into account, but there are many different types of gamers with larger hurdles to overcome than that which any game presents.

Legend of Grimrock developer Petri Häkkinen received an interesting comment after showing off the newest additions to the game's user interface. Commenter HarpoonIPA wrote, "I'm disabled and use a mouth stick for typing, I always used the mouse in [Dungeon Master] just easier for me, but I will learn to play you're way." How did the Petri and Almost Human Ltd. respond? Why, by simply redesigning the user interface to accommodate larger keys for player movement and item usage.

By taking the time to listen to their fans, they have not only made their game more accessible for a multitude of newer players but have also shined a lesser-talked-about area of design. Judging by the time it took Petri to create and implement those UI changes as a small indie developer, it also shows the big boys how quick and simple it can really be if you take a few moments to consider more than just the "average" gamer. It's stories like these that make me really appreciate indie gaming and the strong connection that it can create to its fan base.

Gaming vs Disability - an immediate and awesome reaction... [Reddit -- Thanks, J.]

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38 Studios explains Kingdoms of Amalur online
pass

post from Destructoid on 27 January 2012 07:07:14 PM. © Destructoid

38 Studios explains Kingdoms of Amalur online pass screenshot

38 Studios has attempted to justify the content being gated behind an online pass in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. When asked why an entire quest line was being held to ransom in exchange for new sales, the developer said it was originally planned as paid DLC.

"The House of Valor content is, for all intents and purposes, our first DLC content," said community manager Muse. "Instead of holding onto it for a month or more and charging everyone for it later, we opted to give it to those who purchase the game new for free."

This is a pretty smart move on the part of 38 Studios. Using the already questionable tactic of holding back content for paid DLC in order to make the more questionable tactic of online passes look almost heroic is a master stroke of PR genius. I have to applaud that.

It's a complex situation though, I grant you that. Giving away DLC is more akin to rewarding new customers rather than punishing used ones, something I've actively encouraged. Still, one can then argue if it's really a "gift" when it could have been in the game originally and was taken out to sell at a price. It certainly bears a lot more thought than it looked like it deserved, given the clumsy presentation of the pass found within the game's box.

In any case, I maintain that having this pass as the first thing a customer sees really sends the wrong message about how confident a publisher is that it won't be traded into GameStop within a week. Maybe next time, don't have a game box that's nothing but the disc, the EULA, and a "Please don't trade me in" flyer.

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Escapist Podcast: 031: Creativity & What We've
Been Playing

post from The Escapist : Latest News on 27 January 2012 07:00:00 PM. © The Escapist : Latest News

This week, we discuss creativity and taking criticism. We also talk about what we've been playing and answer your questions.

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Blizzard Exorcises Companion Pets From Diablo III

post from The Escapist : Latest News on 27 January 2012 06:30:00 PM. © The Escapist : Latest News

It turns out that even Blizzard thought companion pets were too cute for the world of Diablo.

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http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115552-Blizzard-Exorcises-Companion-Pet
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Pixeljunk Eden is coming to PC next week (PC)

post from Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More on 27 January 2012 06:08:18 PM. © Gamezebo: Casual Game Reviews, Previews, Cheats, Tips, Forums, Free Games, and More

If you?re a PlayStation 3 owner, there?s a pretty good chance that you?ve long ago realized that Pixeljunk always equals genius. For years now, the Q-Games series of innovative and wonderfully fresh indie games has remained exclusively available on the PlayStation Network. That seemed to change earlier this year when Pixeljunk Monsters, a great tower defense experience, was announced as coming to Facebook. Now it looks like another Pixeljunk title is about to leap from the PS3 to your desktops.

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http://www.gamezebo.com/news/2012/01/27/pixeljunk-eden-coming-pc-next-week

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This weekend on Twitch TV: Passing the torch

post from Destructoid on 27 January 2012 06:06:17 PM. © Destructoid

This weekend on Twitch TV: Passing the torch screenshot

Jon Carnage may be on his way out of Dtoid's Twitch TV channel, but he's going out with a bang with his final few appearances this weekend. It starts with the last regular episode of Mash Tactics as hosted by Jon Carnage and Wesley Ruscher today at 4p.m.. Immediately following, Kingdom of Foom will be doing its Friday Community Corner with Jon Carnage as special guest. This Saturday at 12 p.m. Pacific, Jon Carnage will be joined by Pico Mause for their last planned appearance on the channel for the foreseeable future.

Beyond that, we've got a full schedule of our regular programming to look forward to this weekend. Philanthr0py is continuing his quest to get to the bottom of Metal Gear Solid 4 on Chill with Phil. 321Go Cast is chatting with the lovely Caitlin Cooke. And Also Talks is joined by the CrimeMinister himself, Spencer Hayes.

Today at 4p.m. Pacific, Jon Carnage and Wesley Ruscher make their final regular appearance as hosts of Mash Tactics. The guys will be playing the downloadable survival-horror game Amy. This Saturday after Hangover, Jon Carnage and Pico Mause will be broadcasting a special edition episode to show their appreciation to the community, and celebrate the end of an historic era. This special will air from 12p.m. to 3p.m. Pacific, and will signify the passing of the torch to King Foom as the new host of Mash Tactics.

Immediately following Mash Tactics today, Kingdom of Foom is continuing the Friday Community Corner with special guest Jon Carnage. Foom will be chatting with Carnage about his experiences with livestreaming this past year and plans for the future. This will also mark the last show before Foom takes over as host of Mash Tactics next week.

Saturday Morning Hangover with Conrad Zimmerman and Jordan Devore airs from 10a.m. to 12p.m. Pacific. Come watch as they play the latest Xbox Live Indie Games demos for your enjoyment, and revel in the beauty of Conrad's mustache!

Chill With Phil will be on this Saturday at 4p.m. Pacific, continuing the arduous task of playing through all of the Metal Gear Solid titles. This week will be part two of playing through Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. After an unexpected 5 hour stream last week, tune in to see far Phil will take it tomorrow night.

321Go Cast is Destructoid's only live show/podcast hybrid airing on Sunday, from 2-4p.m. Pacific starring JohnnyViral, Pangloss, and Ryu89. This week, the guys are joined again by their trusty stream host Sterling Lyons, and Destructoid writer Caitlin Cooke.

Destructoid's live talk show, Also, Talks, starring Bill Zoeker and Johnny Luchador is committed to bringing interesting conversations about videogames, Destructoid, and random nonsense on Sundays at 4p.m. Pacific. This week, the show is joined by former host of Communicast Spencer Hayes.

Catch all of Destructoid's livestream shows at Twitch.TV/Destructoid!

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Friday Night Fights: Resistance is futile

Friday Night Fights: Resistance is futile screenshot

As you've probably heard, Insomniac has officially bowed out of making new Resistance games. Considering the third (and best) game didn't sell well, I can't say this comes as a shock, but it's still a sad day overall for fans of alternate timelines full of insane weapons and glowy-eyed enemies, so let's all take a moment and pour one out for Hale and the boys.

Still, the future is far from dim. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to the studio's next project, especially after hearing they're going multi-platform this time around. What about you? Sad to see Resistance go the way of the Dodo? Excited for the future? Just don't care?

Regardless, that's enough sad sh*t for one day; it's FNF time! Hit the jump and let's go shoot each other! Who knows, maybe we'll even play some Resistance!

New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames online! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join in or even host something yourself!

The planning for FNF starts in the forums, where community members volunteer to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Then, every Friday, reminder posts go up in the community blogs followed by a recap post here on the front page for last-minute planning.

To join in, simply send a friend request to the match host! (Don't forget to say you're from Dtoid!) If you'd rather host something yourself, sound off in the comments section below!

We hope to see you online!

EU FNF

Tonight's Games:

Silly rabbit, Europeans don't play videogames! Hit up Steamtoid to see if there's anything going on!

360 FNF

Tonight's Games:

Halo: Reach (Speed Halo, Hot Pursuit)
Host: Eric Woll (GT: FLaN Tamarind)
Time: 8 PM EST

Castle Crashers
Host: Epic-KxDtoid (GT: Epic KxLIVE)
Time: 8:30 PM EST

Gotham City Impostors Beta
Host: StriderHoang (GT: StriderHoang)
Time: 9 PM EST

Battlefield 3
Host: ChillyBilly (GT: Chillybill)
Time: 10 PM EST
Note: Join the Dtoid BF3 Platoon!

Gotham City Impostors Beta
Host: Epic-KxDtoid (GT: Epic KxLIVE)
Time: 11 PM EST

Check out the 360 FNF blog for more details!

PS3 FNF

Tonight's Games:

Uncharted 3 / Resistance 3 / Killzone 3
Host: garethxxgod (PSN: garethxxgod)
Time: 8 PM EST

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Host: Trev (PSN: ElZilcho)
Time: 9 PM EST

Battlefield 3
Host: CornflakeJustice (PSN: CornflakeJustice)
Time: 10 PM EST
Note: Join the Dtoid BF3 Platoon!

Starhawk Beta
Host: Dare (PSN: Knackered)
Time: 10 PM EST
Game/Pass: Dtoid/dtd

Payday: The Heist
Host: Revuhlooshun (PSN: Revuhlooshun)
Time: 12 AM EST
Note: Please turn on your mics!

Check out the PS3 FNF blog for more details!

3DS FNF

Tonight's Games:

Mario Kart 7
Host: Wolfy-Boey (5327-1072-2012)
Community: Destructoid (43-8816-8269-4512)
Time: 8 PM EST
Note: Hop in the community room and wait for people to join!

Check out the 3DS FNF forum thread for more details!

PC FNF