All Things Virtual 3.0

Mario Reigns Supreme

It’s an ineffable fact: Mario is the king of videogames. I don’t care about Master Chief or any other trendy character of the latter generations of videogame icons, it’s the Italian plumber with the high-pitched voice that rules over us all. Proof of it is in the sales charts and how the New Super Mario Bros. has topper the charts for weeks.
Sure, Mario’s 3D offerings have been no less than brilliant and even innovative, but gamers the world over weaned on the side-scrolling genius of the 8 and 16-bit days have been yearning in their hearts for another 2D Mario game. Thankfully, the Big N delivered. And not only that, there’s a side-scrolling hybrid coming to the near defunct Gamecube in the shape of Super Paper Mario. The oldschooler within me, my outspoken inner child, is teeming with happiness.
Here’s hoping Nintendo keeps the 2D love coming.



The Monkey Island Man Looks To Get Back Into The Game

In a recent interview for Gamespot, adventure and strategy game pioneer Ron Gilbert gave his two cents on what the industry is currently like, what’s wrong about it and where it might go from where it is at this point.
Chief among his many opinions and insights is the observation that there is no middle or lower tier in the videogames biz. Unlike the movie industry, where there are independents, middle to low budget films and then the multi-million dollar blockbusters, in the games biz we only seem to have an established top tier. His assessment of the situation is that either the missing parts will emerge in order to lend the industry some long-term stability, or that it will all collapse on itself and thus leave the soil ripe and fecund for more creative, smaller developers to grow.
One cannot stress enough just how much Mr. Gilbert’s views resonate within me; it would seem that the industry might actually have the gateways for such a part of the industry to develop. What I’m referring to here should be obvious to those who’ve played Geometry Wars and the many other games available for subscribers to Microsoft’s Xbox Live service. Here, it is my earnest hope and belief, is where the avant-garde crowd of up and coming development geniuses will cut their chops and shape the industry’s future. It may sound idealistic, but it’s not very improbable.
Ron Gilbert also hinted at his ongoing projects; projects which he is pitching to deaf publishers afraid to try anything out of the current norm. Hopefully someone will pick his idea up and agree to publish it. I, for one, am more than curious to see this hybrid RPG/Adventure game he’s sitting on, never mind my lust for a proper Monkey Island sequel, or another title in the Maniac Mansion series. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.


So Spews The Dread, From The Mouth Of Kaz Hirai

This is downright ludicrous. I’m now getting whiffs of Neo Geo coming from Sony. PS3 games likely higher than $59.99 yet not likely as high as $99.99? Is it the cartridge era all over again? I don’t even know what to feel about this anymore. One thing’s for sure. I won’t be buying a PS3 for a good two or three years… unless, of course, I happen to win the lottery or get a massive raise. That, and when I do get one, not buying games unless they’re budget priced or used. See what you make me do, Sony?

Of Racist Amorphous Blobs

I find it so ridiculous. Loco Roco a racist game? Of a sudden certain colors are forbidden for the depiction of evil characters. If the bad guy looks black - nevermind if it's an amorphous blob - then it must be racist. Racist because it is offensive to African Americans - a term I find rather stupid, given that a great majority of the black skinned people of the world aren't even African or American - in that it seems to jab at their physical features in a cartoonish manner. Wow. No using yellow to portray mathematically inclined amorphous blobs, I guess. No using white amorphous priestess blobs to symbolize purity. Hell, I'm starting to find crayons to be quite offensive. What with they're Cherry Reds and other demeaning color nomenclature. Not making any sense? I don't think all these reverse-racist self-important idiots make any sense either. Maybe in the anal cavity they inhabit it all sounds logical, but here in the real world it all sounds like a cry for media attention. Don't even get me started on the bleeding hearts that denounced Sony's White PSP campaign as racist. Can't uses contrasting colors anymore, huh? White is coming? Does that sound like "White Power" to you? What if the base color for PSP were white and the ads in question had a Black PSP displayed in contrast with a White background, the slogan reading Black Is Coming? Would anyone have minded at all? I know this will likely upset many people, but this whole political correctness issue has gotten out of hand. Not only that, but it is not equal at all. There's not equity, no balance. It seems to apply only to some, but not to all. What does that say? To the minorities that have been wronged in the somewhat distant past: Get Over It! It's a new world out there, you are who you believe yourself to be, not whatever stereotypes are perpetuated by the masses. Cry all you want, but by denouncing things as racist when they clearly are not only helps send a message across: The Stereotypes Are True.


In Closing

Well, kiddies. That's it from me for now. If you're pissed off, disagree or simply feel like attacking me because of these posts, feel free. At least, that way, it'll feel like someone actually reads this crap.