1up made this list of the top 5 games to play when you’re drunk in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

5. Breakout - Atari 2600

For some, the average Atari 2600 game loses its luster within the first 15 seconds. And while 2600 graphics are, to the sober mind, dated and blocky, to the sloshing brain the graphics are alive, immediate, and contemporary. I know for a fact that you can play Breakout boozily, because I’ve witnessed it. Once, I walked out of my living room just as a friend hit the reset switch on my 2600. When I walked back in, there he was, sitting on the floor with his eyes kind of misty, the paddle control in front of him. He’d beaten Breakout. “I’m a genius!” he told me. Breakout is a very twitchy game that requires fine, precise movements and astute snap decision-making. In that regard it’s practically a sobriety test. Of course alcohol hadn’t improved my friend’s hand-eye coordination (but don’t tell him that). However, he was in the Zone, in that Zen mindset where patterns and trajectories begin to make a strange cosmic sense. Also, a PBR had temporarily turned my friend into a struttin’ cock of the walk, which surely helped his game. If you don’t have Breakout at hand (and if you aren’t yet in your 30s, I can’t fault you), challenge your friends to Arkanoid. If you’re feeling really competitive, do Pong.

4. Rez HD - 360

Perhaps games like Breakout benefit from alcohol consumption because they do rely on visual abstraction. Modern shoot-em-ups like Rez also seem to benefit from beer buzz: The half-awake, primal brain focuses on nothing in particular, and yet, as if automagically, you manage to rack up a phenomenal score. “Have you ever experienced shooter Zen?” Scott Sharkey once asked. “It’s that trancelike state you slip into, where your mind merges with the game and no matter what it throws at you, you’re going to survive because you’re freaking Superman.” Mike Bracken of GameCritics elaborates: “To become a true shmup master, one must enter a Zen-like state wherein the gamer becomes one with the controller and his onscreen avatar.” Now they call trance music “trance” for a reason, and Rez is one of the few games that inexplicably combines lightning-fast action with vegetativeness (which is a real word; I checked). We’re not telling you to booze yourself into Buddha — but if you’re of age, gellin’ like Magellan can make Rez even more engaging and rhythmic. Just ask Mizuguchi. If you hate electronica music, we recommend Geometry Wars.

3. Guitar Hero - PS2, 360, Wii, Mac

With “beatmatching” rhythm games and alcohol, there’s a dramatic bell curve. You’re invincible after a beer, but after one too many, you’re so kicked out of the band. The reason you can play games after a whiskey is actually the same reason you don’t drive after a whiskey: Slightly impaired judgment means you’re more confident, more daring. Your score in Guitar Hero may markedly improve after a drink if only because, for instance, you wouldn’t ordinarily attempt that really difficult solo. There’s a fine line between taking risks and getting stupid, though, and it generally coincides with getting your toy guitar taken away. Waning, boozy attention spans might tire of Guitar Hero’s music catalog; in that case, we recommend Audiosurf as a viable alternative.

2. WarioWare: Smooth Moves - Wii

With alcohol, it’s easy to coerce your friends into doing things they would never ordinarily do. Turn that negative into a positive! Nothing feels quite so right as finding four of the burliest, manliest dudes you can, moving the Hummel figurines out of arm’s reach, and bringing out the Wii Remotes. In an event like this, many partygoers prefer WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Your friends will look silly playing any movement game, irrespective of whether it stars Wario, but WarioWare includes a lot more hopping, ducking, and flapping than tennis does. And if booze is good for anything it’s making you unafraid to look like an ass. Don’t forget the camcorder! In a pinch, you could make your friends play Wii Sports, but if coordination becomes a problem, why not bring out SingStar or Karaoke Revolution instead?

1. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - DS

So, you’re drinking alone. No, no, don’t explain. I am loath to admit I completed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney with, literally, one eye open. And while you might not think booze and detective work go together (although, come to think of it, there is a certain Sam Spade appeal there), the truth is, point-and-click adventure puzzles seem to go down a little easier with a glass of wine. Especially when they’re mysterious. But why is that? Alcohol doesn’t necessarily improve your acuity or powers of deduction — not by any stretch! — but it does make you more brash, more determined. With point-and-click adventures, in which the only real adversary is your own sense of frustration, brash tenacity is a virtue worth rewarding. If courtroom battles aren’t your thing, settle into your easy chair with a pipe and a decanter and check out Professor Layton and the Curious Village to see how the juice affects your holmesian intellect.

[source]

With Spore set to take fire on PC’s & Macs this September 7th, and scaled back versions of the game also being released for Nintendo DS & mobile platforms there has been relatively little information regarding gameplay and online aspect of the game.

A grandiose simulation of every stage of life, from the primordial soup to space exploration is how Wired.com’s Chris Kohler described Spore in his extensive first look at the latest version of the game.

The following video interview features designer Will Wright & EA producer Caryl Shaw describing the massive online scope of this massively single player game. Huh? Watch the video and you will understand.

What 15 games couldn’t you live without? James Mielke shares which 15 titles he would never 1) sell, 2) give away, 3) lend, or 4) or otherwise part with on a meaningfully permanent basis.

1) Panzer Dragoon Saga (SAT):
An original RPG from Sega that fleshed out the universe sketched out in the previous two on-rails shooters, the Panzer world exploded in this amazing RPG, whose main characters Edge and Azel felt like old friends the moment you saw them together on screen. At first adversaries, and later inseparable, this is RPG-dom’s unsung couple. The tragic fact is that to port this to any other system now is pretty much an impossibility, making those few rare copies of Saga on eBay truly the only way you’ll play it, just short of Sega recreating the entire thing from the ground up. Don’t count on that happening. Despite a limited number of characters (a design choice by Team Andromeda), Saga’s world still felt huge, thanks to the high-flying aerial battles, and your transforming dragon. In one of Sega’s most criminal moves (in a history of eye-rolling blunders), they printed fewer than 15,000 copies of this game, making it impossibly difficult to find on store shelves. Hey, gang. The solution to avoid paying high prices on classic games and the best way to get sequels to games like this is to buy them the first time around. Just sayin’.

2) Ico (PS2):
The U.S. cover art sucks so bad that whoever was responsible for it deserved to be fired for it. But, while the game is relatively short, it is 100% enjoyable, with some of the most unique, innovative game design (as well as graphic design) of the PS2 era. Shadow of The Colossus was slightly more hardcore, and perhaps slightly less accessible for it (despite selling ten times what Ico did), as Ico’s boy-meets-girl near-silent storytelling still brings a tear to the eye by the time Yorda pushes the unconscious Ico out to sea alone in a boat. This is the sensation of solitude on a disc.

3) Radiant Silvergun (SAT):
The cutscenes were terrific, the ship designs are super sweet, and the action is hectic. Featuring a multitude of set weapons, each distinct armament made playing through this game (a shooter with RPG elements) a unique challenge each time, until you leveled your weapons up to the max, of course. Then it became easy. But not so easy that it didn’t make every inventive boss, like The Origin, a sight to behold. Since it’s the only other Saturn title that commands (and deserves to command) Panzer Dragoon Saga-level prices, that’s just another reason not to let go of one of the most evocative shooters of all time.

4) Guardian Heroes (SAT):
Super controls, great soundtrack, cool little voice samples and the most insane side-scrolling 2D butt-kicking action ever, and that’s not counting the multiplayer arena mode in which something like 4 million 2D sprites battle it out at once. Each character has their own move list, and I can remember the days when I played that game over and over and over again, so enchanted I was about it. Plus, the Undead Warrior, an ass-kicking A.I. skeleton who seriously bruised asses on your behalf was just unbelievable. That the GBA sequel sucked so bad was heartbreaking for me.

5) Final Fantasy XII (PS2):
My favorite FF ever, because I am tired of random battles, I’m tired of the ATB system. So flexible, so customizable, this game not only has the amazing character designs of Akihiko Yoshida, but it boasts a level of playability in an offline RPG that only Oblivion can rival, and I think Oblivion is ugly as fuck. FFXII is like FFXI minus the insane customizability (visually). If only Square would bring out the International Zodiac System edition here as the Greatest Hits version, they’d sell a million copies all over again. The amount of side-quests, contextually activated super-side quests, hunts, and collection quests give this so much more depth than the previous ‘main game and a shit mini-game’ formula of like the last 5 Final Fantasy games. Shane Bettenhausen is retarded for giving this game an 8.5. This FF, more than any other since the 32-bit era, deserves a 10.

6) Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox):
It’s hard not to love this game if you want some serious combat in a fully 3D environment. Featuring all of the original NG plus the Hurricane Packs all in one package, this is Ryu Hayabusa’s shining moment, and the game that turned the tide for Tecmo, giving them a bona fide, triple-A title to put them in the big leagues for real. Ninja Gaiden 2 should be nothing short of spectacular.

7) Starcraft: Brood Wars (PC, Mac):
I can’t really say any more about this game than I already have, but it’s endlessly replayable, even today. The best strategy game I’ve ever played. The map editor alone supplied me with months and months of activity, and the playtesting that followed even more. Starcraft II better be the tits. The TITS I say.

NiGHTS Into Dreams (SAT):
The music, the time-attack style speed runs through each level, the A.I. nightopians, the numerous secrets hidden in the game (and by osmosis, the limited-release Christmas Nights, itself practically a standalone game), all make NiGHTS one of the biggest impact games in my 90s gaming life. I have a lot of great memories about this game that are irreplaceable. I could go on and on about this, but it gets better with time, unlike most games. I seriously hope they don’t fuck the sequel up.

9) Sub-Rebellion (PS2):
A lot of people will probably look at this game and say “You’re kidding, right?” But it’s the 3D spiritual successor (called Underwater Unit in Japan) to the classic Irem 2D shooter In The Hunt. It controls so well and the underwater ‘feeling’ is so spot-on, from the sense of speed (or lack thereof) to the sound effects, to the surface battles (which makes the underwater parts seem even more underwatery), to the sense of scale when you fight enormous bosses and submarines in the game, just makes it one of my favorite, most unconventional shooters of all time. If you didn’t play this game, you really, truly missed out. You should be able to find it in bargain bins for under $5.

10) Rez (PS2):
This game is as good today as it was when it first came out back in 2001. The music still kicks ass (especially Joujouka and Fear (The Mind Killer)), the action is still Panzer Dragoon-tastic

11) R-Type Final (PS2):
‘Hardcore’ types will undoubtedly point to the older 2D sprite-based games as the ones they’d put on their lists, but I loved Final’s homage to all of the original games, as this was a labor of love for the producer and the development team. With all of the unlockable ships, this is like a greatest hits of R-Type games. This narrowly edged out R-Type Delta, which is equally fantastic, and even tougher.

12) Wave Race 64 (N64):
So glad the original F-Zero prototypes for N64 turned into this game, which kicks the ass off its GameCube sequel and DOAX2’s jetski action for sheer playability and fun. I just downloaded the shit out of this game on Virtual Console on my Wii. One less reason to plug in my N64, but there’s still…

13) Sin & Punishment (N64, Japan only):
So what if it’s kids with guns. They’re guns with fucking lasers in a futuristic society. The voice-acting is all in English and there’s like virtually no text to localize. Can anyone in Christendom explain to me why this never came to the States? Best 3rd-person shooter you’ve never played.

14) Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction(PC):
Responsible for destroying lives, relationships and years of one’s life, and not necessarily in that order. How the same four fucking levels can be so insanely replayable is beyond me. But I could play this one to death for the next 10 years as well. Just wish they’d toss in a higher rez patch for kicks.

15) Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3):
The best of the VF games, although VF4 Evolution comes really close to this one. Still, more characters, unbelievably flexible and improv-friendly controls make this the most extravagant next-gen fighter around. The features list pales in comparison to DOA4, though, and will hopefully improve with the upcoming Xbox 360 release.

[source]

Gametrailers presents this video comparing hardware that was covered at E3 2007. The systems included are the Nintendo DS, Wii, PC, PS3 & 360 and they use each platforms lineup of promoted games as the criteria for their award. Since the public wasn’t allowed at this years E3 we have to rely on what the press has to say, the following is Gametrailers take of the recent event.

During the WWDC 07 show in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced id software’s John Carmack to the audience, watch the video-on-demand (VOD) in QuickTime and MPEG-4 by visiting via Apple.

At the 10:13 mark, the video shows the first look at the engine in the works at id Software, the intriguing visuals are accompanied by the following:

“So the last couple of years at id we’ve been working in secrecy on next-gen tech and a game for it… this is the first time we’re showing anything we’ve done on it publicly.” id Tech 5™… “What we’ve got here is the entire world with unique textures, 20GB of textures covering this track. They can go in and look at the world and, say, change the color of the mountaintop, or carve their name into the rock. They can change as much as they want on surfaces with no impact on the game.”

The id Software website has more:

In a surprise demonstration during Steve Job’s keynote at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference today, John Carmack unveiled id’s latest revolution in game engine technology with the very first showing of id Tech 5™ running live on the Mac with OS X.

The ground breaking technology unveiled today will power id’s new internally developed game and will be available for licensing to third parties. The new id rendering technology practically eliminates the texture memory constraints typically placed on artists and designers and allows for the unique customization of the entire game world at the pixel level, delivering virtually unlimited visual fidelity. Combined with a powerful new suite of tools designed to specifically facilitate and accelerate this content creation process, id Tech 5™ will power games that contain vast outdoor landscapes that are completely unique to the horizon, yet have indoor environments with unprecedented artistic detail.

While shown for the very first time running in real time on a Mac, id Tech 5™ additionally supports the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 console platforms as well as the PC, and will be available for licensing to developers and publishers interested in working with a truly next generation rendering and game development solution. id Software will be showing id Tech 5™ to interested developers and publishers by appointment only at the E3 Media & Business Summit from July 11 – 13, 2007 in Santa Monica, Calif.

This new technology looks to be quite promising and will compete with Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, Valve’s Source game engine, and Crytek’s CryTECH 2 engine.
[press release]

New research from The NPD Group shows that 62 percent of the gamer population is playing games online nowadays. Most are playing online on the PC, but among consoles Xbox 360 had the highest use. Overall, most online gamers are casual gamers despite the influx of MMOs. We speak with industry analyst Anita Frazier.

In a sign of the increasing importance of online gaming in today’s video game market, The NPD Group’s annual study on the online gaming landscape in the U.S. reveals that out of all gamers, 62 percent play online. NPD surveyed 11,600 members (ages 6 to 44) from its online consumer panel. The report Online Gaming 2007: The Virtual Landscape covers consoles, handhelds and PC/Mac.

At 54 percent, the Xbox 360 had the highest percentage of online use among video game systems, which is a testament to how Microsoft has pushed its Xbox Live service. The PS2 came in second with 45 percent. Xbox 360 also placed first when it comes to the number of hours spent per week playing online. Xbox 360 had a mean of 7.1 hours per week, followed by PS3 with 6.1 hours, and PC/Mac users with 5.8 hours. Other systems came in under four hours a week for online gameplay.

Ironically, Nintendo Wii users were found to be most inclined (76 percent) to be online gamers. At the moment, however, the Wii is severely lacking in the online gameplay department. 360 and PS3 were next, tied at about 70 percent.

Having said that, “The PC still far outranks any console system in terms of both use and online play,” industry analyst Anita Frazier told GameDaily BIZ. “Of those respondents that say they play games on any system, 70% use a PC to play games (PS2 is second). Of those that play online, 85% use a PC to play online and 29% use a video game system of some sort.”

While MMOs like World of Warcraft have drawn in plenty of online gamers, the biggest draw is still for casual games (card, puzzle, word and arcade games). NPD’s report found that online gamers are most likely to be casual gamers, age 25-44, console owners, and live in mid-income households ($35K-<$75K). Additionally, 42 percent of the online gamer population is female.

“What I find really interesting is that although the MMOGs have attracted a lot of attention due to the huge revenues that can be produced by the most successful of them, PC gaming (both online and offline) is still dominated by casual game genres,” Frazier continued. “As we found with the success of non-traditional content over the last 18 months or so, these kinds of games have arguably the most potential for broadening the gaming demographic and helping to expand the games industry. The audience for MMOGs, although very dedicated, is somewhat more limited.”

“Demographics are also very illuminating. Whereas the split between genders is fairly equal when looking at PC online play, the majority of those that use online functionality on video games systems are male. Casual games are the biggest draw for females to play online, but if you just look at MMOG demographics, a greater percentage of those players are female even as compared to online users of video game systems. So the PC draws more women in general, regardless of game genre.”

Following the most played casual genres of card, puzzle, arcade and word at 44 percent, family-oriented games were the second most played at 25 percent, while MMOs/RPGs came in third with 19 percent. Gambling type games such as poker were also popular. 17 percent of gamers said they prefer online gambling/casino games.

NPD also took a look at online purchasing habits. Unsurprisingly, 85 percent of purchasers bought more than 75 percent of their games in a physical format; just five percent of purchasers bought 75 percent of their games in digital format. Many in the industry do expect digital distribution to pick up in the next several years, however.

by James Brightman @ gamesdaily

Wired.com has listed Plasma Pong as one of the best Indie games in 2007! Rock on! Also I’m pleased to announce that the OSX port will be released soon and a much demanded fluid screensaver is in development for both OSX and Windows.

Download and play on your PC.

1. Duty and Beyond

Your ‘quest’ in Duty and Beyond is simply to deliver a pizza. But who knew that the adventure would take you on an epic journey across several exotic locations in search of the mysterious customer. Simply a winner in the content category, with multiple endings to achieve depending on your final score. Fans of classic LucasArts games (especially Maniac Mansion) will love this one to bits.

Name: Duty and Beyond
Developer: Wandering Adventures
Size: 4.25 MB
[ direct download link | walkthrough ]

2. Reactor 09/Cedric and the Revolution

Warning: contains a short discussion about a mature subject.

With that out of the way, Reactor 09 is simply a fine piece of work by Bernie. Featuring multiple endings and gorgeous art with hues resembling those found in Beneath a Steel Sky, this game demonstrates what the AGS engine is capable of in the hands of a professional.

A bit less controversial is Cedric and the Revolution, in which you play the role of the titular character on a quest to gather enough people for a demonstration. Both are definitely adventure games worth having in your collection.

Name: Reactor 09/Cedric and the Revolution
Developer: Bernie
Size: 4.70 MB, 1.72 MB
Direct Download Links: Reactor 09, Cedric and the Revolution
Walkthroughs:
- Reactor 09
- Cedric and the Revolution

3. Spooks

Spooks is an excellent AGS adventure game by Erin Robinson, where most of the sprites and backgrounds were drawn using MSPaint and nine shades of gray. The story begins as Mortia finds herself in possession of a goldfish on a day out at the carnival. The prize she won from a game of darts is the catalyst of her adventure to seek the meaning of life.

The writing stands out and most of the music employed doesn’t disappoint, although puzzles can be slightly perplexing at times. A small drawback to an otherwise amazing achievement, considering that it’s a first effort and a sign of things to come.

Name: Spooks
Developer: The Ivy
Size: 4.88 MB
[ direct download link, walkthrough ]

4. Knightsquire/The Family Treasure

Knightsquire is basically a remake of buloght’s earlier one room adventure, with new backgrounds and a complete quest involving the rescue of the king’s daughter.

Clicking on the portraits allow you to swap between two characters, since certain actions can only be attempted by either the squire or the knight. Items can be passed around to each other by simply selecting an object, then choosing the recipient. Use the left mouse button to interact and press the right mouse button to examine your surroundings.

The Family Treasure is another lovingly crafted AGS adventure game by buloght that uses a point-and-click interface made popular by classic Lucasart titles. A story about pirates and hidden treasures may not be original but the gameplay more than makes up for it.

Name: Knightsquire/The Family Treasure
Developer: buloght
Size: 849 KB, 985 KB
Direct Download Links: Knightsquire, The Family Treasure
Walkthroughs: Knightsquire

5. Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth

Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth is a new game by Screen 7 featuring the immortal screen legend on another globe-trotting adventure. Out of all efforts by many other fans, this one resembles it’s source material the most.

Like the original, multiple paths can be used to reach the objective. Arcade sequences are optional, depending on your actions in the game. No voice acting yet, plus the length is rather short but this release is well worth downloading even if it’s not the full version.

Name: Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth
Developer: Screen 7
Size: 5.83 MB
[ download page | walkthrough ]

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It seems like only yesterday when I first wrote about Wii Transfer, and now it is a 2.0 app. My how times are changing. Wii Transfer 2.0 adds some very cool features to its ability to encode videos from your Mac for playing on the Wii. 2.0 offers:

• The ability to stream your music from your Mac to your Wii
• Share your photos from your Mac to your Wii
• Lots of bug fixes, and a new UI

Wii Transfer 2.0 is a free update for folks who have previous versions.
If you want to get in on the fun I suggest doing it before the end of
this month. Until the end of January Wii Transfer costs a paltry $9,
once January is over the price goes up to $14.
[via Scott McNulty@TUAW]