Ughhh... I'm beginning to come down with a cold, I think, so I'd like to keep this short so I can get some rest and hopefully feel better tomorrow. Stupid winter weather, making me feel like shit...

In other news, Columbus's anime convention, Ohayocon, is going on this weekend and it's literally right across the street from where I live. I hope I'm feeling well enough to go check that out, because, in the five or so years I've lived in Columbus, I've actually never been to Ohayocon before. Although one year, me and a friend decided to check out the North Market on the same weekend the con was going on, and were surprised and entertained when we saw cosplayers roaming the market! There was also apparently a huge business meeting going on, as well as some cheerleading event, so the market was filled with an odd mix of cosplay, young cheerleaders and men in business suits. It was a really weird day...


Now picture this scene with Link perusing fruits and vegetables while cheerleaders and businessmen look on.

Anyway, I'm gonna go crash for awhile and try to sleep off this oncoming cold. Enjoy some good old recaps while I'm asleep!

* - The man with the best username of Destructoid found and uploaded some old Podtoid episodes, in case you were having trouble tracking them down! Thanks, man!

S - badbadleroybrown is trying to live a healthier life with the Nike+ Kinect Expedition. This week, he discusses his new diet choices!

A - Thoughts on next gen consoles: how much should they cost?

A - Binary Domain: the most overlooked game of 2012!

A - SephirothX picks the top 10 bosses of the Devil May Cry series!

A - Marche100 urges Devil May Cry fans to give DmC: Devil May Cry a chance! The new game's name makes articles like this sound very confusing...

A - Man, it sounds like some people really hold on to grudges in the world of online console gaming.




This will be me tomorrow.

F - Friday Night Fights on the 360 + Writer's block (I feel you, ChillyBilly)!

F - Friday Night Fights on the PS3 + Laughing lizards!

F - Friday Night Fights on the Wii U... actually, maybe not...

E - Saturday Night Fights on the PS3? Thanks a lot, PSN server maintenance!

D - Phoenix Online Studios discusses their previous work (The Silver Lining) and introduces their current project (Cognition).

$ - January 18th UK releases and bargains!





V - Figcoinc attempts to beat the infamous bike level in Battletoads with just one life!

C - Osga21 reminisces about his PSP, which he hacked to pirate games.

C - ergrimnebulin remembers the PS2, but also copypastas, unfortunately.

C - I'm of the opinion that review scores are generally worthless, arbitrary numbers. Just tell me what you liked/didn't like about the game!



No failures today! Well, except for my immune system...



- bbain

FPotD

When the trailer for Pokémon X and Y hit last week, not once did I imagine that it would cost me as much time as it has. I’ve already spent about 12 hours because of this trailer, and that number is likely to increase even today. But how could that be?! You watch a trailer once or twice and you’re done, right? You could watch it a third time to really appreciate the awesomeness of Fennekin, I guess, but after that there’s no way you’re not done with it yet. Okay, maybe once more, there’s a lot of awesomeness to appreciate in that little fox, after all. But after that you’re really done. Final count: 6 minutes, 7 tops.

So how could a simple trailer possibly cost me a good 36 hours of my life?

Because of this guy:


This asshole right here.

When I first saw him, I thought he looked pretty good. Nice and colorful and a good counter to the other Legendary, Yveltal, but other than that nothing really stood out for me. Not so for some other people. Immediately after the trailer hit, we saw several people commenting on how much Xerneas looked like something from a movie called “Princess Mononoke”. One comment I remember in particular read “Go back to Princess Mononoke, Xerneas. You're not fooling anybody.”, which I guess would be a clever little comment….if I had ever seen Princess Mononoke.

Upon seeing these comments, I became curious. I had certainly heard of this movie before, but for some reason I never watched it. After a bit of snooping around on Wikipedia and IMDB, I came to the conclusion that Princess Mononoke was entirely my sort of movie, and that I should definitely see it.

And that’s when tragedy struck.
During my research (I call it that to make it sound less like wasting my time scrolling through Wikipedia pages), I came across the official list of Studio Ghibli films, none of which I had ever seen before, but with some I had already heard about on it; mostly Spirited Away and Ponyo (didn’t bbain write something on that last one a while back? Wouldn’t surprise me, what with the sea creatures and all). So I checked some of their respective pages, and quickly found out that all of them, save perhaps Tales from Earthsea, are supposedly incredibly good. Furthermore, lots of them sounded exactly like the type of movie I would enjoy.

So I decided then and there to watch all of them. When it comes to things like these, I’m way too thorough for my own good. I never decide to watch “some” of something new, be it a series, a Let’s Play or whatever else. No, I watch all of it, all the time, from start to finish. This backfires occasionally, because something new pops up while I’m still busy with my previous pop-culture crush, but I just sort of learned to live with that.

This week, my new crush became Studio Ghibli.



And with that, I’m going to out-anime Strider.
So far I’ve already found all of the 18 films (I count Nausicaä, but not Ocean Waves – should I?), and I have most with dual audio; Japanese with English subs and an English dub. For some I only have one of the two, but that hasn’t given any problems yet. I try to watch them in Japanese first, but the ones I had to watch in English had very decent dubs, with some very big names behind them even, so it’s all good.

As of yet, in one week, sometimes even two on one day, I have watched: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Only Yesterday. Porco Rosso is scheduled for tonight, which from the looks of it is about the Red Baron, except a pig, so I can’t imagine how it could possibly not be the most amazing thing ever. Then, after two more movies, I will finally reach Princess Mononoke, which was what got me into watching these in the first place. I’m very curious about that one, can’t wait!

So far my favorites are Nausicaä and My Neighbor Totoro, but I’ve enjoyed the others as well. Both Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday are quite a bit different from the others, no fantastical magic or strange creatures here, so I liked those the least. That is more proof of the fact that I’m an uncultured Neanderthal than anything else though. I know, and see, that these are great movies, but they’re just not as much fun to watch as the rest of them because of their subject material. Grave of the Fireflies is literally just two hours of watching two children die of starvation. Only Yesterday is a little more lighthearted, but at the end of the day is just about a woman recalling scenes from her childhood for better or worse. Both are good movies, Grave especially so, but you won’t find any lighthearted fun or a cool adventure here. Contrast this to Nausicaä’s action or Totoro’s whimsical….whatever it is, and I can’t say anything else than that, with a little bit of guilt, I’d rather watch the latter two.


Luckily, Nausicaä approves.

From what I’ve seen of Studio Ghibli so far, I’m very impressed. There’s very good art at work here, especially in the environments, the music is great when Joe Hisaishi is involved (I’m listening to the Nausicaä, Laputa, Totoro and Kiki OSTs as I write this) and I’m loving the story and characters. I’m also really impressed with how female-centric these films are. Totoro and Kiki in particular barely feature any men in speaking roles, and I really think it somehow adds to these movies. It just gives them that little bit of extra charm. Totoro just wouldn’t be the same if it had featured two boys, or even a boy and a girl. The two sisters are what makes it work (them and their absolutely wonderful dad) much better than any boys could ever have. They probably would’ve poked the mysterious kindhearted forest spirit-thing with a stick or something. Nausicaä herself as well is a spirited gal who doesn’t forsake femininity for ass-kicking or vice versa.

The final thing I found striking was Miyazaki’s (the mastermind behind Ghibli, who I’m led to believe is more popular in Japan than Walt Disney could ever hope to be in the west) ability to make great movies without any conflict in them. Sure, both Nausicaä and Laputa follow the more well-trodden route of good guys fighting the bad guys, but Totoro and Kiki feature nothing of the sort. In fact, My Neighbor Totoro may very well be the happiest movie I have ever seen. The only time where there’s some drama is towards the end, but a good 75% of the movie is done without any sort of strife at all. Even visiting their sick mother in the hospital provides only happiness and laughter. There’s no bad guy, and I’ll go even one step further: there are no non-nice people in this movie. None at all. Let that sink in for a second. Everyone is kind, with the exception of one boy who acts a little rude towards the older of the girls, but it’s implied that he just doesn’t know how to deal with the new girl yet, especially since he may just like her a little bit if you know what I’m saying. Besides, he warms up considerably by the end of the movie. Seriously though, how many movies can you name where not one character is at least a little bit of a dick? I can’t think of any. Actually, no, that’s not right. There may be one: ….Kiki’s Delivery Service. But then we’re just moving in circles, aren’t we?

Even when one of the girls tells her father that she saw a thing she names “Totoro”, there’s no drama. Any other movie would’ve gone the route of the disbelieving parents: “Now, you know you’re supposed to lie to your parents little missy!” or perhaps “Get your head out of the clouds, there’s no such thing as Totoro!”. In this movie? None of that. How does dad respond? “You probably met the king of this forest. You were very lucky; he doesn’t come out very often.” I don’t know if it’s because the Japanese in general are more accepting towards spirits and the like or if it’s something else, but just the fact that dad decides “you know what, let the kid run with it”, or perhaps genuinely believes her, is both amazing and way rarer in fiction than it should be.

In short, My Neighbor Totoro, for the majority of the film, is just about two girls exploring their new house and the environment, or spending time with their awesome parents. And it’s more compelling than any save-the-world story you can care to name.



So yeah, conclusion; I fucking love Studio Ghibli now. If you haven’t seen these movies yet, go do so. Really impressed with all of their efforts so far, and I have no fear of that changing any time soon. A big thanks to everyone who pointed out the Xerneas – Mononoke connection! I have yet to see if you are right, but I don’t even care anymore. You’ve unwittingly introduced me to some great movies already, and I expect more to follow.

And finally, before we move on to the caps, my current ranking of the Ghibli films, to be updated in next week’s Shadeisms:
1. My Neighbor Totoro
2. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
3. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
4. Kiki’s Delivery Service
5. Grave of the Fireflies
6. Only Yesterday

* - This one's for the gamers who like to crap their pants in fear every once in a while. Nekobun gives us more free indie horror games.

* - The ultimate Pokémon Champion shares his hopes and dreams for the new Generation. You had me at "New Eeveelutions".

A - I feel your plight man, I suck hard at fighting games. VoltySquirrel laments the lack of tutorials in current fighting games, especially Street Fighter.

P - The second episode of the Audible Protagonist podcast, in which there are game pitches. I'd play a game called "Not-RPG", especially if it was an RPG.





F - PC Friday Night Fights with even MORE anime.



T - Kicking animals in the gut to cross a river. Only in video games, only in video games.

V - Travis Crawford shares some of his Far Cry 3 Let's Play. I'm a massive fan of Let's Plays myself, so I support getting some of them on the toid.

R - Fullicide uses his unique scoring method to review DmC; he liked it anywhere between 6 and 8.

P - Fire Emblem is a series that deserves more love than it gets if I ever saw one. Come to think of it, perhaps the Turn-based Strategy as a genre doesn't get enough love. Either way, Fire Emblem is great, and from the sound of this blog that's not going to change with Awakening. Don't forget to hug your buddies when you come in!





C - For DePeir, 2013 is going to be the year of the PSP. Sad thing is, he's probably better off with that than if he had decided to go Vita.

R - Well would you look who it is?! ZombiePlatypus sticks his head into the Cblogs, and his butt in the snow.

S - This was already on the front page. Besides that, I'm not touching this topic with a ten foot pole.



So I guess those video game-related isms didn't last long, did they? Oh well, maybe next time.



- ShadeOfLight
May you always find water and shade


FPotD

I've been on a roll lately. Last year, I would've been hard pressed to find inspiration to write, let alone time to actually do it. Everything conspired to be against me writing, whether it was long shifts at work, new games, holiday shopping, or personal time with my girlfriend. But in the post-holiday lull at Disneyland Resorts, there are less guests coming in, and therefore, less hours. But this isn't a horrible thing necessarily. Less money is certainly not a good thing but living with my parents affords me some wiggle room. More money means more potential to save up and GTFO but for now, less hours are unavoidable due to Christmas and New Year's wearing off at Disneyland and California Adventure.

In short, I've had tons of time to reinvigorate my creative endeavors. So much time to write, so much time to edit videos, so much time to try new games to build more creative endeavors on. If only I could figure out how to continue the Fapcast. Well, in the meantime of scheduling that out, I suppose I could bring back The Write Stuff to suffice while we wait.

So I finally made good on my promise to start Strider's Weeaboo Corner and started with The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. I'm a little sad my girlfriend couldn't get past the very same 5 minutes I warned would turn off most people who were jaded by classic harem tropes. If viewers can only get past the first fifteen minutes and see the introduction of the female lead, Shiina Mashiro, they'd catch a glimpse some anime gold that can hook them. And if you stick it out to the second episode (which might be a lot for a critic to ask his readers) you'd see that the series explores fascinating emotional issues that no other series has really done well in the past. I mean, imagine yourself as a normal person in high school, attending classes alongside bonafide geniuses. People so talented that the counselors just told you to give up and apply for some minimum wage job in retail?



In other animes, I've started Space Brothers. It's decidedly more down to Earth compared to Pet Girl. I'd forgotten to mention that Sorata's reactions are some of the funniest reactions I've heard of any comic foil in an anime, but you'll find humor that'd more in a subdued fashion in Space Brothers. For example, one of the brothers doesn't get fired for simple reasons. He gets fired because his boss was making fun of his little brother, who was in the papers after becoming an astronaut. But he doesn't just get angry at his boss. He straight up head butts him. And not just any head butt either. It was one inspired by Zidane's insane head butt during the 2006 world cup, which he watched himself. Ironically, as a car designer in the near future of 2025, the car used to escort Mutta Nanba off property grounds was the same car he won an award for designing. Hilarious.

Space Brothers is about (if I can start another Weeaboo Corner here) two brothers born in the 2000s, three years apart. During their youth, the brothers encounter a UFO and the duo are inspired to become astronauts. But while the younger one, Hibito, manages to become an astronaut set for the moon, the older one, Mutta, finds his own dream unfulfilled as his younger brother pulls further and further away from him. Until he's accepted by the new astronaut selection program.

I also finally returned Farcry 3, but not before recording a shitload of content for me to play with. I even recently got my hands on a free suite of Adobe CS2, including Photoshop. And I've been having tons of fun just photoshopping random images to go along with my Youtube uploads. I mean, nobody cares what Jason Brody looks like but I derive an unnatural amount of entertainment putting the head of a predator on top of the body of what's supposed to be Jason Brody.



The sky's the limit if I can get back into more games. It's too late for games like UMvC3 though, but I still have my hands on games like Persona 4 Arena and Skyrim. Not to mention some downloadables including an itch to buy Retro City Rampage. I mean, imagine the photoshop opprotunities with a game filled with classic game throwbacks and references. I can already think of at least 3 ideas for a thumbnail involving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since they chase you at one point in the beginning. I mean, seriously, com'on, they're awesome.

In an unfortunate sense, a lot of the games I'm looking forward to this year are on the 3DS,and I have no way to record footage of that. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to Bioshock Infinite, GTAV, MGS Revengance, or Injustice: Gods Among Us. I'm just not feeling any hype from them. Or at least, the same amount of hype I'm feeling alone from Animal Crossing New Leaf or Pokemon X and Y.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have tons of things to write, edit, and produce. It's not every week I get even three days off in the work week. Four's a bit much but three is what I've been hoping for since Fall of 2012. Just enough work to earn some honest to god money but still some time off to feel like I've accomplished something. Enjoy a couple more videos in my ISMS!

Oh, I might as well mention that the announcement of Disney Infinite is a big deal for me because I work at the parks. Will we sell the figurines? Can I get a discount? Maybe even the eff'ing game? I'd be down for that like four flat tires.





A - DePeir replies to Phil's blog about race and stereotypes with a whole blog

W - Dao's contest certainly had winners, but did they battle to the death for those prizes? The answer is no, of course not.

I - RedSeed is no longer a clean lurker and has now posted a filthy introduction

T - Carbon shares his Pokemon X and Y wishlist. Hey! I got a wishlist too!

T - Skyscraper pulls out some timely thoughts on DMC

V - ccesarano doesn't just feel something's missing from the Dead Space 3 demo. HE SHOWS US IT.

R - Troy reviews Mario Kart 7, the most seven-iest Mario Kart game to ever come to the 3DS





C - Travis doesn't use a lot of words and wants to show us his video on War Frame instead

F - Didn't even get the Youtube tag right


~ StriderHoang


FPotD

It's been a very Dark Souls-ey week for me! Not only has my brother picked up Prepare to Die Edition for the PC, so he can FINALLY see the new content and understand what I've been raving about for the past 4 months, but we've seen a number of blogs and comments about Dark Souls around the community.

While my heart flutters whenever Dark Souls is brought to the fore, I have to admit to a dark cloud hanging over my usual zeal for all things Souls. As much fun as I'm having digging into Lordran again, at the back of my mind is the nagging thought that Dark Souls 2 isn't going to be very good. Or at least, it is going to be so different that I won't recognize what I love about the series in it.

I try my best to avoid typical internet doom-crying and whining. I certainly hate to come off as another elitist neck-beard demanding to be left alone to my own insular and uninviting little corner of the gaming world. But it is hard to look at the released promotional material for Dark Souls 2 and not feel a bit concerned.

In all the interviews and articles going around, the new director replacing the venerable Miazaki of the original games keeps bringing up "accessibility." Accessibility to the gameplay, accessibility to the covenants, accessibility to upgrades, stats, and so on. Everything is going to be "more accessible" in this new Dark Souls. It seems to me to be a great deal of verbal tap dancing around the words "making it easier" but with all the same meaning. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to see an easier Dark Souls experience.


- You can't have triumph without adversity

This isn't because I want to keep Dark Souls just for the hardcore. I don't get off on bragging about beating Dark Souls or feeling smug that others can't. I feel bad that some people found the game too hard to enjoy, or at least let their frustration get the better of them before they could figure it out. I feel like they missed out on a very cool experience and one of the most important games of this generation. But all the same, I wouldn't have wanted to see that experienced lessened or cheapened for the sake of being inclusive to them either.

Difficulty lies at the core of Dark Souls. It's what makes it different. In an industry flooded with fantasy games, RPGs, action-RPGs, MOBAs, strategy games, dungeon crawlers, ect, Dark Souls stands out as unique. Unlike most other games where adversity can be surmounted with improved numbers, more grinding, higher levels, better equipment – Dark Souls demands that the player improves. The big trick to Dark Souls, which a lot of players either discovered and embraced or refused to learn and quit, is that your level doesn't mean as much as it does in other games. Stacking on strength of vitality can only take you so far. Levelling up is useful for sure. Gaining access to an increased cache of spells or the ability to wield a weapon with a high base requirement, upgrading your gear – all good stuff that makes your character stronger. But not dramatically. Progressing in the game is more about learning. Learning the area, the dangers, the shortcuts. Learning the enemies, their attacks, their weaknesses. Learning your character, what you can do, what play style and weapons work best for you, how to adapt to different situations.

It demands a careful and thoughtful accounting of what you are doing. A theme that is reflected in how Dark Souls unveils its story and lore.

There is very little spoken exposition in Dark Souls. Outside of a massive dialogue dump about half-way through the game (that you can skip), the player is left on their own to piece together exactly what is going on and what they are ultimately doing. The clues are in the world. The location of enemies, corpses, where you encounter noble spirits and bosses; each tell a story. Item descriptions are precious pieces to the puzzle, everything from keys to helmets share tiny tid-bits and hints that make up the greater whole. It is a very slow, and very bold, way to tell a story. Something that could only be accomplished in the uniquely interactive medium of video games.

And you'd never notice any of it if you were just straight ripping through the game. If it was easy and you never had to slow down to really pay attention to the enemy, to explore for a shortcut, or examine a suspicious path, you'd never notice the little vignettes that litter the game. If you weren't so desperate for an edge to examine every item, or if items had immediately clear and stated purposes, many gamers would probably gloss over the description text as meaningless fluff. They would never see the beautifully designed layers of storytelling at play.

I loved the way the story unfolded around the player in Dark Souls. When the new director talks about opening up the gameplay for "all players" or making the "story more direct", I cringe inside. Not only is he chipping away at the slow subtle storytelling the difficulty of the first game imposed, but he's directly tossing it out? One of the things that made Dark Souls great was that it had a genuine air of mystery and discovery to it. There are hundreds of fantasy games out there just waiting to tell a story through a long-winded cut scene or text-dump. I don't want them. I want Dark Souls.


- Dark Souls is full of small sad moments you can totally miss if you're not paying attention.

I do recognize that different players operate at different skill levels, with different tolerances and limits. One person's easy might be tough to another, and it seems harsh to demand that everyone rises to a certain level in order to join in. And I do understand that making games is a business, and From Software naturally wants to make their game appealing to as wide an audience as possible. If they really think making the game easier will sell more copies (and by all accounts that is the current directors line of thought) they'll do just that.

But in my naivete, I'd like to think there is a little something more to Dark Souls. While it is a commercial product, it also has an artistic message. Dark Souls is trying to say something about the nature of things, about people. It presents an incredibly hostile world - one where players can choose to face down all the adversity on their own, or open themselves to the outside world to beg for help. They can play the saint, join the Sunbros and help others, or become a spirit of vengeance tracking down sinners. Or they can become the monster and make others their prey, embracing the thrill of taking something away from another – after suffering an invasion or two, there is a dark temptation to be on the other end of the blade.

It isn't a particularly nice message, but experiencing it felt different, special. Something I've never seen in another game. And it only worked because that world was so foreboding and dire. If facing down that adversity on your own didn't seem daunting and rewarding, if nobody needed help from a saint, if there wasn't that hard nasty lure of leaving the sheep behind and joining the wolves, then it loses something. It becomes hollow. The difficulty of Dark Souls didn't just make it a bragging rights game, it fundamentally shaped the tone and interaction with the game, with other players. I think it would be a real shame to lose that.

I suppose part of what is shaping my opinion is that I don't think the original Dark Souls is AS hard as people like to make it out to be.

Make no mistake, Dark Souls is a VERY hard and unforgiving game. I'm not being a try-hard or keyboard champion here, I've died thousands of times in Dark Souls. But it is also a very fair game. Enemies don't suddenly change their behaviour, new traps don't spring up in the environment, the game stays very consistent to its own logic and rules. Exploring a new area or facing a boss for the first time can be a woeful affair of sudden and unexpected death – maybe even the first twenty times. But as long as you actually look at what is going on and think about it, you can use that knowledge to improve and prevail. The game will never hoodwink you.



When people talk about player adjustable difficulty, I think that Dark Souls already has it – just in some more subtle and satisfying ways. The helpful spirits of Brolaire, Lautrec, Beatrice, Mildred, and Tarkus are all willing and able to tag-team with you against nearly half of the bosses in the game, most of the hard ones anyway. Other troublesome bosses like the Centipede and Fire Demons can be skipped outright if the player desires. While the knowledge on how to do so might not be known by new players, there are whole communities and guides ready to help.

Don't want to deal with invaders and PvP? Simple, don't travel around in human form, or play in offline mode. Need to go human to summon some help for a boss? Well then you're trading that advantage against the boss for the risk of being invaded. Even if the worst happens and you do get invaded while questing to the boss with a buddy or two, at least you'll outnumber him.

Again, it feels so elitist to say it, but I feel like a lot of the complaints about Dark Souls being too difficult rest in a refusal to adapt to the game.

But I recognize reality. If they really want to add in an easy mode, hopefully something where everything is left pretty much the same but with small numerical adjustments – like enemies do 30% less damage, or dying only takes half your souls, or what have you - I'll be disappointed but I'll deal. I maintain that it would cheat the players that use it out of a potentially rewarding experience, but that's their loss.

Whatever approach FromSoftware chooses to take, I hope they use a gentle touch and stay true to what made Dark Souls such a singular experience.

* - Pixielated shares some of herself and how games have been an outlet, mirror, and shield for her over the years in this touching blog.

* - Some kind words for the much maligned Silent Hill: Downpour. I had problems with the game (mostly the usual combat woes and some repetitive nightmare/chase scenes) but I agree that it got slammed harder than it deserved in reviews.

A - Oh HELLS YEA! Seeing Nicky rig his comp-sci lab into a 16 man Counter-Strike LAN party makes this old man all misty eyed. I remember doing much the same when I was a young whippersnapper.

A - People still think of Microsoft as the old Grandpa trying to play cool of the industry? I haven't heard that since the original Xbox. JayPee obviously feels passionately that Microsoft is abandoning core gamers, but I just don't see it. Most everything is multiplatform these days, and the number one use of the 360 and XBL is playing games, so what's the problem?

A - I think it's wonderful that some companies are leading the charge in making games more colour-blind friendly. Maybe not every game can find a solution (not sure how you help colourblind folk in the camouflaged world of MGS3), but it's good to see some at least try.

A - Using a little logic, Biowisp reveals how the new DmC and other similar reboots can't retroactively ruin your childhood.

P - I bet David Bowie never eats tacos. His one and only flaw.

H - GrimmTrixX owns over 2500 games. HOLY SHIT. That is one massive hoard! Now if only he could find the time to play them.

I - tehTommy loves games and hates Polish people? Whatever! Check out his wonderful belated intro blog for a history lesson and a look at a young gamer growing up on the other side of the iron curtain.

T - tim333 continues to slog through the Dragon Quest games, getting a bit bogged down in 6&7. I've never been partial to the DQ series, but I have to admit I love the box art on 7. Braggart, Clueless, and Princess look like a fun trio to blunder into adventure with.

R - A review for the delightfully bizarre mash-up strategy game Project X Zone. It looks like some elaborate fan-made game or mod, but GundamJehutyKai swears it's a real thing in Japan!

$ - BitTrauma just learned about the joys of Humble Bundles and big PC game sales. Yay! Now it's just a matter of weeks before we see a blog post about him learning the joys of a giant backlog of unplayed games!

T - And the conclusion of Tim333's Dragon Quest adventure! Seriously, those games are huge. I get exhausted just reading about them.

A - Mokuu will draw for you... for a price. Normally I frown on this kind of advertising, but Mokuu seems like a fairly active community member.

R - Some ramblings from a (no doubt drunk if the stereotypes are to be believed) Australian who can't sleep.

S - The first of Carbon64's many blogs today. Here is a list of Japanese developers.

S - A forum post wondering if consoles will replace cable boxes and cellphones.

S - Another short blog by Carbon about achievements.

S - Mountain spam is fresh and clean.

S - Super Mario 64 was pretty neat. Maybe save it for a full blog on a day where you haven't post 3 already?

S - STOP POSTING SO MUCH!

S - I know far more about Yes Considerably's sexual preferences than I'd like. Probably because he can't stop posting creepy blogs about it. Yikes.


- For real though, Death's Chariot and the idea that the player might be riding in it is some straight up #Darksiders2 shit

FPotD

Welcome one and all to the sideshow that. Is. THE RECAPS! As my fleshy sex doll PhilKenSebben pointed out in yesterday's recaps, I haven't been around much lately. There are certain reports about me playing board games with the Ancient Ones, that I will neither deny or confirm. However, I can say that if I was playing said games with said entities, I definitely won, and was granted several things. Namely, my freedom. I needed that back. But perhaps more amusingly, I finally garnered the position of Dream Wrangler that I desperately was craving. As head of sleep-kings, I put my new powers into use as soon as I could.

Don't believe me? Check out the front page today. I've infested some of Destructoid's finest editors' dreams with my own thoughts! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!



CAPS for you, haps?



* - UsurpMyProse beat Dark Souls. Hard. But on the road to sweet victory, he was assaulted by thoughts of assaulting caused by being assaulted. Read about the five bosses that made him most want to fist-greet a baby in his facial region.

P - A new episode of Binary Chode! Listen to the science, and check out the show notes/links. All you need to know, is that animal sex counts as science. So don't feel bad.

P - Secret Moon Base is back, and comes bearing gifts of blab. They gab about this & that and maybe videogames. They also give Far Cry 3 an awful score. Come register your hate/praise. All heil be the Human Fiddler Crab Lord.





I - DePeir is new here, and has a somewhat short intro for us. We do get a feel for some of the things he likes, but not a lot about himself. Go say hi and ask him stuff! +1 for see-through plastic.

I - DpadJoe introduces himself by giving his thoughts on sexuality in gaming, and lack of LBGT characters specifically.

I - Another introduction, say hello to Oven Fries! He sucks at Dark Souls PVP. I'm sure there's one or two folks around here that could offer up some tips ;)

T - Hey, It's Scott from Fullicide! He assures us that he's a real person, thereby making me suspicious that he is an android or body-snatcher of some sort. Also, he has some thoughts on the "Probation" period that can be applied to you in COD; Black Ops II. Do you think it's fair? Do you just not care? Come over here and wave your hands in the air.









F - Students health insurance is important. That's a fact. Maybe.

F - Is child health insurance more important? Decidedly, yes.

F - Remember that Rocko episode? Where a satellite crashed into Rocko's house?

F - The one where Bucky could really only build bathrooms, but it wasn't even him doing the work? It was his female "assistant"? That was pretty funny.

F - Slolar Planlels.



FPotD

I'm feeling baller y'all. I don't know why. Maybe it's this big ass house. This new puppy I got (not a puppy, 3yr old yellow lab), maybe it's my new video card (Not that new at all, but to me it is) and all these games I can run now (Like 13 titles I owned and couldn't play, just BAM!), I don't know. I'm just feeling on top of the world right now. The only thing I can complain about is the fucking Maloofs finally getting their wish to sell the Sacramento Kings. Fucking team killing, greedy assclowns. Worse than god damn Smurfee.

Anyone seen that little blue bastard? Worries me when I don't see him around for a few days. He's probably lurking in some alley, shaving innocent cats nipples. That guy.... man.

What have you all been playing lately? I'm really loving L4D2 on PC at the moment. IT COMES WITH ALL THOSE CAMPAIGNS! Like wow. Then all the user created stuff on top of that? Safe to say, I've fully joined the master race again, after a 8 year absence. Just too many good deals and too much bullshit with consoles now days. But that aside, L4D2 for sure and of course everyone knows my deep love affair with Don't Starve. There is a new update for that Tuesday and after the turf building from last week, I'm very excited to see what's in store. I'll be posting another diaries blog about it soon (because you totally care). Well, that's enough baller blabbing from me, on with the caps!

*- Ccesarano discusses east coast expos and the awesome times he had there.
*- Part 4 of Tim333's Dragon Quest series. The time and detail put into this blog series impresses.
*- You HAVE to see Dao2-SKP's amazing setup. Not to mention the awesome contest he is running.
*- Strider takes on a long beautiful journey through 2012. Only thing that's missing? XCOM MOTHERF***ER!
*- Patrick Hancock is one of my favorite front pagers at Destructoid. He plays the stuff I play. Here is an amazing list, of amazing games coming in 2013.

A- Snealiv throws out a great write up on Nvidia's thingamajigger and some of the challenges it faces. Looks like a folding xbox. Not 360 either. O.G.
P- The Low(er) Tier delivers episode 4: Deadly Serious and another contest! I HAVE NO PERSONAL INTEREST IN THIS, BUT YOU SHOULD TOTALLY LISTEN.
A- Nekobun shares a great write up explaining streaming, the ways to get into it and more! Great stuff.
A- Another excellent write-up from TroyFullbuster. This one discusses the many types of sequels in gaming.
S- Another superb entry in Tim333's DQ series: Part 5



C- Just a reminder for Dao2-SKP's amazing giveaway.
C- Reminder for The Low(er) Tiers Super Hexagon and Torchlight 2 contest.

S- Jbcrazy305 isn't feeling games at the moment and ponders whether he is growing out of them or not.
S- A musical journey through Crackedbat's 2012. Awesome blog right here folks.

D- Another Edge of Space blog. I'm really digging the look and direction of this one.
T- Vincent Gaspar really enjoyed the DmC demo and eagerly awaits the full games release. Hope he enjoys it. Jim's review showed me that it's not for me. Well not until it's close to bargain bin price at least.
T- Stevesan shares some thought on The Walking Dead and....well... I'll let him explain..
T- Lukas discusses love in games and then I just saw bewbs. Sorry.
T- Looks like the Neo-Geo X couldn't make the cut for Nilcam
V- Another awesome vid from Mikki Saturn. This week: Kid Niki: Radical Ninja.
T- Ohhhh, look at Mr. Fancypants, with his ideas for an easy mode in Dark Souls 2. No, seriously look. Then read Wrenchfarm's comment.
R- A nice New Super Mario Bros. WiiU review from Lingoes.
T- Fullicide has some thoughts on scoring systems.

F- Johnel Lance shares some impressions and the Sonic fan film.
L- I want to read this Spec Ops: The Line book. Sounds interesting. Thanks SomeWhatGrey for your impressions.
A- Some awesome Chrono art from Sgt. Blink.
F- SkidRow Trash says to check out this movie: Stakeland. I heard Fallout meets vampires.... is there a New Vegas mod for that?



C- Absolute Poppycock shares some thoughts on Connecticut and all that, but it could use some sprucing up.
C- This escape goat needs some attention and fleshing out.
C- Osga21 strikes out with me again. talking about Valve this time.
C- Some really short musings about Pokemon and a b.s. intro from Karmageddon.



F- I don't like people pimping other sites in my home fool. Well written or not, you can get attention other ways.


Soooooo, not baller at the end there. Man, those last two pics... crack me the hell up. On those lovely notes, I shall bid you all a good day. This fella needs some sleep (when the hell don't I?).


-PhilKenSebben



FPotD