""It's a normal process--video game characters are constantly changing. From Mario to Marcus Fenix, characters always undergo visual facelifts in order to "update" the series' look. The good news is that, more often than not, game character makeovers are subtle and we don't even notice that new mole on the side of Chola the Chipmunk's cheek or whatever other tweak is made to our favorite characters. But good taste is not always used when these changes are made.""

"The Strong Pretty-Boy- Usually Doesn't Show Emotion
Read: Sephiroth, Cloud, Squall, etc...

The Pure Hearted Love Interest
Read: Any Princess, Riona, Aerith, Yuna

The Masked Mystery Man
Read: Master Chief, Grey Fox (Cyborg Ninja)

The Stereotypical "Black-Guy"
Read: Barret, 50 Cent

The Half Naked Armor Clad Woman
Read: Does it matter?"

GamesRadar was very disappointed with Nintendo's lineup and decided to dig up Nintendo's E3 98 lineup to compare the two. In 1998, Nintendo had Pokemon, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Banjo Kazooie. This year they had Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii MotionPlus, and Wario Land: The Shake Dimension.

Here's a comparison video with a difference.
With the upcoming release of the Final Fantasy IV remake for DS, here's a video that compares the remake with the classic SNES version.

In case you don't know what I mean by the title - No matter how classic and influential certain characters or games are, you will always find that one guy (especially on the internet) who has the gall to criticize Halo, Metal Gear Solid, and Grand Theft Auto. Some will even go as far as to insult Mario - and other classic characters. Overrated is their battle cry.

Todd Ciolek examines the top 10 sacred cows that unfortunately many would like to be taken out back and turned into hamburgers....

"The average age of a video game customer now hovers around the late twenties to early thirties. The variation on either side of that average reveals a fascinating picture, too. Many of the first generation of child gamers now approaching their forties have children of their own. Whole families now gather around a game console, just as in previous generations the family gathered to watch a video or Morecambe & Wise on TV or to play Monopoly together.

If you don't play videogames, you may co..."

"Video In Link"

"Two days ago, on Friday, at 9 o’clock, I bought Smash Bros Brawl. That’s right... It FINALLY came out in Europe, at long bloody last! But imagine my surprise when this morning my Wii happily informed me I had played 30 hours worth of Brawl, along with all the unlockables that entails. I start to wonder if I am seriously addicted. But then again, who ever went into rehab with a serious video game problem. All the rock stars would laugh their grey skin off at you. I guess all and all video game..."

"1. Better Games

This is an absolute no-brainer and the number 1 reason why the SNES dominates Sega. Secret of Mana, FF3, Super Metroid, Zelda “Link to the Past”, Chrono Trigger, Illusion of Gaia, Mario Kart, Soul Blazer, Secret of Evermore, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi’s Island, Star Fox, ect. And for Sega? Ehhh. Sonic Spinball? This is so obvious it shouldn’t even be argued."

Many survival horror fans may know that Resident Evil wasn't the first game in the genre (though it was Capcom who coined the term "survival horror"). But where did horror games begin? It started way before Resident Evil, and even way before Alone in the Dark.
Chris, from Chris's Survival Horror Quest, takes a look at some of the first-ever horror games and how they have (majorly) influnced today's survival horrors...

(go to source for full article)

With today's gamer requiring a fast paced, highly action oriented, and not all that thought provoking game - it is no wonder we have seen the decline of traditional point and click RPGs like most of us grew up with back in the day. I enjoyed spending literally days of my life playing these games, maxing out stats, collecting every secret - no matter how pointless, and growing pale in my basement with my only source of light being the television and and power button for weeks on end.

LordCh...

OK, supposing you could date a female video game character of your choice.....Did you ever wonder how your mother might see her? A good match, or a horrible influence?

Well, this article (complete with images) examines which 10 you SHOULD take to meet your mom, and which 10 you probably shouldn't >_>

Some non-surprising characters on the list. I gather the average reader would know of at least several of them.

TBH, I'd like to date Etna (not on the list), though she might make me r...

Usually the forgotten continent for gamers, Europe's gaming scene has received some attention in the form of a claim by Forbes that Europe's gamers prefer sports games and - guess what - casual games.

While it comes as no surprise perhaps that football games are more popular in Europe than they are across the Atlantic, what may be slightly more unexpected is that apparently, European players prefer casual games they can pick up, play and put down as they wish on excursions and the like as ...

""

"As Bruce Banner is to his alter ego The Incredible Hulk, video games have always been tightly intertwined with Hollywood. As new movies are released, the cogs of the videogame world spin to create interactive worlds, allowing you to take control of your new movie hero and save the world all over again, this time, on your terms.

Reel Gaming is a feature about a historical chronology of videogames that are all about the latest flicks that are on the big screen.

The Incredible Hulk is one..."

"Previously on our top 10 video game systems of all time, we rated the Super Nintendo as the greatest video game system of all time. We wanted to expand on this claim. Certainly, any system listed as the greatest of all time is afforded more than just a small blurb. In this review of the SNES, we will go back over some of the qualities expressed in that blurb and expand on what made the SNES so great. Nintendo’s movement from 8-bit to 16-bit was massive. Graphics improved, sound improved, char..."

"No.6 - Leisure Suit Larry
Death by STD

What Leisure Suit Larry has just done is have sex with a prostitute without using a condom. His punishment is an unnamed STD that makes his crotch flash bright colours. As the text on the screen happily informs you: "It appears the hooker gave you a little more than you bargained for!".

Larry dies about five seconds later."

"There's been a lot of talk over the past few years about how videogames need to provoke more of an emotional response from gamers, and of how the technology is gradually allowing developers the freedom to evoke those responses. But really, videogames have been expertly tapping into one of our most basic emotions for decades: Fear.

Sometimes, all of that fear is inspired by a single character or creature, and when those characters are realized particularly well, throwing down with them can ..."

"And now it's time for our review of Fifa '08 by Ea....
actually guys, we are out of time.
Oh.. ok.. It's S**t. 2/10"

In the most recent edition of WWE Magazine, it is revealed that wrestler Cody Rhodes is an avid Zelda fan. In fact, he is such a fan of the series that he wears a triforce on his boots while wrestling. His favorite game in the series is A Link to the Past (SNES), which he re-plays every year.

Sometimes a gamer needs to admit to themselves that the games that EVERYONE puts atop a pedestal as some of the greatest ever weren't REALLY all that good, or at the very least don't hold up worth up so great. So here's an honest, opinionated evaluation of the 5 Greatest RPGs of all time: written while NOT under the influence of blind nostalgia. You may applaud the author for his honesty, or curse his unborn babies for excluding your favorites. Either one is okay, and I encourage EVERY gamer ...

"Lots of people have already made long, boring lists of the top ten or however many virtual console games. Such lists are packed with games like Super Metroid, Paper Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario World. All of these games are undeniably classics, but is it really telling you anything when you read a list like that? You already know that those games are great, and you've probably already played through them all, so why sit there and read an article from some smelly guy who's just ..."

"Despite the fact that video game-inspired films have not yet attained either critical or financial success, the film industry still believes in them enough to invest some serious cash in upcoming game-based projects. Producer Steven Paul, who has brought movie audiences recent gems such as Ghost Rider and Bratz, announced that his production company, Crystal Sky Pictures, has managed to bring in $200 million to help fund five films. These include Castlevania, an unnamed sequel to Hard Boiled ..."

"Street Fighter II June 1992 SNES 6,300,000
Resident Evil 2 January 1998 PS 4,960,000
Street Fighter II Turbo July 1993 SNES 4,100,000
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis September 1999 PS 3,500,000
Resident Evil March 1996 PS 2,750,000
Dino Crisis July 1999 PS 2,400,000
Devil May Cry 4 January 2008 PS3, Xbox 360 2,300,000
Devil May Cry August 2001 PS2 2,160,000

View the rest of the list at the source."

"Indiana Jones is more than just a figure of the silver screen -- the hero has whipped his way through several videogames since his first romp on the Atari 2600. In honor of the release of the fourth Indy film "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," IGN Retro has put together a list of the top Indiana Jones games you need to check out in order to set the mood for the movie debut."