Ghosts of Christmases Past

It has become a bit of a tradition for me to get out my old consoles and computers during the Christmas holidays and this year has been no exception. I've been up into the loft and amongst others I've brought back to life my Megadrive, SNES and my C64. My wife is not happy. But anyway, games I've played so far include the seasonal Daze Before Christmas, Madden 93 - I always play as the NY Jets and I don't know why, NHLPA93 - I always choose to be Edmonton and again I don't no why, Road Rash 1 & 2, Desert Strike, Exploding Fist and Suspended. I even rediscovered the delights of Rollo to the Rescue and have been playing the slightly festive James Pond 2 on my GBA. I just love all this cartridge, cassette, 5 1/4" disk, game swapping madness! I love it as much as I loved playing all the way through the latest games. Must be an age thing.

Two things have struck me while I've been playing on these old machines. No, number 1 isn't my wife hitting me with her high heeled shoes from across the room. No, the first thing I noticed was that so far this holiday I have spent as much time playing all of my older games as I have spent playing just one current generation game, Tomb Raider Legend on my Xbox360, so far this holiday. The second thing I noticed was that Electronic Arts used to release, wait for it, GROUND BREAKING games! They created and published games that other publishers could only dream of or simply wouldn't take a risk on.

We all know only too well the EA licences that now monopolise today's charts, all those once great games that have spawned huge franchises that release and re-release sequel after, often lacklustre, sequel year upon year. But in the deep murky past there are so many great games. Many gamers will remember; Racing Destruction Set, B.O.B, Archon, Bards Tale, Where in the world and Where in time is Carmen Sandiego, Boulderdash 2, Caveman Ugh-lympics, Chuck Yeager's Flight Simulator (a 3d flight sim on the C64!), Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future, Power Monger and Zool. I can go on and on...... so I will. There's Centurion: Defender of Rome, M.U.L.E, Wasteland, Crüe Ball, Rampart, Neuromancer, The Untouchables, Robot Rascals, TKO and more. Even the original Fifa was risky. Taking on the might of top down kings Kick Off and SWOS at their own game. Isometric computer footy wasn't new but it had never been able to compete with the speed and fun of the top down twosome. Fifa took everything that was great about Kick Off and SWOS, made it look gorgeous, include tricks and flicks, set the gameplay in treacle and viola! It was a massive risk that paid off and ironically Fifa is now one of the reasons EA take a lot of stick.

Not all of these EA games are classics of the same calibre as Archon but there is a tangible commitment to fun, variety and quality for the benefit of the gamers. How could it all go so wrong and when did EA get all cynical and more interested in their profits than the gamers?

Let's not end this here. After all it is the holiday season and so I'll leave with a jolly thought with tinsel on it. XBox LIVE Arcade has done a good job of releasing games that would have been in our shops a few years ago but that now would never ever have seen a shelf in the local game shop never mind be lucky enough to sit there gathering dust. Better still the new Wiiware channel will go a step further and give developers the freedom to be ground breaking and once again we'll see new innovation, creativity and variety in videogames.

A Christmas Treat

It's Christmas Eve and all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings are hung and the children are dreaming they'll find a Nintendo Wii and Mario Galaxy not a PS3.

Now, Christmas is not complete without a surprise and Gameov3r has a surprise for you. It's courtesy of forum members Fifi and Shine and, well, here it is......


Direct LINK.

Thank you both. I know getting this posted involved lots of emailing and even more time.

All that remains is to wish you all a very happy Christmas from everyone at Gameov3r. May all your presents be binary ones.

Videogame Character of the Month - December

Yum! 5 litres of sprouts with my Christmas dinner. You can tell I’ve been excited again recently. I hope my Butler remembered to order enough sprouts….. It will be quiet around Gameov3r Towers on Christmas Day so no one will moan about me farting and I’ll get some quiet time with my Sega Saturn down in the cellar. We’ll bask in the green haze together.

Where was I now, oh yes I was excited. It's a strange feeling being excited. Doesn’t happen often to me. I did get excited when that princess turned into an ogre in Shrek. She was pretty hot! This time I’m excited because I got an email from NiGHTS inviting me to Dream World for a chat and a brandy. An ideal opportunity to add him to the Video Game Character of the Month gallery. I didn’t tell NiGHTS I’d be doing that just in case it wanted money or told Sega to bill me or something. They suggest my name enough in their games and I don’t see a bloody penny!
Now I’d much rather be in front of my TV playing games but I said I’d do these interviews, Sonic will never be back in my cellar after the last interview by the way, so I will. For once I don’t have to pretend to be hospitable and share my beanbag and beer with anyone either. I hate it when visitors get greasy hands all over my controllers! I always get my own back though. I like to put “things” in the visitor’s drinks and snacks and then giggle as they run to the bog.

This interview is a bit different. Firstly because I was asleep whilst it took place and second because NiGHTS doesn’t say a lot so we communicated with telepathy and eyelid flickering. I scribed the interview retrospectively once I woke up.

GO: You’re a kind of Jester or something are you NiGHTS? And tell me do you have a pair of horns that fill that funny hat? It is even a hat or is that a pair of floppy antennae attached to your noggin?
N: I’m a Jester and it’s a hat.

GO: Are you a he or a she NiGHTS? I had to describe you as an “IT” because I can’t tell.
N: It’s quite embarrassing but I’m a bit of both. My creator, Wizeman, thought he could control my sibling and me if we were created to be androgynous. I decided he was evil and went to help Claris and Elliot anyway.

GO: You have brothers? Sisters? Things?
N: There are Nightmaren and there’s Reala. Reala is my equal and opposite and is Wiseman’s right hand man. Reala is in the new Wii game too. I’ll have to sort it all out again.

GO: Nice plug so while we’re on the subject you’d better tell me about this new Wii game.
N: It’s a great adventure called Journey of Dreams. The Nightmaren are threatening to take over Nightopia again and there are two new children, William and Helen, that I’m helping. It’s magical and everyone is going to want to buy it and play it.

GO: Let me be blunt with you NiGHTS. Your first game wasn’t well received because it was only released on the Saturn and there were only 2 Saturn’s sold in the UK. All you really have is a cult following made up of people that haven’t even played your first game. Not exactly a great recipe for a repeat success now is it? What makes you think this new game will be a hit? Do you even want fame and worldwide acclaim?
N: I don’t want a star on Hollywood boulevard or anything. I don’t even want to be as popular as Mario but a bit of extra cash in my chequered pants back pocket would be nice. I quite fancy getting a cape like that Superman too. He’s quite cool but not as acrobatic as I am. That’s why people will buy my game.

GO: Forgive my abrupt questions NiGHTS. I am already one of your fans and I’ll be buying your new game. I still have my Saturn, analogue controller and a copy of your first game as well as the Christmas Special that I’ll be playing at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve.
N: Wow! Thanks Gameov3r. Just don’t fall asleep while you’re playing. I’m on vacation in Bermuda and Nightopia can be a scary place without me to guide you.

GO: It’s ok NiGHTS I’ll keep Continue? by my side just in case I end up in Nightopia. He’s been spoiling for a fight since Stuart insulted his very existence.
N: Another mince pie? I soaked them in ale for 3 weeks just for you Gameov3r.

GO: Don’t mind if I do NiGHTS. Don’t mind if I do. Better not be too late back though. I don’t want to be out when dawn breaks. I forgot my fingerless gloves. Before I go though let’s get that Saturn on and have a race on ManxTT after the mince pies.

Spot The Difference

What is it with all these comparison videos that keep appearing lately? You know the ones where the differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of a game are put side by side with a split down the middle highlighting the major differences how identical the games are. It seems any release worth mentioning must have one of these now. We've had The Orange Box, Assassins Creed, Burnout Paradise, Devil May Cry 4, Call of Duty 4 and countless more. Here's just one of them in case you've been lucky and managed to avoid them...



I keep finding myself watching them thinking one will come along where there actually appears to be a reason for it. Maybe it's me missing the point and the real point is to prove that there really is virtually no difference. Even if there was you'd be hard pushed to see it on videos this size, even with the HD versions. If there really are big differences that may influence a purchase then fine, go ahead and tell me and then wait for all the teen fanboy comments to begin. Actually I think it's these comments that annoy me more than the videos themselves. Well I say annoy, I think amuse would be a better word.

"Compare the flashes when the sword hits the enemy. you can tell that they are using more cpu on the PS3 version because there is more detail in the effect."

"if you pause it you can see that on the PS3 version she has more shadow reflection and on the 360 version you don't"

I've just realised if it wasn't for these videos I'd be missing out on classic comments like these and I'd never have thought to look out for new graphic effects such as shadow reflection. Bring 'em on!

Use some more of your CPU today and visit the GAMEOV3R Forum

Have yourself a guilt free Christmas

This is not a videogame entry at all, unless you have an exercise bike in front of your TV and you ride while you play games. Specifically this is for the cyclists out there, there are a few of us on the Gameov3r forum, but don't worry if you're not a cyclist! This is interesting/useful/depressing for everyone and anyone that's having Christmas dinner.

Gameov3r dares you to indulge on Christmas Day and not feel guilty about it.

Below is a typical Christmas dinner menu but it also shows how many calories are involved and then how much riding time you'll have to do to burn them off.

Christmas Menu
Roast Turkey (90g) = 149kcal, 4g fat
Roast Potatoes (85g) = 127kcal, 4g fat
Stuffing (100g) = 231kcal, 15g fat
Bread Sauce (45g) = 42kcal, 1g fat
Roast Parsnips (90g) = 102kcal, 0g fat
Boiled Carrots = 14kcal, 0g fat
Boiled Brussels Sprouts = 32kcal, 1g fat
Gravy (50g) = 17kcal, 1g fat
Cranberry Sauce (30g) = 45kcal, 0g fat
Pork Sausages (20g) = 62kcal, 5g fat
Bacon (40g) = 135kcal, 11g fat
Total = 956kcal (calories), 48g fat
Hours riding = 1hr 49min 53sec

Dessert
1 port'on Christmas pudding (100g),
custard and brandy butter = 587kcal, 22g fat
Hours riding = 1hr 7mns 28sec

Snacks and supper
1 portion of mixed nuts (40g) = 243kcal, 22g fat
Hours riding = 27min 55sec

1 portion of cheese and biscuits = 394kcal, 27g fat
Hours riding = 45min 17sec

1 glass of mulled red wine = 245kcal, 0g fat
Hours riding = 28min 9sec

Total riding time: 4hrs 39mins 42sec

Times based on average speed of 15mph carrying 70kg

The example meal comes to 2,425kcal. Working on the 2,500 kcals daily guideline given for men on most food packaging Christmas dinner alone takes you over that. Given that you'll almost certainly want breakfast, a few other snacks and supper, Christmas Day can easily shape up to being a 5,000 calorie indulgence session. Source of food calorie counts British Nutrition Foundation.

Having a Christmas dinner? Got a bike? Diet? Got a belly to rival Gameov3r's? There's room for you on the FORUM. Gameov3r may want a Chunk's Truffle Shuffle Competition if you say your belly is bigger than his.

SWOS AWOL

Today finally for hundreds of fans and months of waiting Sensible Soccer made it's way onto the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Originally set to be released on a date way back in August, it was held back due to concerns over the quality and in particular the online play.

So after all this time things should be absolutely perfect right?!... Wrong.

Although the game was available to download earlier on today it has since been pulled with the following having been posted on Major Nelsons blog.

"This game has been pulled. I’ll post an update when it is available again. In the meantime, if you downloaded this busted version, please delete it and when the new one is available you’ll be able to downloaded it again (at no charge if you purchased it.) While you do that, I’ll go yell at some folks for letting this happen. Apologies and the moment the proper version is available I’ll update this post."

After the mess up with the new video download store things appear to be going a little pear shaped down at Microsoft. If it was any other game it'd be more understandable but to still not have it right for whatever the reason doesn't exactly instill much confidence in the final version does it? Did anyone actually manage to download this earlier and find out what the problem is?

UPDATE: This version incorrectly disconnected users that attempted to connect to Xbox LIVE.

The official Microsoft announcement states that an incorrect version was made available. If that is the case I'm a bit unsure as to why it's still being worked on now.

UPDATE 2: 21.12.07 The fixed version is now available.

Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

Anya. Berserker. Satellite? Again!

When did I last talk about the Xbox on here? Anyone remember? No, me either. I’ve definitely been neglecting the Xbox over the last few weeks. So while I big upped the Wii, generally slagged the PS3, big upped the Wii, big upped the DS and big upped the Wii some more the Xbox has missed out on some quality blog time.

To make up for this here's a gratuitous Xbox promotional picture……


Marvelous. I’m sure that makes everything all better.

But that’s not all the Xbox fun for today. Oh no. Not on your nelly. Or something. I read today that apparently, I didn’t see it myself, Amazon.com had Gears of War 2 listed for pre order with a release date of 15th November 2008. I say “had” because a short time later it was removed as quickly as it was listed.

Firstly, bloody hell that’s a long bloody way away and it’s not even the European release date! At least I live in the hope and expectation that that amount of time means Gears 2 won’t just be a rehash and should offer an all new experience. Secondly, neither Microsoft nor Epic have even announced a sequel, not officially anyway. So I wonder if someone at Amazon.com knows something the rest of us don’t? Has someone taken a calculated guess based on the original’s release date? Can big retailers such as Amazon actually influence the developers and publishers, even when they’re Microsoft sized, into giving them release date so they can get lots of pre order cash?

The good thing is that we all KNOW Gears of War 2 is going to come out. We’re just waiting to hear when. It can’t be soon enough for me personally after recently completing the original on insane difficulty in co-op with gameov3r co-host Lee.

So come on Microsoft …. Come on Epic ….. Put me and all the Gears fans out of our collective misery and tell us when we’ll hear such awesome quotes from Marcus and his squad as;

“Shit!”
“Sucks to be them.”
“Shit!”
“That smells nasty. What are these guys made of, shit?”
and “Shit”.


Guess you have to have been there.

A simple question then…. Gears of War. Any good? FORUM!!!!!

Vick's Monday Blues (Football)

One for the football fans... or just fans of people falling on their arse.



Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

:) Vick :)

Rock Band Unplugged

Looking forward to Rock Band? Just be aware that this is what you really sound like. I just love the singer as he shuffles around not quite sure what to do with his arms...

3000 Barrels

Kind of puts my experiments with The Orange Box physics to shame...

That Sinking Feeling

On 11th December Microsoft set out into the glorious sunset with the launch of the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace. Yes it's been a while coming to these shores but the water looked calm and peaceful.

"We pushed it back because we thought that the service was big enough to deserve its own launch, and we wanted to make sure we tested everything and had it all ready so you had a great experience when you try it. Right away at launch, you’ll be able to download to your heart’s content."

But...things haven't been going so smoothly, and by the light of morning it became clear that Bill's boat had been made of cardboard all along.

Issues such as downloads not finishing, slow download speeds, error messages and even people getting a different film to the one they asked for.

All teething troubles I'm sure, but I'm curious to know how popular it'll be. With standard definition films around 1.5-2Gb and HD versions around 5-7Gb you're talking a lengthy download for most peoples connections.

The way it works is that you keep the film for upto 2 weeks but once you start to watch it you have 24hrs to finish it before the film expires. Is this a service you would use or is it just less hassle to pop down to Blockbusters?

Do you have a boat that Bill could borrow? Let us know on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Nintendo slay fat black turkey

Monster Hunter has seen massive success in Japan on Sony's PSP. The popularity of the game, despite it's short comings, is astounding and we all know that if a game sells like hot cakes it's almost a written rule that it will get a sequel. The originally titled Monster Hunter 2 came along in due course impressing the already loyal following and forcing gamers, that had ignored or missed the original, to sit up, take note and then spend their Yen on it.

Why should you care?

Because Monster Hunter is good. Very good. And there's going to be a third instalment...... and it's going to be on the Wii.

The controls were never really suited to PSP so if this is done properly the mix of team-based dinosaur slaying, character customisation AND massive amounts of selectable equipment will make this series realise it's full potential on Nintendo's baby. Better still, this game will be mammoth, pun intended, if Capcom, as is suspected, make this game online.

Fingers crossed for yet another game that will be a must have for Wii owners.

Here, for your pleasure, is a teaser trailer.....



There's just one little detail I haven't yet mentioned and it's a detail that was the clincher while I was deciding what I would write today. You see, 2 years ago Capcom agreed with Sony that Monster Hunter 3 would be released for the PS3 but because the PS3 has turned into a turkey Capcom have moved the game to the Wii. That's not all either because it's now a Wii exclusive too!!

If you want a definitive definition of videogame irony or you just want to know why you should never share your bath with a toaster come and ask Gameov3r on the FORUM.

New Releases

Later than planned due to technical problem! Promise to be on time this week :)

• Singstar Next Gen with Microphones (PS3)
• Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Wii)
• Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training (Wii)
• Pokemon Battle Revolution (Wii)

Not much to choose from but I would be looking at Tomb Raider or of course the Wii Zapper!

Merry Christmas to All!

Stuart

Vick's Monday Blues

Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

:) Vick :)

The Upper Crust

Today I came across this little tool that analyzes the readability level of blogs, then translates that into the "Level of Education" necessary to understand the writing. How it works out these things I have no idea but here's some results from popular gaming blogs:

* Kotaku: Junior High
* Destructoid: Junior High
* GayGamer: Junior High
* Slashdot: High School
* Joystiq: College
* Level Up: Genius

So where exactly does GAMEOV3R come on this scale I hear you ask? Well, come on, from the extinction of the Pac-People due to a nut allergy, through gamer repetitive strain injuries and finishing up somewhere around choosing a game character to wed it is now official.... you have to be a GENIUS to understand our musings and here's our badge to prove it!



Actually I guess this shouldn't have come as such a surprise, I mean let's face it who else would be able to follow this stuff? We always knew you lot were some of the smartest gamers in town. Maybe Jack Thompson should pay us a visit and reconsider his opinions, "Do you need an IQ below room temp to be a gamer and post here?"

Astute, clever, intelligent, smart, brilliant, sharp, egghead, that's you lot that is. The GAMEOV3R Forum awaits

The richest Mario in the world

Mario is rich. Rich to the tune of 10,000,000,000,000¥

In the last 12 months Nintendo have become valuable again. Valuable to the sound of 10 trillion Yen. That's TEN TRILLION. It makes Nintendo one of the most valuable companies in Japan and has them rubbing shoulders with huge car manufacturers Toyota and Nissan. Considering Nintendo's relative size this is nothing short of phenomenal. To save you the effort of Googling for a currency converter the amount coverts to a cool £41.7 billion.

This is a massive step for Nintendo and can only bolster their re-established position as number one videogame company in the world, ever.

In other gaming news, Shigeru Miyamoto has apparently been banned from his favourite Tokyo restaurant this week for waving 10,000¥ notes under the nose of Kaz Hirai while he was enjoying his lunchtime sushi. It is alleged that Mr Miyamoto was annoying Mr Hirai by repeatedly asking if he wanted to "borrow a tenner??!"

Want a loan? Get excellent rates on the Gameov3r FORUM.

Too Many Games!

And you thought you had too many games to buy and play this Christmas!...



Nice to see some exercise equipment in there as well after all that gaming. They have rather skimped on the TV though don't you think? Maybe it's a retro thing.

I know this happens every year with something like 50% of all games released in the 8 week run up to Christmas. I can even see the developers and publishers thinking in that it's the time of year when people splash out with their spending and possibly spend more time indoors gaming, but this year seems worse than ever. There are so many games I'd like this Christmas but even if I could afford them all it'd take me until next Christmas to play them.

Unfortunately some games that at a quieter time of year you may have taken a gamble on, will get overlooked and fail to recoup their costs. What's even more unfortunate is that it'll be the marketing giants that make it through unscathed. I hear this is the reason Zak and Wiki has been delayed until 2008 on the Wii, to prevent what looks like a fantastic little game from getting completely trampled on by the big releases from Nintendo. Maybe this is the start of some publishers learning from their mistakes?

Should game releases be spread out more evenly over the year? Let us know on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Vick's Monday Blues (banned ad)

Now we know where kids get their 'potty mouths' from.



Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

:) Vick :)

New Releases

• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
  
• Golden Compass (DS, Wii, PS2, PS3, 360)
• Winter Sports 2008 (Wii)
  
• Stranglehold (PS3)
  
• Blacksite: Area 51 (360, PC)
  
• Boogie (DS, PS2)
  
• Jenga (DS)
  

Fired Over a Negative Review?

There's a rumour going around the gaming news sites that longtime game reviewer Jeff Gerstmann has been fired from Gamespot due to advertiser pressure. The game in question is Kane and Lynch: Dead Men by Eidos which is currently being advertised on the Gamespot website. The game scored a 6/10 which along with the "tone" of the review has alledgedly upset Eidos who then threatened to pull its ad campaign.

The review itself is still available on Gamespot with an editors note at the bottom indicating the review has been updated since its original posting. The video review seems to have vanished however, but here it is for you to make up your own mind.



It has been confirmed that he's no longer at Gamespot but the reasons have not, with many "no comments" being offered. If true it's a rather worrying state of affairs and like thay say, there's no smoke without fire.

Got an opinion? Share it on the GAMEOV3R Forum, at the very worst you can only get yourself banned

2007 Highlights

The Christmas season draws near. It’s not quite upon us in its full force yet but it’s close enough to smell it. Literally. Christmas songs have been playing in the high street shops for weeks accompanied by the now obligatory Christmas Pot Pouri and scented candles. I had to go to B&Q last night and while I was looking at the gardening tools I found myself humming along to the Wham song Last Christmas. Oh dear. I quickly slapped myself around the back of the head, gathered my purchases and myself back together, tried not to look too embarrassed, paid and left as quickly as I could. It’s November and I’m humming to Christmas songs! It would be bad enough if we had to suffer them for the same amount of time as a Christmas tree should be up, but it’s still November! I had to sit in a dark quiet room when I got home and repeatedly tell myself that it was ok.

Still, even with the smell cinnamon still lingering in my nasal passages and the sound of jingle bells ringing in my ears the Silly Season does signal the end of another year and time to reminisce. Time to look back on the year that was and think about all those great videogame releases.

It’s certainly been a year full of massive releases so choosing the best is a tough ask but what’s on your list of favourite games from 2007? Super Mario Galaxy, Halo 3, Metroid Prime: Corruption, Bioshock, Phantom Hourglass, Forza 2, Tiger Woods 08, PES2008, Guitar Hero III?

Try to avoid the thought of carol singers by telling us what games have been the highlights of your 2007 on the Gameov3r FORUM. [shivers] Carol singers ….. Hark! The Herald Angels, Away in a Manger, O’ Come All Ye Faithful ……… [/shivers]

Jack Banged Up?

This week Jack Thompson finds himself in the middle of an ethics trial in a Florida court that could result in his disbarment. The Florida Bar Association (FBA) is to look at several complaints regarding JT's professional conduct in his dealings with the video game industry. Disbarment is the revocation of a lawyer's ability to practice law or argue cases. Generally disbarment is imposed as a sanction for conduct indicating that an attorney is not fit to practice law. Music to Take Two's ears! Thompson's offer of a 90 day suspension of his license to practice law was rejected and the Judge now has until December 21st to rule.

Some of his previous exploits include issuing a proposal that offered a $10000 reward to anyone who would create a video game featuring Osaki Kim, a father whose son was beaten to death with a baseball bat by a 14-year-old gamer. The game would feature Kim extracting brutal revenge on the video game industry itself, including beating game company executives to death, removing their heads and urinating on their brain stems.

Showing his complete lack of knowledge of how enterprising the PC gaming mod community is, it's no surprise that someone actually did just that. Not so surprising is that Jack then reneged on the promised $10000 donation to a charity of the modder's choice, saying that his original offer had been "satire", and therefore not a legitimate promise.

This is where Penny Arcade, the popular video game-themed online comic strip, entered the story. One of the co-creators of the strip, Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, emailed Jack Thompson and informed him that he thought his proposed $10000 charitable donation was pretty small in light of Penny Arcade's more than half a million dollars, raised as part of their "Child's Play" charity event. Unfortunately for Gabe, his email contained his phone number as part of the signature, and Jack took advantage of this to phone him directly. The phone call included a threat of a lawsuit if Gabe emailed him again. In response, Gabe sent a cheque to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) in the amount of $10000 with the note "For Jack Thompson because Jack Thompson won't" on the bottom.

The threats then escalated. Jack faxed a letter to the Seattle Police Department claiming that Penny Arcade was "criminally harassing" him, insisting on the arrest of "this little extortion factory".

At this point, the nerds swung into action. Penny Arcade forum members wrote, edited and sent letters and faxes to the FBA detailing Thompson's activities and demanding a review of his license to practice law. Jack Thompson has already received a reprimand by the FBA for his antics in 1998.

Head over to the forum to vote on Jack's fate, but before you do here are some great JT quotes that'll help your decision...

"Honestly, are all of you gamers on drugs, or what?"

"You just watch. There is going to be a Columbine-times-10 incident, and everyone will finally get it. Either that, or some video gamer is going to go Columbine at some video game exec's expense or at E3, and then the industry will begin to realize that there is no place to hide, that it has trained a nation of Manchurian Children."

"Are you actually so confused that you think gamers have any influence on anyone? Gamers are considered by normal people to be cretins. Get used to it."

"I am a one-man violent video game wrecking crew"

"I love the smell of burning gamers in the morning."

"Do you need an IQ below room temp to be a gamer and post here?"

"These flowers were sent to harass me."

All excellent and mature stuff I think you'll agree and in no way chosen to sway your opinion ;)

The trial is in progress now on the GAMEOV3R Forum, don't miss the verdict

FRAGILE

More proof, as if we needed it, that the Wii will be kicking arse from here to Christmas 2009 and probably further. Namco Bandai are busying themselves working on a brand new RPG for the Wii entitled Fragile. This is excellent news for Wii gamers longing for some classic JRPG action. Initial release is going to be Japan only, for the usual reasons, but Fragile is being planned for an EU release also.

As an RPG being developed for the Japanese market it’ll have all the hallmarks, atmosphere, graphical style and storyline that western gamers often demand from their JRPG’s. More good news is that the third party developers, tri-Crescendo, co developers on Gamecube’s Baten Kaitos, are involved in developing Fragile which for me elevates the game from mildly interesting to an absolute one to watch.

Story? You want a few more details? Ok, here’s the teaser trailer first….



I found a translation of what was actually being said…. “Ah Hotaru. This Star, it's this sort of vastness the Earth is overflowing with people, but every person thinks "why am I alone?" It’s because their mind is rot with madness. And to end this madness I must destroy that world, and to do that, I must locate the virus."

Hmm a bit of Japlish but you get the picture. Fragile is set in the near future. The human race almost extinct and the world will soon end. Your quest is to search for new allies and to find out why everything is dying. The moon is the only thing Seto has to guide him on his perilous journey and along the way you discover the problems lie with bad spirits that you must defeat in order to return normalcy to the world. During the adventure, Seto will have to explore deserted towns where humans once lived but have now vanished, yet is not alone on this escapade as a mysterious heroine is waiting in the wings to lend a helping hand.

The Wiimote and Nunchuk will act as whatever you’re holding and will respond to movement. Fighting will also be mapped to Wiimote and Nunchuk.

When is this due for release? The game is currently around 35% complete but, believe it or not, Namco Bandai have stamped this with a guaranteed 2008 release date although this will be for the Japanese market only. The official Fragile website is already live and, although all in Japanese, is stunning and well worth checking out. Some great music to listen to and after just a few wrong clicks you’ll find some stunning screenshots too.

Like a good JRPG? Fancy a Japanese? All this plus rumour control all on the GAMEOV3R FORUM

Vick's Monday Blues (Attenborough's England)

My friend sent me this video and it made me chuckle so much I thought I'd share it with you all. I only hope I'm not one of the extras in that film. There have been many opportunities though, but I can't remember half of them. Happy days.


Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

:) Vick :)

Better With Friends

I've not really got into any first person shooters online, mainly because I'm not good enough and it's a very tough learning curve. Getting your head blown off every few seconds can get repetitive extremely quickly. Of course it has nothing to do with people mocking me or calling me newbie dooby doo and other less polite terms over the headset! There are exceptions and I've very much enjoyed Team Fortress 2 from The Orange Box which takes itself a bit less seriously.

For me though it's online co-op play where I get the most enjoyment and where Xbox LIVE really shines. Working together through a game with a real person can really improve the experience. Having someone you can not only count on, but communicate with, changes everything and as an added bonus you get called much friendlier names too. Well, most of the time!

Gears of War will be drawing to a close for me soon though, having played through it completely on co-op on all difficulty levels. Just two acts remain on the 'insane' level now and I almost don't want it to end. Where will my next co-op fix come from? Recommendations would be most welcome.

Gameov3r sadly has very few friends with whom to play any co-op. Come and join him on the GAMEOV3R Forum, he might just like you... well, a little bit.

Tat

I bought NOM last week. It had a picture of Mario on the front cover zooming through a starry galaxy with “World Exclusive Review” in red and white lettering stamped in the left hand corner. I wanted to soak up as much Mario Galaxy goodness as I could so the lure of the magazine was at least as tempting as a worm would be to a rainbow trout. The addition of a free set of Nintendo stickers and a Legend of Zelda Phantom Hour Glass Hylian shield and sword pin badge meant the worm could attract a killer whale.

Normally I’d scoff at NOM and their freebies. If it’s not crappy stickers that you’re supposed to slap onto your Wii remote or DS it’s a crappy toy or a crappy plastic case for your beloved DS.

Many game developers including Nintendo, Capcom and Square Enix authorise use of their IP’s for use as toys, models, key rings etc and more often than not fans of the games absolutely lap these items up. More than that, Japanese gamers can go absolutely bananas to get hold of the latest Final Fantasy figure and even western game fans pour a healthy amount of cash into collecting videogame merchandise. There is tat galore! You can have key rings, sweatbands, CD cases, pens, y-fronts with your favourite game characters on.

While I’m talking about tat, why do gamers want a figure of Street Fighter 2’s Ryu, a plastic Pac-Man, or one of the buxom DOA girls on our PC monitor? Ok, I can understand the DOA girl but it doesn’t explain the rest! And why do they want to stick free stickers from NOM on their Wii Remotes anyway?

Magazines clearly think they can persuade us to buy the latest edition by including any old tat on the front cover. More often than not the free gift does nothing for me and I buy only if there are articles, previews or reviews I want to read. This time however they got the freebie right.

Does it put you off when magazines include freebies or does it sway you to buy? It's never put Gameov3r off. He has a prized collection of video game tat under his stairs. His favourite item is his Samus Aran figure. He often sneaks under the stairs, when he thinks we’re not looking, to polish her helmet. Come on over and give him a hand on his FORUM.

Harsher Classifications For Wii Games?

A group of US senators are still unhappy with the release of Manhunt 2 and in particular with the Wii version. Here is part of a letter sent to the ESRB, penned by Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, and Sam Brownback…

“That system permits children to act out each of the many graphic torture scenes and murders in Manhunt 2 rather than simply manipulating a game pad. This led one clinical psychologist to state that the realistic motions used with the Wii mean that ‘you’re basically teaching a child the behavioral sequencing of killing.’ While this was not cited as the reason for the BBFC decision, we do believe that the ESRB should take the Wii remote controller, and future advances in game controllers, which create more realistic gaming environments, into consideration.”

The edited version of Manhunt 2 finally saw a US release around a month a go with an M rating. Clearly the game isn't intended for children and stopping that from happening is down to retailers and parents. Where this 'permits children' part comes from I don't get. If they're saying the game will be played by children anyway then what's the point of having the rating system at all? Lets have a system where everything that gets released has to be suitable for children shall we, and if it isn't, ban it! Problem solved.

Should the Wii only have games for kids? Should Wii games be rated on a different scale from other versions? Have a rant on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Wii Photo Channel Update

Following on from the posts on the forum about the update that's due to arrive for the Photo Channel. Here is a customer service response from Nintendo on the issue of MP3 compatibility...

I can appreciate your concerns regarding the coming changes to the Wii Photo Channel. However, it’s important to note that this is an optional download and is not planned as part of any system updates to Wii. If your Photo Channel currently supports music files in the MP3 format, you can retain this compatibility by electing to not update your Photo Channel to version 1.1.
Additionally, this update will not have an impact on Wii games which use MP3 music files. These Wii games will not be compatible with AAC files and will continue to use the MP3 file format.

I still find it an odd choice to replace MP3 altogether. Lower quality or not it's still the most widely used format. It's good to see it's optional although new Wiis will start shipping with version 1.1 already in place.

I've never made any use of the Photo Channel myself having so many ways to view digital photos and this just isn't the most practical way for me. I'm just glad I won't be having to convert my MP3s for my custom Excite Truck soundtrack.

Let us know what you think on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Hitman to kill box office?

I love Agent 47. In his black suit, red tie and obligatory dark glasses, that no self respecting hitman should ever be without, he oozes cool. He's cool even if he does have a head shinier than polished 70's disco ball and a barcode on the back of his neck. He's uber cool.

I first experienced the delights of 47 in Hitman 2 on the Gamecube. The very first level, set at the Mafia Don's home in Sicily, impressed me so much that I immediately restarted the game on the hardest setting. I wanted this game to last as long as possible - it was Christmas 2003 and I finally completed the game in February 2004. I enjoyed Hitman 2 so much that I bought a copy of the original game for the PC and played that all the way through too. There have a been a few more games for Agent 47 and each one has been to the very same high standard. Agent 47 has yet to put one of his stealthy feet wrong. That might be about to change though.

On 30th November this year Agent 47 is coming to a cinema near you.

This could be 47's most dangerous mission yet. It is highly likely that he, like many videogame movies before him, will be caught, publicly flogged and consigned to a quick DVD release before living out his days consigned to the bargain buckets of your local DVD shop. This could indeed be a very, VERY bad move for 47. He's going to need all his wits, sneaky hiding in the shadows skills, big guns and a big director

Wits? CHECK! Sneaky hiding in the shadows skills? CHECK! Big guns? Are you kidding? Big Director? Director? Anyone? Think you can guess who it is? Go on, there isn't much choice for videogame movie directors is there. Got it? Uwe Boll? No. Paul W.S. Anderson? Nope. It's Xavier Gens. Who? Exactly!

He's French. Lets try not to hold that against him yet. He's made such well known films as Frontière and..... that's about it. He does have a lot of experience screen writing, producing and being an assistant director and you know what I'm actually feeling quite positive about this film. All the usual game to film crap is missing including the usual directors. It's slightly worrying that this film has crept onto the radar just before it's iminent release but I remain optimistic. Coming from a guy that quite liked DOOM, Resident Evil and Aliens vs Predator that isn't saying a lot but what do we really expect from a film like this? It's never going to be a huge hit nor is it going to be an Oscar nominee and we don't want an overly complicated intricate story. We want to see a fun movie. A take your brain out, blow shit up, fun movie. And all of that is guaranteed.

Would you admit to liking a videogame movie? Alone in the Dark, Street Fighter, perhaps DOA? Come and confess to Gameov3r on his FORUM He likes blowing shit up too. Just don't mention the microwave.

Vick's Monday Blues (Sheilas' wheels)

I know we're supposed to have bad spatial awareness, but surely not THIS bad?!



Like gaming and tortoises? Spotted the fact that question is from 2 weeks a go and has nothing to do with this weeks video? The GAMEOV3R Forum needs smart people like you

:) Vick :)

Todays Releases

• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
• Assassin's Creed (360, PS3)
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii, DS)
• Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action (360)
• Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii)
• Crysis (PC)

All releases are for the European versions

Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart is coming to the Wii and everyone that has ever played a Mario Kart game is excited. If you’ve never played Mario Kart you’d be better off reading the blog entry below then returning to your rocking chair to practice knitting one and pearling one. Or something.

Those that have played Mario Kart know exactly what to expect from this new version. All of our favourite Nintendo characters will be there, all the over the top circuits themed on Nintendo worlds will be there and all the weaponry – red homing shells, green shells, turbo mushrooms and all the usual obstacles and turbo strips will be there. Something new we’re all expecting is that this Mario Kart will make use of the motion controls to steer your kart. Nintendo are even bundling the game with a white steering wheel that allows you to slot in your Wii remote for that authentic Go-Kart feel.

If someone told me I could have a new version of Mario Kart but it would just be more of the same and that I’d have seen it all before would I care? Of course not! Mario Kart is the best racing series ever and more of the same when it comes to Mario Kart is enough to stir my and many other gaming souls and if the controls work perfectly, Nintendo are hardly going to fluff the handling of their own controls now are they, this could be the best Mario Kart EVER!

I have to say that one aspect of Wii MK that has me a little bit worried is the inclusion of motorbikes and the impact this will have on the gameplay and the series as a whole. Right from the green light, When Super Mario jumped into his Kart on the SNES, the karts in MK have always handled perfectly. Will Nintendo, can Nintendo get the handling of the bikes and the balance of the gameplay right? Normally I would trust Nintendo to get this right every time but this time I’m worried. Why? You ask. Well, have you ever seen a motorbike that you steered with a steering wheel!?!

The inclusion of 2 wheeled transport has also meant a rename is on the cards and Miyamoto has apparently been working closely with Nintendo Europe HQ in Germany, because most greasy, denim jacket wearing, hairy (sorry Sasquatch!) bikers allegedly originated there, and they have come up with “Mario Birts” and “Mario Kakes”. While I like neither the latter has reminded me that I have to go and get some lunch.

Hungry? Tuck into something sweet on the GAMEOV3R FORUM

Carcassonne Free XBLA Download

All you 360 owners have until 7:59am tomorrow to download Carcassonne for free from the XBLA, or if you happen to be in Korea you'll get Hexic 2 instead. Carcassonne is actually a conversion of a board game but I have to say I wouldn't fancy having to work out all the scores at the end myself. You'll see what I mean once you play it. It's a pretty good little strategy game that doesn't take long to learn but there are many tactics to perfect. And just to make the deal even sweeter you can delight in the fact that I actually paid for my copy! Bah!

Spinning a Yarn and Dynamite Designs

On the basis that nothing remotely interesting happened to me over the last few days and the fact that I can't even decide on one title for today's blog entry I bring you a gaming news update! Actually that's not entirely true... I'm still playing The Orange Box but following on from my Obsessive-Compulsive post last week all of a sudden my enjoyment of throwing objects around and smashing them up has withered away.

Did I just get bored of it far too easily? Have I become a reformed character that likes things neat and tidy and all in one piece? Possibly. I've now taken to stacking crates, exploding barrels and boxes neatly in each room and standing back to admire my handy work. It's surprisingly therapeutic in a Tetris type way only it never gets any faster and it helps me to wind down after a rubbish day at work. I know what you're thinking... I've gone soft, I'm not worthy of being called a gamer anymore. I should start buying 'Creative Knitting' each month, maybe make myself some nice warm mittens for the winter that could also help protect my hands from any splinters from stacking all those crates. I could even change my washing up liquid to Fairy as my hands start to soften from a lack of frantic joypad use. I could put their claims to the test and see if hands that do dishes really can feel as soft as your face, with mild green Fairy Liquid. I'd put money on most of you that read that went back and sang it in your head. This could be a complete new me...

Don't be daft!!! You can keep your pointy sticks with wool on! I won't be paying a visit to Crochet World any time soon either, 25th anniversary or not! I don't want to make a fabulous reversible rug or a beautiful butterfly doily! The washing up can pile up in the bowl, neatly of course just like my crates as I'm now a man... with a gravity gun! Having made my mountain of objects I can now suck up the nearest exploding barrel, throw it with immense force into my creation and stand back and watch the fireworks! Sounds like a good solution for the washing up too. Funny what makes you smile :)

Oh yeah, I was about to bring you some gaming news wasn't I? Maybe next time eh.

Like knitting? Crochet? How about dominoes or bingo? The GAMEOV3R Forum may not be for you

Super Mario Galaxy Massacre!

Nintendo fans this is wholly disturbing. You may need a well placed cushion that you can hide behind and/or cling onto.



Could you imagine loading up the lastest Mario game to discover it's a horror/slasher game? First task - Hunt and mutilate all Yoshi's. Bonus for carving SM into any stray Toads. Highly disturbing I'm sure you'd agree, although it would go some way to proving that Nintendo really aren't aiming for the kids and family end of the market.

Would you like to meet a dark Mario down a dark alley on a dark and stormy night? Tell us the GAMEOV3R FORUM

Vick's Monday Blues (Game Shows)

There's nothing sweeter than watching someone make a fool of themselves and just being glad it isn't you!



Ever been on a game show? Come and tell us how it went on the GAMEOV3R Forum

:) Vick :)

Reviews (or lack of)

I don't know about anybody else (and especially probably not the girls), but whilst I find the reviews and stuff informative on the internet, nothing beats that quiet moment in the day when a guy gets to sit down for a bit and enjoy a spot of reading. Most times during this interlude I am not really in the mood to get into something really in depth, so often find myself perusing the latest Edge or Mixmag, or perhaps one of the dedicated Nintendo mags.

Which brings me to my point. We basically have a choice of three mags for what is the biggest selling console in the UK at the moment, with lots of new owners and owners 'new' to games. And all three magazines are rubbish. It's not the quality of the writing or layout, or the articles in general, but the reviews.

Official Nintendo magazine may as well not review anything because they are basically a hands-on preview with a glowing review score at the bottom. But at least they manage to cover everything. They are catering for the young who are more forgiving and for the new casual crowd, and that is fine. Official mags are always like this. I just like reviews to be a bit more critical, which is why I have always enjoyed Edge, despite its pretensions.

The other two mags 'N-Gamer', and 'N-Revolution' both came from independent Gamecube mags and were previously aimed at hardcore Nintendo fans. Their reviews ae generally both objective and subjective, being attributed to specific writers so you get to know their tastes and whether you tend to like the same stuff as them.

However, my problem is that they SHOULD review every game released in the UK if they can, its not that many a month yet on Wii. Even if its a quick 2-page round up of 'Don't buy any of those games on the same budget label as Ninjabread Man, no matter HOW funny the title is'.

Its absolutely shocking that NEITHER of these mags has reviewed Tiger Woods 08 yet, for instance, nearly 2 months after its release and it sitting in the top 10 sellers for the system. If it wasn't FANTASTIC how many pissed off casual Wii owners would there be? There are several other games sitting there on the shelf in Game that I've never heard of, yeah licensed tat some of it, sure but sometimes a gem of a kids game turns up in that genre when someone takes a real chance with a license, and those are the sort of things casual gamers will pick up.

It annoys me that both these mags review import Jap and US games, when as yet there is no way to play them on your PAL console without illegally chipping it, something i am not prepared to do when they are still like gold dust in the shops. I am interested in these games as they are potentially coming over here, but they are NOT yet so they should be covered as previews only, thus freeing up space for reviews of games ACTUALLY RELEASED HERE. Anyone with a chipped or imported console is 'core' enough to use an internet to find out what imports to get and probably order them too.

Lastly, sometimes it is painfully obvious that someone hasn't really 'got' the controls in a Wii game. This is much worse online than in mags, but i have seen some really hateful reviews from people when it was clear to me when i played the game that their head just hadn't clicked with it. This is why Wii reviews are all over the place with many great wii games having at least one really negative review. Personally, despite it gaining glowing reviews, I just could not get into SSX Blur at all: looks great and all but controls were all over the place to me and counter intuitive. It felt like playing a flying game where I pushed up to climb and down to dive, my brain just knew it was wrong and it should be the other way around.

Anyway, to sum up, the people responsible for providing us with information about this hobby of ours are clearly unable to get their heads around just how to deal with Wii yet, I think. Sorry i kind of lost the thread of what i was trying to say about halfway through. Maybe there's an idea for something there.

Macchinmi

Obsessive-Compulsive

This week I have mostly been playing Metroid and The Orange Box and it's really brought to my attention some of my obsessive-compulsive behaviours.

Half Life 2 has some great physics so you're able to pick things up, throw them around and the one that's gripped me at the moment.... SMASH THINGS! The locations are littered with crates, boxes, glass and so on and I just don't feel I've done my job properly unless I've destroyed everything I possibly can with my crowbar. Now the crates often contain health or ammo so maybe that's understandable. Well it would be if I only did it when I needed those things. Metroid on the Wii has me doing a similar thing with shooting all the crates and plant things, although here they re spawn so I'm on a bit of a loser really!

Sometimes I even try to test myself and leave just one crate untouched, but I can't do it. The stress involved in having to go back and smash it is considerably less than the time and stress involved in wondering about that crate and if anything was actually inside it.

WHY?! Is it because it's something I'd like to do in real life but generally isn't acceptable, do I just like destroying things or maybe it's because I actually think I might find some super secret item inside one that few people discover? I actually don't know the answer, maybe you could help me on the GAMEOV3R forum.

If you have a strange obsession with something come and talk to us about it on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Hey, there Mr. Thompson

With thanks to Sarcastic Gamer

Todays Releases

• Gears of War (PC)
• The Simpsons (PS3, PSP)
• EA Playground (Wii, DS)
• Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Wii)
• Endless Ocean (Wii)
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Sage (360, PS3)
• Ratchet and Clank: Future Tools Of Destruction (PS3)
• Endless Ocean (Wii)
• Call Of Duty 4 (360, PS3, DS, PC)
• WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2)

Many thanks Stuart

Mario, Sonic and Page 3 Girls

After Sonic disrespected Gameov3r in the interview last night I'm taking great pleasure in this blog entry. Today tabloid newspaper The Sun, complete with a troop of Page 3 Girls of course, and SEGA UK organised a little event to promote the new Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games title and judging by the picture above it is Mario who is, was and always will be triumphant while Sonic remains a second class loser. Just look at all those lovely red t-shirted, happy smiley Mario supporters! Breaks your heart right Sonic?

Apparently there was some fun and games on an inflatable thing covered in soap followed by some penguin sumo wrestling. Unlockable events perhaps - First to evade the Page 3 vixens and reach the top of the soapy bouncy castle and penguin sumo wrestling. I know which one would sell a few extra thousand copies. Nintendo's equivalent of Hot Chocolate! I couldn't find any photo's of these shenanigans and believe me I tried.

Interested in 3 girls? I mean, interested in Page 3 Girls? Penguins sumo wrestling? Soapy bouncy castles? Would you prefer a combination? Careful what you wish for and don't tell everyone! Just tell us, on the GAMEOV3R FORUM Sexist remarks WILL be punished by the ladies of the forum! You have been warned.

Video Game Character of the Month

GO: Welcome to my humble home Sonic and thank you for popping in for a bowl of bacon fat and a few questions.

GO: First off then, what's your na..... oh I already said that didn't I.... my brain is somewhat sozzled after my recent bath. The heat and the witch hazel always does funny things to me. Tell us your name anyway will you.
StH: Derrrr....old fool.... heh heh.. I'm Sonic!

GO: Derrrr? Old? FOOL?? Listen here you little blue rat I've been in videogames since before you were a pixel in Sonic Team's eye. I'll wake Continue? and introduce you to him and his 5 sharp ends in a minute if you carry on! Then you'll be sorry! Right, next question, for the letter bomb, where do you curently live?
StH: I live on South Island man. It's so chilled out. I just kick back and relax sipping Mai Tai's all day.

GO: Mai Tai's? You poof! Get one of these down your scrawny blue neck and tell us what your first game was and if you have had any cameo roles?
StH: Well dude, [sip] bleeeuugh! what is this stuff? .... my first game, Sonic THE Hedgehog, named after me of course, rocked the world and left every gamer in a whirl man. I rocked so bad and I kicked Mario's fat ass! It's almost fatter than yours! Yea heh heh.... [sip] This stuff isn't tasting any better man. I got to drive a way cool car in Rad Mobile that was kinda fun and I played tennis like a pro in Sega Superstar Tennis. Real soon you'll see my track and field skills in my Olympic Games game too. Yea man, I rule!

GO: Your Olympic game? Isn't it called "Mario" and Sonic at the Olympic Games? That makes it more his than yours I think.
StH: I'm so pissed about that man. My agent promised me top billing and let me down. I handed him over to Robotnik on a platter. He's now a robot bat or something. He was a dweeb anyway.

GO: Tell us one thing you're the best at?
StH: Running really, really fast! Heh heh no one can catch me man! I'm the best at everything really dude but you asked for only one.

GO: Favourite job of all time?
StH: Oh man, rescuing all my cute furry pals from the clutches of the evil Robotnik back when I was 16Bit. Those were the days. I ruled 2D gaming dude!

GO: So really you're saying that all your 3D games are crap?
StH: Man they just didn't show my good side. Get it? 2D Get it!? Heh heh heh

GO: We get it. Do you have a good relationship with Shadow? The general view seems to be that he's a wafty cranker.
StH: I'm the original and best man and Shadow is just a pretender. Sega thought he might be the one to be their new mascot but I put paid to that when I put laxatives in his milk at the premier of his game. Heh heh... If he even comes close to stealing my crown I'll have Robotnik assimilate him too. He'd make a funny looking robot fish.

GO: Somewhere we'll never find you?
StH: In a Nintendo game of course! I hate Nintendo!

GO: Sonic and the Secret rings not "ring" any bells with you then? And have you not seen your latest DS adventures?
StH: Whhhaaa'? They told me those were GameGear and Dreamcast games! Man I'm calling my lawyer and I'm gonna take that exclusive contract offer from Bill. He promised me a part in Halo 4 you know?

GO: Really Sonic. Did you know that Sonic hedgehog homolog (SHH) is one of three proteins in the mammalian hedgehog family. It plays a key role in regulating vertebrate organogenesis, such as in the growth of digits on limbs and organisation of the brain?
StH: Errrr....wha'?
GO: I did.

GO: Sonic the Hedgehog thank you for visiting. Now finish the Caffreys and leave me. Oh, but before you do, just one more question before I take my tank out for a spin tonight, which country lanes do you cross on your way home?

Sonic the Hedgehog, videogame legend or cocky clueless upstart? Tell us here or on the Forum