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Gamers' Thumb Selects the E3 Awards
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 05-21-2004)
[Editor's note: After all of our post-E3 coverage of the past week, James returns with his choices for what games stole his attention at the Expo.]Game of Show â" THE LEGEND OF ZELDAWhile there were a lot of games shown at this yearâs E3, the footage from... Should Game Companies be Penalized for Poor Ratings?
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 05-28-2004)
Recently, Warner Bros. made an announcement concerning royalty fees for their licensed video games. Basically, they announced that there will be higher royalty fees charged to the game studios for games that are given lower scored reviews by the media. Wh... PSP v. DS: Round 2
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 10-29-2004)
Sony recently announced that it would sell the PSP in Japan for $185, and $235 in a value pack with battery headphones, carrying case, and memory card. This is well below the expected $300-350 price point that analysts and Sony insiders had been predictin... 
Story vs. Gameplay
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 08-13-2004)
This week in Gamers' Thumb, James and Troy explore the growing focus on story in videogames. The biggest example of this is fantasy and STAR WARS novel writer R.A. Salvatore working with Atari on FORGOTTEN REALMS: DEMON STONE to provide gamers with a deep... Gamers Don't Want Online Games?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 07-09-2004)
Just when you thought that we'd never get a good crazy sound clip out of a Nintendo executive again, Satoru Iwata comes out with a doozy. According the President of Nintendo, "Customers don't want online games." This quote game from Japan Economic Spotlig... Electronic Arts: Innocent or Guilty?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 11-12-2004)
Yesterday it was charged that Electronic Arts is in the process of being sued by a large group of employees for unpaid overtime. While the lawsuit has been quietly happening for some time, it came to light today when Slashdot posted a link to a ... EA Locks Up the NFL
by James Stevenson (Fri 12-17-2004)
This week it was announced that Electronic Arts and the NFL had signed and exclusive licensing deal for five years in the MADDEN NFL franchise. That means the end of NFL Teams, Players and Stadiums in opposing brands such as ESPN NFL 2K. In this week's ed... Game Tunes
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 03-26-2004)
Music in videogames is one of the most important aspects of a game. While many games are overlooked for the qualities of their composition, how many gamers can hum the theme to any of the MARIO BROS. games without even thinking about it? Groups of dedicat... Is Videogaming a Sport?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 06-04-2004)
This past week, ESPN's Sportscenter has run a series on videogames, with several pieces actually pitching videogames as a sport. In this week's installment of Gamers' Thumb, James and Troy discuss if videogaming is actually a sport, as well as sports in g... Spending Xmas with an Xbox?
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 12-19-2003)
The last few weeks have been busy ones for Troy and James, and in this week's Gamers' Thumb they have decided to share with everyone what has been going on, and also wish everyone a Merry Christmas. The closer it gets to Christmas the lazier I get it seem... What We Want
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 10-10-2003)
Hey fellow gamers and welcome to another weekly edition of Gamers' Thumb. This week, Troy and James will give their opinions on game sequels basically, popular games that haven't had a sequel in some time and are very deserving of one (or maybe a third o... End of the Week in Review
by Troy Roberts (Fri 05-16-2003)
The Electronic Entertainment Expo ends today, but for me it never really began. While James has been off in LA (working hard I hope), I've been here doing as much work as I possibly can in the time allotted. Before you go feeling sorry for me (which I'm s... Online Gaming, Mario and New Game Smell
by James Stevenson (Sun 09-01-2002)
I have a lot of things I'd like to talk about, and in no particular order. This has been the busiest week of my life, and throughout it, three things that this Gamers' Thumb needs to cover have been brought to my attention.The first is the "New game" smel... Holiday Season is Coming Soon
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 10-03-2003)
Last week, the Gamers' Thumb featured a new style of column where both Troy and James would comment on a topic, presenting similar or maybe different views. The comments we received on the column were in favor of the new style so we have decided to stick ... Giving Thanks for the Games
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 11-21-2003)
With Thanksgiving upon us next week, our columnists have been busy trying to come up with a way to integrate Thanksgiving into this week's Gamers' Thumb. There aren't many video games dealing with turkeys, unfortunately, or many that deal with pilgrims tr... DOOM 3
by Troy Roberts (Thu 08-12-2004)
Not meaning to break up James' Olympic game reviews, but without anything that I can consider relevant to that, I must continue with what I currently have. Although there may be some people out there who believe that playing DOOM qualifies as a sport (see... Best Games of 2002
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Tue 01-07-2003)
2002 was one heck of a year, filled with ups and more ups. There were so many games this year that deserve mention, but only so many awards to give out. In our truest Gamers' Thumb fashion, Cinescape hands out this year's Golden Thumb awards. Best PC Game... AMPLITUDE spins onto the PS2
by Patrick Sauriol (Thu 03-27-2003)
If you're the kind of person who likes to create music and spend lost hours playing video games, Sony's new AMPLITUDE bears checking out. The game allows players to test their skills remixing popular songs by a variety of artists through shooting musical... Top Seven Reasons Hardcore Gamers Don't Matter Anymore
by Damon Brown (Tue 05-27-2008)
Each week, Mania special correspondent Damon Brown, author of Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Modern Pop Culture, offers his unique take on society, entertainment and other issues of critical concern to Mani... Toy fans and gamers "click" with HEROCLIX
by Andrew Kardon (Mon 06-17-2002)
Toy collectors got game. No, we’re not talking about the latest MICHAEL JORDAN action figure from McFarlane Toys. Think smaller, much smaller. Heck, think miniature. Yep, we’re talking about the latest craze to sweep the nation: WizKids’ MARVEL HEROCLIX: ... Delays, Delays, Delays
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 09-10-2004)
One of the most frustrating and infuriating things that can happen to a gamer awaiting his or her favorite game is a delay. Of course, in the video game industry, delays are just a way of life, something that is anticipated every few weeks or so. Troy and... A Bad Rap for Gamers?
by Troy Roberts (Sun 07-14-2002)
Why is it that video gamers have a bad rap? What I mean is that people who play video games are sometimes considered to be nerds. I kind of take offense to that. In the early 90's, to be a video gamer was to be a nerd, a dork, an outcast of society. While... DS on the Horizon
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 09-24-2004)
Nintendo recently announced that the Nintendo DS would be released on November 21 for a price of $149.99. To some gamers, the date is earlier than expected and the price much lower. James and Troy tackle this issue and discuss the system.Personally, I was... 2003 Games Preview
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Thu 01-09-2003)
A few days ago, we presented you with the Golden Thumb Awards, our favorite games of 2002. But, as 2002 is over and 2003 is now begun, we must look ahead. So, in a similar fashion, we take a look at the games that we can't wait for in 2003.STAR WARS GALAX... FINAL FANTASY VII: VII Years Later
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 07-23-2004)
There have been quite a few FINAL FANTASY games released over the years, but one seems to keep popping up everywhere these days (yes, I'm talking about FINAL FANTASY VII). Sure, it took fans of the series years to get any type of real "sequels" to it, but... Game of the Mid-Year Awards
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 07-16-2004)
It suddenly came to Troy and James that they hadn't done mid-year awards. Considering that we were running a little low on ideas for this week's column, it seemed like the perfect way to kill two birds with one award column. So without further ado, our mi... What's Hot
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 04-30-2004)
This week, James and Troy are getting killed by finals, and James is busy making plans for the busy show of E3. So without going into anything too heavy, the duo is taking a peek at what has been sucking their gaming hours in.I've been working on my dynas... HALO 2 Hijacked!
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 10-15-2004)
Less than a month before the most anticipated release ever, HALO 2 is online. Unfortunately, this isn't Xbox Live online, but online for gamers to download from peer to peer networks or other online venues. Microsoft is not pleased (as you could guess) an... Technical Malfunction
by Troy Roberts (Fri 06-18-2004)
As much enjoyment as games can be, there are a lot of times when games can make you so mad that you would almost swear never to play one again. When looking for a topic tonight to write on (since James kindly went to San Francisco, sans internet access), ... Christmas is Here... Sort of
by James Stevenson (Sun 09-08-2002)
The Christmas season has begun. Yeah sure, Christmas may be a good 3 ˝ months away, but for a gaming journalist who works on both the print and online sides of the industry, it feels like Christmas is already here.In my previous experience as a gaming jou... Holiday Gaming Guide
by James Stevenson (Tue 11-26-2002)
I think it's almost over. It is this nasty little storm that I've been enduring, the arrival of way too many video games. I mean, I'm all for video games, but when you start tossing on an insane amount of course work, balancing time can be perilous. I've ... Is Cheaper Better?
by Troy Roberts (Fri 06-13-2003)
For the better part of the week, I have spent my time playing through EVIL DEAD: A FISTFUL OF BOOMSTICK. If you've read my review, you already know where I'm coming from, but I consider the game to be pretty fun. There is a lot of action and enough intens... Games You'd Love to Own
by Troy Roberts (Fri 07-25-2003)
Well, it's my birthday. Yup, yours truly is writing the newest Gamers' Thumb on his birthday instead of out celebrating the joyous event that is getting another year older. But one thing that birthdays do allow is the ability to think of all the things th... Downloadable Content: Worth it?
by Troy Roberts (Fri 03-14-2003)
Ever since the internet began to show up in most households, video gaming has begun to change. Obviously there are the multiplayer aspects that were never possible without some cords, two televisions and two game systems all connected together, but the in... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Fact or Fiction
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 09-03-2004)
Welcome back to Gamers' Thumb and another edition of Fact or Fiction. While we don't plan on doing this every week, we wanted to examine the biggest games coming out in the not too distant future. As always, your comments and questions are appreciated at ... Action Trip, PSP, GT4, 2K Games and new consoles!
by James Stevenson (Fri 02-04-2005)
It's been a bit of a crazy week or so around the videogaming land. So in this week's Gamers' Thumb there will be a quick run-down of the big news along with knee jerk reactions. First things first though, the folks that will hopefully be providing a lot m... Confessions at Midnight
by Troy Roberts (Sun 10-06-2002)
It is always a bad idea to try to write a Gamers' Thumb at midnight. I say "Hey, I'll finish watching this football game, and then I'll go write the article". And of course, I sit down in front of my computer and realize that I have absolutely nothing to ... Save SHENMUE Petition
by Troy Roberts (Tue 01-14-2003)
There aren't many times when I'm extremely irritated. But tonight, unfortunately, is one of those times. Luckily (for me anyway), I get to write the Gamers' Thumb tonight. And for those of you wondering why I'm in a certain mood, it's because I have just ... What Games Made the Biggest Impact?
by Troy Roberts (Sun 08-04-2002)
Well,you know it's one of those nights when it's 4 am and you still haven't written a Gamers' Thumb. We've all been there. You go to bed, promise to finish your deadline in the morning or the next day, and then bolt awake and remember you forgot something... What's Going on at Nintendo?
by James Stevenson (Sun 09-15-2002)
This week, the videogame industry (but more specifically, the Nintendo fanboys) were confronted with the harsh reality of a buyout of Rareware by the corporate giant Microsoft. I had been speculating for months that Rare would eventually leave Nintendo (s... The Scariest Games Ever
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 10-31-2003)
Today being Halloween and all, we decided that we'd keep with tradition and make this week's Gamers' Thumb centered around Halloween, more importantly, scary stuff. So, this week, our columnists tackle the Halloween tradition of scares and frights by talk... New Game Boy SP to launch this weekend
by Patrick Sauriol (Thu 03-20-2003)
Nintendo's redesigned portable gaming unit, dubbed the Game Boy Advance SP, is set to debut on store shelves this coming weekend. The sleek unit, featuring a compact folding design and a front-lit screen, is backwards compatible and able to play all exis... DS/PSP Wishlist
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 10-08-2004)
With the FINAL FANTASY III (Japan) Nintendo DS announcement today we thought it'd be good to look at games we'd like to see brought to our DS/PSPs in the not too distant future.The opportunity of having the power of an N64 and wireless gameplay begs for s... A Retro Gaming Experience
by Troy Roberts (Fri 01-31-2003)
Have you ever gotten into one of those moods where you want to play nothing but older games? Hey, nothing against the quality of today's games, but sometimes I just get the urge to sit down with an old game and just play it for the fun of it (I don't seem... Worst. Game. Ever.
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 11-07-2003)
Normally in the Gamers' Thumb, we try to discuss things that are currently on our minds or upcoming games that we think will be fun or innovative. But this week, we decided to take a look at the other side of video gaming, the side that not many people wa... Games too Easy?
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 09-26-2003)
In this week's Gamers' Thumb, we're going to try something different. Instead of alternating between writers every week, we're going to bring up a topic and have both of our gaming columnists comment on the topic. This week we are discussing the challenge... Top 5 Most Anticipated Games
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Sun 04-07-2002)
It seems incredible to us that we're already in April. It only seemed like a few weeks ago we were booting up an Xbox or GameCube for the first time, and now we're deep into the planning stages of our coverage of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Th... Happy Holidays!
by James Stevenson (Fri 12-24-2004)
It's that time of the year when the videogame industry winds down for a nice two week nap. After all of the games that have been coming out in the past few months, we're pretty tuckered out given all of our commitments to gaming as well as our real l... Realism vs. Fun
by James Stevenson (Fri 12-03-2004)
I recently was playing METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER for a review and came across a sniper v. sniper boss battle that literally took me around two hours to complete. For an RPG, this is normal, but in an action game? I was pretty shocked by the length o... Are video games responsible?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 11-14-2003)
Recently, a family filed a lawsuit against Rockstar Games, the makers of the GRAND THEFT AUTO series. The lawsuit revolves around the death of a tractor-trailer driver, who was killed when two boys decided to take rifles and shoot at random cars on the in... It is the Season of Giving...
by Troy Roberts (Tue 12-17-2002)
Christmas is upon us once again, and as usual, video games normally top a lot of people's Christmas lists. And like always, there are always these killer games out there that everyone wants, including us (just because we get games for free doesn't mean we... Samus is back
by James Stevenson (Tue 11-19-2002)
Wow folks, I just checked my watch, and I realized it's seven minutes past when I usually need to have my Gamers' Thumb up for the week. It's not often a game can make me forget all responsibilities, and just force me to sit and play for over 4 hours stra... Halo 2: Fact or Fiction
by Troy Roberts (Fri 08-27-2004)
Easily the most anticipated game this year (maybe even the most anticipated game ever) is HALO 2. Fans have been reserving the game at online stores and local video game shops since the game was announced years ago, and have suffered through the many new ... Keith Richards certainly blows.
by Jarrod Sarafin (Sat 04-07-2007)
Sorry, Maniacs. The title above is as accurate a description for this week’s craziness as I could find. After reading this column or the news at all this week, you’ll certainly agree with it. Keith Richards certainly does blow…as a s... Nautical Fantasy, SC: Ghost, Jordan & More
by Pat Ferrara (Tue 11-28-2006)
Blizzard Entertainment unleashes their first novel surrounding the Ghost assassin Nova, Paul Kearney and James M. Ward blend good old-fashion magic with maritime warfare, and Mercedes Lackey debuts another novel in the Scepter’d Isle sequence wi... DS Review Round-up
by James Stevenson (Mon 11-22-2004)
This past week Nintendo has been slowly handing out the Nintendo DS and the six launch titles to various members of the press. In this article we'll review and score the whole lineup. But first, the DS hardware unit itself and the METROID PRIME demo itsel... Dropping the Price is Right?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 06-11-2004)
Recently, many gamers have been surprised to see the rumors/facts of Sega's new football game, ESPN NFL 2K5, being available for pre-order on GameStop and EBGames' website for only $19.99. While Sega has yet to officially confirm this, the new price drop ... Handbooks and Sourcebooks and Novels...Oh My!
by James T. Voelpel (Sun 10-13-2002)
Hey Gamers! Feeling buried under the veritable landslide of recent DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS releases? CINESCAPE is here to save the day with a brake-down of three recent D&D publications that every gamer should know about.D&D Publication #1: CITY OF THE SPIDE... E3 happens this week!
by Patrick Sauriol (Mon 05-12-2003)
This year's E3 video game convention begins tomorrow in Los Angeles. Dozens, if not hundreds, of new games will be seen and talked about for the first time, with thousands of game professionals on hand to show off and see the latest accomplishments. Vi... What is Nintendo Thinking?
by James Stevenson (Fri 05-02-2003)
Today, Konami announced the return of the METAL GEAR series to Nintendo consoles with the revealing of a new game in development for the GameCube, METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES. Unfortunately, this is not the much-anticipated METAL GEAR SOLID 3, rathe... Who Made This?
by James Stevenson (Fri 03-21-2003)
Whenever I'm sitting at a movie theater and I hear about a new Steven Spielberg movie, I get excited. The same goes for when Shigeru Miyamoto is heading up a new videogame project. Why is that? Well, both men have a track record of excellent work. It's a ... Which One to Buy?!
by Troy Roberts (Fri 04-11-2003)
Do you ever wonder why there are so many sports titles available on consoles? I'm not talking just about how many, I'm talking about how many there are for each different sport. There are tons and it is beginning to seem like every company that develops v... Video & DVD This Week: October 16th
by John Thonen (Tue 10-16-2001)
VIDEO NEWSVidiots the world over bade a fond farewell recently to character actor Victor Wong, who passed away September 12. Wong became a genre favorite thanks to roles in TREMORS, PRINCE OF DARKNESS and his memorable turn as the heroic Egg Shen in BIG T... Cyber Monday and the New Amazon Kindle
by Pat Ferrara (Mon 11-26-2007)
With Thanksgiving already a few days cold, the holiday season (along with all of its consumer-driven trappings) has officially arrived and though economists predict lean shopping numbers for the end of this year, you wouldn’t know it by the sheer vo... A Tough Choice
by Troy Roberts (Fri 06-20-2003)
Normally I would save this for the On Shelves section of the column, but I figure I'd go ahead and raise the question now. This week, STAR WARS GALAXIES: AN EMPIRE DIVIDED will hit store shelves, ending numerous lengthy delays that LucasArts seems to be a... Burning: Is There Justification?
by Troy Roberts (Fri 07-04-2003)
Everyone knows about the huge stink that the music industry is making against file transfer servers like WinMX, Kazaa and the like. According to them, it is illegal to share songs that you have purchased and give them to other people for free. Also accord... License To Ill
by Damon Brown (Tue 02-20-2007)
You have to feel sad for Vin Diesel. Aside from his career shift from bad-ass Pitch Black to The Pacifier (or, as I like to call it, Adventure In Babysitters 2: First Blood), the former $20 million man is perhaps the only person in videogame land, and... Advantages to Gaming
by Troy Roberts, with James Stevenson (Fri 05-30-2003)
If you've been reading the news lately, you'll see that recent studies at the University of Rochester have found that people who regularly play video games full of high-speed car chases and first-person shooters have shown better visual skills than those ... College Football Season Already?!
by James Stevenson (Fri 07-18-2003)
It's July 18th, a month before the NCAA football season gets underway. Already the preseason magazine are filling grocery store aisles, new jerseys are hitting the department stores, and tickets are being printed and mailed out to their owners. In additio... Universal bringing 'Wanted' to videogames (Thu 07-17-2008)
From a press release Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG) is creating a video game based on Universal Pictures' blockbuster action-thriller "Wanted", starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. The game will be publi...GOTHAM KNIGHT, NEW FRONTIER and SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN snag Annie Noms
by Rob M. Worley (Tue 12-02-2008)
The International Animated Film Society have announced the nominees for the 2008 Annie Awards.
Of interest to comics readers are the following:
Kudos to DC Comics and Warner Animation. 'Batman: Gotham Knight' and 'Justice League: The... WAR OF THE MACHINES ships to stores
by Patrick Sauriol (Thu 12-04-2003)
TERMINATOR 3: WAR OF THE MACHINES has arrived in game stores nationwide. The single-player/multiplayer first-person shooter lets gamers experience combat in the dark future first seen in James Cameron's TERMINATOR movie where the surviving remnants of hum... Comic-Con News: July 23 and July 24 Schedule
by Jarrod Sarafin (Fri 07-11-2008)
The full schedule for this year's Comic Con has been released here but as always, we're going to sift through the press releases and give you the panels covering Movies, DVD and TV events. You can check out the first two days below.Wednesday, July 23, PRE... “Space Cowboys on HD DVD, X;Men: The Last Stand coming to Blu-ray soon.
by John Sinnott (Sun 11-05-2006)
Column News: With the switch over to the new site design, I thought I’d make a couple of minor changes in High Def Revue. The most notable one is that the Blu-ray discs will be listed first in the Upcoming Discs section from now on. ... CINESCAPE hits E3
by Patrick Sauriol (Mon 05-17-2004)
Last week the tenth annual Electronic Entertainment Exposition (better known as E3) was held. For three days the massive Los Angeles Convention Center became ground zero for the world's video game manufacturers, distributors and creators, the place to see... Cheap Games
by James Stevenson (Fri 01-14-2005)
This week Midway announced that it would release its new drug/crime drama game NARC at the price point of $19.95. This was a surprise to many, and follows on the footsteps of Sega and Take-Two's twenty dollar line of ESPN Sports games. This marks an inter... Girl Gamer
by James Stevenson (Fri 06-27-2003)
It was just a normal night, my girlfriend Sarah, and our mutual friend, Abby, were sitting around with me hanging out. It was one of those lazy nights, where the conversation was progressing along, but mainly we were just lying around. Then Sarah noticed ... Soundtrack Roundup
by Randall D. Larson (Thu 06-16-2005)
THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS Mark Isham's score for CRASH, Paul Haggis' feature directorial debut, a compelling mystery film of strangers brought together through happenstance, has been released on CD by Superb Records. The score is as introspective a comp... Paint By Numbers
by Damon Brown (Tue 12-12-2006)
I met Bob Ross several years ago. I was probably around eight. We first connected between Pinwheel and Quincy, my favorite show at the time. Bob had a large, bushy afro, similar to the one my mom carried around when she carried around me. He would grab... TENNIS
by James Stevenson (Wed 08-14-2002)
I've always liked the VIRTUA TENNIS series of arcade games that were developed by Hitmaker. During my layover from London to New York last week, I found myself plunking pound coins into the game right and left. Intuitive, simple to play, difficult to mast... CES Equals PSP Fun!
by James Stevenson (Fri 01-07-2005)
This week the annual Consumer Electronics Show kicked off in Las Vegas to show off tons of new technology ranging from cell phones to plasma/LCD/DLP technology to visualizations for human resource software. Pretty nifty all in all, but the biggest announc... Eastern Spectaculars
by Randall D. Larson (Thu 03-02-2006)
THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS THE MYTH is Jackie Chan's latest Hong Kong film, and an unusual departure as he plays a Qin Dynasty General in a film that mingles the epic spectacle of films like HERO with the kind of humorous kung-fu action that Chan is know... Our Musical Pal
by Randall D. Larson (Thu 04-01-2004)
THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONSFrom La-La Land Records comes The Fantasy Film Music of George Pal (LLLCD 1016), a new limited edition collection of more than an hour's worth of music from the famed sci-fi producer's last seven films, much of which has never b... Re-MASTER-ing the QUEST
by James Stevenson with Troy Roberts (Fri 02-28-2003)
Pre-orders have always been a way for a company to hype a game up and to get an advance look at the sales potential for a title. In the past, I remember pre-ordering games like MARIO 64 to get a free t-shirt, or maybe a bag with the game's logo on it. Reg... Touching IS Good
by James Stevenson (Fri 11-19-2004)
I got my Nintendo DS this week, and it's all I can do to keep my hands off of it. I've spent a ton of time the past few days playing SPIDER-MAN 2 DS (excellent), SUPER MARIO 64 DS (superb), FEEL THE MAGIC XX XY (quirky and fun) as well as ASPHAULT GT (bea... Wrapping it All Up
by James Stevenson (Thu 06-05-2003)
Since E3 is already a few weeks old, we're just going to wrap up the coverage with whatever ramblings I might have about the show. So let's just start it off with the whole fact that every year, I fly myself out to Los Angeles to check out the newest and ... Why not SHENMUE?
by Troy Roberts (Tue 12-03-2002)
You know, I rarely get irritated at fellow gamers. I mean, in a way, we are all joined for the cause to keep our favorite video games coming out, to keep our favorite companies up, and to basically kill any kind of censorship on video games, allowing us t... DANCES WITH THE UNDEAD: A Conversation with Kim Newman
by Dan Cziraky (Fri 07-21-2000)
`What if...?` A ton of good horror stories boil down to this question. `What if...a vintage car were possessed?` asked Stephen King`s CHRISTINE. `What if...a man of science created a living creature?` asked Mary Shelly`s FRANKENSTEIN. `What if...that nice... Animefringe Online (Tue 01-14-2003)
Animefringe Online Magazine - Vol.4 #01 - January 2003 - http://www.animefringe.com/ Whoa, check out our new layout!! It's elegantly sexy, great on long train rides, and can easily help with household cleaning repairs (not really, but it does look pret...DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: DEITIES AND DEMIGODS
by James T. Voelpel (Tue 08-20-2002)
The renaissance of gaming continues! After many foibles made by the late lamented TSR corporation in their handling of DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, the 3rd edition D&D seems to be ripe with excellent products. Ever since Wizards of the Coast released their landm... Start of School Means Good Games?
by James Stevenson (Fri 08-29-2003)
I know I've been bitching all summer about the lack of quality videogaming. Finally I have a ton of games worth playing. This week my words were shoved into my mouth with FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE, SOUL CALIBUR II and F-ZERO GX, and MADDEN came out la... E3: The Calm Before the Storm
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 05-07-2004)
As usual, there looks to be a lot of good things and surprises at E3 this year. I think the biggest thing that I am anticipating so far is Sega's big announcement that they will have during the show. Not much information has been leaked so far, but here's... The Price is Right
by Troy Roberts (Fri 09-12-2003)
You never really know what you'll find until you start looking. I think this is the motto I'm going to start living by, because recently, I've passed over some cheap games that I have never played or reviewed and said "what the heck, they're cheap, why no... Is the End in Sight?
by Troy Roberts (Sun 07-21-2002)
Is the end in sight for video games? Lately, it's a question I've been asking myself as video games are becoming more and more realistic, yet less original. What happens when we get to a point in technology where we really can't go any further?W... Atari's DRIVER receives RESIDENT EVIL help
by Patrick Sauriol (Fri 07-02-2004)
The team behind Screen Gems' RESIDENT EVIL movie are lending their talents to a new movie based on a video game property, this time for Atari Games' DRIVER franchise. Director/writer Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt will produce a DRIVER film w... BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
by ANDREW HERSHBERGER (Fri 11-09-2001)
In light of the ever-popular television series, it’s easy to forget the original cinematic version of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - which is probably for the best. While the general rule of thumb is that television spin-offs of hit movies pale in comparison ... E3: Heaven and Hell
by James Stevenson (Sun 04-21-2002)
The Electronic Entertainment Expo... Heaven, and at the same time, Hell. Heaven because of all the unreleased games, giant displays and the fact that everyone who is anyone is there. Hell because it's three long days of work, hot, and you have 10,000... Hard Work, Determination, and Lots of Free Time
by Troy Roberts (Sun 04-28-2002)
Every so often I get a couple of e-mails from people asking me how I got into this business. And I always reply: "With a little luck and a lot of hard work."Really, though, most people don't just start off writing for a big entertainment magazine like CIN... Dances with the Undead: Kim Newman, Part 2
by Dan Cziraky (Fri 07-28-2000)
JUDGMENT OF TEARS has a lighter tone than THE BLOODY RED BARON, an element that author Kim Newman decided upon early. `Needing a rest after the war-torn Red Baron book, I decided to skip the obvious World War II setting and relax a little by enjoying `la ... The Games That I Couldn't Put Down
by James Stevenson (Sun 06-30-2002)
I had to pull myself away from Silicon Knight's ETERNAL DARKNESS to write this column. I'm obsessed, drawn in, addicted. It doesn't happen often with videogames... last time was the remake of RESIDENT EVIL, the time before that was FINAL FANTASY X, and GR... Gabriel’s Trumpet
by Randall Larson (Thu 03-01-2007)
THIS WEEK’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Perseverance Records have released a very pleasing pair of soundtracks comprising David Williams’ scores for The Prophecy (1995) and its sequel, The Prophecy II (1995). Like the similar Warlock seri... Online Gaming... Are You Ready?
by James Stevenson (Sun 08-18-2002)
I just got in from a trip to San Francisco to check out Sony's upcoming first-party lineup, as well as the PlayStation 2 online lineup. I have to say that going into it I was pretty skeptical about online gaming. I remember telling an HDTV-crazed analyst ... Planet/Kong deluxe
by Brian Thomas (Tue 11-14-2006)
First a note about scheduling: With all the new content coming in along with the new website, they’ve decided to move the Anime Avalanche column from Saturdays to Mondays. This has the advantage of putting it closer to the Tuesday street dates (a... Top 5 Top 5 Lists of 2007
by Pat Ferrara (Mon 12-31-2007)
It’s the last Weekly Book Buzz of the year, and even though this release schedule is for the first batch of SF, Fantasy, and Horror books coming out in 2008 I wanted to take a quick, clichéd look at the requisite lists of 2007 superlatives.
... DVD Review of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
by Robert T. Trate (Mon 09-01-2008)
There are two ways to look at the Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow. The first as a stand alone cartoon and the other would be to look at it as a die hard Marvel fan. Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow takes place in the distant future where Earth’s ... Making JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, Part 3
by Ted Newsom (Sun 05-21-2000)
Don Chaffey called Jan Reed`s first draft script `appalling, absolutely unworkable. Charles Schneer had the good sense to bring in Beverly Cross.` `Beverly is a very distinguished writer,` said Schneer. `He is a Greek and Latin scholar who went to Oxf... "Street Trash"
by Brian Thomas (Sun 01-28-2007)
It's completely indefensible, but this disgusting ultra-low budget horror/action/comedy, shot on location in authentic skid row environs, remains one of the funniest, most entertaining and original exploitation gorefests ever made.
Skid Row liqu... Comicscape - December 7, 2005
by Kurt Amacker (Wed 12-07-2005)
I got a great batch of mail from last week's column about Marvel's Ultimate and DC's All-Star imprints. But before we get to your letters, a couple of things happened in the comic world upon which I must opine. The X3 trailer hit the web on Monday. You ca... Shaggy Dog Story
by Randall D. Larson (Thu 03-23-2006)
THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS Alan Menken hasn't entirely dropped out of site since scoring a run of successful Disney animated features from THE LITTLE MERMAID through HERCULES. He did some TV work, scored Disney's humdrum animated HOME ON THE RANGE as wel... DVD Review of Icons of Horror: Hammer Films (2-Disc)
by Robert T. Trate (Fri 10-10-2008)
Hammer Studios is notorious for being known as the studio that dripped blood. Their full color Gothic tales and scantily clad women were all the rage after Universal’s movie monsters ran their course. The studios flourished for a long time t... Book Buzz: The Top Gift Book Picks for the Holidays!
by Tim Janson (Tue 11-18-2008)
Welcome back to the Book Buzz after a two week hiatus for “re-tooling”. So what’s the deal? Well, there will be a few changes in the content of the column to hopefully make it more appealing to book fans. Rather th... Brando Voice Not in GODFATHER Game
by News Editor (Tue 07-12-2005)
In a recent article The New York Times reported that Electronic Arts did not have a lot of time with actor Marlon Brando to record his voice for the upcoming GODFATHER video game. But the company noted, "he really gave us a lot of insight into the mind o... FINDING NEVERLAND
by BRIAN THOMAS (Wed 03-23-2005)
Sometimes the story behind a story is more interesting than the story itself. Sometimes not. When it comes to a classic story like PETER PAN, fans become so enamored with the tale that they’re eager to learn the behind-the-scenes secrets of where it came ... VOODOO VINCE
by Troy Roberts (Tue 08-19-2003)
Up until I received this game, I had only heard a few people mention the Xbox game VOODOO VINCE. I wasn't able to attend E3 this year, and James must've missed it at Microsoft's booth. So I booted up the preview copy of the game I got and let me tell you,... 007's game pushed back to '04
by Patrick Sauriol (Thu 09-18-2003)
Electronic Arts announced that its much anticipated James Bond adventure, EVERYTHING OR NOTHING, would not arrive in stores for this coming holiday season. Instead, the game has now been re-scheduled for a March 2004 release date.The company states that m... War of the Minds
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 10-24-2003)
In today's society, it seems like more and more violent media are marketed towards the younger generation. Whether it be teens or pre-teens, today's violent and expletive video games, music and movies are marketed towards the younger crowd. Troy and James... The Most Impossible Games Ever Made
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 12-12-2003)
A few weeks ago, Troy and James took on the issue of the worst games ever made. This week, they decided on tackling the issue of the toughest games ever. The games that make you scream and throw your controller against the wall, and in all likelihood, man... Sweaty Hands
by James Stevenson (Fri 04-25-2003)
The group of people I live with, work with, and go to class with are pretty damn cool. Recently, on our online messageboard, someone posted a thread about the most intense videogame moments ever. It was taken from a poll at a website and the list of games... Same Game, Different Day
by James Stevenson (Fri 05-23-2003)
Last week I was in Los Angeles for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, checking out the newest and latest videogames that will be gracing your console over the next year or so. But as I walked around the showfloor, I wasn't really seeing a lot of innovatio... BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Bargaining" Parts 1 & 2
by Carl Cortez (Tue 10-02-2001)
For viewers who will be checking out BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER for the first time on its new network UPN, there's good news and bad news. Fans of the show expect that traditionally the season openers tend to be a little on the expository side as they try t... JEKYLL AND HYDE
by Dan Weiland (Sat 11-03-2001)
We all know the story, whether it is from reading the novel by R.L. Stevenson or just from Warner Brothers cartoons. Dreamcatcher Games has taken this classic tale of evil and butchered it by making a truly awful game.Dr. Jekyll, having recently stopped h... Seven Days In January Part Five
by Paul Zimmerman (Sat 02-09-2002)
In part four of our Sundance 2002 Film Festival coverage, we reviewed some of the more interestingif not necessarily goodmovies at the event. Today we finally round out our report with one last look at a few more featured films...
THE LARAMIE PROJEC... The Cute Factor
by James Stevenson (Sun 09-22-2002)
Over the past month or so, I've been dealing with the issue of "kiddie" games with my friends. Let me tell you folks, if it doesn't involve bloodshed, guns, sports, or a dance pad, most guys over 18 won't even think about playing it. If it features bright... Gaming as a Job
by James Stevenson (Mon 04-15-2002)
I just got done playing MONSTERS INC. for the Playstation 2 (look for my review sometime this week). I can't say that this was the most enjoyable experience of my life - the game itself is lots of item collecting and backtracking. But, in general, gaming ... Hacking HALF-LIFE 2
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 10-17-2003)
This time in our weekly column, James and Troy tackle the issue of the recently hacked HALF-LIFE 2 and exactly what it means to the gaming industry."Stealing source code is just a bastardly thing to do. Not only is it illegal, it makes hundreds of thousan... The Best Games of 2003
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 01-09-2004)
2003 was a big year for video games, with three major consoles looking to be the public's number one choice for gaming. As James and Troy did last year, they have selected their top games for 2003's Golden Thumb awards, picking their top computer, Xbox, G... Retro Style
by Troy Roberts (Fri 09-05-2003)
With the apparent lack of new ideas for video games lately, most gaming companies seem to have found a time machine that lets them see what was popular 20, even 30 years ago. I just got finished wrapping up articles for the magazine a few weeks ago on the... NES Version 2.0
by Troy Roberts and James Stevenson (Fri 04-02-2004)
Ah, the glory days of the NES have returned. Well, sort of. With the recent announcement of the NES version of the Game Boy Advance SP and the re-release of some old titles, the Game Boy Advance continues to impress.Smell that in the air? Do you hear the ... Failing at the Hype
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 03-12-2004)
In recent years, there have been a lot of games that I have highly anticipated that, unfortunately, just can't live up to the expectations that I put upon them. When I was younger it was games like SONIC AND KNUCKLES for the Genesis, anything for the Sega... Old School = Cool
by Troy Roberts (Fri 02-07-2003)
It seems that what was once cool is cool again. The retro "genre" seems to be the newest fad in the gaming industry right now. If you really stop and take a look at all of the games that were released in the late 80s or early 90s, you'll notice a developi... Spring is Here
by James Stevenson (Fri 04-04-2003)
It's springtime, it's getting warm outside and the air is fresh. There's rain, and the first sunny warm days of the year are hitting here in Lincoln, Nebraska. What life like for me when it's actually warm enough to go outside instead of sitting inside pl... SHENMUE ONLINE and other MMORPGs
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Fri 08-06-2004)
Well, I've devoted a few of my columns in the past to discussing the Sega "hit" SHENMUE, and with Sega's recent announcement, I figured I'd do it again. Earlier this week, Sega announced that it had plans to develop SHENMUE ONLINE, a MMORPG set in the SHE... A Look Back
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Mon 09-20-2004)
This week has been one of the busiest weeks for gaming in recent memory. With the releases of games like FABLE, SIMS 2, SLY 2 and SHELLSHOCK: NAM '67, there haven't been better weeks for gamers. But how do all of these games stack up? We offer an initial ... Comicscape - September 22, 2004
by Tony Whitt (Wed 09-22-2004)
OPINION: First of all, you're probably wondering why this week's comics reviews are so far out of date. Well, there's a good explanation for that, and it all has to do with an itty bitty hurricane named Ivan. I've occasionally mentioned the fact that I'm ... Is Overhyping Such a Bad Thing?
by James Stevenson and Troy Roberts (Mon 10-04-2004)
Developers and publishers always try to hype up their newest titles before release to make sure their game is a big seller on launch day. But can this be bad for gaming itself? What happens when a game is so hyped up by the developer or publisher that the... DOOM Ate My Child
by James Stevenson (Fri 07-30-2004)
Once again, videogames have been blamed for a violent crime. In this edition of "Doom ate my child" a kid in the UK was killed by a friend with a knife and a claw hammer. Apparently the killer had played MANHUNT and the parents immediately blamed the Roc... Stranded and Deserted: What Would You Play?
by Troy Roberts (Fri 08-08-2003)
Somebody asked me a question the other day that really got me to thinking. A friend of mine was talking about his favorite game of all time and then quizzed me on which game is my favorite. Since it is such a difficult question to answer, I rattled off a ... What is This?
by Troy Roberts (Fri 05-09-2003)
Do you ever wonder why you want to play a certain game (and yes, I realize most of my Gamers' Thumbs begin with questions, but you'll have to excuse me tonight)? At times I'll see a game that many people might consider weird that is coming out, but even s... ALL-STAR BASEBALL 2004
by Troy Roberts (Wed 05-14-2003)
As usual, spring time brings with it the smell of wooden bats, hot dogs and the cracks of baseball bats. Yep, its baseball season again and with the season comes a slew of updated video games based on the sport. This year, Acclaim brings its most recent v... Lazy Summer
by James Stevenson (Fri 07-11-2003)
As I sit here to write this column, I have no clue what to write about. It's not really writer's block, it's just a sort of apathy, like I don't really feel that invested into the game industry at the moment. I'm not sure what it is exactly. Maybe it's th... Games Industry Like Hollywood?
by James Stevenson (Fri 08-01-2003)
I've spent this past week pouring my life into KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC, trying to get our review of the game up not too late after the launch of the game. And there's something about this game, it's really the first game that I've been looking forward... GOLDENEYE: ROGUE AGENT out in stores
by Patrick Sauriol (Tue 11-23-2004)
Electronic Arts latest James Bond video game is now out in stores. GOLDENEYE: ROGUE AGENT is a first-person shooter that breaks away from the norm of past 007 games and delivers an interesting new kick into its premise: instead of playing as the good guy,... 
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