Massively Multiplayer: Gaming In The New Millennium

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The Blockbusters Of 2009

    • RySenkari

    The Top 25 Highest Grossing Films Of 2009 (North American domestic gross only):
    (Authors' Note: The superhero films listed in this top 25 were given to us by the reader Pyro, based on his planned DC/Marvel film list.)

    1. Toy Story 3 ($454.8 million)

    2. As Gods ($425.0 million) (Note: The year's most popular superhero film isn't by DC or Marvel, but is instead a spectacular disaster/superhero film directed by Roland Emmerich, that combines elements of films like OTL's 2012 with films like OTL's Chronicle, capitalizes on the popularity of the hit TV show Powers, and is basically “Superman vs. Zod from OTL's Man Of Steel: The Movie”. It tells the story of six teenagers from around the world who suddenly gain godlike powers at the same time, and who all approach those powers in a different way. One becomes a nihilistic supervillain bent on destruction, one becomes a selfish person who uses their powers solely for personal gain, one has good intentions but is basically Light Yagami from Death Note on steroids, and the other three are genuinely heroic, if flawed, and eventually unite to stop the evil three. Emmerich somehow lucks out and gets good performances from all six young actors, and combined with spectacular special effects and genuinely good writing, and this film is a massive, billion dollar hit and spawns a franchise. It also inspires J.J. Abrams to take a break from his Star Trek film series to do something with that Cloverfield idea he decided not to do in TTL's 2008, but that will be covered later.)

    3. Captain America: Heroes United ($356.1 million) (Note: This film sees Captain America team up with Iron Man to fight The Mandarin, the real one, not the phony from OTL's Iron Man 3. It's considered one of the better superhero films in recent memory and one of the biggest action films of the year.)

    4. Star Trek ($312.0 million) (Note: Fairly similar to OTL's Star Trek reboot, and even directed by J.J. Abrams, this film features the original crew of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, and the rest, and is as well received by critics and fans as OTL.)

    5. A Christmas Carol ($306.7 million) (Note: Disney goes a somewhat different route for TTL's version of this film, ditching the creepy motion capture animation style and telling a more whimsical but also more poignant version of the story, incorporating musical numbers into the film as well. It's directed by Peter Jackson rather than Robert Zemeckis, and it's only produced by Disney, so it's not a part of their animated canon. This film is a MASSIVE success, and the second huge Disney produced animated film of the year after Toy Story 3.)

    6. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince ($275.4 million)

    7. Green Lantern: Chapter 0 ($271.4 million)

    8. The Hangover ($230.8 million)

    9. Rainbow ($227.5 million) (Note: This animated film by Dreamworks features a contemporary setting and human teenagers with wild hairstyles who have mysterious powers, but isn't really a superhero film. It's considered one of the year's weirdest but also one of the year's best animated films, and gains a massive fan following similar to the OTL How To Train Your Dragon films.)

    10. Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian ($223.5 million)

    11. Wonder Woman: The Contest ($206.8 million)

    12. Cybercriminal ($203.5 million) (Note: Will Smith stars in this cyberpunk film about an investigator out to take down a criminal, played by Brandon Lee, who commits all his crimes on the web, using technology to enhance his physical abilities far beyond that of a normal man, think Tron meets The Matrix. The premise is ludicrous and the film gets only mediocre reviews, but the effects are beautiful and Smith and Lee's performances are both highly praised.)

    13. Devil May Care ($194.5 million) (Note: This is the 22nd James Bond film, named after the 2008 novel that appears both IOTL and ITTL, and sees Sam Worthington return as Bond to foil a villain attempting to take advantage of Middle Eastern turmoil. It's not connected to the events of Casino Royale, and it's generally better received than OTL's Quantum Of Solace.)

    14. The Agoran Prophecies ($158.7 million) (Note: A mystery/thriller starring Tom Cruise as a man who learns of an apocalyptic prophecy contained within an ancient book, and must do everything he can to keep it from coming to pass. Tom Cruise's performance saves what's otherwise a fairly mediocre thriller, and the film does decently at the box office but is a bit of a disappointment.)

    15. The Proposal ($157.7 million)

    16. Dragon's Lair ($152.7 million) (Note: A Fox-produced CGI animated film and Don Bluth's last directing job ITTL, this is a film based on the classic video game series, and expands the simplistic story, while also emulating Bluth's animation style but in full 3-D. One of the most expensive animated films ever made, and up there with Rainbow and Toy Story 3 in terms of reviews, this film does about as expected and sends Bluth off into the sunset in style.)

    17. Blowback 3 ($140.7 million)

    18. The Maildog ($134.9 million) (Note: A WB animated film based on a series of children's books original TTL, this film is about a dog that delivers packages all over the world. The critical consensus is that WB botched the execution somewhat trying to emulate Dreamworks, a company which, ironically, had a more subdued and popular animated film in 2009. It's a financial success but also a disappointment.)

    19. The Fast And The Furious 4 ($132.2 million) (Note: Vin Diesel returns and brings Transporter co-star Ziyi Zhang along for the ride in this film that captures some of the spark of OTL's Fast And Furious, but doesn't quite click like that film did. The Rock is noticeably absent from TTL's film.)

    20. Mayhem On Main Street ($130.4 million) (Note: Michael Bay directed this film, a somewhat subdued action title with a very small scale for a Michael Bay film, about a sheriff played by Bruce Willis who has to defend his small town from a band of homicidal prison escapees who decide to make the town their personal playground. It's Die Hard meets Con Air, and one of the dumbest action films of the year, but it still gets plenty of business with a strong $50 million+ opening weekend, and it makes back double its budget.)

    21. Seaside Elementary ($128.0 million) (Note: One of the year's biggest unexpected hits, this film stars Amy Adams as a second grade teacher who educates via unconventional methods. Intended as a fairly light-hearted family comedy, Adams' performance and the performance of some of the kids and other adult characters make this film a sleeper hit and somewhat popular memetically as well, and Adams earns a surprise Best Actress nomination.)

    22. Luke Cage ($112.7 million)

    23. Inglourious Basterds ($111.8 million)

    24. Coraline ($109.5 million)

    25. Response ($106.5 million) (Note: This Oscar contender, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a hostage negotiator who talks down a gunman who's taken hostages inside a restaurant, then must deal with the aftermath of the incident after three victims were killed, is one of the year's best reviewed films and one of the more popular mainstream Best Picture contenders, though it's still fairly artsy. Opens strongly in September and then legs out past $100 million domestically.)
     
    • Fall 2009 (Part 13) - The Rest Of The Games

    • RySenkari

    Nintendo Sapphire:

    Mackinac Nightmare

    Mackinac Nightmare is a survival horror game published by Sony and developed by Supermassive exclusively for the Nintendo Sapphire. It takes place in the dense forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in a small resort town plagued by an unseen creature and its undead spawn. The protagonist is a tourist who teams up with a rookie female police officer to hunt down and kill the beast before it kills everyone in the town. The game has a distinct old school survival horror aesthetic, with limited ammo and priority on stealth. The game features a minimalistic HUD with very little in the way of on-screen health or ammo icons, and forces the player to rely on sound to detect threats or people who might need help. The game's controls are also somewhat simplistic, with only a few buttons used, including an action button, a crouch button, and a fire button, with no jumping (though the player can climb certain things with context sensitive commands). The game's animation and movement are fairly realistic, in fact, the game emphasizes realism heavily, making the character movements and creature animations resemble the real world as well as the game's developers can do so. The game has what's called a “closed open world” system, in which the game gives the player the illusion of being able to move around freely through a vast space, but actually has fairly strict and natural boundaries designed to keep the player near threats at all times and maximize tension. The developers did a great deal of research on the Upper Peninsula before making the game, basing the game's location on the area around Curtis, Michigan. The game features a strong cast of voice actors, and Supermassive even hired a few locals to play some of the game's minor characters. The game's basic plot begins with some mysterious attacks on tourists in the area. The protagonist, Chase, learns that one of his friends has been killed by the creature, and goes to the local police department, but they don't believe when he says that a monster has been attacking people. However, one young officer, Lily, does believe him, and she eventually comes to be his partner in stopping the creature. Lily, due to her officer training and her weapon, is a bit more capable of fighting than Chase is, and so the player often has to stick close to Lily when the creature or its spawn are nearby, though he is often required to go off on his own to complete certain objectives or when Lily is saving someone. Eventually, Chase and Lily learn that the creature was resting at the center of the lake, born from the hatred and despair after a series of murders 100 years before. Chase and Lily must avenge the murders by taking down a copycat killer, and once the killer is defeated, the monster and its spawn rip him apart and then go back to the lake. The game's ending is mostly a happy one, though at the very end, one of the creature's spawn is shown killing again.

    Mackinac Nightmare gets mostly positive reviews, praising the game's graphics and especially its sound design, which is especially impressive when playing in surround sound. However, the game's length and the repetitive nature of the game's monster encounters is criticized, and it's not quite the critical or commercial success it was expected to be. It's still considered a refreshing change of pace from modern horror games, and would become a popular cult classic in the years after its release until it finally gets a sequel.

    The Clevermen

    A half-serious, half-silly spy dueling game, sort of like Spy vs. Spy meets Splinter Cell, with stealth elements combining with explosive camp. The single player campaign isn't all that memorable but it does achieve some success for its multiplayer, which allows players to set traps for one another with often hilarious results. Reviews are good, and sales are decent, with good word of mouth leading to lasting success for the game once it gets a discount.

    Savage Eon: Rise Of Beasts

    A 2-D fighter and the third game in the Savage Age series, this game follows off the surprisingly successful 2004 game Savage Eon, and introduces prehistoric beasts to battle the barbarians and cavemen of the previous game. That sort of makes this title like a revivified Primal Rage, though it lacks the “gross out” moves of that title and focuses more on bloody violence and brutal beatdowns. It's an “okay” fighting game, and in the absence of a Mortal Kombat title for another year or two, it does better than it should, but it's no Divine Wrath 4.

    Disgaea 4: Shiny Objects

    Disgaea 4 is the latest game in this wacky tactical-RPG series and the first for the seventh generation systems. Like previous games in the series, it subverts and pokes fun at a lot of genre tropes, and this game focuses on a bunch of gems that have a variety of purposes, serving as both plot MacGuffins and items that can be used to power up one's character. The protagonist is Flitta, a young imp and collector of all things shiny. She wants to gather up the 12 Precious Stones to prove that she's the greatest treasure hunter of all, but her father, Great Satan, wants the Stones for himself to wage war against the heavens. Meanwhile, a bunch of meddling, stuck-up angels want to collect the stones to build a giant godly statue. The game features plenty of wacky action, irreverent dialogue, and of course, Prinnies, dood! It's a marginally well received game, with decent sales in both Japan and the States as somewhat of a counterprogramming game to the overwhelmingly popular Final Fantasy XII.

    Junker Beast

    A JRPG about a group of scavengers who dig ancient monsters out of futuristic wreckage, the game combines elements of games like Resonance of Fate and Horizon: Zero Dawn, but has a heavily anime aesthetic. Battles combine action RPG elements with treasure hunting, with the protagonists and antagonists both able to dig out and construct robots and weapons during a battle. It's got a very unique battle system, but falls somewhat to the wayside in the face of Final Fantasy XII. It flops initially, but becomes one of the more popular bargain bin buys in 2010. One of the more notable new RPG IPs of 2009, it would get at least one sequel thanks to its critical success and for doing well enough in Japan to turn a profit.

    Seed

    Seed is a somewhat simplistic game about planting seeds and making them grow into living beings, which can then be raised as pets, made to fight, or even crafted into living decorations. It's released as a digital title for $14.99 at release and becomes one of the bigger digital success stories of 2009, especially amongst exclusive Sapphire releases.

    Apple iTwin:

    Silence

    Silence is a horror RPG developed by Capcom, and is reminiscent of the Parasite Eve series but with some Resident Evil mixed in. It takes place in a city being stalked by an otherworldly serial killer, and its protagonist, a woman named Rita (who is very much like Aya Brea, to the point where some fans/critics accuse her of being a ripoff) is the only one who can take him down, utilizing a gun that can be loaded with special bullets that possess different types of powers. The game is full of creepy paranormal sights, with a good amount of mindscrew mixed in. The control scheme gives the player the option of using motion controls to aim at enemies, but players can also use a traditional control scheme, and combat plays out much like it would in the Resident Evil games, with RPG-esque damage numbers and item menus, but no waiting to attack. One of the most terrifying RPGs ever made, this game is very popular amongst older players, and becomes one of the iTwin's biggest sleeper hits of the year and another alternative to Final Fantasy XII.

    Ecco's New World

    A complete reboot of the Ecco The Dolphin series aimed at younger players, this game features a more kid-friendly Ecco on a new world full of wonders and magic as he must find and complete a variety of tasks to help out his new undersea friends. This game takes a lot of the eerie elements that characterized the old Ecco games out and replaces them with some more cartoony visuals and even some humor. The game's not COMPLETELY cartoonified, it features great graphics, excellent (if light hearted) music, and it doesn't have voice acting, while Ecco himself looks a bit more cartoonish but isn't a caricature either. Reviews criticize the series' new direction somewhat, but still acknowledge that it's a fairly well made game, and reviews average in the low 7s, while it scores a decent amount of sales after its release in November 2009.

    Just Dance

    Ubisoft's ubiquitous dancing game from OTL has made it to TTL as well, and features mostly identical gameplay to its OTL Wii counterpart. Motion controls are all-but required for this game, which uses a special camera accessory in conjunction with the iTwin's motion controls, and also has an optional dance ball accessory that shows lights in tune with the music. In compliance with Steve Jobs' requirement that all iTwin games have a traditional control option, the game does allow the player to just sit down and input traditional commands into the controller (like a Frequency-esque rhythm game), but nobody buys the game intending to do that. The game gets decent reviews and excellent sales, becoming one of the top selling family games of the year and a new hit IP for the iTwin. A sequel would arrive the very next year.

    Microsoft Xbox 2:

    Covenant Wars

    An RTS title and the major Xbox 2 exclusive game for the latter part of 2009, Covenant Wars plays mostly like OTL's Halo Wars, but also allows players to inhabit the body of a soldier during the battle and fight for a few moments in traditional third-person The Covenant style before returning back to an RTS mode of play. The campaign also allows the player to control either the Space Marines or the Covenant, an option not available in OTL's game. Covenant Wars serves as a prequel to the original The Covenant, and features an army of Space Marines fighting a mysterious army of aliens on a distant planet, attempting to stop them from reaching Earth and the Solar System at large. These soldiers are led by a brave man named Cassius Martin, and his elite squad of soldiers, each of whom has a unique ability that players will need to get to know well in order to success in battle. The game depicts the war growing increasingly bad for the Space Marines as the Covenant drops in more soldiers and weaponry into the war zone, until finally, humanity is forced to deploy a secret weapon that was once meant to prevent a direct attack on Earth. This weapon weakens Covenant forces, but provokes them into mutating, becoming stronger and deadlier, something the human commanders weren't expecting. Cassius and his soldiers must steel all their strength to beat back the overwhelming Covenant wave. The ending depicts humanity seemingly winning the battle, as Cassius sacrifices himself to destroy a massive Covenant wave. However, humanity didn't destroy the entire Covenant force, and a much bigger force is shown taking the long way around to Earth, setting up the events of the original game. Covenant Wars is a mostly well reviewed title and considered to be one of the best console RTS games in recent memory. It mostly meets, if not exceeds its hype, and becomes one of the Xbox 2's most successful games of the year, though its success pales in comparison to the success of that year's multiplatform FPS games. Covenant Wars goes a long way toward redeeming the series in the eyes of many fans, but The Covenant 4 desperately needs to be a success to save the series and the Xbox 2.

    Game Boy Supernova:

    Dissidia Final Fantasy

    Dissidia Final Fantasy is an RPG/fighting game exclusively for the Game Boy Supernova. As in OTL's Dissidia, the game features characters from the Final Fantasy series duking it out against villains from the same series. There are a total of 12 heroes and 12 villains in all, with the playable characters including: Warrior Of Light, Firion, Onion Knight, Cecil, Bartz, Terra, Cloud, Squall, Scav, Aki, Montblanc, Adair, Garland, Emperor, Cloud of Darkness, Golbez, Exdeath, Kefka, Sephiroth, Miang, Vela, Hein, Metamoria, and Caius. Final Fantasy XII is unfortunately too recent to have its characters included, and instead of saving the for DLC, they'll appear in a sequel. The game's plotline and progression are much like OTL's game, as is its gameplay, which features spectacular action-RPG like battles that rely on breaking and damaging the enemy. Dissidia Final Fantasy is an even bigger hit than it is IOTL, and a sequel would quickly go into production for 2011 or 2012.

    Twisted Metal Liquid

    Twisted Metal Liquid is a car combat game published by Sony for the Game Boy Supernova. It plays much like Twisted Metal Chaos from 2008, but has a futuristic aesthetic, including sleeker environments and cars and a cyborg Sweet Tooth. The futuristic setting allows for weapons like lasers and robot turrets to be used, but it's still pretty much the same old Twisted Metal, even with faster cars and high tech weapons. The game also features a multiplayer mode with both local wireless and internet play. Review scores are strong and the game is considered a success.

    Star Tropics: Culex's Adventure

    A spinoff of the new Star Tropics titles featuring Culex, the extradimensional princess from Ocean Across Tomorrow, this game combines the puzzles and exploration of the Star Tropics series with some action gameplay, similar to the playable Culex segments from Ocean Across Tomorrow. This game sees Culex adventuring to save her home and a young prince who serves as a potential love interest for her. Culex is able to use martial arts moves (utilizing a long bo staff) and some limited water-based powers, which are used for both beating back enemies and solving puzzles. As is par for the course for a handheld title, this game is a bit shorter than its console contemporaries, but also features a more streamlined plot with less cinematics. The graphics are quite good, easily comparable to those on the Wave Star Tropics game, and the ending, in which Culex dumps the prince and assumes leadership over the realm she just saved, helps to set up the events of 2010's Star Tropics game for the Sapphire. A fun little side game in the series, Culex's Adventure scores well with reviewers and becomes one of the best selling handheld games of the latter part of the year, thanks to its focus on a fan favorite and console-like gameplay.

    TeeVee

    A very strange action/visual novel game in which the player is in a house with multiple televisions. There are about 50 TV channels in all, each showing different kinds of programs, and the player is able to “jump” into the action and alter the events taking place. A very ambitious game but one that doesn't quite live up to its promise, especially thanks to the limitations of the handheld format which make the graphics and length of the TV programs quite underwhelming. It's one of those games that's more popular for its memetic potential than its actual gameplay, and it would pop up in a few popular online videos in the early 2010s, cementing its reputation in the gaming community. It would see some follow-up games in the form of smaller, digital-only titles, but it never gets a full sequel.

    Guild Of Glories II

    A sequel to the cult RPG hit from 2006, Guild Of Glories II is much like its predecessor, in which the player customizes their own protagonist, joins a guild (or multiple guilds), and goes on adventures for that guild in order to defeat an ancient evil plaguing the land. This game sees some graphical and gameplay enhancements from the original title, enough to help it get a better review score (around an 8/10), but sales stay fairly level. Still, it's a profitable game, and the developers would put more time and effort into the next games in the series, leading into an eventual console release.

    iPod Play:

    God Eater

    Namco's futuristic action RPG from OTL is created for the iPod Play ITTL, and plays fairly similarly to OTL's version of the game, with the player cast as a powerful warrior tasked with defeating the hordes of Aragami plaguing the planet. The game's release is part of an overall initiative by Namco to put out more games for Apple systems, thanks to the growing popularity of the iTwin and iPhone in Japan. Namco's not going Apple exclusive, but the company is developing a few games for the console and most of those games, including God Eater, get ported to the States. God Eater only rises to the level of a cult game in North America, but it does well enough in Japan to keep the series going.

    The Raid 4

    The hit FPS series for the iPod Play returns with a fourth installment. This game mixes things up with a brand new protagonist and a somewhat more serious set of missions, based on realistic missions from America's activities in Pakistan during the war against terrorism in the early 2000s. The shooting controls get a big upgrade as well, and there's also an increased emphasis on multiplayer. It's also one of the best looking iPod Play titles to date, and looks even better on the iPhone. Apple clearly wanted this game to improve upon the somewhat mediocre The Raid 3, and it does see a significant bump in critical reception and a small bump in sales, ultimately proving to be a mild success.

    Elpharia 2

    The sequel to one of the best RPGs of 2006, Triad Of Elpharia, Elpharia 2 features a brand new world and a brand new set of protagonists, but familiar gameplay and thematics to the previous title, with the developers hoping to build upon a good thing. The protagonist of Elpharia 2 is a female thief named Henna, who resents her magical sister Anna and the students of the magical academy Anna attends, as they are all training to become the rulers of the realm and to oppress those who don't possess magic. After an accident leads to Henna gaining Anna's powers and Anna becoming powerless, the two sisters must work together to uncover the cause of the power transfer, but eventually also work together to stop the injustices of their world. While not as well received as the original game (considered a handheld RPG classic and one of the best iPod Play titles ever made), Elpharia 2 is still a very good game. It gets some comparisons to Beyond Good And Evil 3, which coincidentally features a similar sister power-swapping plot, but ultimately has a more fantastical feel and dynamic between the two sisters, so it's not really considered by many to be a ripoff. It doesn't drive many iPod Play sales, but it does push a lot of copies in Japan, and even many North American players consider it to be the best handheld RPG of the year, competing with games like Tessera and Second Horizon.

    Multiplatform:

    Need For Speed: Shift

    TTL's version of Need For Speed: Shift, which came out IOTL in 2008, is very similar to OTL's game, which ditches the somewhat arcadey style of previous titles in favor of a more simulation-based approach similar to Gran Turismo 4 and Forza Motorsport. The game features dozens of real life cars, and players race on real life tracks to earn money and unlock more cars. The game looks quite beautiful from a graphical perspective, and the cars handle quite well. The game gets good reviews, but unfortunately it's somewhat overshadowed by games like Gran Turismo 4, Forza Motorsport, and Arabian Rally. It's released for the three main consoles and both major handhelds, and even gets a version for Android in 2010. The game sells quite well, but it's definitely not as successful as earlier Need For Speed titles.

    Scooby-Doo: The Haunting Of Beachtown

    This mystery/puzzle/adventure game is an attempt by Warner Bros. Interactive to create a AAA-style Scooby-Doo game, featuring the current voice actors from the animated films (Frank Welker, Mary Kary Bergman, Mindy Cohn, and Matthew Lillard) and a complex storyline surrounding a number of mysteries. Players will alternately control Freddy, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy at various points in the game, and even Scooby in some mini-games, and the game itself combines elements of detective games and action platformers as the gang attempts to solve a series of mysterious thefts and disappearances in a seaside town. The game is released for the Sapphire, iTwin, and there's even a condensed version for the Supernova. Critics generally enjoy the game, but they do find some of the gameplay repetitive and the storyline itself is criticized in numerous areas. Ultimately, it's not QUITE the hit that WB wanted, but it is considered one of the best and most successful games based off the Scooby-Doo franchise.

    Spaceport Akasynsis

    A space shooter game with some gunplay and giant robots, this game combines brief frantic hack and slash with methodical space shooter gameplay. The protagonist is a Buzz Lightyear-esque space hero who must battle a rogue soldier who's stolen a critical piece of weapons technology. Majestic and beautiful, it has some unfortunate bugs and problems but is a very ambitious game and well regarded despite its flaws. It's released on all three major consoles and sees its best sales on the iTwin.

    Syrielle: Eight Legs Of Adventure

    The first Syrielle game tailor-made for the HD generation of consoles, the game is somewhat of a “reboot” in terms of gameplay style and mood, though it keeps the continuity of the series intact. It's based more on the live-action Syrielle series, and even sees Jennifer Lawrence reprising her role from that series to voice Syrielle in the game. The game itself sees Syrielle and some of her friends visiting a mysterious government site in the woods, where Syrielle believes she may have gotten her spider powers from. The gameplay combines visual novel-esque segments with action/adventure gameplay in the tradition of the Zelda or Metroid series, in which Syrielle opens up new areas by establishing relationships with her friends, then obtains new powers from those areas that allow her to advance further in the story. The game definitely has more of a “girly” tone to it than previous series games, and seems to be aimed at somewhat younger players as well. Despite this, the game proves to be a mild commercial success, like previous games in the series, and keeps the franchise's reputation fairly strong.

    To The Bone: Escape

    A console sequel to 2007's handheld hit about a group of soldiers who battle an undead army of skeletons, this game sees one of those same soldiers imprisoned in a brutal underground city by more of the evil skeleton hordes, and forced to fight his way out. This is an FPS with elements of adventure and survival horror, and ends up being one of the better reviewed and more successful FPS games of the year, eventually selling over 1.5 million copies combined between the Sapphire and iTwin versions of the game.

    Transformers: Prime

    This Transformers game has nothing to do with the TV series and game from OTL of the same name. Instead, it tells the story of Optimus Prime and how he came to be a great Autobot hero by winning a war to save Cybertron from destruction. The game combines elements of action titles and mech fighting games, and features Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime, the game's protagonist. A fun and visually gorgeous title, it's one of the games Transformers fans have been waiting for. Despite the high production values, though, it's a bit of a disappointment, with a relatively short campaign and repetitive fights. The high production values save this game somewhat, but it gets only decent critical reviews. It does make a profit commercially, but it's not as successful as it could have or should have been.

    Assassin's Creed

    A handheld port of the original Assassin's Creed to the Supernova and iPod Play, this version makes some understandable compromises, including shrinking the cities and slowing down the framerate, but it's still a strong and mostly faithful port of the hit 2007 title, and a nice little companion game to Assassin's Creed II, allowing players to take the original game on the go with them. It sells decently, but with reviews only ending up around 7.5/10 (the original game wasn't all that well reviewed and this is a compromised version), it's not quite a blockbuster.

    Bargain City

    Bargain City is a handheld title for the Supernova, iPod Play, iOS, and Android. It's a shopping simulator/puzzle game in which the player must run their own stores, and operates somewhat like the OTL PC game Recettear, though it's a bit more forgiving and has a cutesy Western animation style aesthetic rather than an anime aesthetic. It's a fairly big hit on mobile devices, scoring big sales on the iPhone, but doesn't do quite as well on handhelds.

    Dome Of Paradise
    (Note: The following game idea was given to us by the reader Goldwind2!)

    Dome Of Paradise is a JRPG released for the Sapphire, iTwin, and Xbox 2, a rare case of an RPG making it to all three consoles and especially the Xbox 2, though that can be attributed to the game's somewhat lower budget compared to other RPGs of the time. The first half of the game takes place on an island enclosed by a dome. The people of the island have never known life outside the dome, but are led to believe that the realm outside the dome is paradise, as inside the dome, their resources are depleted. A group of adventurers goes on a quest, trying to find relics to destroy the dome while battling a dictator-like figure who seeks to stop them. Eventually, the dictator is defeated and the dome is shattered, but as it turns out, an army of demons waits outside the dome for the people to escape, and the adventurers spend the second half of the game trying to build a new prison dome to contain the demons. Much of the game consists of mini-quests and adventures unrelated to each other but used to advance the game's main stories, giving the gameplay and story a bit of a disjointed feel but also allowing the game to have lots of unique quests. Ultimately, Dome Of Paradise is considered a marginally well reviewed and financially successful game, carving out a niche in the wake of Final Fantasy XII to become a cult hit.

    Tank Girl 2

    The sequel to 2004's cult hit game based on the cult hit surrealist comic lands on the Sapphire and Xbox 2 this time around, and features gameplay much like the original, but also adds in some hack and slash elements. It features cel shaded-Borderlands esque graphics and the same irreverent humor, violence, and sexual innuendo as the original game, ramped up even further. The storyline sees Tank Girl and her friends trying to crash a club where slaves are being kept, and in the process they inadvertently start a war between pretty much every faction in post-apocalyptic Australia. Like the original, Tank Girl 2 is considered a fun and offbeat game. It also comes out for the two consoles that Bayonetta doesn't happen to be on, avoiding direct competition with that game. However, it still can't escape the comparisons to Apple's raunchy hack and slasher, and a not insignificant number of gamers decide to just fork over the $400 for an iTwin and Bayonetta rather than dropping $60 on the inferior Tank Girl 2. The series dies a quiet death, but Gearbox, which was involved with both Tank Girl and its sequel, has already moved onto bigger and better things.

    The Mask

    Based on the classic Dark Horse comic now owned by Acclaim, The Mask is nothing like the wacky movies or the animated series. Rather, it's full of the dark, violent humor of the original comic, and is a fully M-rated toonforce hack and slash game. The gameplay is similar to most hack and slash games, but rather than throwing kicks and punches, the player can unleash incredible weaponry and magic tricks on their opponents, including guns, bombs, giant hammers, green demons from the bowels of Hell, giant cartoon meteors, and other insane reality-bending techniques. Though the player can unleash some truly amazing trickery, they're a bit of a glass cannon, and always at risk of losing control by building up an Insanity meter in the corner of the screen. The plotline casts the player as mild-mannered Stanley Ipkiss, who finds the mask at a pawn shop and is transformed into a deadly and insane being known as Big Head. Big Head's antics draw the attention of the local mob boss, who tries to make Ipkiss' life a living hell once he finds out his identity. Both Ipkiss and Big Head are voiced by Matt Frewer, who, ironically, is said to have inspired a lot of Jim Carrey's comedic style. The Mask is considered one of the funniest games of all time with its ridiculous slapstick violence, though, like Tank Girl 2, it's somewhat overshadowed by Bayonetta, which is considered the superior game in terms of storyline and gameplay. Despite that, it carves out a decent niche in terms of sales, pushing over 2 million copies combined on the Sapphire, iTwin, and Xbox 2, and becomes a nice-sized hit for Acclaim.

    Counterintelligence 2

    Released on the Sapphire and iTwin, Counterintelligence 2 is the sequel to 2007's mild hit FPS title, and features two different agents than the original game, but similar stealth-shooter based gameplay. It builds upon the successes of the original game, giving the two agents charm and personality, with the protagonist being female and the counterintelligence rival agent being male, leading to a kind of Mr. And Mrs. Smith-type rivalry between the two. One of the better stealth games of the year, it achieves financial success on both the iTwin and Sapphire, and tops the original in both reviews and sales.

    Harbinger

    Another comic-based title published by Acclaim for all three major consoles, Harbinger is an action-based title about a group of teenagers gifted with powerful psionic abilities. The protagonist is Peter Stanchek, also known as Sting, who starts out as friends with another gifted psionic named Toyo Harada, but eventually breaks away with him once Harada reveals his plan to conquer the world and takes drastic steps to achieve that goal. The game's poignant story and strong production values are bogged down a bit by some gameplay stumbles (the game can't quite get the telekinesis physics right), and ultimately, Harbinger isn't quite the hit that Acclaim thought it would be. However, there's an Assassin's Creed-esque response from critics of “Maybe the sequel will fix the original's mistakes”, and thus Acclaim decides to give a sequel a chance after this one eventually turns a modest profit.

    Little King's Story

    A sweet little life-sim/strategy title for the iTwin, Supernova, iPod Play, and mobile devices, TTL's Little King's Story is fairly similar to OTL's game, revolving around a boy king with a magical crown that gives him the ability to make people follow orders, and uses them to build up his kingdom and set forth on adventures. It's a really adorable game and quite well received, though sales are initally slow. The game would become a popular digital and mobile title and a cult hit similar to OTL.

    Monster Wars Reanimated

    Another game in the popular cult RTS franchise about classic monster armies battling one another in ferocious animated fights, this spinoff for the iPod Play and Supernova goes fully cel-shaded and focuses heavily on ridiculous animation and cutesy monster designs, borrowing some elements from the Plants vs. Zombies aesthetic and adapting them to a somewhat addictive RTS. It's one of the most popular RTS games on the current generation of handhelds, achieving excellent reviews and decent sales, and doing even better when it comes to mobile in 2010.

    Scarlet Witch

    Based on the classic Marvel character, Scarlet Witch is an action-adventure superhero game about the titular heroine and her struggle to break away from Magneto, who has commanded her to attack a gathering of human world leaders. After self-sabotaging her mission and getting captured, Wanda must break free and convince her human captors that she's jumped over to their side, then team up with them to strike against Magneto and his powerful new ally. Intended to be somewhat of a toe in the water for a future AAA X-Men game, Scarlet Witch isn't expected to do as well as Harbinger, and does slightly worse commercially, but significantly better critically, becoming one of the biggest surprise games of the year.

    Three Wheeler

    Three Wheeler is a racing game in which little cartoon kids race on tricked out tricycles. Intended for the handhelds, the game also makes it to the iTwin in slightly enhanced form. Three Wheeler is popular not just amongst kids, but on the internet as well, thanks to its surprisingly well designed characters and its humor potential giving it high meme value. Sales aren't great but the game still turns a decent profit.

    -

    Top Selling New Console Games In North America (in terms of sales over the first four weeks of release):

    October 2009:

    1. Beyond Good And Evil 3 (Nintendo Sapphire)
    2. Duality (Apple iTwin)
    3. Final Fantasy XII (Nintendo Sapphire)
    4. Need For Speed: Shift (Nintendo Sapphire)
    5. Need For Speed: Shift (Apple iTwin)

    November 2009:

    1. Call Of Duty: Hostiles (Microsoft Xbox 2)
    2. Call Of Duty: Hostiles (Nintendo Sapphire)
    3. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition (Nintendo Sapphire)
    4. Squad Four Protectors (Nintendo Sapphire)
    5. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition (Microsoft Xbox 2)

    December 2009:

    1. Bayonetta (Apple iTwin)
    2. XR: Battle Ready (Apple iTwin)
    3. Counterintelligence 2 (Nintendo Sapphire)
    4. Counterintelligence 2 (Apple iTwin)
    5. Fullmetal Alchemist 2 (Nintendo Sapphire)
     
    • 2009 In Review/The Best Of The 2000s

    • RySenkari

    Despite Recession And Sales Decline, Apple And Nintendo Continue Their Success Over Busy Holiday

    The ongoing economic recession depressed holiday shopping by around 10% compared to this time last year, but you wouldn't be able to tell from sales of the Apple iTwin and Nintendo Sapphire, the two game consoles that saw strong sales during the busy months of November and December. Both the iTwin and Sapphire saw a slight sales bump compared with last holiday's performance, with the iTwin actually seeing a larger bump than the Sapphire, despite being a year older. This contributed to the iTwin scoring an overall holiday sales victory worldwide, beating the Sapphire by about 20% in North America, and finishing dead even with Nintendo in Japan, the first Western game console ever to achieve sales parity with a Japanese game console in that country during the last three months of the calendar year. Overall, the Apple iTwin has now sold a total of 45 million units, while the Nintendo Sapphire has sold just north of 30 million. Apple also saw a big sales bump for its iPod Play, the first year that the iPod Play has seen an overall sales increase since 2006. This can be partially attributed to the recently released iPod Play 3.0, which added touchscreen functionality allowing the system to play numerous iOS titles requiring touch controls. However, it can also be attributed to a strong lineup of games released during the past year, including Panzer Dragoon Metamoria and The Raid 4. The iPod Play was still outsold by the Game Boy Supernova in 2009, and has no hope of catching up to the Supernova in terms of overall units sold, but it remains the biggest handheld success story ever outside of Nintendo, and is one of Apple's best selling products ever, joining both the vanilla iPod and the white-hot iPhone as a pillar of Apple's handheld electronics lineup.

    It was another blue Christmas for the Xbox 2, which saw an extremely steep sales decline from an already rough 2008. The Xbox 2 only managed to capture about 12% of the overall console market worldwide during the last two months of the year, with the iTwin taking 47% and the Sapphire taking 41%. Most of the Xbox 2's sales were in North America, while the system has almost completely died in Europe and has been largely pulled from store shelves in Japan after multiple quarters of almost nonexistent sales. Consumers and industry analysts agree that Nintendo's Sapphire has filled almost every niche that the Xbox 2 used to occupy, and only exclusive franchises such as Cyberwar, Techno Angel, and The Covenant are keeping the Xbox 2 relevant in today's gaming market. Xbox Live saw a decline in subscribers from year to year for the first time ever, with Apple's SegaNet and Nintendo's Club Nintendo service both absorbing many of the cast-off users. Despite the release of several critically acclaimed exclusive titles, the Xbox 2 just couldn't turn it around, and rumors are swirling that Microsoft is ready to announce either the Xbox 2's successor or the end of the product line entirely.

    Top 10 Best Selling Games Of November-December 2009 Worldwide:

    1. Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    2. Pokemon LightSun And DarkMoon
    3. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    4. Final Fantasy XII
    5. Madden NFL 2010
    6. FIFA 10
    7. Duality
    8. Gran Turismo 4
    9. Squad Four Protectors
    10. Thrillseekers 2

    -from a Gamespot.com article, posted on January 21, 2010

    -

    Top 25 Best Selling Games Of The Year:
    (Note: Multiplatform sales are combined. Only console games are included. Includes pack-in and bundle sales. Includes all North American software sales between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.)

    1. Pixelworld
    2. Madden NFL 2010
    3. Grand Theft Auto II
    4. Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    5. Thrillseekers 2
    6. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
    7. Pokemon LightSun and DarkMoon
    8. Gran Turismo 4
    9. Super Mario World 4
    10. Duality
    11. Sonic: Elemental Friends
    12. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    13. Sonic Duo
    14. Pokemon Silver
    15. Super Mario Flip
    16. Killer Instinct 4
    17. The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods
    18. Squad Four Protectors
    19. Super Mario Dimensions 2
    20. Cyberwar 3
    21. Beyond Good And Evil 3
    22. Endotherm 2
    23. Assassin's Creed II
    24. Arabian Rally
    25. Final Fantasy XII

    -

    MTV Video Game Awards 2009:

    Game Of The Year:

    Assassin's Creed II
    Bayonetta
    Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    Final Fantasy XII
    Thrillseekers 2

    Handheld/Mobile Game Of The Year:

    Choppers
    Fairycross
    Sega vs. Capcom
    Super Mario World 4
    Twisted Metal Liquid

    Indie Game Of The Year:

    Eclectic
    Little King's Story
    Scribblenauts
    Seed
    Subordinate

    Action/Adventure Game Of The Year:

    Assassin's Creed II
    Bayonetta
    Beyond Good And Evil 3
    Duality
    The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods

    Epic Game Of The Year:

    Final Fantasy XII
    Full Metal Alchemist 2
    Night Comes To Venville
    Phantasy Star VIII: Beneath The Spectral Canopy
    Rainfall: The Gray Province

    Sports Game Of The Year:

    Gran Turismo 4
    Madden NFL 2010
    NBA Live 10
    Skate 2
    Thrillseekers 2

    Shooter Of The Year:

    Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    Cyberwar: Netizen X
    Eye In The Sky 2
    Techno Angel: Immortal
    Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition

    Best Graphics:

    Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    Killer Instinct 4
    Gran Turismo 4
    Rainfall: The Gray Province
    Thrillseekers 2

    Best Soundtrack:

    Duality
    Final Fantasy XII
    Jet Set Starlets
    Miami Vice
    Thrillseekers 2

    Best Storyline:

    Assassin's Creed II
    Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    Final Fantasy XII
    Night Comes To Venville

    Best Original Game

    Bayonetta
    Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    Duality
    Eclectic
    Night Comes To Venville

    Best Licensed Game

    Batman: Gotham Stories
    Carmen Sandiego
    Ghostbusters: The Video Game
    Predator
    Star Wars: Hyperspace Clash

    Best Competitive Online Game

    Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    Killer Instinct 4
    Madden NFL 2010
    SOCOM 4
    Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition

    Best MMO:

    Argus: The Rathstones
    Cinescape
    Champion
    Fairycross
    Ulvaren Knights

    Best New Character:

    Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
    Ezio (Assassin's Creed II)
    Jack Wood (Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts)
    Lilith (Final Fantasy XII)
    Rachel Salinger (Thrillseekers 2)

    Best Gaming Moment:

    Desmond Fights The Templars (Assassin's Creed II)
    Emma Saves Alex And Stacy (Thrillseekers 2)
    Gomez's True Identity (Eclectic)
    Lilith Defies Monado (Final Fantasy XII)
    Night Vision Gunfight (Call Of Duty: Hostiles)

    Best Voice Performance:

    Alyssa Milano as Lorima (Beyond Good And Evil 3)
    James Badge Dale as Danny Wilford (Call Of Duty: Hostiles)
    Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: Hyperspace Clash)
    Troy Baker as Jack Wood (Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts)
    Zelda Williams as Lilith (Final Fantasy XII)

    Best Personality In Gaming:

    Angry Video Game Nerd
    Guitar Hero Girl
    Markiplier
    Michel Ancel
    Shooty McShotgun

    Game Company Of The Year:

    Activision
    Apple
    Capcom
    Rare
    Squaresoft

    Most Anticipated Game

    The Covenant 4
    Dark Humanity
    Necrocracy 2
    Quake 5
    Super Smash Bros. Unleashed

    -

    James Franco: *hosting the 2009 MTV Video Game Awards alongside Ben Affleck* One of the biggest games of 2010 is Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Unleashed, where dozens of Nintendo characters will battle it out for supremacy.

    Ben Affleck: And here to show off some new footage of the game is the president of Nintendo, Mr. Satoru Iwata, and the creator of Super Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai!

    *Iwata and Sakurai take the stage, Franco and Iwata shake hands while Sakurai gives Ben Affleck a big hug.*

    Iwata: Thank you all for being here, we are honored to reveal more of Super Smash Bros. Unleashed at the MTV Video Game Awards for you.

    Sakurai: Yes, please enjoy!

    *The footage shows Captain Falcon in the Blue Falcon and Mario in his go kart racing in Mute City. All of a sudden, the sound of an ice cream truck can be faintly heard. It gets louder and louder, until suddenly, Captain Falcon is run off the road. Mario stops his go kart and looks around, and suddenly a missile blasts him up into the sky. A tricked out ice cream truck speeds over and comes to a stop, and a psychotic clown with flaming hair steps out. The crowd cheers wildly.*

    Needles Kane: *laughing* You will fear me!

    *Footage of Needles Kane battling with other Smashers is shown, including Needles punching and kicking fighters, shooting at them with a shotgun, setting them on fire with Molotov cocktails, and even getting into the Sweet Tooth ice cream truck and running fighters down. His Final Smash is then shown, consisting of Sweet Tooth running over everything on stage multiple times and then setting it all on fire to psychotic laughter.*

    *The addition of Needles Kane/Sweet Tooth is the seventh new Unleashed character reveal. Fulgore, Kamek, and Nero were shown off at E3 2009, and Wolf, Blizzeria, and Cindake were revealed in Sakurai's blog posts throughout the second half of 2009.*

    -from the 2009 MTV Video Game Awards, broadcast on February 23, 2010

    -

    Necrocracy 2: Massive Reveal At The 2009 MTV Video Game Awards

    The MTV Video Game Awards are always one of gaming's biggest nights, where gamers from all around get to vote on their favorite titles of the year. It's also a night that sees previews and reveals for future games galore, and this year's ceremony didn't disappoint. In addition to previews of games like The Covenant 4 and Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and the reveal of a new Smash Bros. Unleashed character in the form of Twisted Metal's Sweet Tooth, we also got a massive preview of Necrocracy 2, expected to be released later this year. It's perhaps the most anticipated game of 2010, continuing where 2007's Necrocracy left off, and Bioware looks to be pulling out all the stops for this one.

    The game takes place two years after the events of the original Necrocracy. Chicago is now a safe haven for the living and the friendly dead, while Latham and his girlfriend Cass continue to fight the good fight, battling back the zombie hordes that continue to dominate the planet. The zombie president, Fleshtear, has just been elected to another term, and is constructing a powerful new weapon to destroy humanity once and for all. Latham is tasked with finding out exactly where and what this weapon is, while Cass takes charge of finding more zombie defectors to sabotage Fleshtear's plans. Necrocracy 2 greatly expands the scope of the original game, allowing the player outside of Illinois for the first time. In addition to being able to explore the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, the player will gain access to a form of transportation that will allow them to explore other areas as well, including what looks to be a zombie infested Los Angeles. Cass, Latham's companion from the previous game, is now fully playable, with the player able to choose between Latham's path or Cass', with unique story options and NPC interactions available for both.

    The crowd cheered and gasped at the thrills and surprises present in the brief gameplay exhibition, including the inclusion of a terrifying new breed of zombie able to consume humans alive and absorb their knowledge and abilities. We also saw giant undead bugs and even a zombie on a biplane raining death upon the protagonists from the sky. The trailer's final reveal, that teased the death of either Latham or Cass, was also a massive shock, and whether it's just a fakeout or an ominous sign of things to come has yet to be seen. Of course, in the world of Necrocracy, death is only the beginning...

    -from The Forbidden Zombie's Necrocracy Blog, posted on February 24, 2010

    -

    Games Over Matter Awards 2009:

    Game Of The Year:

    1. Final Fantasy XII
    2. Night Comes To Venville
    3. Thrillseekers 2
    4. Techno Angel: Immortal
    5. Duality

    Best Graphics:

    1. Rainfall: The Gray Province
    2. Gran Turismo 4
    3. Thrillseekers 2
    4. Killer Instinct 4
    5. The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods

    Best Sound:

    1. Final Fantasy XII
    2. Thrillseekers 2
    3. Call Of Duty: Hostiles
    4. Beyond Good And Evil 3
    5. Mackinac Nightmare

    Best Gameplay:

    1. Duality
    2. Bayonetta
    3. Eclectic
    4. Thrillseekers 2
    5. Night Comes To Venville

    Best Thematics:

    1. Final Fantasy XII
    2. Techno Angel: Immortal
    3. Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    4. Night Comes To Venville
    5. Eclectic

    Most Innovative:

    1. Eclectic
    2. Duality
    3. Half-Minute Hero
    4. Carmen Sandiego (Mobile)
    5. Fat Princess

    Best Multiplayer:

    1. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    2. Duality
    3. Just Dance
    4. Choppers (Mobile)
    5. Divine Wrath 4

    Best New Character:

    1. Lilith (Final Fantasy XII)
    2. Emma (Thrillseekers 2)
    3. Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
    4. Jack Wood (Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts)
    5. Sabine (Techno Angel: Immortal)

    -

    Other Awards:

    IGN (Editor Top 10):

    1. Final Fantasy XII
    2. Bayonetta
    3. Thrillseekers 2
    4. Assassin's Creed II
    5. Night Comes To Venville
    6. Gran Turismo 4
    7. Eclectic
    8. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    9. Rainfall: The Gray Province
    10. Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts

    Joystiq (Editor Top 10):

    1. Night Comes To Venville
    2. Final Fantasy XII
    3. Gran Turismo 4
    4. Super Mario World 4
    5. Thrillseekers 2
    6. Duality
    7. Bayonetta
    8. Panzer Dragoon Metamoria
    9. Cyberwar: Netizen X
    10. The Mask

    Kotaku:

    Game Of The Year: Thrillseekers 2
    Runner-Up: Final Fantasy XII
    Finalists: Gran Turismo 4, Super Mario World 2, Duality, Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition, Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts, Techno Angel: Immortal, Night Comes To Venville, The Cosette Chronicles, The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods, Killer Instinct 4, Beyond Good And Evil 3
    Worst Game Of The Year: Fury Of The Killer

    Gamespot

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Action Game Of The Year: Bayonetta
    Adventure Game Of The Year: Beyond Good And Evil 3
    Shooter Of The Year: Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    Sports Game Of The Year: Thrillseekers 2
    RPG Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII

    Gaming Age

    Game Of The Year: Bayonetta
    Runner-Up: Duality
    Nintendo Sapphire Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    iTwin Game Of The Year: Bayonetta
    Xbox 2 Game Of The Year: Cyberwar: Netizen X
    iPod Play Game Of The Year: The Lord Of The Rings: War of The Ring
    Game Boy Supernova Game Of The Year: Super Mario World 4
    PC Game Of The Year: Night Comes To Venville
    Mobile Game Of The Year: Scribblenauts

    GameInformer

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Finalists: Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition, Thrillseekers 2, Bayonetta, Techno Angel: Immortal

    Blargo

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Runners Up: Night Comes To Venville, Gran Turismo 4
    Most Unexpectedly Good Game: Covenant Wars

    RPGamer

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Runners Up: Phantasy Star VIII: Beneath The Spectral Canopy, Full Metal Alchemist 2
    WRPG Of The Year: Night Comes To Venville

    GameBlast

    Game Of The Year: Duality
    Action Game Of The Year: Duality
    Adventure Game Of The Year: Savior Of Ammut-Ra
    Fighting Game Of The Year: Divine Wrath 4
    Platformer Of The Year: Super Mario World 4
    RPG Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Sports Game Of The Year: Madden NFL 2010

    Gamers' Blog Alliance

    Game Of The Year (114 blogs polled):

    Final Fantasy XII: 31
    Thrillseekers 2: 19
    Bayonetta: 13
    Duality: 11
    Eclectic: 8
    Night Comes To Venville: 7
    Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition: 6
    Gran Turismo 4: 5
    Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts: 2
    Techno Angel: Immortal: 2
    Super Mario World 4: 2
    Killer Instinct 4: 1
    Assassin's Creed II: 1
    Scribblenauts: 1
    Argus: The Rathstones: 1
    Just Dance: 1
    Androsia 2: 1
    The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods: 1
    Beyond Good And Evil 3: 1

    Australian Gamer (Editor Top 10)

    Game Of The Year

    1. Thrillseekers 2
    2. Final Fantasy XII
    3. Night Comes To Venville
    4. Cyberwar: Netizen X
    5. The Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Ring
    6. Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    7. Arabian Rally
    8. Beyond Good And Evil 3
    9. Super Mario World 4
    10. For God And Country: Confessed

    ScrewAttack (Top 10 Games Of 2009):

    1. Bayonetta
    2. Final Fantasy XII
    3. Metroid: Starfall
    4. Night Comes To Venville
    5. Duality
    6. Super Mario World 4
    7. Eclectic
    8. Thrillseekers 2
    9. Gran Turismo 4
    10. Assassin's Creed II

    Edge (Game Of The Year- Editors' Choice):

    Night Comes To Venville

    Famitsu (Game Of The Year- Readers' Choice):

    Winner: Final Fantasy XII
    Runner-up: Super Mario World 4

    X-Play (Editors' Choice):

    Thrillseekers 2

    Sylph (Editors' Choice Top 5 Games Of 2009):

    1. Thrillseekers 2
    2. Night Comes To Venville
    3. Beyond Good And Evil 3
    4. Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    5. Final Fantasy XII

    1up.com/EGM:

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Runners Up: Duality, Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    Most Innovative Game: Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    Worst Game Of The Year: Larry The Cable Guy's Backwoods Racing

    Destructoid (Top 10 Games Of 2009):

    1. Duality
    2. Final Fantasy XII
    3. Thrillseekers 2
    4. Gran Turismo 4
    5. Bayonetta
    6. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    7. Night Comes To Venville
    8. Savior Of Ammut-Ra
    9. Super Mario World 4
    10. The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods

    KidGamers (Game Of The Year 2009):

    Quixsters Evolution

    PowerGamer (Top 5 Of 2009):

    1. Final Fantasy XII
    2. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    3. Bayonetta
    4. Cyberwar: Netizen X
    5. King's Grave

    New Game Network:

    Game Of The Year: Thrillseekers 2
    Runner-up: Duality
    Best PC Game: Night Comes To Venville
    Best Presentation: Thrillseekers 2
    Best Gameplay: Thrillseekers 2
    Best Performance: Thrillseekers 2
    Best Multiplayer: Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition

    -

    Bill Gates Reveals Microsoft Phone, Set For Release Later This Year

    The much anticipated and long expected Microsoft smartphone is here, revealed by Bill Gates himself at a presentation showing off numerous other Microsoft products but featuring the phone. Called simply the Microsoft Phone, the phone will run on a new OS based on Windows, and will have all the familiar features we've come to expect from modern smartphones, including web browsing and a variety of games. The phone's specs seem comparable to the latest iPhones, with Gates promising it will be the most powerful smartphone ever when it's released, but that it will also retail for a competitive price. Perhaps the phone's most intriguing feature is its gaming capability: the phone will be capable of playing all of the latest mobile titles that aren't exclusive to iOS or Android. In fact, Gates announced that Microsoft has partnered with Google to bring most Android-exclusive games and apps to the Windows Phone. The partnership between the two tech rivals is an unexpected one, but it's likely that the two companies are making this deal to counter Apple's current dominance of the smartphone market. The phone itself won't feature Google apps or all Android functionality, but it is designed to work with, according to Gates, "the vast majority of Android apps currently on the market", making it for all intents and purposes an Android phone despite running a Windows-based OS. The phone will also be able to stream Xbox 2 games and content directly to the device, allowing Xbox 2 owners to play their games on the go. This is a similar feature to what Apple offers on their iPhone, which allows many iTwin games to be streamed and played on the device. Gates has also announced that the device will be able to download many Xbox "legacy" titles, including hit games such as The Covenant 2 and the original Techno Angel trilogy. The phone will come in two configurations: a normal phone configuration, and a "gaming" configuration including a slideout gamepad with all the buttons that can normally be found on an Xbox 2 controller. For those choosing to buy the vanilla phone who decide later that they wish to play with the gaming configuration, an optional accessory will be sold to allow the phone to pair with an attachable controller.

    While the phone can hardly be considered a portable Xbox 2, it's certainly the next best thing, and is likely to compete heavily with Apple's iPhone, which has succeeded in large part because of its ability to play current and classic Apple and Sega titles. Microsoft is also hoping that sales of the phone can either bolster sales of their flagging Xbox 2 console or perhaps bridge the gap between the Xbox 2 and a potential Xbox 3. It looks to be the most anticipated new smartphone launch of the year, and is likely to hit the market sometime this summer.

    -from a January 9, 2010 article on Kotaku

    -

    Where Is The iPod Play Successor?

    Since announcing in 2009 that a successor to the iPod Play handheld was "in the works", Apple has been almost completely silent about the device, while continuing to release a steady stream of games for it. A number of rumors are swirling around development of the system, which was rumored to be released sometime this year but now may be pushed back as late as Christmas 2011. Some of these rumors concern a growing rift between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Reggie Fils-Aime, the popular and highly vocal head of Apple's gaming division. These rumors focus on Fils-Aime's apparent discontent with Jobs' decision to push forward with a second revision to the iPod Play, a handheld that Fils-Aime believed was on its way out. Still other rumors focus on Jobs' "obsession" with outdoing Nintendo, after the Supernova gradually overtook Apple's handheld in overall sales. Jobs blamed the iPod Play's weaker overall specs for the system's sales decline and second place finish to the Supernova, and he wants the iPod Play's successor to be more powerful than Nintendo's upcoming handheld machine, despite not even knowing when that machine will be announced.

    According to one Apple insider, "Steve Jobs wants the iPod Play successor to be a distinct device from the iPhone, and for that reason, he wants to wait until he can produce a portable iTwin and sell it at a reasonable price. He doesn't mind selling a handheld at a premium, but if he had pushed forward with development in 2009, production costs would have been far too expensive to justify selling the iPod Play successor at less than $500, a price that would be impossible even for Apple to market successfully."

    Rumors that Jobs wants the iPod Play successor to essentially be a portable iTwin should be no surprise to anyone who remembers how heavily Jobs and Fils-Aime both were trying to push the iPhone's streaming capabilities. With current wireless internet speeds, not the iPhone's specs, being the main factor limiting iTwin game streaming, Jobs might just be ready to say "screw it" and make the next Apple handheld gaming machine just a portable iTwin with its own unique library of games. Speaking of the iPhone, its success may be another reason Jobs is choosing to wait to release a new Apple handheld game console: the iPhone has essentially been a stopgap between the iPod Play and its successor, selling well enough to essentially be the next portable Apple gaming console until the company can produce a powerful enough dedicated device. The iPhone currently occupies 85% of the smartphone market, and even with the upcoming Microsoft Phone expected to provide a serious challenge, is expected to dominate the industry for years to come.

    Everything coming out about the iPod Play's eventual successor is at this point just a rumor, and we may get a much more complete picture of the device at March's upcoming Apple presser, or E3 2010... or we may get nothing at all. The new Apple handheld gaming device is shrouded in secrecy, but whenever Jobs does finally reveal it, it's liable to be one of the biggest announcements of the year.

    -from a January 16, 2010 article on Kotaku

    -

    Interactive Entertainment Awards 2009:

    Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Console Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Computer Game Of The Year: Night Comes To Venville
    Action/Adventure Game Of The Year: Bayonetta
    Family Game Of The Year: Super Mario World 4
    Massively Multiplayer Game Of The Year: Argus: The Rathstones
    Handheld Game Of The Year: Super Mario World 4
    Racing Game Of The Year: Gran Turismo 4
    Role Playing Game Of The Year: Final Fantasy XII
    Shooter Game Of The Year: Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition
    Strategy/Simulation Game Of The Year: Nemo Propheta In Patria
    Sports Game Of The Year: Thrillseekers 2
    Fighting Game Of The Year: Killer Instinct 4
    Outstanding Art Direction: Final Fantasy XII
    Outstanding Vocal Performance: Troy Baker as Jack Wood in Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts (Male), Tania Gunadi as Suleka in Eye In The Sky 2 (Female)
    Outstanding Animation: Thrillseekers 2
    Outstanding Game Design: Final Fantasy XII
    Outstanding Gameplay Engineering: Eclectic
    Outstanding Innovation: Eclectic
    Outstanding Online Gameplay: Carmen Sandiego (Mobile)
    Outstanding Original Music: Final Fantasy XII
    Outstanding Sound Design: Mackinac Nightmare
    Outstanding Story: Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts
    Outstanding Visual Engineering: Gran Turismo 4

    -

    GameFAQs Best Of 2009 Polls:

    Best Of 2009: Best Sapphire Game

    Final Fantasy XII: 47.41%
    The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods: 23.60%
    Metroid: Starfall: 6.61%
    Beyond Good And Evil 3: 5.74%
    Squad Four: Protectors: 4.76%
    Killer Instinct 4: 4.06%
    Gran Turismo 4: 2.92%
    The Conkering Hero: 2.03%
    Star Wars: Hyperspace Clash: 1.97%
    Journey To Mysidia: 0.90%

    Best Of 2009: Best Supernova Game

    Pokemon LightSun and DarkMoon: 38.82%
    Super Mario World 4: 33.06%
    Dissidia Final Fantasy: 11.17%
    Shin Megami Tensei IV: 5.64%
    Squad Four Declassified: 3.53%
    Gran Turismo: 2.89%
    Kirby And The Fairy Circle: 1.47%
    Second Horizon: 1.32%
    Polymorph 2: 1.16%
    Killer Instinct: 0.94%

    Best Of 2009: Best PC Game

    Night Comes To Venville: 30.66%
    Rainfall: The Gray Province: 18.72%
    Machinarium: 17.31%
    Champion: 10.28%
    Argus: The Rathstones: 7.40%
    Nemo Propheta In Patria: 6.06%
    Football Manager 2010: 5.16%
    Subordinate: 2.16%
    The Cosette Chronicles: 1.58%
    F1 2009: 0.67%

    Best Of 2009: Best iPod Play Game

    Sega vs. Capcom: 26.53%
    Panzer Dragoon Metamoria: 24.28%
    The Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Ring: 17.14%
    Maya Fey And The Mysterious Library: 9.65%
    Shenmue Trilogy: 8.13%
    Shin Megami Tensei: Psychic Angels: 7.04%
    Power: 4.62%
    The Raid 4: 2.61%

    Best Of 2009: Best iTwin Game

    Bayonetta: 23.13%
    Duality: 23.07%
    Sonic: Elemental Friends: 16.17%
    Phantasy Star VIII: Beneath The Spectral Canopy: 14.38%
    Mega Man Next 3: 6.74%
    Dasho: A Young Man's Story: 6.13%
    Eclectic: 3.66%
    Return To Monkey Island: 2.96%
    Power 2: 2.27%
    Endotherm 2: 1.49%

    Best Of 2009: Best Xbox 2 Game

    Cyberwar: Netizen X: 25.34%
    Techno Angel: Immortal: 21.33%
    Covenant Wars: 19.25%
    Predator: 14.14%
    For God And Country: Confessed: 7.03%
    Forza Motorsport 3: 4.16%
    Spawn: Bloodlust: 3.25%
    Uprising: 2.99%
    Miami Vice: 2.05%
    Azurik 2: 0.46%

    Best Of 2009: Best Mobile Game

    Shining Force VI: 42.45%
    Fairycross: 21.36%
    Scribblenauts: 16.44%
    Carmen Sandiego: 14.31%
    Choppers: 5.44%

    Best Of 2009: Best Multiplatform Game

    Thrillseekers 2: 24.27%
    Full Metal Alchemist 2: 23.96%
    Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition: 18.08%
    Assassin's Creed II: 12.52%
    Call Of Duty: Hostiles: 7.64%
    Divine Wrath 4: 4.07%
    Street Fighter V: 3.56%
    Arabian Rally: 2.88%
    Crime Stories: Literary Ghosts: 1.63%
    Androsia 2: 1.39%

    Best Of 2009: Game Of The Year:

    Final Fantasy XII: 39.29%
    Pokemon LightSun And DarkMoon: 21.95%
    Night Comes To Venville: 13.74%
    Bayonetta: 7.16%
    Duality: 5.37%
    Thrillseekers 2: 3.95%
    Cyberwar: Netizen X: 3.04%
    Sega vs. Capcom: 2.79%
    Full Metal Alchemist 2: 2.16%
    Shining Force VI: 0.55%

    Best Of 2009: Game Of The Year (Final):

    Final Fantasy XII: 51.44%
    Pokemon LightSun And DarkMoon: 32.38%
    Night Comes To Venville: 16.18%

    -

    The partnership that currently exists between Google and Microsoft is simply a deal to make certain Android games compatible for the Microsoft Phone. The deal also includes a right of first refusal for certain Microsoft-held gaming franchises in the event that those franchises were to come to other consoles besides the Xbox line. Our deal continues to be a partnership to develop gaming hardware, including the Android-based game console we previously discussed. The Galaxy phone is an excellent product that continues to make headway against Apple's current dominant sales position in the smartphone market, and it's my professional belief that the Galaxy line of phones will ultimately prove out to be more successful than Microsoft's phone, due to its ease of application development and user friendliness compared to both Microsoft's upcoming device and the current model of iPhone.

    While I don't believe that hardware power is the most important aspect of a game console, it's important that our console is able to play most of the current games that will be available on the market once our device launches. We expect it to compete against the next iteration of Nintendo and Apple's home gaming consoles, so its technical specifications will need to be comparable to the expected specifications of those devices, while also allowing compatibility with the mobile aspects of the console. We've already entered negotiations with several anticipated third party software partners, a list of which is attached to this email.

    I don't expect Microsoft to release a successor to the Xbox 2, due to that console's current poor performance in the marketplace, but we should be ready if it does. If the Microsoft Phone is more successful than anticipated, it could heavily bolster the sales numbers for the Xbox 2 successor upon release, and even if the phone is not a success, Microsoft could well learn from its mistakes and come back stronger than ever. Again, I don't expect this outcome, but it has to be planned for nonetheless. Four major gaming consoles have never been able to successfully coexist in the market before, and if Microsoft releases a third home console, it will be even more difficult for our device to achieve success. However, our companies have both succeeded against highly capable competition in the past, and I expect our successes to continue into the future.

    I'm looking forward to seeing the latest specifications for the device, and seeing what suggestions we can make for its improvement. We're entering the final stages of early development now, and this is one of the most potentially profitable endeavors that Google has ever undertaken. I expect this partnership to be a continuing success, and I think this decade will be a most exciting one for both of our companies.

    -Larry Page, CEO of Google, from an e-mail sent to Samsung executives on January 31, 2010

    -

    GameRankings Top 25 Games Of 2009

    1. Bayonetta: 96.04%
    2. Final Fantasy XII: 95.67%
    3. Gran Turismo 4: 95.27%
    4. Thrillseekers 2: 94.71%
    5. Super Mario World 4: 94.22%
    6. Night Comes To Venville: 93.90%
    7. Pokemon LightSun And DarkMoon: 93.88%
    8. Beyond Good And Evil 3: 93.18%
    9. Techno Angel: Immortal: 92.98%
    10. Eclectic: 92.12%
    11. Panzer Dragoon Metamoria: 91.84%
    12. Eye In The Sky 2: 91.35%
    13. The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Of The Woods: 91.30%
    14. Quixsters Evolution: 91.13%
    15. Duality: 90.98%
    16. Savior Of Ammut-Ra: 90.94%
    17. Gran Turismo (Supernova): 90.93%
    18. Metroid: Starfall: 90.71%
    19. Arabian Rally: 90.70%
    20. Androsia 2: 90.48%
    21. Tom Clancy's Delta Force: Rendition: 90.33%
    22. The Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Ring: 90.23%
    23. Machinarium: 90.22%
    24. Killer Instinct 4: 89.72%
    25. Assassin's Creed II: 89.25%

    -

    January 1, 2010

    After the New Year's celebrations had ended and most of Patroka Epstein's family and friends had gone off to bed or had headed back home, Patroka herself sat in her wheelchair in her parents' kitchen, her dutiful older sister Lana close by. Patroka had spent the first full year since her paralysis trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. The Smart Squad had ended just a few weeks before, and Patroka was just about to start filming her first adult role in an upcoming HBO dramedy. The show was called Net Worth, about a cybersecurity team tasked with keeping up the business of an increasingly eccentric tech executive. Patroka had a supporting role, as the sardonic, quadriplegic girlfriend of one of the main characters of the show. Her character was a brilliant computer hacker, but with her physical abilities taken from her, she had to dictate instructions to the less skilled members of the team, and wasn't shy about insulting them when they messed up. It was a major departure from the sweet, quirky girl she'd played on The Smart Squad, but a role Patroka was sure to have a lot of fun playing. She'd also resumed her voice acting career, having started recording for Kairi again. She'd narrowly missed the chance to reprise her role in Kingdom Hearts III, but she would return to voicing Kairi for an upcoming handheld spinoff title that she couldn't tell anyone else about, even her sister. She'd also agreed to take a minor role in the next chapter of the Literary Ghosts saga, and would be resuming voiceover work for animation later that year.

    It had been a year of ups and downs, but mostly ups, as Patroka diligently worked to maintain her health, and even kept her dream alive of someday walking again, though for the movement she had to settle for the small amount of movement she'd regained in her hands. Any victory was a victory, no matter how small, and she had her loved ones to thank for most of those victories.

    "President Huntsman-" Lana began.

    "Asshole," Patroka immediately interjected, prompting her older sister to laugh.

    "You didn't even wait to hear what the story's about!" said Lana, showing Patroka the title of the newspaper article.

    "I don't care, doesn't change the fact that he's an asshole," Patroka replied.

    "President Huntsman Won't Oppose Stem Cell Research, Despite Objections From Own Party," said Lana, placing the newspaper in Patroka's lap for her to read.

    "Well, I already knew he wasn't in favor of banning it," said Patroka, rolling her eyes. "One of his few redeeming factors."

    "He re-iterated his opposition to banning stem cell research just this week," said Lana, giving her sister a chance to read the article fully before removing the paper from her lap. "I don't like him either, but at least he's not like some of the other guys in his party."

    Patroka smiled and shook her head.

    "Either way, I'm not expecting some miracle," she said, looking up at her sister. "The research is promising, but it usually takes decades for that kind of thing to produce meaningful results. I think nerve stimulation therapy is more promising myself, but I'm not a doctor, so what do I know?"

    "Here's what I know," Lana said, leaning down and kissing Patroka on the forehead. "You're the strongest woman I know and one day you're going to walk again. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but I know you will because you don't know how to quit."

    Patroka leaned forward, smiling and resting her forehead on her sister's chin.

    "Sis, I'm never going to be able to repay you for everything you've done for me these past two years. You put your career on hold to take care of me, even when I asked you not to..."

    "Don't ever think about repaying me. This is what a sister does."

    "But I... I'll never be able to do anything like this for you..."

    Patroka's voice quivered as she spoke, and Lana shushed her and kissed her on the forehead again.

    "Seeing you happy is enough. And seeing you walk again will be even-"

    The kindness and love in her sister's tone overwhelmed Patroka, and she began sobbing. Lana held her close, and held her until she cried herself to sleep. Then she gently wheeled Patroka to the bedroom, placed her in bed, hooked her up to all the monitors she needed to sleep safely, and stayed with her in the room until she too fell asleep, seated in a chair next to Patroka's bed.

    Someday, Lana Epstein knew she'd have to pick up her own life where it had been left off the day of her sister's tragic accident. Someday, she knew Patroka would find someone who could care for her just as well.

    She didn't know if her sister would ever walk again.

    But she would never let Patroka know that.

    -

    2009 was a year with no defining game, nothing like Necrocracy in 2007 or SimSociety in 2008. Instead, it was a year when the HD gaming machines got to truly flex their muscles, and while some franchises like Squad Four and Sonic stumbled, other franchises like Final Fantasy and Gran Turismo thrived, producing arguably the best games of their revered franchises. Modern stalwarts like Thrillseekers and Assassin's Creed put out excellent, multi-million selling installments of their own, and the handhelds also got in on the fun, with Super Mario World 4 and Panzer Dragoon Metamoria keeping the Supernova and iPod Play strong while everyone speculated about the next generation of gaming handhelds. Arguably, that next generation had already arrived in the form of the iPhone and other mobile devices, which had their best year ever as 2009 saw hit after hit on the mobile platforms, bringing the phone and the game console and the internet closer together than ever before.

    Apple's iTwin continued to thrive, thanks to new original hits like Duality and Bayonetta. While Sonic had an unfortunate off-year with Elemental Friends not being quite as well regarded as Sonic Duo, the game still sold millions of copies, keeping the Sonic name strong amidst some troubling indications that Apple was beginning to milk the blue hedgehog dry. The iTwin clearly established itself as the console to beat for the seventh generation, keeping its market share lead over Nintendo's Sapphire by the narrowest of margins, with signs that the gap was slowly beginning to widen. The Sapphire still remained a powerhouse, with brand new Zelda and Metroid games proving to be critical and commercial hits and allowing Nintendo and Sony's deep blue machine to flex its mighty muscles. Nintendo was losing, but you'd never be able to tell with how strong the console's lineup continued to be, and the generation wasn't even half over, giving the Sapphire plenty of time left to even the score.

    The brutal recession affecting much of the Western world was the defining story of 2009, but for the most part, gamers kept buying and playing games, if at a slightly reduced level from before. The downturn likely most affected the Xbox 2, which had dropped significantly in sales from the year before. Microsoft had needed a major hit to continue to remain a factor in the HD console wars, and though games like Cyberwar: Netizen X and Techno Angel: Immortal were critical darlings that sold millions of copies, they hadn't been enough to narrow the gap, or even to stop it from significantly widening. Even with The Covenant 4 still on the horizon and looking promising, the Xbox 2 was done, and Microsoft was getting ready to either move on to their next project or drop out of the race entirely. It was only a matter of time.

    On the PC gaming front, the increased prevalence of competitive and cooperative online titles was the dominant story of the year. Games like Riot's Champion, which allowed teams of six to battle it out in a world of magic and adventure, captured the eyes and free time of many, while Argus: The Rathstones proved to be the year's biggest new MMORPG. It couldn't challenge World Of Warcraft's dominance of the market, but did manage to carve out a small fraction of the paid-MMORPG market, enough to remain relevant, and subscription-based, into the next decade. There was of course always a place for traditional single-player fare, and the massively acclaimed Night Comes To Venville charmed critics and fans alike, emerging as one of the year's most popular games and launching somewhat of a cult phenomenon amongst its devoted group of fans.

    Gaming had entered the 2000s strongly, with Nintendo and Sega battling it out while Microsoft loomed on the horizon. It had ended much the same way, with Nintendo and Apple, who had assumed the legacy of Sega and had carried it, thanks to Steve Jobs' ambition, farther than Tom Kalinske ever could have dreamed, battling it out for supremacy, but this time, Sega, or in this case, Apple, had the advantage, albeit a slight one. And with Microsoft rapidly fading, things were coming full circle, with the new specter of mobile looming on the horizon as the two giants entered their third decade of duking it out. Of course, neither of them could see the new competitor slowly entering the race, in much the same fashion that Nintendo had transformed itself in the early 1990s: a successful tech company at the top of its game, partnering up with an electronics company known for quality and innovation. Would this partnership be as successful as the one Nintendo had forged, or would this new challenger too fade away?

    As we await the arrival of Google and Samsung's Nexus later this year, that question has yet to be answered...

    -”The History Of Console Gaming: Year-By-Year (Part 9)”, Wired.com, posted on July 17, 2012

    -

    Top 50 Games Of The 2000s (Destructoid)
    (Note: Destructoid's list, as IOTL, restricted games to one entry per series.)

    1. Beyond Good And Evil
    2. Half-Life 2
    3. Metal Gear Solid II: Children Of The Patriots
    4. Necrocracy
    5. Diablo II
    6. Metroid Darkness
    7. Blackheart 4
    8. Duality
    9. World Of Color: Millennium
    10. SimSociety
    11. Memory Hole
    12. World Of Warcraft
    13. Sonic Duo
    14. Final Fantasy XII
    15. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
    16. Sarasvati
    17. Powerbroker
    18. The Legend Of Zelda: Hero Eternal
    19. Valkyria Chronicles
    20. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
    21. The Dark Tower
    22. Killer Instinct 3
    23. Civilization IV
    24. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
    25. Thrillseekers 2
    26. Deus Ex
    27. Super Monkey Ball
    28. The Lobotomized
    29. Kingdom Hearts II
    30. Ikaruga
    31. Battlefield 2
    32. Commander Keen: A Stitch In Time
    33. Guitar Hero: Meet The Band
    34. Velvet Dark: Synthesis
    35. NiGHTS Into The Labyrinth...
    36. The Rede
    37. For God And Country
    38. Chrono Infinite
    39. Mystic
    40. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
    41. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
    42. Super Mario Flip
    43. Laika's Journey
    44. Vampire: The Masquerade
    45. Lash Out
    46. Amphysvena
    47. Dick
    48. Ken Griffey: Hall Of Fame
    49. The Lotherian Tome
    50. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
    -


    Top 50 Games Of The 2000s (Games Over Matter)

    1. SimSociety
    2. Civilization IV
    3. Final Fantasy XII
    4. Metroid Darkness
    5. Half-Life 2
    6. The Legend Of Zelda: Hero Eternal
    7. Beyond Good And Evil
    8. Blackheart 4
    9. Grand Theft Auto II
    10. Powerbroker
    11. Gran Turismo 4
    12. Pokemon Sun And Moon
    13. Super Mario Dimensions 2
    14. The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
    15. Pixelworld
    16. Beyond Good And Evil 2
    17. F-Zero
    18. Phantasy Star Online
    19. The Covenant 2
    20. Necrocracy
    21. Metal Gear Solid II: Children Of The Patriots
    22. The Lobotomized
    23. Night Comes To Venville
    24. Super Mario Ranger
    25. Chrono Infinite
    26. Velvet Dark
    27. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
    28. Fullmetal Alchemist
    29. Mixolydia
    30. Thrillseekers 2
    31. Super Mario Flip
    32. Panzer Dragoon Zeta
    33. The Covenant
    34. Carpathia
    35. Techno Angel: Immortal
    36. Duality
    37. Sonic Duo
    38. Encounter
    39. Killer Instinct 4
    40. Commander Keen: Worlds United
    41. Orphan: Face Your Destiny
    42. Star Siren Nakama
    43. Final Fantasy Online
    44. Dreamscape
    45. Ken Griffey: Hall Of Fame
    46. No One Lives Forever
    47. Soul Calibur II
    48. Thrillseekers
    49. Madden NFL 2003
    50. World In Conflict
    -


    Top 100 Games Of The 2000s (G4 Fan Poll)

    1. Necrocracy
    2. SimSociety
    3. The Legend Of Zelda: Hero Eternal
    4. Half-Life 2
    5. Super Smash Bros. Clash
    6. Metal Gear Solid II: Children Of The Patriots
    7. Blackheart 4
    8. Final Fantasy XII
    9. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
    10. The Covenant 2
    11. Beyond Good And Evil
    12. Grand Theft Auto II
    13. Pixelworld
    14. The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
    15. Sonic Duo
    16. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
    17. Super Mario Dimensions 2
    18. Powerbroker
    19. Chrono Infinite
    20. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
    21. Cyberwar 3
    22. Pokemon Sun And Moon
    23. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
    24. Velvet Dark
    25. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
    26. Grand Theft Auto
    27. Thrillseekers 2
    28. Metroid Darkness
    29. Rise A Knight II: Imperial Dawn
    30. Sonic Neon
    31. Tom Clancy's Delta Force 2
    32. The Covenant
    33. The Dark Tower
    34. Kingdom Hearts
    35. Civilization IV
    36. Guitar Hero II
    37. Memory Hole
    38. Metroid Homecoming
    39. Assassin's Creed II
    40. Rise A Knight III: The Sacred Oath
    41. Counter-Strike
    42. Grand Theft Auto: Miami
    43. Phantasy Star Online
    44. Gran Turismo 4
    45. Pokemon Alpha and Omega
    46. Final Fantasy X
    47. Cyberwar
    48. Super Mario Ranger
    49. The Lobotomized
    50. Chrono Break
    51. Mega Man Next 2
    52. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
    53. Star Fox: Heroic Universe
    54. No One Lives Forever
    55. For God And Country
    56. Virtua Fighter 4
    57. Super Mario Flip
    58. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
    59. Thrillseekers
    60. Silent Hill 2
    61. Metal Gear War
    62. Kingdom Hearts II
    63. Forza Motorsport
    64. Soul Calibur II
    65. Tales Of The Seven Seas: The Victorian Legacy
    66. Sonic Rover
    67. Alien vs. Predator
    68. Pokemon Black And White
    69. Deus Ex
    70. Metal Gear Peace
    71. Killer Instinct 3
    72. Beyond Good And Evil 2
    73. Encounter
    74. NiGHTS Into The Labyrinth...
    75. Resident Evil 4
    76. Super Mario Shades
    77. Commander Keen: Billy's Brave Odyssey
    78. Squad Four Upheaval
    79. Pokemon: Master Quest
    80. Metroid Revenant
    81. Medal Of Honor: Frontline
    82. Spider-Man: Hunted
    83. Final Fantasy IX
    84. Bully
    85. Panzer Dragoon Zeta
    86. Amok
    87. Need For Speed: Unleashed
    88. The Casino Job
    89. Velvet Dark: Synthesis
    90. World Of Color: Millennium
    91. Commander Keen: Worlds United
    92. Sonic Blaze
    93. NASCAR 2K2
    94. Battlefield 2
    95. Lash Out
    96. Duality
    97. Dead Midnight 3
    98. Beyond Good And Evil 3
    99. Into The Lost
    100. Dick
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 1) - A New Decade Of Games Begins

    • RySenkari

    It's normal for game companies to see January as a sort of "cooling off" period, a time when sales would be down from the holiday season, players would be catching up on titles that they missed out on from the end of the previous year, and it wasn't necessarily a good time to launch major new games. There were, of course, always exceptions to this rule, and in 2010, several companies chose to launch new IPs or highly anticipated franchise titles in the hopes of scoring big at the start of the brand new decade.

    The Nintendo Sapphire saw the launch of a brand new Nintendo IP, Mystery Of Skysoul. Its protagonist, a winged angel named Clyde, was compared by many Nintendo fans to Pit from Kid Icarus, but the game itself was more Zelda than Kid Icarus, as Clyde could descend from his home on the floating island of Skysoul to invade enemy dungeons, retrieve treasures, and save people who had been captured by the mysterious Gouls, a subterranean race of rock creatures who had arisen from the underworld to take over the realm. Clyde could find a variety of weapons, both laying around in chests and dropped by the Gouls, and the game even had rail-shooter segments in which Clyde had to battle his way to Earth or ride a vehicle inside one of the game's dungeons. With its 12 interconnected dungeons, each featuring a different theme, different enemies, and its own tough boss fight, Mystery Of Skysoul reminded some players of ActRaiser 2, Enix's attempt to take its famed action/sim series into the platforming realm. While Skysoul was nowhere near as difficult, it did share some thematic motifs, with each dungeon representing a different flaw in humanity. The game was fairly dark for a Nintendo IP, coming in at a Teen rating, though Nintendo itself barely had input into the game and it was actually developed by a new American studio called Interflux. Interflux itself wasn't owned by Nintendo, and Nintendo didn't opt to buy the studio at any point, though it did still maintain control over the Skysoul IP.

    The most hyped game of the month belonged to the Apple iTwin, which saw the launch of Downhill 2, the sequel to its acclaimed skiing-based launch title. The original Downhill was considered an innovator in terms of motion controls, allowing players to use the iTwin's dual controllers as if they were real skis to maneuver their way down slopes and pull off tricks. Downhill 2 featured improved graphics and improved motion controls, while also introducing a rudimentary storyline meant to capitalize on the success of Thrillseekers, which saw the protagonist (either male or female), befriending a pretty skiing instructor who helped them qualify for a tournament, only to run afoul of a group of arrogant skiing champs and end up in danger. The storyline was rather cheesy and silly, but also strangely endearing, thanks in large part to Ashlyn Selich's vocal performance as the instructor and the game's surprisingly strong musical score. January 2010 also saw the release of the latest game in the King Crab saga, King Crab: Too Clawsome! Apple leaned hard into the kid demographic with this game, filling the new title full of cheesy jokes, goofy characters, and features designed to ease the game's difficulty for new players. Despite all these additions, the game itself was a strong platformer, with creative level design and enemies that required a bit of strategy to defeat, despite the game holding the player's hand through some of these encounters. It wasn't quite as highly regarded as the recent Sonic games, but it did sell well, and along with Downhill 2 helped the iTwin to set a strong tone for the decade. On the iPod Play, Vectorman 3 proved to be a major hit, scoring the best reviews of the month for its brilliant action platforming throwback style. The game's updated graphics were gorgeous, and Vectorman had a huge variety of new moves, while the game saw the return of fan favorite NPC characters such as Vectorman's "love interest" Ellen. The orbot villains from previous games were discarded in favor of a brand new army of robotic foes that could adapt to the player's playstyle as levels progressed, meaning that players would be unable to frequently use the same moves over and over to win and forcing them to change up their strategies. Vectorman 3 did a majority of its sales on the iPhone, continuing to push Apple's mobile device market and showing that people were starting to prefer the iPhone as their handheld Apple device of choice.

    The multiplatform scene didn't see any significant hits, but did see a number of brand new IP launches from a variety of genres. The Yakimauga Horror, a survival horror game expected to be the month's biggest selling game, was a bit of a flop, scoring well in reviews but not doing so well amongst players burned out by Mackinac Nightmare, an equally good game with a similar premise of hunting down a killer force in a national park. Goodship Salvation, which came out on the Sapphire and iTwin, borrowed heavily from elements of strategy RPGs like Disgaea and western simulation RPGs such as Selene to create one of the more unique games of its day: a game in which the protagonist, a ship captain, must build relationships with the crew and passengers on a massive interstellar cruise ship, before building a party and deploying to planets to battle all sorts of interstellar villains. The game featured an anime aesthetic and never took itself too seriously, but scored great reviews and proved to be a hit niche game in North America an Japan. Then there was Sin Wagon, a racing/car combat game released for the Sapphire and iTwin. The game starred a female protagonist, Debby LaFleur (voiced by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks), and took place on a rural Route 66 town during the 1950s. The player, as Debby, had to acquire and customize a fast muscle car, then race against a variety of people in a series of races up and down the highway. In the meantime, Debby also investigated a crime ring, Dukes Of Hazzard-style, and even found love with a down on his luck mechanic. The game's rockabilly soundtrack and definite feminist undertones made it a surprise hit amongst a wide variety of players, with some calling it "Thrillseekers meets Dirty Doggs". Despite somewhat mediocre reviews, it became the second best selling new multiplatform title of the month, and launched a fairly popular franchise.

    The 2000s ended with a bang with games like Final Fantasy XII, Bayonetta, and Duality, and while the 2010s didn't start out quite as strong, the wide variety of successful games released in January 2010 sent an immediate message: if the game industry had anything to say about it, the 2010s would be the biggest decade for video games ever.

    -from a December 30, 2014 article on Games Over Matter
     
    • The Amazing Race, Season 16

    • rick007

    The Amazing Race: Season 16: More of the Last.

    Frankly this season and the previous season weren't exactly winners. Though I'm getting ahead of myself. This season was not the greatest to continue on, though considering the season before it, this one was brilliant. Though it must be said that this season and the previous one were the only seasons of the show not to win the Emmy for best Reality Show Competition, since that category began.

    This season was filmed between November and December 2009.

    The Cast

    Jet and Cord: Brothers and cowboys. They were easily one of the most popular aspects in an otherwise unpopular season. There are some aspects that I will touch on in the review section.

    Carol and Brandy: Dating couple. Brandy was an acerbic personality, though not without reason. They were most seen fighting with....

    Brent and Caite: Dating models. Normally I wouldn't mention this but her last name is Upton. No, she is not the same Kate Upton that has appeared in Sports Illustrated numerous times, with a film career she just started. No, this one (who's first name is spelt differently) is famous for giving a rather nonsensical answer at the 2007 Miss Teen USA Competition (she was Miss Teen South Carolina). And also apparently her and Brent broke up by the time this season started filming, which might explain the fighting.

    Louie and Michael: Cops and best friends. They drove me crazy. They seemed to just want to stir up trouble amongst the other teams.

    Jody and Shannon: Grandmother and granddaughter. They seem nice for all that we saw of them.

    Dan and Jordan: Brothers. Jordan's gay, Dan's straight. Dan made it clear from the start that he wasn't a fan of the show and that he hated traveling. The only reason he came on was to support his brother.

    Monique and Shawne: Moms and attorneys. They were a delight. They brought some much needed humour to the show.

    Dana and Adrian: Married high school sweethearts. A somewhat good team though not the most physically strongest.

    Jordan and Jeff: Dating. Fans of Big Brother already know these two. And the fact that they are not very bright. Like Allison and Donny in season 5, I feel that these two were forced on the show. Unlike Allison and Donny, I kind of like these two.

    Joe and Heidi: Married. The first married Asian-American team, Joe comes across as a jackass and Heidi a doormat. Though they aren't all that bad, first impressions are hard to shake.

    Steve and Allie: Father and daughter. They were one of the more fun teams on the show.

    The Race

    Leg #1: "I'm one fast Granny!"

    Original Air Date: February 14, 2010.

    Starting in Los Angeles, California, and getting $250, teams are told to fly to Santiago, Chile. On arrival, they have to take a bus to Valparaíso. Then, after a brief unaired stop at Wulff Castle, teams get to the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to cross a tightrope the length of a football field to the other side of the valley to get their next clue.

    Once done, teams have to ride a funicular to their next clue. I suspect that this next clue was a Detour but, for whatever reason, the show never labels it as such. Anyway, teams now have to pick up four paint cans, paint brushes and a ladder and find a group of painters next to a house the same colour as their paint. Then they have to paint a portion of the house to get their next clue. Teams then head to the Pit Stop: Palacio Baburizza.

    1. Monique and Shawne 10:22 A.M. Won a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia.

    2. Jordon and Jeff 10:33 A.M.

    3. Jet and Cord 10:58 A.M.

    4. Dan and Jordan 11:25 A.M.

    5. Steve and Allie 11:30 A.M.

    6. Brent and Caite 12:15 P.M.

    7. Joe and Heidi 12:47 P.M.

    8. Carol and Brandy 1:11 P.M.

    9. Louie and Michael 1:20 P.M.

    10. Dana and Adrian 1:36 P.M.

    11. Jody and Shannon 2:00 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #2: "That is one ornery cow!"

    Original Air Date: February 21, 2010.

    After receiving $200, teams are told to go to Puerto Varas, by bus, via Santiago. Once there, teams have to go to Isla Margarita, in Todos los Santos Lake in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park where they find the Detour: Llama Adoration or Condor Consternation. In Llama Adoration, teams go to a farm and put a basket and a scarf on a llama. In Condor Consternation, teams travel to a beach, put on shoes that resemble birds' feet and, using a hang glider like condor costume, glide to their next clue.

    Teams then have to make their way to Onces y Cabañas Bellavista, where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to get the ingredients for kuchen(a German cake. Chile has a lot of German immigrants apparently): a plate of butter, a bowl of sugar, a bag of flour, a baker's dozen of eggs and a cup of milk straight from the cow. Once they deliver the ingredients to the baker, they get a piece of kuchen and their next clue. Then it's off to the Pit Stop: Gruta de la Virgen in Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.

    1. Jet and Cord 11:15 A.M. Won a pair of sailboats.

    2. Carol and Brandy 11:36 A.M.

    3. Joe and Heidi 11:37 A.M.

    4. Brent and Caite 12:33 P.M.

    5. Dan and Jordan 12:45 P.M.

    6. Jordan and Jeff 12:59 P.M.

    7. Monique and Shawne 1:01 P.M.

    8. Steve and Allie 1:15 P.M.

    9. Louie and Michael 1:38 P.M.

    10. Dana and Adrian 2:03 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #3: "He has a good poker face."

    Original Air Date: February 28, 2010.

    Getting $180, teams have to go by bus to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. Once there, they have to go to El Boliche Viejo, where they will play a game of five card stud against the Travelocity Roaming Gnome. Yes really. Once they win the game they have to take the gnome, which has the next clue on the bottom, to Pena Gaucha where they run into the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to choose a station and lasso a target 18 feet away and drag it towards them. This causes Jet some degree of embarrassment when he doesn't get it on his first try.

    Next, teams have to go to Puente Nirihuau, where they get the Detour: Horse Sense or Horse Power. In Horse Sense, teams are given a set of coordinates from a bandit and, using a standing a stationary compass for navigation, find a bag of loot in the field. Then they have to give the bag to the lead bandit. If the markings on the bag match the coordinates they got they will get their next clue. In Horse Power, teams had to play polo on a wooden practice horse. If they could score a goal in nine strokes pulling the horse across the field as they do, they get their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Estancia Fortin Chacabuco.

    1. Jet and Cord 11:33 A.M. Won a trip to Patagonia

    2. Monique and Shawne 11:59 A.M.

    3. Brent and Caite 12:15 P.M.

    4. Jordan and Jeff 12:22 P.M.

    5. Brandy and Carol 1:00 P.M.

    6. Steve and Allie 1:01 P.M.

    7. Joe and Heidi 1:17 P.M.

    8.Dan and Jordan 1:36 P.M.

    9. Louie and Michael 1:47 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #4: "We're no longer in the Bible Belt."

    Original Air Date: March 7, 2010.

    Receiving $200, teams have to fly to Frankfurt, Germany. From there they have to take a train to Hamburg. Here, teams have to go to Jungfernstieg where they run into an Intersection (the first and thus far only time it's been used since season 11).The two teams are forced to go together to the Port of Hamburg where they have to do a Roadblock together. In this Roadblock, one team member from each Intersected team has to do a tandem bungee jump from a bungee crane. After this the Intersection is complete.

    Teams then go to a statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I at Altonaer Rathaus where they find the Detour: Soccer or Sauerkraut. In Soccer, teams go to the Adolf-Jager-Kampfbahn Stadium and kick a ball from the penalty mark in five targets in the goal. In Sauerkraut, teams have to go to the Alt Hamburger Burgerhaus and eat an entire plate of sauerkraut while a band plays the Sauerkraut Polka. If they aren't finished by the time the song ends, they have to start again with a new plate. Teams then go to the Haifisch bar where they have to share a boot of beer. Then they go to the Pit Stop: Outside the Indra Musikclub in Beatles-Platz.

    1. Monique and Shawne 4:30 P.M. Won two $5,000 preloaded Discover Cards.

    2. Steve and Allie 4:35 P.M.

    3. Jet and Cord 5:15 P.M.

    4. Jordan and Jeff 5:16 P.M.

    5. Brandy and Carol 5:40 P.M.

    6. Dan and Jordan 5:42 P.M.

    7. Joe and Heidi 6:01 P.M.

    8. Brent and Caite 6:07 P.M. NET ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.

    Leg #5: "Who's side are we on again?"

    Original Air Date: March 14, 2010.

    Getting $310, teams are taken by bus to Les Monthairons during the Pit Stop. Teams are then told to go to a local bakery where they have to buy a loaf of French bread with their next clue baked inside it. Teams then go to La main de Massiges where Brent and Caite have to face their Speedbump (reinforcing a WWI trench wall with branches) before they join the other teams for the Detour: In the Trenches or Under Fire. For both tasks, teams have to dress up like World War I-era American soldiers.

    In the Trenches requires teams to travel through the trenches to a telegraph station and decipher "We will prevail. Vive la France." from Morse Code and present it to the French Sergeant. Under Fire requires teams to move 100 feet under barbed wire to get "The war is over. Vive le Liberté." from someone in a foxhole and present that to the sergeant. Teams then have to travel south to the U-Turn (which no one uses) and get their next clue. Teams then have to go to the Church of Massiges. Here they have to change out of their WWI uniforms and into early 20th-century French bicycle riding gear (complete with fake moustache) and ride an antique bike four miles to the Pit Stop: Eglise Saint-Etienne de Wargemoulin.

    1. Steve and Allie 1:22 P.M. Won two 55'' HD TVs.

    2. Jet and Cord 1:45 P.M.

    3. Jordan and Jeff 2:01 P.M.

    4. Monique and Shawne 2:15 P.M.

    5. Carol and Brandy 2:43 P.M.

    6. Dan and Jordan 3:00 P.M.

    7. Joe and Heidi 3:11 P.M.

    8. Brent and Caite 3:59 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #6: "Why are we visiting a statue of Noah's wife?"

    Original Air Date: March 21, 2010.

    After getting $200, teams have to find a statue of Joan of Arc in front of the Notre Dame de Rheims and look for a woman playing a musical saw. The cork she gives them will lead teams to the Leclerc Briant Winery where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to rappel 100 ft into the chalk cellars of the winery and find a bottle marked with a red and yellow flag. Then they have to open the bottle with a saber for the clue.

    After this teams have to get to Chateau de la Marqueterie for the Detour: Tower or Terra. In Tower, teams have to stack 680 champagne coupes (glasses) 15 levels high with one at the top. Then they have to pour a magnum of Taittinger champagne onto the top of the pyramid, all without breaking a glass. In Terra, teams have to search a one square kilometer area of vineyards for a grape cluster with a red flag on it. Then teams go to the Pit Stop: La Maison Galice.

    1. Dan and Jordan 1:23 P.M. Won a trip for two to Cancun

    2. Monique and Shawne 1:34 P.M.

    3. Jet and Cord 2:05 P.M.

    4. Carol and Brandy 2:17 P.M.

    5. Joe and Heidi 2:34 P.M.

    6.Steve and Allie 2:57 P.M.

    7. Jordan and Jeff 3:19 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #7: "This is not what I thought it would be."

    Original Air Date: March 28, 2010.

    Getting $78, teams are told to fly to Victoria, Mahe, The Seychelles. On arrival, teams have to go to a kiosk outside the airport and take a number for a helicopter ride. The first three teams leave an hour before the last three teams. When teams land in La Digue, they have to find L'Union Estate, where they get the Detour: Turtle Toddle or Ox Trot. In Turtle Toddle, teams have to use a banana to lead a 100 year old, 500 pound turtle along a marked path. Then they have to deliver a bunch of bananas to a fruit merchant to get their next clue. In Ox Trot, teams have to pull a cart to a clearing and load it with coconuts. After hitching an ox to the cart they have to deliver the coconuts to the same fruit merchant as the other Detour.

    After the Detour, teams have to choose a boat and go to a marked buoy by St. Pierre Island where the captain will give them the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to dive into the ocean to retrieve one of seven bottles tied to the bottom. After getting to shore, teams have to empty the bottle's contents and put together the puzzle. It's the map to the Pit Stop: Paradise Sun Hotel.

    1. Steve and Allie 10:10 A.M. Won a dinner on the Seychelles beach, massages, all the 7-Up they can drink, and $7,000 each.

    2. Joe and Heidi 10:40 A.M.

    3. Monique and Shawne 11:13 A.M.

    4. Dan and Jordan 11:20 A.M.

    5. Jet and Cord 12:01 P.M.

    6. Carol and Brandy 12:12 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.

    Leg #8: "James Bond has got nothing on us."

    Original Air Date: April 4, 2010.

    Receiving $110, teams have to fly to George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Once there teams have to the Snake Temple, where they get the Detour: Buddhist Tradition or Chinese Custom. In Buddhist Tradition, teams make their way to Tien Kong Than Temple then carry a bunch of joss sticks to the top. After arranging them correctly, teams had to light them to get their next clue. In Chinese Custom, teams have to make their way to the George Town Esplanade and run participate in a Chinese New Year tradition by running the esplanade while balancing a large flag on their foreheads. If both team members do it without letting the flag fall, they get the next clue.

    Teams then have to go to Teluk Behang, where Carol and Brandy face their Speedbump. In this Speedbump, Carol and Brandy have to go to a spice garden, finding a woman crushing spices for tea. Then, entirely by smell, they have to pick the right prepared tea, which they have to serve to a guru in a swing. Once he finishes the tea, they can join the other teams at the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to prepare a traditional Hindu offering called a float. To do this they have crack open coconuts until they find one with coloured flesh, then build the float and give it the head priest who will send it out to sea. Then teams go to the Pit Stop: Pinang Peranakan Mansion.

    1. Jet and Cord 2:11 P.M. Won a trip for two to Maui, Hawaii.

    2. Dan and Jordan 2:33 P.M.

    3. Steve and Allie 3:02 P.M.

    4. Monique and Shawne 3:15 P.M.

    5. Joe and Heidi 3:19 P.M.

    6. Carol and Brandy 3:30 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #9: "It was a dumb day."

    Original Air Date: April 11, 2010.

    After getting $210, teams have to go by bus and train to Singapore. On arrival, teams have to go to the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, where they get their next clue from the host of The Amazing Race Asia, Allan Wu. Teams can go after the only Fast Forward: going to the Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel and use a ladder to climb from one capsule to another at the very top of the wheel (which Monique and Shawne do). Or do the Detour: Pounding the Drums or Pounding the Pavement.

    In Pounding the Drums, teams have to go to Speaker's Corner and learn a complex drum routine. Once they have learned it well enough, they have to perform it with a dance troupe to get their next clue. In Pounding the Pavement, teams have to travel to an area of Rochor Road and get chairs, an umbrella, a loaf of bread, wafers and 10 boxes of ice cream. Then they have to find a marked ice cream stall and sell 25 Singapore style ice cream sandwiches for S$1 each. Teams then have to go to Istana Park where the U-Turn is (which no one uses) and a clue telling them to head to the ASL Marine Shipyard. Here teams find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to count all 521 links in a chain while dealing with the noise around them. Then teams have to MegaZip Adventure Park, where they have to ride a 1,476 foot long zip line. After that, it's time to go to the Pit Stop: Marina Barrage.

    1. Monique and Shawne 11:07 A.M. Won a pair of motorcycles.

    2. Steve and Allie 12:17 P.M.

    3. Jet and Cord 12:30 P.M.

    4. Dan and Jordan 1:00 P.M.

    5. Joe and Heidi 1:16 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #10: "This is not something I want to wear."

    Original Air Date: April 25, 2010.

    Getting $190, teams have to fly to Shanghai, China. Once there, they have to go to Zhujiajiao where they run into a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to make a kilogram of noodles. Once they have been prepared correctly they will get the next clue from He Pingping, the shortest person in the world at the time.

    Teams then have to go to a fashion studio in Taikang Lu. There they have to match articles of clothing to a sketch they are given. After that, teams have to get to Hongkou Stadium, where teams run into another Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the team member who didn't do the first Roadblock has to put together a 96 piece puzzle then take it to fans in the bleachers. If put together correctly, they flip it over to get a seat number where their next clue is. Then they go to the Pit Stop: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, where they meet Bao Xishun one of the world's tallest men at the time.

    1. Jet and Cord 1:12 P.M. Won a trip for two to Alaska.

    2. Dan and Jordan 1:27 P.M.

    3. Monique and Shawne 2:09 P.M.

    4. Steve and Allie 2:20 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.

    Leg #11: "Getting the buns a good workout."

    Original Air Date: May 2, 2010.

    After getting $45, teams are told to go to the Waibaidu (or Garden) Bridge. From there, they have to get to Longhua Temple, where Steve and Allie must complete their Speedbump. This Speedbump requires Steve and Allie to throw coins into the top of a large incense burner in the temple. Then they can join the other teams at the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to go into the temple's Arhat Hall and count all of the golden statues (most of which are the Gautama Buddha). If they guess 523, they get the next clue. If not, they have to wait 10 minutes to try again.

    Teams then had to ride a motorcycle taxi to Yuyuan Garden, where they find the Detour: Pork Chops or Pork Dumplings. In Pork Chops, teams have to enter an art stone store and find look through hundreds of stone stamps called chops for two with a pig on it and one with their names on it. In Pork Dumplings, teams have go to the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, pick up ten orders of pork dumplings then deliver them around the market. Then teams go to the Pit Stop: Riverside Promenade.

    1. Monique and Shawne 3:07 P.M. Won a trip for two to the Spanish Coast.

    2. Jet and Cord 3:25 P.M.

    3. Steve and Allie 3:45 P.M.

    4. Dan and Jordan 4:05 P.M. ELIMINATED.

    Leg #12: "One last rodeo."

    Original Air Date: May 9, 2010.

    Gaining $220, teams are told to fly to San Francisco, California. On arrival, teams have to make their way to Battery Godfrey Park. Teams then have to solve a riddle that points them to Coit Tower, where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member has to climb the tower using an ascender, get their clue then get lowered to the bottom. Teams then have to go to the Yoda statue at the Letterman Digital Arts Centre.

    There one team member has to put on a motion capture suit, then their partner has to direct them through a virtual course based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The team member in the motion capture suit has to spin in a circle to get the clue to the Tonga Room. Once there, teams have to take a trunk to the Great American Music Hall. Here teams have to put the previous legs of the race in the order teams were eliminated in. Then teams are given the poem Jack Be Nimble with "candlestick" missing. They have to figure out that the finish line is: Candlestick Park.

    1. Jet and Cord WIN.

    2. Monique and Shawne PLACE.

    3. Steve and Allie SHOW.

    The Review

    Season 16 wasn't as bad as season 15, but it was down there. It's number 23 for me. Fans tend to agree with, me though oddly this season did produce one of the most popular teams to win the race in Jet and Cord. Though Dan and Jordan don't like them, mainly because they, apparently would spout homophobic slurs at them when they knew the cameras weren't on.

    This was also the first season of the show not to win Best Reality Show Competition at the Emmys. Still it did well enough in the ratings to get another two seasons. And I'll let you know how the first of those seasons goes next time.

    -Globetrotting: An Amazing Race Blog by R.C. Anderson on the website Reality Rewind, December 19, 2016.
     
    • BONUS: Thomas The Tank Engine Animated Series Season 1, Part 1
    • Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    "Entering phase two of the Awdry Cinematic Universe."
    - A Youtube Comment on an ad for an appearance by the Rev. W. Awdry's more obscure literary creation, Belinda the Beetle.

    "I was asleep the whole time, but I did hear my brother Oscar say he was going to Sodor. Is this my new line in Pole Land?"
    "What Land?"
    "I think he means Poland, Henry. And I'm sorry, Thomas. But I think you may have ended up in the wrong place."
    - Thomas (John Hasler) meeting Henry (Tim Whitnall), and Edward (Eric Idle), The New Shunter

    "I love the feeling when I blast down the mainline,
    Pulling my daily express!
    I'm making Sir Nigel Gresley proud,
    With my every day success.
    I call the Island of Sodor my home,
    A paradise where engines roam.
    Each have a color they call their own,
    But I know you already know what color I am...
    I'm big, blue, and proud!"
    - The intro to "Big, Blue, and Proud." Sung by Gordon (Kerry Shale), Thomas and Gordon.

    "Get of us two or four, or six, or eight!
    We'll shunt your trucks and haul your freight."
    -A part of "One Size Fits All." Sung by James (Rob Rackstraw), The Last Straw.

    "Well, Thomas, you are an odd engine. But I must say, you fry a good fish."
    -    The Fat Controller (Ringo Starr), Thomas Goes Fishing.

    *The scene opens to the first illustration of RWS Volume 2: Thomas the Tank Engine.*
    VO: First, he was a drawing.
    *The scene cuts to the first shot of the TV Show's first episode, Thomas and Gordon.*
    VO: Then, he was a model.
    *The scene cuts to Thomas pulling a row of trucks around a bend. Thomas resembles his CGI model that was introduced in OTL's Season 23. Visible safety valves are also placed on his boiler in front of his iconic whistles.*
    Thomas (John Hasler): Come Along! Come Along!
    VO: Now, see Thomas' story the way it was meant to be!
    *James and Gordon are shown at Tidmouth Sheds at night. The former is largely the same as OTL's Season 23 CGI Model, but now is painted black with red stripes, and has a tender similar to Edward's with the steps. The latter also resembles his S23 CGI design, but with more elements to make him look like a primitive Gresley Pacific, like a tapered boiler.*
    James (Rob Rackstraw): Is he (Thomas) alway this annoying?
    Gordon (Kerry Shale): I wish I could say no.
    *Cut to a montage of Alfred (98462), an LNER B12, and Cecil, an LNER B5 (87546)*
    VO: All the untold stories...
    Alfred (Tim Curry): That little tank engine really irritates me.
    VO: Then, his ultimate triumph.
    *Cut to Thomas taking James to the works.*
    The Fat Controller (Ringo Starr): You, Thomas, will have a branch line all to yourself.
    *The logo for this reboot shows. It's the same as the original Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends logo, but is now in more stylish colors. In the background plays the theme for the new show's theme: Go, Go, Thomas [1]*
    VO: Coming to your Cartoon Network.

    Ever since its announcement in 2010, the CGI reboot of Thomas the Tank Engine was highly anticipated by fans. Even more so when it was confirmed that Cartoon Network would be airing it at seven o'clock in the mornings, a perfect time for pre-school audiences and those going to work. The show would follow a general formula of a 30 episode season of 10-minute episodes. Season One was naturally the season where everything like the setting and most of the main cast is established.

    From the get go, the fact the writing team intended to make it closer to the books is evident. The engine characters look far more like actual British steam engines than mere toys. Though mostly in the form of extra details like safety valves, handrails, and rivets. Many of the engines are also painted in liveries from the Railway Series, notably James in his black livery from before Thomas and the Breakdown Train, and Henry in his blue livery from Edward, Gordon, and Henry until Henry and the Elephant. However, several liveries are also made up, such as Thomas being painted in a lighter version of the Southern Railway's green (to the point that it is more teal), with white lining.

    Premiering on January 14, 2010, viewers were treated to the beginning of the story. In contrast to most shows, the main character was not introduced in this show. Instead we got the episode "Edward and Gordon," an adaptation of the first half of RWS Book 1 "The Three Railway Engines."

    Edward & Gordon: The episode starts off as NWR #2 Edward (Eric Idle) laments how little he is used on the mainline anymore. Gordon and Henry tease him about it along with Steven (Keith Wickham), a red SECR 4-4-0, and two other blue engines; LNER B12 #98462 "Alfred" (Tim Curry) and the LNER K3 Mogul #87546 "Cecil" (Jeff Bennett). A blue GNR J6 Class engine named Rita (Kate Higgins) and a red MR Johnson 2F named Mary (Emma Tate) take pity on the old engine. Later, Henry (Tim Whitnall) has boiler problems, and Cecil is not allowed to pull coaches after an incident the day before. As such, Edward is given the chance to pull the suburban train to Wellsworth instead. The next day, as Edward goes to shunt at Wellsworth again, Gordon (Kerry Shale) boasts about the sight he will be when he passes by Wellsworth with the express later. But Alfred has tricked Steven into dereailing before he could take a goods so Gordon must take it instead. Gordon is furious, and complains loudly as he rolls through Wellsworth. Edward tries to reason with him, but Gordon just ignores him and keeps on going, eventually getting stuck on a hill. Edward is sent to help, and pushes Gordon up the hill. Edward is initially disappointed that he was not thanked, but forgets about it when his crew promise him a new coat of paint as a reward.

    The New Shunter: The writing team's first original story, and considered an excellent start to the Thomas the Tank Engine Saga. Picking up where Edward and Gordon left off, Edward has returned to shunting at Tidmouth when he overhears Rita taking to a new tank engine. The tank engine introduces himself as Thomas (John Hasler), coming from the Southern Railway as the number 113. He and his siblings had been built some time ago the replace the LB&SCR E2 engines, but they were shorter in length, much to the disgust of their E2 cousins, even going as far to mistreating Thomas and his brothers. Meanwhile Thomas' driver, Robert Johnson, is going for tea when he stops a runaway dog and gives it back to its owner, a blonde girl named Annie. As soon as Mr. Johnson returns to his engine, Rita agrees to show Thomas around. Thomas has a bad first day; he can't find his way around, he wanders into the path of mainline trains several times, and he is insulted by the big engines (Really Useful Engine). However, Rita is there to let him know things are not all the bad.

    Thomas and Gordon: Thomas is repainted in his iconic blue and yellow number 1 with red lining. He later comes across a "Coffee Pot" named Glynn, who is on a disused because he is too weak to pull goods trains anymore. Thomas is also told to arrange some coaches for Edward to take down to Brendam. Quick to oblige, he goes into a siding to pick up some coaches, five orange four wheeled ones at that. While he shunts them their ringleader, the flirtatious Marie, introduces him to Lola and Tara; as well as the oldest of the coaches, who are un-named. Remembering the girl who his driver bumped into at Knapford, christens the oldest coach "Annie" after the girl his driver helped the day before. But after he notices Henry being woken up by his whistle, Thomas starts pulling pranks on the various engines who insulted for bad-mouthed him. Gordon is the constant victim of Thomas' pranks, so he conspires for revenge with Alfred and Cecil, and the next morning he pays Thomas back by dragging him behind the express. (Big, Blue, and Proud) [1]. Afterwards, Gordon is scolded for starting off so suddenly, as is Thomas for his cheeky behavior. Thomas returns home and apologizes to the rest of the mainline engines, who are thankfully more forgiving than Gordon.

    Thomas' Train: After Gordon fooled him, Thomas begins to want to see more of the world. Having become fascinated with the change of scenery at Wellsworth. His chance comes when one day, Henry is unable to get steamed up and so Thomas gets his train ready. Whilst waiting, Thomas' fireman sees a woman named Clarabel fall down and helps her back up, and she kisses him in gratitude. Thomas is allowed to pull the train when Henry is unable to come, but in his excitement, he thinks he hears the guard blow his whistle, and Thomas leaves the coaches behind by mistake. In truth, it was a cruel prank by Alfred. He returns and fixes the mess, but is still teased over the incident. When stopping at Crovan's Gate, his fireman gets off to get some caffeine, and saves a red-haired girl from tripping off the platform and on to the tracks. As thanks the woman, who introduces herself as Clarabel, kisses him on the cheek. Later when James comes in with Marie and the other coaches, he christens the brake coach "Clarabel" after the woman.

    Sad Story of Henry: Henry has just received some upgrades to his design, and is happy until Alfred and Cecil freak him out by saying his new paint will wash off in the rain. Eventually it rains while Henry is pulling a local, so he panics and stops in a tunnel. When his crew confronts him, Henry insists that it will spoil his paint. The Fat Controller, who is on the train, makes some admittedly pathetic attempts to get Henry out. Even Mary, who came down with a passenger train of her own, can't get Henry to move. As a last resort, the Fat Controller decides to brick him up in the tunnel. Needless to say, Henry soon comes to regret his idiocy and is teased by passing engines.

    Thomas and the Trucks: With Henry trapped in the tunnel, the engines have to handle Henry's work as well as their own, which especially angers Alfred and Cecil. The Fat Controller has brought in another engine called James to help out, having bought him secondhand like most of the others. When it's revealed the his brake blocks are wooden, James (Rob Rackstraw) has to stand up for himself when Alfred and Cecil mock his inability to stop quickly enough. After Thomas' attempt at volunteering to help fails, Edward feels sorry for Thomas and lets him take his next goods train. Thomas does so, but gets pushed down the hill and nearly crashes (Troublesome Trucks). After the incident, the Fat Controller has Thomas and Edward restricted to Tidmouth yards so the latter can teach the former all about trucks.

    Edward, Gordon, and Henry: Thomas and Edward are allowed out of Tidmouth to take a goods train to the other end of the line because Cecil burst a safety valve. Meanwhile, Gordon is pulling the express once again and announces his intention to taunt Henry to the two blue engines. But before he gets to the tunnel where Henry is bricked up, his safety valve bursts. Edward is is too weak to finish the run on his own, and Thomas suggests having Henry take over. However, Henry becomes too nervous again when it starts raining, so Thomas volunteers to push him all the way to Vicarstown. During the journey, Henry admits to Thomas why he hid in the tunnel, with Thomas helping him overcome his phobia (It's Only Water) [3]. Thomas also insists that he tell the Fat Controller the truth about why he did so, to which Henry promises. Once steamed up, Henry helps Edward take the express to its destination, and the passengers thank him for helping out, as does the Fat Controller. Henry explains everything to him, and The Fat Controller decides to sort out Alfred and Cecil. He also tells Thomas that a museum near Crovan's Gate has bought Glynn and will be displaying him. Meanwhile, Thomas helps a now-humbled Gordon to Crovan's Gate Steamworks, where Henry has asked to be repainted blue duly as a symbol of gratitude to Thomas and so he'll be like Edward and Gordon.

    The Last Straw: At Wellsworth, Thomas is taking on water, and Alfred demands for his coaches - two of them being Annie and Clarabel. Thomas tells him to wait, but Alfred goes out and bumps the coaches violently. Along the way berating Thomas for his perceived laziness. He also insults James, who replies that he is the future of steam because while most of the bigger engines are too big and the smaller ones are too small, he is "just right" (One Size Fits All) [4]. Alfred then starts off in great haste at a criminally high speed. Cecil, meanwhile, bashes some trucks roughly at Knapford and causes them to derail on a crossover, which leads to a massive de-railment. The Fat Controller is furious with engines, and also to find that even before the crash, Alfred had made the clothes of people in the diner all filthy with food and drinks. So he takes away Alfred's name and demotes him to the Brendam Branch, then threatens Cecil with the same unless he cleans up his act. Thomas blames himelf, but the Fat Controller assures him that it wasn't his fault at all. Annie and Clarabel agree and want to work with an engine who is kind to them unlike Alfred.

    Thomas and the Breakdown Train: While working at the yard in Wellsworth, Thomas encounters Jerome (Hugh Laurie) and Judy (Gabrielle Glaister), the new breakdown train. Rita explains that they were bought in to help clear up derailments and other serious accidents. A few days later, James is prepared to take a goods train for Crovan's Gate, but the trucks push him down a hill, causing his wooden brakes to catch fire. He races past in the yards, and Thomas gives chase to stop James, but ends up failing when the black engine crashes into a field. Thomas then goes back to fetch Jerome and Judy to help James. The Fat Controller later praises Thomas for his quick thinking and so do the other engines later that evening. The Fat Controller decides to let Thomas operate the branchline from Elsbridge to Ffarquhar with Annie and Clarabel, who he also agrees to make Thomas' personal coaches. Then, he will also have Glynn rebuilt and shunt in Thomas' stead at Vicarstown. Some time later, Annie and Clarabel are given new paint and are happy to be working with Thomas, as is Glynn who is pleased to have a new lease on life. James returns in his iconic red soon after, and Thomas' crew start to date the two women who inspired the coaches' names. (Really Useful Engine, Reprise). As Thomas rolls out of Ffarqhuar, his image morphs into one in the style of C. Reginald Dalby as illustrations from the original books roll over the credits.

    James & The Coaches: The episode starts off as James returns from the works after his accident. He is now painted red, and also more confident and upbeat (Back In Style) [5]. Upon returning to Tidmouth, the Fat Controller gives him the job of working with Edward on a passenger train Henry was too ill to pull. James is excited, but while showing off to the passengers, he drenches the Fat Controller's new hat in steam. When he realizes this, he runs off early with Edward to the point they miss a station. The next day, James is threatened with being repainted blue if he doesn't behave. This makes James furious and rough with the coaches until a brake pipe is broken and has to be fixed with a bootlace.

    Thomas & The Guard: After his behavior in the last episode, James is shut up in the sheds. So Henry is ordered to take the first local train of the day instead. Meanwhile, Thomas is fed up with the mainline engines constantly running late (We're Late) [6]. So when Henry ends up late due to system problems, Thomas starts off quickly only to leave the guard. Thomas does not realize this until he is at a signal where the guard finally catches up.

    Thomas Goes Fishing: Thomas often sees people fishing in the river and wants to go fishing too. The other engines scoff at him but Thomas still dreams of doing so (Gone Fishing). He gets his chance when he discovers the water tower at Elsbridge is out of order and Thomas' crew fill him up with river-water. However, Thomas experiences pains and an inspector soon discovers some fish in Thomas' tank. They fish them out and have a supper of fish and chips. The Fat Controller tells Thomas to never fish again - Thomas heartily agrees. Before he leaves, the Fat Controller praises the driver for being and old fellow, but "frying a good fish."

    Troublesome Trucks: A few days later, James is let out when it is clear he is remorseful. As his first job out, he is to take a mixed goods to Vicarstown. While waiting for his train at Vicarstown, Mary warns James about the brakevan Dominic (The Spiteful Van) [7], who leads the trucks in making the lives of goods engines very difficult. Then, a little tank engine teases James about his incident [8]. Under Dominic's wheel, the trucks play tricks on James and break away on Gordon's Hill, but James tries again and with some support from Edward, gets the train to Killdane. The Fat Controller is pleased and allows James to keep his red paint.

    James and the Express: Despite his success with Dominic and his gang of trucks, James is still teased by Gordon and Henry. But James gets his chance to again prove himself when Gordon accidentally ends up on the wrong line and is forced to return to Knapford. James is rostered to take the express in the big engine's place. The journey goes smoothly and the passengers praise him, as does The Fat Controller (Somebody Has to be the Favorite) [9]. The latter promising James to let him pull the express again in the future.

    Thomas, Terence, and the Snow: While working on his branchline in the fall. Thomas meets Terence the tractor (Tom Stortoun) and makes fun of his caterpillar tracks. When winter comes, Thomas treats his snowplough awfully and it has to be repaired. They cannot fix it in time for his first train and Thomas, over-confident, recklessly charges at a snowdrift outside the tunnel and sticks there. He cannot get out, so a bus comes to take his passengers home and Terence pulls him and Annie and Clarabel out (Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover). Thomas apologizes to Terence and returns home.

    Thomas & Bertie: A few days after the last episode, while the snow begins to melt, Thomas meets the red bus from the events of his accident. The bus introduces himself as Bertie (Keith Wickham), and teases Thomas about being slow. Eventually, it turns out Thomas' driver and Bertie's owner are cousins, so they decide to have a race (Let's Have A Race). Thomas gains the lead at a level crossing, but Bertie then gets in front after Thomas has to stop to collect passengers and only stops to rub it in. Thomas gains the lead again after Bertie stops for a traffic light and although Bertie creeps in front, Thomas, with a burst of speed, rushes into Hackenbeck in style. Bertie congratulates him when he comes in and the two become friends.

    [1] A song from OTL's Special Hero of the Rails.
    [2] Loosely based on a fan song IOTL: Shown here.
    [3] A slow, orchestral piece based loosely on Henry's theme.
    [4] A song the borrows a bit of its beat from "In the Navy" by the Village People.
    [5] Essentially a MoTown-style fusion of James' original theme and the lyrics similar to "I'm Still Standing"
    [6] A frantic song similar in tune to the "We're Late" skit from Animaniacs.
    [7] A song similar to a mix of CB from Starlight Express and Mr. Mistoffoless from Cats.
    [8] Said tank engine is a German BR 08 0-6-0T. A reference to the Marklin model trains that were used as props in the original show's first season.
    [9] A song from OTL's Special Journey Beyond Sodor. But tweaked to portray James in a more positive light.

    NOTE: IOTL, Rita, Mary, Steven, and the proposal of a RWS musical re-adaptation are based on ideas from the DeviantArt user RailfanBronyMedia.
     
    Last edited:
    • The 2009-10 NFL Season

    • RySenkari

    Heading into the last season of the decade, the NFL found itself flush with young talent, but with most of that talent stuck on younger, poorly performing teams, while many of the perennially strong teams such as the Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Saints, and Bears remained dominant. The league was full of savvy veterans and venerable coaches, and the best teams remained the best, despite the league's hard salary cap forcing some free agent shuffling. Despite this, there was still plenty of room for younger superstars, such as Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and San Francisco's Sam Bradford, to make a name for themselves, and despite most of the best teams remaining the best, the season still proved to be an exciting one, with plenty of close games and explosive offenses.

    In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals went to war in the NFC North, splitting their two-game series and losing only three total games between them outside of head-to-head matches. They were clearly the top two teams in the conference, though the Colts and Patriots lagged close behind. The AFC East, with a rising Jets squad, a scrappy Bills squad, and a strong Dolphins squad led by Drew Brees, was arguably the best division in football (the NFC North had two excellent teams but the Browns stunk and the Ravens had an off-year). The Dolphins went 11-5, but ended up with the #6 seed thanks to the Bengals going 13-3 but still earning a wild card due to the Steelers being 14-2. The fact that the Bengals would be visiting the 10-6 Oakland Raiders in the playoffs led to some calls for playoff reform, but with the old traditionalists crowing that "Divisions have to mean something!", those calls fell on deaf ears.

    The biggest story in the NFC was the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys under rookie quarterback Colt Brennan, who was implicated in the biggest personal conduct scandal since Michael Vick after being accused of sexual misconduct with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Though Brennan would be cleared of wrongdoing, similarly to the OTL Ben Roethlisberger scandal, the scandal led to a massive distraction, and other off-field issues including drug use and injuries (Chris Johnson would miss the entire season due to the injury he suffered in last year's playoffs) led to a 6-10 season for the Cowboys. However, the New Orleans Saints had an amazing season, with Peyton Manning throwing 44 touchdowns and running back Matt Forte having an excellent season as well. The Saints would end up with the NFL's best record, 15-1, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Meanwhile, Brett Favre, in his last NFL season, would turn back the clock and lead the Green Bay Packers to a 12-4 record (he did have some help from the league's stiffest defense). The San Francisco 49ers would experience a bounce back season thanks to quarterback Sam Bradford, who led the team to a 10-6 record, and would help make the 49ers one of the best teams of the 2010s.

    -

    NFL Playoffs 2009-10:

    Wildcard Round

    (3) New England Patriots over (6) Miami Dolphins, 34 to 7

    Drew Brees just can't catch a break, as he once again found himself stymied by Belichick's defense and the Patriots' excellent play. Quarterback Donovan McNabb continued to lead his team up and down the field, while Brees ended up throwing three interceptions, including a pick six that made the score 21-7 and killed the Dolphins' momentum late in the first half. From there, it was all New England. The Dolphins managed to stop a couple red zone drives and hold the Patriots to field goals, but that was pretty much all they could do, and once again, the New England Patriots had the winning edge in the playoffs.

    (5) Cincinnati Bengals over (4) Oakland Raiders, 20 to 16

    The home underdog Raiders proved they could hang with the Bengals, but too many turnovers and missed red zone opportunities doomed them in this tight game. The Matt Ryan-Megatron connection had mixed success in this one, hooking up in the end zone once, but also leading to a pair of Raiders interceptions. The rowdy Raiders crowd heckled Ryan all game, and though the Bengals controlled things throughout, Oakland never let them get too comfortable.

    (3) Arizona Cardinals over (6) San Francisco 49ers, 55 to 3

    Matt Leinart and the Cardinals had an absolute field day, while the Niners had a nightmarish game that showed they weren't quite ready for the big time. The defending NFC champion Cardinals ran all over the 49ers, up and down the field while the defense forced four turnovers and kept the Niners out of the end zone. The Cardinals would head to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field with plenty of momentum, but would that be enough to overcome Favre and the elements?

    (5) Chicago Bears over (4) Philadelphia Eagles, 23 to 16

    This tight game between two of the NFC's best teams saw the Chicago Bears come out on top in a game that saw lots of tough play on defense but also some clutch offensive plays as well. Quarterback Tim Couch threw a good game, 289 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but just couldn't get the ball into the end zone except for one play midway through the third quarter. The Chicago Bears and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger struggled as well, but found the end zone one more time than the Eagles did, and that ended up being all the difference.

    Divisional Round:

    (1) Pittsburgh Steelers over (5) Cincinnati Bengals, 26 to 14

    The ferocious division rivalry continues, and the Steelers won the rubber match of this three game season series, winning big at Heinz Field when it counted, with four big field goals capping off four long drives. The Steelers dominated time of possession in this one, 38 minutes to 22, and that proved to be the difference, as Megatron can't catch footballs when he's sitting on the bench watching the Bengals defense. The Bengals played a clean and largely mistake free game, with no turnovers, but the Steelers' tough rushing game kept the potent Bengals offense off the field, and Pittsburgh once again advanced to the AFC Championship.

    (3) New England Patriots over (2) Indianapolis Colts, 33 to 17

    In all the excitement over the Steelers/Patriots rivalry, a lot of people forget that the Colts and Patriots play each other quite often as well. However, more often than not, the Patriots come out on top, and that was the case here as well. The Colts' Tom Brady, like Drew Brees before him, didn't have an answer for Bill Belichick's defense, and doesn't have as many weapons at WR as he used to with Marvin Harrison having retired and Randy Moss getting on in age. The Patriots won a mostly ho-hum game and once again will meet the Steelers in the conference championship.

    (1) New Orleans Saints over (5) Chicago Bears, 27 to 20

    This exciting game went back and forth, with neither team ever leading by more than a touchdown. The Bears drew first blood with a field goal, the Saints came back and scored a touchdown, and then the Bears answered with a touchdown of their own to end the first quarter ahead 10-7. The Saints would tie it with a field goal, the only score of the second quarter, making it 10 to 10. The third quarter saw a pair of field goals, one from each team, and then a late Bears touchdown to make it 20-13 at the end of the third. The Saints responded with a touchdown to tie it, then both teams drove down the field to the edge of field goal range, with the Bears electing to punt and the Saints missing a field goal with 3:20 left that would have given them the lead. The Bears made it down to about midfield before a crucial Saints interception with just 1:30 remaining, and scored afterward to go up 27-20 with 47 seconds left. The Bears tried valiantly to score, but couldn't, and the Saints survived a stiff test to win their 16th game of the year.

    (3) Arizona Cardinals over (2) Green Bay Packers, 41 to 38

    As good as the Saints/Bears game was, this Packers/Cardinals game was even better. Despite the cold, the Cardinals came out swinging, and took a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The Packers were forced to settle for a field goal, bringing it to 28-10 at the half. The Packers then scored a pair of quick touchdowns, but missed a 2-point conversion, making the score 28-23. The Cardinals then scored a touchdown to bring their lead to twelve early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals then got the ball back, and with 6:03 left on the clock, kicked a field goal to make the score 38-23. Brett Favre, in what would be his last game if the Packers lost, threw a mighty touchdown pass to quickly make the score 38-30 with around five minutes to go. The Cardinals marched down the field but had to settle for a field goal with just over two minutes left, putting them up 41-30. Once again, Favre made magic happen, throwing several great passes to lead the Packers down the field to score again, and this time, they converted the two points, making it 41-38 with 38 seconds left and no timeouts. The Packers came up with a miracle onside kick recovery, and Favre got his team to the Cardinals' 46 yard line with one second left. He fought his way out of a tackle and threw a Hail Mary pass, which somehow had the distance to make it to the end zone and almost into the hands of Jericho Cotchery, but a Cardinals defender batted it out of Cotchery's hands, and the ball fell to the turf, clinching the win for the Cardinals. Despite the loss, Brett Favre had gone out on his shield, and Packers fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the field in tears.

    Conference Championships:

    (1) Pittsburgh Steelers over (3) New England Patriots, 49 to 45

    For the second straight year, the Steelers and Patriots played an absolute classic in the AFC Championship Game, and indeed, this was a win of historic proportions. From the get-go, the Patriots dominated the game. McNabb was getting touchdowns on the ground and in the air, while the Patriots defense came up with two touchdowns of their own. The Steelers were getting absolutely blown out, the vaunted Steelers defense looked terrible and by the time the half was over, the Patriots led 42 to 7 and it looked over. There was talk of benching Aaron Rodgers, who'd thrown two pick-sixes, and Steelers fans were starting to leave. That's when Rodgers and the Steelers came to life, marching down the field twice for a pair of touchdowns, and shutting the Patriots out for the quarter, making it 42 to 21 going into the third. The Steelers scored again, but the Patriots milked the clock and managed a field goal, making it 45-28 with just over six minutes left. It looked like the Steelers comeback would fall short, but Rodgers made a quick score, the Steelers recovered an onside kick again, then charged down the field for another score to make it 45 to 42 with just 2:38 left in the game. The Patriots had the ball and ran the Steelers out of timeouts, but were looking at a 4th and 4 from their own 42 yard line with 58 seconds left in the game. Belichick decided, almost incomprehensibly, to go for it, hoping to get four yards and end the game then and there. But the Patriots were stopped just short, giving the Steelers and Roethlisberger the ball with excellent field position, and the Steelers capitalized with the game winning touchdown with just 10 seconds to go. Belichick went from being the mad genius to being "Bill Belichoke", the name that Boston papers would bestow on him in the weeks after the game, where his 4th and 4 decision would be questioned for years to come. The Steelers made it to the Super Bowl, completing the greatest comeback in NFL history.

    (1) New Orleans Saints over (3) Arizona Cardinals, 38 to 17

    In contrast with the AFC Championship instant classic, the NFC Championship was a fairly anticlimactic affair. The 16-1 Saints played like the best team in the NFL, blowing out the Cardinals at the Superdome and easily advancing to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals had an average day on offense, not making too many errors, but they needed more than an average day to beat Peyton Manning and the Saints, and Manning had four touchdowns and 350 yards, one of his best playoff performances ever. Super Bowl XLIV would see the NFL's two best teams going head to head, a matchup that seemed like destiny all season.

    Super Bowl XLIV:

    Pittsburgh Steelers over New Orleans Saints, 38 to 35

    In this dual of quarterbacks between Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers, it was a back and forth affair all the way as the two gunslingers duked it out for ultimate bragging rights following Rihanna's performance of the National Anthem (her first public performance since the tragedy at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade). The Saints took the early lead at 21-7, but that would be their biggest lead of the game, with the Steelers closing the gap just before the end of the first half to make it 21-14. The Who played an excellent halftime show, and then out of the locker room, the Steelers would tie the game on the first score of the second half, before taking a 24-21 lead with a field goal on their next possession. It was literally back and forth the rest of the way, with the Saints going up 28-24 at the end of the third, the Steelers answering with a score, and then the Saints retaking the lead 35-31, only for the Steelers to score the go-ahead touchdown with 2:41 remaining. Manning and the Saints were unable to respond, eventually turning the ball over on downs near midfield, and that was it: the Steelers had won the Super Bowl, and Aaron Rodgers had won his first ring.

    -

    2010 NFL Draft

    The Dallas Cowboys were once again looking for a quarterback, and Tim Tebow was the best on the board, having taken Florida to a national championship just a few months before. Tebow also boasted a spotless character record, something the Cowboys were eagerly looking for. However, at least one other team ahead of the Cowboys in the draft also needed a quarterback, and the Cowboys would ultimately be forced to trade up, giving up most of the rest of their draft and a couple of key veterans to snag him with the fourth overall pick, somewhat earlier than he'd been projected to go. The Cowboys were clearly going for broke with Tim Tebow and hoping it would pay off. Pick #1 would be Ndamukong Suh, who would go to the New York Giants, who'd struggled through a 3-13 season (though they'd done better than the Browns, who would've had Suh with the #1 pick if not for the continued Michael Vick sanctions). The Ravens had the third pick and snatched up Trent Williams to anchor their O-line. Rob Gronkowski, an intriguing prospect at tight end, fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the second round, giving Sam Bradford a crucial weapon he would need to take the Niners back to NFC prominence. In a sign that character concerns had truly reared their head in the NFL, Mr. Irrelevant that year was tight end Aaron Hernandez, who boasted first-round caliber talent but fell all the way to the bottom of the seventh round due to trouble with the law he experienced in college. Ironically, Hernandez was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and though the local papers did point out Hernandez' legal troubles, the Browns didn't take much heat for the pick considering Hernandez' place in the draft, as historically, the player chosen in that position was usually cut rather quickly.
     
    • Grammy/Oscar 2010

    • RySenkari

    2010 Grammy Nominees (winners in bold):

    Best New Artist-

    Chloe Wang
    Gennifer Lestrand
    Silversun Pickups
    Stefon
    Zac Brown Band

    (Note: The American Idol winner just barely made the cutoff for eligibility, releasing her debut album with one of the quickest Idol winner turnarounds ever and getting in just a couple weeks before she would've had to wait for 2011. Wang was victorious over both OTL's winners Zac Brown Band and intriguing 23-year-old British folk pop singer Gennifer Lestrand, who wasn't really considered part of the mainstream "girl pop" boom but was a critical darling for her insightful songs about life, love, and loss, and was considered a popular dark horse candidate for this award. Lestrand didn't win, but despite being on somewhat of the outside of mainstream pop, she'd remain a fixture on the musical landscape for years to come. Chloe Wang's win symbolized that the American-Asian pop fusion wave had truly begun to take over music, and Wang was at the forefront of this trend. While K-Pop and J-Pop acts were shut out of this year's Best New Artist category, at least one would make their way onto next year's list of nominees.)

    Song Of The Year-

    “Fallen Angel” by Outkast
    “In An Hour” by Taylor Swift
    “The Last Thing I Do For You” by Beyonce
    “Use Somebody” by Kings Of Leon
    “Where Are We?” by Gennifer Lestrand

    (Note: Beyonce was by this time a popular solo artist, just as IOTL, and her music was as popular and as acclaimed ITTL. She led the R+B charge against the bubblegum girl pop boom and did it with class and style, going head to head with Taylor Swift in this category while also battling it out with fellow critical darling Gennifer Lestrande. Her break-up song was contrasted with Outkast's "Fallen Angel", but Beyonce's song was far more popular, and this award wasn't really all that close.)

    Record Of The Year-

    “Cross My Heart” by Chloe Wang
    “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
    “In An Hour” by Taylor Swift
    "Rock Out (With Your Sock Out)" by P!nk
    “Use Somebody” by Kings Of Leon

    (Chloe Wang's "Cross My Heart" was an underdog in this category, as "I Gotta Feeling" was the overwhelming popular favorite and "Use Somebody" was the critical favorite and OTL winner. Amongst girl pop songs, Pink's badass anthem "Rock Out (With Your Sock Out)" was also considered somewhat superior to "Cross My Heart", but in the end, the technical wizardry and instrumental and lyrical fusion of Chloe Wang's infectiously catchy love song came out triumphant over the seemingly stronger competition, winning in a massive upset and combining with Wang's Best New Artist award to kick the 17-year-old popstar's career into the stratosphere.)

    Album Of The Year-

    Come Into My Parlor by Gennifer Lestrand
    Ode To The Good Life by Stefon
    Pacifica by Hikaru Utada
    The E.N.D. by The Black Eyed Peas
    Too Bad by Beyonce

    (Note: Chloe Wang's debut album was noticeably snubbed from this category, but Hikaru Utada's acclaimed crossover album Pacifica got a nomination, and would be going up against Beyonce's Too Bad in this category that saw J-Pop and R+B clash in a major way. Gennifer Lestrand's Come Into My Parlor, the most critically acclaimed album of the year, was considered another major contender, and even The Black Eyed Peas were front runners at one point, making this a highly competitive category. In the end, Hikaru never really had a chance, and The Black Eyed Peas' album wasn't quite popular enough amongst the critics to be in contention. It came down to a highly competitive race between Lestrand and Beyonce, and the final vote was one of the closest Album of the Year votes of the last decade, but Beyonce was the one to come out on top, giving a tearful acceptance speech in which she gave a shout-out to Lestrand before thanking her family and fans and even all the haters for motivating her to get this far.)

    -

    2010 Oscar Nominees (winners in bold):

    Best Picture-

    Inglourious Basterds
    Response
    Up In The Air
    Toy Story 3
    With Dearest Affection

    (Note: Unlike IOTL, there was no major controversy like there was with Wall-E and The Dark Knight, and so Best Picture remained a five film category, at least for the time being, and with movies like Toy Story 3 getting nominated, that wasn't likely to change any time soon. In fact, Toy Story 3 was considered a front-runner at one point, and many saw this category as being wide open. With Dearest Affection, a late-19th century period piece about a written correspondence between a noblewoman and a working class woman that turns into a tragic, unrequited romance, was seen as being somewhat of a dark horse in this category, but would ultimately go on to sweep all five awards it was nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction.)

    Best Director-

    Jason Reitman for Up In The Air
    Joel and Ethan Coen for Sales Pitch
    Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
    Sofia Coppola for With Dearest Affection
    Tom Hooper for Swellings

    (Note: As mentioned before, Coppola would take home the Oscar for With Dearest Affection, but she had to fight off some stiff competition, including iconic directors like the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino, and a surprisingly fierce challenge from Tom Hooper, who directed Swellings, a film about a mysterious murder in a small British town. Another award that was seen as being anyone's to win, Coppola's win came as somewhat of a surprise, but ultimately indicated that With Dearest Affection was going to be the Best Picture favorite as well a few minutes later.)

    Best Actor-

    Christopher McDonald for Sales Pitch
    Ewan McGregor for Swellings
    George Clooney for Up In The Air
    Leonardo DiCaprio for Response
    Morgan Freeman for Invictus

    (Note: With Jeff Bridges' performance in the butterflied OTL film Crazy Heart not a factor, this was seen as being a two-way race between Clooney and DiCaprio, though Ewan McGregor and Morgan Freeman both made strong cases as well, McGregor for his performance as a cunning detective, and Morgan Freeman for portraying the great Nelson Mandela. Christopher McDonald's performance as a down on his luck door to door salesman in Sales Pitch was seen as the dark horse in this category and pretty much had no chance to win. In the end, Leonardo DiCaprio came out on top for his tortured performance as a hostage negotiator suffering from crippling guilt in Response.)

    Best Actress-

    Amy Adams for Seaside Elementary
    Hayley Atwell for With Dearest Affection
    Helen Mirren for The Last Station
    Ko Shibasaki for Shinkansen
    Rosamund Pike for With Dearest Affection

    (Note: There were two major surprises in this category in terms of nominees, with Amy Adams' performance in the popular Seaside Elementary giving her a chance to become a repeat Best Actress winner, and Ko Shibasaki's performance in the psychological thriller Shinkansen earning an even more shocking nomination. Shinkansen, one of the most twisted films in recent memory, depicted a woman in the throes of a psychological breakdown aboard a Japanese bullet train, seeing hallucinations and completely losing touch with reality. The film, directed by David Lynch, ended up being an intensely polarizing cult classic film, and Shibasaki's nomination was seen as being sort of a bone thrown to Lynch and the film itself, which was so polarizing that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had probably the biggest argument in the history of their weekly show over the film's merits (Ebert loved it, Siskel DESPISED it). Helen Mirren was seen as the favorite in the category, as the sort of "elder stateswoman" amongst much younger competition, while Atwell and Pike, seen as the only threats to Mirren's win, were expected to split the vote. However, Pike emerged as the critical favorite of the two excellent starring performances in With Dearest Affection, and took home the surprising win.)

    Best Supporting Actor-

    Bill Bolender for Dr. Madness
    Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
    Dave Chappelle for Seven Sharp
    James Gandolfini for I Didn't Know Sunshine Could Burn
    Matt Damon for Invictus

    (Note: As IOTL, Christoph Waltz emerged the winner in this category, towering over the other performances, though Dave Chapelle's performance as a street-smart card player in Seven Sharp was seen as a popular dark horse in the category, and James Gandolfini's performance was considered formidable as well. However, it was Waltz who won for his performance as the despicable Hans Landa, and as IOTL, he gratefully thanked Quentin Tarantino for the opportunity to be in such a big movie.)

    Best Supporting Actress-

    Allison Scagliotti for As Gods
    Helen McCrory for Swellings
    Linda Cardellini for Up In The Air
    Renee Zellweger for Sales Pitch
    Scarlett Johansson for Response

    (Note: Allison Scagliotti's performance in As Gods, playing a troubled but good-hearted girl with incredible telekinetic powers, emerged as the standout from Roland Emmerich's surprise mega-hit, though her nomination was seen as almost as big a surprise as Ko Shibasaki's in the Best Actress category and she wasn't expected to win. Her presence did keep the Academy from nominating Anna Kendrick for Up In The Air, as it was felt that having two emerging young actresses in the same category would be overkill, and Kendrick's performance, while critically acclaimed, got bumped. It was Linda Cardellini in Up In The Air (taking the role that Vera Farmiga played IOTL) that captivated the voters enough to win. The most memorable moment of Cardellini's win was when she accepted her award from 2009's Best Supporting Actor winner Jake Busey, and the two whispered something to each other along the lines of "can you believe we're both Oscar winners?" before sharing a laugh.)
     
    • BONUS: Thomas The Tank Engine Animated Series Season 1, Part 2
    • Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    *The Fat Controller notices a Brunswick green saddletank, No. 50 (Percy). Percy notably resembles his model from OTL's Season 23.*
    "If I choose you will you work hard?"
    "Yes, sir! You'll never regret buying me in your life!"
    "Good. Now what can I call you? Spike...?"
    *No. 50 visibly cringes.*
    "Conker...? Hogarth...?"
    *The Fat Controller notices that No. 50 is still cringing. Then he remembers retrieving a little boy's yo-yo during his trip.*
    "How about Percy?"
    "Oh yes, sir. Please sir!"
    -The Fat Controller first meeting Percy (Nigel Pilkington), Trouble in the Shed

    *At Tidmouth Sheds, we see Henry feeling sorry for himself. He is still in his old shape, and resembles a smaller green version of Gordon.*
    "Maybe James is right. What if I don't work hard enough? Perhaps I should just let myself be scrapped."
    -Henry (Tim Whitnall)'s internal monologue before singing Why Couldn't I Be Better?, Coal

    "I've waited too long.
    Now I must act fast.
    To see that I don't.
    Come in place last."
    -    Intro to Time to Shine, sung by 98462 (Tim Curry), The Flying Kipper

    "I suppose that's what those bootlaces were for, to be ready?"
    "Ugh...."
    "I take that as a yes."
    -Toby (Michael Gambon) roasting James (Rob Rackstraw), Dirty Objects

    Narrator (Mark Moraghan): No matter how old Toby may be, all his friends have the same thing to say to him."
    Children Chorus: Oldies but Goldies, we still care for you...
    -The last line of Dirty Objects, notably the first time a reused song from the classic series was used in its unaltered form.

    "How is a rebuild like that possible? Or, *gulp* was it a rebuild?"
    -James (Rob Rackstraw) pondering what happened to Henry at Crewe, Gordon's Whistle

    "Donal', you dinnae think we'll ever bae scrapped, do yae?"
    "If that happaens, I'll bae going, not ye, Douggie."
    -Douglas (Ewan McGregor), and Donald (David Tennant) in their early bird cameo at the end of Gordon's Whistle.

    After the first half of TTTECGI's first season, The Hasthorne Family left to work on other projects. As such, HiT replaced them with Mike O'Donnel and Junior Campbell. Needless to say, the fans were sent into a seemingly endless tizzy. Around this time, the writing also improved, with more efforts to keep characters in balance.

    Number 50:     At a workshop on the British Mainland, the manager has scratch-built a new shunter to help his two existing ones, the red-painted saddle-tank King George and the Royal Blue side-tank Barney. The new engine is a little green one simply known as No. 50 (Nigel Pilkington) [1], and is built from designs for the GWR Trojan and 1361 Saddletanks. Then using some miscellaneous parts that the crew had fabricated for cancelled orders. However, the engine is much smaller and not as strong as King George and Barney. Which leads to him being mistreated by them, as well as the manager who regrets spending so much on an engine who wasn't as reliable as he hoped. No. 50 lives a dissatisfying life, his owner and the other two tank engines are cruel to him. In spite of this, No. 50 is a happy little engine, he is close friends with Molly (Maria Darling) , an GER Calud Hamilton who often pulls passenger trains to a station right outside the factory. No. 50 also gets along well with the engines that are built and tested on the factory grounds. Though he still yearns for a better and happier life outside the noisy and dirty factory (A Place for Me) [2]. One day, the owner of a fruit factory in Latin America comes to look for an engine to use on his line [3]. No. 50 tries his best to look presentable and be chosen. But when it seems that he'll get to leave, he ends up getting in an accident caused by Barney which damages his buffer beam. Which leads to King George and Barney being chosen instead.

    Trouble in the Shed: No. 50 is left to be repaired, when he meets an engine named Hiro (Hiroyuki Sanada), who was built for a planned standard gauge line in Japan, but was left stranded in the UK when it was cancelled [4]. Now, he sits in the workshop, but does dream of one day going to live on the Island of Sodor (The Island Song). Then it is revealed that King George and Barney got their comeuppance when they accidentally wandered into the path of an express, leaving No. 50 with the last laugh as he returns to work. Back on Sodor, the big engines refuse to get their coaches and so Edward is brought in to shunt for them. However, poor Edward is met with relentless hostility and so the Fat Controller goes to the workshop to look for a tank engine [5]. He has a hard time deciding one, as while all of them seem reliable workers (barring King George and Barney), they are simply not the best options. However, while surveying an engine that is currently meant to go to Africa, No. 50 accidentally bumps into said engine. The Fat Controller ultimately decides to buy him, and names him Percy after a boy whose yo-yo help helped retrieve before going to the Mainland. The big engines still refuse to shunt and fetch their coaches, so the Fat Controller shuts them up in the sheds and brings Thomas to work with Edward on the main line while Percy runs Thomas' Branch Line.

    Coach Trouble: Ever since 98462 lost his name, Cecil has been trying to be on his best behavior so that he doesn't suffer the same fate. Meanwhile, Thomas is ordered to use some new coaches on Henry's passenger trains. They are new ones, and immediately take a disliking to him being a tank engine. Which angers Thomas, and frustrates him so much he bursts a safety valve while entering Wellsworth. After this, the Fat Controller reluctantly has 98462 take over for Thomas while he works the Brendam Branch instead. Though after 98462 gets even more violent with them, he has Edward go. Edward ignores them whenever they insult him, but he does end up needing repairs to his coupling due to wear. Lastly, Cecil is rostered to take them, but he eventually gets so cross he doesn't care where he's going and rams into the back of Bridget's goods train. While Cecil is forgiven, he is warned. When asked, Edward explains to Cecil and Thomas that his trick was to just ignore them.

    Percy Runs Away: After several days in the sheds for being naughty, the big engines finally see sense and agree to get their coaches ready, so the Fat Controller lets Thomas, Edward and Percy play on the branch line. Thomas takes Annie and Clarabel for a run and Edward takes some trucks to Brendam, leaving Percy alone. He strays onto the points, and Gordon scares him when he rushes into the junction. Percy flees, and eventually, exhausted, runs in a sandbank. Gordon later commends him for preventing an accident and Percy becomes the brand new station pilot at Tidmouth.

    Coal: Ever since his stay in the tunnel, Henry has been feeling chronically ill and is having trouble making steam. While engines like Gordon, Cecil, and James are unsympathetic to him, Edward, Rita, and Percy feel pity for him, and Thomas and Bridget usually feel sorry for Henry when he doesn't make them late. The Fat Controller fears that he will have to be replaced if they cannot find a cure. Henry is left in an even more depressed state as he laments his condition (Why Couldn't I Be Better?) [3]. (During this, Henry imagines himself, in a reference to Christopher Awdry's lore, as a Robinson Atlantic). 98462 overhears this conversation and sees this as his possible change to shine again when Henry is sent away. Henry's fireman tells the Fat Controller that Henry's firebox is too small and cannot make enough steam. The Fat Controller arranges for some Welsh coal to be brought for Henry and as soon as he begins using it, Henry feels better soon.

    The Flying Kipper: Fishing boats often dock at Tidmouth and send their fish to be sold on a train dubbed The Flying Kipper. While Rita usually pulls the train, it is Henry's turn to take it, with his driver confirming that he may become the permanent secondary express engine if they do well. 98462 is furious about being left as he puts it, "neglected", and makes plans to get rid of Henry, ultimately seeing his chance when he learns that he will take a goods train that same night (Time to Shine) [6]. Henry makes good time (Night Train), until they encounter an incorrect signal they are unaware was caused by snow forcing it down. 98462 has tricked the signalman into thinking the line is clear, but he has actually stopped on the siding with his goods train. While his crew are drinking cocoa in the brakevan, Henry collides into 98462's goods, which does lead to 98462 being hoist by his own petard when the impact derails him. After the crash, Henry is sent away to the works at Crewe and comes back better than ever before, rebuilt in a fresh new shape and no longer needing Welsh coal. While Alfred is relegated to a purely goods engine as his punishment.

    Gordon's Whistle: After Henry returns to Crewe, everyone is surprised to see what has changed. Gordon on one hand is furious that he was rebuilt while he hasn't been converted into a Super Pacific like the rest of his Gresley brethren (Why Me?). Edward, Bridget, Thomas, Percy, and Rita are all happy to see him back. However, the main scope is when Gordon insults Henry about whistling too often. Only to end up getting his whistle jammed until a fitter comes to knock it back in place. This episode would become famous for the shocking events added after that. conversation between James, who took over for Gordon after his incident, and Cecil. During it, James asks Cecil if he noticed anything odd about Henry. Cecil affirms yes, pointing how that while Henry hated the rain in the past, that was because he didn't want his paint ruined while he know seems to fear the rain itself, and also points out that he is less cocky and has a deeper voice. They are visibly spooked, and attempt to laugh off their suspicions. James tries to pretend to think it was just a complex rebuild, but believes worse. Eventually, we see a shed at Crewe. As a familiar green engine stands at the entrance to a siding, it's buffered up to from behind. As soon as its on the siding, the engine is revealed to be Donald (David Tennant). As he goes back into the yards, his twin Douglas (Ewan McGregor) asks if they think they'll ever be scrapped. With Donald swearing if that does happen, he will be first to go for Douglas' sake. The fact old Henry never speaks at all leads to the shocking questions surrounding the new Henry. Most fans like to think that as much from the old Henry was recycled as possible.

    Scarves and Sneezes: Percy is cold one morning and expresses a desire for a scarf. Henry replies bluntly the engines don't need scarves, but Percy just teases him. Meanwhile, Henry is running through the Countryside, when some rude boys drop stones on Henry's boiler. His crew plan an elaborate revenge where Henry sneezes on them. In the ensuing sneeze, 98462 gets covered in soot as he is passing Henry. Which leads to him planning revenge once more. Meanwhile at Tidmouth, Percy goes to shunt some coaches, but approaches the platform so quietly that he runs over a trolley, scattering luggage everywhere. The Fat Controller, furious, seizes his top-hat off Percy's lamp-iron and sends Percy away with a pair of his trousers coiled around his funnel. Henry learns about this and feels sorry for Percy, and the two make amends that night.

    Toby and the Stout Gentleman: The Fat Controller and his family are feeling overworked as Summer Vacation begins for his grandchildren. So they decide to visit East Anglia and a clergyman (Christopher Awdry, in the first of several Stan Lee-esque cameos). While there, they go to visit a tram engine named Toby (Michael Gambon) and his coach Henrietta (Maggie Ollerenshaw). The two have seen better days, and Henrietta laments the low cargo levels compared to the past (Those Tramway Days). However, they cheer up when the Topham family ride on them at least once a day during their stay in the area. After they leave however, their tramway becomes less viable and eventually closes. At first Toby fears the worst will happen to him, but he soon learns the Fat Controller wants him for his own ends…

    Thomas in Trouble: Thomas is bringing some trucks down from a quarry when he surprises a policeman, who tells him he is breaking the law by going across a public road without cowcatchers and sideplates. Thomas is upset, and the Fat Controller has to leave his breakfast to talk to the policeman, who tells him he cannot change the law. A comment by Thomas makes the Fat Controller remember his holiday, and a certain tram engine. A few days later, Toby arrives to help at the quarry, and after he scares the policeman he and Thomas become friends (Toby).

    Dirty Objects: James makes fun of Toby and Henrietta for having shabby paint. When Toby makes a snide comment about bootlaces, James huffs off to get a "slow goods" train. He bumps the trucks so badly they are determined to pay him back. As he goes over Gordon’s Hill, the trucks push him down into a pair of tar tankers standing in the yard and Toby and Percy come to his aid. The Fat Controller congratulates Toby and Percy for their work, and promises Toby and Henrietta a new coat of paint (Toby, Reprise). Thomas and Toby becomes even firmer friends and Toby is guaranteed a new lease on life.

    Off The Rails: Henry and Percy tease Gordon repeatedly while he is in a siding resting. Then the big engine becomes even more grumpy after being told to take a goods train and his fire is slow, so Edward takes him to the turntable. Gordon attempts to "jam" the table, but instead breaks through a fence and slides into a ditch. Edward takes the special instead and Gordon is left in the ditch until nightfall when Henry and James finally pull him out.

    Leaves: Gordon is forbidden from taking the express after his incident and is relegated to goods work. Gordon is upset and grumbles to himself, but James just laughs at him (Work, Work, Work). To add further insult to injury, the Fat Controller reluctantly sends 98462 to take the Express instead. Later, Gordon tries to warn James that the hill is slippery from leaves. James simply laughs, but soon regrets it when the coaches drag him down the hill. However, Gordon takes pity and helps James up again.

    Down the Mine: After helping James up his hill, Gordon takes a slow goods at Knapford. When he is there, he gets teased by Thomas for falling into a ditch. Thomas carries on even after Annie and Clarabel rebuke him. Thomas then goes to the Lead Mines to shunt trucks. At that mine is a board warning engines to not pass a certain part of the complex. Unaware that it is because a mineshaft has made the ground unstable, Thomas concocts a plan to go past a "danger" board and falls through a weak spot in the ground. Gordon, who laughs when he finds out, comes to the rescue and on the way home, the two form an alliance (Forgive Your Friend) [7].

    Paint Pots and Queens: The Queen of England is coming to Sodor and everyone wants to be the one to go the mainland and pick her up (Will You, Won't You) [9]. Henry brags that he will be chosen to take the Royal Train, but these plans are soon put to rest when Henry disturbs a painter and a paint pot falls onto him. Meanwhile, Thomas and Gordon apologize to the Fat Controller for being silly and he allows Gordon to pull the Royal Train. On the big day, Thomas gets the coaches ready and Edward clears the line in front. The Queen meets all the engines and talks personally to Thomas, Edward and Gordon, but the latter feels proudest of all.

    Mrs. Kindley's Christmas: Mrs. Kyndley is an old lady who lives in a cottage near the line. Although she waves to Thomas every day as he passes, she falls ill and no longer has the energy to wave. A few days later, Thomas and Toby are rostered to doublehead a special train of Christmas Carolers to Knapford Cathedral (A Sodor Christmas Song). They make their way down from Ffarquhar when a dressing-gown waving from Mrs. Kyndley's window stops him. While the driver and a doctor go to see what the matter is, the fireman discovers that the gown was used to warn them about a landslide. The next day, Thomas, Toby, Henrietta, Annie, Clarabel and the Fat Controller go to the cottage to thank her. The Fat Controller offers her tickets to Bournemouth, where she recovers from her illness.

    [1] A reference to 1950, the publication year of Troublesome Engines.
    [2] Think Over The Rainbow + Sing Sweet Nightingale.
    [3] Has a similar composition to "I Want To Go Home" from OTL's Journey Beyond Sodor.
    [4] This is a reference to the original pre-war version of the famous Shinkansen. Which would have been a steam-hauled service run by streamlined 4-8-4s.
    [5] During the sequence, several engines from OTL's CGI series are portrayed. Such as Ryan (a Purple GNR N2 0-6-2T), Nia (An East African 2-6-2T), and Stanley.
    [6] A song like "No More Mr. Nice Guy" from the animated Swan Lake. I'm not using the actual name because it's too boring. Though the villain song in that film is not that bad.
    [7] 1960s style song akin to the original version of "We're Your Friends" from The Jungle Book.
    [8] A song from OTL's special The Great Race. But with many lyrics and characters changed.
     
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    • Winter 2010 (Part 2) - Psygnificant Developments

    • RySenkari

    Klepto: Double-Crossed

    Klepto: Double-Crossed is a stealth/action/puzzle title developed by Psygnosis for the Microsoft Xbox 2. After At Wit's End, the previous game in the series, was handled by a different studio, Psygnosis returned to make this game, which had a somewhat larger scale while also introducing a new storyline and canon for the series. The game itself is a fairly basic action title in which players control Klepto, the world famous thief who must steal from a variety of high-security locations and make it out again in one piece. Much more action-focused than At Wit's End, Klepto has a variety of moves he can use to incapacitate enemies and guards, though it's still preferable to avoid fighting whenever possible and use stealth to the fullest. There are puzzles in this game, though not as many and not as difficult as the ones in At Wit's End, with Psygnosis wanting to return the series to prominence by making a game that appealed more to mainstream gamers. This game sees Klepto running afoul of an organization known as The Luminence, which seeks to gain power by gathering up treasures and artifacts to use their wealth to fund a massive political empire. Klepto used to steal for the Luminence, until he stole an object called the Heart of Crystalia, something that allowed the Luminence to gain mysterious magical power. Klepto eventually befriended a woman named Melissa, who claimed to want to help him take the Luminence down, but in reality, she was working for them, and used the information Klepto gave her to acquire several valuable artifacts for them. Now, Klepto must take down the Luminence and find out why Melissa betrayed him, before it's too late to stop the world from falling under Luminence control. The game's storyline is actually brand new to Double-Crossed, referencing few if any events from previous games in the series, but being presented as if it's a storyline that has existed for quite a while. The game presents plenty of backstory to contrast with the game's current events, and ultimately, the story is explained in such a way that new players can jump right into the series even if they've never played a game in the series before, while old players can feel that a history is being respected even if much of the series' canon isn't mentioned. The game itself features 12 chapters, each split into anywhere from 2-6 different objectives, in which Klepto is tasked with stealing an object from a certain location or reaching a certain place, with most chapters ending with Klepto's escape from that location. He eventually learns of Melissa's motives, reconciles with her, and the two work together to take the Luminence down. The game's self-contained story somewhat feels like a "finale" to the series, but it does leave some plot threads open for a potential sequel, while proving to be the most complete game in the series to date and showing just how far the franchise has come. Klepto: Double-Crossed gets mostly positive reviews from critics, though a few are disappointed in the departure from the series' usual mechanics and gameplay. It would average around an 8/10, making it one of the better games in the series thus far, and is the best selling Xbox 2 exclusive of the first quarter of 2010, topping the earlier Shotty to become a bright spot in an increasingly thin lineup of Xbox 2 exclusive games.

    -

    Microsoft To Spin Off Psygnosis Into Independent Studio, Paving The Way For Cyberwar To Go Multiplatform

    In one of the most surprising pieces of gaming news to come out of this year's GDC, and a sign of the increasing turmoil at Microsoft's gaming division, the company announced that Psygnosis, which it purchased in 2001, would be spun off into its own company, separate from Microsoft but still making games. The news comes as Microsoft looks to streamline its gaming division in the hopes of remaining competitive with Nintendo and Apple, but Psygnosis, which created the Cyberwar series that has been one of the most lucrative exclusive Xbox franchises, has been extremely valuable for Microsoft, and the news came as a shock to a lot of people in the industry. As part of the deal, Psygnosis will retain the rights to the Cyberwar and Wipeout franchises, but Microsoft will retain a small cut of each purchase of those games for an undisclosed period of time. Microsoft may have spun off the company because in recent years, Psygnosis did become a bit of a money sink, with promotion and production of Cyberwar games and related media putting a large drain on the gaming division's budget, despite the success of the Cyberwar series. Last year's Netizen X was one of the top selling games of 2009, but still missed sales projections by between 20 and 30 percent, causing the game to turn much less of a profit than Microsoft was expecting. With Psygnosis now independent, Microsoft would no longer be obligated to financially support the series, freeing up funds to develop new IPs and perhaps to develop new hardware. The Cyberwar series now represents pure profit for Microsoft, which will gain a small portion of the sales revenue of each game sold, while also making Psygnosis an attractive target for acquisition by a larger third party company such as Activision or Ubisoft. Cyberwar 4, which was expected to be released next year, is now said to be targeting 2012 as a release year, with budget projections for the game rising, potentially to the level of a liability for Microsoft.

    Psygnosis is expected to announce a Cyberwar trilogy compilation which will likely see release on the iTwin and Sapphire, and Cyberwar 4 is expected to be released on those consoles as well, along with the Xbox 2 (assuming it's still around at that time). Psygnosis' recent game Klepto: Double-Crossed, is expected to remain exclusive to the Xbox 2, at least for the time being, and the company is also expected to continue production of the futuristic racing franchise Wipeout, which has been one of the more successful games in its genre.

    -from an article on Games Over Matter, posted on March 18, 2010
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 3) - Stellar Supernova Sidescrollers

    • RySenkari

    Burst Bang

    Burst Bang is a shooter/adventure/sidescroller for the Game Boy Supernova. Its gameplay can best be described as Metal Slug meets Metroidvania, with fast paced bullet hell shooter combat mixed in with some exploration and backtracking. The game's protagonist is a cybernetically enhanced soldier named Rogen who must do battle against an army that has enslaved and mechanized millions of helpless civilians into becoming combat cyborgs. To battle this army, Rogen must master a wide variety of weapons, from a basic blaster gun to multi-rocket launchers and everything in between. Rogen's journey takes him across an entire country to battle his way through enemy cities and encampments, which are depicted in a stunning 2 1/2-D style that definitely looks like a modern game but with some retro touches. Rogen has a life bar that can be depleted when enemies strike or shoot him, and the life bar is actually fairly generous, making Burst Bang not quite as tough as say, a Contra title, but definitely tougher than the average sidescroller. As the player progresses, they can enhance Rogen's weaponry and armor along with his statistics, while also acquiring different items for him to use. Players can only equip three weapons at a time, one in each of three different types, but discarded weapons that have been leveled up can be broken down for parts and money, making it not quite so painful to give up a favorite weapon. Weapons can also be equipped with different kinds of buffs that can be stored and carried over when a weapon is broken down. The game has a genuine progression system, though it's not experience-based but treasure-based, with the player gathering up items dropped by enemies and found in different areas of the stage in order to enhance Rogen's equipment and loadout. The game features limited voice acting, including narration and small, 5-10 second voice clips that play throughout, with a lack of cutscenes (all scenes instead play out via in-game rendering and dialogue, though there's not much of a story to the game itself). Players can rack up combos by shooting enemies in rapid succession or targeting weak points on larger enemies, which earns better loot and does more damage. There are also some items that enhance Rogen's movement abilities, which are used to navigate him to new areas with stronger enemies. Despite the adventure elements, this is definitely more of a sidescrolling shooter that plays out like most games in its genre: it's mostly just Rogen running from one end of a stage to the other, finding power-ups and destroying enemies in his wake. The main story takes him across six main cities, split up by occasional wilderness levels, with the cities themselves containing street environments, lab environments, market environments, and a wide variety of locations with different types of enemies in each one. The game's plot is mostly straightforward, but a major twist does occur later in the game, when Rogen finds out that his cybernetic enhancements were given to him by the army he's fighting and that his original mission was to capture people to give to the army, but that he broke free of his programming thanks to a hacker woman who's now one of the evil army's most dangerous cyborgs. Rogen is able to defeat her in battle and free her from the parts that were grafted onto her, but she is too weak from the process and dies in Rogen's arms, spurning him on to defend the Grand Mastercomputer, the game's final boss.

    Burst Bang is ignored by most gaming news outlets in the months leading up to its release, as most believed it would be just a flash in the pan sidescroller and a somewhat backwards game for the Supernova. However, upon its release, reviews are extremely good, praising the gameplay and graphics, while calling it one of the most addictive sidescrolling shooters in recent memory. It would ultimately be considered one of the Supernova's best games of 2010, enjoying an excellent critical reception and becoming a decent sales hit as well, while also influencing other sidescrolling shooters, inspiring both retro and modern-styled games.

    -

    Circus Freaks

    Circus Freaks is a sidescrolling 2-D platformer which features seven protagonists, each of them based on various types of circus performers. Players can choose between any one of the seven at the start of any given level or can switch between them at the different switching points in each level, and each has their own unique set of powers and abilities that cover a wide range of playing styles, including a high flying trapeze artist, a firebreather, a lion tamer who can use his powers to tame enemies and take control of them, a human cannonball with the ability to turn themselves into a living projectile, a juggling unicyclist, a clown who uses a variety of strange and colorful attacks, and a ringmaster who is a sort of "jack of all trades" character who can attack with a cane or create obstacles for enemies. These characters are all brought together by a powerful dark magic force called Voltex who has taken all the happiness and joy from children throughout the world, and only these seven brave circus performers can stop him. The game's art style is vivid, colorful 3-D, somewhat reminiscent of the Kirby series in both visual style and gameplay (though Circus Freaks is somewhat more difficult from a platforming perspective). The game's animations are designed to be amusing and funny the whole way through, and the game's soundtrack is a mix of whimsical and spooky. The story is told in the form of small cutscenes between stages and mid-stage skits as the characters encounter a sad child or a strange situation. Enemies range from mutant animals to living objects to mean humans, all of whom have their own funny animations and behavior, making parts of the game resemble a cartoon come to life. With a strong voice cast full of comedy oriented voice actors, including Dave Coulier, Tress MacNeille, Jess Harnell, and Cristina Pucelli, the characters are brought to life in a vivid, likable way, and Circus Freaks becomes known as both one of the weirdest and one of the funniest video games ever made. It even features a bunch of collectibles hidden throughout stages that open up additional funny sketches featuring the game's characters. Circus Freaks, unlike Burst Bang, did get a decent amount of hype before its release, and largely lives up to it, performing strongly in sales and amongst critics to become one of the Supernova's top platformers of the year. It's not quite up to Super Mario World 4's level, but it's a very popular exclusive for the Supernova and would spawn at least one sequel and some spinoff merch.

    -

    The Game Boy Supernova continues to be a strong performer in stores, and is expected to see dozens of great games this year. Its overall sales are on pace to reach 100 million, topping sales of the Game Boy Nova and perhaps even topping sales of all Nintendo's original Game Boy variants. However, that hasn't stopped Nintendo from thinking about what's next for them in the handheld arena, and with Apple making no secret that they plan on releasing an iPod Play successor fairly soon, Nintendo is looking for their next big thing, something that can top Apple's next handheld in both sales and technical performance, and we may have some idea about what Nintendo's next handheld could be like, from whispers about early development kits that are starting to go out.

    We're confident that Nintendo's next handheld console will follow the trend established by Apple devices and competing smartphones by having a touchscreen. Various third party software companies, including Squaresoft and Konami, have been exploring touch screen technology for their next generation games, likely to be able to function on Nintendo's next handheld. We've also heard that "connectivity" will be a big theme for Nintendo's newest handheld. In addition to being able to connect to the Internet (a function also boasted by the Supernova), this next handheld will also be able to connect with both the Nintendo Sapphire and likely its upcoming successor, opening up the idea of a Nintendo "ecosystem" to rival Apple and its connectivity between devices. Will owners of this new handheld be able to play Sapphire games on the go? Will the device have ports of Sapphire games that handheld owners and console owners will be able to battle against one another on? With rumors swirling that Apple's new handheld will be as powerful as the iTwin, don't be surprised if Nintendo tries to push a device capable of rivaling the Sapphire in power.

    The most intriguing rumor is that Nintendo's new handheld might just beat the iPod Play successor to market. This is all speculation, but with delays starting to plague Apple's new handheld, and Apple confident in the iPhone as a stopgap, Nintendo may have a chance to put their next generation handheld out first, scoring big points against Apple's upcoming machine. Unfortunately, we don't have any word about what, if any games are expected to be playable on it, but we expect a lot more console ports and a lot more games that show off the power of the new handheld. We're also expecting a release date of 2011, and don't be surprised if we see the new handheld released somewhat early that year, meaning that we might... just might get a tease of the new handheld at this year's E3.

    -from a February 27, 2010 article on Kotaku
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 4) - The Final Fantasy Legacy

    • RySenkari

    In many ways, Final Fantasy Online is the same old game that came out five years ago on the Nintendo Wave. All the familiar battle systems remain intact, and the world of Vana'diel is as big and as beautiful as ever. The gameplay itself hasn't been upgraded, apart from the many patches and tweaks that Squaresoft has made to the game along the way. However, the game's Nintendo Sapphire iteration is without question the preferred way to experience the world of Final Fantasy Online, for reasons that should be obvious to even the most casual MMORPG enthusiast, but that I will still detail here in order to do such a wonderful remaster justice.

    Final Fantasy Online on the Sapphire includes the original game, all the job and equipment DLC, and the two expansions: Legacy Of The Crystals from 2007, and Underworld Arisen from 2008. These two expansions taken together added 80% more locations and nearly 150% more missions to the original game, and for players who have only experienced that base version, it's like getting a brand new game all by itself. However, the Sapphire version also debuts a brand new expansion: Tempest Of Innostrata, an expansion that adds an enormous western sea, a huge new archipelago full of treasure islands, and another continent-sized landmass to the game, more content than either of the two original expansions, almost enough to stand as a full game world by itself. This new expansion also adds eight new jobs, hundreds of new missions, and thousands of new items and pieces of equipment. When taken all together, these three expansions add almost two and a half times more content to the original game, and make the Sapphire version of Final Fantasy Online a worthy purchase even for players who have literally seen everything there is to see on the original Wave version of the game. This new content will be exclusive to the Sapphire version for one year, after which it'll be added to the PC version of the game but will never be added to the Wave version. On top of all this new content, the game gets an enormous presentation upgrade, with vivid new HD landscapes, smoother battle animations, and the longest draw distance of any game on the Sapphire save for Final Fantasy XII. Speaking of Final Fantasy XII, this new Sapphire version of Final Fantasy Online adds some intriguing connections to XII that fans of that game will devour and that raise questions for a potential future expansion: might we see Lilith and her band of heroes enter the world of FFO at some point, in the same way that we've seen characters such as Cecil Harvey and the Four Warriors of Light make an appearance in other expansions?

    You'll be able to party up with your fellow players on the PC and even the Wave in the Sapphire version, though don't expect to be able to play through any of the new content with them: if you're partied with any PC or Wave players, you'll be gated off from any of the Tempest of Innostrata content, though the PC and Wave versions will be patched to include parameters for the new equipment and job classes, so you won't have to change back to a boring old Bard to play with your last-gen buddies. As it pertains to PC versions of the game, obviously FFO players running on higher-end rigs will still get a better graphical experience in most ways, though the way the game has been optimized for the Sapphire means that a surprising percentage of the game will always look better on the Sapphire, at least until the PC version is patched with the new graphical assets. The Sapphire's improved online architecture also means that it'll be easier to party up with your friends, with FFO including a feature that allows you to keep track of your friends on the PC version as well, but only if they're playing at the time.

    (...)

    Squaresoft is doing Final Fantasy Online players a massive service by porting the game to new hardware, but this likely means that it's still going to be a while before we get a true sequel, and if we do get a sequel, it may not be on the Sapphire. Final Fantasy Online remains one of the biggest and most fully-featured MMORPGs on the market, and even though a few newer games with improved quality of life and even the ability to play for free (Squaresoft still charges $10 a month for Final Fantasy Online) have appeared on the scene, Final Fantasy Online remains one of the best games in its genre. Squaresoft has been diligent in keeping the world and gameplay up to the standards of a modern MMORPG, and is likely to continue updating the game well into the future. It remains the second most popular MMORPG on the market, trailing just behind World Of Warcraft, and with new players joining every day, you won't have much trouble finding a party no matter what platform you choose. Final Fantasy Online is easily one of the best RPG experiences on the Nintendo Sapphire, and even if you're a five year veteran of the Nintendo Wave, you need to make the upgrade, because the new content, features, and presentation make Vana'diel a whole new world again.

    Score: 9/10

    -from Alex Stansfield's review of Final Fantasy Online for the Sapphire, posted on Games Over Matter on March 23, 2010

    -

    "Palladium Knights is shaping up to be a fun RPG experience, if not one with the epic scale or story of Final Fantasy XII, at least a refreshing appetizer that should keep series fans happy until the first bits of information start to trickle out about Final Fantasy XIII. Palladium Knights launches in Japan next month, and in North America in June.

    Work on Final Fantasy XIII has already begun, and according to Tetsuya Takahashi himself, early work on the game is "progressing smoothly". Final Fantasy XIII is speculated to be an open world game much like Final Fantasy XII, and it's highly likely that the Gears, the giant robots that were a central feature of Final Fantasy VIII, will return and be playing a major role yet again. Final Fantasy XIII, which is speculated to be released on the Sapphire sometime in 2012 or 2013, is said to "build upon" what Takahashi and his team accomplished with Final Fantasy XII, and will bring back many of the same people. While Takahashi briefly considered a direct sequel to XII after that game's spectacular success, he ultimately decided against it, claiming in an interview with a Japanese gaming magazine that "the story of Lilith and the world of Luxurion have been fully told, and are best left alone". In the wake of the success of Final Fantasy XII, XIII has become one of the most anticipated games of this generation, much in the same way that Final Fantasy VIII was so highly anticipated after the success of VII on the Ultra Nintendo."

    -from a March 25, 2010 article on RPGamer.net

    -

    FINAL FANTASY TO MOBILE? SQUARESOFT REPORTEDLY IN TALKS TO BRING FIRST THREE FINAL FANTASIES TO ANDROID PLATFORM
    -a headline on AndroidDragon.com, posted on March 27, 2010

    -

    Squaresoft's negotiations with Apple to bring either Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Online, or both games to the iTwin may have stalled, but speculation is now swirling over a confirmed rumor that Squaresoft is negotiating with Google to bring some form of Final Fantasy game to a future Google platform, likely Android. While rumors have centered around remastered versions of the original three games, it's also been rumored that Final Fantasy VII may be coming to an Android platform. Today's smartphones are more than capable of handling the original version of the game, with some phones even powerful enough to play the Wave Final Fantasy games such as X and XI. While Squaresoft's close relationship with Nintendo has precluded any of the Final Fantasy titles from going multiplatform in the past, Nintendo may not feel quite so threatened by mobile ports, and Squaresoft could well be eager to take advantage of the increasingly lucrative app market.

    -from a March 28, 2010 article on Kotaku
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 5) - Buying Games At The Start Of The Decade

    • RySenkari

    Narration: Nearly seven years after it was launched all the way back in 2003 as a way for iPod owners to buy music legally for their devices, Apple's iTunes service remains the biggest digital music store in the world, selling millions of songs and albums each day. However, the biggest money maker for iTunes isn't its extensive song library: it's actually its video game service, which delivers digital content to Apple's video game consoles and Macintosh computers. The iTunes store has a storefront exclusively for games, and business is booming: on average, Apple sells over $10 billion worth of digital games annually on its service, and that segment of Apple's business has seen a sales increase every single year since its introduction. iTunes does 44 percent of its digital content sales in games, 41 percent in music, and 15 percent in movies, and all three segments are steadily growing. iTunes benefits from an extensive library of current video games, as well as classic titles from both Sega and other companies, including companies like Capcom and Konami. While far from a one-stop shop for video games, since the iTunes service doesn't carry titles from rival companies such as Nintendo and Microsoft, it offers over ten thousand titles on its service, a library that grows every week. Reggie Fils-Aime, the head of Apple's gaming division, says that a major goal of the company has been to add new classic content every single week, in addition to a steady lineup of newer games. More than half of the original Sega Genesis library is now available for download on users' iTwin consoles, iPod music players, and iPhone devices, while classic systems like the Sega Saturn and Sega Game Gear also have significant fractions of their libraries, including most of the top selling games on those platforms, available for purchase.

    Reggie Fils-Aime: We want to deliver content to our customers so that they have an incentive to purchase games legally. It's the same as it is for music, back when iTunes was launched, the only way a lot of people would be able to download digital content would be through piracy services, and the people working so hard to make those songs weren't getting paid. And then Apple and Steve Jobs came along and said, "hey, there's a better way, and everyone can get paid", and that's how iTunes was born. And we're always listening to our customers, if there's an old game that hasn't been available for a while, and there's enough demand for it and we can make a deal with the company, then that game will show up on iTunes.

    *Fils-Aime is shown scrolling through the iTunes video game marketplace on an iPhone.*

    Fils-Aime: There's so many games here. You could never possibly play all of them.

    Narration: It's that sheer volume of available content that's elevated the iTunes Store far above its contemporaries. Nintendo's online digital store offers only a few hundred classic titles on its service, though most modern Nintendo games are available for download to their current Sapphire and Supernova systems. Microsoft's storefront offers up classic PC games and current Xbox titles, giving it a slightly larger library than Nintendo's, but one that pales in comparison to Apple's huge collection. PC owners, however, have the Steam Store, the brainchild of Gabe Newell, founder of the gaming software company Valve. Valve was once known for its popular Half-Life series of first person shooter games, but in 2003 started the Steam service as an easier method of online game distribution. The company has surged forward to become the leading seller of PC gaming content, even fending off a hostile takeover effort in 2007 by Microsoft, which failed after that company experienced a downturn in sales. Though Steam sells games on both the PC and Macintosh platforms, its greatest success has come on the PC, with Apple's iTunes store having a slight majority of Macintosh gaming market share.

    -from a February 1, 2010 report on CNN

    -

    Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar chains like Gamestop are still doing well, even in the age of the digital marketplace. Indeed, the prevalence of digital gaming sales has generated a bit of an arms race, with Gamestop pushing used sales and digital stores offering incentives to get gamers to buy new at a slightly higher price.

    "We offer increased rewards for used sales, and we're also using pre-order bonuses for those who choose to buy new," said one Gamestop regional manager we talked to, who says that physical bonuses are the most enticing rewards for buyers, and that exclusive digital content hasn't caught on as well as Gamestop and some of the gaming companies like Ubisoft and Activision would have liked. "Call Of Duty fans aren't pre-ordering the game for special skins or costumes, but if we offer something like a half-priced strategy guide or a t-shirt, that tends to generate more pre-orders."

    Apparel bonuses have proved popular. Gamestop offered up a physical replica of Alex's hat for pre-orders of the original Thrillseekers, and for Thrillseekers 2, people who pre-ordered the game got Emma's punk inspired t-shirt. Some stores have gone so far as to offer media bonuses: For Fullmetal Alchemist 2, Best Buy offered up the game's entire soundtrack on a three-disc set, though those were limited to the first 50 pre-orders per store. For pre-orders of Squad Four Protectors, Nintendo and Target partnered up to give away a special Sapphire disc with the original Squad Four and Squad Four Eclipse, those discs are now fetching upwards of 50 dollars on Ebay.

    Digital storefronts are also choosing to go with the carrot rather than the stick when it comes to buying games, with Apple's iTunes store frequently offering up $5 or $10 credits to purchasers of new games, so for example, someone buying the latest iTwin game might get a $10 coupon that can be used to buy an album for their iPod or iPhone. This approach has helped the iTunes Store become the most popular digital gaming storefront, and has made full-priced digital titles viable when one can simply choose to go to Gamestop and get the same title physically for $5 less used.

    These efforts to offer up more value for consumers during continued tough economic times are helping to keep the video game industry strong, but will these bonuses and special offers stick around once times improve and once some of the bigger companies begin to clear out some of their competition? Only time will tell, but for the moment, a savvy gamer willing to shop around is likely to get a little something extra with the purchase of the latest big games.

    -from a February 21, 2010 article on Games Over Matter

    -

    Walmart, Feeling Pressure From Competitors, Begins "Aggressive Pricing Strategy" For New Video Games

    You might have an easier time finding a deal on a new video game at Walmart, if an internal memo from the company proves accurate. Walmart has long avoided so-called "sale pricing" on video games, frequently selling most newer titles at full price long after competitors have slashed prices on the most recent games. Now, feeling pressure from companies such as Kmart, which has begun offering deep cuts on certain games and bonus incentives to frequent customers to purchase certain titles, Walmart will begin a new pricing strategy on certain video games, offering up games at discounts more often, with price cuts on certain games designed to beat some of its competitors to the punch. The company takes great pride in its "everyday low price" strategy, avoiding temporary sales in lieu of offering lower prices on most of its items 24-7. It has avoided using items like video games as "loss leaders" in order to get people into its stores, and instead, chooses to sell those games at full retail price until finally cutting the prices permanently once that item's MSRP has been reduced by the company. Now, over the next few months, the company will introduce a strategy in which it will permanently cut the prices of some of its new games just weeks after that game is released, offering those games up at $49.96 or $39.96 and keeping them at those prices indefinitely. The aggressive pricing will be accompanied by an ad campaign specifically geared toward gamers that will be rolling out in the spring of 2010.

    Walmart, which remains the world's top retailer, has seen slightly reduced sales growth in recent quarters, owing to the economic recession, the rise of digital marketplaces like Amazon, and aggressive pricing by competitors including Target and Kmart. Though the company's overall growth profile remains strong, stock prices have dipped and there are some indicators of a corporate restructuring on the horizon.

    -from an article on Gamespot.com, posted on March 12, 2010

    -

    "According to the report, rumors of a potential acquisition of Valve by Google are not accurate, and overstate the financial strength of Google while underestimating the value of the Steam service. However, there is a desire on the part of both companies to work together on certain projects in the near future, and this could be related to either the Android service or a potential new piece of hardware from Google, possibly a miniaturized PC to play Steam games. The companies have definitely been talking, and the talks are much more friendly than the talks between Microsoft and Valve ever were, even when the companies were cooperating to bring exclusive games to the Xbox 2. There's a shared culture between them, a shared taste for innovation.

    Whatever it is, they're working on something. Maybe it's Half-Life 3?"

    -from a rumor column on a Valve gaming forum, posted on March 18, 2010
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 6) - Protecting Civilians On The iTwin

    • RySenkari

    Guardian

    Guardian is a third person shooter for the Apple iTwin that features a series of missions in which the protagonist, an agent with a secret peacekeeping organization, is tasked with protecting different VIPs, each of whom plays a role in keeping world peace and preventing an evil terrorist group from causing chaos and destruction. There are six VIPs in all to protect, each of whom has their own story, set of skills, and character traits, and each of whom the player character gets to know quite well over the course of the story. The game gives the player two options of control schemes: a traditional scheme utilizing a normal controller, or a motion control scheme which features a wide variety of different actions to perform and a finely-tuned aiming system. While playing the game with traditional controls is quite fun and good enough, the motion controls make Guardian one of the most immersive experiences to date on a home console, with dozens of different actions able to be performed both in combat and outside of it. The protection missions themselves, which do take the form of escort missions (with each protected person having a lifebar and ending the game immediately if they're killed), are much less frustrating than they might seem at first, due to all of the escorted characters having extremely sophisticated AI. Some will help fight back against the enemy, some are quite good about hiding, and still others know intricacies about the various locales that can directly help the player in combat. In addition, not all of the VIPs are targeted with lethal force: in some cases, the enemy will attempt to capture them, and they can actually be rescued if the player is quick enough, though again, it does cause a game over if the enemies manage to get that character taken away completely. The player has some options in how they wish to interact with the VIPs, from professional to friendly to downright hostile, which can sometimes affect the VIPs behavior. Each of the VIPs is designed to be a complex character and oftentimes endearing to the player, so that the player actively cares about protecting them. There are few if any cases where a VIP will act in such a way that will get them killed, though in a few cases they sometimes take unnecessary risks. The VIPs include a scientist responsible for curing a deadly plague, an ex-soldier who holds valuable military secrets, a highly intelligent polyglot diplomat, an accused war criminal who might be able to help catch an even worse war criminal, a celebrity popstar who has become embroiled in an international incident, and finally, the President of the United States himself in the game's final mission. Each of the missions is connected to each other, all of them related to a much more important mission, with each of the six VIPs ultimately playing a role in how the game's storyline will ultimately wrap up. The ex-soldier is actually one of the game's primary antagonists, though this is only revealed quite late into the game, and even this soldier has a sympathetic backstory and a reason for assisting the game's ultimate villain, a terrorist warlord who seeks to prevent a peace conference because he believes it will cause a nation accused of genocide to get away scot-free. This nation is connected to the war criminal from the fourth mission, while the celebrity popstar has been working to expose this nation's crimes because one of her friends was kidnapped and executed by the nation's government. Each of the game's characters and missions is weaved into an intricate web of stories and secrets, while the protagonist himself, while having a distinct personality as well, has no personal ties to any of the game's events besides just trying to do his job as best he can. He's a sympathetic character who forms bonds with everyone he protects, but is also sort of an "everyman" with no emotional attachment to the plot, only the characters.

    Guardian is released on March 2, 2010, and gets excellent reviews upon its release. It features good (but not great) graphics, but the game's voice acting, storyline, and motion controls get high praise, and it ends up being one of the biggest new iTwin IP launches of the year. Sales are good at release and hold quite steadily, with the game's excellent reception ensuring a sequel.

    -

    The Conduit 2: Aliens Among Us

    The Conduit 2 is an FPS published by Apple and is the sequel to 2008's hit title The Conduit. Continuing directly from the events of the first game, The Conduit 2 sees Secret Service agent Alan Rickard returning as the primary protagonist, teaming up with terrorist-turned-secret agent Elayna to battle an alien horde that's invaded Earth. This alien invasion is much more subtle than the ones presented in games such as Encounter or The Covenant: the aliens don't turn their weapons on humans right away, but instead seek to ingratiate themselves to humanity while infiltrating its institutions, and the game plays out much like the classic mini-series V meets The X-Files, with Rickard and Elayna mostly spending their time taking out aliens who are serving in capacities such as business or government leaders. Like its predecessor, The Conduit 2 features plenty of puzzles, and also has some stealth elements, while incorporating the motion-controlled dual wielding of the previous game. It features improved graphics over its predecessor, and some faster paced gun battles, with the added ability to team up with partner Elayna to cover each other's backs or pull off some slick gunplay moves. Most of the game's missions (which total 17 in all), have two primary objectives, one of which usually involves installing something or reaching a certain point, while the other usually involves killing a target. Sometimes the game mixes this formula up, but for the most part, each of the missions has fairly similar goals, but the circumstances surrounding those goals can change dramatically, making most of the game's missions seem fairly fresh despite their at times formulaic nature. Despite the player not being able to control Elayna, she's every bit Rickard's equal, and is better than him in some aspects, including sneaking and hacking. The player never has to worry about rescuing her, and even if she gets "killed" in combat, she'll usually get back up immediately after the current firefight is over. Sometimes Elayna will separate from the player and go off to do her own thing, and Rickard will be required to coordinate his activities with hers, or wait for her to trigger a switch or open up an area. Other times, it'll be the other way around: Elayna will take a more hands-on role while the player as Rickard must flip switches or find something and bring it back to her. The game's primary antagonist is an alien diplomat who was in charge of the previous truce between humans and aliens: while the diplomat at first seems to have good intentions, as it turns out he was merely hoping to lure humanity into complacency so it could be conquered and harvested later. After Elayna and the resistance, with Rickard's help, foiled his plans, he attempted another subtle invasion of Earth, and Elayna and Rickard spend most of the game trying to track him down and prove his duplicitousness. The game's final mission does see an overt war launched against humanity by the aliens, and the two agents must infiltrate the alien mothership and destroy it. After the aliens are foiled, they return to their home planet, and Earth seems safe, with the game ending as Earth is invited into a galactic confederation. However, subtle clues throughout the game hint that this confederation may not be what it seems, leaving a slight sequel hook for a third game.

    The Conduit 2 is launched on March 23, 2010. As a big tentpole shooter with escort features, the game is compared in many ways to Guardian. In some aspects, including graphically, it's better, but the gameplay and storyline aren't quite as well received, and overall, review scores come in good but not quite as good as those for Guardian. It is considered to be better than the original by most critics and fans, and sales in the first week are quite good, making it the biggest iTwin launch of 2010 thus far. The success of both Guardian and The Conduit, which are both Teen-rated shooters that push the edge of that rating, continue to establish the iTwin as a system for all kinds of players, young and old, with a wide variety of games and a focus on gameplay. The success of the games, both of which have traditional control schemes but feature better motion controls, also helps to establish that motion controls are the preferred way to play most iTwin games, and while it's too late in the iTwin's lifespan for Jobs to consider scrapping his rule that all iTwin games are required to include a traditional control option, it does come into consideration that the iTwin's successor needs to continue with motion controls and require them for certain games.
     
    • BONUS: Thomas The Tank Engine Merchandise
    • Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    Andrew Boyd: Duke of Dank

    Thomas the Tank Engine Merchandise as of 2010

    Thomas' variety of toy ranges is one of the most numerous of any franchise. As such, many of these ones will be revamped for the recently rebooted franchise on Cartoon Network. Let's look at these ranges and what they are like now.

    Thomas Wood
    Thomas Wood, formerly called Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway (known to many fans as Thomas Wooden Railway) is a wooden railway system made by Learning Curve. It is one of two Wooden Railway lines that feature the characters from Thomas & Friends. The other was BRIO which ended Thomas models in 2000. However, this line is also notable in that they were among the few merchandise lines to feature characters from The Railway Series.

    In 1992, Learning Curve created the line with the help of Roy Wilson. In February 1993, the line was first released during American International Toy Fair. One of the first sets for the line was the 22 piece starter set. This set and many of the earlier sets had generic track until Learning Curve made the "Clickety-clack" track design in 1995. The models were made from painted wood, with plastic for the wheels and faces and metal for the magnets and axles. These models got upgraded when the wooden smokeboxes were replaced with plastic smokeboxes along with more realistic funnels. These models would not last long, because they got revamped again in 2002 wit more detailed, newer faces. A battery-powered line of characters were first released in the 1990s, and was revised in the 2000s. Learning Curve created new track in the 2000s, so that this line of characters could use the track.

    Recently, the models have been heavily redesigned to the point of being more like the Whittle Shortline Wooden Train sets. They noticeably resemble the engines more closely, especially engines like Gordon and Henry with have fairly accurate resemblances compared to the original models.

    Take-Along
    A Spiritual Successor to the ERTL toys that 90s fans of the show grew up with. First released at the start of 2002, the models are generally much chunkier, and considerably less accurate, than the Ertl range. Many items in the Ertl range were passable as 'scale' models of the TV Series characters, but the Take Along products were much more obviously toys.

    The range includes all the major and minor characters from the TV series and Movies, plus Mike, Culdee, and D199 from The Railway Series. The rolling stock models include many of the 'special' (non-speaking) trucks that have featured in single episodes, and the vehicles include the members of The Pack. As well as the individual characters, a number of play-sets have been produced, either containing two or more characters, or a single engine with play scene and DVD. Some specials have been produced with a metallic finish, and a few models are fitted with sound chips and lights.

    However, these will be redesigned to be more consistent with their rebooted counterparts. Among other things, they have been re-designed to make the characters more realistic and detailed. Among these improvements are white running boards, accurate portrayals of the character's wheel arrangements, and the presence of cab windows and safety valves. So far, the models of the original engines (Thomas through Toby), Alfred/98462, Cecil/87546, and Rita have been revealed. In addition, Henry is often seen in a pack consisting of four forms; his original shape in green, his original shape in blue, his new shape, and the shape he had in his song from "Coal," which is based on the GCR Robinson 8B 4-4-2 Atlantic. Likewise, James is often available in both is usual red form and his former black with the square tender and number 12620. Recent leaks have also confirmed that not only will Duck be introduced in the reboot's second season, but also that Bridget having a bigger role.

    Trackmaster
    In 2007, HIT Entertainment's subsidiary HIT Toy Company picked up the license to produce the Thomas Motor Road and Rail range, based on motorized trains produced by the Japanese Company TOMY. The TrackMaster engines are compatible with Tomy's Motor Road and Rail merchandise. TrackMaster's light brown coloured track was easily connected to the previous blue track from TOMY by track adapters, which were included in every set until new releases after 2008. An innovation in this range was special editions of certain engines, including remote-controlled and face changing variations. In 2010, the rights were put under the ownership of Fisher Price. Like the other big merchandise lines. These will be redesigned to reflect the cast's appearance in the new TV show. As well as the introduction of the new characters.

    Bachmann
    Since 2002, Bachmann Trains have made their own H0-scale electric Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends range for the US and Canada markets. The models are made with new body tools, to resemble the characters in the TV series. So far over two dozen models have been produced, along with character-themed train sets. Unlike Hornby's products, Bachmann's models have moving eyes. Now it has been confirmed models of Alfred/98462 and Rita will be released. While the models of Thomas, James, and Percy will be revised to better resemble their forms in the CGI series.

    Hornby
    Since 1985, Hornby Railways have produced a series of 00 gauge model engines, track, accessories, and sets, based on Thomas and Friends, designed to be compatible with other Hornby trains, thus allowing an easy migration to more prototypical modelling. At first the range mainly utilised modified versions of existing Hornby engines, rolling stock and lineside accessories. Over the following years, the range expanded to include some of the main characters and rolling stock as well as train sets. During the 1990s, very few new products were made, and some vehicles discontinued. Some characters were gradually reintroduced towards the end of the decade, and more new items including major and minor characters were released from 2000. New sets were also made using a themed radio control operating system and a Trak-Mat system that sets in Hornby's existing lines used, were customers are encouraged to buy additional track packs, scenery packs, and other scenic materials to create the full printed layout.

    In 2005, the range revamped due to the 60th Anniversary of The Railway Series and two characters only seen in the book series were introduced, Flying Scotsman and Bear. Several pieces of rolling stock, most seen in Season 8 were also introduced, including a circus series with a total of twelve wagons, as well as three tents and stalls. The sets were redesigned using the regular analogue controllers, and a range of resin buildings seen in the television series designed for adult collectors were introduced. Recently, it has been confirmed that all characters will no longer be made using Hornby Kits and resemble their TVS selves more closely down to the faces. This is especially true of Thomas, who much like his TVS self, has little resemblance to the LBSC E2.
     
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    • Winter 2010 (Part 7) - Comic Games And Comic Pages

    • RySenkari

    Spider-Man: Over The Edge

    Spider-Man: Over The Edge is an open-world adventure game and the sequel to 2007's Spider-Man: Hunted, developed by the same software company but published by a different company this time around, as unlike Hunted, Over The Edge isn't exclusive to Xbox 2, but is also coming to the Nintendo Sapphire. The game is a direct sequel to Hunted, taking place after Peter's wedding to Mary Jane at the end of that game. Mary Jane is now pregnant with Peter Parker's child, just as a terrifying new threat known as Carnage grips the city. The game features most of the same gameplay features as Hunted, but many of them are enhanced and updated, and the graphics got a bump as well, especially for the Sapphire version. Over The Edge features improved combat, with a brand new Spider-Sense mode that serves as a kind of focus meter, allowing the player to slow time and pull off special maneuvers, and even see threats from behind, just like the real Spidey. The game also has improved countering and blocking, allowing players to use more strategy in combat. New York City has been expanded, with more areas to explore, and the entire city is prettier as well. The World Trade Center site has been updated to show the building progress since the release of the original game, while other buildings that were under construction at the time of the Hunted release are now fully completed. The player has more choice in how to interact with criminals and civilians, giving the city the feel of being more "alive" than it was before. Overall, Over The Edge has a darker tone, with more violence and a grittier, more mature storyline, pushing the boundaries of a Teen rating, with Carnage proving to be a truly dastardly and sadistic villain, and other evil characters such as corrupt city officials and back-stabbing allies also make an appearance. Whereas Hunted started as a light-hearted game that eventually got dark and serious, Over The Edge is serious throughout, reflecting how Peter has matured but also how dangerous his crimefighting has gotten for both himself and the ones he cares about. The game begins with Spider-Man hunting down Venom, against the backdrop of a serial killer named Cletus Kasady (voiced by Henry Rollins, his third game role following his role as Nero in the Big Bad Hero games and his cameo in TTL's Brutal Legend) murdering victims throughout the city. Spider-Man eventually catches Venom after a few introductory missions, and also tracks down Kasady just as he's about to kill an entire family. Venom and Kasady are both placed in prison, and after a prison doctor named Dr. Arika Saita (another of the game's antagonists, voiced by Keiko Agena) tries to experiment on Venom, part of the symbiote splits from Venom and infects Kasady, enabling him to become the villain Carnage and escape from prison to continue his killing spree. Thus, the main thrust of the game's plot begins: Spider-Man must hunt down and stop Carnage, while a subplot begins of Saita covering up her role in Carnage's creation while also trying to learn more about his nature. Saita plays somewhat of a Harley Quinn role in the game: she's a prison doctor who can get close to various members of Spider-Man's rogues gallery, though instead of falling in love with them, she's simply unscrupulous and wants to conduct psychological research no matter what the cost, eventually becoming a villain herself and influencing at least one criminal to go after Spider-Man to cover up her own activities. She's eventually killed by Carnage after she outlives her usefulness to him. Carnage also comes after Mary Jane, though instead of kidnapping her like Kraven did in the previous game, he attempts to murder her and nearly succeeds in doing so, leaving her in a coma and the unborn child's life in jeopardy as well. Peter must come to terms with how far he's willing to go to stop Carnage and avenge Mary Jane, and eventually, he and Carnage have a brutal confrontation and final showdown. Peter manages to separate the symbiote from Kasady, but Kasady can see that Peter has gone to some very dark places in order to defeat him, and says that one day, Peter will eventually become a killer just like him. The ending shows that Mary Jane has managed to pull through, and gives birth to a healthy baby girl. Peter is relieved that she's all right, but Kasady's words still echo in his mind, and he's no longer sure if he wants to be Spider-Man anymore as the game ends.

    Spider-Man: Over The Edge receives mostly great reviews from critics and fans, who praise the game's improved graphics and gameplay. The game's darker tone and storyline also gets high praise, with Carnage and Saita both being highly praised as villains. However, there are other critics who have major issues with Over The Edge's storyline and with the darker tone, claiming that Peter, even if he doesn't become a killer, was too brutal and violent in the course of the game in a major departure from his usual demeanor, and that the attack on Mary Jane was an example of fridging. Though Over The Edge isn't without controversy, it's still considered one of the best games of the first quarter of 2010, and experiences strong sales on the Sapphire and Xbox 2.

    -

    Gwen Stacy's Shocking Transformation Shakes Up The Spider-Man Franchise

    Gwen Stacy, the first love interest of Peter Parker and one of the most iconic characters of the Spider-Man franchise, is mostly known for her death in the original comic and the Spectacular Spider-Man film, her death being an iconic moment in comics history. It was seen as Peter Parker's greatest failure, massively impacting the Spider-Man series and comics as a whole. Of course, in the 1990s, Peter Parker retired to make way for Ben Reilly as the new Spider-Man, while Gwen Stacy remained one of the few comic book characters who had died and hadn't been brought back to life at some point.

    In 2008, however, that changed with the introduction of the Spider-Gwen comic, exploring a parallel universe where Gwen Stacy came back to life and was brought back as a web slinging superhero with similar powers and a similar costume to the original. Thought to be a fun little "what if?" scenario, the comic became wildly popular, and Gwen Stacy found new (after?)life as a heroine in her own right. However, perhaps the most dynamic version of this new Gwen Stacy has appeared in Spider-Man Evolved's third season. Just like in the original comics, Gwen Stacy was captured by the Green Goblin, and was held hostage to lure Spider-Man into a trap. It wasn't the first time Gwen had found herself captured in the series, but this time, she wasn't taking it lying down, struggling furiously in her bonds and not waiting up to be rescued. However, Gwen's struggles would be what ultimately led to what seemed like her untimely demise. Just as Spider-Man showed up to try and save her, Gwen managed to dislodge a piece of the building she'd been chained to... causing a section of the building to collapse on her. It was considered a shocking moment in the series, even considering Gwen Stacy's legacy of death: surely, this animated series wouldn't kill off the girl who'd become such a lovable character, right?

    Sharp-eyed fans (or just fans who had a DVR) had to have noticed the spider that crawled into the morgue where Gwen was being kept. But no, Gwen was in a coffin. Gwen had a funeral, she was dead, buried, gone, right? But then, a few episodes later, a mysterious webslinger in white appeared, causing mischief. Finally, Gwen's grave was exhumed... and sure enough, she was gone! Yes, this new heroine was Spider-Gwen, but we don't yet know whether her brush with death caused her to lose all memory of Peter Parker and her friends, or if she's just pretending not to remember anything but her name. Events seem likely to come to a head in the season three finale set to air this spring, but the Spider-Gwen twist has proven to be one of the biggest animated storylines of the year, and we're likely to see more of Spider-Gwen in comics and adaptations to come. Will she make her way to proper Spider-Man canon? Only time will tell, but if she remains as popular as she has been, it could be only a matter of time.

    -from an article John's Everything Spider-Man blog, posted on March 14, 2010

    -

    Acclaim Comics Expanding Line-Up With Dynamic New Heroes

    Acclaim's comic book line, far from being just a vehicle for its various popular video game franchises, has introduced a number of new series since acquiring Dark Horse Comics several years back. While its most notable new comic series of the year, Destined, is a tie-in with its tentpole video game of the same name, several other series have also been introduced with no plans, at least currently, to introduce games for them. Among these new comic series is Vicary and Trest, a detective-based comic about two London detectives in the late 19th century, one of whom has a subtle mutation that allows him to transform various parts of his body, but which only activates at seemingly random times, and the mystery of these transformations is seemingly related to the activities of a killer who may or may not be Jack the Ripper. Another of these comics is a series inspired by mecha anime called Leonkrest, centering on an ancient medieval king reborn in the near future inside an underground tomb that also contains an enormous powered giant mech suit. These suits are similar to the ones being built by nations all over the world to engage in a massive war, and the king and his suit may hold the secret to world peace.

    However, perhaps the most exciting of Acclaim's new comic book properties, apart from Destined, is a series about a young woman called Apparition. The series centers around a 20-something named Jackie whose life seems to be going nowhere until one day she becomes haunted by the spirit of her dead grandmother who in no uncertain terms coaxes Jackie into doing something with her life, and begins identifying evil ghosts haunting various places that need to be sent to the great beyond. With the help of a stockboy at a local electronics store who may or may not have a crush on Jackie, the young woman becomes a reluctant ghostbuster, only to find out that the secret of the spirits she's hunting goes much deeper than she ever imagined. Featuring a healthy mixture of slapstick and seriousness, Apparition has become one of the most popular new comics of the past year, and its heroine has become popular with both male and female readers. With rumors that Apparition and Turok may actually exist in the same universe, some have speculated that Jackie could wind up in a future Turok game, but other fans want the series to remain its own thing, apart from Acclaim's video game franchises.

    -from an article on Comicskimmer.com, posted on March 15, 2010
     
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    • Winter 2010 (Part 8) - One Man, One Game

    • RySenkari

    One Man

    One Man is an action FPS published by Activision that takes place entirely in a skyscraper under siege by terrorists. The game can best be described as Die Hard meets Call Of Duty, and features an unprecedented level of interactivity and movement in an FPS. The protagonist is a SWAT officer named Kyle Borman, who is armed with his standard police gear but can also improvise based on what he finds in the building. As the game takes place entirely inside an 86-story building, the player must fight their way up nearly every floor, using a mix of stealth, gunplay, and improvisation to take out terrorists and rescue hostages. Borman is only allowed to let a certain number of hostages die: if too many hostages are killed, the mission is an automatic failure. These parameters do reset from time to time, but as a general rule, once Borman enters a floor, he's only allowed to let 1 or 2 out of about 20 hostages die, and sometimes isn't allowed to let a hostage die at all. This isn't always easy, and the game likes to force Borman into situations where he'll have to take a much tougher path or shot to save a hostage, and you typically can't just fire away at terrorists willy-nilly, lest a hostage get caught in the crossfire. However, the player is allowed to get creative at how certain hostages are handled. Sometimes, a hostage will fight back, taking out a few terrorists for the player. Sometimes, Borman can even hand a hostage a gun and let them lay down cover fire while Borman gets a better shot or rescues another hostage. The game offers lots of details on a person's current stage of mind to let the player know whether or not a hostage is able to fight back or whether they'll simply run away. Apart from Borman's standard issue SWAT equipment, the player will have to scavenge guns from terrorists they find along the way. Occasionally Borman will get a supply drop from his police unit, or will find a stashed security cache in the tower, and for the most part, there's plenty of weapons and ammo for even the most trigger happy players (the game does pay homage to action films, after all). Borman doesn't always have to explore every inch of every floor: usually he'll have to save all the hostages on a floor before continuing, but many floors don't have hostages on them and can be skipped or passed through fairly easily. The game likes to take a seamless approach to exploration, with cutscenes usually short and sweet, rarely breaking up the action and sometimes able to be interrupted by the player. Borman can also interrogate terrorists to learn about ambushes, weapons caches, or where hostages are being held. One Man features graphics comparable to games such as Call Of Duty: Hostiles, looking quite realistic with detailed character models and smooth animation. The game utilizes plenty of explosions and sound effects to keep players involved and riveted, and features a solid cast of voice actors, with James Patrick Stuart as the voice of Kyle Borman, and Kurtwood Smith as the voice of the primary antagonist, a terrorist leader who goes by the codename General. The game also features an excellent multiplayer mode that has some of the best arenas in the genre: big, beautiful multistory interior battlefields reminiscent of Goldeneye, with plenty of destructible items.

    The game's plot begins with a frantic call from the Hennington Building, the tallest building in the fictional metropolis of Maple City. A small army of heavily armed terrorists has taken control of the building, and are demanding to speak with the governor immediately, refusing to give any of their demands until the governor (voiced by Gary Cole) talks to their leader, a man known as the General. A SWAT team surrounds the building, but the General threatens to start killing people if the team breaches the perimeter. Officer Kyle Borman's superiors order him and his squad back, but Borman, whose daughter Anna (voiced by Cat Taber) is visiting the building with her high school class on a field trip, is in the building and in danger, and Borman sneaks past the perimeter and makes it into the building undetected. Meanwhile, Anna and her classmates have managed to take cover from the terrorists and are trying to sneak past them and find a way out. Borman promises Anna he'll get to her and starts making his way up the building, taking out terrorists and freeing hostages as he goes. The first half of the game depicts a sort of dual-storyline where Borman keeps going up the building while Anna and her classmates manage to evade capture. Finally, however, Anna and her classmates are taken hostage. As the only children in the building, the General separates them from the others and begins making even more demands, directly threatening the high schoolers if he doesn't get what he wants. Borman begins to learn that the General and the governor were actually in the same military unit together during a war twenty years before, and the future governor committed a war crime and covered it up. When the General tried to blow the whistle on him, no one believed him, and he ended up being framed and court martialed and held in federal prison for ten years. In prison, the General grew even more disillusioned with society and hooked up with a prison gang, and used his and the prison gang's connections to start a militia, with the sole purpose of rooting out "corruption", starting with the governor. The General hopes to humiliate the governor before luring him into a trap, exposing his war crimes, and brutally killing him on national television. Eventually, the General gets extremely upset with Borman after Borman gets further and further up the tower and kills more and more of his men. Meanwhile, Anna is able to help most of her classmates escape, but before she herself can escape, she is caught and the General figures out that she's Borman's daughter. The General uses her to lure Borman into a trap, where he is captured. The General plans to kill Borman and Anna together, but is interrupted when his men tell him that the governor has acquiesced to his final demand and will make himself vulnerable to be captured. The General takes Anna and leaves, having his men start to kill Borman, but Borman escapes, kills the General's men, and goes further up the tower. Events come to a climax when Borman comes to save Anna while the governor and the General confront each other. After an epic firefight in which the General's top enforcer is killed and the General himself is wounded, the General manages to grab Anna away and decides to get his revenge on Borman by killing her, only for the governor to redeem himself by putting himself in harm's way and preventing Anna's death. Borman fatally shoots the General, while the governor, now dying, apologizes and confesses his war crimes as TV helicopters hover around the roof. The game ends with shots of the surviving hostages tearfully reuniting with their loved ones while a wounded Borman staggers out the front door of the building with Anna draped over his shoulders, wounded and exhausted but alive and his daughter safe.

    One Man is released on March 9, 2010, for the Sapphire and Xbox 2. Its reviews are excellent, praising the game for its outstanding combat and its progression, both of which differentiate the game quite a bit from its military contemporaries, with a likable protagonist and a plot that gives the game a lot of heart and keeps players deeply invested in the characters. The game is hyped decently by Activision, but perhaps not quite enough: despite outstanding reviews well in the 9/10 range, the game's initial sales lag somewhat behind games like Spider-Man: Over The Edge and the month's major Sapphire and iTwin exclusives. It does surprisingly poorly on the Xbox 2, perhaps a sign of that system's continued decline. However, the game's great reviews and excellent word of mouth help it to sell extremely well on the Sapphire in the months following its release, and a price drop to the $30-$40 dollar range gives sales a serious shot in the arm, making it a game that a lot of people pick up by the end of 2010.

    -

    Activision's FPS Titles Still Popular, Modern Warfare 3 Promises To Be "Most Explosive Game Ever"

    While plenty of gamers have opined that Activision's glut of FPS games is starting to get tiresome, current sales reflect the reality that FPS games are still hot and still moving quickly off the shelves, especially those published by the massive Call Of Duty company. Last month's Load: Armed And Ready, which rebooted the popular FPS series from the 2000s for the HD generation of consoles, was one of February's top selling games, and One Man is currently getting excellent reviews ahead of this week's release. While many have decried the current trend in blockbuster gaming, it's clear that FPS games aren't going away any time soon, and Modern Warfare 3 looks to be the biggest one of all when it comes out before the end of 2010. The game, which depicts a massive World War III between the United States and China, promises to feature battles all over the world as the two superpowers send their massive armies to war. The first major footage from the game, shown at last month's MTV Video Game Awards, depicted a furious battle amongst the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, with soldiers battling in the streets as huge glass buildings crashed down all around them. Modern Warfare 3 promises to be nothing if not spectacular, and follows up this month's excellent One Man by keeping the cinematic train rolling. Perhaps the power of the HD consoles is the reason for the success of modern first-person shooters, with graphics and sound effects that allow players to become truly immersed in the action. Modern Warfare 3 is expected to set a record for preorders, and could break Grand Theft Auto II's record to become the best selling video game launch in history.

    -from a March 7, 2010 article on Gamespot.com
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 9) - A Quiet Start To A Decade Of News

    • RySenkari

    Jon Huntsman's first year as President of the United States was largely centered on domestic policy: helping America recover from the financial crisis, creating a new health care law that would provide more Americans with affordable care, and ensuring his judicial legacy by filling vacancies on various federal courts. However, Huntsman believed that one of his greatest strengths was foreign policy: helping to preserve a peaceful world, and strengthening America's relationships with its allies while also mending fences with its rivals. 2010 would present Huntsman with the first major foreign policy challenge of his presidency, after a severe earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010. The night after the quake, President Huntsman briefly addressed the tragedy in a message from the Oval Office, stating that Haiti had a friend in America and that the United States would be sending economic and military resources to aid with Haiti's recovery. The day after, a United States military contingent arrived on the island to assist in the search and rescue efforts and distribute aid supplies, while a massive fundraising effort was also launched, spearheaded by former presidents Bush, Clinton, and Gore. While Huntsman was a staunch fiscal conservative, he also believed that generous foreign aid could be an investment that would pay dividends down the road, and proposed a generous aid package for Haiti that easily sailed through Congress with just a few opposing votes. Huntsman also worked with celebrities like Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean to coordinate aid distribution. The response from the American public was also overwhelming: a massive donation effort to organizations such as the Red Cross, as well as a major benefit concert, helped to raise tens of millions of dollars for the victims. The death toll, despite the aid efforts, was severe: at least 100,000 were killed, though estimates by the Haitian government put the death toll as high as 350,000. It's likely that the total death toll from the quake will never be known because of Haiti's poor infrastructure and the massive amount of destruction that took place across Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, but its devastation for the already suffering nation cannot be overstated. Huntsman's response to the disaster was generally praised by most Americans, and even the few conservative pundits who opposed the generous aid package had to mostly hold their tongues. Huntsman did receive some criticism from the left, which largely slammed Huntsman for "giving more aid to Haiti than he gave to workers who've lost their homes in the financial crisis", but this criticism was also mostly kept out of the mainstream. Huntsman's response gave the American president a chance to coordinate a massive foreign aid operation with America's major allies in the West, which led to an improved perception of Huntsman around the world, with international approval of America swelling by almost double digits in polls taken in the weeks following the disaster.

    On the domestic front, Huntsman set out to push his agenda of entitlement reform, which he hoped would reverse the ongoing economic woes by encouraging business owners to create more jobs in a more fiscally sound environment. The economy had begun to recover somewhat, but consumer spending had been quite sluggish, and unemployment and foreclosures remained high. Huntsman centered his economic plan around providing businesses with hiring incentives that he hoped would put more Americans to work. By tying some tax cuts directly to hiring, Huntsman hoped to directly incentivize job creation and reward companies that kept jobs in America rather than outsourcing them overseas. However, not all of the tax cuts were tied to these incentives, and analysts forecast that Huntsman's plan would raise the deficit significantly if government programs weren't seriously cut. Huntsman continued to focus a decent amount of these cuts on military spending, streamlining the military's weapons budget while preserving pay and benefits for soldiers. These programs were sharply criticized by some amongst Huntsman's military personnel, but as the commander in chief, Huntsman had the final say on military matters, and his proposal to Congress passed narrowly in both houses. Huntsman also sought to examine Social Security for potential fat that could be trimmed, but his advisors sharply opposed any major changes to Social Security, including a privatization plan being pushed by some members of Congress. Knowing that older Americans were a major component of his base, Huntsman ultimately decided against any cuts to Social Security, and instead pushed for welfare reform and for tying some payments to employment and training. He recommended a provision that as unemployment dropped, more welfare restrictions could automatically be put into place. The plan was sharply criticized by Democrats and even by some moderate Republicans, and would become a major point of contention during the first half of 2010, as Huntsman sought to avoid pushing America deeper into debt. The biggest piece of legislation of the first part of 2010 was Huntsman's tax incentive for hiring, which, when coupled with the 2009 corporate tax cut, gave businesses (and the wealthiest Americans) a massive tax cut, and while unemployment began to decrease at an increasingly fast pace, Huntsman's policies left many of the most vulnerable Americans still in dire straits. News stories about many working class Americans working 60-80 hour weeks at two or more jobs started to emerge, and "pulling a Huntsman" started to become an expression for working a week of 60 hours or more. Despite the economic woe for working class Americans, Huntsman's approval ratings remained quite high, and even started to climb during the first part of 2010, raising re-election prospects for most of the Republicans elected to the House in 2010. Despite this, a growing number of angry Americans began formulating political aspirations, and news stories about Democratic House and Senate candidates from America's lower economic rungs began to circulate in the press. There was a movement taking shape, not an overt and visible one, but a movement percolating through America's underclass protesting Huntsman's policies that provided a "recovery" on the surface but left deep economic discontent just beneath.

    -

    American And Canadian Athletes Dominate The Vancouver Winter Olympics

    The 2010 Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver and neighboring ski resort town Whistler, proved to be one of the most exciting Olympics in recent memory. By all accounts, the two week event ran extremely smoothly, with both athletes and spectators praising the city and its surrounding environs and also praising the intense level of athletic competition. The overall medal count was led by the United States, with 41 total medals and 12 golds. America's 12 gold medals were enough to tie Canada, which also had 12 gold medals and 37 medals overall. The most intense competition to be had was in the snowboarding events. American teammates Shaun White and Aaron Jackson competed fiercely in the men's halfpipe, with Jackson pulling off an incredible upset to take the gold while White had to settle for silver despite a record-setting run. Jackson became the first African-American snowboarder to win the men's Olympic halfpipe, or even to medal in the event, and his performance landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated and made him one of the most talked about athletes of the competition. The women's figure skating competition was also heavily followed, due to the intense gold medal battle between Canada's Joannie Rochette, who was favored to win the event, and 16-year-old American phenomenon Amber Summers, who hadn't even been predicted to medal but who won her way to the Games after an incredibly strong qualifying performance. Summers' long program was considered one of the best in the history of the Games, capturing the hearts of audience members and excellent scores from the judges, but couldn't quite overcome Rochette's incredible performance immediately afterward, which garnered her the gold in a close (and somewhat controversial) win. While Summers was widely considered the sentimental favorite, most analysts agreed that the judges made the correct call in awarding Rochette's more technically impressive performance the gold. America and Canada split the ice hockey competitions, with the Canadians winning the men's and the Americans winning the women's. The men's final went down to the last moment, with a Canadian player scoring the winning goal with just four seconds remaining, denying the American men's team a chance to push the game to overtime and pull off a shocking upset.

    The 2010 Winter Olympics was a spectacular exhibition of athleticism and world friendship, and set a high bar for the 2014 event, which will be held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Though there is some murmuring starting to emerge about the increased financial burden that the Olympics places on host cities and nations, it remains a coveted and prestige-laden international event, and many cities still eagerly bid for the right to host the summer and winter competitions.

    -

    "Today, the FDA approved a new drug, Kadrazin, that promises to be the most effective anti-depressant drug ever released to market, after a series of what parent company Pfizer claims to be a series of highly successful clinical trials. The drug is one of the first to be approved by the FDA that was created partially by studies on embryonic stem cells, which increased steadily in the 2000s after the Gore administration controversially approved government funding for research. The drug promises to treat depression gradually, without many of the severe side effects often associated with other anti-depressant drugs on the market. It could be a revolutionary new treatment for an increasingly notable and serious mental health issue that effects millions of Americans a year and has led to a steadily increasing rate of suicide over the past decade. Kadrazin's approval, however, has stirred up new debate into the ethics of research into embryonic stem cells, and though President Huntsman has publicly stated his opposition to any legislation restricting funding for that research, a number of prominent Republican politicians are trying to have it restricted at state level."
    -Dan Rather, from the March 1, 2010 episode of the CBS Nightly News

    "For the longest time, I really didn't like taking any kind of prescription stuff, because, you know, all the Ritalin and crap I got doped up with when I was a kid. I didn't trust any of it. So I kinda self-medicated, with, you know, heroin, which uh, turned out to be a pretty bad idea. But once I started taking medicine, actual medicine for the depression, it actually helped me. I mean, there's this stigma against taking anti-depressants, which shouldn't exist, you can't stigmatize these things that people are taking to actually get better. I still struggle with depression, a little bit. Just because I'm not suicidal anymore doesn't mean I got over it or anything. It's still a lifelong struggle. So yeah, I'm on the new stuff, the Kadrazin or whatever they're calling it. It works really good. And I've got an actual doctor, like one who knows what he's talking about, so if there's any side effects or anything, I can tell him. ...Jesus, I feel like some dork talking about medicine and doctors like this."
    -Kurt Cobain, in an interview on the May 9, 2010 episode of CBS Sunday Morning

    -

    Chavez Introduces Economic Liberalization Measures In Venezuela

    In a move that comes as somewhat of a surprise despite the ongoing economic troubles in Venezuela amidst low oil prices, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez introduced a series of measures designed to provide more economic freedom to Venezuelan citizens and businesses, though he stated that these measures would "not significantly alter Venezuela's strong socialist system". These measures seek to provide more incentives for private business development in the country and also to provide certain foreign businesses with more favorable economic treatment. At the same time, certain social programs will see slight cuts designed to stabilize the economy and prevent shortages, which have become a growing problem for Venezuela since oil prices began to fall last year. These measures are seen as a sort of "second round" of the economic reform measures enacted in 2006 and 2007 in response to protests against Chavez's presidency and his crackdown on political opponents, and are also seen as a continuation of the warming relationship between Chavez and the West which began with American president Huntsman's intervention in the Colombian-Venezuelan crisis of 2009. Venezuelans responded generally favorably to the proposed reforms, which are expected to go into effect over the next several months, though a few small protests from die-hard Chavez supporters did take place, protesting the measures, which some view as a "capitulation to the Americans". Chavez himself is seen as having become increasingly subdued after his diagnosis with cancer late last year, and his ruling style has tended less toward a heavy-handed approach and more toward an open, cooperative approach to governance characterized by an increased tolerance toward political opponents and an increased animosity toward extremists in his own inner circle, including former foreign affairs chief Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted from his position after repeated harsh criticism of Chavez's meetings with American president Huntsman.

    -from an article on Yahoo! News, posted on March 22, 2010
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 10) - More Big Sapphire Exclusives, Is The Hype For Real?

    • RySenkari

    Molten

    Molten is an FPS developed by Crytek, the company responsible for the PC hit Crysis and the two Far Cry games. Molten is intended to be a Sapphire exclusive that pushes the system to its graphical limits, and features a large, open world, similar to other Crytek titles. Its protagonist is a soldier who must rescue the rest of his squadron from a terrorist overlord, but after he rescues his team, they learn that things aren't everything they seem, and must escape amidst a furious volcanic event. The game combines realistic military shooting mechanics with elements of sci-fi shooters, with much of the sci-fi elements coming in after the big plot twist. The game also forces the player to carefully regulate the protagonist's heat level, as they'll be around volcanic lava for a decent portion of the game and it's quite easy for them to overheat, requiring the use of protective armor and shelter to avoid the worst of the volcano's fury. The game features a wide array of destructible environments, which play a big part in both combat and exploration, forcing the player to react quickly and think on their toes in most situations. The game itself takes place primarily across six islands, though only four of them play a major role in the game. Every single island contains some level of volcanic activity, with the largest volcano being on the biggest island and having a massive factory complex built into it. The player will spend much of the first half of the game rescuing their five squadmates from various predicaments, with the terrorists playing the role of typical villains, shooting at the protagonist and generally trying to impede his progress. Once a squadmate is rescued, they don't have to be protected, so the game never takes on any kind of escort elements. Indeed, the game almost plays like a Metroid-vania esque title, or even modern OTL Doom, with a lot of backtracking and the collecting of weapons and items to increase the player's capabilities. The protagonist is referred to as Captain, but he isn't actually named until midway through the story, when he's referred to by his last name of Beech. Beech and his squad were given a mission to take out terrorists on these volcanic islands, but their mission was sabotaged and they were all captured, with Beech managing to escape and make his way onto a small island where the game's tutorial takes place. Eventually, Beech finds his way to a nearby, larger island and begins rescuing his comrades one by one, with each rescue revealing more of the story. Eventually, Beech saves all of his comrades but one, a woman named Lia, who is being held captive on the biggest island inside a factory carved into the volcano. When Beech goes to rescue Lia, the game's main plot twist is revealed: the volcanic islands are actually a futuristic geothermal energy plant, and Beech is actually a mercenary sent by a corporation to take the plant, with the soldiers being Beech's unwitting accomplices. The so-called terrorists are actually scientists, whose activities, while unethical, are fully sanctioned by a rival corporation. Beech's squadmates, with the exception of Lia, all abandon him and want to get off the islands, but Beech feels compelled to complete his mission, and Lia feels compelled to help him. The second half of the game sees Beech and Lia trying to seize a piece of technology that powers the plant, but accidentally causing the whole plant to go haywire, triggering a catastrophic volcanic eruption that will cause a megatsunami if not contained. Eventually, Beech's squadmates return to help him, not for Beech's sake, but to prevent the disaster. Beech's corporation comes in to seize the plant, but Beech turns on them with the help of Lia and his soldiers, and the final missions of the game are primarily concerned with stopping them and stopping the disaster. Beech manages to kill the evil CEO of his corporation and stop the tsunami, but is fatally wounded in the process, and all of his squadmates except for Lia and one other have also been killed. Lia promises to get the truth of what happened to the right people and stop similar calamities from happening, and the ending of the game shows a dying Beech watching Lia and her escort leave the islands via helicopter as they are slowly overrun with lava.

    Molten is extremely well reviewed by critics, who heavily praise both the graphics and gameplay, calling it Crytek's best work since Crysis and probably the Sapphire's best looking game to date. It's still an FPS at its heart, but with its exceptional production values and unique gameplay, it earns a place amongst the best console FPS games. Its multiplayer is also highly praised, and while it doesn't quite become the most popular multiplayer online FPS on the Sapphire, it remains quite popular in this capacity for years to come. It's released in February 2010, and becomes the best selling new game of the month, making it a bigger hit than the disappointing Far Cry 2 and reestablishing Crytek as one of the leaders in the genre. The company would set out to make Far Cry 3 on the success of Molten, using ideas garnered from it to make their new game the best it can possibly be.

    -

    Arcadia

    Arcadia is a 3-D action/adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo exclusively for the Nintendo Sapphire. The game is both a tribute to and a revival of classic arcade games, featuring gameplay reminiscent of classic space shooters and action titles, and featuring elements key to those classic arcade games. Arcadia can be played either as a single player experience with three AI companions, or as a multiplayer experience for 2-4 human players, all playing locally (Arcadia does have an online component, but only competitive, not co-op). Arcadia tells the story of four arcade gamers, two men and two women, called to defend the world of Arcadia from the invasion of the evil space warlord Gargaxanon, a composite of classic arcade villains but most similar to Sinistar. Everything done in Arcadia, from collecting items to killing enemies to discovering new locations, earns points that can be spent on upgrades, either temporary or permanent, from a store that upgrades its inventory every time the player progresses a little bit. Arcadia is a very light hearted game, full of tongue in cheek moments and humor, and though it has a few serious scenes, it's mostly a humorous game, with four genre savvy protagonists constantly pointing out the different tropes and cliches in the game. The four protagonists are as follows:

    Tommy: A stereotypical arcade nerd, he geeks out about everything and is the most enthusiastic about getting sucked into a video game world, though when push comes to shove he's a bit incompetent. He's voiced by Jerry Trainor.
    Peter: Somewhat more cautious than Tommy, Peter is an arcade expert, but just wants to go home and is constantly pointing out how dangerous everything is. He's voiced by Khary Payton.
    Zee: Zee styles herself as somewhat of a badass, and is quite confident in her own abilities, but this confidence hides some deep insecurities about herself, and her vulnerable side quickly comes out after things get intense. She's voiced by Stephanie Lemelin.
    Rikki: Rikki is a technical genius and intensely curious about the details of the world the group finds itself in. She's the happiest and perkiest of the group, and has a hidden violent side when fighting enemies. She's voiced by Riki Lindhome, and the developers named the character after her.

    Gargaxanon is voiced by Frank Welker, using something very similar to his Megatron voice (another old school homage). Arcadia, typical of an arcade game, is chock full of bosses, with each of the game's nine "mega worlds" having its own big boss, and then mini-bosses galore fought throughout the game's worlds. The player can pick any of the protagonists for any level, and can switch between them freely at the shop hubs located throughout each world in numerous different places. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, but can also utilize most of the game's weaponry, so it doesn't make a huge difference which one the player selects, the game is just as difficult with any of the four. The game's graphics, while not hugely technically impressive, use a lot of neat effects to properly simulate an old school arcade game transported into the modern world, giving it a surreal, fantastical look, with each of the "mega worlds" all having their own visual feel.

    The game's plot begins with the four protagonists competing together as a team at their local arcade in a team competition. Immediately after they win, they find themselves transported into a virtual metropolis, where they are greeted by an elaborately dressed man who tells them that they were brought here for their "mad skills" and that they'll get to go home as soon as they help repel Gargaxanon's alien army, which immediately begins attacking the city. The game proceeds from there, with the four fighting their way through the city and repelling an invasion, and then journeying to numerous other worlds, including a medieval fantasy castle world invoking the classic game Adventure, a forested world that features elements from games like Centipede, a suburban town with tributes to Paperboy and Tapper, and even a giant maze with elements of Pac-Man. Nintendo and Retro collaborated with numerous other game companies to allow elements of certain arcade games into this one, and of course we get a massive tribute to Donkey Kong in there as well, even the return of Stanley the Bugman, who helps the four heroes defeat Donkey Kong once and for all in a late game segment. Finally, the heroes battle their way through space to Gargaxanon's lair, with more tributes to games like Asteroids and Galaga contained within. They at last reach Gargaxanon, defeating him and saving the day, only for the elaborately dressed man to reveal that he has no plans to let the heroes go, as they're needed to defeat more enemies who will inevitably show up. This leads to the final battle, in which the heroes challenge the residents of Arcadia to a massive gauntlet challenge for their freedom. After conquering this final gauntlet, they literally smash out of an arcade machine back into the arcade where they were before the events of the game.

    Having been massively hyped for nearly two years, Arcadia largely lives up to the hype, scoring excellent reviews and proving quite popular amongst both fans and critics. It's released into a crowded March 2010, and though it doesn't top the month in sales, it's one of the month's top selling games, and proves to have excellent sales staying power, ultimately selling several million copies. It's not QUITE the revolutionary action game it was hyped up to be, but it's still a major success, probably Retro's biggest hit to date.
     
    • Winter 2010 (Part 11) - Destined

    • RySenkari

    Destined

    Destined is a video game produced by Acclaim, and the centerpiece of a massive multimedia franchise encompassing the game, a comic line, a TV show, and tie-in merchandise spread out over the first half of the 2010s. The game is an action title that follows six teenage heroes, each of whom discovers that they have superpowers, and who decide to come together to battle evil despite their personal issues and despite the difficulty they have in bringing their powers under control. The game itself combines a structured (but slightly open world) action game with combat somewhat similar to the Mortal Kombat fighting style (but less bloody and violent), and marries all of that to a narrative that gives each of the game's six main characters time to shine. The player will need to get familiar with all six main characters, each of whom is the focus of one of the game's main chapters. The player will usually be fighting alongside at least one other hero, and it's important to coordinate attacks and protect the hero or heroes fighting alongside you (even though you don't usually get a game over when you let your hero partner die, their help in combat is invaluable). In addition to combat, the player will sometimes need to complete other objectives using their character's powers, and this can be difficult to do at first, as the game will initially throw players into the deep end without a tutorial in order to give them a feel of what it's like to not have complete control. This serves more as a narrative function than something used to artificially increase difficulty, and after a couple of trial and error moments, the narrative will then give the player more instruction and control. This game isn't open-ended in the same way that Spider-Man: Over The Edge is, it's not a sandbox game, and while it does give the player some freedom (usually for one or two short segments per chapter), it does have an extremely tight narrative. Each character is capable of basic melee strikes and a small set of shared moves, but for the most part, the characters all have a unique set of powers and each one of them controls somewhat differently, requiring different strategies and skillsets for each one. Some characters can fly, but not all. Some characters are faster or stronger than others, and so each chapter is almost like relearning a brand new game, but it does give the player time to decide which character they're best with.

    The six main protagonists of the game are:

    Matt: The primary protagonist of the game, or at least the first of the six heroes that the player gets to control, Matt has the ability to utilize electricity, with a power set fairly close to the protagonist of OTL's Infamous games. He can even travel on electrical power lines once he gains enough control of his powers. He's voiced by Drake Bell.

    Sarah: Sarah has the ability of precognition, enabling her to see things a few seconds before they happen. Combined with her super speed, this gives her the ability to dodge and react to just about anything, though she is a bit fragile in combat. Sarah is voiced by Kelsey Lansdowne.

    Brazer: Brazer is the “brute strength” fighter of the bunch, with the ability to light himself on fire and strike with powerful fists, as well as lift things and throw them really far. He can throw fireballs as well, giving players a wide variety of unique attacks to use with him. He's voiced by Troy Baker.

    Canopa: Canopa has the ability to turn into a bat and shoot sonic waves at people. She can also shoot sonic waves when she's not in her bat form, so her powers have dual utility and enable her to shake things apart as well. She's voiced by Sara Tomko.

    Jillian: Jillian is a cheerleader turned superheroine who has the ability to manipulate matter and transform the state of objects. She initially has the most trouble controlling her powers at first, causing problems for the team (her powers are also the toughest for the player to get used to), but she eventually becomes a valuable fighter once she gains confidence. She's voiced by Nathalie Kelley.

    Arty: Arty is gifted with telepathy and telekinesis, enabling him to move objects with his mind and manipulate the minds of others. His wide ranging psychic powers make him quite useful but also quite intimidating, even to the members of his team. He's voiced by Crawford Wilson.

    Destined features a graphical style that's not quite realistic, giving the characters somewhat of a comic-book feel, but still presenting everything in superb detail, making it probably Acclaim's best looking game to date. The game actually releases about six months after a tie-in comic that sort of introduces each of the characters and their superpowers, but reading it isn't necessary to understand the game. However, Acclaim does make the first issue of the comic available with the game's $79.99 special edition (along with a t-shirt, a mini art-book, and a steelbook). The game is divided into seven chapters, with the first six chapters having you play solo as one of the six main heroes (the chapters are all in order, so you can't choose which one to do first). Even though only one hero is playable in each of the first six chapters, the other heroes do make occasional cameo appearances in each other's chapters, so the player does get to see the characters and their friendship developing throughout the game. The final chapter, in which all the heroes come together, has one last segment in which the player is required to play a little bit with each of the heroes, which helps to decide whose playstyle they might prefer.

    Destined begins with chapter 1, Matt's chapter, and by now, all six of the heroes already have their superpowers, but none of them have gotten the hang of them, and each of the heroes is dealing with problems in their personal lives caused by their powers, with Matt struggling to control his electrical abilities. The events of the game kick off properly after Matt saves his crush, the cheerleader Jillian, from a mugger, and eventually discovers that she too has powers after he gets in trouble for accidentally shocking someone. This chapter also introduces both Sarah and Brazer, and also the game's primary antagonist, another teenage boy named Rob, although for the moment Rob is Matt's friend and tries to help him. The chapter ends with Matt forced to flee from government agents after another incident with his electrical powers. Control then shifts to Sarah, who initially uses her powers to stop a bank robbery and save a bunch of people from a fire (that Brazer inadvertently caused). We get a glimpse of Canopa for the first time in this chapter, and also Arty, who we are set up to believe might be the game's villain after he uses his telepathy to mind control some people into helping him steal something. Sarah and Arty eventually get into a fight in which she survives by dodging the things he throws at her, and we also see another glimpse of Rob, who is able to create pocket dimensions, and who pulls Arty through one as the chapter ends. The next chapter is Chapter 3, which starts with Brazer on the run after accidentally starting a fire. He hooks up with Canopa, who helps him escape, and also with Jillian, who is unable to get her own powers under control. The three are attacked by some kind of robotic creature, and are ultimately saved when Matt arrives and helps to short it out. The four realize that some kind of evil conspiracy is going on, but aren't sure what or how to stop it or even to bring their powers under control, and the four eventually are forced to part. Canopa's chapter is next, and it takes a bit of a dive into the surreal, as she spends some time journeying with Sarah, and then finds Arty and Rob. Canopa is the only one amongst them who is suspicious of Rob's intentions, but Arty thinks Rob is helping him, and Sarah thinks that Rob can help them all learn to control their powers. The chapter ends with a massive disaster breaking out in the city, seemingly caused by Jillian, who is being attacked by mysterious creatures and government soldiers. Canopa saves Jillian's life but is knocked unconscious, and Chapter 5 begins with Jillian bringing Canopa to safety, then reuniting with Matt and Sarah. There's a bit of a love triangle plot going on here, but it's mostly window dressing to the main plot, which concerns the heroes learning of another group of heroes being brought together by Rob. Jillian doesn't trust Rob (as she trusts Canopa's judgment), but Matt and Sarah aren't sure what to believe. They manage to find Brazer, who is battling a pair of superpowered assailants, and after helping him, learn from Brazer that Rob isn't entirely on the level. Ultimately, Rob has been setting up a plan to take over the city with the help of recruited superheroes, and using his pocket dimension to trap those who try to oppose him. A massive battle breaks out between Matt, Sarah, Brazer, Jillian, and Rob's helpers and robot horde. Jillian manages to get her powers somewhat under control, surprising Rob and taking out two of his most powerful soldiers, only for Arty to stop her with his own power. Arty is convinced to turn on Rob, but he is pulled into Rob's pocket dimension along with Matt. Chapter 6 has Arty forced to master his powers in order to escape Rob's psychic prison and also to save Matt. Arty manages to break out, only to learn that Canopa is in danger. He and Matt go to rescue her, only to find that Rob has already arrived and is planning to kill her. Arty uses his psychic powers to break Rob's hold over Canopa, and she sonic blasts him into his own pocket dimension, seemingly defeating him. The six heroes unite, only to realize that Rob's activities have brought all the supers to the attention of the authorities, who have issued a kill order for all superpowered individuals. Chapter 7 begins with the heroes each evading government agents in their own way, then coming together to decide what to do, only for Rob to break out of the dimension he was trapped in. His time being trapped has broken his mind, and now he seeks to suck the entire world into a massive abyss. The superheroes unite their powers to stop him in a spectacular battle between time and space, and eventually Rob is defeated once and for all. Upon witnessing the heroics of the superpowered team, the government agrees to drop their kill order, but the superheroes must register with the government and only use their powers when called upon to do so. The heroes agree to this, having been exhausted from their adventure, but the six decide to meet in secret to train together, just in case they have to go it alone someday.

    Destined is one of the most hyped titles Acclaim has ever released, and the comic, which came out in 2009, only helps to build the hype. The game is released for the Sapphire, iTwin, and Xbox 2, becoming one of March 2010's top selling games amidst very strong reviews that praise both the characters and gameplay. In addition to the game, a TV-14 animated series is released on Adult Swim in the fall of 2010, following the events of the game and depicting the characters' activities as an official superhero team sanctioned by the government, depicting not just their heroic battles, but their trials and tribulations as young adults as well (and, like other shows of this type, shipping becomes quite popular in this fandom). The show is somewhat of a more mature Young Justice type show, with the voice actors from the game all reprising their roles. As Acclaim's first IP intended from the beginning to be a multimedia crossover franchise, it succeeds decently well in all aspects, from the comic to the games to the show. It's not a mega-hit IP like some of the super popular Marvel or DC properties, but apart from Mortal Kombat, Destined is probably the company's second most popular IP, surpassing even the mighty Turok. It's the biggest example yet of a game company using its holdings in all forms of media to create a crossover franchise, and it won't be the last.
     
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