All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Zorua (left) - 0.7m height and 12.5kg weight Zoroark (right) - 1.6m height and 81.

If there's one thing we can say the Mass Effect series has going for it (besides impressive graphics, interesting combat, and complex characters), it's the great story. We may not be the types to invest in literature based on our favorite gaming franchises, but the first two issues of the Mass Effect comic -- a series titled "Redemption" -- may actually convince us otherwise. Heck, they've already turned lots of other folks; the first issue sold out in under three weeks and the second issue took just six days, according to CBR News.

It certainly doesn't hurt that Redemption explores the actions of our favorite Asari while she searches for answers on Shepard before the story continues in Mass Effect 2 -- can we help it if we miss her a bit? Okay, okay, we miss her a whole lot. Where have you gone, Liara?! We just wanna talk, baby!

[Via Big Download]

Reasons to get your hopes up, reasons to bring them back down again.

We know what the reviewers said about Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, but what does the everyday gamer have to say? In this feature, we get to see what Japanese gamers had to say about the title, according to their Amazon star review scores, as well as written summaries. Did the public like the [...]

I bet you didn’t think of that one, but I’d say it’s definitely true! Wario’s ass is one that you don’t want to mess with, especially in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

We're no strangers to the occasional strange Wii game giveaway here at Joystiq, but you must understand that someone needs to find a loving home for these niche gems. We have to imagine that, somewhere, there's a Wii-owning airship pilot to-be aching for their chance to shine. That time is now! For a chance to win one copy of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, all you have to do is tell us what you would name your very own airship (an explanation of 'why' would nice too). As is always the case, please keep it clean and keep your eye on your email over the next few days to see if you've won. You've got 24 hours, folks -- get to it!

• Leave a comment telling us what you would name your very own airship (an explanation of 'why' would nice too).
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, partially based on our feelings about the Battle of Quebec in 1775).
• Limit 1 entry per person per day.
• This entry period ends at 5:31PM ET on Monday, February 15.
• At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for Nintendo Wii ($49.99 ARV).
• For a list of complete rules, click here.

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.

Some retailers are selling Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth a bit early. Seems like a strange game to have a street date broken, but that’s the case at a few retailers. Might as well give your local game retailer a try, just to see if you can score a copy!

A portion of an Experience Points review… …The ending cinematic is a perfect metaphor for the game: it is a testament to the reverent isolationism we impose on legends.

Did you know that Soul Bubbles had bonus levels? Did you ever play Soul Bubbles? …Do you even know what Soul Bubbles is?! Do yourself a HUGE favor and pick this one up. It really is one of the best games available on the DS.

A Boy and His Blob has a hug button…a dedicated hug button, for crying out loud! How can that not melt even the coldest heart?! It’s a shame that more games don’t have hug buttons, or even show more characters hugging it out. Hugs can work wonders, you know!

This past week may have been filled with investor calls and press events, but that doesn't mean that some members of the game industry weren't thinking about this weekend's day of love. Over the course of the past seven days, we were either sent these cards (by email) or found them on the various official sites of said developers/publishers -- and now we've compiled them into a love-filled gallery just for you. We might suggest you print out one (on high quality paper, of course) and give it to your dearest, but hey, let's be honest -- you should probably buy an actual card. And a copy of Flower. Kasumi demands digital gifts!

As if yesterday's free copy of flOw weren't enough for you, thatgamecompany has decided to extend its love to PSN users that much further today by dropping the price of Flower to $4.99. For the price of 1/20th of a rose (hey, it's Valentine's Day and those prices skyrocket!), you can give your love a flower that doesn't wither and die over the next week. In fact, we highly suggest you go with that route of explanation should he/she not take your digital gift as well as you hope -- simply explain that you wanted to give something more emblematic of your relationship! Maybe something like, "It's digital, so it'll never die, baby! Just like our love!" Yeah, that should do it.

SEGA's mascot goes 2D in episodic game for all consoles.

I am so happy to see so many people actually paying attention to/writing about No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle. Sure, the game may be a bit zany, but there’s really nothing in the first or second title to keep them from becoming a mainstream hit. I’d even take cult classic status, and while [...]

Ever since Sony first announced its game industry reality show for PSN named The Tester back in 2009, we've been a bit wary of the idea. Can you really blame us? The show pits various personalities against each other in a variety of challenges, all with the end goal of becoming an entry-level game tester -- a job often viewed in the game industry as less than pleasant. And ex-tester Matthew Burns seems to agree with us in his lengthy account of the life of a tester, detailing long hours of monotonous game playing paired with "an often grimly bureaucratic process," that can sometimes lead to subpar products.

While offering plenty of gripes with the job, we should point out that he prefaces his complaints with the open admission that "entry-level game testing would not be found near the top of a list of the world's most demanding livelihoods," also repeatedly noting its importance in the development of good games. That said, we can't help but wonder how Sony's reality show winner is going to feel when the reality of their "prize" sets in.

[Thanks Matthew!]