Get a few geeks together who are masters of graphic art and the interwebs and it’s only a matter of time before a comic strip is born. The Hijinks Ensue comic is loosely based on IM conversations and general shenanigans between Joel – the comic creator and one of the three main characters, Eli – a video game artist who, according to the site, “was trained in Wii Sports Tennis by an ancient master on a remote swamp-planet”, and Josh – a level designer who can kick your ass at Guitar Hero II. Check out the site.

1 Person is Talking. Join the Conversation.

Do you have a horrid date story you’re just aching to tell? Then you’re in luck. Today Vivendi Games Mobile announced an online contest in Europe to support the recent launch of Leisure Suit Larry¬Æ: Love for Sail. You can post your “Worst Date Ever” story on the Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail Myspace page for a chance to win a Wii. Vivendi Games Mobile will choose one winner from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain to receive a Wii system.

The contest is open to anyone 15 or older residing in France or the United Kingdom or anyone 18 or older residing in Germany, Italy or Spain. If you don’t meet the requirements but you have a bad date story worth sharing, post it here! I don’t have a Wii to give you, but it’ll be fun anyway. I’ll start…

MY WORST DATE EVAAAA:
I was in high school. Joey* picked me up in his dad’s Mustang and proceeded to drive me around residential streets at about 70 miles an hour to show off. It was cold, and we stopped off at a coffee shop for cappuccinos. He didn’t understand how to drink his (think Belgian Dip) and got it all over his face. That could’ve been a cute, bonding moment, but he got all pissed off about it. So when we left, he drove even faster. I thought we were going to crash. Read the rest of this entry »

3 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

[TABLE=5]

I don’t know what my deal is with addition problem artwork today, but whatever. I’m embracing it. Anyway…. I just saw a post about this awesome creation on Geekologie and had to give it a shout out on my site, too.

You can go to Zieak.com to learn how you can make your very own Nintendo mouse. You’ll need:
A Nintendo controller
An optical mouse
A Dremel tool
Small screwdrivers
Super glue
A hot glue gun
Wire cutters
A soldering gun and solder for electronics
Two (if you do it right) replacement buttons
Four or five hours

Learn how now!

1 Person is Talking. Join the Conversation.

So I’ve been playing The Darkness on the PS3. This single player first-person action game is based on the popular comic of the same name. I’m really digging it. Great graphics. Fun gameplay so far. You’re playing as mafia hitman, Jackie Estacado, heir to ‚ÄúThe Darkness,‚Äù an ancient power that awakens within him on his 21st birthday. And when this happens, you’ll get to do cool things like, oh, devouring people’s hearts. Yay! The story rocks because the script was written in collaboration with famed comic-book writer, Paul Jenkins (also of Civil War: Frontline).

But there’s one thing I can’t get over. Jackie Estacado is the love child of Keanu Reeves and Steven Seagal. No, seriously. Look.

[TABLE=4]

Jackie gives these intense monologues about what’s up in his life… and you’re looking at him going, “Man, he’s a good looking guy. But he never knows what to do with his hands and his eyes look dead.” (like Keanu) and the tone of his voice sounds like the one you use when you’re reasoning with one of your drunk friends, “Dude, I know you really think sleeping in the back seat of the car might be more comfortable now, but why don’t you just trust me and get inside and on the couch. Cool?” (like Keanu).
Read the rest of this entry »

6 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

[TABLE=2]

Those who went to the Microsoft and Sony press conferences at E3 got a little tease of Resident Evil 5 footage. Now you (you meaning everyone who doesn’t have crappy internet service like I do) can now download the full trailer on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Sony’s PLAYSTATION Store or you can check out the screen shots above. Word.

2 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

Ah, the 80s. Fanny packs were in. Spandex was awesome. And Saved by the Bell was cool. Today, Activision announced that the latest installment of the Guitar Hero(TM) franchise, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s(TM), is now available at retail stores nationwide.

The soundtrack includes songs by artists including Flock of Seagulls, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, The Go Go’s, Poison, Iron Maiden and Quiet Riot. (Click here for a full track list.) So, PS2 owners, grab a bottle of ultra-hold White Rain hairspray, tighten your headband, and rock all the way back to the ’80s.

Now you may be asking yourself, “What is the line ‘Ride the broom, Hell Witch’ from?” as depicted in the image above. Although it sounds Megadeth worthy, the line was actually created by my friend Mike and a few of his buds back in high school. They competed all year to come up with the best rock song lyric, and “Ride the broom, Hell Witch” won. I thought it deserved props, so I’ve immortalized it via Photoshop.

You may then ask yourself “Why is the rocker holding a 360 guitar when this game is only available for the PS2?” Well, that’s because when I first came up with the image idea, I thought it was available on both platforms… just like GHII was. It wasn’t until after I’d created it and rechecked the press release that I realized it’s only for the PS2 and quite frankly, I don’t feel like changing it. Besides, they should make this game for the 360 to begin with.

And finally, you may ask “Where, oh where can I get an outfit like that dude has on so that I can wail on 80s tracks in style?” Check out BuyCostumes.com – where I stole the image to begin with and for less than forty bucks, you too can be an 80’s Rock God.

PS2 owners, enjoy this one. I’ll just imagine how cool my PS3 would be if it let me play the game, and continue wishing I hadn’t traded my PS2 in quite yet. I still don’t understand why they’re releasing new games for an old platform. Someone told me you can play the game on the PS3 but you have to have some sort of adaptor thingy. I did a little research, but I haven’t seen anything about forwards compatibility. Anyone know if I’m going to be able to play this one?

6 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

I’m not sure exactly when it started, but at some point, Blockbuster Lackluster video decided to make greeting the customer a requirement for every khaki pant-wearing employee. Now, I’m not quite sure who decided this would be a good idea, but I’d like to let them know that it ISN’T. In fact, it’s often a large contributor to my anxiety level.

So you may ask, “Game Dame, why in the eff are you going to Lackluster? Haven’t you heard that they suck?” Yes. I know that Lackluster is annoying. But it boils down to these three truths:

1. I’m not always gung ho about coughing up $60 for a game I’m not sure I’ll like
2. My game rental store options are limited and
3. Lackluster sucks the least out of my rental options.

Or at least that’s been my justification for repeatedly going there. But that’s not going to stop me from bitching about them. Read the rest of this entry »

8 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

So today I thought “I should write something nice about the PS3.” and I searched and searched for some new release to report on this week. But there’s really nothing. The only game that looks promising is The Darkness, but that’s available for the 360, too. And I’m sorry, but typically when I have a choice between playing on the PS3 or the 360, I’ll choose the 360. Maybe the graphics are a little sharper on the PS3, but I’d much rather be where my friends are. No one sends me messages on my PS3 because no one HAS an effing PS3. And if I weren’t a video game reviewer, I wouldn’t either. At least, not until September. That’s when the good games are coming out.

Heavenly Sword is due out on September 4th and it could quite possibly be THE game to convince PS3 haters to take the plunge and buy the system. Judging by what I’ve seen so far, the story is going to be incredible because they’ve actually taken the time to hire good actors who understand the value of creating lifelike characters. The story centers around Nariko, a girl with only a few days left to live who embarks on one final act of redemption against a king and his invading army. Watch the first video here on Playstation’s site and you can see what we have to look forward to with the facial animations in this game.

Then, when we’re wrapping up our lives as a a fierce, red-haired warrioress, it’ll be time to pick up Lair, another promising PS3 title due out some sites say late September, some say August (I’m guessing August). In this game, you are Rohn, a warrior riding a voracious dragon trained for deadly aerial and ground combat, capable of scorching, clawing, and smashing thousands of enemies. You must defeat countless armies to save a civilization.

Until then, I got nothin’ for the PS3. I still spend some quality time with Leisure Suit Larry about once a week, but that’s about all the action my PS3’s going to get until Heavenly Sword comes out.

2 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

On July 11th, Capcom announced Resident Evil¬Æ: The Umbrella Chronicles for the Wii. This new game, due out in September, will include a two-player co-op mode for even more intense light-gun style shooting action. Judging by the screen shots I’ve seen, you can look forward to some pretty creep-tastic graphics.‚ÄúResident Evil has become one of the premier franchises in the games industry, with more than 30 million RE games sold around the world,‚Äù said Jack Symon, director, product marketing, Capcom Entertainment. ‚ÄúThe innovative controller functionality of the Wii will allow us to design innovative, original game play never before seen in a Resident Evil game. With The Umbrella Chronicles, we‚Äôre adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii.‚Äù

The Umbrella Chronicles was created specifically for the unique characteristics of the Wii console. This action/shooter hybrid reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 as well as new never-before-seen locations, such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles combines first-person, light-gun style combat with interactive pathways, multiple weapons and new enemies to create an entirely new Resident Evil experience that could only be delivered on the Wii.

I’m looking forward to checking this one out when it’s released in September but not as much as I’m looking forward to Resident Evil 5. Has anyone heard anything about a release date for that? Everything I’ve seen still says TBD.

3 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.

Leisure Suit Larry and I go way back, man. WAAAAY back. Like, back when wearing neon colors was cool. (Shut up, there really was a period of time when that was awesome.) Anyway, the first time I met Larry, I’d gotten dragged to my aunt’s boyfriend’s house for a cookout of some sort. I was introduced to the boyfriend’s son and for some reason we were shoved in the same room and asked to hang out together. He was on his computer trying to get past an age validation deal on an ancient version of Leisure Suit Larry. I helped him out. We succeeded. Instant friendship.

When I saw Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude in the bargain bin at GameStop for like $15, I figured I’d give the PS2 disc a spin – just for old times sake. (And because I feel like there’s nothing else worth a shit out right now.) I knew it’d be good for a few laughs, but I didn’t expect it to be as much fun as it is. Read the rest of this entry »

7 People are Talking. Join the Conversation.