Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is an absolute treasure. I bested it the day I bought it, sure, but that's more a testament to the game's enjoyability than its simplicity. Eating ghosts with abandon has always been my favorite part of Pac-Man, and any game that allows me to eat seemingly endless chains of them is fabulous. 

It also got me thinking about a strange series of Pac-Man flyers I stumbled across on Arcade Flyer Archive recently. 

Like most of the ads available on the site, this one is aimed at schooling arcade owners in the endless profitability of owning cabinets. Only Professor Pac-Man steps in to get the job done right. 

Hit the jump for more of the report card.

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While I like to get my Christmas shopping done early, I personally think Black Friday is a festering pustule on the anus of humanity. So, if you're like me and you're going to lock yourself in your house on Friday and let the other sub-humans fight over the $299 flat-screen TVs, here are some of my favorite gaming-related gift suggestions which you can order online.

If the gamer you're shopping for likes Super Mario Bros., try: Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom.

It's far more kid-friendly and far less creepy than the "Grow Mario's Mustache Chia Pet."

If the gamer you're shopping for likes Ghostbusters, try: Stay Puft Caffeinated Gourmet Marshmallows.

Who knew that Gozer the Traveller was both tasty and could help keep you awake at night? You'd be hard-pressed to find a more awesome snack food.

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When Sonic the Hedgehog taps his foot, folds his arms, and looks out from the TV at you sitting on the couch, does that lessen the feeling of "being" Sonic?

A narrative purist might insist that there should be no separation between protagonist and player. Every shot, every step, and every movement of the head should originate from the player alone. The protagonist acts as a vessel for the gamer; their experiences merge, and, if done well, the player becomes completely immersed in the game world.

Clichéd as it may be to mention Half-Life in an article like this, it's worth doing since the game is such an absolutest in this regard. Freeman is hardly a character at all -- such is the level of control the player has over him.

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As I'm racing across the sun-drenched rooftops of Damascus, something catches my eye.

I really shouldn't slow down. I've got targets, and they're sure not going to kill themselves. But I can't help changing my trajectory just a bit. I'll take a different path. I want to see what that thing is.

I race up a wall and pull myself to the top. Finally I can identify the object: a flag bearing the Saracens symbol of Damascus. I walk forward to touch it. A chime plays. The number "1/100" pops on screen.

Wait. I have to get a hundred of these things? In each city? No way.

Sometimes, as in this example from Assassin's Creed, collectible items are more trouble than they're worth. If done right, though, they can add exploration, fun, and replay value to games.

Last year, Bitmob community writer Chris Davidson broke down some examples of games that do collectibles right (and wrong). To build on that, here are five qualities that make items worth grabbing.

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Well, Electronic Arts made it official last week: Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed will now be known as Shift 2: Unleashed. Thank goodness, eh?

Actually, I argued that they should’ve untethered -- or perhaps “unleashed” -- the original Shift from the Need for Speed franchise back in 2009. Why? Because the name couldn’t possibly do it any favors. EA wanted Shift to stomp a foot into the racing-simulator territory currently held by Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport...franchises that are incredibly well-defined. Grab a random Need for Speed game off a store shelf, and you might end up with a hardcore racer, a smash-em-up joyride, an open-world adventure -- it’s all good to Need for Speed.

My morning commute looks like this.

So nothing specifically made Shift a Need for Speed game; specificity isn't a series hallmark. But the brand and its associated reputation for hit-or-miss quality hurt Shift commercially. Across all platforms, it moved over 4 million units...not bad. Matched up against its direct rival, Need for Speed Shift sold roughly half what the Xbox 360-exclusive Forza Motorsport 3 did.

Oh yeah. There’s a lot in a name.

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I've noticed about two dozen players with a Nazi swastika emblem while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. One belonged to a hilarious 9 year old, who made his swastika with one of its wings turned the wrong way. I happily report each person I see running around with the symbol of the Nazi regime, but I didn't have much hope that anything would be done about it.

Wait a second, what is going on? I'm not your regularly scheduled host of the Monday news blips. No, I'm your irregularly scheduled Jeff Grubb.

I'm new here to the Bitmob team, but I'm not new to Bitmob. I've posted a few stories and helped co-host the Pixel Revolt podcast. Now I'll be doing these news blips and maybe some other things here and there. 

News Blips:

Microsoft's Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse (aka the Banner-in-Chief) says Black Ops players who have the Nazi swastika as their emblem will be banned. Toulouse met some backlash from people he refers to as "contrarians." These people argued that the symbol has important meaning in religious cultures around the world and they should be allowed to use the swastika as their emblem without the threat of being banned. On his personal blog, Toulouse essentially responded that Xbox Live was not the place to try to reclaim the swastika from its recent, horrifying past. [1up.com]

Castlevania: Lord of Shadow sells 1 millon units in U.S. and Europe. Certainly an impressive number for a franchise many were sure could never successfully translate into 3D. "The remarkable sales achieved in such a short time are a true testament of the work and dedication that went into this project, and we're very grateful to have partnered with such fine talent in the rebirth of one of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.'s most successful franchises," said Shinji Hirano, president of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Now that a 3D Castlevania has found financial and critical success, it is about time for Konami to run out endless sequels in classic Castlevania fashion. 

Blizzard Entertainment will be holding launch parties at stores around the globe for the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm release. Fans will be able to meet members of the development team, who will be signing copies of the expansion. For those interested, the U.S. party will be at Fry's Electronics located at 10800 Kalama River Avenue in Fountain Valley, Calif., starting at 9:00 p.m. PST on December 6. For more information and global locations, check out Blizzard.com.

Atlus is bringing time-traveling RPG Radiant Historia for the DS to North America. Atlus is famous for their brave and innovative takes on the RPG genre, and while that is sure to continue, Radiant Historia's is Atlus' throwback to the 16-bit golden age. "We've seen a future without a North American localization of Radiant Historia," joked Aram Jabbari, manager of PR and sales, in a facetious press release. "That future was depressing and noticeably lacking in the 'epic handheld RPG' category." Well, thankfully for RPG fans, Atlus has time travelers working for them. Their number one priority? More Japanese role-playing games. 

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to [email protected].

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If you answered "yes" to that question, I've got a very easy answer for how you can make that happen: Post on Bitmob.

Each month, the Bitmob editors pick one community-submitted article and send it on over to the GamePro staff. They lay it out all pretty-like, send it off to the printers, and before you know it, your writing and headshot are immortalized in newsstands across the country!

So what sort of stories do we pick? We don't have any set guidelines, but we do like articles that age well (it may be a month or two before an issue comes out) and ones that get their point across succinctly.

But the best advice I can give is simple: post, post, post. The more stories you submit to the Mobfeed, the greater your chances that we'll pick one of them.

Check out a list of recently featured Bitmob articles after the jump:

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First Call of Duty: Black Ops goes after Cuba's El Presidente, Fidel Castro. Now Homefront depicts the demise of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. What's up with the video-game industry's vendetta against communists?

Video Blips:

• Check out this developer diary on Homefront's nationalistic storyline. In light of the video's intensity and paranoia -- befitting of a Fox News special -- remember: It's just pretend.

Continue after the break for a Golden Sun: Dark Dawn TV spot, a look at some Sub-Zero combos in Mortal Kombat, and an action-packed preview of The 3rd Birthday, the latest installment in the Parasite Eve franchise.

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In this episode of the Mobcast, freelancer Ben PerLee joins Bitmob's Aaron Thomas, Omri Petitte, and Brett Bates. The group discusses OnLive, à la carte gaming, the best and worst Harry Potter titles, how their tastes in genres have changed over time, and the possibility of a future without console hardware.

Have a community topic you want  to hear the crew discuss? E-mail your suggestions to [email protected], subject: Mobcast.

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A year ago today, I published the first strip of The Warcraft Hero. I feel like I should have something important to say about the milestone, but alas, I don't. Just know that I love making this comic, and I especially love that people actually read it. If you happen to be one of those people, then thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now, here's your regularly scheduled comic.

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"Can video games be art?"

I hate this question. I really do. I hate it with a passion greater than the heat of a thousand suns. I’ve gotten so sick of hearing it. The Ebert fiasco was almost the end of me.

Recently, I’ve seen a few articles referring back to the film critic’s views; I’m not certain if something specific has brought it up or if it was just chance that I found them. Whatever the case, it’s got me thinking about how much I hate the question again.

You've exacerbated the situation, Mr. Ebert.

I want to be clear: I love video games and believe them to be capable of far more than mere entertainment. I tend to apply similar standards to games as I do to other mediums, including those conventionally accepted as "art." So why do I hate the question? Let me respond by writing another, very similar question:

"Can video games be dstw’xotlp?"

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This week in video-game history is a fanboy's delight. With the Xbox 360, DS, Dreamcast, and the Super Famicom hitting the shelves and the launch of World of Warcraft, the hits just keep on coming.

November 21

1990: The Super Famicom is released in Japan. It launched in the U.S. the following August as the Super Nintendo.

1991: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past -- arguably the finest game in the series -- goes on sale.

1998: Rhythm-game mania descends when Dance Dance Revolution debuts.

1998: Everyone's -- besides me, since I hated it -- favorite Zelda game, Ocarina of Time, hits the shelves. I am well aware that "them's fightin' words," Internet.

2000: Phantasy Star Online launches in Japan.

2004: The Nintendo DS dazzles North America when it appears just in time for the holiday rush. But, like most highly prized Nintendo consoles, it was nearly impossible to track one down. This is why I just preorder handhelds now.

2007: The Hitman movie opens in theaters across the country.

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The Reviews Spotlight does its best to bring attention to the most impressive community reviews. This week, we find out what's wrong with BioShock, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Isaiah Taylor (he played Quantum Theory willingly, after all).

Advancing Under Fire in Call of Duty
By Brad Grenz
Some developers don't take kindly to criticism or suggestions -- Treyarch and Infinity Ward are two such developers. Depite the existence of seven entries in the main Call of Duty franchise, problems from the original games continue to persist. 

Since the 2003 launch of Call of Duty, critics and fans have begged the co-developers to omit infinitely respawning enemies from future games. Nothing is more frustrating than to see than an endless wave of Wermacht regulars, a wave which will continue to advance until a player crosses an arbitrary threshold. While other fans decry the creative choice, Brad is convinced the mechanic is pivotal to the franchise's success.

Feel differently? We have a comments section for a reason!

Quantum Theory Review -- This Game Hates You
By Isaiah Taylor
Isaiah doesn't mince his words: Quantum Theory "steals from Gears of War and lends credence to many fears for the direction of Japanese game design." Yet, despite being warned by every industry outlet, Isaiah volunteered his time to play Tecmo's Quantum Theory.

It's unclear at this point how Isaiah prepared himself for the horrendous visuals, dilettante gameplay, and the enemies who always explode upon death. What is clear is that Quantum Theory is the product of hate. But whose? Did the developers hate their jobs, does this game hate its players, or do we hate ourselves?

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Welcome back to Game Diary: Civilization 5, the story of my first campaign in the latest entry of Sid Meier’s beloved turn-based-strategy series. Last time, my long and drawn-out war with the city-state of Genoa took a turn for the better as one of my War Chariots received an important upgrade and a new Great General was born. While I struggled with a few of the changes made between Civ 4 and Civ 5, I entered my second Golden Age and discovered a source of iron on an isolated tile in the middle of the ocean, far from all civilization.

26 October 2010

In a perplexing display of weakness, Caesar begged for peace. I had yet to commit to a new policy since declaring war on Rome at the behest of Greece. But the Romans were apparently very much afraid of me. They offered me four gold per turn for 30 turns, plus 120 gold upfront in exchange for a mere 10 turns of peace. I shouted at him, “Are you crazy!? I haven’t done anything yet!” But the offer still stood, so I figured I might as well take advantage of the situation. Maybe I’ll use some of the money to pay for the units I need to send way up north to fight Caesar’s armies.

I think you've lost your mind, but... okay, I'll take your money while I get an army ready.

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The Community Spotlight highlights some of the best articles that did't quite make the front page. This week is a little bit of catchup before the flood of holiday articles hits.

Arnold V. EMA: A Non-U.S. Guide
By David King
David wants to put the violent-video-games law into perspective as he explains just why it infringes on free speech. U.S. laws differ greatly from other countries -- not to say that we're better, they just simply do -- and for people who already live under anti-game legislation it might be difficult to see why Americans are so outraged over this.

The Great Used-Game Debate
By Michael Rougeau
Selling games back to retailers isn't for everyone. Michael learned this the hard way when he sold off substantial portions of the titles he played as a kid. While I work at a store that sells primarily used product, I understand this feeling. That's why I have over 500 video games in the room I'm presently sitting in....

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If the world told you for 13 years straight that a particular game was an overrated piece of crap, how high would your expectations be when you finally played it? Where would your expectations lie if you tried a game described to you by rabid fans as if it were a sacred artifact programmed by God himself?

While most people couldn't limbo beneath the bar set by Final Fantasy 7's legion of haters, very few can even see the bar EarthBound's league of supporters left floating in outer space.

Totally different games, yet oddly similar.

Despite both being Japanese role-playing games, Final Fantasy 7 and EarthBound couldn't have been more dissimilar if their respective developers had tried. The former is often held reponsible for popularizing its genre outside of Japan. The latter was a big hit only in Japan. Naturally, while Final Fantasy 7's huge success (and status as sequel to the much-loved Final Fantasy 6) earned it a large and vocal crowd of critics, EarthBound's cult-hit qualities earned it...well, a cult of loyal fans.

Today, these two stories are reversed. People playing Final Fantasy 7 for the first time can't figure out what everyone was fighting about for so long, and people playing EarthBound for the first time can't imagine how anyone could ever become so passionate about a cute Dragon Quest rip-off.

It might sound strange, but Final Fantasy 7 is underrated, and EarthBound is overrated. Fans and haters aren't entirely responsible, though. Someone else shares the blame for this odd turn of events.

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Death and evisceration are common tropes in horror media, but those aren’t the big reasons we are afraid of these experiences. They are the logical conclusion of many horror setpieces, but our fear comes from the anticipation of bad things happening, whether it’s in response to a startling noise or a creepy atmosphere that promises bad things around the corner.

Horror games are naturally distinct from passive media because you are controlling the person in danger instead of merely watching monsters pursue him. Different titles have tried to freak out the player in different ways -- from horrifying creatures to oppressive settings -- but the one common thread is the threat of death. Atmosphere has always played a part in enhancing the tension of scary experiences, but most horror games tend to rely on the obstacles in your path to cause a reaction.

Is this strictly necessary? Does games have to produce fear through deadly obstacles? The answer is less clear-cut than you might think.

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At this point it's almost futile for Microsoft to continue with the Games for Windows platform. Other services, notably Steam, beat them to the punch on basically every count -- several years ago, in fact -- and are now hopelessly far ahead. 

Microsoft's latest attempt to update the service just isn't enough. Frankly, it doesn't even look like they're trying. Some of their prices are out of whack compared to the rest of the market (Age of Empires 3 is $40??), their game library just doesn't measure up, and there are some lazy information gaps on game pages. Valve's Steam has become the iPod to GFW's Walkman. But that still doesn't mean that it isn't Microsoft's responsibility to freaking try.

Why? Because Microsoft is still technically the default platform holder of PC gaming. Windows is their platform, and let me tell you that Windows, not Xbox, is still Microsoft's main source of revenue.

Maybe, just maybe, there are a handful of things Microsoft can do to salvage this debacle and even gain a couple advantages on the PC. Here they are:

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I think you'd have to be crazy to opt for the Wii version of Black Ops, but even if you're loony, Treyarch has your back.

News Blips:

Treyarch promises it will fix connectivity issues with the Wii version of Call of Duty: Black Ops in the next few weeks. Josh Olin, Treyarch's community manager, announced on the official Black Ops community forum that the developer is planning to release a Wii update to resolve connection issues. "We have fixed many of the problems you have reported and are currently testing those fixes in anticipation of releasing an update," Olin said. "Stay tuned for the delivery of this update within the next week or so." Those are two things you don't hear a lot about: Call of Duty and post-release updates on Wii.

Bungie is looking for beta testers for its next (currently unannounced) game and other community features. All users with a Bungie.net profile are eligible to apply for the positions. Duties for those chosen could potentially include playtests and usability testing, surveys on game-playing habits, and alpha and beta testing for Bungie's next game. "We’re offering you the unique opportunity to help us continue making improvements to our playlists, features, and online community…and the potential to help us shape our glorious future," the description reads. "Not all who enlist will be selected. But hundreds of thousands of gamers will likely be needed before all is said and done. March with us, and together, we will bask in the glory of World Domination." Job hunting would be a lot more fun if all job descriptions were that epic.

Double Fine Studios announces Grubbins on Ice, winter-themed DLC for Costume Quest.  GameSpot reports Grubbins on Ice is slightly larger than an individual level in Costume Quest, offering players around five hours of additional content. New costumes will include a pirate, track suit, and eye ball. The DLC also fixes some issues found in the main game by allowing players to pause during cut-scenes and save progress more easily. It would be nice to see more small but satisfying games supplemented with occasional DLC more often. I'm tired of those 100-hour slogs.

Facebook is testing a "pay later" option for the purchase of virtual goods in social games. Players who have never purchased Credits, Facebook's currency, now have the option to buy in-game items and pay for them later with a credit card or PayPal account. Users can acquire a debt of 50 Credits ($5) before Facebook refuses to offer the "pay later" option. I wonder how long it'll take for the people behind Facebook to lift the debt cap so they can line their pockets with all that cash. [Inside Facebook]

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to [email protected].

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Cloud-based gaming service OnLive released its microconsole unit this week, and Bitmob editor Brett Bates was all over it. After reading his thoughts, we turned to our gallant Facebook and Twitter followers to get their opinions on the subject. We also asked you to sound off on the future of 2D side-scrolling platformers, as Bitmob writer Rus McLaughlin has done.

And this week we have a new wrinkle to the Tweetbook formula: more staff responses! So check out the answers below, and see how your view stacks up with ours. And don't forget to follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get a heads-up on news, articles, and contests. We do these Tweetbook Q&A articles every Friday, so if you want to be featured, keep an eye out and respond!

What are your thoughts on OnLive? Do you think it has a future?

Via Twitter:

@demian_linn: Heck yeah. Someone will get it right...probably multiple companies. Build that stuff into TVs!

@Chasmang (Chas Guidry): OnLive has a future, but for me, it's a distant one. I'm gonna' need a more diverse library of games before I play in the clouds.

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