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While nailing tricks on your plank is ideal, skateboarding games have a tendency to devolve into big ragdoll simulators (at least when I play).

Video Blips:

• The bona fide enthusiasm of the gamers coordinating tricks in this Skate 3 video really lends an atmosphere of immersion. No, really. The ear-blasting rap music reminds me of the famous copy machine scene from Office Space. [Youtube]

Continue after the break for a trio of Monkey Island 2 Special Edition developers just sitting around, the sprawling battlefields of ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead, and the weirdest trailer for a handheld game that I have ever seen.

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This week's edition of the Jukebox features community-submitted songs from every type of game imaginable. Don't believe me? Tropico 3, Super Mario Land 2, BioShock, and Silent Hill 2 all make appearance -- and that's just for starters.

Make sure to check out Bitmobber Michael Rousseau's pick from the as-yet-unreleased Super Street Fighter 4. Community members Alex Martin and Michael Pangelina duke it out Grand Theft Auto style with tunes from San Andreas and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Finally, don't miss the selection from Patchwork Heroes that this week's featured community writer, Daniel Feit suggested. He mailed it in all the way from Japan!

Everyone is welcome to suggest their favorite video game tunes. Hit the jump to find out how.

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Press Start.

This simple, yet ubiquitous phrase has dominated gaming for generations. Can you identify the systems represented below by the "Start" buttons on their controllers?

If you have trouble getting started, click here for the answers.

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Editor's note: This author has a fascinating thought process while critiquing critique-able media. He knows Avatar (the movie) and Dante's Inferno (the game) have problems -- but does that ultimately matter? The answer to that may seem obvious, but trust me -- it's worth reading Brendon's story to see his point of view on how we all "review" movies, games...just about everything. -Shoe

It’s become a running gag.

After a solid five minutes on the phone extolling the virtues of Avatar to my indulgent friend, I can hear her knowing smile: “So, is it The Best Film Ever?”

I pause. I want to say yes, because to me, in the hour since I returned from Pandora, Avatar has set up camp in my heart. I am invaded, overcome. I close my eyes and see the welcoming arms of a thousand blue cat people calling me home.

I compromise: “Yeah. For now.”

We both laugh. We’ve been friends for 10 years. She knows me well enough to know that, in the moment, I am completely honest; through her, I know myself well enough to know that I’ve been here before. I get caught up. My fancy is a tramp.

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Editor's note: Astute readers may notice that we included this post in one of our Spotlight articles, but I just read it for the first time and think it can stand on its own. -Demian

By now you've probably heard about Deadly Premonition. Developer Access Games' mash-up of Twin Peaks, Resident Evil, and Grand Theft Auto already delivered one of 2010's most unique gaming experiences despite looking and playing like it should have come out on the Dreamcast a decade ago. The game's wildly divergent critical reaction suggests that it does some things that are worth discussing. But in light of Deadly Premonition's status as one of the most bizarre survival horror games in years, it might come as a surprise that one of those things is its romantic subplot. (This article contains minor plot spoilers.)

Most video game characters are too concerned with being awesome to feel anything other than rage and lust. On the rare occasions when they do seem to experience actual affection for one another, it can be hard to understand why. This is what sets Deadly Premonition's love story apart from what we typically seen in games. It actually takes time to let us get to know who its romantic leads, Francis York Morgan and Emily Wyatt, are when they aren't chasing ghostly serial killers. As a result, when their feelings for each other come out, it doesn't seem like just another item checked off on a list of popular story elements....

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Naked Snake: So bad ass, even glowing praise about him causes strife.

News Blips:

Konami lashes back at Kotaku after the blog's claim of corruption involved with Japanese gaming mag Famitsu's clean-sweep score of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The original story called the magazine's (admittedly diminished) integrity into question after its perfect 40/40 review, citing an underhanded agreement between Konami and Enterbrain (Famitsu's publishing company), including Peace Walker ads featuring former Famitsu Editor-in-Chief Hirokazu Hamamura and the appearance of Famitsu magazines -- along with a slew of other product tie-ins -- within the game. Konami, in a fit of cordiality becoming of such an established company, has yanked Kotaku's invitation to the launch event for Peace Walker. I wonder if there's any aspect of these games that doesn't cause head-splitting confusion.

The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a previously tossed California ban on violent video game sales to minors. Originally signed in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the law -- which was thrown out by a San Francisco court last year --  would deny the sale or rental of violent video games to anyone under 18. Opponents of the law claim a breach of constitutional and free speech rights, along with the inclusion of the existing rating system as a suitable deterrent in preventing violent games from reaching minors. Conveniently enough, the report failed to mention the Governor slinging his shotgun onto his back before climbing into his Apache helicopter after signing the law. [NYTimes]

Speaking with HeyUGuys, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time film producer Jerry Bruckheimer discusses the increasing synergy between video games and movies. When asked about his sudden interest in becoming more involved with video games, Bruckheimer posited that in the next 10 years "you won’t be able to tell the difference between movies and games. Games will be so realistic. They are a form of storytelling and we love to tell stories in movies and on television." Perhaps Bruckheimer has forgotten that games typically serve as an escape from reality.

Michael Pachter, the video game industry's resident fortune-teller, is "certain" that future Mass Effect titles will appear for the PS3. In a new entry into the Pach Attack series, the Wedbush Morgan analyst suggested that while the first Mass Effect and its sequel won't be showing up on the PS3 anytime soon, the same shouldn't be said of any upcoming releases. "I have heard from Microsoft and I’ve actually heard from EA that we probably won’t see Mass Effect 1 ever on the PS3; I’m not sure that’s true of Mass Effect 2, and I’m certain it’s not true of Mass Effect 3, 4, 5 and 6." I want to see quotes from Pachter in my next fortune cookie. It would be strangely fitting.

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

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Editor's note: Gabriel waxes nostalgic about the Street Fighter series and its influence on his life. I can't believe that Street Fighter 2 is nearly 20 years old now! -Brett

Both players are down to the end of their energy bars. One more hit and they're down, so they're both being cagey. They're hanging back at opposite ends of the screen, waiting for the other guy to make the first move. Leo takes the initiative. He sends off a fireball to force Theo into blocking, then jumps in with a flying kick to knock Blanka's green head off. But as he's moving through the air he hears a soft tapping.... This is the split second before game over."  -Alex Garland, The Beach

Over the last 30 years, I have played thousands of video games. Shooters, fighters, role-playing games, sports games, puzzle games: there isn't a genre I haven't tried and enjoyed. From the highs of Fallout, River Raid, Ninja Gaiden, and Ikari Warriors to the lows of Time Killers, Wet, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, games have entertained me, scored me dates, and in one particular instance gotten me arrested. But no one series has stayed with me as long or had as much of an impact on my life as Street Fighter.

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If you don't already write for Bitmob, we need to talk.

You don't need to want to break into games writing to contribute. You only need a passion for games and the ability to articulate that passion in the written word. While we have a great "About Us" page to get you started, I wanted to appeal to our non-contributing members.

I've been writing for Bitmob for a year and have recently become community manager. It is hard to express what the experience has meant. I can tell you why it has been so important, but how it has affected me is hard to put into words.

Why it has been important: I have found like-minded video and pc game players for the first time in my life, I have had my articles read hundreds of thousands of times, and I know that my opinion is appreciated.

It all started with a very silly article. I posted a fictional story about a Funky Kong, whom I supposed was an openly gay video game character. Bitmob featured it in a spotlight, and it has received over 6000 hits to date.

I'll describe how it has affected me in one word. It has been powerful. "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a phrase that has been kicking around the English language for over 150 years for a reason. You probably won't change games by writing for Bitmob. You will change people, however, and they will change you.

Need more convincing?

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Seeing the unbridled chaos of a Halo: Reach multiplayer game in full swing brought a tear to this deathmatch fan's eye.

Video Blips:

• Some of the new weapons featured in this Halo: Reach multiplayer footage are quite hefty. Well, not so hefty as Halo 2's mammoth Energy Hammer. [GameTrailers]

Continue after the break for some strangely armored women in Lost Planet 2, the surprisingly appealing Toy Box mode in Toy Story 3, and a Starcraft 2 kart race. Yep, you heard that right.

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Area 5's Matt Chandronait joins Bitmob's Demian Linn, Dan Hsu, and Brett Bates to discuss the ethics of journalism, developer clout, spring releases, microtransactions, and which games they'd trade to see new titles in a franchise that got cut short.

Have a community topic you want to hear the crew discuss? E-mail your suggestions to letters@bitmob.com, subject: Mobcast.

By the way, we're now using a technology called photography to capture the Mobcast in action. Check out our first photograph after the break, and find it and all future photographs on our Facebook page.

Zune Link (must use Internet Explorer)

Direct Download (right click save as)

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This Week in Video Game History marks the beginning of a couple significant eras, but on completely different ends of the spectrum. We will see the date that Nintendo made its first baby steps into the handheld market. We'll also see plenty of irony when a hotly anticipated game is announced, only to have its title become literal. We also observe a solemn occasion for news editors everywhere and an important date for obsessive compulsives.

April 25

1997 -- The Dual Analog Controller for the PlayStation debuts. The Dualshock would eventually replace it, but rumble is featured in the Japanese version of the controller using a single motor. Two analog sticks are virtually an industry standard (even Nintendo is using them), but ironically, the controller first appeared along side two fighting games. Not that fighting game enthusiasts ever wanted to use analog sticks. They have always been content with joysticks and d-pads.

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This week's Reviews Spotlight applauds and insults video-game developers and the experiences they bring us. From mindless action to mindless life simulators, we stand back and celebrate everything!

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories -- You Are Always On My Mind....
By Patrick Bonk
Although its title is reminiscent of '80s-era romantic comedies, Patrick's review leaves little room for either romance or comedy -- he's all business. If anything, this review drives home the opinion that Shattered Memories is a game of overwhelming quality. In essence, Patrick believes Silent Hill truly needed the new, streamlined direction that this sequel provides. Just remember to bring a flashlight the next time you visit this eerie resort town.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories -- Hell Has Frozen
By David Welsh
In a testament to its bone-chilling quality, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories recently enticed Bitmob community member David Welsh to join in the celebration of the game. It seems that developer Climax outdid itself, because this reimagining of the franchise's freshman entry even kept David's wife interested! But something lies beyond the impressive visuals and unearthly sound effects -- something that ultimately ensures the quality of Shattered Memories. Unfortunately, you'll have to read this review to find out!

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