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We all love Mass Effect 2, right? 

It's considered by many to be one of the greatest role-playing games the western hemisphere has ever produced. Its exhaustive, detailed galaxy, convincing character portrayals, and improved combat system unified to create an absolutely invigorating experience. 

But Bioware's space opera isn't without its flaws. The most commonly mentioned issue is the mining system. If you haven't played the game, Mass Effect 2 forces the player to scan, probe, and mine unexplored planets in the hopes of gathering minerals and discovering anomalies. While the mechanic serves a purpose in the lore and game progression, its tedious as hell. Beyond ironically probing Uranus, there is very little to make the mining more tolerable.

Kabuto the Python sought to liven up the proceedings by writing a song, entitled "Those Minerals." Sonically superior to the in-game track, Kabuto's rap faithfully articulates what it's like to be a space-faring gangsta.

Click here to listen.

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Editor's note: Brian shares with us how he gained confidence as a writer. It's a moving piece, and I hope it inspires those of you who may have doubts about your own writing prowess. It's hard to improve if you don't actually write, after all. -Jason

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Nine years ago, when I was 8 inches shorter, I received a paper from an imposing figure. This piece of paper -- my first essay of the year -- was on the transition from nomadic to agrarian societies. Despite my best efforts, I received a D on my 10th grade history paper. At the time, I thought my writing career was over.

I'd grown accustomed to receiving As before that point -- in part because I went to a low-income middle school that didn't value its students. At my school, we didn't receive instruction in elementary grammar; we were left to fend for ourselves in a brutal world of paper and pens. Sadly, my math education wasn't any better.

During the sixth grade, I was one of the four students in prealgebra because I excelled in arithmetic while in elementary school. The teachers didn't have room for us, however, so we were left to study on our own in the hallway. As you can imagine, we got nothing done, but somehow we passed despite not knowing the fundamentals.

Unfortunately, this caused me to miss out on a number of important algebraic techniques, so I didn't understand certain concepts in future classes. I went from being someone who was extremely confident with math to someone who absolutely hated it. The reason I mention this is because my writing experience was similar.

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After this especially shameful death, it would surprise me if "Scorpio2468" ever plays a game of World at War again.

I'll admit it: I have a habit of becoming very upset whenever a burst of enemy fire deprives me of an AC-130 or a care package. Sometimes, I'll even hit my keyboard or mumble something profane. Regardless of all my previous fits of nerd rage, I think that if I suffered the same degree of humiliation as this Call of Duty player, I'd probably take a step back and admire the skill of my enemy, instead of lambasting him.

At any rate, this is one for the books. "TheTrout91" clearly defines the word "pwn" for those of us who haven't been paying attention in class [via Today's Big Thing].

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Square Enix kicks off another decade of repackaging old games with their announcement of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy 2 for the iPhone. What does this mean for you? 

Touch screen d-pads....

No price or date has been set, but one has to wonder if the games are still worth re-releasing after the stellar 20th Anniversary editions hit the PSP a few years back. Collectively, this marks their 7th release, including their original launches and various compilations. It's time to give up the ghost, Square Enix. I already own both games three times over in varying degrees of playability. [via Square Enix]

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Any French-speaking Bitmobbers care to translate the below quote? 

News Blips:

If you want to contribute to the Haiti relief effort, The Behemoth and SOTA Toys have got you covered. From now until Sunday, The Behemoth will donate all proceeds of online sales of Alien Hominid HD and Castle Crashers DLC to the American Red Cross. Additionally, Behemoth employees have promised to match the amount generated with funds from their own pockets. Likewise, on February 1, SOTA Toys will auction off a slick Lightning Blanka prototype figurine on ebay and will also send those proceeds to benefit the earthquake-ravaged country.

Electronic Arts is showing their support for controversy-laced golfer Tiger Woods with the announcement of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. The latter of the two titles is now in open beta and boasts self-promotional Facebook integration. It's nice to see EA take the high road and not put together some sort of Tiger Woods dating-sim game. [TigerWoodsOnline]

The Wall Street Journal Online is reporting that Apple is working with EA to "show off" the gaming capabilities of their (rumored) upcoming tablet device. Furthermore, EA Mobile is reportedly signed up to use the recently announced Kindle Development Kit to start making games for Amazon's ebook reader. It looks like however the market of this new generation of computer devices ends up, EA will be there. [engadget]

An unlucky The Consumerist reader reports that airport security had taken apart his Xbox 360 before flying on US Airways. The traveling gamer had checked his console in with his luggage, reassured by an airline employee that everything would be OK. After returning home, he discovered his Xbox had been taken apart as evident by the included ziplock bag of metal components that were once inside his console. Breaking Xbox 360s in the name of national security -- what's the world coming to? [The Consumerist]

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

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I've already established that I love a good game intro. Nothing can get you pumped for hours of button mashing better than an assault of high-octane music and flashy video.

Few games did this better than the early CD-based Japanese titles, which started mimicking the over-the-top openings that anime had used for years.

Burning Rangers for the Sega Saturn is a great example. Sure, the multiple images of characters running in front of strobing lines is exciting, but the song sells it:

You can listen to the full song -- both in English and Japanese -- after the break.

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It's not good enough to just get great gear in World of Warcraft. Nope, you have to get it enchanted, which will make it marginally better for way too much gold. Obviously, something our hero can't pass up.

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If you have an inclination towards cloak-and-dagger activity, then you'll find this week's Bitmob Review Spotlight especially interesting. It seems the community can't get enough of stalking, sneaking up to, and stabbing unsuspecting enemies. In an effort to quench their thirst for clandestine operations, the community has decided to review (mostly) stealth and action-based games like Thief: The Dark Project, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Assassin's Creed 2. The somewhat stealthy Halo 3: ODST joins the crowd in the shadows.

But not all of this week's reviews dwell in the shadows. Wipeout HD Fury's glimmering polish is enough to illuminate even the darkest corners, while Captain America shines a harsh light upon evildoers everywhere in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Lastly, Professor Layton does his best to uncover the mysteries which surround the Curious Village.

So, without further ado, here is this week's Bitmob Review Spotlight.

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You've Aged Well: Thief
By Omri Petitte
While the stealth genre continues to gain new-found prominence among the more action-oriented mainstream, it's important to look back at where things started. Thief wasn't necessarily the progenitor of the genre, but it represents an important milestone. Omri Petitte revisits the game and is surprised at the excitement which it's able to elicit more than 10 years after its release. Omri explains that he can't find "any other game experience that held my breath and drained my will so much as Thief -- and that's a good thing." While some of the game's more outlandish scenes (some of which include killing zombies and spiders) may come across as pointless, the end result is a game which offers "sprawling levels" and "hair-raising" moments. Read more >>

The Geekbox - Episode 48 (2010-01-14)
Wherein we discuss Torchwood, Tom Green's sheer idiocy, Demon's Souls, the Goonies, Bayonetta, Star Trek Online, the A-Team (including the first official Geekbox fanfic production), Avatar(d), Lost vs. Obama, Spider-Man 4's sudden downward spiral, and near-birthdays. Starring Ryan Scott, Karen Chu, Andrew Fitch, and Ryan Higgins.
Running Time: 1h 14m 24s

Zune link

Direct Download (right click to save as)

RSS

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Page 1: #-E

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3D Dot Game Heroes -- The Hero's Tomb

3D Dot Game Heroes -- Water Temple

The 7th Guest -- The Game

The 7th Guest -- Skeletons in My Closet

 

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A

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Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth -- Shi-Long Lang: Speak Up Pup!

Achievement Unlocked -- Main Theme*

Actraiser -- Bloodpool Theme

Actraiser -- Offering 

Actraiser -- Peaceful World

The Addams Family -- The Portrait Gallery

Advance Wars -- Grit's Theme

Advance Wars: Dual Strike -- Lash's Theme

Afterlife -- Track 2

Air Zonk -- Cyber City

Aladdin -- Arab Rock

Alan Wake -- Up Jumped the Devil by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Alien Hominid -- Main Theme

Amped 3 -- Menage a Brahs Rap

Animal Crossing -- K.K. Ballad

Animal Crossing -- K. K. Soul

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney -- Troupe Gramarye 

Aquaria -- The Light

Aquaria -- The Traveler

Aquaria -- Undiscovered Waters

Art Style: Light Trax -- Spectra 1*

Assassin's Creed 2 -- Ezio's Family 

Assassin's Creed 2 -- Venice Rooftops

Astyanax -- Stage 1 

 

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B

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Bad Dudes -- Stage 2

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean -- Violet Storm

Banjo-Kazooie -- Gobi's Valley

Banjo Tooie -- Jiggywiggy's Temple*

Batman -- Stage 2*

Batman -- Streets of Desolation

Battlefield Heroes -- Main Theme

Beyond Good and Evil -- Home Sweet Home

Bionic Commando -- Bionic Commando (Rusko Remix)

Bionic Commando -- Stage 1

Bionic Commando Rearmed -- Main Theme Remix

BioShock -- Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin

BioShock -- Cohen's Masterpiece

BioShock -- Welcome to Rapture

BioShock 2 -- Waking Up in 1959

Bit.Trip Beat -- Transition

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled -- Parting Ways

Blaster Master -- Area 1 Music

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger -- Rebellion (Ragna's Theme)

Blue Dragon -- Waterside

Blueberry Garden -- Valse by Daduk

Body Harvest -- Indoor Music*

Boom Blox -- Main Theme

Boom Blox -- Tiki Sacred Honor

Borderlands -- Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant

Borderlands -- No Heaven by DJ Champion

Braid -- Downstream

Brave Fencer Musashi -- Allucaneat Palace Theme

Breath of Fire 2 -- Fly Pudding

Breath of Fire 2 -- Windia

Brütal Legend -- Die For Metal by Manowar

Brütal Legend -- Girlfriend 

Bubble Bobble -- Main Theme (NES Version)

Bully -- Main Theme

Burning Rangers -- We Are Burning Rangers

Burnout Paradise -- Paradise City by Guns N' Roses

Bust a Groove -- 2 Bad

Bust a Groove -- Natural Playboy

Bust-a-Move -- Theme (Arcade Version)

 

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C

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Call of Duty -- Call of Duty

Call of Duty -- Red Square

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- The Coup

Canabalt -- Main Theme

Capcom vs. SNK -- Sign

Castle Crashers -- Forest Entrance

Castle Crashers -- Race Around the World

Castlevania -- Vampire Killer

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- I Am the Wind

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- Lost Painting

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night -- Wood Carving Partita

Cave Story  -- Mischievous Robot (REMIX)

Cave Story -- Eyes of Flame

Cave Story -- Moonsong

Chime -- Brazil by Philip Glass Ensemble

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers -- Stage J

Chrono Cross -- Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World

Chrono Cross -- Dream of the Shore Near Another World

Chrono Cross -- Magical Dreamers

Chrono Cross -- Magical Dreamers: Wind, Stars, and Waves

Chrono Cross -- The Scars of Time

Chrono Cross -- Star-Stealing Girl

Chrono Trigger -- At the Bottom of Night

Chrono Trigger -- The Brink of Time Track 1 (REMIX)

Chrono Trigger -- Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger -- Corridors of Time

Chrono Trigger -- Guardia Millenial Fair

Chrono Trigger -- Schala's Theme

Chrono Trigger -- To Far Away Times 

Chrono Trigger -- To Far Away Times (REMIX)

Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross -- Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross Themes by Play! Symphony

Chu Chu Rocket -- Theme

Civilization 4 -- Baba Yetu

Clay Fighter -- Title Screen

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 -- Hell March 3

The Company of Myself -- Theme*

Conker's Bad Fur Day -- Great Mighty Poo

Conker's Bad Fur Day -- Windy

Contra -- Stage 1*

Contra 3: The Alien Wars -- The Final Gauntlet (Part 1, 2, & 3)

Courier Crisis -- Keep Your Hands on the Boogie by Hot Chicken Stew

Courier Crisis -- What You Believe by Big Drill Car

Crazy Taxi 2 -- No Brakes by The Offspring

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos -- And So the Adventure Begins

Cruis'n Exotica -- Menu 1

 

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D

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Dark Cloud -- Main Theme

Dark Cloud 2 -- Rainbow Butterfly Woods

Dark Void -- Main Theme

Darksiders -- Darksiders Theme

Darkstalkers 3 -- Fetus of God

Darkwing Duck -- Title

Daytona USA -- Let's Go Away

Deadly Premonition -- FBI Special Agent

Deadly Premonition -- Life is Beautiful

Deadly Premonition -- The Woods and the Goddess

Déjà Vu -- Theme of Ace Harding*

Deus Ex -- Main Theme

Deus Ex: Human Revolution -- Theme*

Devil May Cry -- Flock Off!

Devil May Cry 3 -- Devils Never Cry

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness -- Beautiful Rondo

Donkey Kong Country -- Aquatic Ambiance

Donkey Kong 64 -- DK Rap

DonPachi -- Stage 1*

Doom -- Main Theme

Dr. Mario Online Rx -- Fever

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine -- Password Screen*

Dragon Quest VIII -- Overture 

Dragon Warrior -- Battle Theme

Duck Tales -- The Moon

 

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E

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Earthbound -- Giygas' Theme (Pokey Means Business)

Earthbound -- Kraken of the Sea

Ecco the Dolphin -- Opening Theme

Echocrome -- Prime 5

Einhänder -- Street

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind -- Theme

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion -- Harvest Dawn

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion -- King and Country

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion -- Main Theme

Embodiment of the Scarlet Devil -- Beloved Tomboyish Girl

Enemy Zero -- Agony

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem -- Gateway to Destiny

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem -- The Gift of Forever and Ram Dao 

Eternal Sonata -- Pyroxene of the Heart

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I thought about posting my Top 100 Games of the '00s list here, but considering the dedicated group of gamers at Bitmob, what's the point of recommending the same stuff that everyone has already played? The thing I love about lists isn't cross-referencing them with my own taste, but hopefully finding new gems that slipped under my radar. The games I present here have all sold poorly, received minimal coverage, and failed to accumulate a fan base over the years. These are games you not only haven't heard praised, but maybe haven't heard of at all.

It can be a pain to seek some of these out, especially the PC titles, but it's well worth the effort, especially if you consider yourself a gaming connoisseur. Enjoy, and please share some of your favorite, little-known games in the comments!

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Soul Blazer (SNES, 1992)

Caught between the superior Actraiser and Illusions of Gaia both chronologically and gameplay wise, Soul Blazer was another overlooked classic of the '90s from developer Quintet. It was another Zelda-esque adventure, but told with a more dynamic narrative and responsive world. While Zelda's dungeons mostly stayed the same, each area of Soul Blazer was incredibly different and inventive. From fighting on an island to fighting on a giant game board, Soul Blazer made the same old grind feel new. Each enemy nest you defeated revived a villager, which kept the combat rewarding and worked into a strangely esoteric narrative.

Plays like: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Actraiser, Alundra.

Seekability: Absolutely. The mood and atmosphere of the game was haunting, and the controls spot-on. It's a very unique game that aged wonderfully, just like the rest of Quintet's catalog.

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You may think you know Street Fighter, but we're pretty sure you don't know as much as this guy. Sure, he works at Capcom as the manager of community. But Seth Killian is so intimately familiar with their fighting games, the developers asked him to be an official advisor on the series.

So rather than have us report back to you on the recently announced additions to the cast of Super Street Fighter 4 ("Uh...T. Hawk's all 3D and stuff now"), we'll let the expert do the talking. Killian tells us what he likes about all the new world warriors -- and what opponents they'll have the most trouble against. Just click on the appropriate picture or any of the links below to read more.

               T. Hawk       •        DeeJay       •            Juri          •          Cody          •           Guy          •           Adon

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