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Games of a Lifetime: Thomas' picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Super Mario World I'm not a marathon video game player – for me, binging on or tirelessly replaying masterpieces downplays the great moments within, tainting them with an undeserved state of blandness. And yet, there is something about Super Mario World's construct that is immune to my fickle play style. Though I've been hurling Luigi down pits since I was old enough to earn player 2 privileges, Super Mario World is a ceaseless joy to return to, even if an encore ensues moments after besting Bowser with a few well-aimed Mechakoopas. I'm inclined to most romps through the Mushroom Kingdom, but Super Mario World's memorable level design, subtle secrecy and introduction of the greatest power-up of all time elevate it above every other Mario Bros outing. Above all else, it's the king of fun within my gaming career – there is not a moment coded into that rackety cartridge that isn't bliss to play, even when a pack of Rip Van Fish inspire a spike of stress with their chase. Super Mario World was, is and probably always will be my hometown in the world of video games, and I look forward to reveling in nostalgia as I shove a pack of kids into their lava-filled demise during future homecomings.
XBLA deals for next week are decidedly anti-alien
Do you hate aliens more than every single one of Will Smith's cinematic personas combined? We don't blame you: Extraterrestrials are the worst. We plan on getting some cathartic release with next week's XBLA deals, which mark down a few of the platform's more anti-alien titles.
Xbox Live Deal of the Week: Geometry Wars 2 for $5
Though the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 leaderboards have all rocketed to unsurpassable heights since its release in summer 2008, Xbox Live Gold subscribers shouldn't be afraid of picking it up this week for the temporarily reduced price of 400 ($5). We mean, you should be afraid of its propensity for stealing your evenings away from you as you desperately attempt to unlock that pesky "Wax Off" Achievement. But hey, at least those attempts are pretty fun! (Or, at least, the first hundred are.) Shortcut: Add Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 to your download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Xbox 360 Elite Holiday 2009 Bundle shipping today
Rumored, pictured, and now shipping to retail, the 2009 edition of the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle ($300) includes a pair of family-friendly titles from last year in Lego Batman and Pure. But, well, you knew that. (Protip: Grab and stash this before October 5 to be eligible for the $50 rebate.)Also announced today, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Game Pack will go on sale in November for $60. The black gamepad and bundle of XBLA titles is so close to perfect with Geometry Wars 2, Lumines Live, Bomberman Live and ... a code for Ms. Pac-Man? Make that a Pac-Man: Championship Edition token and we'd be looking at one of the best gifts you could have given this holiday -- 'cause let's face it, you (should) already own those games.Oh, and still no official word on that popcorn box o' peripherals.%Gallery-74224%
GeoWars 2 muzzak Remix'd
As a special bonus to fans, Bizarre Creations has released a special Geometry Wars 2 music remix developed by Chris Chudley of Audio Antics. The 13-minute-long track is titled, "46860 Choices," and includes some of the music from the entire Geometry Wars series. Our friends at GamerTagRadio have the free 13-minute long special remix available for download. Download it today.
FanPoll'08: XBLA Game of the Year
This year has brought us a slew of incredible Xbox Live Arcade titles so whittling the list down to five contenders is a difficult task. In the end the top honors went to the five titles we felt delivered on all promises made and showcased greatness, even through their shortcomings.Read more about these five nominees:A Kingdom for KeflingsBionic Commando RearmedBraidGeometry Wars 2Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Voting closes at 12:01am on December 30, 2008. Results will be revealed on December 30, 2008. <a href ="http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1226539/" >FanPoll'08: XBLA Game of the Year</a> <br/> <span style="font-size:9px;"> (<a href ="http://www.polldaddy.com"> surveys</a>)</span>
Beefwatch: Totilo beats Soulja Boy! ... at Geometry Wars 2
Sure, our favorite game journalist, Stephen Totilo, may have promptly lost the last two games he played against the Braid-loving rap auteur in Gears of War 2 and Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix. But for one glorious moment, Soulja Boy's lunch had been eaten, and Totilo's face was covered in crumbs. If you've got the notion, you can watch the full battle over on MTV's site. On a side note, we think we may have turned the corner on Soulja Boy. We think ... we think maybe we're totally into him.
Geometry Wars sucks in 1 million players
If you have yet to try Bizarre Creations' classic Geometry Wars or their latest Geometry Wars 2 on the 360, then you're in the minority and should be ashamed. Ashamed not only because you're missing out on two great games, but because 1 million gamers have already experienced the visual love that GeoWars brings. No joke, Bizarre just revealed that over 1 million players (how unique, we're not sure) have logged GeoWars scores since November 2005. It's an amazing accomplishment and something YOU should be a part of. Grab the XBLA good here and here.
'Summer of Arcade' behind XBLA's best month yet
Newly released figures show that the "Summer of Arcade" wasn't just a windfall for gamers; it made Microsoft some serious scratch. MS reports that it saw a 58% increase in Arcade title purchases during the five-week "event," amounting to a 67% increase in revenue generated by XBLA in August – a new monthly record for the service. The company itself acknowledges that the quality of the titles was crucial to the gains. "The reason for all of this success? The games were really good," it said in a press release. Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, promises that, "The focus on quality games doesn't stop with the Summer of Arcade." So ... we're due for a "Fall and Winter of Arcade," then? Whitten called out upcoming XBLA releases such as Portal: Still Alive, South Park, and R-Type Dimensions as examples of a new wave of potential Arcade hits. "We have plenty more great titles coming out in the next few months and beyond that we think will continue to fuel this incredible momentum," he said. Wait, back up ... did he mean the R-Type Dimensions that hasn't been officially announced yet?
Joystiq Interview: A Bizarre interview about Geometry Wars 2
It's no secret: You love Geometry Wars 2, we love Geometry Wars 2, everybody loves it. We recently talked with Bizarre Creation's Stephen Cakebread, Senior Coder, and Craig Howard, Games Manager, to find out how they crafted the game that won our hearts. It would seem to the layman that, with as popular as Geometry Wars was, a sequel would be pretty easy to crap out. Why wait so long? Howard: Because the first one was so well received, it would have cheapened the game if we just knocked something out and not given it a lot of thought. We wanted something to make sure it was something we'd be really proud of. Cakebread: Our inital plan was to get it our a year later and then the plan was to ship it when Gotham 4 shipped and that didn't work out either. It really was a case that we weren't going to ship it until we were ready to ship it. It might seem silly, but it took us quite a while to figure out a graphical style that still looked like the original. One of our big things was when people came to our stations we wanted them to say "Oh, is that a sequel to Geometry Wars?" rather than "Is that Geometry Wars?" It took us quite a while to come up with something that really worked. We tried some mad stuff. Like what?: Howard: What didn't we do? [laughs] Gallery: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars song eases the pain
Bizarre Creations, hire this man. His name is Matthew McCarthy and he has done something wonderful. Specifically, he's taken his frustrations with Geometry Wars 2 and channeled them into something creative: a song. Entitled "Geometry Wars Will Be the Death of Me," we think that most gamers can relate. So, the next time Geometry Wars 2 gets you down, turn up the volume, listen to the song, and remember that you're not alone. Seriously, this song is awesome though, and not the new, watered-down version of awesome either. No, this is the original awesome in that it actually inspires awe. This is like Grand Canyon awesome. Watch out Johnathan Coulton. [Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Can Geometry Wars make you mad enough to sing?
When we get really frustrated by Geometry Wars 2 (and we do) we deal with our anger the only way we know how: We become physically abusive towards loved ones and pets. But not Matthew McCarthy. No, Matthew McCarthy just picks up a guitar and channels the rage into a song about why he hates all those stupid, cruel shapes. We tried to ape McCarthy's far healthier anger management, but after picking up our guitar we just used that to be physically abusive to loved ones and pets, which really isn't much better, when you think about it. [Via ToaRG]
Show the internets your Geometry Wars 2 'talent'
Morgon over at MyGamerCard.net just sent word that they've released a new Geometry Wars 2 scorecard to their ever growing list of generated scorecard images, which means you can now gloat about your crazy high GeoWars2 scores on every forum, personal website or comment thread across the internets. That, or how absolutely embarrassing your GeoWars2 "skills" are. Whichever it is, this scorecard (which showcases your high scores and rank for all six gametypes) is rather nifty and something we'll constantly use to keep us motivated to get better at our XBLA geometry crack. Enjoy.
Win a copy of Geometry Wars 2 from X3F
Our sister site X3F (a.k.a. Xbox 360 Fanboy) is giving away three copies of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 (a.k.a. Retro More Evolved). Head over to their contest page and tell them your favorite color (a.k.a. The Absolute Hardest Possible Question We Could Come Up With at the Time). Contest ends 11:00 pm ET today. Official rules can be found here.
Fanswag: Win Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 [update]
Update: This giveaway has since expired. Congratulations goes out to Mat, DiddlyKong and Dustin for winning Geometry Wars 2 goodness and a giant sad face to those who didn't win. :(Today, thanks to the crew over at Bizarre Creations, we're bringing you a later than usual Fanswag giveaways where we're handing out three copies of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. Yes, you can haz Geometry Wars 2! Today's giveaway is going to be quick (entry ends tonight at 11:00PM eastern) and simple (just comment below to enter), because it's Friday and we wanna give out the Geometry Wars 2 goods without all the hassle. To enter, simply: Bizarre did a mighty fine job at making Geometry Wars look so darn colorful and beautiful. It's like an intensely lucid acid trip, but without all the bad acid side-effects. So, to enter today's giveaway, simply comment on this post telling us what your favorite color is. Easy! Only one comment per person will be accepted. Posters of multiple comments will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until 11:00PM eastern time today, August 15th, 2008. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec). Later today, we'll pick three winners via a random drawing. Three winners will receive an Xbox Live redemption code to download Geometry Wars 2 worth $10. Complete giveaway rules can be found here
View Geometry Wars 2 leaderboards online
Bizarre just sent word that the Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 leaderboards are now live over on the official GeoWars website allowing you (or anyone else) to search for where a Gamertag's score ranks in the grand scheme of leaderboard life. All six gametype leaderboards are searchable where you can also browse the all-time highest ranking scorers in the world. Viewing the record setting scores (1.6 billion in Pacifism, jeebuz!) is, of course, an extremely sobering realization that you really aren't that talented at Geometry Wars. That's why we've posted the record setting high scores after the break. Seeing such crazy high scores is sad, sort of depressing really. But we'll cover up our hurt and lack of confidence by playing the "at least I have a life" card.
Today's timesink: Geometry Wars 2 leaderboard site live
Hey gang, terrible, terrible news: You can now check your status on the Geometry Wars 2 leaderboards at any moment of the day, thanks to a Bizarre Creations application that's just gone live. While you can't check your status as it compares to your friends, you can see, in real-time, how you stack up against the rest of the world. It's not just the time you'll spend plugging gamertags into the site to see how everyone ranks that's so troubling. It's watching your status slipping while you toil at the office, debating if it's worth faking food poisoning to get back in the Pacifism top 10,000 that's really going to mess with you. (Spoiler alert: It's totally worth it.) [Via CVG]
Readers pick best webcomic: Fundamental Theorem of War
A flood of Greek letters coming after us is just like those dreams we had in high school the night before our Calculus exams. So it's only natural that 2P Start's The Fundamental Theorem of War bring back intense feelings of elation (or perhaps pain and suffering, if you're not huge math geeks). Fitting for us, then, that it had the highest rate of change from 0, or more accurately, it had the most votes in this week's webcomic wrapup.Second and third place both went to Penny Arcade with Anguish and For Your Consideration, respectively. Thanks to everyone who voted; be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Bizarre promises to continue Geo Wars franchise
Chatting with MTV Multiplayer, developers Stephen Cakebread and Craig Howard from Bizarre Creations discussed everything Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, from their design decisions all the way through the little 3D debug view that was left in the game. But most interesting is Bizarre's commitment to Geometry Wars in the future, telling MTV Multiplayer that "Geometry Wars is definitely a franchise," and that "we have enough game ideas to do Geometry Wars for probably about 10 games. It depends on what will work." Currently, there's a small team at Bizarre actively working on future Geometry iterations, but specifics regarding what games and on which platforms is very hush-hush. We say, crank out the GeoWars! We want at least ten more games. All exclusive to the 360.
Geometry Wars is 'not going to stop'
Much like the endless assault of the franchise's squirrely squares, devious diamonds and annoying arrows, Geometry Wars is sure to keep gamers frantically twiddling their thumbsticks for some time to come. Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, geometric warlord Stephen Cakebread has assured fans that the creative team hasn't run out of ideas yet. "We have enough game ideas to do 'Geometry Wars' for probably about 10 games," said Cakebread. "It depends on what will work." Things that didn't work and ended up being removed from Geometry Wars 2: Gimmicky multiplayer modes, such as a a soccer/football-style game that had players shooting objects into gravity-well goals. Things that might work in the future: Developer Bizarre Creations isn't saying, as it might "use them in the future for god knows what." Things that work in today's industry: Good franchises! "Geometry Wars is definitely a franchise," noted Bizarre manager Craig Howard. "It's not going to stop." Well, not unless you release a bomb.
