Griffin McElroy

Griffin is a graduate of Marshall University with seven years of experience in professional video games reporting. In addition to his work as Weekend Editor, Contributing Editor and now Reviews Editor for Joystiq, he's produced content for a number of local West Virginia news organizations and contributed to MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08 election coverage. He's also the co-host and editor of My Brother, My Brother and Me, a podcast in which he distributes exclusively terrible advice.

Articles by Griffin McElroy

Best of the Rest: Griffin's picks of 2011
LittleBigPlanet 2 How fitting that for my last contribution to Joystiq's Game of the Year list, I should learn the bitter sting of having my number one choice not breach the Top 10. LittleBigPlanet 2 improved upon the original -- already one of my favorite games of all time -- in every conceivable way, offering one of the most user-friendly, charming UGC systems in gaming history. There is nothing I've thought of that LBP2 wasn't able to create, and that includes a level about interstellar poultry abduction.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2011: Dark Souls
It's a crying shame that, for the uninitiated masses, Dark Souls will primarily be remembered for its considerable difficulty. It's an absolutely true shame, of course. To my recollection, no other game's punishment caused my brother to literally break a controller in a fit of rage, delete his save and write a chart-topping tribute song before his hatred could subside. It's not all death and discouragement, however. Though every twist and turn of Dark Souls' menacing and lovely locales plays host to a preset lineup of fiends (many of whom can kill you with a sideways glance), there is a strange progress to the proceedings. It may come after hours of un-progress, but it comes -- and when it does, it comes correct. Self-improvement in games typically comes in forms that are mechanical (you level up and gain five magic points!) or educational (now you know where the spike traps are). Dark Souls' core tenet of repetitious short-burst failure paired with a wildly open-ended RPG character progression system blends both methods perfectly. What's more, it offers an intensely terrifying risk/reward system for ever-precious Souls; fortunately, your Brains are never jeopardized.
Nintendo, EA and Sony also rescind SOPA support
Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Sony Electronics have apparently followed the example of Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance, and have removed their corporate monikers from the list of supporters for the increasingly unpopular Stop Online Piracy Act. None of the three companies have commented on why they reversed their position on the controversial bill, but we imagine its because endorsing it makes the internet pretty angry with you. When asked, EA corporate told Joystiq this afternoon, "EA never expressed a position for or against SOPA." Sony and Nintendo had yet to respond as of publishing. Note that not all of Sony's miscellaneous branches have rescinded their support, as Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Nashville still appear on the list. Also, the Entertainment Software Association is still shown as a supporter -- an organization which the aforementioned publishers (among others) belong to. Whether the group will remain on an endorsement list which exactly zero of its members appear on remains to be seen.
Deus Ex, Civ 5, GTA series on sale today on Steam
We know you're probably exhausted both mentally and financially by the onslaught of Steam Holiday Sales, but try to steel yourself: Today's righteous offers include Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Civilization 5 and all of the Grand Theft Auto games in the world. (Well, most of them.)
One of the hardest NES games ever translated to English
If you're a stone-cold psychopath whose masochistic gaming tendencies push you away from ... well, normal-people games and into the cold embrace of impossible games, then the unavailability of an English port for Takeshi's Challenge has probably been a sore point for you. We probably shouldn't encourage your self-destruction, but you should know that a few kind souls have translated the bizarre NES title for your localized enjoyment. The localization comes from ROM modder KingMike (via Tiny Cartridge). Before looking into acquiring the game, though, we'd suggest you also find an English language strategy guide to help you, because this game was made by the Devil.
Today's Steam holiday sale discounts Dead Space 2, Tomb Raider, more
You've probably heard of a few of the games discounted in today's installment of the Steam holiday sale. You know, Machinarium? Dungeon Defenders? Assassin's Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood and Revelations? A bunch of Tomb Raiders? Dead Spaces? You ... you have heard of those, right?
Disgaea team crafting a dungeon RPG for 2012, Nippon Ichi announces more
During a recent Nippon Ichi press conference, CEO Sohei Shinkawa announced a handful of projects the company is working on for the immediate future. The first likely won't require all that much actual work -- it's Cave Story 3D, which the company is publishing in Japan. He added that two other projects are in the pipeline: A new adventure game scheduled for a Japanese Summer 2012 launch, and a dungeon-centric RPG from the Disgaea team due out sometime in 2012. During a later Q&A, Shinkawa revealed that the company would like to release at least one Vita title next year, but did not confirm whether either of the newly announced projects would be that title. Shinkawa also revealed all this information while wearing a Prinny-shaped hat, so we're not sure we can believe a single thing he said.
PSA: Here's where UK residents can play the Vita early
You UK residents are such a lucky lot. Not only do you get all the episodes of Doctor Who way, way earlier than us Americans, you'll also get a chance to play the PS Vita before us, too. Check out the full list of PS Vita Room events after the jump, as well as all the games featured therein.
Nikkei: Paid DLC coming to 3DS starting with new Fire Emblem
According to a recent Nikkei report, Nintendo will introduce paid downloadable content to its games for the first time in recorded human history next March, with the release of Fire Emblem for the 3DS. The price of this expansion will apparently be "several hundred yen," and that it -- and other DLC on the company's platforms -- won't make it any easier for players to make their way through Nintendo's games, which probably weren't very difficult to begin with. Nikkei also reported that the Wii U will also play home to downloadable add-ons, but said nothing about the still-to-come library of the Wii, which -- well, in order to release expansions for something, you first need something to expand upon.
Portal Christmas tree doubles our holiday cheer
Is there a Martha Stewart Living for Nerds monthly periodical we never knew about? We're all about games and interior decorations, but we don't know how one learns to combine those two with such grace and ease as this, the greatest Christmas tree ever, and perhaps the greatest tree ever. Behold: The Portal Christmas tree, the full glory of which can be seen after the jump. We're typically ones to pull down (and mulch) our arboreal holiday decor on December the 26th, but we don't know that we'd ever be able to part with a tree this magical. We'd leave it up, explaining to visitors that, oh, this is our Valentine's Day tree, and also our Easter tree, and Flag Day tree, and so on.
Trion Worlds database hacked, 'no evidence' of credit card info stolen
We were starting to think we'd make it through the rest of the year without once again worrying about having our social security numbers stolen, Tweeted and written in the sky. How foolish of us! Trion Worlds has announced on its blog it "recently discovered that unauthorized intruders gained access to a Trion Worlds account database," a list which included "user names, encrypted passwords, dates of birth, email addresses, billing addresses, and the first and last four digits and expiration dates of customer credit cards." Trion added there's no evidence that credit card info was taken, and that the company has "taken further action to strengthen our systems, even as we, with external security experts, continue to research the extent of the unauthorized access." In the meantime, Trion game users will want to change their password, which they'll be prompted to do the next time they try to log in to the company's site, or one of its titles. We'd also suggest that Trion change its logo, because that open-door-looking letter "I" is starting to seem a tad prophetic.
Steam Holiday Sale has Saint's Row: The Third at 33 percent off
You'd be missing out if you made it all the way through 2011 without experiencing the intense thrill of throwing a jar-contained toot into the dropped top of a rival gang member's hot rod. Today's Steam discount will help you do so by letting you grab Saint's Row: The Third for $33.49.
Ridge Racer Vita moved from launch day to 'launch window'
When a game publisher closes a door, they always open a window -- unless, of course, they're cancelling the game, in which case they always burn the whole house down. This idiom now applies directly to the release of Namco's Ridge Racer for the PS Vita which, according to the recently revealed PlayStation Blog line-up, has been pushed from the list of "launch day" releases to the list of "launch window" releases. What's that mean for the fate of the title? Well, it could still mean that it's coming to the states alongside the console on February 22, but that Namco Bandai is playing it safe with the new terminology. In all likelihood, however, it means the game's been delayed beyond the console's due date. We've contacted the publisher for a clarification.
Former Halo 4 producer working on artsy iPad adventure 'The Last Sleeper'
A recently posted Kickstarter campaign for an iPad adventure game titled The Last Sleeper is just chock-full of surprises. For instance, this game we've never heard of looks absolutely gorgeous: It's a lovingly illustrated sci-fi game which "relies on the seamless integration of sound, image, and touch." We were pretty sure that same logic applies to all smartphone-based games -- but hey, who are we to judge when the pictures look this pretty? Another surprise comes from the development team's roster, a list which includes Gears of War 3 composer Steve Jablonsky, Lord of the Rings sound designer Ethan Van Der Ryn and, perhaps most surprising, Halo 4 producer and designer Kendall Davis. Together, they form Black Gold Studio. The team appears in the resume of freelance artist Rasmus Berggreen, whose curriculum vitae seems to suggest that the title will be published by Bungie Aerospace. Of course, given that the team is seeking funds from Kickstarter, it's possible that said partnership is over or still in the works. Check out the game's Kickstarter page for a full list of its esteemed creators, as well as some background info on its heady plot.
Steam's Holiday Sale discounts everything ever, gives gifts, games and coal
Well, we're all screwed. The annual Steam holiday deals have gone live, discounting ... let's just say "all the games" to be efficient, okay? All the games are discounted, as are a bunch of humongous packs which similarly include all the games, and, if that weren't enough, Steam is giving away free games to folks who play other games. Congratulations! We all get more games than any of us could ever hope to play in our lifetimes. Those free games are earned by completing a series of in-game objectives which cycle everyday until January 1. Completing them either gets you a freebie off the "Great Gift Pile" or a lump of coal, seven of which can also be traded in for an actual gift. Alternatively, you could save your lumps up -- each counts as an entry into a Steam sweepstakes, the grand prize for which is every game on Steam ever. Seriously, that's not hyperbole. The prize is every game.
Left 4 Dead's Boomer action figure is pretty gnarly
You know who we'd like to see featured in the hit television program Dirty Jobs? The guy who's responsible for making this Left 4 Dead Boomer action figure. Just think: Some poor soul at NECA not only had to mold this fully articulated, pustule-covered monster -- they had to paint on his every blemish, scab and scar. There is no amount of money high enough to merit such attention to nastiness. We won't be able to get our hands on this figure (and others from the zombie-centric hit) until next Spring, but you can be sure that when we do, our hands will be safely enveloped by gloves. Check him out in all his oozing glory after the jump.
Indie Game: The Movie showing at SXSW, creators hosting panel
Can't make it out to the Sundance film festival to check out the world premiere of the crowdsource-funded documentary Indie Game: The Movie? There's no need to worry, assuming you can score passes to SXSW instead; the film will have a showing at the SXSW ScreenBurn Arcade (March 9 - 11) and SXSW Film (March 9 - 17) next year (clap, clap, clap, clap) deep in the heart of Austin, Texas. The conference will also host a panel presented by IG:TM creators James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot, along with Phil Fish, the creator of Fez, one of the titular indie games. The whole thing is so full-circular, we might just faint.
I Am Alive trailer is worried about your survival
Much like the stalwart scientist behind the informative BlendTec "Will it Blend" video series, the I am Alive trailer above has a number of helpful, healthful tips for you to follow if you want to survive in a ruined city. The truly vital one? "This is ruined city dust. Don't breathe this!"
PSA: UK indie games bundle 'Little Big Bunch' out now
The Little Big Bunch, a Humble Indie Bundle-esque collection of games from UK-based developers, is available right this hot second. The collection includes Explodemon, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Frozen Synapse, Serious Sam Double D and New Star Soccer 5 -- all five of which are yours at a price point of your choosing. Much like the Humble series, shoppers can choose which portion of their donation goes to the developers, and what part goes to GamesAid, which then gives the funds to a number of charitable organizations. It's a great cause supporting great games, which we think is just great.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations coming in March
CyberConnect2's Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations -- a title so long, it scarcely leaves any room for news in this news post -- has been given an official North American street date of March 13, 2012. This news will surely delight fans of the surprisingly swell Naruto Shippuden series, the whole Naruto franchise, fans of the month of March and fans of ostentatiously long video game monikers.The title will not only feature the same over-the-top combat of its predecessors, but also some sort of collectible trading card game mechanics woven into the core campaign. Personally, we love the juxtaposition of furious punching and kicking, followed by the thoughtful tapping of ancient martial arts mana cards.

...