Super Mario Bros, Obama Edition

spreading the wealth in the mushroom kingdom

Playing on the Obama-mania of so many of his cyber-aged supporters (young voters preferred Obama more than two to one), the game combines the nostalgia of Super Mario Brothers with a biting political message.

Here's my take on it. I was going to use Princess Peach as the "evil rich" symbol, but decided Rich Uncle Pennybags, from Monopoly, is more recognizable as such.

BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams YouTube Teaser Trailer

Admittedly, a very poor trailer, but I am pumped for this release. For those of you unfamiliar with Bioshock, here is an excerpt from the wiki page:

BioShock has received wide critical acclaim: mainstream press reviews have praised the immersive qualities of the game and its political dimension. The Boston Globe described it as "a beautiful, brutal, and disquieting computer game ... one of the best in years," and compared the game to Whittaker Chambers's 1957 riposte to Atlas Shrugged, Big Sister Is Watching You. Wired also mentioned the Ayn Rand connection in a report on the game which featured a brief interview with Levine.

The Chicago Sun-Times review said, "I never once thought anyone would be able to create an engaging and entertaining video game around the fiction and philosophy of Ayn Rand, but that is essentially what 2K Games has done ... the rare, mature video game that succeeds in making you think while you play."

The Los Angeles Times review concluded, "Sure, it's fun to play, looks spectacular and is easy to control. But it also does something no other game has done to date: It really makes you feel." The New York Times reviewer described it as: "intelligent, gorgeous, occasionally frightening" and added, "Anchored by its provocative, morality-based story line, sumptuous art direction and superb voice acting, BioShock can also hold its head high among the best games ever made."

I played it on the Xbox 360 and it was one of the most atmospheric, submersing, enjoyable game experiences I've ever had. Alone with the lights dimmed and the sound blasted is the way to go. I dare you not to shiver the first time you hear a Big Daddy wail like some forlorn mammoth sea creature. For the Ayn Rand fans, there are a ton of themes and references for you.

Hat Tip: 21st Century Paladin.

Lucas Arts Adventure Games

I am getting bored with games. First person shooters, rpg's, Guitar Hero ... I had to put them down for awhile. I tried an old Tony Hawk game, but even that didn't hold my interest for long.

I decided to go back to the genre I cut my teeth on: Adventure Games. I choose a new one to start off with. FBI Confidential : Art of Murder. It was fun enough. The puzzles were'nt too hard, so I completed it without needing a walkthough until the end. I used to be against using walkthroughs, but what is the point of doing the same thing over and over until you finally give up and quit playing? The only problem is that once I open that box I find myself resisting the urge to consult a walktrough everytime I get stuck.

Anyway, I finished the game. The ending was anticlimatic and overall the story was pretty cheesy, but it was worth playing. At any rate, it got my adventure games juices flowing and I found myself with an urge to go back to the classics. Lucas Arts!

So far, I've played Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max Hit the Road, and Full Throttle. Currently, I am playing The Dig.


I was thrilled to learn of an emulator specifically for these games to allow play from Windows Vista. The games I mentioned above worked perfectly. Unfortunately, I ran into sound problems with Grim Fandango and the original Monkey Island. No biggie. I'm sure others have had the same problems and the solution is just a Google search away. I love the Internet.

In my opinion, these games have stood the test of time. Day of the Tentacle is my all time favorite. The writing and voice acting are top notch and has yet to be matched. It is so ... funny! It was like going back and watching an old '80's comedy. Sure, the graphics and technology references are somewhat dated ... but that didn't stop me going from giggling to straight up laughing out loud at times.

Whether you have ever played these games or not, do yourself a favor and give them a try. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to Google "lucas arts adventure mega pack". Plus, you probably already know that Virtual Clonedrive will let you mount the cd images. It would be downright insulting if I suggested you need WinRar to unpack the files. Of course you already know that stuff! That's why I'm not even going to mention any of it.