http://www.poorsquinky.com/games/ ...will he ever win? - http://www.poorsquinky.com/games/ http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503820227/941622p1.html <b>EVE Online (PC)</b><br />Space MMO reaches online milestone.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503820227" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T23:15:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503817560/941609p1.html <b>Eduardo the Samurai Toaster (Wii)</b><br />Tiny developer Semnat Studios talks about getting noticed by Nintendo.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503817560" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T23:00:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503820228/941589p1.html The Lich King continues to rule.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503820228" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T22:45:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/503780970/vids_1.html <b>Moon (DS)</b><br />Meet Sanctus Vector the security drone.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/503780970" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T22:07:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503777545/941547p1.html <b>The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (PC)</b><br />Can your system run it?<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503777545" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T22:05:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503777546/941541p1.html <b>Combat Wings: Battle of Britain (PC)</b><br />Warm up your trigger finger.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503777546" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T21:57:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503777547/941528p1.html <b>Crysis Warhead (PC)</b><br />On track to release later this year.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503777547" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T21:46:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8928 Text-based Tetris clone with network 2-player mode.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?vitetris">More about vitetris</a></p> 2009-01-05T21:33:30+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/503739460/941510p1.html <b>Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess (DS)</b><br />¡Oh no, la princesa de nieve está en el problema!<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/503739460" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T21:04:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503699878/941482p1.html Inside sources say LEGO Indiana Jones or LEGO Rock Band more likely.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503699878" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T20:06:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503692388/vids_1.html <b>Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop (Wii)</b><br />Rock out with some zombies.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503692388" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T19:56:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503692389/imgs_1.html <b>Eduardo the Samurai Toaster (Wii)</b><br />Check out the flashy WiiWare shooter.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503692389" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T19:50:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503692390/941454p1.html <b>Eduardo the Samurai Toaster (Wii)</b><br />A visually unique 2D shooter is on the way.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503692390" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T19:38:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503655761/941388p1.html <b>Bionic Commando (PC)</b><br />PC version of Capcom's platformer will follow "shortly afterwards."<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503655761" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T18:47:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503620564/imgs_1.html <b>StarCraft II Terrans: Wings of Liberty (PC)</b><br />Terran Battlecruisers hover over a fiery field.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503620564" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T18:28:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/503611698/imgs_1.html <b>Legacy of Ys: Books I &amp; II (DS)</b><br />The classic action RPGs return in a brand new form.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/503611698" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T18:20:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/503611699/941372p1.html <b>Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Sky (DS)</b><br />Story and quest info for the DS's biggest RPG yet.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/503611699" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T17:30:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503588701/vids_1.html <b>Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)</b><br />Namco Bandai kicks off 2009 in style over in Japan.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503588701" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T17:14:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503572128/941368p1.html <b>Wind Slayer (PC)</b><br />Outspark is now recruiting adventurers for Wind Slayer closed beta beginning January 7.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503572128" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T17:12:00+00:00 http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42984 <p>You might reasonably think that I'm only picking <span style="font-style: italic;">Saints Row 2 </span>for the PC as Game of the Week because it's an otherwise crappy week for releases. Considering the product and based on previous experience, you'd be forgiven for thinking this way, but the truth is I'd be inclined to give <span style="font-style: italic;">Saints Row 2 </span>the nod even in a much more dense and competitive environment. While everyone spent last year psychoanalyzing the dreary life of Nico Belic and his unhealthy relationship with distant cousins in<span style="font-style: italic;"> Grand Theft Auto IV,</span> Volition actually put out an unabashed and unrepentant game that proved surprisingly fun. </p> <p><span style="font-style: italic;">Saints Row 2</span> is one of those games that never got the credit it deserved. While not the technical achievement of Rockstar's magnum opus, this was a game that set aside its emo-wear trenchcoat in favor of a bloodsplattered technicolor dreamcoat, revelling in its wanton madness with a glee that reminds you that in the end you are butchering so many pixels on a screen so try not to be so uptight about it. </p> <p>It's not often I'm going to look favorably upon console ports to the PC, but every so often you just have to relax a little. <span style="font-style: italic;">Saints Row 2 </span>on the PC gets my nod for Game of the Week.</p><p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42984">read more</a></p> 2009-01-05T16:01:22+00:00 Elysium http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503451165/941355p1.html One WiiWare game and one Virtual Console game added to Wii Shop Channel.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503451165" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T14:01:00+00:00 http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001013.shtml Positech, the single-man UK developer of simulation games like Kudos and Democracy 2, has announced that it will give away copies of the latter game to any politician worldwide. In his Free Copies for Politicians announcement, Positech proprietor Cliff Harris describes the need thusly: The problem with running a country is that everyone who does it is entirely unqualified for... (<a href="http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001013.shtml">read more</a>) 2009-01-05T13:16:16+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8927 Racing Car Simulator<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?TORCS">More about TORCS</a></p> 2009-01-05T08:16:57+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/503220778/release.html Want to know when you can waggle your Wiimote?<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/503220778" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T08:00:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ps2/~3/503205887/ Who says there's nothing coming out for last-gen systems?<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ps2/~4/503205887" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T08:00:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/503207560/release.html Your very own window to the future of PC gaming.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/503207560" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T08:00:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/503209435/release.html You only need one screen to see what's next.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/503209435" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-05T08:00:00+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&amp;y=2009&amp;d=5 <br /><br /><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/iphone/icons/fnorder-icon-sm.png" align="right" alt="" /><p></p><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/iphone/fnorder/">Fnorder</a> is our first iPhone project. It's free! We created it for practice, for fun, and to further the plots of the Secret Masters. The Fnorder brings you messages from the Illuminati . . . encoded information and instructions for world conquest, for your eyes only. This is all for real! Honest!<p></p><br /><br />Use it to boggle your friends . . . or ask it for help when you need to make a decision. Think of it as the I Ching for paranoids.<p></p><br /><br />It also includes a variety of beautiful Illuminated wallpapers which you can use for your iPhone.<p></p><br /><br />You can download it now from the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301048987&amp;mt=8">iPhone App Store</a>.<p></p> 2009-01-05T06:16:25+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8926 Visual novel set in 17th century<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Heileen">More about Heileen</a></p> 2009-01-04T22:32:21+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8925 The most famous burglar is back<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Phantomas PC">More about Phantomas PC</a></p> 2009-01-04T15:19:01+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&amp;y=2009&amp;d=4 <br /><br />While clearing out old episodes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasuke_(TV_series)"><i><b>Ninja Warrior</b></i></a> from my DVR over the holidays, I was reminded of Monster9's other obstacle course shows. Wikipedia informs me that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makoto_Nagano">Makoto Nagano</a>, in addition to being one of the two men to complete the Sasuke course, is the only person to ever reach the final stage of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking:_The_Ultimate_Obstacle_Course"><b><i>Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course.</i></b></a> I'd like to see that.<p></p><br /><br />Can any fellow geeks out there <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">point me</a> at a source for recordings of this series? (Yes, there's likely a dozen torrents of it in the darker corners of the net, but I'd like to have a legal copy -- if it's good enough to watch, it's good enough to pay for.)<p></p><br /><br />-- <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:25+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&amp;y=2009&amp;d=3 <br /><br />At <a href="http://makerfaire.com/">Maker Faire</a> last year, we saw many widgets, gadgets, and trinkets of incredible coolness -- an attraction magnified by the fact that each was homemade. If you're keen to start constructing similar projects of your own, <a href="http://www.instructables.com/">Instructables.com</a> is the answer.<p></p><br /><br />With guides to geeky projects from science fair fodder to homemade plastic, this site has instructions for an extremely broad range of "stuff." Personally, I'm going to be looking very carefully at the solar and wind power experiments, but if you construct your own CNC (computer numerical control) machine, send us pictures!<p></p><br /><br />-- <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:25+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&amp;y=2009&amp;d=2 <br /><br />Terry Pratchett has been <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7805143.stm">knighted</a>.<p></p><br /><br />(Cheers, fanfares, and general rejoicing.)<p></p><br />-- <a href="mailto:sj@sjgames.com">Steve Jackson</a> 2009-01-04T07:12:25+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8924 Risk clone<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Domination">More about Domination</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8923 2D singleplayer deathmatch game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Brutalo Deluxe 2">More about Brutalo Deluxe 2</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8922 Numpty Physics is a drawing puzzle game in the spirit of Crayon Phyics.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Numpty Physics">More about Numpty Physics</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8921 A 2D shooter in Zero gravity<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Balder2d">More about Balder2d</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8920 A card game suite.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?KardsGT">More about KardsGT</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8919 A python based game manager for GNU/Linux<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?DJL">More about DJL</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8918 lincity-ng is a graphical makeover of lincity<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?lincity-ng">More about lincity-ng</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8917 Battlecity clone<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?June 22, Enemy at the Gates">More about June 22, Enemy at the Gates</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8916 An innovative free and open source 2D MMORPG.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?The Mana World">More about The Mana World</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8915 DXX-Rebirth is the Remake of the two DESCENT ports D1X and D2X<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?DXX-Rebirth">More about DXX-Rebirth</a></p> 2009-01-04T07:12:23+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/501367380/941265p1.html <b>Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (Wii)</b><br />Mike is ready for another adventure.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/501367380" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-02T22:55:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/501328306/940703p1.html <b>Phantasy Star IV [Virtual Console] (Wii)</b><br />Still regarded as one of the greatest Genesis RPGs ever made, the concluding installment in the core Phantasy Star franchise is definitely worth a look.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/501328306" height="1" width="1" /> 2009-01-02T21:55:00+00:00 http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42956 <p>As a rule, we at Gamerswithjobs avoid putting together any kind of intenal Game of the Year awards, primarily because the debate over the value and standards of such a thing would result in bloodshed, assault charges and the very likely ritual suicide of our own literary leporidae. Besides, it's far less interesting for us to make grand pronouncements from on high, and far more interesting to hear what a few hundred gamers we trust actually have to say on the matter.</p> <p>This year's Game of the Year contest was a horse race with a true photo finish, and like that spunky sentaorial upstart Al Franken, I'd not be surprised to see Valve's lawyers demand a laborious recount to contest the result in favor of the close runner-up, <span style="font-style: italic;">Left 4 Dead</span>. But, until that comes to pass, I will grudgingly validate these results, and congratulate the GWJ Community Game of the Year: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fallout 3</span>!</span></p> <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/2r7sfvr.jpg" alt="" class="bb-image" /></div><p></p> <p>While the <span style="font-style: italic;">Fallout 3 </span>experience may not have fully captured me, it's not hard to see why this was a Game of the Year contender, with a massive play area and unlimited opportunities for exploration and strategic amputation. The Capitol Wastelands is a barren and harsh fronteir that you can get lost in for days at a time. Oozing with an oppressive atmosphere this is a gamespace that is at both eerily lonely and constantly threatening. Bethesda has recast the struggle for control between the militaristic Enclave and the last paragons of almost religious idealism, the Brotherhood of Steel, in the context of one man's quest for his father's mysterious disappearance, and the result echoes with post-apocalyptic familiarity. </p> <p>Thanks, as always, go out to Sinatar, who does a habitually phenomenal job organizing the contest and tabulating the results. Our full Game of the Year results are posted below and ripped shamelessly from his post.</p><p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42956">read more</a></p> 2009-01-02T16:02:16+00:00 Elysium http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&amp;y=2009&amp;d=1 <br /><br />Still no flying cars, nine years into the 21st century. We do have communicators better than Kirk ever got, however, so maybe it balances out.<p></p><br /><br />2008 was a heck of a year, by any standards. And 2009 looks to be equally . . . well, "interesting" is a good word, but doesn't really convey the proper flavor. Hide and watch.<p></p><br /><br />(To those in time zones in which it isn't 2009 yet: last year's rumors of cake proved to be unfounded. This year, Future Us has spoken of giant munchkins roaming the earth. Be wary.)<br />-- <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2009-01-01T06:18:05+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8914 Watch your shots so that you can say what's in the box<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Blackbox">More about Blackbox</a></p> 2009-01-01T01:15:42+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ps2/~3/499822109/941245p1.html <b>Monster Jam: Urban Assault (PS2)</b><br />This game will assault you with mediocrity.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ps2/~4/499822109" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T22:58:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499792458/941242p1.html <b>Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp (PC)</b><br />Barbie makes it okay to horse around.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499792458" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T21:53:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8913 3D persistent fantasy MMORPG<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?PlaneShift">More about PlaneShift</a></p> 2008-12-31T21:14:58+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499699024/imgs_1.html <b>Zu Online (PC)</b><br />Check out these pretty mounts.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499699024" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T19:31:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499699025/imgs_1.html <b>Wonderland Online (PC)</b><br />Check out these pics and wonder no more.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499699025" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T19:26:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499699026/941232p1.html <b>Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online (PC)</b><br />Aeria Games, a publisher of Massive Multiplayer Online games announced today the open beta launch of Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online. The game, already highly successful in Japan, proved to be popular amongst English speakers during the closed beta test. For open beta, everyone is invited to play the game for free without download or subscription fees.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499699026" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T19:01:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499699028/941231p1.html <b>Space War Commander (PC)</b><br />Dreamspike Studios has announced the release of the Official Demo of Space War Commander.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499699028" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-31T18:58:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8912 Dwarf Fortress is a single-player fantasy game like Nethack.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Dwarf Fortress">More about Dwarf Fortress</a></p> 2008-12-31T18:16:00+00:00 http://grandtextauto.org/2008/12/31/sentences-in-1k/ <p><img src="http://grandtextauto.org/archives/sentences.gif" alt="Sentences" height="150" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 6px 8px;" width="100" /><i>Sentences</i><br /> By Charles O. Hartman and Hugh Kenner<br /> Sun and Moon Press<br /> New American Poetry Series: 18<br /> 1995<br /> 84 p.</p> <blockquote><p>Sentences begins.</p> <p>money must<br /> Sentences<br /> Parsing<br /> Sentences<br /> Sentences<br /> Sentences for love forsaken.</p></blockquote> <p>To write <i>Sentences,</i> Hartman and Kenner took 457 19th-century “Sentences for Analysis and Parsing, Thayer Street Grammar School” and providentially generated an intermediate text, using Claude Shannon’s Markov chain technique as implemented in TRAVESTY by Hugh Kenner and Joseph O’Rourke. The resulting text was corrected and used as input to Hartman’s program DIASTEXT, which carried out diastic selection as developed by Jackson Mac Low. The output carries odd traces of its devising: “Sentences listened listened the the / The owner owner pines.” <i>Sentences</i> is a fascinating read as well as a classic computer-generated literary text. The uncanny and interesting source text fits the project well. Beyond that, there’s the remarkable combination of a generative technique that was more scientifically inspired by the properties of language with a selective one that is purely aesthetic.</p> 2008-12-31T16:38:10+00:00 Nick Montfort http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8911 Lost Labyrinth is a roguelike roleplaying computergame<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Lost Labyrinth">More about Lost Labyrinth</a></p> 2008-12-31T16:16:36+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8910 3D roguelike game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?S.C.O.U.R.G.E.: Heroes of lesser renown">More about S.C.O.U.R.G.E.: Heroes of lesser renown</a></p> 2008-12-31T10:17:13+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8909 PokerTH is a Texas Holdem Poker Engine<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?PokerTH">More about PokerTH</a></p> 2008-12-31T09:16:01+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=31 <br /><br />To join the chorus of "Celebrate Responsibly" and "Designate a Driver" messages, we'll remind everyone to stay safe this New Year's Eve.<p></p><br /><br />And if you need something to do between the start of the party and midnight, may we suggest a game? Three to four hours would be perfect for <a href="http://www.munchkinquest.com"><i><b>Munchkin Quest</b></i></a>, or a couple of games of <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/chezgeek/"><i><b>Chez Geek</b></i></a>.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-31T06:16:07+00:00 http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42932 <p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode 116 - December 31st, 2008</span><br /> Our Favorite Moments of 2008, Special Listener Contributions and <span style="font-weight: bold;">more</span>!</div><p></p> <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/gwjcc.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></div><p></p> <p></p><center><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/gwjcc/GWJ_Conference_Call_12_31_08.mp3">Right Click Here and 'Save As' to Download!</a><br /> (A Highlighting 26.7 megs, 46:36)</center><br /> <center><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=175107566" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/itunes.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <a href="http://odeo.com/channel/210663/view" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/odeo.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <a href="http://www.podnova.com/add.srf?url=http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/taxonomy/term/408/0/feed"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/podnova.gif" /></a> <a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/content?url=http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/taxonomy/term/408/0/feed" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/yahoo.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a><p></p> <p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/taxonomy/term/408/0/feed" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/rss.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <a href="http://www.digg.com/podcasts/Gamers_With_Jobs_GWJ_Conference_Call" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/images/podcasts/digg.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> </p></center><p></p> <p>With all the holidays going on around here you just knew we were going to slack off eventually. This week we talk about some of our favorite moments of 2008 and not a whole lot else. There's also a ton of submissions from listeners of the show and we unveil our new call-in line! A special shout out to the fine folks from the HatchetJob.com podcast who all pitched in for a quick segment. If you want to submit a question or comment call in to our voicemail line at (612) 284-4563!</p> <p></p><p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42932">read more</a></p> 2008-12-31T05:31:02+00:00 Gamers With Jobs http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/499036589/941214p1.html <b>Star Wars Battlefront III [rumored] (PC)</b><br />Former Radical Design artist reveals character designs.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/499036589" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T23:23:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8908 Navigate a giant walking tank (Mech) through a 3d world and fire at enemies!<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?LinWarrior 3D">More about LinWarrior 3D</a></p> 2008-12-30T23:17:49+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8907 Multiplayer arcade game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Spots">More about Spots</a></p> 2008-12-30T22:16:22+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498977227/941205p1.html <b>F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (PC)</b><br />TimeGate "took the story in a direction that we didn't intend," says Monolith developer.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498977227" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T22:10:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8906 Prey is a first-person shooter video game featuring portals<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Prey">More about Prey</a></p> 2008-12-30T20:15:56+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498898655/941197p1.html <b>BattleForge (PC)</b><br />Play the card-collecting RTS today.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498898655" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T20:15:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498898656/imgs_1.html <b>MythWar II (Web)</b><br />Discover the myth with these pics.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498898656" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T19:56:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498898657/imgs_1.html <b>Tales of Pirates (PC)</b><br />Let these pics tell you a tale.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498898657" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T19:52:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498898658/imgs_1.html <b>Dragonica (PC)</b><br />Check out these cute monsters.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498898658" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T19:47:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498868023/941189p1.html <b>Fallout 3 (PC)</b><br />Post-apocalyptic RPG coming to several Middle Eastern territories.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498868023" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-30T19:25:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8905 A game similar to GNU Arcade Volleyball<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Volleyball">More about Volleyball</a></p> 2008-12-30T19:14:59+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8904 3D Arkanoid clone &amp; c64 composers tribute<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Furiod">More about Furiod</a></p> 2008-12-30T18:16:03+00:00 http://curmudgeongamer.com/2008/12/other-side.html Eurogamer's crew <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/eurogamers-top-50-games-of-2008-20-11-article">put Tomb Raider: Underworld at #19 on its list of 2008's top games</a>. I rated it a <a href="http://curmudgeongamer.com/2008/12/stinkers-2008.html">stinker</a>. Comments like these I simply cannot understand:<br /><blockquote>Kristan Reed: [...] By building on the more exploratory approach of Anniversary and giving the series the best game engine by a mile, Crystal Dynamics delivered what amounts to the first 'proper' new Tomb Raider since 1999's Last Revelation. Apart from that <em>ridiculous</em> swimming bit near the beginning, it's got everything you want in a Lara game - great controls, taxing puzzles and oodles of atmosphere.</blockquote>Yes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">EVERYTHING</span> you want in a Lara game.<br /><blockquote>Simon Parkin: Some critics have misconstrued Underworld's precision and polish for soullessness and yes, there are times when the design's meticulous order robs its world of credibility. But really this is a game of supreme competence, executed by a developer that understands its heroine and the laws of her universe in full.</blockquote>I never understood Lara, I suppose, since I missed the whole brooding, harpy Lara who misses her dear lost Mommy from the original games.<br /><blockquote>John Walker: The entire world has gone bats*** insane. Look at the reviews for this, and the reviews for the dreadful Prince of Persia, and then bang your head against a wall until you're dead. This is the best Tomb Raider has ever been, and I'm losing my mind over people's false memories of the original games, and the lack of recognition for the astonishing architecture and puzzle design here. It's epic. The story is complete toss, which is a colossal shame after Legend set things up so nicely. But this is a game about solving puzzles the size of hillsides while fluidly and beautifully leaping about. That POP could get higher review scores while being so loathsomely stupid as to be a series of tediously connected boss fights, and Tomb Raider could have the balls to include not one single boss encounter but instead replace them with elaborate and ingenious challenges and not get championed, makes me want to set fire to all of gaming.</blockquote>I think this is where I diverge from the traditional gaming culture. Punishing games with cheap design simply don't entertain me like games with stories and character and mechanics that allow me to enjoy the flow instead of repeat it ad nauseum.<br /><br />Also, I am pretty frustrated with <a href="http://psp.ign.com/articles/936/936782p2.html">IGN's review of Super Stardust Portable</a>. I think the game is <a href="http://curmudgeongamer.com/2008/12/review-super-stardust-portable-psp.html">brilliant</a>, because it achieves much of the same challenge on the PSP that you can find on the PS3, with suitable modifications. Having gone back to the PS3 version for a bit before leaving for the holidays, I realized that Portable is in fact a far different game. Still exciting and brilliant, but different.<br /><br />So I was annoyed to read:<br /><blockquote>If you're a hardcore Super Stardust HD player, Super Stardust Portable will feel totally alien to you. If you're trying this out for the first time, things won't be as tough but the game is still very clearly designed around different hardware -- it just wasn't made for the PSP. If you can get by these restrictions, you'll enjoy the download, but veterans beware.</blockquote>This simply was not true for me. The fact that I was (in my own eyes) a veteran SSHD player meant that I was more disposed to understand and work with the adaptations, not fight against them. I knew it couldn't be the same as the PS3 game, embraced the differences, and found a gem of a game.<br /><br />The folks that I see as the traditional gaming critics and I have somehow parted ways in the past year. I'm not sure what changed. I don't think it's that I'm more casual or hardcore -- my goals and sense of enjoyment have changed, and my taste in games accordingly. 2008-12-30T16:16:09+00:00 jvm http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42917 <p>It's as if the first game never existed.</p> <p>Browsing through the aisles of video games as a child, I remember the neon blue robot on the <a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/article_screenshots/megaman2front.jpg" class="bb-url">cover</a>, firing a laser pistol (or arm cannon, or whatever) at some bad guys in the 80s equivalent of the future. It was bright. It was shiny. It was the stuff of adolescent dreams. I probably threw a temper tantrum to get it into my house, never realizing that <span style="font-style: italic;">Mega Man 2</span> was a sequel, a continuation of some previous story.</p> <p>There's a lot to love in the Blue Bomber's second outing. Take, for instance, the inventive level design. Giant puffy clouds would block the path in Air Man's stage, covering where you were supposed to drop down. Quick Man's level would fade to black to confuse you, often resulting in bottomless drops into pits of oblivion. The spikes on the ceiling of Bubble Man's underwater sequences would test your jumping ability. One overzealous jump meant explosive death and, at least in my house, a chance for yet another broken controller. Each level was vibrant and challenging, with a soundtrack that lodged itself in my memory for weeks at a time, and having the freedom to pick which one would frustrate me felt like a brave new world... of frustration. I don't remember ever beating the game, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that I couldn't beat it now, even with my grown-up super skills. I may respect it, but I hate that stupid water level.</p> <p>Only a handful of sequels ever surpass the original. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Godfather Part II</span> paints a picture of the American Dream in darker colors than the original. <span style="font-style: italic;">Empire </span>adds essential touches of personality to the characters <span style="font-style: italic;">A New Hope</span> made famous. <span style="font-style: italic;">Rocky IV</span> trumps the previous three entries by adding world renown thespian Dolph Lundren to the mix. But how many sequels succeed in spite of the crappiness of their predecessors? The first <span style="font-style: italic;">Mega Man</span> lacks the special sauce of Part Two in every way, failing even to deliver <a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/article_screenshots/1104774873-00.jpg" class="bb-url">compelling box art</a>. Sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover.</p><p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42917">read more</a></p> 2008-12-30T08:42:57+00:00 Demiurge http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=30 <br /><br />Every so often, fans want to stop by and look around our warehouse. We tend to discourage this: There's no wacky factory, stacks of boxes aren't all that interesting, and tall shelves can be <i>dangerous</i> if you're not careful.<p></p><br /><br />Other times, secret agencies send in operatives. <a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/info/peekinside.html">This</a> is a record of one of those times.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-30T06:02:52+00:00 http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001012.shtml Whosegame, another make-your-own-game website tool things, is sponsoring a contest to create a serious game using their tools. The game must deal with one of the following topics: improve your knowledge in the telecommunications field be an eco-citizen with the help of telecommunications acting against isolation and exclusion thanks to telecommunications Yeah, sort of strange topics huh. Anyway, the prizes... (<a href="http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001012.shtml">read more</a>) 2008-12-30T03:37:57+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/498153102/941113p1.html <b>Princess On Ice (DS)</b><br />Not a gold medal performance.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/498153102" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T22:55:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498115759/941151p1.html 50-60% off hot NCSoft titles at D2D.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498115759" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T22:11:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498115760/941150p1.html 25% off hot PC titles at D2D this week only.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498115760" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T22:06:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498115761/941146p1.html <b>Left 4 Dead (PC)</b><br />Plans will be revealed "shortly," says the game's writer.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498115761" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T21:51:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498083887/imgs_1.html <b>Zu Online (PC)</b><br />Four cool architectural images.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498083887" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T20:40:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498052119/imgs_1.html <b>Angels Online (PC)</b><br />Four colorful screenshots.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498052119" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T20:35:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498052121/941139p1.html <b>Angels Online (PC)</b><br />Newest expansion offers players even more PK fun.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498052121" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T20:30:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498115762/941138p1.html <b>Space War Commander (PC)</b><br />Your mind against the universe.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498115762" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T20:16:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498052122/941132p1.html <b>Saints Row 2 (PC)</b><br />Do you have what it takes to rule the streets?<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498052122" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T19:41:00+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/498018273/vids_1.html <b>Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Wii)</b><br />Have a raving time.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/498018273" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T19:16:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8903 2D clone of the first person shooter Counter Strike.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Counter-Strike 2D">More about Counter-Strike 2D</a></p> 2008-12-29T19:15:56+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~3/498014505/imgs_1.html <b>Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)</b><br />May these awesome screens be with you.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/pc/~4/498014505" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T19:10:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8902 An open source clone of the Microprose game "Transport Tycoon Deluxe".<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?OpenTTD">More about OpenTTD</a></p> 2008-12-29T18:16:26+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~3/497939669/941117p1.html Two WiiWare games and one Virtual Console game added to the Wii Shop Channel.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/wii/~4/497939669" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-29T17:11:00+00:00 http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42900 <p>I don't understand people who choose not to anticipate upcoming games. I realize, of course, that the final product is entirely unpredictable, and that in the long run the anticipation of a game may be an entirely futile exercise. The same goes for the three days I spend in lurid daydreams of obscene wealth when the Powerball gets high enough to entice the rare dollar or two out of my pocket, but looking back even though I never win I always get some joy out of the illusion.</p> <p>So what if <span style="font-style: italic;">The Force Unleashed </span>didn't live up by half to the game I had anticipated for six months prior. The anticpation of the game was its own kind of fuel, perhaps even its own separate and equally important kind of joy. I love the part of being a gamer where I swim in the imaginination of gaming that may be to come. It doesn't dull the experience of playing the games I have in any way, and there's something very motivating about being able to mentally circle a date on the calendar as a thing worth looking forward to. </p> <p>Even if eventual disappointment is part of the long term deal, that only lasts a day or two. The anticipation can carry me for months.</p> <p>So, with that philosophy firmly entrenched, I turn my eyes to 2009, and offer a smattering of the games I will dream of playing. And all of that is headlined by my most anticipated game of the year: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dragon Age</span></p> <p>The choice wasn't an easy one, and in trying to be realistic about which games stand to reasonably be released in the next 12 months I shelved a few titles that would have been a strong contender, and no doubt there are games to come in the second half of the year that we know nothing about at this point. For now, though, I will hope that Bioware gets away from the more linear and simplistic RPG-lite model, and lets <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Age</span> pull them back to the kind of epic storytelling of which I know they are capable.</p><p><a href="http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/42900">read more</a></p> 2008-12-29T16:44:50+00:00 Elysium http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8901 Roguelike<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?POWDER">More about POWDER</a></p> 2008-12-29T15:16:28+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8900 A modern guide to Quake on Linux<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Linux Quake HOWTO">More about Linux Quake HOWTO</a></p> 2008-12-29T10:47:10+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8899 clone of Total Annihilation<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?TA3D">More about TA3D</a></p> 2008-12-29T10:47:10+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8898 A gravity game with addictive gameplay and bad implementation<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?OldSkoolGravityGame">More about OldSkoolGravityGame</a></p> 2008-12-29T09:31:54+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=29 <br /><br />If you're anything at all like me – and for the sake of your friends, I hope that you're not – then you spend a lot of time writing. E-mails, forum posts, blog posts, and memos – and even some game writing – fill my days with words. And with so many words pouring out of my head in a single day, it isn't that shocking when the dreaded cliché finds its way into an otherwise adequate block of text. But how can I keep that from happening?<p></p><br /><br />Well, with the article <a href="http://www.suspense.net/whitefish/cliche.htm">"Clichés: Avoid Them Like the Plague"</a> I've now got an <i>ace in the hole</i> and can, <i>as luck would have it, </i>dodge clichés <i>with the best of them</i>. <p></p><br /><br />Wait, that last one doesn't actually appear on the list. Well, it should, because it's <i>as old as time</i>. <p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:phil@sjgames.com">Phil Reed</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=28 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/burninhell.jpg"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/burninhell_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Burn In Hell components" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />Like the recently reprinted <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/spanc/"><i><b>SPANC</b></i></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/burninhell/"><i><b>Burn In Hell</b></i></a> – our favorite game of burning souls – was a victim of "too many good games." It sold through the first print run just fine, but we couldn't find the spare moment to pull together the reprint. Until now.<p></p><br /><br />And Phil's gone and changed stuff. I swear, that guy won't be happy until every game weighs 10 pounds and is virtually indestructible. For <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/burninhell/"><strong><em>BiH</em></strong></a>, he was very moderate . . . he only added a score pad and a pencil.<p></p><br /><br />That said, I'll admit the pad looks very nifty. Greg Hyland's caricatures are great, as always. And we even updated Saddam Hussein's history.<p></p><br /><br />If you missed this game the first time 'round, pick it up when the reprint hits shelves in March. Your funny bone will be glad you did.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=27 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/teenychibi.jpg"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/teenychibi_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Mini Chibithulhu" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />As reported earlier, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/toys/chibithulhu/">Chibithulhus</a> <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?y=2008&amp;m=November&amp;d=15">grow on trees</a>. And when cold weather strikes, the fruit is very small. The lack of size, however, seems to magnify the Cute Factor.<p></p><br /><br />No, this isn't a product yet – this is just an idea. If you'd <i>like</i> it to become a product, though, then <a href="http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=71">be sure to let us know</a>.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=26 <br /><br />You've got your copy of <a href="http://www.munchkinquest.com"><i><b>Munchkin Quest</b></i></a>. You've got a couple of extra days off for the holidays. Time to get your creativity flowing!<p></p><br /><br />The Great Unknown is a <i><b><a href="http://www.munchkinquest.com"><i><b>MQ</b></i></a></b></i> contest that seeks to answer one question: <i>What kind of vaguely game-like thing can you do with your Dungeon Crawl Kit (a.k.a. <b><a href="http://www.munchkinquest.com"><i><b>Munchkin Quest</b></i></a></b>)?</i> The best answers will become products, with showers of praise and glory to the originators (as well as copies of the product).<p></p><br /><br />The full details are <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?y=2008&amp;m=November&amp;d=11">here</a>, but here are the vital bits:<p></p><ul> <li>The deadline is January 5, 2009.</li> <li>All submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games.</li> <li>Submissions should be in RTF format.</li> <li>Submissions should be emailed to <a href="mailto:greatunknown@sjgames.com">greatunknown@sjgames.com</a>.</li> <li>You don't need to use the title "The Great Unknown."</li></ul><br /><br />Have fun! We look forward to seeing those ideas!<p></p><br /><br />(And to our friends around the world: Happy Boxing Day!)<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=25 <br /><br />The office is closed today. Really, no kidding, closed. We're home playing games.<p></p><br /><br />Now, here's something that you probably didn't know unless you're one of our testers. We've been working on a couple of iPhone apps. They're not in the App Store, though, so all I have to say is that they're on the way.<p></p><br /><br />But Kira, who's doing the coding, has written an app of her own, and I like it enough to plug it. It's called "Holiday Bells." For 99 cents you can turn your iPhone into a jingle-bell shaker, a handbell (with eight notes to choose from), or a whole little set of eight bells to play. And the bell sounds are not synth - they're actual recordings, so they sound like real bells. I got my 99 cents worth of fun from this one in the first five minutes, when I figured out "Jingle Bells," and I'm still playing with it.<p></p><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=300097303&amp;mt=8">Pretend this is a cool little Buy It Now button.</a><br />-- <a href="mailto:sj@sjgames.com">Steve Jackson</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=24 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/cookie.jpg"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/cookie_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Munchkin Resurrection Cookie" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />I love cookies. And I love <i><b><a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com">Munchkin</a></b></i>. Therefore, I <i>double-love</i> the <a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/cookie"><i><b>Munchkin Resurrection Cookie</b></i></a>.<p></p><br /><br />No, we're not selling these. They're holiday gifts for special friends in the industry, baked in very limited numbers. We've sent them all out, so no matter what bribes you send us, we don't have any more.<br /><br />However, if you're facing one of these <i><b>Cookies</b></i> in a <a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com"><i><b>Munchkin</b></i></a> (or <a href="http://www.munchkinquest.com"><i><b>Munchkin Quest</b></i></a>) game: Eating it either prevents any Bad Stuff that involves "death" or flips all your hearts to red. For complete rules, see the <i><b>Cookie's</b></i> <a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/cookie">page</a>.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p><br /><br /><b><i>Spanish GURPS Lite</i></b><p></p><br /><br />This file, so happily announced a couple of days ago, was not actually ready for prime time. If you have downloaded it, throw it away and give us a few days (we hope) to get things fixed. That's the beautiful thing about PDFs; it's so easy to distribute a correction. Of course, we shouldn't have fouled it up in the first place. Sorry - SJ<p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=23 <br /><br />As glad as we are that you're reading the Daily Illuminator each morning (or evening, or whenever), we do occasionally have news that's a bit more specifically <i><b><a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com">Munchkin</a></b></i>-related. Sometimes we post about it in more detail on the <a href="http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=71"><i><b>Munchkin</b></i> forums</a> than we do here, and sometimes we announce something there a few days before we have space for it here. I know – how could there be <i>that</i> much to talk about, even for our favorite game? But it's true.<p></p><br /><br />For instance, the Christmas bonus rule for the Munchkin Silver Piece . . .<p></p><h3>Christmas Bonus <i>Munchkin Silver Piece</i> Rule</h3><br /><br />This rule is only valid right around Christmas (December 23-26).<p></p><br /><br />Give the <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/coin/"><i><b>Munchkin Silver Piece</b></i></a> to another player. The <i><b>Munchkin Silver Piece</b></i> now belongs to that player; you don't get it back. You may go up a level. This may not be the winning level, and you may not gain more than one level from <i><b>Silver Pieces</b></i> during this game – multiple levels through use of multiple <i><b>Silver Pieces</b></i> are not allowed.<p></p><br /><br />We're being generous, so this rule does not <i>replace</i> the normal December rule. However, remember that each player can activate only one <b><i>Munchkin Silver Piece</i></b> per game, so it's either a level or bribing a monster.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=22 <br /><br />With the holidays, last Thursday marks the final <a href="http://e23.sjgames.com">e23</a> upload of the year. And it's a doozy!<p></p><br /><br />The headliner is the second issue of the new, improved <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/"><i>Pyramid</i></a>. The title, <a href="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-2602"><i>Looks Like a Job for . . . Superheroes</i></a>, conveys the four-color theme quite well, I think. And since this issue contains an interview with Steve Long (<a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/item.html?id=DOJHER109"><i><b>Hero System</b> Fifth Edition</i></a>), along with 40-odd pages of other super articles, the theme pretty much <i>has </i>to be supers!<p></p><br /><br />Next up is the latest installment in the <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/heroes/"><i><b>Cardboard Heroes</b></i></a> series. This week: <a href="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-2113"><i><b>Dragons</b></i></a>, from defenseless eggs to "Call the cleric – we're toast!" (a giant red elder).<p></p><br /><br />The third release is perfectly priced for those overstretched holiday budgets: Free! <a href="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-0007"><i><b>GURPS Lite Spanish</b></i></a> is a distillation of the basic <a href="http://gurps.sjgames.com"><i><b>GURPS</b></i> <i>Fourth Edition</i></a> rules, translated into Spanish. Hm, you likely figured that bit out on your own, didn't you? <b><i>Later note: This file has problems. We've taken it down. If you have already downloaded it, you'll want to get a new copy when we fix and repost it.</i></b><p></p><br /><br />Last but oh <b>so</b> far from least, <a href="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-3205"><i><b>Ogre Scenario Book 1</b></i></a> is the final release for 2008. Six scenarios for <a href="http://ogre.sjgames.com"><i><b>Ogre</b></i></a>, ready for your downloading delight, for only $4.95 – not even a Mark VII can beat that deal.<p></p><br /><br />Yes, four releases in one week – it may be the last upload of the year, but we're going out with a bang! (We're also trying to make Fox's head explode, but don't tell him that.)<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=21 <br /><br />Bibliographies can give the reader insight into what works influenced the author, as well as further reading on the topic. For <a href="http://gurps.sjgames.com"><i><b>GURPS</b></i></a> books, these lists can include anything from reference tomes to comic books. And with the online versions, you can go from "interested" to "owner" in just a few clicks.<p></p><br /><br />Most <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/fourth.html">Fourth Edition books</a> have online bibliographies, and we're updating the older releases as time allows. Most recently, we added pages for <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/talesofthesolarpatrol/"><strong><em>Tales of the Solar Patrol</em></strong></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/celticmyth/index.html"><strong><em>Celtic Myth</em></strong></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/mars/index.html"><strong><em>Mars</em></strong></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/napoleon/index.html"><strong><em>Age of Napoleon</em></strong></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/in-nomine/"><strong><em>GURPS In Nomine</em></strong></a>, and <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/low-tech/index.html"><i><b>Low-Tech</b></i></a>. The complete listing of every bibliography we have online is <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/biblios.html">here</a>.<p></p><br /><br />Of course, this isn't just altruism. Steve Jackson Games <i>does</i> get a percentage from <a href="http://www.amazon.com">Amazon</a> if you buy through our links. But if you're like me, the holidays have snuck up and your shopping options are shrinking rapidly. Overnight shipping, here I come!<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=20 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/extras/christmasornament/"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/extras/christmasornament/img/cover_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Munchkin Christmas Ornament" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />You need to decorate your tree and we've got these <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/extras/christmasornament/">ornaments</a>. Convenient, isn't it?<p></p><br /><br />Not convinced? How about this: If the <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/extras/christmasornament/"><i><b>Munchkin Christmas Ornament</b></i></a> is hanging on a tree in a room where you're playing <a href="http://www.worldofmunchkin.com"><i><b>Munchkin</b></i></a> (any of 'em) on the 24th or 25th of <i>any</i> month, you get a present (a.k.a. a face-up Treasure) every time you hit fifth level.<p></p><br /><br />How's that for "have a merry Christmas," eh?<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=19 <br /><br /><b>Holiday Shipping</b><p></p><br /><br />The holidays are fast approaching, and will be upon us quicker than you can say "Surprise Round." As you might expect, we are getting a lot of questions about shipping deadlines. Seems people are concerned about when their order needs to ship in order for their presently purchases to arrive in time for National Gift-Giving Day. Well, your friendly neighborhood me is here to break it down for you. The following list is the cut-off dates for each shipping method. If you use the method listed, then the date listed is the absolute last day you can place the order by and have it arrive in time.<p></p><ul> <li>FedEx 2 Day: Sunday, December 21st</li> <li>FedEx Overnight: Monday, December 22nd</li></ul><br /><br />Keep in mind, however, that this assumes we have every item in your order in stock. If you order something we don't have (or if someone else snatches up the last of a given item before you do), your order will be delayed.<p></p><br /><br /><b>Today</b><p></p><br /><br />Today (Friday, December 19) is our Winter Game Day. We are playing games, which may introduce some mild delays in responses. Orders <i>will</i> be shipped, however, so don't worry on that front.<p></p><br /><br /><b>Store Closures</b><p></p><br /><br />As long as we're talking about special days, here's a little heads-up on our holiday schedule. Warehouse 23 will be closed on December 25th, 26th, and 31st. We'll also be closed on January 1st. On those days, nobody will be here to write e-mails, answer calls, or process orders. Also, on December 24th, we will only be putting in a half day. Orders will be processed that morning, but we won't be available much for customer servicey stuff. We'll be too busy driving home quickly to nog some eggs and prove to our parents that we're still alive.<p></p><br /><br />And on that note, have a great holiday season!<p></p><br /><br />-- <a href="mailto:fox@warehouse23.com">Fox</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&amp;y=2008&amp;d=18 <br /><br />The <a href="http://www.ogrecave.com">Ogres</a> added another entry to their <a href="http://www.ogrecave.com/features/12xmas_2008_3.shtml">annual Christmas list</a>, this time giving us their suggestions for a dozen boxed games. I'm happy to report that <i><b><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/munchkinquest/">Munchkin Quest</a></b></i> made it onto the list.<p></p><br /><br />If you already happen to own a copy of <i><b><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/munchkinquest/">Munchkin Quest</a></b></i> -- which you should, if you love dungeon crawls -- then I'll leave you with this thought: Go buy <i><b>Dominion</b></i> today. I encountered the game at BGG Con last month and it's fast becoming my favorite new release of the year. It's a card game, sure, but the repeat play value is off the charts. The game is a little difficult to locate, since stores didn't order enough copies when it was released, but I promise you that tracking down a copy of <i><b>Dominion</b></i> -- if you like the idea of taking the deck building phase of CCGs and turning it into a game of its own -- is worth the trouble.<p></p><br /><br />-- <a href="mailto:phil@sjgames.com">Phil Reed</a><p></p> 2008-12-29T06:01:41+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8897 A clone of Warlords 2<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?LordsAWar">More about LordsAWar</a></p> 2008-12-28T23:45:21+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8896 A jump-and-run game similar to classic sidescroller games.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Secret Maryo Chronicles">More about Secret Maryo Chronicles</a></p> 2008-12-28T23:45:21+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8895 Roguelike variant of Wing Commander: Privateer<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Privateer: Ascii Sector">More about Privateer: Ascii Sector</a></p> 2008-12-28T17:16:52+00:00 http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001011.shtml Vintage Computing and Gaming has published an interview with Richard Wiggins, one of the developers of Texas Instruments&amp;apos 1978 electronic toy Speak &amp; Spell. This device was among the first electronic educational games, and for better or worse it may remain among the best. As the author admits, the interview was meant to be fodder for a proper article marking... (<a href="http://www.watercoolergames.org/archives/001011.shtml">read more</a>) 2008-12-28T15:24:24+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&y=2008&d=28 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/burninhell.jpg"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/burninhell_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Burn In Hell components" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />Like the recently reprinted <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/spanc/"><i><b>SPANC</b></i></a>, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/burninhell/"><i><b>Burn In Hell</b></i></a> – our favorite game of burning souls – was a victim of "too many good games." It sold through the first print run just fine, but we couldn't find the spare moment to pull together the reprint. Until now.<p></p><br /><br />And Phil's gone and changed stuff. I swear, that guy won't be happy until every game weighs 10 pounds and is virtually indestructible. For <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/burninhell/"><strong><em>BiH</em></strong></a>, he was very moderate . . . he only added a score pad and a pencil.<p></p><br /><br />That said, I'll admit the pad looks very nifty. Greg Hyland's caricatures are great, as always. And we even updated Saddam Hussein's history.<p></p><br /><br />If you missed this game the first time 'round, pick it up when the reprint hits shelves in March. Your funny bone will be glad you did.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-28T06:17:39+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8894 Simple racing game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Ferrari3D">More about Ferrari3D</a></p> 2008-12-27T23:18:25+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8893 A top-down maze game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?CuteMaze">More about CuteMaze</a></p> 2008-12-27T08:17:59+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8892 VDrift is a driving simulation with drift racing in mind.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?VDrift">More about VDrift</a></p> 2008-12-27T08:17:59+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8891 A clone of the Xjump game. Jump as long as you can!<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?SDLjump">More about SDLjump</a></p> 2008-12-27T08:17:59+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8890 A strategy board game for 2 to 4 players<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Biloba">More about Biloba</a></p> 2008-12-27T08:17:59+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8889 A game server browser with console and web GUI interfaces<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Gslist">More about Gslist</a></p> 2008-12-27T08:17:59+00:00 http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=December&y=2008&d=27 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/teenychibi.jpg"><img src="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/img/2008/teenychibi_sm.jpg" hspace="8" align="left" vspace="6" alt="Mini Chibithulhu" border="1" /></a><p></p><br /><br />As reported earlier, <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/munchkin/toys/chibithulhu/">Chibithulhus</a> <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?y=2008&amp;m=November&amp;d=15">grow on trees</a>. And when cold weather strikes, the fruit is very small. The lack of size, however, seems to magnify the Cute Factor.<p></p><br /><br />No, this isn't a product yet – this is just an idea. If you'd <i>like</i> it to become a product, though, then <a href="http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=71">be sure to let us know</a>.<p></p><br /><br />– <a href="mailto:paul@sjgames.com">Paul Chapman</a><p></p> 2008-12-27T06:17:18+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8888 An SDL-based hanafuda game.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?SDL Hana">More about SDL Hana</a></p> 2008-12-27T00:17:19+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8887 Math Scrabble for kids of all ages<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?TuxMathScrabble">More about TuxMathScrabble</a></p> 2008-12-26T22:16:20+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8886 Puzzle game based on TI 84's Block Dude, plus level editor.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?TuxBlocks">More about TuxBlocks</a></p> 2008-12-26T22:16:20+00:00 http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~3/497417911/941105p1.html <b>Princess Debut (DS)</b><br />Half dancing, half dating, all girly.<img src="http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/ds/~4/497417911" height="1" width="1" /> 2008-12-26T19:00:00+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8885 A 3D single player RPG in a sarcastic post-apocalyptical world<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?DccNiTghtmare">More about DccNiTghtmare</a></p> 2008-12-26T18:15:53+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8884 Fast 2d tank arcade game with multiplayer and split-screen modes.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Battle Tanks">More about Battle Tanks</a></p> 2008-12-26T11:16:15+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8883 Somewhat violent 3D action game<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Blob Wars : Blob and Conquer">More about Blob Wars : Blob and Conquer</a></p> 2008-12-26T10:17:42+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8882 Deliantra a free 2D MMORPG.<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Deliantra">More about Deliantra</a></p> 2008-12-26T09:16:01+00:00 http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8881 The Missing Treasure...<p><a href="http://happypenguin.org/show?Om@r Missing Treasure">More about Om@r Missing Treasure</a></p> 2008-12-26T09:16:01+00:00 http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/no