Angled Whiteboards

Vectorized versions of original game screenshots. I want the Marble Madness one as a poster please.

[via the gf.]

What makes you try any given game? For me to give Peggle a shot, it took two reviews. This negative-ish one by peterb, and this positive-ish one by GameTap’s own GamingRed.

Needless to say, I’m fairly hooked. And it really is a classic, addiction-level hook in that if I leave my computer (with Peggle still open but hidden behind a sea of windows) and then come back to it later, I feel slightly sick that the game is still sitting there. So I go to close it, figure I’ll give one more level a shot, and emerge a few hours later.

I can relate to peterb’s criticism that the game gives you little actual control — but I would argue that it’s the Vegas-perfected business of giving the illusion of control that makes this game so successful. That and the hilariously glorious level-ending slo-mo explosions of rainbows and candy. It’s like you hit the jackpot every time!

I understand Street Fighter 3: Third Strike is supposed to be a fun game in which you fight some people. (And if that’s not your bag, give our new GameTap Indies entry Mr. Robot a shot. It’s fantastic.)

Merry Christmas everyone — see you in 2008!

New Gold games:

• Metal Combat
• Mr. Robot
• Putter Golf
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Covert Ops Essentials
• Sub Hunt
• Street Fighter 3: Third Strike

New free game:

• Texas Hold ‘Em Poker

I’ve been with GameTap since it was little more than a glimmer in its inventor’s (Blake Lewin’s) eye. And man, has it been fun. Taking this idea of a jukebox of games and making it a reality has been the best project I’ve ever worked on. And not only was the project fun, the people were just as fun - inside these walls in Atlanta, and more importantly, all of you, our treasured readers. It has been delightful getting to know you.

But now, almost four years (yeah, I’ve been on it for that long!) later, it’s time for me to move on. I’m not going very far - in fact, I’m not even really looking for work. I’m taking a few month sabbatical to work on some personal projects and do a little traveling. Besides, I have way too many video games to get caught up on (one of these days I’ll get past that knitting lady in Psychonauts!). So look for me in the GameTap Player, I’ll still be dinah.

And hey, xamount and mixednut might even let me make a few guest posts here, who knows?

How bittersweet. Give me a minute, will ya? I gotta wipe this little tear from my eye.

-di

Tripped over this on the giz. The perfect use for that extra, unneeded Wiimote that was provided with my copy of Wii Play!

Let yourself go… right.