In case you missed any of the “Best of 2011” stories, here are links to your fellow RPadholics’ picks for the best game, videogame graphics, videogame sound, movie, and gadget. While you’re here, feel free to leave any “Best of 2011” choices that weren’t covered last week. From your favorite comic book, Netflix rental, TV show, sports team, coffee, fast food, WWE Superstar, and more, use this post to get 2011 out of your system (please)!
Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to see if any of you have made any gaming resolutions for 2012. Are there any genres or developers you usually ignore that you want to give a shot this year? Perhaps you’ll…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Verve’s El Salvador La Roxanita, Lady Gaga’s New Year’s Eve performance, or Planetary Design’s awesome Airscape coffee jar, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Happy new year to you all! I’m super looking forward to 2012. Momentum is building, things are looking brighter, and I’m feeling good that this year will be better than my last two. Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to see if any of you have made any gaming resolutions for 2012. Are there any genres or developers you usually ignore that you want to give a shot this year? Perhaps you’ll try to be a more competitive gamer in 2012? Or maybe you won’t run away on trolleys when challenged in Mortal Kombat. Whatever the case may be, I’d love to hear about your 2012 gaming resolutions.
As for me, I’m going to make an effort to hold more RPad.tv Invitationals. Juggling and struggling with new work has caused me to totally drop the ball on these online gatherings. I miss them and I’m going to do something about it. With your help, hopefully we can make these a monthly event, at the very least.
Let’s start with this week! For old time’s sake, let’s kick off 2012 with some Uno. I can play on Wednesday or Thursday. Please let me know which day and what time works best for you. I’ll go with the majority. In the future, I want to try the PlayStation Home poker that N8R recommended. Let’s keep the RPad.tv Invitationals going!
There were tons of fantastic gadgets released in 2011. Whether we’re talking about new phones, tablets, portable consoles, laptops, etc., I’m sure that most of you purchased a consumer electronics device that dazzled you. Out of all the gadgets in your geek arsenal, which one impressed you the most this year?
As for me, it’s clearly the iPad 2. Apple kicked off the current tablet computing craze with the original iPad in 2010. The sequel, with its superior processor, made it even better. It’s just an amazingly diverse device. For entertainment, I can play games, watch movies, listen to music, read comic books, video chat with friends, and more. For work, it’s far more useful than I anticipated, particularly with the Logitech Tablet Keyboard for iPad. I wrote several articles and updated this blog on the iPad 2. For work (a little) and play (a lot), I love my iPad 2. It’s the most life-changing gadget I’ve bought since TiVo.
How about you? What was your favorite gadget of 2011?
According to Epic Games community manager Will Kinsler, Microsoft will be banning guns for Xbox Live avatars starting in 2012. His exact words were, “A new policy goes into effect for all gun-like avatar items on the Marketplace, so get them while they’re hot.” With that in mind, are you planning to pick up a gun or an entire arsenal for your Xbox Live dolly?
As for me, I’ve never cared to have a gun for my avatar…but now I want one. I’m one of those idiots that hates being told what to do. If Microsoft is banning guns and gun-like items from the Xbox Live Marketplace then I sure as hell want one. Perhaps I’ll start an Xbox Live avatar libertarian movement or call for Microsoft to ban the incredibly destructive Halo energy sword too. Ha!
Are any of you picking Xbox Live avatar guns before the ban goes into effect?
For me, 2011 wasn’t a great year for movies. I enjoyed a bunch of superhero flicks like Captain America and Thor, but I’m still haunted by the craptacular failure that was Green Lantern. As a huge mark for the comics, the movie was the most traumatizing film I’ve seen in years. 15 minutes of cool outer-space sequences didn’t make up for all the garbage that took place on Earth. I’m still pained that Ryan Reynolds made Hal Jordan look like a tool. Ugh.
When I can block out the painful memories of Green Lantern, the movie I enjoyed the most this year was Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The special effects were impressive. Andy Serkis and James Franco were fantastic. Freida Pinto didn’t get to show off her talents, but I enjoyed staring at her. The writing was strong. And lastly, the scenes in San Francisco made me miss the second city I considered home. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is much smarter than your typical summer blockbuster movie. I didn’t see a ton of movies this year, but this was clearly the best one.
Now it’s time for your picks! What was your favorite movie of 2011?
I hope everyone has a super fun and super safe New Year’s Eve! As 2011 wraps up, I want to know what games are going to close out your year and kick off the new one. As for me, I think this is the weekend where I finally give Skyrim a good chunk of time. With my luck, it’ll probably take an entire day just to install and patch the sumbitch. Ha!
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Now it’s time to sound off on the best videogame sound of 2011! Whether you’re talking about soundtracks, sound effects, or voice acting, I want to hear about your picks. For me, this was an easy choice: Portal 2. It had an amazing triumvirate of a great soundtrack, sharp sound effects, and wonderful voice acting. The super-cool part is that you can download the soundtrack for free!
I also have to give a shout-out to Bastion, which had a great soundtrack and an excellent narrator.
Kindly share your picks for the best videogame sound of 2011!
If you have a chance, please read this interview I did with CuteMonster. It’s a cool web site whose “mission is to provide a resource for Dads with young children.” In the interview I talk about videogame consoles, tablet computing, motion, and all that good stuff.
The site’s owner, Vincent Daly, is an old coworker of mine from Happy Puppy. I want his site to do well, so please give it a look and leave a comment if you have time.
Following up on your choices for the best game of the year, I’d love to hear about your picks for the best videogame graphics of 2011. A lot of people were high on Battlefield 3, while others raved about Rage. LA Noire won over fans with its realistic faces and incredible detailed version of 1947 Los Angeles. What videogame visuals stuck out to you?
As for me, I’m going with an unusual choice — Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP. Obviously the visuals aren’t the most technically impressive in the world, but I love the style and feel. More than any other game I played in 2011, the graphics in Sword and Sworcery stuck in my head. There’s a lot to be said about videogame art that truly resonates with you and stays in your mind long after you’ve played the game.
Now it’s your turn! What’s your choice for the best videogame graphics of 2011?
Just Add Water has announced that Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is now available on PlayStation Network for $14.99. This remake of the Oddworld Inhabitants classic was developed in conjunction with OI founder Lorne Lanning. It runs at a native resolution of 720p at 60 frames per second.
Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
Stranger’s Wrath follows the story of Stranger, a fearsome bounty hunter that captures outlaws to raise “moolah” for a mysterious surgical procedure. After encountering the backwater town of the Grubbs, Stranger discovers that there are a few too many secrets about the past and his future as a bounty hunter.
Just Add Water worked with Lorne Lanning to preserve every nuance of the original while making sure that the new game took full advantage of current generation hardware.
As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Oddworld Inhabitants and Lorne Lanning. I’m looking forward to seeing how this remake looks and if the gameplay holds up. Any of you interested in picking up Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD?
