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Coffee Talk #438: Videogames That Made You Cry

Famitsu (by way of Andriasang) posted a list of videogames that made its readers cry. Several of the usual suspects made list: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, ICO, etc. With great writing and strong…

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, Apple designer Jony Ives getting knighted, closing in on one-million miles on United Airlines, or the best kind of sausage, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Famitsu (by way of Andriasang) posted a list of videogames that made its readers cry. Several of the usual suspects made the list: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, ICO, etc. With great writing and strong characterization, it’s not unusual for players to get emotional about deaths in videogames. Today I want to know about any games that made you cry or get emotional.

As for me, it’s definitely Crisis Core. The ending was so well done. It implemented Zack’s relationship with Aerith as well as elements from FFVII. It made the Digital Mind Wave gameplay feature powerful; throughout the game it’s used for special attacks, but at the end it’s used to show Zack’s last memories. It’s one of my favorite scenes in videogames and it hits me every time I see it.

*sniff* *sniff* I’m getting misty. Please share the games that made you cry (physically or emotionally) in the comments section. I’m going to find some tissues.

Best of 2011 Wrap Up

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)!

Coffee Talk #437: Your 2012 Gaming Resolution

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!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

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?

Best Videogame Sound of 2011

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!

Best Videogame Graphics of 2011

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?

Coffee Talk #436: Your 2011 Game of the Year

Let’s do the game-of-the-year thing in reverse order. Usually, most outlets build up to it by going over different categories and capping things off with the game of the year. Today I want to hear about your favorite and second-favorite game of 2011. Later on…

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, being sad about the Dallas Mavericks’ crappy start, being happy about the Los Angeles Lakers’ crappy start, or if Chris Jericho is the mystery man that will appear on the first WWE Raw of 2012, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, there’s a ton I didn’t play yet so I can only talk about what I enjoyed, not necessarily the best game of 2011. I definitely need to put more time into Skyrim and pick up Arkham City (PR flaks never sent me a copy). Of the games I did spend significant time with, Dragon Age II was my second-favorite. I loved the storytelling and gameplay; unlike some players, the changes in game mechanics didn’t bother me at all. And as most of you know, I’m a total BioWare homer.

The top spot has to go to Portal 2. I was pretty much floored by the game on every level. The gameplay is inventive, the storytelling is humorous and witty, the graphics are great, and the sound design is the best I’ve experienced all year. Valve completely rocked this one and Eric Wolpaw is my videogame-writing hero.

Now it’s your turn! Please leave a comment with your 2011 game of the year and the runner-up.

Coffee Talk #435: Your Tech & Videogame Christmas 2011 Haul

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, your thoughts on the first day of the NBA season, the Samsung Galaxy S not getting Android 4.0, or Jorge Posada possibly going to the Tampa Bay Rays, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or commercial holiday. I’ve heard about some of your Xmas loot, but I’d love to hear about it all! Any of you get new games? How about a new phone or tablet? Maybe you had a really vivid dream about a new MacBook Pro or iMac and one magically appeared under your Christmas tree?!? (That technique didn’t work for me, btw.) Kindly share your tech and videogame Christmas look in today’s comments section!

Game of Thrones RPG Trailers

Here are a pair of videos for the upcoming Game of Thrones RPG being developed by Cyanide and published by Atlus. As a mark for the books and the show, I’m definitely going to give the game a shot. I’m even a little excited for it, despite the mediocre graphics and seemingly derivative gameplay. At a glance, it looks average (at best) from a gameplay perspective, but I’m super curious about the writing. The game’s plot was written in conjunction with George RR Martin. I’m hoping it’ll be interesting, especially since I’ll be in my 60s when he finally finishes the damn series.

Check out the trailers when you have a chance and let me know what you think. Any of you interested in the Game of Thrones RPG?

What Are You Playing Over Christmas Weekend?

I hope everyone has an excellent weekend with their families whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just hanging out. Since some of you have an extra day off or two, I was wondering what games your were planning to play. A long weekend is a great time clear out your videogame backlog or put some major hours into a lengthy RPG. So how about it?

Atlus was kind enough to send me a code for Trine 2 for Xbox 360, so I’m going to give that a whirl. I’m also going to sink some time into Disgaea 4. It’s going to be a weird Christmas for me with my brother in Hawaii and my parents in New York. My love and thoughts will be with them…as I get my game on. Ha!

Now it’s your turn! What’s on your Christmas (or other holiday) weekend?