Next up was Need for Speed: The Run. It’s a racing game, a visually stunning one at that, broken up by on-foot sequences that amount to nothing more than a series of quick-time events, a la Heavy Rain. Then a trailer was shown for Star Wars: The Old Republic, which if you all remember is the Bioware developed MMO set in the Star Wars universe. As a game, no one outside of the press really knows what it will play like, because there has been next to zero actual footage of the game shown to the public, just a bunch of trailers. The trailers are amazing, yes, but this has got me worried about the game. Are they scared of what we’ll think about the game if they were to actually show it off?

Later on, a few details were given about the SSX reboot, which seems to be about some sort of global snowboarding tournament. A very dangerous snowboarding tournament that often has the contestants fighting for their lives. Apparently, the mountains in the game are based off of real locations, using satellite imagery from NASA to create the levels. Seems pretty cool.

And then the press conference dropped the ball, and completely lost my interest for a good long while. So, yeah, Fifa and Madden? They’re still making those games. A Facebook version of The Sims, that I guess you can play with your friends if you’re into that kind of thing. But the less said about that, the better. And then there was some open-world fantasy action RPG called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which seemed pretty OK. Not much was said about the game.

So, after that half-hour snooze-fest, finally something interesting was announced. It has been known for some time now that Insomniac games, the developer best known for making the Ratchet and Clank series, was working on a multi-platform game and that it would be announced at E3. But what wasn’t known until today was what that game was. The game is called Overstrike (which to me seemed like a really generic name, but whatever), and is a four-player spy game filled with Insomniac’s usual sense of humor. No gameplay was shown of the game (just a really great trailer), but it’s probably going to be some kind of third-person action game, judging from their track record.

And finally, after over an hour of waiting, a trailer of the game we all knew was going to be shown here was played. And it was just as uneventful as the previous trailers put out for the game. I am of course talking about Battlefield 3, a game that looks a hell of a lot better than Modern Warfare 3, both graphically and gameplay-wise. It uses the same gorgeous “Frostbyte 2” engine that was used in the Need for Speed game shown earlier today, and I honestly thought at first that the footage that was shown was pre-rendered.

It was the PC build, and was probably being played on a high-end system, so the console versions of the game won’t look nearly as good as it did here, but I really can’t stress enough how great this game looks. It’s nearly photo-realistic. As far as the game itself goes, it did seem to drag on a bit too much, though it seem like a competent first person shooter. Nothing mind blowing, but when compared to it’s meager competition, Battlefield 3 clearly comes out on top.

Next up was Tomb Raider, a reboot of the franchise and a prequel to the first game. Overall, it looked pretty good (though the frequent use of quick-time events is disheartening), but if Lara talks to herself as much as she did in that opening level (way too much) throughout the entire game, I’m out. It’s that annoying.

After that came Mass Effect 3, which looks like Mass Effect 2 but with a different story mode (of course) and Kinect functionality. This practically became the theme of the press conference at this point, as the number of games with Kinect support far outweighed the ones without it. In ME3’s case, you had a bunch of voice commands, that are sure to embarrass anyone playing the game with it.

The next “better with Kinect” game was Ghost Recon Future Soldier, and If you were paying attention, that would make this the fourth game of the press conference in a row that is part of an existing franchise. It’s also the fourth game in a row that has been showed off beforehand (don’t worry, the new stuff is coming up soon). All that was showed off was a kind of neat looking trailer, some cool looking weapon customization, and a really dopey looking Kinect control scheme that involves you hunching over and opening and closing your hand to fire.

Taking a short break from video games, Microsoft showed off the new Xbox dashboard (coming this fall), with improved Kinect functionality, Youtube, Bing search, and Live TV (in certain territories). However, it looks like searching anything with Bing on Xbox with voice commands will be an incredibly wordy process; you have to say “Xbox Bing” before whatever you want to search for, which can lead to some overlong searches like “Xbox Bing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One”.

Back on video games, Cliff Bleszinski came out on stage to show off some more Gears of War 3. They showed off this game last year, so there’s nothing really new to report here, but it was cool to see him playing co-op with Ice T on stage (yes, the rapper).

Next up, Crytek’s “Codename: Kingdoms” finally got a real name, which follows in the “Crysis” legacy of replacing i’s with y’s. Ryse, the name of the game, is a Kinect sword fighting game that seems to take place during the fall of the Roman empire. Not much else is known, all we actually got was a CG trailer again, but maybe more will be shown off on the show floor.

Now for the show’s first big announcement: Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary. Yup, this is the rumored HD remake of the first Halo game, and is going to be released on November 15th. It appears to be based off of the Reach engine (judging from the shot in the trailer where one of the Spartans performed a Reach-style assassination move). It’s not just an upscale, either, some of the environments showed off were remarkably different from the originals, but it will be the exact same game otherwise.

Afterwords, Forza 4 was showed off briefly. There was a trailer with some Kanye music playing in the background, and it’s Kinect functionality was showed off too, but honestly I didn’t care, so I didn’t really pay much attention.

And at this point the presentation took a nose dive in terms of the quality of the games on display. Starting out with Fable: The Journey, the next game in the Fable series, which will be an on-rails shooter for the Kinect. Then Minecraft on the 360 was mentioned, and that it would work with Kinect somehow. And then there was a freaking Disneyland game. This was easily the low point of the entire press conference, complete with some children pretending to be related to each other while acting like they were actually enjoying this on-rails jewel collecting game.

Things started looking up a bit once the Kinect Star Wars game was brought on stage, but it was unfortunately yet another on-rails Kinect title, which makes me wonder if the developers of these games are being lazy, or if the technology really is that limited. Also, the artificial intelligence on display was abysmal.

Up next was Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, who gave a delightful presentation about Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. I’m not even joking. It seems like the perfect game for kids, with fun characters and a nice visual style. But then the infamous Kudo came back for his third E3 appearance, this time showing off some neat Kinect-related tech demos. I won’t talk about these much, because they’re supposedly already available on the Xbox if you have a Kinect and wanted to play around with them. But it was some very impressive stuff, though I doubt that many games will find a way to incorporate the technology on display.

After this mess of Kinect titles, what could be next? More Kinect titles, of course! So, yeah, Kinect Sports is getting a sequel, and will have six new sports for you to play. It’ll probably be good, but it’s still just a minigame collection. Afterwords, Dance Central 2 was played on stage. It’s like Dance Central, but with multiplayer and way more songs.

Finally, at the very end of the press conference, a new trilogy was announced. As the teaser began playing, all the possibilities started racing in my head as to what this new franchise would be. But I quickly realized that I was wrong. That I was being mislead. This wasn’t going to be a new franchise, but the start of a new trilogy in an existing franchise. Hearing the words “John, I need you” was enough to make me figure it out. It was Halo 4, coming holiday 2012. And I assume Halo 5 and 6 will be coming out every two years or so afterwords. I guess the fight wasn’t finished after all.

-Me, “Review: Fallout 3” (November 23, 2009)

Could Bethesda be doing the same thing with Skyrim?

Daggerfall had 35 skills. Morrowind decreased the number of skills to 27, and Oblivion further reduced the skill pool to 21. Skyrim, the highly anticipated 5th installment in the Elder Scrolls series, looks to continue the trend of removing skills from previous games by removing Mysticism, Acrobatics, and Athletics, bringing the number of skills to 18. But Bethesda is going one step further than just removing skills this time, and for the first time ever in the series they are reducing the number of attributes, from 8 to 3.

“In Oblivion you have your eight attributes and 21 skills. Now you have 18 skills and three attributes. What we found is that all those attributes actually did something else. A fan may say ‘You removed my eight attributes!’, and my answer is, which ones do you want? They’re all a trickle down to something else. Now when you level up you can just raise your Magicka. In Oblivion you have to raise your Intelligence knowing that your Intelligence raises your Magicka.”

-Todd Howard on Removing Attributes

While it is true that attributes were never handled particularly well in the Elder Scrolls series, they could have fixed them rather than outright removing them. In the above quote, Todd defends the decision by saying that “they’re all a trickle down to something else”, but they could have been more than that. They could have, for example, made Intelligence effect the player’s dialogue options like they did in Fallout 3 as well as increase your Magicka.

This attitude of “If it is broke, get rid of it” is nothing new in the videogame industry, and isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. Mass Effect 2 did away with the previous game’s inventory system entirely, and ended up being a better game for it. But it does sort of make you feel like the developers are just being lazy.

However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with Skyrim, because even though they removed a few skills and attributes, in their place is a rather extensive selection of perks. Just like in Fallout 3, every time the player levels up they will be able to choose a perk, giving them special bonuses.

“There’s the skill Destruction, which covers a category of spells, and within Destruction there are perks for fire based spells.” “The easy thing for us … is to add more skills, that’s actually a lot easier. In the old games there was a skill and a number, but we didn’t feel there was progression. We really want to make you feel like you are getting better at this particular skill. And perks are the main way we do that now”

-Todd Howard on Perks

According to Todd Howard, there are currently some 280 perks (if you count the multiple levels of some perks) in the game to customize your character with. It remains to be seen how well the system is implemented (we’ll have to wait until November for that), but the addition of perks could make this the Elder Scrolls game with the single most player customization options, despite the removal of those skills and attributes.

So, to answer the question bluntly: no. No, Skyrim has not been dumbed down from Oblivion, though that isn’t really saying much. Will it be as hardcore of an RPG as Daggerfall? Absolutely not. And you know what? That’s probably a good thing. Because a game like Daggerfall would just be too niche of a title to survive in today’s market. Also, I never really liked Daggerfall, and never want to see that style of game return.

So how can I love a game that is so fundamentally bad? Maybe it’s my exceptionally high tolerance towards bad games. Or maybe it’s because Deadly Premonition nails the one thing that few “good” games seem to get right: the story. Deadly Premonition’s story one of the best stories told in a video game since Bioshock, and it’s one of few games that I’ve played that I could actually call “mature” with a straight face.

Deadly Premonition tells the story of FBI special agent Francis York Morgan, a rather eccentric man with a “personal interest in killers of young women” and an imaginary friend named Zach, who was assigned to investigate the murder of Anna Graham in the small northwestern logging town of Greenvale. While the parallels to Twin Peaks are obvious, the story never ceases to be interesting, and is able to keep you guessing without the use of any red herrings (unlike a certain other murder-mystery game released on the same day). However, to discuss the story in great detail would ruin your potential enjoyment of the game. But over the course of the game it is revealed that York has a very personal connection to the red seeds that are central to the murder case, and it all leads up to one of the best endings in a video game Ive seen in a long time.

But it’s not as if the story is the only redeeming quality to Deadly Premonition. The game’s soundtrack, despite its tendency of having certain songs repeated far too often, and that the vocalist in some of the songs sings in a really weird accent, and often mumbles the lyrics; or that one musical cue near the beginning of the game that can spoil part of the game’s ending, is really quite good for the most part. The only notable exception I can think of is that four-second looping song that the jukebox in the bar plays.

Deadly Premonition is certainly not for everyone. Those who lack patience, who tend to skip “boring” cutscenes in order to get to the action faster, need not apply. But those with an open mind, who are looking for something different, may find that Deadly Premonition scratches that itch perfectly. And for $20, it’s a steal.

Visuals: 1/5

Audio: 3/5

Fun: 5/5

Overall: 3.5/5

Only a relatively small number of voters have actually met the people they voted for. Even smaller is the number of voters who have actually worked with them. And of these people, most of them only did so on the campaign trail. The few that work with them afterwards, deep inside the inner sanctums of the United States legislature, are rarely talked about in the media. The vast majority of people don’t even seem to really know what these staffers, aides, secretaries, and other assistants actually do. Yet these people are essential for the United States government to function properly. I was fortunate enough to be able to meet one of these people, to learn about what it’s like, and about what she actually did in D.C.

Her name is Kelly D. Horton, and she was a legislative assistant to Louise Slaughter, the representative from the 28th district in New York, who just so happens to be a good friend of my “other mom”. I got to sit down with her recently to talk about her experience working in D.C.
BT: What was she (Louise Slaughter) like?
KH: She’s fabulous. She’s one of the most senior members of congress, and has been there for over 24 years. And she has courage, and she’s strong, and she never gives up. Getting to know the congresswoman was awesome.

BT: What did you do as a legislative assistant?
KH:  I was there as a fellow, and I got to practice writing the legislation for her. And I was also responsible for handling constituent mail.

BT: What is one major issue you worked on?
KH: Mostly what I focused on was pharmaceutical disposal. When you go get your prescription medication, maybe you have some extra you didn’t need. We don’t have a lot of options to get rid of those. Right now, people just throw them down the toilet or the trash, which ends up in the landfill, and that gets into our water supply. The congresswoman wanted that to stop. So I actually did a lot of research, and worked with groups across the US working on this drug disposal issue, and I helped to draft legislation at the federal level.

BT: Did you meet any cool or famous people in D.C.?
KH: I’d say the coolest thing was when one day I got off the subway that connects the capital building to the congress building, and was face-to-face with Vice President Joe Biden. I didn’t have anything witty to say, unfortunately my mouth just dropped open. Also, one day I was bicycling home from work, and I saw political commentator Rachel Maddow recording her show, which caused me to almost ride my bike into the car in front of me.

BT: What was the most exciting event for you?
KH: The most exciting time was when the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) repeal happened. As a lesbian staff member on the hill, I was able to go to different meetings on legislation that have to do with GLBT people, so I was invited to meetings on DADT to talk about the bill, and we really didn’t think it was going to be passed, but then it passed! I got to be there when Pelosi signed the bill to go to the president. It was a very proud moment.

BT: What was it like living in the Washington D.C. area?
KH: It’s a lot of fun, there’s a lot to do, it’s very fast-paced, everybody there is interested in politics, but there’s also a lot of things in their jobs they can’t talk about, so people can’t tell you what they do necessarily sometimes. There’s a lot of events, a lot of culture, and because our tax dollars have paid for all these different museums, we can go to a lot of the museums for free. You can learn a lot about American history and arts there. It’s a very green city, too. But it’s also very transitional, people come to D.C. for their career, and then they leave a few years later. So it’s always moving, constantly changing.

BT: Thank you for your time!
KH: You’re welcome.

The “Akira Yamaoka” Award
Best Atmospheric Soundtrack
WINNER: Red Dead Redemption

While Red Dead Redemption’s period-inspired soundtrack may not be something you can jam to, it compliments the game’s atmosphere wonderfully. It’s a somber collection of songs filled with a sort of quiet, dignified twanginess that’s unlike any other. While other game’s soundtracks are like going to a 80’s hair-metal band’s rock concert, Red Dead Redemption’s soundtrack is like singing the blues around a campfire in the old west. It’s deliberate, expertly crafted, and completely unforgettable.

The “All Your Base” Award
Greatest Meme Potential
WINNER: Deadly Premonition

Whether or not Deadly Premonition’s hilarity is intentional or not is up for debate, but the fact remains that Deadly Premonition is freaking hilarious. From its famous “F K in the coffee” scene, to its weird-as-hell “sinner’s sandwich” scene, the game is positively filled to the brim with the silly stuff that internet image boards eat up like candy. It’s likely only a matter of time before you start seeing Deadly Premonition go viral, and in some respects, it already has. And that’s why Deadly Premonition is the game with the greatest meme potential.

The “Cabela” Award
Most Suicidal Release Date
WINNER: May 18

May was a pretty big month for games as a whole. But the 18th of May took the cake. On this one day, there were over four high-profile game releases, including Red Dead Redemption, Alan Wake, Split/Second, and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. And if the game wasn’t developed by Rockstar Games, It was doomed to commercial failure. So please, developers, for your own sakes, don’t release your game on the same day as one of the biggest releases of the year, which in this case was Red Dead Redemption.

The “Double Fine” Award
Most Painfully Ignored Game
WINNER: Rock Band 3

Due to a combination of factors, including a still-recovering economy, market over-saturation, and possibly consumer confusion about the pro-instruments, Rock Band 3 tanked. Despite being (arguably) the greatest, and most ambitious rhythm game ever made, it sold less than half the copies in its first eight weeks its predecessor sold in the same amount of time. Hell, even Alan Wake, another great game with underwhelming sales figures (see the above award for details) sold more than Rock Band 3 during it’s first eight weeks.

When Jim Sterling saw this, he felt compelled to write a sarcastic article about how stupid of a complaint this is, exaggerating the green eyes thing to make a point. Then the guys at Sonic Retro saw the article, and a flamewar broke loose. In the view of Sonic Retro, Destructoid was a bunch of self righteous hypocrites, and in the view of Destructoid, Sonic Retro was a bunch of clingy, complainy dipshits who will never be pleased by anything. In my view, both of them should just shut the hell up.

Was Jim Sterling right about the green eyes complaint being stupid? Maybe. But the fact is, that was not their only complaint. And many of their complaints leveled at the game are completely legitimate. And was Sonic Retro right about Jim Sterling coming off like a jerk? Maybe. But the point he was trying to make behind all those layers of sarcasm was still an important one to make. And that point was that you should not judge a book by its cover, especially if said book hasn’t even been finished yet. So guys, can’t you just give it a rest?
The “Would You Kindly” Award
Best Storytelling Gimmick
WINNER: Alan Wake

Though Alan Wake’s story wasn’t a hit with everyone, it at the very least was a very interesting storytelling experiment. While most videogame stories are told in the now, mostly through character dialogue and expository text, Alan Wake’s story is mostly told through narration, much like the Sands of Time trilogy. But instead of evoking a fantasy storybook style like those games, Alan Wake is more like a noir film in tone.
But Alan Wake takes this concept one step further, by adding manuscript pages (which also play a large role in the story), you give the player a window into the past, into the future, and even into other character’s shoes. By giving the players these multiple viewpoints, it helps keep them engage in the story, and gives them a deeper understanding of what is going on in the other character’s heads, something that is almost never explored in videogames.  This is why Alan Wake’s manuscript pages are the best storytelling gimmick of 2010.

After finally finding mainstream commercial success with their albums Elephunk and Monkey Business, The Black Eyed Peas took a four year hiatus where I imagine they must have gone on a Mighty Boosh-style adventure in looking for the “new sound”. The result of this was The E.N.D., which marked a dramatic shift in their musical style, from a more traditional pop sound to a “futuristic” sound. The lyrics were– more often then not– incredibly stupid, and usually distorted to the point that the vocals were just another instrument.

Despite receiving a mixed critical reception, The E.N.D. was a commercial force of nature, and one of the most successful albums of recent times. It was obvious at that point that whatever their next album was going to be, it was going to be stylistically very similar to The E.N.D. And lo and behold, one year later The Black Eyed Peas released their most recent album, The Beginning, and indeed it is very similar to The E.N.D. If you did not enjoy The E.N.D., The Beginning is most certainly not going to change your mind. But if you did, you’ll probably also enjoy The Beginning, as it is just as good, if not a little better than its predecessor.

The hits hit harder in this album, with songs like “Someday”, an almost autobiographical song featuring lyrics focusing on elements of apl.de.ap’s life, “Whenever”, a somewhat touching ballad featuring some excellent vocal work by Fergie, and “Play it Loud”, a tribute to music as a whole, being some of the standouts. The stinkers stink less than they did in The E.N.D. (“Xoxoxo” will never be as bad as “Imma Be”), and I’m so, so glad they toned down the whole “random voice deepening and stuttering to sound kind of like a computer” thing, resulting in less great songs being needlessly ruined (I’m looking at you, “Meet Me Halfway”).

However, like most albums, half or more of the songs in The Beginning inspire nothing but feelings of indifference. And while it’s a more confident, and more competent album than The E.N.D., it also feels a little bland. Though The E.N.D was like a flamboyant, arrogant pop group collectively saying “HEY LOOK AT US WE’RE DIFFERENT!”, and while many people were annoyed by it, at least it was fresh (at the time). The Beginning, however, more or less takes the formula set up by The E.N.D. and runs with it. Despite sounding marginally better, you can’t help but feel like you’ve heard it all before.

The Beginning isn’t going to set the world on fire, but The Black Eyed Peas’ signature style is still as fun as ever, and it will certainly be playing at dance clubs around the country (and perhaps the world) for a while now. And though it may not leave a great first impression, the album has a way of growing on you with its infectious beats, and once it does, it will never let you go.
Score: 3.5/5

Nova is quite different from your average high school, so starting out it can be a bit of a challenge for some. It’s almost guaranteed that you will “fail” at least one class, and get on the ALE intervention program at least once over the course of your Nova experience. If you are finding yourself falling into one of those things, then this guide may be of some help to you. Of course, one can’t write a single article that will cover every problem, and every tip that someone may need to know about, so this article can be seen as a starting off point. These are some general tips that may help you get through the school alive.

1. Nova isn’t a “special school.” So don’t treat it like one.
This is the first mistake I made when I came to this school. It’s very easy to confuse an alternative school for a school for children with special needs. To some, it may seem like the more laid-back nature of Nova would mean that you would learn less, but this is simply not true. In reality, you’re just learning a little differently, and at a different pace: yours. This is the beauty of Nova. If you wanted to, you could blow through it in three years, or you could stay for five, and no one would hold it against you. So please don’t hold this against us.

2. Never say “This class <sucks/is stupid/is boring>”. Even if it is true.
If you say something enough times, you can convince yourself that anything is true. And the last thing you want to convince yourself of is that a class is stupid, boring, or just plain sucks. Because when you think these things, you are more likely to start thinking things like “I don’t care if I don’t pass this class”. In doing this, you would be dooming yourself to failure before you even begin. So please, for your own sake, try to stay positive.

3. Don’t be afraid of the big bad teacher.
I know that it is only natural for a student to fear the wrath of their teachers, but the teachers here are nice. No really, they are! Yes, even that teacher. So don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers. Communication is a key skill in life, and the same goes for Nova. If you find yourself falling behind, it is essential that you talk to your teachers and coordinator about this to get yourself back on track. Because although they can help, they won’t do it for you.

4. Get used to the bus schedule
OK, while this isn’t Nova specific, it’s no less important. The simple fact of the matter is: the bus schedule probably won’t conform to yours.  If you get out at 2:25, when coor ends on Mondays, the closest bus arrival is at 2:24, one minute before you get out (true story). Now, there’s always the possibility of (ok, it’s not really a possibility: buses are never on time) the bus coming earlier or later than that, but knowing when the buses generally come is a good idea and will lessen the frustration of waiting 15 minutes in the rain for the bus that never seems to come.

5. Choose a coordinator that works for you.
“Wait a minute, I can switch coors? SWEET! <insert coordinator here> is really <boring/stupid/sucky/isn’t working for me> I’m going to switch immediately!” is a typical reaction from your average Nova student when they find out that they can switch coors. Don’t be so hasty in switching coors, or you may end up with a similarly <boring/stupid/sucky> coordinator. Ask your coordinator (remember that you can talk to teachers!) if you can sit in on another coor, and observe the other coors before making the switch. It’s your choice, so make sure it is the right one.

And there you go, the first five tips for nova survival that popped into my head. I hope that this is of help to you, and that you have a great time at Nova! And one more thing: don’t skip class to hang out in the smoker section. That is all.

Originally announced as “Project Needlemouse”, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is the highly-anticipated sequel to 1994’s Sonic & Knuckles. Billed as “the sequel fans have been waiting 16 years for”, it is the first installment of a planned series of down-loadable games for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, and iPhone. It has been subject to much controversy inside the fan community, ever since footage was leaked to the Internet before it’s release. So much controversy, in fact, that Sega was forced to delay the game from it’s planned summer release date to mid-October to tweak the level design and physics.

But does Sonic 4 live up to the hype? Well, to put it bluntly, no. It doesn’t. When compared to the games it most tries to emulate (the original Genesis titles) it feels like a cheap knock-off. But when you compare it to other, more recent games in the series, Sonic 4 is amazing. Taken on it’s own merits, however, it’s a good, but flawed platformer that’s way too short for it’s own good.

Now, it’s not that it’s a bad thing for a game to be short. Some of my favorite games are also some of the shortest (Rez, Braid, Limbo, and Call of Duty 4 are some examples). Having a short, focused, consistently great experience is far superior to a longer, but less focused, and only occasionally great one. But unlike these masterpieces, Sonic 4: Episode 1 does not substitute quantity for quality, it substitutes quantity for the promise that it will be continued later. Being an episodic game, that is normal. But Sega somehow forgot the most important part of the episodic game formula (smaller games released more often for less): the lowered price. Instead, you’ll pay $15, the high-end of the down-loadable game cost spectrum, for what is essentially one-third of a game.

However, despite it’s short length, Sonic 4: Episode 1 is ultimately a fun game. While there are some… questionable level design and game design decisions, they aren’t quite enough to drag the entire experience down. The level design is generally very good (barring some homing attack chains, bottomless pits, and stupid puzzles here and there), and is far more open-ended than most sonic games in recent history. Honestly, it’s so good that if it wasn’t for the bad spots, Sonic 4: Episode 1 would’ve been just as good as the originals.

The backgrounds are very pleasing, if a bit derivative (Sonic 4: Episode 1 is, in essence, a throwback game), with vibrant colors, and some neat effects here and there (for example, the waterfalls in Splash Hill zone). The same goes for the character models, which look very good and exhibit a good deal of personality, whilst displaying absolutely no creativity whatsoever. And though I’ve heard complaints about how “stiffly” they animate, I honestly had no problem at all with it.

The best part of Sonic 4: Episode 1, in my opinion, are the special stages. Though they are basically the special stages from the first game with a slight twist (you control the level, not Sonic), the twist is enough to make it feel fresh. The physics in the special stage work exactly the way you expect them to (unlike the rest of the game), and generally provide a good deal of challenge without feeling cheap (again, unlike the rest of the game). Simply put, if they were to make a whole game entirely out of these special stages, I would buy it in an instant.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little to harsh on the rest of the game. The physics work just fine, but only if you are constantly holding down the joystick in one direction or another, which is probably how most people are going to play it anyway. If you for whatever reason decide to let go of that joystick, however, you’ll find that the momentum is totally, completely wrong. You slow down to a dead stop almost instantaneously, even in the air (yes, there’s as much friction in the air as there is on the ground in this game).

Jumping doesn’t really feel right, (You fall down faster than you go upward), slope physics are a little weird (Sonic can simply WALK up a wall with little to no momentum), and the spindash feels a bit slower than it should. While these are not game-breaking problems, it makes the game feel less polished than it should, and it’s definitely not the return-to-form that everyone was hoping for. Also: the music kind of sucks, which is a really big deal considering it’s a Sonic game.

For every step Sonic 4: Episode 1 takes forward, it takes another half-step back. What could’ve been a massive leap forward for the series, feels more like baby steps. And though that’s not a bad thing (progress is progress!) it’s a little underwhelming for such a high-profile game. And that’s basically the Sonic 4 experience in a nutshell: a little underwhelming.

Visuals:       3/5
Audio:          2/5
Fun:             4/5
Overall:       3/5

#10 – Quake

Quake doesn’t even need an introduction. If you don’t know what Quake is, you’re officially not a gamer. Seriously. It’s that important. Unlike it’s predecessor, DOOM, Quake featured a completely original, (DOOM’s soundtrack has become famous for its plagiarism) atmospheric soundtrack composed by sound designer Trent Reznor, who you may remember as a member of Nine Inch Nails. Hardly any of it can actually be considered “music”, with the exception of the main theme, but without it, the game simply wouldn’t have been the same.

#9 – ilomilo

Never before has a game been as perfectly encapsulated by its music as ilomilo is. The sweet, childish melodies, performed with a purposely out-of-tune sounding set of children’s instruments, mixed in with a decent amount of melancholy, result in a soundtrack that is equal parts charming and haunting. Unfortunately, to explain why I use the word “haunting” in the context of this kid-friendly puzzle-game’s soundtrack would be to spoil the entire experience of playing this wonderful game. So I won’t, but I do urge you to take a listen to some of the songs, because it’s absolutely brilliant.

#8 – Halo

Halo is one of the defining titles of modern gaming. Though good first-person shooters did exist on consoles before it, none of them were even comparable to PC first-person shooters until Halo. It’s the game that everyone has tried to copy, with mixed success. But one thing that has never been copied is Halo’s epic, sweeping soundtrack, which contains some of the most recognizable songs in gaming. Heck, the Halo theme is playing in my head as I type this. But why the original Halo’s soundtrack over its sequels? Because the sequels largely copied/remixed the original’s, rather than making NEW soundtracks from scratch.

#7 – Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime was one of the most atmospheric games of its time, due to its then-stunning graphics, its large, cohesive world, and its masterful sound design. The soundtrack of Metroid Prime is mostly of the quieter sort, mostly composed of electronic tracks, with the occasional traditional instrument or choir added in for good measure. Taken on their own, most of the tracks in the game aren’t particularly great. But when you’re exploring the vast, lonely world of Tallon IV, the music of Metroid Prime really enhances the atmosphere, and is really, really memorable.

#6 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

From legendary chiptune band Anamanaguchi, the soundtrack for the game adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series was one of the most memorable video game soundtracks of the year. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game was a frantic side-scrolling beat-em-up that played homage to classic arcade games, and its soundtrack had energy (and a NES used as an instrument) to match.

#5 – Sonic CD

Sonic CD is a highly divisive game. Some say that it’s the greatest game in the series, while others say that it’s the worst of the classic games. Some say that the Japanese / PAL soundtrack was the best of the two, while others say that the US soundtrack is the superior version. Whichever camp you fall into, Sonic CD has two of the best soundtracks of the series, a series known for its great soundtracks (despite the quality of the games they may have been in).

#4 –  Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio (also known as Jet Grind Radio in the states) is one of the most loved games on the Dreamcast, known for its pioneering use of cel-shading (also known as toon-shading, a technique used in games such as LoZ: Wind Waker, Okami, and Tales of Vesperia), and its energetic soundtrack. Making great use of sampling, composer Hideki Naganuma (also seen in Sonic Rush), Richard Jaquez (of Sonic R infamy), B.B. Rights, Deavid Soul, and many other artists made one of the most unique, recognizable, and eclectic soundtracks in gaming history. It’ll make Everybody Jump Around Now on Yappie Feet, and will never Let Mom Sleep again while it’s blaring out your Funky Radio.

#3 – Rez

Rez is a game that is like no other, a unique combination of rhythm game and rail shooter. Designed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the game was intended to simulate the feeling of synethesia, a condition in which all senses are connected. Whether or not the game succeeded in that, the game was quite a ride for all that experienced it. This was due in large part to the memorable electronic / trance music of the game, including tracks such as Fear (a remix of Mind Killer) by Adam Freeland, Buggie Running Beeps 01 by Keiichi Sugiyama, and Rock is Sponge by Joujouka, and the incredible visual style that accompanied it.

#2 – Okami

Okami is one of the most tragically ignored games of recent times, despite being universally acclaimed by critics and everyone who played it. Combining a fantastic art style with a unique gameplay gimmick and a well-told story, Okami was the best Zelda-style game of the 6th console generation (suck it Wind Waker!). Okami also featured an award winning soundtrack (five cd’s in length) inspired by music from feudal-era Japan. A deftly composed mix of sweeping, epic scores, exciting, action-y songs, and soft, touching melodies, Okami is as much a treat for the eyes at it is for your ears.

#1 – Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2 can be described as many things: the scariest game of all time, a high point for storytelling in gaming, or just plain depressing . Akira Yamaoka, the composer for the Silent Hill series, once stated that the music of the Silent Hill games were written to evoke emotional responses from the player. And he succeeded in that with flying colors. Silent Hill 2’s soundtrack will make you feel lonely, sad, and scared. But most importantly, it will make you feel. And that’s a feat that few games have achieved.

And there you have it, my personal top 10 greatest videogame soundtracks of all time. I don’t expect you to agree with me (hell, I probably won’t even agree with myself a month after this goes up, since I’m constantly discovering new music). If you have any soundtracks you really like, please post it in the comments. And no, I haven’t heard any of the Final Fantasy soundtracks, so that’s why none of them were on the list.