Wow.  It’s … wow.  Not only is it sexist towards women (deer in the headlights?) but towards it’s own employees.  By framing this video in a “National Geographic” type setting, they’re basically saying to their employees: “This is a woman.  You’ve probably never met or talked to one, so we made this video to help you.”

Crikey!

Dotter Dotter makes pixels come to life.  Check out more 3d pixel art at their website: http://dotter.exblog.jp/

2. Lips – Once everybody is warmed up (and had a glass or two of wine), break out the karaoke. There aren’t many songs included in the game, but it will play your MP3s too. Load up the holiday carols and start a sing-a-long… or, you know… don’t. Whatever. Bonus points if you get through the carols without singing “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”. Seriously. I hate that frakking song.

1. Rock Band 2 – Time to make the room jump! Okay, so it’s not the newest game. Still, when it comes to group gaming with the family, how can one go wrong with Rock Band? I know it’s not classic rock, but I will be downloading No Doubt’s “The Singles” song pack. For 1600 MS Points, you get 13 of No Doubt’s hits. This one is fun for the whole family, especially after some eggnog. Bonus points if you get Grandpa to sing “One Way or Another” or “You Oughta Know”.

Little Big Planet

Teh Good

- Large, beautiful worlds

- Interesting and unique game mechanics

- Co-op has never been more fun (especially online)

Teh Bad

- Um… teh bad?

- Okay, sometimes it’s hard to jump between the three planes (foreground, middle and background)

- Oh, and some users report having trouble with online, but so far so good for me

Teh Verdict

If you like platforming games, you will LOVE LBP. Early levels are good “gateway” levels for those new to gaming. This game makes me laugh my butt off. Sackboy is the cutest hero ever.

Fable 2

Teh Good

- Much longer quest than the original

- Engrossing world (very addictive)

- Morality plays an even bigger role (it can drastically alter the world)

Teh Bad

- This game is GLITCH-Y; game ending at times

- Not enough variety in costumes and weapons

- Online co-op is one giant pile of fail due to camera restrictions (amongst other things)

Teh Verdict

Fans of Fable will love Fable 2. Not for the faint of heart. You will have some tough choices to make. Bring Kleenex.

Mega Man 9

Teh Good

- This is the Mega Man you remember from childhood (NES glitches included)

- When you complete a stage you feel a true sense of achievement

- It’s only $10!

Teh Bad

- This game is controller-breakingly hard

- CAPCOM is selling different difficulties and bonuses separately

- #*@%! Why is this game so fraking HARD?!? AAAARGH!!!

Teh Verdict

Mega Man done right. The sound, design and level structure all remind me when I was a kid. They also show me how babied gamers are nowadays in terms of difficulty. This is a game that I pick up, play for a level or two and then put down for a couple weeks because it makes me so angry (in a challenging way, not due to poor design). So worth the $10.

We’ve had some great help reviewing games lately. Big thanks to Ophidion and eleTodd for their well written reviews. I have opinions too, which I would love to share in review format. That being said, the gaming gods clearly hate me and have decided to release every game I’ve ever wanted all at once so that I will NEVER HAVE FREE TIME EVER AGAIN. Therefore, with no further ado, I introduce you to my newest feature: Quick & Dirty where I review games in 7 easy points: 3 good, 3 bad, and a quick verdict. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. If you don’t agree with my review, make it known in the comments! I love a healthy argument debate.

Stay tuned.  Quick & Dirty #1 coming later today!

Big thanks to Jeff for letting me post this on our site.  CLICK HERE for the full comic and the remaining 2 (even funnier) “worst vaults ever imagined”.

Speaking of Fallout 3, today is launch day! In fact, you’re probably not even reading this until a week from now. I’ll be picking up my copy as soon as I finish Fable 2. Having both of those games simultaneously would melt my brain.

GLaDOS returns!  On Wednesday, October 22, Xbox LIVE Arcade will be launching the newest iteration of Portal, aptly named Portal: Still Alive. 

According to the official word from Microsoft, Aperture Science still needs you.  Now, before you get too excited, no, this is not the sequel we’ve all been anticipating.  Nor is it the cleverly designed prequel that was released for PC versions of the game.  Portal: Still Alive contains all the original maps from Portal on the Orange Box with some tasty additions.  There will be 14 new challenge maps exclusive to Xbox LIVE Arcade plus six advanced maps for the truly hardcore.

Though I am reluctant to spend 1200 MS Points on a game I ALREADY OWN, the temptation of having new maps is more than I can pass up.   I miss my Weighted Companion Cube!  That and GLaDOS needs my help.  Why else would it have sent me this memo?

By the way Microsoft… now that you’ve released this as an Arcade title, we would love to see even MORE levels and the prequel PC version released as DLC.  Seriously, is it so much to ask?  If you do that for us, we’ll even share our delicious cake with you!

Okay, so it’s just a teaser trailer and we don’t learn much.  Still, BioShock 2 has a name and that name is BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams.   Anybody as excited as me?   I’m practically salivating over here.