Shnabubula's Incredible Discography is All Available on Bandcamp

Shnabubula (Samuel Ascher-Weiss) of NYC is hands-down one of my favourite artists ever. Seriously, I think the guy is incapable of producing music I won't immediately love. I first discovered his work through the game music remix scene, as well as his chiptune work using video game "sound fonts" as instruments in the SNESology project. But, he writes and performs a lot of creative, original work too! I thought I had a handle on what was out there so far, but this month he surprised me by uploading a ton of previous work to his Bandcamp site.

Want to snag 13 albums worth of some of the greatest chiptune / piano / electronic / experimental / progressive / funk / jazz you'll ever hear, for free? Read on!

Cave Story Creator Releases New Game, Kero Blaster

Studio Pixel's adorable, retro-style 2D platformer Cave Story is one of my favourite indie games ever. So, I'm very excited by the news that Pixel's latest game, Kero Blaster, has released today!

Wildstar Open Beta Starts Today

Saddle up your rockets! Wildstar -- a part sci-fi, part wild-west, part What-if-World-of-Warcraft-was-in-space MMORPG -- has launched its open beta period. Thankfully, this isn't one of those hectic, ultra-brief beta weekends. The beta will be available to play until May 18th, and anyone can join in!

Oh Good, I Finished My Dailies!

Being the Guild Wars 2 nut that I am, I just had to share this cute little animation put out by YouTuber MattVisual. There's a bit of blood (nothing major), so if you're not in the mood for the red stuff or are at work, consider yourself warned.


Though it technically pertains to Guild Wars 2 specifically, I'm sure players of any MMORPG will identify.

The Epic Final Fantasy Medleys of Marc Papeghin

I tend to get pretty enthusiastic about new covers of classic game music, but there's no overstating the brilliant work of France's Marc Papeghin.

Castlevania's "Iron Blue Intention" Covered by David Cuartas

I can't believe I actually got a video link in my YouTube inbox today that wasn't random spam! And not only that, it's a very cool electric guitar cover of a classic track from Castlevania: Bloodlines! Oh, Internet, sometimes you do care.  :-)

New Dragon Age Trailer Warrants Further... Inquisition! *rimshot*

BioWare just released this spiffy new trailer for the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition.

PROTODOME Releases New EP: CHIPFUNK

We've got two bits of cool news regarding U.K.-based chiptune artist Blake "PROTODOME" Troise, today! The first: he's released a nifty little EP, CHIPFUNK. The second: his previous album, BLUESHIFT, is now available to download for free!

Let's Get Down to Business!

The "I'll Make a Man Out of You" training montage song has a strange way of popping up all over the internet. It can strike anywhere, at any time. All it takes is a random commenter to say "Let's get down to business" and the thread is instantly derailed -- for good reason, of course! While I can't say I exactly understand why this particular song from 1998's Mulan is such a hit right now, neither would I do anything to change that.

I am as amused as anyone that this song has become something of a pseudo-meme lately, and thought I'd pay tribute by putting a gaming spin on it. For whatever reason, I felt compelled to write new lyrics that parody a certain subset of the "hardcore" Guild Wars 2 community.

Guild Wars 2 is Getting a Massive Feature Update in Five Days

Guild Wars 2 has always pushed the envelope in terms of revolutionizing and rethinking the foundations of the MMORPG genre, from day one. Even so, the developers at ArenaNet have never been content to rest on their laurels. Since the game's launch about a year and a half ago, there has been a constant flow of tweaks to skill and stat mechanics, new play modes in PvE and PvP alike, episodic "living story" chapters, comprehensive reward systems for achievements in every area of the game, and myriad enhancements to convenience and "quality of life." Even by its own high standards, though, GW2's April Feature Pack is promising to really shake things up.

The New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game Remix Album is Radically Bodacious

The OverClocked ReMix community has done it again. Shell Shocked is a new, collaborative album based around remixes of the 16-bit era's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games Turtles in Time (SNES) and The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis).

Guild Wars 2 is 50% Off, So Get It Already!

Until April 13th, ArenaNet is discounting their trailblazing MMORPG Guild Wars 2. The standard digital edition of the game is now a very reasonable $25. For a cutting-edge MMO of this quality and scope, especially one with no monthly subscription fee of any kind, that is unheard of. If there is anyone left who still hasn't picked up this game, there has never been a better time to try it out.

If you love MMORPGs, you will really appreciate the new twists GW2 brings to the genre. If you hate MMORPGs, you will breathe a sigh of relief that virtually all the typical grinding, griefing, and time-wasting "down time" is virtually non-existent here. And if you never played an MMO in your life, this is a great place to start, as it's super easy to get into and have fun from minute one.

Draugen Trailer Surfaces From the Depths

Norway-based Red Thread Games, founded by the creator of The Secret World and The Longest Journey, recently announced development of an intriguing new project, Draugen.

Review: Log Horizon

Back in January, I gave my mid-season preview of this MMORPG-themed anime (check that out first, if you're unacquainted with this series). Now that all 25 episodes of the first season are out, it's time to see if the show has lived up to its potential!

Five Fantastic Tracks by Game Music Performer Lara de Wit

Talented pianist and violinist Lara de Wit has been treating the world to her creative performances of video game music for years. Boasting over 21 million views and 130,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, a cooperative album with violinist Taylor Davis, and live performances at E3, Lara's success is well-earned.

A Legend in the Making

"I'm sorry, but this must be done... for the greater good!"

Castlevania Producer Koji Igarashi Leaves Konami

The future of Castlevania has never looked more uncertain.

The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Impressions: Combat & Skills

One of the things that impresses me most about the new breed of MMORPGs is action-based, real-time combat that feels intuitive. This hasn't always been the norm, with most MMOs before Guild Wars 2 or Tera feeling less like legit video games and more like button sequence memorization exercises. As such, there was some doubt about whether combat and skills in The Elder Scrolls Online would capture the smooth spontaneity of Skyrim, or recoil back into the MMO status quo. Happily, I can report that ESO gives Skyrim fans nothing to worry about.

Happy Mario Day!

It has come to my attention that March 10th is unofficially "Mario Day."

Because MAR10. Get it?

You're welcome.

The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Impressions: Story & Quests

While not everyone will agree that story is of primary concern in an online game, a convincing setting and a sense of purpose is often necessary to draw players in. We all want to get out there and fight, gain levels, and win epic loot, but these things need context in order to feel relevant.