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I must say, this week’s fake game is officially one of my favorites we’ve ever showcased. Submitted byAoi Tsukiand goddamnbrilliantlyPhotoshopped by our own Topher Cantler,Desu Baaru(“Death Ball”) combines the fun, carefree gameplay ofKatamari Damacywith the distinct charm of the Manson Family. Listen to Aoi Tsuki’s idea for yourself, and then bask in the glory of Topher’s fake screenshot: It’s the fun, wacky mating ofDeath Note— in which a young man discovers a notebook in which you write people’s name to kill them — andKatamari Damacy, the lighthearted quirkfest that took the world by storm via rolling shit up into a big ball!...

Adventure games have a very special place in my heart, particularly those made by Sierra. Sure, the stuff from Lucasfilm Games might have wound up more popular in the end, but one of the first games to feature actual graphics that I ever played wasKing’s Quest II: Romancing the Throne. I have a bit of a bias. Sue me. It is that same bias that makes me extremely happy to mention that the long-awaited remake ofQuest for Glory II: Trial by Firehas been released....

While the majority of players areperfectly contentrolling with male Shepard — he’s undeniably become the face ofMass Effectfrom a marketing standpoint — it seems like everyone who gives the awesomely nicknamed FemShep a try can’t go back. That’s just the power of Jennifer Hale’s performances. BioWare marketing director David Silverman has brought good news for fans of Hale. Via Twitter, he says that male Shepardandfemale Shepard will appear on theMass Effect 3Collector’s Edition box,side by side....

After our coverage of theFinal Fantasy Distant Worlds concert in Grand Rapids, you’d have to be crazy (or hate all things Final Fantasy) to not want the chance to attend it yourself. Luckily, if you are in Detroit, you can, as there is a performance scheduled there on June 18th. The program is two hours in length and contains gorgeous arrangements of classic songs such as One Winged Angel fromFinal Fantasy VII, Maria and Draco’s opera (FF IV) and To Zanarkand (FF X)....

Waiting for aFinal Fantasy VIIremake to happen is like someone wishing for a unicorn to drop down from the clouds and take them to campus on a dreary day. Even though unicorns are real — this according to the Wikipedia page I just edited — it isn’t likely that one will randomly care about human desire. Still we wish for both, and thus Yoshinori Kitase’s latestFFVII-related comment tickles the emotions. Speaking at gamescom, theFFXIIIproducer saidFFVIInews might come “at a later time....

It took its damn time getting here, but the final pack ofValkyria ChroniclesDLC is landing on North America’s many shores on Feb. 25. A little while ago SEGAhad announcedthat the DLC was coming some time during the winter of 2010, but we’re just now getting a confirmed date. With winter ending in March, SEGA sure is cutting it close. The DLC is titled “Challenges of they Edy Detachment” and features six new maps....

And sothe trademarkbecomes a game, and there was much rejoicing. The next issue ofGame Informerwill be revealingBulletstorm, which is being developed by Epic-owned (Gears of War) studio People Can Fly (Painkiller), and published by EA (Harry Potter). As if the name didn’t summarize it for you, the artwork on the cover should do the trick.Bulletstormis about shooting people and killing monsters. Next month’s issue of the mag will reveal all, but the tiny blurb in the post about the cover tells us that the game will be a shooter (duh) that focuses not just on capping fools in the head, but also on racking up awesome combos through a variety of different kill types....

Thirty ofViva Piñata 2‘s achievements have recentlybeen made public, and while I normally have no interest in posting achievement/trophy lists, this one is actually interesting. It reveals that the multicolored Rare sequel will have four player online co-op. You unlock the “Full House” achievement by playing a four person co-op session for an hour. If you can rope three of your friends into planting seeds for sixty minutes, then a glorious ten Gamer Points are yours....

Starting tomorrow,Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounteris getting a free weekend of multiplayer on Steam. From then through Sunday, you’ll be able to play co-op Survival and Campaign, deathmatch, and other modes in which you shoot dudes in the face. I couldn’tnotinclude a snippet from the press release: “This is total bullshit,” said Fork Parker, Chief Financial Officer at Devolver Digital. “How are we supposed to make any money by giving away our sweet multiplayer juice for free?...

Last weekwe argued over two early 3D adventure games of completely different genre backgrounds, and the decision was overwhelmingly in favor of story and artistic expression over action and excitement. Here are the results: Silent Hill‘s movie also got more praise in the comments than theTomb Raiderfilm, although there was a split debate over which series was currently progressing more smoothly, with slightly more support ofTomb Raider’srecent rebirth. This week we move on to a battle between two famous PlayStation sequels....

Last week‘s debate was a brawl between the twenty-five masters ofSuper Smash Bros. Melee.Some cast characters didn’t do nearly as well as others, but the race for the only trophy that matters was close. Who did we decide was the best fighter of them all? Here are the ones who received six or more votes: This week we travel way back to the days when some of the most popular PC games were the ones that came with the computer....

Upwards of 2,500 GameStops across the US will be absolutely out of control on Monday, January 25 thanks to combinedMass Effect 2/MAGmidnight launch events. With two high-profile games being sold on the same night, you can be sure fans of shooters and sci-fi will be out in full effect. There’s a big ol’ .pdf floating around GameStop’s Web site with a full list of the individual stores involved;get it here. We were told “some locations will give event-goers the chance to test their soldier skills with a tank building challenge, commando dress up contest, grenade launch, and other games of skill....

For some reason, GameStop has felt the need to announce that its stores will be holdingMadden NFL 10midnight launch events at more than 3,000 of its U.S. locations this Thursday, August 13. Uh, surprise? The retailer is promising “pre-game warm-up challenges” at the events, including playable Madden NFL 10 kiosks, “Ultimate Football Fan” contests, “Tailgate Party Challenges,” “End Zone Dance” contests, and in-store tournaments. That’s the plan at least. In all likelihood, it’ll be a bunch of hooligans standing in a long line for two hours, with maybe a few whining girlfriend scattered about for good measure....