The Game Soup

17 minutes of Miiverse reactions to Rayman Legends’ delay

Jesus. Ubisoft has delayed formerly Wii U-exclusive Rayman Legends by seven months to allow for a multiplatform release in September 2013, leaving Nintendo fans pretty bitter about the whole thing, to say the least.

Why isn’t Rayman Legends being released on the Wii U this month while those ports are in development? That’s the big question hoping to be answered later today by Ubisoft PR. Let’s see if it happens.

God of War: Ascension is 2013’s first big Super Bowl game ad

Super Bowl weekend always gets me pumped. Not because I care about the teams or the Big Game (I don’t, though I’m calling 49ers in OT), but for the biggest ads of the year. Specifically, million-dollar game ads like Sony’s God of War: Ascension Super Bowl spot.

I’m not sure this one “hits me in the feels” like it should, considering how weirdly inhuman Kratos looks (even in his human form), and I half-expected the music to smash into an insane dubstep drop as Kratos starts mowing down hundreds of dudes. Glad it doesn’t.

Which other publishers will shell out the cash to promote their wares during SB XLVII? EA for Dead Space 3? 2K for BioShock Infinite? Will Activision place its Replacer spot (hilariously starring Peter Stormare) to promote a “mere” Black Ops II expansion pack? Let’s find out together Sunday night.

The Best Everything of 2012

Every year, I rank all the crap that I’ve consumed into neat, ordered lists. Here they are for 2012.

Top 20 Tracks of 2012:

1. Tame Impala - “Apocalypse Dreams”

Every happy feeling you’ve ever had is encapsulated in the first 34 seconds of this song.
 

2. Bonobo - “Eyesdown (Machinedrum Remix)”

Machinedrum’s best production yet, and an incredible reworking of an already perfect track.
 

3. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - “Tapes & Money”

I can’t count how many times I’ve nearly broken my neck dancing to this in the shower. Arguably the best track on an album containing no less than eight anthems.
 

4. Kendrick Lamar - “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

The best hip-hop track of the year on the best hip-hop album of the year.

I played this to a crowd in Baton Rouge two weeks ago and they acted like they’d never heard it before, because they probably hadn’t, despite it being one of the most popular songs in the world right now.

It’s good to be back in Austin.
 

5. Grimes - “Oblivion (Baardsen Remix)”

Grimes just didn’t do it for me this year, and nobody’s even heard of Baardsen, but goddamn, do they pair up nicely.
 

6. Hot Chip - “Flutes”

So good. And I never thought I’d say this, but the Sasha remix absolutely kills it.
 

7. Big Sean, Jay-Z and Kanye West - “Clique”

Hit-Boy proves himself as one of 2012’s best producers. It’s about 6 BPM too slow in my opinion, but I fixed that in my newest mix.
 

8. Grizzly Bear - “What’s Wrong”

Grizzly Bear + strings = goosebumps.
 

9. Foals - “Inhaler”

If the rest of their upcoming album sounds like this, I cannot wait. Foals at the top of their game.
 

10. Total Science & S.P.Y. feat. Riya and DāM-FunK - “Piano Funk”

The ultimate summer drum & bass roller from the dream team of Total Science, S.P.Y, DāM-FunK, and Riya on vocals. Impossible not to smile when this comes on.

11. Ty Segall Band - “I Bought My Eyes”

If you ever have trouble getting out of bed, play this.
 

12. Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch - “Sweet Nothing (Diplo and Grandtheft Remix)”

Trap music (AKA the instrumental version of southern rap from 15 years ago) blew up in 2012, and Diplo did his part to push the genre forward with this remix. I also love the original, cheesy as it is.
 

13. Kendrick Lamar - “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”

For whatever reason, Lady Gaga was featured on the original version of this track. I guess she saw the title and realized what she was doing.
 

14. Jessie Ware - “Running (Disclosure Remix)”

Jessie Ware and Disclosure both had a huge 2012. Them working together was one of the best things to happen to dance music last year.
 

15. Flying Lotus - “The Nightcaller”

One of the few times you can really nod your head on FlyLo’s newest album. The crazy second act sounds like something straight out of Earthbound on SNES.
 

16. Bo Saris - “She’s On Fire (Calibre Remix)”

Every so often, Calibre reminds us why he’s still the king. He gave us a stunning remix of TEED’s “Garden” last year, and now this. Pure aural sex.
 

17. TNGHT (Hudson Mohawke & Lunice) - “Higher Ground”

If HudMo had released the insane “Chimes” last year, it’d be on the list. This will do nicely in its place.
 

18. Tame Impala - “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”

It took a few listens, but this track slowly morphed from goofy hippie bullshit into one of the year’s best tracks for me. I can’t feel my face, mannnnn.
 

19. Fake Blood - “All in the Blink”

A glittering gem of piano stabs and pure happiness on an otherwise massive letdown of an album.
 

20. Matthew Dear - “Her Fantasy”

The biggest buildup since “Dance Yrself Clean.” This is how you kick off one of the year’s best albums. Speaking of which…

Top 10 Albums of 2012:

1. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble
2. Tame Impala - Lonerism
3. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
4. Grizzly Bear - Shields
5. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
6. Matthew Dear - Beams
7. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
8. Lone - Galaxy Garden
9. St. Vincent and David Byrne - Love This Giant
10. Kab Driver - Kab Driver

Lonerism seems to be the popular choice for #1, but Trouble had me bouncing in my chair/shower/car more than any other album in 2012.

Kendrick Lamar smashed it, Grizzly Bear gave us another hauntingly beautiful LP, and although last year was Flying Lotus’s weakest yet, Until the Quiet Comes still deserves to stay on repeat for a few days. The rest were good enough to stand out in a year of very few great albums, but plenty of great songs.

Moving onto games…

Top 10 Games of 2012 (That I Played):

1. Dishonored [Xbox 360]
2. The Walking Dead [Xbox 360]
3. Dust: An Elesian Tail [XBLA]
4. Journey [PSN]
5. Mass Effect 3 [Xbox 360]
6. Hotline Miami [PC]
7. Diablo III [Mac]
8. Assassin’s Creed 3 [Xbox 360]
9. Punch Quest [iOS]
10. McPixel [iOS]

It was a tough choice between Dishonored and The Walking Dead for Game of the Year, but I just couldn’t get enough of that classic Thief feeling that Dishonored delivered so well. Yes, Dust: An Elesian Tail is really my pick for #3. Own it, play it, love it.

I realized while compiling this list that I didn’t play many games this year, which led to a sort of half-assed pick for #10. McPixel made me laugh harder than any other game this year, so it probably deserves a spot.

And now, the Top 10 Games I Should’ve Played But Haven’t (Yet) of 2012:

Top 10 Games I Didn’t Play:

XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Far Cry 3
Mark of the Ninja
Borderlands 2
Fez
Xenoblade Chronicles
Spelunky
Torchlight II
Sleeping Dogs
Darksiders II

And finally… 

Top 5 Movies of 2012:

1. Looper

JGL and Bruce Willis in a time-travel thriller with no discernable plot holes and one of the scariest non-horror scenes in recent history? Yes, please.

2. Cabin in the Woods

If you didn’t love the HELL out of this movie, something’s really wrong with you. 

3. Moonrise Kingdom

Pretty much just more of Wes Anderson doing his thing. Works for me.

4. Killer Joe

Matthew McConaughey gives the performance of his career portraying a dirty cop who moonlights as a soulless hitman in this NC-17 sleazefest directed by William “Exorcist” Friedkin. Needless to say, Killer Joe isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether to laugh or vomit a bit in your own mouth as the plot unfolds, but man, what a ride.

5. The American Scream

Against impossible odds, this made-for-TV documentary about amateur haunted houses ended up in my top 3 films of Fantastic Fest 2012, and in my Top 5 of the year. Catch it while it’s on Netflix!

New mix: Wolftrap (trap music/NSFW)

Behold, y’all: my first DJ mix of the new year. This one’s all trap/dirty south remixes, recorded live from my set with Werewolf at The Varsity Theatre a couple of weeks ago, plus some extra goodies.

NSFW vocals, so don’t blast this one on your work laptop speakers. Tracklist below.

01. The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up (Major Lazer Remix)
02. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (RL Grime Remix)
03. gLAdiator & Chromatic - GameCube Nintendo
04. Mike Jones feat. Slim Thug and Paul Wall - Still Tippin’
05. Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - Mercy (RL Grime & Salva Remix + Acapella)
06. Nicki Minaj - Beez in the Trap (Filthy Disco Remix)
07. Bassnectar feat. Lupe Fiasco - Vava Voom (Original Mix)
08. Bassnectar feat. Lupe Fiasco - Vava Voom (Bassnectar Trap Remix)
09. Yung Joc - It’s Goin’ Down (Milo & Otis Remix + Acapella)
10. Flosstradamus - Hood Fantasy
11. Lil Wayne feat. Big Sean - My Homies Still (Edit)
12. Baauer - Dum Dum + Ludacris - Move Bitch (Acapella) 
13. Lil Jon - Snap Yo Fingers (Candyland’s OG Remix)
14. Big Sean, Jay-Z and Kanye West - Clique
15. Calvin Harris feat. Dillon Francis & Dizzee Rascal - Here 2 China
16. Outkast - SpottieOttieTrapaLiscious (HugLife Remix)

Skrillex Quest sucks far less than its source material

That source material being Skrillex, not classic NES games.

I’m no Skrillex fan, though I am a big fan of advergame developer Jason Oda, creator of the incredible Perfect Strangers game earlier this year.

His newest, Skrillex Quest, blends 8-bit Zelda with some of the more listenable Skrillex tracks to create a highly-stylized addition to his already great portfolio. Can’t wait to see what he puts out next, no matter the client.

Fantastic Fest 2012 Wrap-up

Having watched 18 films in the past week at the Alamo Drafthouse for Fantastic Fest 2012, I’m finally sober enough to type up my wrap-up report. Here’s a brief review of each film in the order that I watched them:

Black Out (Netherlands, dir. Arne Toonen) - Arne Toonen is the Dutch Guy Ritchie. Black Out was the most “fun” screening of the fest, even though I’d seen every idea this one had to offer in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch already. Score: A-

Cold Blooded (Canada, dir. Jason Lapeyre) - Rookie cop gets her hand cut off and tracks down a crime boss in an isolated hospital wing for an hour and a half. I fell asleep. Score: C-

Here Comes the Devil (Mexico, dir. Adrian Garcia Bogliano) - After it swept the Horror category at the Fantastic Awards, I couldn’t wait to see this supernatural thriller about two kids who enter a cave and bring home something evil with them. Unfortunately it ran 30 minutes too long and the payoff couldn’t make up for shoddy camerawork and plodding story. Score: C 

Outrage Beyond (Japan, dir. Takeshi Kitano) - It’s Beat Takeshi shooting up a bunch of Yakuza for 2 hours. What else do you want? Score: B+

Bring Me the Head of Machine Gun Woman (Chile, dir. Ernesto Diaz Espinosa) - A video game-loving DJ is forced to track down a smoking hot bounty hunter known as The Machine Gun Woman, turning his mundane life into a real-life game of Grand Theft Auto. Tons of fun, and my God, the girl who plays Machine Gun Woman was impossibly hotter in person. Score: B-

No Rest for the Wicked (Spain, dir. Enrique Erbizu) - An overlong tale of a real piece-of-shit dirty cop tracking down the last witness of one of his late-night, rum-fueled rampages. I couldn’t stay interested. Maybe the forthcoming Stallone remake will fare better. Score: C-



Vanishing Waves (Lithuania, dir. Kristina Buozyte) - Woah. This one stuck with me several days after seeing it, despite its often annoying pacing. A neurological scientist volunteers for an experiment that allows him to interact with a coma victim and gets…  unexpected results. Original, erotic, and haunting. Score: B 

Come Out and Play (Mexico, dir. Makinov) - Essentially Children of the Corn on a tropical island, where the kids have all gone crazy and kill every adult they find. Not as enjoyable as 2008’s The Children, but still delivers some great kid deaths. Score: C

Crave (USA, dir. Charles de Lauzirika) - A down-and-out freelance crime scene photographer decides to turn his delusional fantasies into reality with violent and often tragic results. This one felt about 20 minutes too long, but the constant fourth wall-breaking scenes and fun performances from Ron Perlman and Edward Furlong kept me interested. Score: C+

I Declare War (Canada, dir. Jason Lapeyre) - A light-hearted mix of Battle Royale and Lord of the Flies in which we watch an afternoon game of “war” through the eyes of children, complete with imaginary rocket launchers and the type of swearing you’d expect from a bunch of kids playing Call of Duty in their heads. This deservedly won this year’s Fantastic Fest Audience Award. Score: A-

Vegetarian Cannibal (Croatia, dir. Branko Schmidt) - A hard-to-watch story of a corrupt gynecologist who performs illegal abortions for the mob. Grossed me out more than any other film at the fest, which speaks volumes. Score: C

Doomsday Book (South Korea, dir. Kim Jee-Woon, Yim Pil-Sung) - A wacky three-part film co-written/directed by Kim Jee-Woon of A Tale of Two Sisters and I Saw the Devil fame, featuring Korean zombies, Buddhist robots, and giant 8-ball meteors from space. I think it worked better on paper. Score: C+

The American Scream (USA, dir. Michael Paul Stephenson) - I never thought a made-for-TV documentary about amateur haunted houses would land in my top 3 films of the fest, but The American Scream delivered on every front. Heartwarming, hilarious, and inspiring. Co-produced by the Alamo Drafthouse’s own Zack Carlson! Score: A

Holy Motors (France, dir. Leos Carax) - Depending on who you asked, Holy Motors was either one of the year’s best films, or two hours of French absurdist nonsense. I’m in the latter camp, though I appreciate the variety and beauty that Carax managed to cram into the film. There’s one scene involving accordions that had me grinning ear-to-ear. Score: B- 

Lee’s Adventure (China, dir. Frant Gwo) - A ridiculous time travel love story starring Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee that’s half live-action, half hand-drawn animation, and all too goofy to take seriously. Score: D+

Antiviral (Canada, dir. Brandon Cronenberg) - The debut feature from David Cronenberg’s son Brandon sure does the family name proud. In the future, obsessed superfans pay top dollar for injections of their favorite celebrities’ illnesses. When one of those celebs suddenly dies, everything goes horribly wrong. I’m not a fan of syringes, and this one had two scenes involving needles that made me squirm out of my seat. Score: B

Dredd 3D (USA, dir. Pete Travis) - I missed the Fantastic Fest screening but caught it this weekend, so, fair game. Atrocious dialogue and ham-fisted acting were more than made up for by gorgeous slow-mo visuals, buckets of gore, and Lena Headey. Turn off your brain and let the waves of blood wash over you. Score: B-

Looper (USA, dir. Rian Johnson) - The best sci-fi offering at this year’s fest, and my favorite film of 2012 so far. Bruce Willis and JGL at the top of their game in a time travel thriller with (amazingly) no discernable plot holes! Can’t wait to see it again. Score: A+

Super Hexagon. Dear God.

How game creator Terry Cavanagh plays Super Hexagon:

How I feel when I try to play Super Hexagon:

Fantastic Arcade 2012 begins

Fantastic Fest is my favorite event of the year, in the world. The insanely badass, celebrity-studded, gore-filled 8-day genre film and its video game counterpart Fantastic Arcade both kick off today in Austin. If you’re in Texas, don’t miss it. Fantastic Arcade is free and open to the public this year.

Tons of indie games are on display alongside their developers, including The Banner Saga, McPixel, Super Hexagon, Baribariball, FTL, Super TIME Force (!!!), PID, and Hotline Miami. Go play ‘em.

This week’s Fantastic Arcade events include talks from Valve, SCEA, Phil Fish, Adobe, Terry Cavanagh, and more. Highlights:
 

• The Banner Saga Developer Commentary

• Austin Wintory Games Music Panel

• God of Blades Panel

• PlayStation Loves Indies: The Promise of Self-Publishing

• Steam, Greenlight and you

• Super Hexagon Developer Commentary

  … and of course, all the Fantastic Arcade Happy Hours and Tournaments every night at 5:00-7:00