Hey folks, Weekly Wringer 38 is done but not currently loading on the site. This is what I get for using Roo's suggested settings... Just wanted to apologize for it's absence today. While I fix it, enjoy this picture of the Master chief using this Dachsund as an assault rifle. The new Wringer will be up as soon as I can get it there guys.

As some of you know, I do frequent the often disgusting, but always witty website of the folks at SomethingAwful.com since the good old days of 1999. I find the articles nowadays to be more hit than miss which means that I go there when I need a good laugh after an earthshatteringly bad day (like when no one comments on the Wringer). This has led to a few fond discoveries worthy of sharing with you all as the site definitely maintains a geek culture friendly environment. Perhaps some of you have seen the tabletop roleplaying featured WTF D&D?!? which is definitely giggle-worthy. In any case, I had to post this one as it's particularly pointed toward our normal course of conversation around videogames. It's a simple question folks. What would the names of some of our favorite games have been, if the developers had been a little more honest?

Just thought you all should be warned. If any of you are going to see this in the theater for any reason other to hurl insults or feces, then we might just disown you. Damn you George Lucas... Damn YOU!!! For reference material you should click here.

Remember when you held your first CD? Remember trying to figure out what kind of black magic was involved in reading and writing to that mystical piece of plastic with a sheet of metal in the middle? In thinking about this, a great scene from the original Austin Powers movie comes to mind in which Austin, in a moment of deep and poignant nostalgia for a time long past, attempts to play a CD on an old LP player. This of course produces a screeching cacophony, the result of a 30 year old needle passing over the smooth machined surface of a brand new Compact Disc. Austin hurriedly fumbles with the contraption, realizing the meaning behind significant metaphor he has just witnessed; that in the time he has been gone… things have changed.

Having just released our podcast dealing with videogame remakes, I thought it an appropriate time to bring up something that I’m simply embarrassed I didn’t mention in the category of “games I hope they never remake.” As we talked about in the podcast, there are plenty of games that we hope we never see again in any form because they were horrible pieces of trash, but we’re most concerned about the ones we’d love to see again. You see, it’s pretty easy to get lazy with a remake and royally screw things up; a kind of George Lucasing of sorts with the classics of our memories. And for the games we grew up with or love dearly, that’s just unacceptable. One such game that I think is overwhelmingly better left alone is one near and dear to my own heart, as I wrote my Master’s this with it as my subject; Beyond Good and Evil. Hopefully for all of you reading this, I don’t have to spend any time explaining why Michel Ancel’s cult classic game was so great in so many ways. For the rest of you however, a second chance is coming in 2011 in the form of an HD remix. Errr something like that. And I’m going to go ahead and admit it… I’m looking forward to it. 

Gamers we all have a “Go-To” don’t we? We’ve got a game or even a few of them that just always deliver if we need them. Thinking of buying a new game? Trying to give that 360 a little attention because it’s just been sitting there fore awhile? Well right around Christmas time every year, there are more than a few choices as we all know the holiday release cycle very well. But what if you don’t want to drop $60 on a new game? What if you’re not really feeling the games that are available? In my personal experience, this is when I go straight to the tried and true games that I’ve always loved to remind me why I love videogames. And it doesn’t hurt to relive some of those great gaming memories from the past that inspire a video series on your website. Maybe that’s just me…

 

So what’s my go-to? Well I’ve got lots of them actually. I’ve played games since I was a kid so there are always more than a few strolls down memory lane ready to go. I’ll always play some Heroes of Might and Magic, no matter what number it is (Although in terms of a go-to, 3 is money in the bank). I find myself going back to Diablo (the original) as well. Just something about that game and its carpel tunnel inducing click-fest that just gets me going. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is always there to relive some childhood fun. And the list goes on folks. But today I wanted to focus on a game that is still rock solid, still as much fun as it was the first time I picked it up, and still running as strong as ever with a huge community playing online constantly. I’m talking of course, about Counter Strike.