And another list.

• Edge published a small Robotron 2084 retrospective. Perhaps Eugene Jarvis’ finest game, it would go on to influence titles such as Smash TV (also by Jarvis), Gauntlet IV and more recent games like Dead Rising and Geometry Wars. Pure, crystal clear, no holds barred design, emergent gameplay before the term even existed. Worth a trip down memory lane.

• Actual footage of Heavy Rain (contains spoilers and nudity, watch it before it goes offline). There’s something there that both arouses one’s curiosity just as it repels it. Not in an Uncanny Valley way but in the excessive detail in some scenes and the lack of detail in others (to wit, dozens of interactions where Madison simulates everyday life but one small detail which leaves us to wonder that the future of videogames isn’t very higienic; worth checking out the final build to see if the devs noticed it).
• A japonese television show makes a big deal out of Chii, a dog in Okayama who “smiles” when her owner is around. Except closed eyes, trembling and a tail down are not a sign of happiness, they’re a sign of fear. (Un)fortunately, I’ve seen a lot of cruelty towards animals and generally I can notice the difference. When I look at Chii, my first reaction is not “how cute” but “that’s terrible”. How the hell can you not see through this?
• Puerto Rican doctors show happy spirits among Haiti’s desgrace. Too bad its at the expense of victims.
• Mirror’s Edge, possibly one of Electronic Arts’ surprise games in the last years, could have seen a Wii version. It’s interesting to think about it because Mirror’s Edge concept could have been broken down into something more primal, more instinctive – like it was on the Pure DLC. Polish away the unnecessary story, focus on color and remove a large part of the combat (or all of it) and what’s left are the finer aspects of the game. And if that were to happen, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be released on Nintendo’s console.
• If only Hitchcock was there.
• Lights, sound, trompe l’oeil.
• Once you see it you can’t un-see it.
• Endor’s psychotropic effects.
• Nathan Drake can’t handle the power of the pelvis.
• If pictures steal the soul, Nikon steals respect.
• The periodic table of controllers.
• No one’s found a cure for Aids yet. I wonder why?
• Hello KittyaaaaAAARGH!

Visualshock! Speedshock! Soundshock! Now is the time to the 68000 heart on fire!