2010 has come and gone. We’ve narrowly avoided drowning in the deep sea of game releases and now we’re here to tell you which games stood out among all the chaos. We polled our rag-tag group of writers on their top ten GOTY choices, then fed the results into a magical formula to decide what we collectively deem “the hottest of jams.”

The best of the best. The cream of the crop. Ten games to rule them all. Is the suspense killing you yet?

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On a very special ninety-fifth episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, we find our heroes facing off against the worst thing that could ever happen to the audio format: Sound Killers. Oh sure, they sound like a crappy heavy-metal band, but they are out to end all sound as we know it.

This week, the guys talk about a wide variety of games, including The Secret of Monkey Island, World of Warcraft, Donkey Kong Country Returns, VVVVVV, 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, Puzzle Agent, Sonic Colors, and Pac-Man CE DX.

We also discuss the news (meager as it is) and the new games coming out this week.

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"Retro Studios hits another one out of the park."

Metroid Prime really put Retro Studios on the map. After they wrapped up the series, “What will Retro do next?” became a hot topic of discussion. The revival of Rare’s 2D platforming series, Donkey Kong Country, was definitely not among my guesses.

Donkey Kong Country Returns may not look as wildly different from earlier titles in the series as Prime did to Metroid, but it’s still crammed full of new ideas. Rather than attempting to make a shinier version of what you’ve already played a decade and a half ago, Retro has used the SNES originals as the foundation for something greater.

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On a very special ninety-fourth episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, it’s all X-treme, all the X-time! From skulls smashing under the wheels of your hottest scooter to bungee-jumping from space, it’s all here!

This week, we talk about lots of games. Everything from obscure indie games to the latest hotness-ish. In the discussion are Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale, Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2, The Incident, Poker Night at the Inventory, and Donkey Kong Country Returns.

We also talk about the news and the new games coming out this week on the latest episode of the showcastpod, Barrel Roll!

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It’s that time of year. You know, the time when your wallet begs you for mercy? Yes, as the last quarter of 2010 comes, so does the deluge of new releases. But have no fear, WingDamage is here to help you remember which games are coming out for the Nintendo Wii. Let the insanity begin!

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“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

Back in the glory days, when companies would send out VHS tapes to promote their games, there was Donkey Kong Country. Rare took the series from its arcade roots and transformed it into a platformer, boasting revolutionary 3D graphics without the need for additional hardware.

The premise is simple. The Kremlings, a group of reptilian creatures, have stolen Donkey Kong’s giant banana hoard. With the help of his friend, Diddy, they must go through each stage, defeat a boss, and get more bananas back.

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On a very special seventieth episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, we talk all things E3.

As we mentioned last year, E3 talk is mandatory for every gaming blog. On that note, we bring reports from the field thanks to The Mega Man Network’s own Adam “Heat-Man” Anania being our eyes and ears of the con.

Check out his hands on impressions, then check out the podcast.

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E3 is one of those events where you’re really obligated to have a plan. There is so much to see and you only have twenty-one hours to see it. While this may seem like a lot of time, the most sought after exhibits will often have at least an hour’s wait.

Do you tackle those big attractions first, or do you go after the smaller games in hopes the lines will break off later? Do you go after the games you’re interested in first, or the games you know are major attractions? Do you eat the crappy, overpriced food at the event for lunch, or do you leave to get better food but take up more time?

Regardless of what you decide, any semblance of a plan tends to go out the window on the first day, when you finally arrive and just breathe in all that’s happening. On my first day, it was all about getting a feel for things and finding out where everything was. Aside from checking out the 3DS, which was one of the top things I wanted to do, I didn’t really try any games. The first day was also the shortest. But after I got my bearings, the second and third days became all about playing games.

Head past the break to read about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Videogame, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, and Donkey Kong Country Returns.

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