Despite the growing list of new games coming out each year, we all have our personal gaming favourites that we return to time and time again.

There are some some obvious reasons for returning to classic games, but the aspect of “gaming familiarity” is gaining momentum: as development teams are taking tested and successful gameplay elements and using them as a format to improve experiences in a brand new game.

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As the economy continues to dip as low as Hermes doing the limbo, once thriving businesses are forced to declare bankruptcy and even close up shop for good. And so it went for Gamecrazy and its parent company, Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery.

I am no economist. All the economic theory I know I picked up on the streets listening to the Wu Tang Clan, so I can’t tell you if the the Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery business model was destined to fail as we transition into the age of Netflix and digital downloads. However, I am a gamer and I can tell you the loss of Gamecrazy hurts us all.

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In a real life fight, some people will scratch, claw, bite, and pull hair in order to win. They will use whatever tools will give them an advantage, regardless of how unfair it might be. These are the type of people whose first move in combat will always be the kick to the groin. These are the type of people that always have an over-shield in Halo or an RCP 90 in Goldeneye.

To some, they are cheap bastards, to others they are simply taking advantage of what the game provides.

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"Old School"

As Ciandi has pointed out, online gaming has vast potential to connect us all in crazy new ways. Xbox Live, and to a lesser extent the Playstation Network have completely changed the gaming landscape. I have spent hours crushing guys from Germany in Burnout: Revenge. I have witnessed 8 strangers working together as one perfect unit to crush alien scum in Resistance 2.

So why am I defending something old and antiquated like split screen multiplayer? Click past the break, adventurous reader, to find out.

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“The World’s First Comic Book Rock Band”

Kirby Krackle is a collaborative project between indie rocker Kyle Stevens (former frontman and songwriter of Seattle based Laymans Terms) and Jim Demonakos (owner of The Comics Stop and head organizer of The Emerald City ComiCon). As you might imagine, comic books and video games have heavily inspired all the songs in this self-titled debut album from the pop-culture fueled pair.

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"Nice to EAT you!"

Just about every game has a weapon of some kind, most are interchangeable, some are entirely forgettable. However, there are some weapons that stand out, that people talk about long after the cartridge has gone into the closet and the disc is all scratched up. These are the weapons that transcend their utility to become works of art.

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