On a cold and stormy night, the luxurious cruse ship, “Lady Crithania” is slowly making its way to her final stop. Currently, she is located off the coast of Humbleton, England. On this horrible night, the ship is being thrashed by what seems like god to the passengers on board. Large waves crash against the hull, and the ship feels like it could give out from stress. The date is September 13^th, 1921; the time is 7:11pm. This date will live in infamy, and this date will be known as the largest passenger shipwreck to date. There are reported to be roughly 2,300 passengers aboard the ship, and soon a night of ecstasy will turn into a night of chaos. No one is safe from the clutches of death, as both crew and passengers begin to panic. This is the story of the “Lady Crithania”; This is the story of S.O.S. 

In 1993 Genesis owners were given a surprising game that turned heads of Sega fans and critics. That game was Ecco The Dolphin. The game involved the player controlling Ecco as he transverses the ocean trying to locate clues to his missing pod. The game was beautiful and mesmerizing, and the game had a fantastic soundtrack as well. There was one thing that tripped up gamers was the unforgiving difficulty. However, although the game was hard, players continued to go back to the game. This series has a cult following, and to help commemorate the 20’th anniversary of the game I was able to get an interview with the game designer, Ed Annunziata!

You link into the circular room of K’veer; the fog of the void between the links slowly starts to vanish. You take a seat on a small shelf of rock for it has been some time since you last used a linking book. As you recover your strength you take a gander at the familiar room around you; the memories of when you first met Atrus are still fresh after all these years. Standing up, you slowly make your way to the desk were Atrus linked you to Riven You think back to the letter your received recently, and how quickly you need to track Yeesha down. The last thing you want is for Atrus to pass without seeing his daughter again. You find your way out of the chamber, and for the first time you are seeing more of K’veer than you have before. You wonder if you will be able to finally see the whole city of D’ni, or if your destiny lies elsewhere on the island. When you near the balcony that overlooks the D’ni Lake, your eyes quickly focus on a large and mysterious device. The device seems to have large ivory tusks that surround a central mechanism. The mechanism has four pedestals that are holding down a strange golden tablet. There is also a huge translucent bubble that surrounds the whole device.

Recently, I pointed our viewers to an in-production game titled (un)Lucky7. The game is a "horror, sci-fi themed, jRPG-view, story-driven, pixelart puzzle game" that is now running active campaigns on IndieGoGo and Steam Greenlight.

Blaze Sanecki, one of the men behind the Indie game studio Asylum Creatures, who is creating the game, gratefully answered a few questions we had about the upcoming furry-themed title.

Continuing the countdown, here are games 5 to 1! Read Part 1 here.

5: Tekken Tag Tournament 2

NamcoBandai out did themselves hardcore with this release.  After getting the prologue with Tekken Hybrid, I was quite excited after testing the game.  With stunning stages, a more refined juggling system, every character in the franchise owned by Namco, superb netcode, and the most robust and outstanding customization system out right now, this is a game that I'd highly recommend.

4: Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

This game is ultimate fanservice for VF fans and Sega Babies in general. Having the most technical system out for 3D fighting games this generation and being a vast improvement from the PS3 Launch version of VF5, this game is phenomenal in every aspect of the word.  It has great customization despite not matching the content that Tag 2 has to offer. Also, the game has phenomenal AI for veterans of the franchise.

3: Super Street Fighter 4

Yes, Super Street Fighter 4 is on this list DESPITE my misgivings on the game now. Street Fighter 4 was the jolt needed to bring the fighting genre back to life.  It was welcome and well needed.  What wasn't needed was the retarded rehashing that could have been done with strict DLC. That being said, I can't just ignore what Super 4 has brought to the table: Better online modes, better online net code, drastic move changes, brand new moves which changed the meta game, legit balancing and brand new characters.  This is still a good game... And I'm not recommending it.

2: The King of Fighters XIII

After that huge faceplant known as The King of Fighters XII, SNK wised up, listened to their fans, and created one of the most dynamic and technical 2D fighters this generation. Learning that simplification is not what the franchise want, needs, or is founded on, SNK has reworked the game from 12 to add the easy to understand and hard to master Hyperdrive Gauge. Many have had issue with the condensed roster as compared to KOF 98 Ultimate Match and KOF 02: Unlimited but that's due to brand new hand drawn sprites and not tweaking decade old sprites. Still a must have for the KOF enthusiast and fighting gamer with a knack for execution.

1: Mortal Kombat (2011)

You know... this should come as no surprise. But it did to me. And I have been with the franchise since MK1 back when I was a kid and banned from touch it in arcades and owning a cart at home.  The fact of the matter is that this game blew minds. It wasn't for the gore factor that everyone expected. It wasn't for the fact that even JAPAN accepted and played it. It wasn't even for the awesome story mode and replayability in the form of the challenge tower and various minigames.  It was the fact that a franchise that had been written off for dead from their last outing (MK vs DC... ooh boy that's a story for another list) had rejuvenated itself going to what the people and fans of the game want.  For this, Ed Boon and company at Netherrealm get the honor of creating my most fave fighter of this gen.

Now if only Injustice will be this good...

     The future seems bright for Catherine and Atrus as well as the D’ni civilization. You were successful in re-obtaining the age of Releeshahn from Saavedro, while sending him back to the ones he thought dead in his home age of Narayan. After returning home from Tomahna, life went back to normal. To help break up the normality of life, you made sure to make weekly visits to Tomahna. Each week, you would spend time watching young Yeesha grow up in the loving care of Atrus and Catherine. However, as the weeks went on, you could tell something was troubling Catherine. Any time you would try to talk to Atrus about it, he would just pass it off as just being a cautious parent. It was still obvious that the pain from Sirrus and Achenar was still there, and at times you wonder if it would ever go away. And then something happened.

Welcome to the first ever Gaming Furever Alpha Game Awards, the AGAs! We will be doing these every year for as long as we exist (which is hopefully a very long time!) They are a listing of our favorite video games of the year for every platform. In the future, we'll include more categories as we broaden our gaming horizons, but the categories we have this year are best of: Furry, PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii/Wii U, PC, Handhelds, and Multiplatform.

The winners were chosen by a surveying of our GF staffers. They are listed in no particular order, and then an "Alpha" game is chosen between all of them based on number of votes.

Without further ado, your winners!

    As 2012 draws to a close it's time once again to take a look at all the amazing (and some terrible) games that have been released this year! Below are my nominees and picks for best (and a few worst) games of the of 2012! It has been a good year for great games indeed from the high budget triple A retail market, to the little guys in the indie circuit who can make an amazing game all by themselves. With so many great titles that have hit just about every platform these were not easy choices to make. I'd go so far as to say I had to split a few hairs just to narrow the nominees down and select a single winner. Even if a nominee doesn’t win it's still certainly a game worth much praise and attention! After all I wouldn't even nominate them if they weren't. To give some perspective these choices are based solely on my opinion and by no means do I claim to speak for anyone and everyone. Without further introduction let's get right into it shall we?

The question of ethics in video games is one that we think has been resolved by companies such as Bioware and their 'morality engines' in game. However, this is only an illusion.

The strength, and the difficulty, of ethics is the nature of context. For example, if you follow non-objective ethics and instead treat ethics as moral commandments (an edict that is given to you by a holy authority, which is therefore absolute), you end up with Immanuel Kant's Case Of The Inquiring Murderer:

Immanuel Kant was a big old absolutist (and the biggest fraud in the history of philosophy), he eschewed the application of rational thought in ethics and instead favored absolutist edicts, which were backed up by his definition of the Categorical Imperative... a piece of fallacious nonsense that he essentially defined as "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law." Can you see the problem with the Categorical Imperative? Well, for starters, it's a perfect case of context dropping: it eschews all ethical considerations of particular context and instead demands blind obedience to 'the universal law' that must be reflected in your actions.

Confusing? Don't worry, we're going to clear that baby up right now by discussing the Inquiring Murderer:

You know, the fighting genre has been near and dear to me for years. It’s a wonderful stress reliever and a phenomenal way to work on reflexes, aside from Ninja Gaiden of course. I personally have taken it to making it a life passion, don’t judge me. So here I present the top 10 Fighters this Gen. The criteria must be that I personally have played it, enjoyed it, game mechanics, replay value, and that it was released on PS3, 360, or Wii. Re-releases also count on the quality of the port.

10: Sega’s Model 2 Collection

Released November 27^th of 2012, Sega surprised everyone with the perfect Arcade ports of Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, and the mythical Sonic the Fighters, known to the masses as the Model 2 Collection, named after the Arcade board the games were running on. The games all run and 60fps and are smooth in button inputs and in animation. The hit detection and move priority can get pretty wonky in Fighting Vipers and StF but still offer nothing but fun. The online for all 3 are fantastic since they are using the same netcode and interface as another game to appear on this list. Would I recommend the collection? Only to those who have experienced them in the past. If you missed out, then you won’t understand its charm.

9: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

Now allow me to be 100% clear on this one, TvC is better than Marvel vs. Capcom 3. So much so that Marvel 3 is NOT making this list. Let us compare since the 2 were both overseen by Ryota Niitsuma and are similar in design. The button layout is simplified, even more so than Marvel 2 who had the button layout shortened by making the short and medium attacks to the same button. TvC however was more technical with a robust system. TvC has the ability to stop long and damaging combos at the cost of super meter (Mega Crash), extend combos at the cost of recovering life (Baroque), and tagging in mid air at the cost of super meter (Variable Air Raid). The point being made here is that everything comes with a cost to emphasize on skill while balancing accessibility. In comparison, you have MvC3/UMvC3, which has all these mechanics for no risk and High Reward. Team Aerial Combo? Guess wrong look at the opponent build excessive amounts of super meter and activate a glitch for maximum damage. Hit Stun Deterioration? Means nothing when almost any character can kill you upon a single touch. X-Factor? Surely you mean the, “Wait until down to one character to sweep the day power up”. That being said my friends; TvC has better mechanics, a more interesting character roster, and sweet music. I wholly recommend this game to those who want a good experience of the new generation of vs. series instead of playing a hackneyed remain of one.

8: BlazBlue Continuum Shift

The spiritual successor to Guilty Gear (which needs to hurry up and get on PSN ArcSys, HURRY UP) had an explosive launch in Calamity Trigger. The visuals were stunning, the characters were likable, the mechanics where solid and the hook of the game (the drive button) was difficult to master. One year later, we get Continuum Shift. This expansion was a welcome one. It offered added characters, added moves, added more story to what Calamity Trigger established, but kept the core game as it is. The game was phenomenal and with Daisuke Ishiwatari as the magical maestro that he is at the reigns of the soundtrack it is pure bliss to the ears. This game was the pinnacle of the new IP before the core gameplay was crippled in CS2 and more so in Extend. When ArcSys stopped making sweeps as hard knockdowns and wall bounces as freaking WALL BOUNCES, the franchise kinda died. Hopefully Chrono Phantasma, the upcoming BlazBlue update, can fix this.

7: Neo Geo Battle Coliseum HD

This 360 Exclusive made me squeal with glee since this SNK masterpiece is one of my favorite fighting games of all time. The graphical touchups, added stages, and removal of the arcade mode’s survival style progression were welcome in this truly phenomenal port. The roster is a diverse selection of characters around the SNK universe some you recognize like Kyo, Iori, Terry, and Rock Howard. There are also other characters from games most don’t remember like Washizuka from Last Blade, Cyber Woo from King of the Monsters, and Kisarah Westfield from Aggressors of Dark Kombat. Add to it pretty solid netcode, and you have a great game to download from XBLA.

6: Skullgirls

Skullgirls is one of those games that was tightly followed by the fighting game community despite it being classified as a “doujin” fighter. A doujin fighter is pretty much an indie game. The game is actually quite surprising in terms of mechanics. Despite the fact that the roster is very lacking, the story mode and tutorial is pretty solid giving you more time to explore the very nicely fleshed out characters. Another thing that needs noting is the create your own assist. And with the new patch out, the $15 price tag is generous. Compared to BlazBlue anyway…

The Internet has dramatically changed the worlds of economics, finance, and work. Gamers are responsible for many of those changes, and everybody is a gamer now.  But this isn’t just a passive change. Gamers have real power. You have a voice that can no longer be ignored. It’s time to use your voice and make some changes.

QUEST FOR GLORY RETROSPECTIVE: Heroic Legacy

by Maus Merryjest, a.k.a the Hero of The Meeps

“Let me tell you about the time that first I became a hero. 

There was this quaint mountain village besieged by monsters and brigands, haunted by an evil hag and the disappearance of the heirs to the crown. Its ruling Baron had become a recluse in despair and danger was coming from every imaginable corner.  

Was I nervous? You bet your exquisitely-cured all-weather adventuring boots I was!  There I was, fresh from the Famous Adventurers' Correspondence School with nothing but a stylish cape and a threepenny sword and —I must admit it, a dashing smile. I thought I was biting off more than I could ever chew, little did I know that I would go on to become the hero of many lands and eventually... but I am getting ahead of myself here! How does this go? Ah, yes...

Once upon a time, there was a little town called Spielburg…”

Happy Halloween! It's that time of year when we celebrate ghost stories, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. A time when we celebrate the simple fun of being afraid and there's no better way than immersing yourself in a bone chilling video game to set the right mood and enjoy a good fright! I decided to put together a simple list of some of my most favorite games that surely give me a good scare. Even if they may not have the same effect on you folks these games are still a worth while experience for anyone wanting to get into the spirit of the Halloween season. This list is in no particular order so this is not a countdown from best to worst. These are all just great games that you can't go wrong with no matter what you pick! 

Ten weeks have passed since you returned home from Riven, and you are still unsure how you got home in the first place. The last thing you remember was Atrus linking into Riven as the Star Fissure was reopened. As the world fell around you, Atrus was happy that Catherine was rescued and Gehn was trapped. Catherine linked back to D’ni, and soon Atrus did the same. All you saw was the two leaving you behind; The linking book falling into the void of stars. You tried to catch the book, but you end up falling into the fissure as well. You look up at the entrance to the Fissure, and as the Fifth Age disappears before you, the stars seem familiar. You soon realized that you are back home on the hill that you discovered the linking book to Myst. The weeks soon rolled by as you got back to your normal life; surprised that the month you spend in the world of Myst and Riven only lasted maybe only an hour or two in your time.

Out from the winter age of Rhyme, you shake off the snow that has collected on your body. As the white fluff falls to the wooden floor of the library on Myst, your eyes catch something in their peripheral vision, a note. The note is laying next to the book linking back to D’ni. You pick up the note and glance at its contents, and you soon know that the time has come. Without wasting a second, you open the thick tome and place your palm on the viewer. That strange tingling sensation once again shoots through your body as the haze and darkness of the link spring to life, sucking you in. When the haze clears, you are in the main chamber in the D’ni Ruins. You still wonder what caused the civilization to fall, but Atrus hasn’t told you much of it.