Roderick

I already touched on the topic of a sequel or spin-off of Psychonauts in my detailed review on Captain August. Elmuerte, Psychonauts-themed basically means that it has anything to do with Psychonauts. Not simply one of the mind's themes.

I think it's safe to say it isn't Psychonauts 2. I dare venture to postulate it won't even be Psychonauts-themed.

The style really comes out here! It looks superb and humorous. Also, it'd be funny if they'd really put the Wilhelm scream in there as a soundbyte.

Great last line, that. It is awesome and it is new.

The Blizzard manuals are a classic example, though with recent releases (ever since Warcraft III) they've been skimping out on them. They've gone down in size and seem less involved, though still full of stories and background info that enhances your involvement in the game. But really, I've always read the manual. Started back when I started buying games, and reading the manual was a great and exciting way to prepare myself for the game late in the evening when I wasn't going to play or during the car ride back home. I understand that people need to be condescending about it in order to feel superior, but I love games for their sometimes elaborate backgrounds and characters, and that means I love the manuals. But hey, that's a narratologist speaking.

I once played a Star Trek board game that had a videotape where an evil KLINGON addressed you mockingly. It was localized in DUTCH. I agree that Monopoly is not just incredibly long-winded, but also very frustrating and un-fun if you're at not at the winning end. Good games should make everyone involved feel good and in the race.

On the rom I used for emergency previewing, I couldn't get passed the marching (toy?) soldiers. Maybe it was the keyboard, but I couldn't stay in rhythm.

I saved that baby when it first appeared! You can't buy leverage like that.

I want that one too, but it's sadly out of the shops. I'll have to make do with the little unmasked Vader with the grey head that's been standing beside my monitor since day one.

Yeah, but I'm a hack.

Haha! You grossly underestimate the tightness of deadlines

Oh, I think it's pretty neat that I get to preview the game, it's just that we have to do it with ROM's, which then is pretty Maybe it's the keyboard control where there should be Gameboy buttons, but this is hard as nails. I can barely get passed the third mini-game where a drill sergeant shouts Japanese orders which we have to meticulously recreate.

Heh, I just heard from my editor that this is my preview for the upcoming [N]Gamer. Better start downloading that ROM then

I plan on going to San Francisco once and arrange some sort of tour of Double Fine. That'd be neat. So maybe I'll shake hands with Tim too one day! Ah, dreams.

I know, I'm just a petty reactionary to the apparent love for the character while I think he's a characterless dolt.

A dream deal; the main character of your movie being a faceless, characterless robot

I do write some things and I do get a certain amount of money for said writing, but I don't consider this status just yet. I am a full-fledged freelance journalist though. Damn straight. [N]Gamer, Netherlands' prime Nintendo mag!

Black Books, which was the IT-crowd's predecessor somewhat. Bill Bailey is magnificent!

Difficult to say, because they do look so alike. I can only reiterate that I enjoyed the first one better, not because it's the same but because it had a better story and a more cohesive world. Of course, the surprise of genuine smart comedy in a Mario game will be attached to Partners in Time for you, so there's no telling.

I thought it was extremely repetitive. Not necessarily boring, but halfway through it just got very samey. The thing is, it never could step out of the shadow of its superb predecessor on the GBA. That game had a lot more charm and, more importantly, a more cohesive gaming world and plot. Partners in Time was one big stage comedy with characters running randomly in and out of timeportals. It didn't have any sort of reasoning behind it and for me it killed the game. I think what also played along was that it was precisely the same as Superstar Saga, and that got boring. I had had enough of that sort of humou and gameplay out of that game, and Partners in Time didn't manage to offer anything better. (also, the specials system was broken, I just always used the chain chomp ability on every boss. I managed to finish the endboss in the first go, but it was horrifyingly overdone with three different mutations. This was basically just a war of atrittion.) In conclusion, the production values were great, but the game itself was not very interesting and mediocre, especially because of the comparison to the first one.

Now that you mention it, that name didn't make any sense. I agree with what marek says. Sequels are to the consumer always a sign that there must have been some merit to game to warrant a sequel and thus it's worth picking up. It's true.

Wait, wait, I thought we had already decided on the future-proof opinion on the ways articles are written that 'they're all good, valid and necessary'? Every now and then some self-righteous schmuck will read a few too many of this or that kind of review, whips himself up into a frenzy and starts writing a leaflet propagandizing the reverse. So what, if they don't want to see things on a larger scale, let them, but I thought we had already passed this discussion.

Wasn't that actually more like, three generations ago? But I get your point, you're trying to be provokingly ironic.

I guess it's a "bag" which is "mixed".

Didn't Isreal just 'accidentally' bomb a UN building? I also saw footage of Libanese hordes storming western embassies and massive bombardments of towns. Israel is being a dick.