I don't mind telling you all that I have yet to grow tired of zombies in videogames. To me, they, along with aliens/monster aliens, are the most perfect enemy type. There have been tons of videos and write-ups on the subject of exactly why, but putting it bluntly: They're familiar, yet unfamiliar. They're obviously human, but at the same time obviously not. Lastly, they're already dead, so where's the harm in "killing" them again?

They're perfect fodder. And in Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army, this is exploited fairly well. Specifically, near the beginning of level 2.

A little before you hit a long alleyway, you'll likely notice, beyond the shattered remains of what used to be lovely walls and windows of a German building, a horde of undead minding their own undead business. One could assume they're only there for visual dressing as you don't immediately see a way to get down there and shooting them merely kills them without drawing their attention. And there's literally dozens of them.

So, rather than waste more ammo, you continue.

And then you drop into a checkpoint. A zombie screams as he falls from atop the left side building and soon after a few kamikaze zombies run your way, for the most part, it's easy-going prone sniping of zombie brains, jaws, chests, necks and vitals. All those zombies you saw just a minute ago are now a threat and at least part of you feels stupid for not taking care of them sooner.



Let's not question whether or not shooting a zombie's "vitals" are important, because it looks fucking awesome. That's what's really important.

The lighting in this section of the game is nothing short of exquisite, with the non-too-perfect draw distance fog actually only making each instance of one zombie or more shifting through into your view all the more cool. The occasional stray kamikaze zombie also helps out with an exciting explosion here or there.

These 6 or so minutes, along with the ending bit I, unfortunately, lost from a computer freeze, was one of my favorite moments of my gaming career. I mean, I fucking love zombies. Patiently mowing each one down with frequent slo-mo killcams was strangely calming, taking down that last one with a kick and a headshot, panicking from this huge one that came out of nowhere (not shown).. shaking uncontrollably with each shot I took at him, knowing that each one I missed meant precious seconds lost. It was only a matter of time before he'd get close enough to unload on me once again, likely killing me. As enjoyable as this all was, I didn't wanna do it again.

He took at least 10 headshots and a trip mine, but I got him.

Boy, was it awesome.

I try. Everytime, I try. I just can't.

It's a serious problem as a gamer, to not be able to goddamn finish even the games that impress enough to make me WANT to continue playing them whilst my will just isn't there. No matter how much my heart tells me to continue, my brain tells me to move on. My brain tells me I've had enough.

The best I can do just won't cut it any longer. It's a never-ending Hell. My backlog just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and I'm not doing it any favors by purchasing the latest Nintendo console or finally adopting the dreaded scum of the industry's DRM market software in order to play their exclusive titles. I never fucking learn. Gaming, nevermind just living life in general, with still-rampant ADHD sucks. Big time.

Today, I just bought some more games. Games I will start, then stop, then never finish.

My name is SeymourDuncan17... and I have a problem.



After so many attempts at ridding my life of this gargantuan backlog of mine, this bothersome monkey on my back, I've started to wonder if I'm now more a collector than anything else. As I type this sentence, I'm sitting at well over two hundred physical discs, nearly two hundred Steam purchases... and two Origin titles. Of those many many games, I've finished approximately 20 percent of them. Give or take.

Of those many many games I have played, on the other hand... that's approximately another 40-50 percent.

Which means, yes, I have plenty of games from my collection I haven't even TOUCHED.

I haven't counted my digital 360/PS3/Wii/Wii U titles, but I am already so freaking sick of counting. Counting with ADHD sucks too! It's all the more monotonous. Maybe I should get back to finishing my games instead of excessively counting or typing up this blog, eh? Once the 15 or so people that read these things does whatever it is they do after they read these things (whether it be comment, fap and/or move on), it's long gone and forgotten. Like... does this whole thing matter?

WHY DO I CONTINUE TO WASTE MY TIME?!



Speaking of which, do you know what I've played just as much as I've played Persona 4 (one of the many games I've started recently)?

Ice Breaker.

Fucking Ice Breaker. No, it's not some drab dating sim, it's some dime a dozen (though competently-made) Breakout clone that's too easy but I don't quit because I haven't GO'd yet and I need a good high score! ... on Ice Breaker. I ask again, does this really matter? Honestly. I know I'd rather be unraveling some engaging school murder mystery than breaking ice, but alas.

We need some more Defender clones, lemme tell ya.

There's also the matter of me desperately wanting to replay this or that game on a constant basis. Is it still awesome? I can't go around claiming it's so amazing without knowing for sure it's still so amazing! For example, countless times I've tried to restart Super Mario Galaxy, but I stop quickly everytime because I know I have more important things to do.

When I'm away from a game for long enough, I'll wanna restart it because I've forgotten some story bits and/or I've completely lost my groove with the gameplay. Just before I start a sequel, I must play every one of it's predecessors. I must.



Now I'm starting to ask myself "Have I turned my hobby into a job? Once it's started, must I really finish it?". I really should just be doing what I wanna do at any given moment, right? It's just... that's exactly what I do. Or.. yes? Right?

My brain is torn between wanting to finish games (I really, truly do wanna finish them, especially the better ones) and wanting to start/restart something else. OCD? ADHD? Both? Most likely. I don't know what to think of myself. There's a war going on in my head. It's a cycle of madness.

So, perhaps I could use a break from gaming? Though my backlog will still be there and I, more likely than ever, will never finish it.

I believe I'm getting better as time goes on. Very slowly. Right now I'm convinced that I'm going to stick with Persona 4: Golden, but it's depressing to even think about the possibility of me dropping it for something that's likely not quite as good.

This makes the 3rd blog in a row I do about music and their steady strong relationship with videogames. Boy howdy! Perhaps it's time I vent out all my need for blogs of this type (ya know, for the sake of variety) by just doing a long, though relatively straightforward, editorial on a good handful of my favorite videogame tracks of all the time ever.

I've searched through the inmost parts of my soul and YouTube to bring you one hell of a list that you will either enjoy or absolutely love. I'm here to invade your ears. All your senses are belong to me. So grab some pop and candy, open that bin of Vaseline and, for the love of God, turn up your speakers.


"Horses Steppin" - Hotline Miami



Upon hearing this track start up, I thought "Videogame, what the hell are you doing to me? What's up with you? I can't read your title screen, the colors are fucking tripping me out and I'm hearing what sounds like something I'd hear coming from my neighbor's back porch. That guy does a lot of hemp.".

Astoundingly, 10 plus minutes... of whatever this is keeps me interested throughout. It doesn't deviate much from that initial bass riff and drum loop, but the intricate layering is where this song shines. Ambient vocals, infectious synth chords, echoing guitar licks and anything else the artist(s) can throw in there. It all seems to click and it's interesting at the least. You could argue this song sticks too close to the cheap mindset of "Give it tons of echo/reverb and it suddenly sounds totally deep and beautiful.", but I personally find it genuine.

I would've put Silver Lights here instead if that smashing bass line hadn't ended so soon.

This song really puts me in the mood for some Doors.


"Heartbeat, Heartbreak" - Persona 4



Another case of "AHHHHHH this song is too short!". And don't try telling me extending what 2 minutes and 15 seconds we do get is going to cut it!

This is the only song on this list from a game I have yet to play. While Persona 4 seems like an interesting game, it also seems like the kind of game I'd risk finding incredibly boring. Despite, I'm working my way up to finally taking the plunge. Soon enough it will be mine.

But, for the time being, I'm greatly enjoying the music. This particular song makes incredible use of melody and harmony. Oh, especially the harmonies. Where some singers use harmonies ad nauseum to hide their imperfections or just make their voice sound more "awesome" than it really is without any concern as to whether or not it suits the song, the harmonies here only serve to have the vocals carry a real fine weight and tone. Combined with the catchy rhythm and melody, it's impossible not to sing along.

Given that I have an obnoxiously deep voice, I try to keep that shit private.


"Glass Window" - The Witness



Bandwagon? Too early?

Fuck naw. This song is pretty as hell.

It's starts off fairly simple. Nothing too radically different from what I've heard from some other flute ditties. Pretty soon, though, the song adds in lovely vocals harmonizing with a xylophone. Then bass and acoustics. Then a subtle, but hard drum beat.

You could definitely say this song has excellent build-up and how the song breaks up this continuously expanding depth of sound every now and then for even just a second at times, it helps it all not get too overwhelming too quickly. Again, this how you successfully build up a song to it's grandest moments, to then leave you with something special. Within the context of The Witness trailer, it's even better.

And yeah, I know, it's a licensed track. Get used to it. There's a couple more coming up!


"Curse of the Bloody Puppets" - Devil May Cry



I swear to you that Devil May Cry must've been originally conceptualized as a survival horror classic before turning to action. The fixed camera angles, the examinations of the environment, the puzzles, the broken lock-on combat that would've at least somewhat worked with a much slower pace, and then even some of the music like you see/hear above.

The second it starts up, I'm frightened. Deep piano strikes and other strange, ominous effects, every single one making my nerves quiver. It's as if to say "I'm going to murder you and everyone you care about.". And then when that orchestrated section comes in, it's strangely pleasant. Oh, but it gets evil once again. Even more intense than before.

TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFFFFFFFFFF! *sobs*


"Eternal Rest" - Silent Hill



Speaking of survival horror classics, Silent Hill has such a delightfully twisted and interesting soundtrack. For obvious reasons, the songs seem to be concerned with adding to the atmosphere and horror aspects of the game much more than they are concerned with being conventional songs. Which, sometimes, ends up working in their favor, now potentially free of their original context.

The track linked above, for the most part, stands on it's own. It's one of the few songs on the soundtrack that sounds close enough to an "actual" song, yet it still sounds so fresh. It's slow pace and overall subtlety, but heavy-hitting effects make it one of the more out-there tracks I've found myself headbobbin' to.

Silent Hill's soundtrack was one of a kind. Distinctly to itself, even from the rest of the franchise. Less than ordinary, but more than merely enjoyable... it's awesome.

Oh and "AHHHHHH this song is too short!".


"The 'Splode Beneath My 'Splosion" - 'Splosion Man



If you knew me well enough, this song being here shouldn't be a surprise. Ever since time began it's beginnings and the universe started to become bloated with rocks and shiny stars, I've jammed this track hard. Whether on vinyl, cassette or my Sony Walkman, I must've played this wondrously cheesy cheese hundreds of times. Maybe thousands. No, millions.

Inspired by all your favorite 80's synth hits, not only does this song impress on so many levels but so does the video. Look at that Lonny. His keyboard tie, the 'stache, the huge set of Nike's. He's legit. He's the epitome of legit. His beautiful face and soulful voice will guide you to places unseen by normal human eyes, lifting you higher than you can possibly imagine. This song is just awesome.

And thank God it's not too short.


"Muda Kingdom" - Super Mario Land



Alright. Let's start getting the Mario songs out of the way. You knew there was going to be at least one, right? It's no secret that the Mario games have good music.

Perhaps unless we're taking about the Super Mario Land games, which are undeserving of their overshadowed nature in both their gameplay as well as their music. With that said, this one is one of the best 25 second loops you'll hear. Short, sweet, Mario. 8-bit tunes will always be infinitely charming and, for me personally, I think this one also just so happens to carry a bit of nostalgia.

Although, I think it works a good deal better within the context of the game. Because whenever I think of water stage music, it's usually very calm or ambient.. or nerve-wracking. Never so damn happy. That's cool!


"Bowser's Lava Lair" - Super Mario Galaxy 2



THAT. FUCKING. INTRO.

There's so much history behind me and this track that I don't know where to start.

I mean, this might very well be my favorite videogame track of all time. It has an amazing arrangement and I can never not think of my first time with the first Bowser stage in Super Mario 64 when I hear it. It made everything in that level so much more intimidating. Bowser's laugh was no longer cocky, but monstrous. Every obstacle was some insane test of courage and platforming prowess.

I was 7 years old and loving it. I'm still loving it. Undeniably one of the best videogame tracks of the 90's.

However, to this day, I prefer the Super Mario Galaxy 2 version of this classic tune. Not only is it actually made considerably more epic thanks to the increased production quality and new orchestrated recordings, but the stage featuring it (as is the case with most of the levels in the Super Mario Galaxy series) was great.

This is such an unforgettable track. Damn, it feels good to be a gamer.


"Title Theme" - Paper Mario: Sticker Star



The last of the Mario tracks.

Ignoring the astonishingly uninspired title, this one has quickly become one of my favorites. So quickly, in fact, that it honestly scares me a little. I already feel as if I've been attached to this song for years. Not because it actually just sounds like something I did hear a long while back, but.. I don't know, really. It's something unique only to this song. Weird, man.

Beyond that, the melody and soul the horn section brings to this track is another reason why I love it so much. It doesn't sound overly produced at all. It feels as if there's so much heart put into every note. So happy, yet so mellow. I get stuck at the title screen every freaking time because of this song.

On the real, the entire game has great music and it was tough picking just one. However, 3 Mario songs is enough, I feel. It's time we part from this inspiring legacy for now.


"Mission to the Deep Space" - Star Ocean: 'Till the End of Time



I have literally never heard a progressive metal song with a horn section. This deserves a spot on this list for that alone. It's as if you told Chicago to do a Dream Theater impersonation.

Unfortunately, this track goes through so much in it's 3 and a half minutes that it feels a little too condensed at times. It's too short, but for a totally different reason than some of the above. But, ignoring that small gripe, this has some very impressive and plain awesome instrumentation with tons of variety. I'll tell ya, once again, when the sax and everything else meet.. rockets to the moon, dude.

I wish I could say I remembered this track better. I played this game a ton way back.


"Main Theme" - Max Payne



Jesus. I get it. It's the song that plays at the start screen. Give it a name! Be artsy, artists!

Never will I be able to say for sure which version of this theme I like more. I love the slower, orchestrated intro bit of the Max Payne 3 one which also has a bigger payoff towards the end, but the OG theme just has this extra bit of "coolness" to it. Like "Hey kids, that other guy is total Dragsville. Check out my BAWOWOWOHHHHH geetarrrrrrr!".

It fits the mood of the game so perfectly. And I always appreciate it when someone does a dark as hell song right by making it sound so, dare I say, beautiful.. classic and sincere. It's the reason why I deeply respect bands like Alice In Chains so much. They're not try-hard, "edgy" dark, they make it sound all so real and melodic.

The song makes me wish I wasn't neck-deep in my gaming backlog. I wanna see Max's bright and shining, shit-eating smirk once again. And try out that Matrix mod I keep hearing so much about.


"Purification of the City" - Flower



Any Flower fan remembers Lazy Daydream. And I almost put that on here, until I caught glance of this track. "Purification of the City? .... oh that part! Is it.. *plays*.. YEAH!". I could picture everything as if it were yesterday. Colors, pedals and an overwhelming sense of joy.

Fuck. I really have to replay Flower.

If you're having a bad day, have this 12 plus minute epic play in the background of your computer doings. You will find it impossible to be mad or stressed at all. You may even start to nod off as something in the back of your mind whispers to you "Everything is going to be just fine.". This medley of concentrated beauty and elegance impresses me more than any other orchestrated number of it's kind. It leaves you hanging just long enough for you to actually appreciate the grand rises and changes just when it starts getting the least bit uninteresting.

I really really gotta replay Flower. I know what I'm doing this weekend. Screw the backlog.


"Sexy Marimba Madness, Zelda in A for AWESOME" - Legend of Zelda (but not exactly)



Another "not really a videogame track" addition, and this one technically hasn't even been in a trailer!

Not content with just simply covering the main theme, they make it their own. Not just by hammering the marimba (and various other instruments), but by the way they structure the song. It dramatically changes at 3 points, making it feel almost like a medley.

It's super clean, well-edited, and (if I may be so bold as to say that) it's better than any rendition that even Nintendo themselves have done. It's how the theme should be played from now on.


"Nate's Theme 2.0" - Uncharted 2



The soundtrack to ultimate discovery. Second only to the original Halo in best orchestrated videogame themes ever, the Uncharted theme was a classic right from the get-go.

Harkening back to other pop culture classics such as the Indiana Jones and Superman themes, it goes beyond your average videogame theme song. You can just feel the adventure that lies ahead. There's no filler to speak of, not a single instrument played is played for the sake of just giving it a part, and that's not something I can say for a lot of orchestrated pieces I hear. A lot of them, quite frankly, phone it in. Or they just don't seem to try hard enough.

The Uncharted theme is recognizable not just because of the popularity of the franchise, but because they did such an excellent job making it stand out while at the same time not being overly complicated. It's no small feat. It's... awesomely accessible.


"Freedom" - Thomas Was Alone



The first track you hear, during the main menu. I just wanted to sit there and listen. But, I somehow felt I had to pretend I was busy. I was playing a game, afterall. I fiddled with the options without paying attention to said options, I pondered at the Scenario Select like I didn't know what the hell that was.

If I had payed 10 dollars to hear this song, in that moment, I didn't mind.

It's such an inspirational-sounding song with it's piano and strings, yet it has this playful overtone with those digital pings and sweeps. What an incredibly calming song. I can picture all the little variated squares and rectangles popping in and out on a blank canvas in my mind. The stars of Thomas Was Alone, the most charming tale of overcoming the odds, following your dreams, and friendship you'll likely ever experience. The great music is merely a small part of it.


"Gangsta Bitch" - Saints Row 2



A gangster rap about a girl as hard as the rapper himself. A desire for true love (or as the optimist in me likes to think). A desire.. to gangster boogie.. with a true gangster bitch.

How I miss the golden era of hip-hop/rap.

If you knew this crackerjack beat before Saints Row 2, you are far cooler than I. It's totally synonymous with the game's main menu screen along with other solid tracks such as Jeezy's I Luv It and Beanie Sigel's What a Thug About. The many many times I logged on into Saints Row 2 engraved every bit of this song and more into my head, and yet... the only hip-hop track I truly know by heart is Ice Ice Baby. I'm as white as the white on rice.


"Jumper" - Castle Crashers



Argh! I desperately wanna put The Factory on here because it's sooooo good an-.. annnd stuff and there's this one part that harkens back to an original Donkey Kong Country track that's also about factories and.. and it's cool.... but as I am beginning this section of the blog, I'm tired and keeping myself going via means of hot cinnamon jelly beans.

*gobble*

*twitch*

SO, I need something catchy. But not just catchy.. happy. Annnnd not lacking substance. Jumper shall do. The whimsical melody is emphasized so much by the dancing bass that I can't help but... dance. Then again, that could be the sugar from the jelly beans.

Have you tried these? They are delicious.


"Danger Arena" - Fable



There's something so incredibly ferocious about this one. Each powerful percussion strike and string scrape brings a smile to my face. I'm fully aware of the potential in this track an- ohhh... there it is. I swear that's Mothra at around 54 seconds in.

"Danger Arena", indeed. I wouldn't wanna be facing off against anything that brought about this ghastly anthem. Let's say we turn those strings into a tambourine and then I might be okay.

On the other hand, I can picture myself as an on-looker. An audience member. The track builds tension in the beginning and gets better and better, like the approaching climax of a great fight. I smile maniacally at my laptop screen, the strings so convincing in their musical imagery. Then as the song ends, reality rears it's ugly head and now the only thing I can do is hope that Fable runs well enough on PC. The Xbox version is just awful.


"Mr. Sandman" - Stubbs the Zombie



"Built with the Halo Engine!" said the front of the box. My 14-15 year old mind thought that meant this was going to be a surefire winner. And to the best of my recollection, it was! But more than the game itself, I remember the music.

The first of which I heard was this one, a cover of the 1950's classic "Mr. Sandman". There is nothing more pure in music than a song such as this and this cover more than just does it justice, it surpasses the original. The pounding drum intro and chugging distortion guitar chords are such delightfully awry compliments to the lyrics and vocals which still retain their calm manner.

And is that... A THEREMIN SOLO?!




"The Battle of Lil Slugger (Extended Cut)" - Super Meat Boy



Take an already awesome song, add a little extra flavor. Danny B was so right and so awesome to do this. Even more opportunities to show off my amazing air guitar skills!

The catchy but intricate drum line, the absolutely awesome and mind-melting synth guitar, those heavily dark bells in the second breakdown, the totally new and super cool outro bit, do I really need another paragraph's worth of text to tell you why this song is so great? Do like your mother told you and just LISTEN!


"Wild One" - Tak and the Power of Juju



Last of the licensed tracks.

Were you watching Nickelodeon at any point around the early 2000's? Then you'll remember this. So you'll then remember the above track, yeah?

For the sake of this blog, just pretend you do if you don't.

Growing up in the 90's and into the 2000's (which would make me roughly 1,922 years old), bands like this were the cool thing to listen to if you weren't into the metal scene just yet. Blink-182, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, they were some of the most awesome bands in my day. This track doesn't stray at all from that fun, alternative/punk edge and would be a guilty pleasure if I felt at all guilty for listening to it. They're not concerned with upstaging Beethoven, they're just trying to have a good time.

Yeah dude. I'm a wild one. Rebel without a cause.

Where the heck's my Capri Sun, mum?


"Apotos - Windmill Isle (Day)" - Sonic Unleashed



Nothing says "I'm speeding like a bullet through a tropical paradise." better than this song right here. Those drums are frantic as hell, everything else so hyper-chill.

The drums are actually played far more subtly than I'd expect, emphasizing the strings to a strange degree. Almost to where I can ignore the fast pace of the drums enough to where I fully appreciate the softer parts, but not too much as to not take notice of the fresh beat. One never overwhelms the other.

And screw the haters. I really enjoyed this game. Werehog Sonic and all.


"Northern Hemispheres" - Donkey Kong Country



The vibe from this section of the game is extraordinary. The music is all too appropriate, but unexpectedly intimidating.

Like the peanut butter/chocolate-esque combo of Windmill Isle, a similar situation happens here. The echoing melodies and the tone of every note go perfect with the snowy layout of the level with the choice of notes accentuating the difficulty. Or perhaps it's difficult merely because you're so focused on the music, it tricking you into a state of helplessness and desperation.

You lose Diddy or Donkey and, as far as you're concerned, it's already Game Over.


"Que Sera Sera" - Katamari Damacy



I wish I could've picked a more interesting choice from the Katamari Damacy soundtrack, but I can't deny that this one is my favorite.

Playing the game along to this is jarring. But in a good way. Not because of the tone of the song clashing with the tone of the game, because during the early sections where this song plays, the game's pretty easy-going and calm. Rolling up building blocks, candy and pets and such.

But then you hear the lyrics "I wanna wad you up into my life. Let's lop up to make a single star in the sky." as you are doing exactly that at that very moment. It's a soothing love song that's somehow relevant to Katamari Damacy of all games. It blows one's mind to hear this for the first time. Has been a favorite ever since.

Then you start rolling up clouds, Gods, and fucking Gigan.

What a game this was.


"Home" - FEZ



Oh my. Never has a videogame track made me feel like this song makes me feel. While an extended version of most songs would be taking away from them more than anything else, but I'll make an exception for this track.

Sadly, there isn't one.

Honestly? You'll extend everything else, YouTubers.

I don't often say this, but this song is just... captivating. To me, that's a very big word. The sounds of track make my body feel like body jelly, then at some point my jelly body starts to sink into my filthy carpet, but I don't care because the song is still playing and I just wanna relax. That stupid little wavy hand motion that some people make when they're really buzzed? I do that on occasion with this one. I don't even realize it sometimes.

Beautifully-crafted 8/16-bit arpeggios, with some of the most relaxing melodies I've ever heard.

..... AHHHHHH THIS SONG IS TOO SHOOOOOOORT!!!!!!


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Now that this little project of mine is no longer completely taking over my free time, I can finally get back to actually playing games rather than just listening to them.

Please oh please, tell me you enjoyed it. I'm very fragile.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, whether or not I knew that part of me actually existed, I knew Rock Band was going to eventually end even though I was always hopeful that it wouldn't. I mean, why would it die now? It's been strong for so many years. There's always going to be music they haven't released that people will want to buy. Rock Band is still in the public mind. It could keep going if it wanted to!

Like the best of relationships ending after so much built-up history, love and respect, this hurts me dearly.

But I'll always love and respect you, Rock Band. And you, Harmonix. Because you guys were the reason I took the plunge into my first guitar (and a bass that I quickly put down, sadly). You guys are why I love music as much as I do. I read so much more into every song now that it's essentially positively affected every aspect of my life, making the harder times that much easier.

.. why now?

Fucking why?!

Sure, I could keep playing. Easily. And I will. But, it's not gonna be the same. With no Rock Band's on the bill for the foreseeable future and the now discontinuation of weekly DLC from Harmonix, this is the end of an era of epic greatness.



When I first popped in Rock Band, something was different. It was more serious. A bit less wacky. And that was fine. Up until the present, Rock Band has been like Guitar Hero's younger, yet more mature cousin who has better taste in music, has a better social life, and always stays healthy and active.

Every note played felt more solid and satisfying to hit, the character creator let me spawn and personalize my very own chibi Kirk Hammett, and there was now a mouthwatering amount of replay value added thanks to the focus on not just guitar, but the entire band. We could now do just about anything. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals.

Not only that, but the somewhat underwhelming quality of the tracklist would be rectified by new songs being put out for purchase EVERY WEEK.

Mother of God. What am I going to do with all that?! Somebody get me some concrete and re-bar, because I've officially shat bricks.



One of the first bits of DLC was a pack of Metallica tracks. The first DLC I ever bought. I had to buy it. It was Metallica.

Think you can handle Enter Sandman? Scrub. Weep at the hellish glory of Blackened on Expert Drums!

Actually, Expert anything for this song was a challenge. But, more specifically, Blackened on Expert Drums was one of the songs to beat back in the day. Mmhmm. To just beat it gave you such a huge feeling of accomplishment, and you wanted everyone to know about it. So you posted a YouTube video.



As an avid player of Rock Band, to say the least, I found myself deeply involved with looking up FC's ("full combos") of some of the hardest tracks. When there was a new FC, we heard about it on the forums. Everyone watched/listened, cheered on the poster and then actively tried to FC it themselves. First runs of the day were mostly a reminder that you just couldn't do it yet, but just maybe... eventually.

Not only that, some YouTubers went as far as (usually) buying every song per week, even when they clearly had no interest in the DLC for themselves, just to give fans a taste of the content. Or, rather, a good hard suck. Those charts were a large chunk of that DLC, naturally.

I also remember when the forum mods used to come with up DLC "hints" on the Wednesdays leading up to the Friday announcements.

One hint could be a picture of the letter "R" posted twice, which may refer to the pirate phrase "Arrrrrr!". But there's two of them... maybe it's referring to the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie? So... is it something to do with pirates? Nope. Just a little deeper. The lead in the movie goes by the name of Jack Sparrow. No, not "Jack" referring to Jack White. We already have plenty of him! Rather, it's "Sparrow", referring to the type of bird. What's another type of bird?

A vulture.

Sometimes they were so vague, you'd be incredibly lucky to even be half right. But it was a thrill, nonetheless, to work together with the community to decode those befuddling teasers.

Brought together by good music and good gaming, the Rock Band community thrived unlike any other. Friendly (or totally serious) get-together's, song wishlist threads and developer antics abound.



Fans love Harmonix not just for their games, but for the developers themselves. As if you and your best buds just got together one day to make this videogame that took off, but still found the time to latch yourselves from your piles of precious, stinking, sweaty cash and active development obligations to goof off, have fun and/or just... have a little talk with your fans via the forums/Twitter/Facebook/etc.

That's Harmonix for ya. They have personality. And they love you. They don't care who knows it or how they show it. Loads of fancy giveaways? Sure! Free DLC? ALL RIGHT! Whatever this is? Why not. Yeah.



With each week of new DLC, there was potentially something I had never heard before. And back when Rock Band was just starting out, that was pretty damn often. Never had I heard the impressive metal swooning of Judas Priest album Screaming for Vengeance. Never had I heard the insanely out there but so right Gay Bar.

Enter Skullcrusher Mountain, brought to us by geek/folk artist Jonathan Coulton. Previously I had heard him on Code Monkeys (which was cancelled far too quickly) of G4 fame. It was refreshing to say the least. The arrangement was definitely indie/folk, but there were tiny little specks of tropical island slide guitar with lyrics that croon of an evil genius trying to win the innocent heart of one (I would assume to be a) beautiful young lady.

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you
But I get the feeling that you don't like it
What's with all the screaming?
You like monkeys, you like ponies
Maybe you don't like monsters so much
Maybe I used too many monkeys
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?

That's what it's all about, right there.

I loved it so much that I decided to look more into his catalog of releases and found one awe-inspiring, modern-day Einstein of music. The dude writes the vast majority of his music all by himself, including his Thing-A-Week project where he wrote a new song every single week for an entire year. Every one signature to itself and hardly, if at all, showed a lack of creativity.

Even before that, he had written plenty of music and he has at least several more albums of music after, still writing to this day. And all still good.

And, oh, how could I forget: two of his biggest hits were Portal 1/2's infectiously charming Still Alive and Want You Gone.

If that's not hardcore musicianship, then I don't know what is.



Not only had Harmonix introduced me to playing guitar back with Guitar Hero (which then greatly influenced my love for music in general), but they had introduced me to my personal favorite musical artist of all time. They also taught me that The Beatles weren't just some lame, overrated pop group with hardly any worth for a whole damn game, which I've neglected to mention up until this point. There's almost too much I could go into about what they've done for me.

Suffice to say, I owe a humongous deal to Harmonix. A developer that goes beyond merely making a videogame is a developer worth praising and then some.



Rock Band and Harmonix have been the one thing I've found myself endlessly going back to when it comes to videogames. To this day, at least twice every week or so, I slap on Rock Band 3 and play a few, hop on the forums, browse the Rock Band Network for new stuff because there's always at least something great there that I've missed, or any combination of those things and more.

No game has taken up more of my time than Rock Band has. I love it so much. And to read such news of DLC riddance I've been seeing from multiple sources all morning honestly leaves a big lump in my throat. A couple times while writing this blog, I nearly shed a tear or two. It opened my eyes and reminded me how frail the franchise is these days. Pretty soon, we'll see the end of the Rock Band Network as well. And then what?

Perhaps me and so many others are over-dramatizing this whole thing. Who knows. Maybe they'll make a comeback next generation with a Rock Band 4 and show the world that peripheral music games are still cool, man.

Hopefully. If anyone can do it, it's certainly not anyone else but Harmonix. I just hate watching the franchise potentially die a very slow death from here on out.

Godspeed, guys and gals.

The original to the 2012 sequel that could've been so much more (although was still so sweet), The Darkness is one of my favorites from this past gen. An amazingly underrated little beast. More than a good game, it was a grand and engaging story. One of the best you'll find throughout the medium. Whether or not it stays true to the comics is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. It's awesome on it's own. And it gave us one of the most insanely entertaining villains of any medium... The Darkness.

Indeed. That's how much this dude owns. He's not just the main villain, he's not just a core element of the gameplay, he is the motherfucking game. His name is right there. Nothing else. Just.. The Darkness. That's the kind of respect you can't simply buy. You'd have to possess at least a dozen mad cats for the rest of their life and kill hundreds just to be a damn subtitle.

He's intimidating, he's incredibly evil, and he's so over the hill he's literally been around here or there since the dawn of time itself.

And he's also voiced by Mike Patton, lead vocalist of 80's/90's rock/metal band Faith No More.



If you've played either Darkness game, tell me you don't hear The Darkness in that. You can't, because you do.

And isn't that just awesome?

Yes it is (and don't you tell me it's not!).



It's always great when my two biggest passions, gaming and music, meet. And they can meet in a variety of fashions. Whether it be with the latest Rock Band DLC, a sweet soundtrack, a fan-created jingle or with something like this.

In fact, videogames are the exact reason why I'm so big into music now. With the original Guitar Hero, I had discovered a way to become truly involved with the music I was listening to. It was no longer a simple matter of hearing the sound of music, but feeling it. With every button held and strum struck that then created a small part of a song on my TV, I fell more in love. I would eventually gravitate towards my first actual guitar, which was around 7 years ago this month.

And ever since maybe several years ago, music has meant more to me than probably even the very thing that brought me so close to it.

Naturally, hearing the sound of one of my favorite videogame villains in one of my favorite bands, even if it's just for a second, gets me super giddy. And visualizing The Darkness himself belting out such awesome jams, fellating the mic and working up a hard sweat on stage, makes me chuckle a bit on the inside.



A new edge is brought forth to these songs with Mike Patton's shrieks and growls now walking hand in hand with this Darkness persona. Every one also bringing back memories of experiencing the so many fantastic moments of The Darkness for the first time.

The thrilling intro chase, the first time The Darkness creeps out from deep within your tainted soul, celebrating your birthday with your girlfriend Jenny, dumping bodies into the back of Butcher Joyce's car before the police surround his store, escaping from some otherworldly hell while meeting an old relative, taking down a heli with a mini black hole, etc.

I feel like going off into a discussion on music in games in general, but, perhaps... that's a whole 'nuther blog for a whole 'nuther time.

I was tempted to include more curses within the blog title to emphasize how excited I am. Or how crude a person I can be sometimes. Or how I am all the time. Ok.

Never have I felt true love in a videogame until now. I mean, I did once have a crush on Kasumi from Dead Or Alive, but this is hardly relevant. Sadly, the footage of me experiencing this beautiful, cylindrical, super powerful death puncher is not up yet. But, I can at least tell you how amazing it is with digital letters which form digital words which will precede/follow still images of this ultimate e-peen extender.





"Grants you the ability to swing your weapon like a hammer." is what the attachment description said.

"Grants you the ability to swing your weapon LIKE A HAMMER?!" I said with gratuitous awe. Would I dance the forbidden dance? Would I cross the streams? Would I dare live the American dream?

"This is not real."

But, it was. To the surprise and short-lived disbelief of me and my Bumblebee Isaac, we had created the Hammer Shotty. Or... "Hotty" for short. Which would be funny/clever if "Hotty" wasn't already short for "Shotty". Dammit.





A well-placed shot and even the mightiest Necromorph can hardly stand a single shot more. But there's no mercy in space, especially for the ugly. Another quick belch from "Hotty" and that Necromorph is no Necromore.

Heh.

But, of course, we haven't talked about the hammer attachment. I'm sorry. I just get so caught up in the shotgun part of this thing that I forget that that's only half it's charm.

Each swing, by the way, is basically a one-hit kill. Yep. Every second I'm not using this empowering, sexual tyrannosaurus, someone out there is feeling empty and lonely. That person is me. I would stroke every inch of it, if not for the lack of a safety.

To think, this Hasselhoff of weaponry started off as a relatively useless assault rifle. So much wasted ammo, so many wasted hours. Try as it may, it couldn't live up to the tried and true Plasma Cutter. With each shot, more of my enthusiasm went moseying along with it. I eventually knew it was time to let go and upgrade the hell outta this thing, if possible.

I feel like a better virtual man with this in my virtual hands.



On the serious, I'm sure you can make even better weapons than this and I'm sure someone out there has already made this exact same thing.

Oh, but wait...

Did I mention my second attachment adds an electrical charge to each shot?

I didn't... didn't I.