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At Least PopCap Has A Sense Of Humor

PopCap Games knows how to make crowd-pleasing casual PC time-wasters. Their back catalog of bonafide hits includes Bejeweled, Zuma and Peggle. Their next release is the rather hilariously titled Plants vs. Zombies.

Let's let that concept settle for a moment, shall we?

PLANTS

VERSUS

ZOMBIES

PopCap are clearly banking on the appeal of the game's humor, and let me tell you... it's going to work. Just look at this teaser/music video they've released:

Posted Apr 20 2009, 11:00 AM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with no comments

Filed under: derrick sanskrit, casual games, humor, bejeweled, peggle, pop cap games, plants vs zombies, zuma

Bust Some Heads with The Onion's "Close Range"

I've been playing a lot of Fallout 3 lately. A lot. And because of my addiction to Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG, I've been blowing up a lot of heads with a vast array of in-game weaponry. A lot of heads. So when I heard about a new game from the satire superstars over at The Onion that involves nothing but the exploding of craniums, I was a perhaps a little too interested.

If you're familiar with The Onion's M.O., then you've probably already realized that Close Range is a parody of--or perhaps a take on how the "outside world" views--the hyper-violent video game blockbusters of our time, like Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto 4, and the aforementioned Fallout 3. But Close Range doesn't just set its sights on violent video games and the people who play them; gaming journalists who instinctively praise every upcoming multi-million dollar gaming extravaganza with words like "immersive" and "compelling" are also taken down a peg.

Of course, hearing about a joke second-hand is no real way to get the comic effect. For maximum yuks, check out The Onion News Network's report on this world-changing new "game."

Video after the cut.

Posted Apr 08 2009, 01:30 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments

Filed under: parody, humor, bob mackey, satire, the onion, close range

Gordon Freeman's Prank Call

As gamers, we possess a relentless amount of trivia and information about the hobby we've invested so, so many hours into; and to those uninitiated with the world of video games, said knowledge is baffling and mysterious at best. So what, exactly, are we supposed to do with these brainfulls of data--aside from alienate our poor family members who wonder just what the hell we do with our free time?

Strangely enough, it turns out our vast wisdom on the topic of video games can be best put to use through the lost art of the prank phone call. And if you're still skeptical, all you need to do is listen to one of the greatest video game-related prank calls in recent history. Allow me to set the stage: the following events take place on the syndicated radio show Coast to Coast, where host George Norry entertains the delusions of his clearly insane callers--and they range from stories of bottomless pits to tales of secret garden gnome societies. But what happens when a savvy gamer calls in and recounts the story of Half-Life as the game's protagonist, Gordon Freeman?

The answer, of course, is hilarity.

Comedy gold after the cut.

Posted Jan 29 2009, 04:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments

Filed under: valve, half-life, comedy, humor, bob mackey, gordon freeman

Will Games Ever Be Funny?

Two short years ago, when I learned that there were going to be not one, but six new Sam and Max games, I was ecstatic. In the brief period of time I could have actually been considered a PC gamer, I subsisted primarily on the Lucasarts brand of PC adventure games, and Sam and Max Hit the Road was one of my favorites. But today, the final episode of Sam and Max Season 2 sits on my desktop, where it has been unclicked for months and will probably remain so until I force myself to play through it on some day where I'm not burdened with responsibility. That's right: "force." What the hell happened to me?

I've been in love with Sam and Max even before I played their original game; Steve Purcell's art style, along with a great mix of film noir send-up and absurdist humor made the duo immediately appealing to me. So, in the 90s, I bought their game, somehow managed to get my hands on the original printing of the trade paperback (no one was murdered, I swear), and watched the mostly-okay cartoon on Fox Kids for the whole year the network decided to air it. Thus, my Sam and Max fanhood should not be called into question. But these days, I can't find myself caring too much about these beloved figures from my adolescence.

Have I merely grown up, or is something foul afoot?

Posted Sep 15 2008, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: lucasarts, humor, telltale games, pc games, sam and max

Seth McFarlane Animates Mario Short

Almost as timeless as Super Mario's "Save the Princess" plotlines are the fans' "Ha Ha, Mario Never Gets Any From the Princess" flash movie counters. Family Guy's Seth McFarlane recently launched his own line of flash cartoons with Super Mario Rescues the Princess at the forefront. It's probably a bit of a shock to learn that McFarlane has indulged in pop culture humour, but I'll hold you if you hold me.

Honestly, though Family Guy's cut-away schtick has only recently decided to grate on me after making me laugh like a baboon for however many seasons it's been, I thought this particular bit was pretty amusing. Without Peter, Stewie and Lois bogging things down, there's nothing wrong with a bit of pop culture ha-ha. I mean, there's a serious problem with a show when the number one complaint is, "the main characters bog down the humour," but let us clear our minds and enjoy watching Mario and Peach snipe at each other. ("All you did was jump over some mushrooms." "Well, you got captured by mushrooms.")

Education Minute: The "Invincible Star" theme music, at least from the old Mario games, bears a significant resemblance to Jesus Christ Superstar's What's The Buzz? and it's probably not a coincidence.

Posted Sep 10 2008, 01:56 PM by Nadia Oxford with | with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: fan stuff, humor, nadia oxford, super mario, seth mcfarlane, flash video, pop culture, jesus christ superstar

Super Mario World is Terrifying!

Games are as varied as movie genres, meaning there are plenty of titles out there that exist for the purpose of making us poop our pants in fear. Silent Hill, Half-Life, Super Mario World...

Wait, Super Mario World is frightening?

It is if you're this guy. He's "never played Super Mario World before, and he's ready to bid farewell to his virginity while the world watches him (scream in horror).

Obviously he's faking it, but it's still a pretty amusing watch. Especially if you know enough about the game to anticipate his reaction to Banzi Bills and half stepped-on Rex dinosaurs.

But why act superior. We all freaked out a little at Super Mario World, right? My best friend's father jumped behind the couch when Bowser came soaring at the television screen during his last stand against Mario.

Posted Aug 04 2008, 03:44 PM by Nadia Oxford with | with no comments

Filed under: snes, super mario world, super nintendo, fan video, scary, humor

about the blogger

John Constantine, our superhero, was raised by birds and then attended Penn State University. He is currently working on a novel about a fictional city that exists only in his mind. John has an astonishingly extensive knowledge of Scientology. Ultimately he would like to learn how to effectively use his brain. He continues to keep Wu-Tang's secret to himself.

Derrick Sanskrit is a self-professed geek in a variety of fields including typography, graphic design, comic books, music and cartoons. As a professional hipster graphic designer, his recent clients have included Nerve, Pitchfork and MoCCA, among others.

Amber Ahlborn - artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

Nadia Oxford is a housekeeping robot who was refurbished into a warrior when the world's need for justice was great. Now that the galaxy is at peace (give or take a conflict here or there), she works as a freelance writer for various sites and magazines. Based in Toronto, Nadia prizes the certificate from the Ministry of Health declaring her tick and rabies-free.

Bob Mackey is a grad student, writer, and cyborg, who uses the powerful girl-repelling nanomachines mad science grafted onto his body to allocate time towards interests of the nerd persuasion. He believes that complaining about things on the Internet is akin to the fine art of wine tasting, but with more spitting into buckets.

Joe Keiser has a programming degree from Johns Hopkins University, a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, and a fake toy guitar built in the hollowed-out shell of a real guitar. He writes about games and technology for a variety of outlets. One day he will stop doing this. The day after that, police will find his body under a collapsed pile of (formerly neatly alphabetized) collector's edition tchotchkes.

Cole Stryker is an American freelance writer living in York, England, where he resides with his archeologist wife. He writes for a travel company by day and argues about pop culture on the internet by night. Find him writing regularly here and here.

Peter Smith is like the lead character of Irwin Shaw's The 80-Yard Run, except less athletic. He considers himself very lucky to have this job. But it's a little premature to take "jack-off of all trades" off his resume. Besides writing, travelling, and painting houses, Pete plays guitar in a rock trio called The Aye-Ayes. He calls them a 'power pop' band, but they generally sound more like Motorhead on a drinking binge.