Day 17 - Favourite antagonist

My favourite gaming antagonist is the same in film, comics, television. Until Arkham Asylum came out two years ago, my favourite could easily have been someone else. The only game I had played with this character was Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, and he wasn't really the antagonist in that, or very good.
After a superb outing as Arkham Asylum's main villain and voiced magnificently by Mark Hamill it can't go to anyone else. My favourite is The Joker.

Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes

Whenever I think of cutscenes, the first game that comes into my head is Metal Gear Solid 4. Crikey, that whole game is just one massive cutscene. I remember falling asleep whilst playing it one Sunday afternoon during one, and waking up 400 years later and the goddamn thing was still going.

It doesn't have the best cut scenes though. For me, I would have to go with Uncharted 2. That game is pretty much perfect in nearly every way. If they manage to finally make a movie from the game, everything they need is right in the cutscenes. Why they would need to deviate too much away from the story is beyond me. Take note Neil Burger.

Day 15 - Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now

I'm currently playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. There is no screenshot save function on this game, so I had to take the picture with my trusty iPhone.

Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper

This is quite easy. I've never had a gaming wallpaper on my computer, at home or at work.
My current home desktop wallpaper is of The Dark Knight Rises poster artwork, and my work desktop is of my two sons, just in case you're interested.....

Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times

If this question is which game have you played more than five times, I would have to list most of my games, because it is rarely I play a game once, then never go back to it. Especially as most games nowadays are story games and you really need a few days on them to get through to the end.
But if the question is which game have you played through to the end more than five times, I can probably only say that about one game. Super Mario Land on the Nintendo Gameboy. It is still my favourite Mario game, but to tell you the truth, I haven't played many of them.

Day 12 - A game everyone should play

Everyone should play Portal. I'm pretty new to this game even though it's been around for a while. If Valve hadn't bothered with a sequel, maybe I wouldn't even have entered the Aperture Science testing labs. But I am so glad I did.

After playing Portal 2 which I had picked up after getting swayed by all the hype, I so desperately wanted to play the first game. I started looking around all the local video game stores, but it's pretty much out of print for the PS3 in Australia and I'm too lazy to buy it online, though I know Ozgameshop has copies.Steam had a recent sale on, and I managed to pick it up for the PC for less than $7. Bargain!

Portal 2 is the better game. It's harder, is funnier, and has an excellent 2 player mode. The first game is a little easier though, and I'm a fan of playing, watching, reading things in order. So if I am going to recommend you a game, start at the beginning, play Portal!

Day 11 - Gaming system of choice

The Sony Playstation 3. I'm not a fan of PC gaming. Controlling characters with mouse and keyboard I find quite weird. I would much rather play a game with a handheld controller and I've been a fan of the Playstation version since the very first model. I also love being able to recline into my favourite chair and play games on my big television, I just prefer the console experience.
The reason I chose the PS3 above the other consoles in this generation? At the time when I was ready to move on from my PS2, the PS3 seemed so much more appealing. Mainly because I was familiar with the Sony brand, and it boasted a Blu Ray player which at the time were very expensive. It's just a shame that this generation of consoles are so prone to problems (my PS2 is still working great 9 years later). I recently had to buy my fourth PS3 due to the dreaded yellow light of death.

Day 10 - Best gameplay

Best Gameplay. I actually googled gameplay to find a definition because this seemed like such a broad subject. "The plot of a video game or the way it is played". That makes sense.

Soooooo. My answer to this question would therefore be Arkham Asylum. I may be slightly biased as I am a huge fan of the Batman Universe, and to finally get a game that realised the world so beautifully was awesome. To get to play as Batman, and use his gadgets and perform great finishing moves was a dream come true. In the past, Batman games have been a bit of a letdown, but this game had everything. I truly cannot wait for the sequel to appear later this year.

Day 9 - Saddest game scene

For my choice for saddest game scene, I have to look no further than Heavy Rain on the PS3. This game is absolutely ram packed cram filled with sadness. In fact I don't know where to begin. Well, in a bid to try and not give away too many spoilers I will pick the scene early in the game in Act 1 when Ethan's son Jason is killed in the car accident. Don't dock me any man points but I'm pretty sure this brought a tear to my eye. For a father to lose a son in this way, watching and not being able to save him for me is truly horrific and one of my worst nightmares.

Day 8 - Best soundtrack

Game soundtracks have come a long way. Back in the olden days of gaming, the soundtrack accompanying seemed more of a backing track than an integral part of the game. Not that the tunes weren't memorable. I could still hum the melodies to Tetris, Super Mario Bros and Outrun as if I had played either of these in the last 10 years.
As games have become more cinematic, this has changed and they have become as important as they are in film in maintaining the atmosphere and helping to draw you into the action.
One of my favourite examples of this is in Bioshock, which is certainly one of my favourite games from the last few years. The game wonderfully uses popular and orchestral tracks from the 1930's to early 1950's period to help create a hauntingly immersive atmosphere that plunges you straight into the heart of the game.