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Let the 2010 Games Begin

What upcoming games are you eagerly awaiting? Over at RadNerd Beau Ryan and I discuss some of our most wanted 2010 titles, including a few I’ve already covered here on the blog (like 3D Dot Game Heroes, for instance). Click the link or above image to access the feature!

If we missed something good, let us know which games should have made the list. Cheers!

Another year of gaming has rocketed through our memories, dropping new favorites at our feet. Batman: Arkham Asylum brought fans and wary newcomers together in an action-packed, stealthy tour; the smash hit Street Fighter IV echoed the sound of button mashing world-wide; the addictive RPG Demon’s Souls watched proudly, a tear glistening in its pixeled eye, as we coursed toward certain doom. Many games inspired us and woke our systems from the slumber induced by less promising titles, but what cards is 2010 playing close to the chest this winter/spring? Here are a few titles we can’t wait to test run.

Tags: 3D Dot Game Heroes, Alan Wake, Bayonetta, BioShock, Dante's Inferno, Final Fantasy, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect, Prince of Persia, Silent Hill, Splinter Cell
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Sounds of Nostalgia: Final Fantasy

Do we need an excuse to play old games? Hell no! But sometimes music from OSTs can inspire us to try new ones or revisit past loves like dirty, secret affairs.

Final Fantasy I is one of my favorite games. I still remember the days when I had no choice but to labor through the gruelingly slow and difficult NES version, only to cheer—fists high in the air in victory—when the classic was reborn on the GBA. I loathe FFII, but I’ve played FFI more times than I can remember.

It was difficult to choose one song to highlight out of the memorable FFI OST. So many of its songs, from the “Opening Theme” to “Victory!” have become a permanent and beloved part of Final Fantasy games. My personal favorites, like “Gurgu Volcano” and “Matoya’s Cave,” deserve attention, as well. But nothing quite says foreboding like “Floating Castle” does, so as one of the lesser known FF songs, I chose it to share with you.

Choose your party of prophesied Light Warriors—from Fighters to Mages to Black Belts—who will come to hold the four elemental orbs and save the world from, well, the wrath of time. As one of the best RPGs out there, the original Final Fantasy cemented the series that is still going strong today. From the princess-capturing, mythic Garland buds a vast adventure filled with witches, pirates, elves, monsters—and of course, the fabled airship. Final Fantasy taught us that Ogres carry ridiculous amounts of gold, that Chaos is a physical entity so frightening that the sight of it will make kids cry, and that bats go, “Kee kee!”

Remember: TCELES B HSUP

What are some of your favorite Sounds of Nostalgia?

(Note: I’ve featured the remastered soundtrack for your listening pleasure, but the original 8-bit OST can be found here.)

Tags: Final Fantasy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo, Sounds of Nostalgia
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