Backhand of Justice

If you haven’t been following recent game news, you might not have heard of GameCrush. It’s a service where you can pay $8.25 for a 10 minute Xbox Live game or 6 minute flash game. Why would you do this when you can play for free? Because GameCrush allows you to play with women. read more

This week opens with Mega64: A Yakuza 3 Short Film. Rapier wit (if you’re aware of the cuts that were made to make a Western version of Yakuza 3).

Keep reading for antiquated manly slang, chatroulette piano improv and the one, the only, the Bill Paxton pinball machine. All hail Billy P. read more

What do I think? It’s Starcraft. That’s all fans probably need to know. The uninitiated should be aware that the game is hugely different from the last decade of RTS offerings. How do Starcraft’s now-antiquated mechanics hold up? Have there been improvements? Read on to find out. read more

Here it is: the  most action packed movie in the world. I don’t know how this missed the Oscar when it came out.

Keep reading for some bullshit happening somewhere, a creepy vacuum collection and G-Dubs vs. the tiger. read more

[Today's article comes from our man in Japan: John Johanas. Japan must be stuck in a time nexus though because it's a review of Dead Space. The nexus is probably making its way across the globe so the rest of us are screwed in a few hours. It took him back 16 months; I hope it takes me back to the early 90's so people stop ridiculing my Zubaz pants]

Alright, so I just played this-BACK THE FUCK OFF OKAY-, and I have to say that Dead Space is the most kick-ass game to ever come out, like ever. Some of my bros told me what kind of hot shit this thing was, and I am here to confirm it. This game is hot shit. So hot, in fact, that my palms are getting sweaty even writing this review! read more

People (mouth-breathers) like to demean games as silly wastes of time. They’re probably right, at least if you’re referring to the current crop of games. Can they be harnessed towards something useful? We’ve seen labeling pictures turned into a game. We’ve seen manipulating proteins turned into a game. What about teaching Microsoft Office?

A new game called Ribbon Hero attempts to turn learning and practicing Microsoft Office techniques into a game. This is just the first step: soon everything will use games to teach. read more

Fans always want remakes of their favorite games. Final Fantasy VII is one of the perennial frontrunners for the remake treatment, and there is always speculation that Square Enix would make a bundle if they just updated the game with HD graphics. It’s rare, however, that you see the opposite.

A fan remade a portion of Mega Man 9 in HD, and while it’s identical to the original game (which was a retro throwback anyway) but with HD graphics, fans have not been kind to it. Critics say it removed the soul of the game. Are 8-bit graphics really that charming and expressive? read more

Don’t get me wrong: I’m a PS3 owner, and only a PS3 owner. I don’t want to start some console flame war about which is better overall. I just want to suggest that Xbox Live is winning the online war vs. PSN (as well it should considering it costs something vs. PSN which is free).

PSN likes to push that it offers greater value because there’s no subscription fee. Is $5/month really that crippling? Is the worse functionality offered by PSN worth the savings? Hardly. read more

I’m a sucker for charming short films, and this one certainly takes the cake. Sign Language – I voted for it and last I checked it had a substantial lead.

Keep reading for Ghostbusters vs. Love Game, Matchstick Minas Tirith and the most epic Quarantine Rap in the world.   read more

[Today's Heavy Rain review comes from John Humphrey Johanas, Esquire, through the teletape from Japan. He freelances for popular gaming blog Backhand of Justice, and also runs a webcam website www.deviantjohanas.com]

This game came with a lot of hype that I chose not to get involved in. All I knew before getting in was that this is supposed to be a ball-busting emotional thriller with more of an emphasis on story and choices than gameplay. The great Luke Stillman even controversially debated with himself over whether or not this is a “game” despite having not played the final retail version! All in all, this looks to be something that is destined to get fucked up. read more