I don't think any true horror fan once thought for a second that the premise of Dead Rising - zombies invade a mall - was original since it completely stole the idea from Dawn of the Dead. The comparisson didn't hurt the game, however, as it was still a fantastic games and still remains one of my favorite Xbox 360 offerings. A lawsuit was still filed because of supposed copyright infringments, but the judge on the case has thrown the lawsuit out and rightfully so.

Gears of War 2 is like running across an old friend. You might not remember every little detail about them right away, but with enough time memories come flooding back, and soon you're yelling Cole Train at your TV as loud as you can. Gears of War 2 is a great single-player game and co-op experience, but when it comes to the multiplayer you'd be better off taking a chainsaw to it (at least when it comes to Epic's matchmaking system).

It's hard to call Fallout 3 just an RPG. Players still roam around, grab quests, and level up after they've gained enough experience, but it's so much more about the experience and downtime rather than the linear goal that drives you forward. You see, Fallout 3 isn't just an RPG, but rather a life simulator of what it must be like if the world actually did suffer an apocalypse. I've too often found myself slowly shuffling towards a nearby city, my bag packed with so many items I can't run anymore, and a crippled leg holding me back. It's not an easy way of life outside the Vault, having to survive fights with mutants and scrounging all the items I can. I walk towards the salvation of a walled city and must remind myself it's just a game, because if I don't the bleakness starts to eat away at me and I feel the sense of hopelessness that surely plagues the citizens of this new world. It's hard not to be moved by the game. Throughout it all, however, it's still a phenomenal achievement as both an excellent game and benchmark in the history of gaming.

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most popular games of all-time, so chances are good Resident Evil 5 will continue the trend. It's been a long time coming, but zombie (okay, not zombies for the past two game, but whatever) killing fans will have their chance to dig into the latest game when it releases March 13, 2009. Besides being able to get your fix on the Xbox 360 or PS3, the release date also brings with it news that a PC version will be hitting on the same day.

It's always a treat whenever a news Brothers In Arms game comes out, as I've come to find out that it's one of the only videogame franchises out there that I actually feel emotionally invested in. I didn't even know this myself until sitting down to play Hell's Highway, and suddenly all the good times spent playing the first two games came back to me, and the emotional weight of the plight of Sgt. Baker and the rest of the 101st Airborne hit me full on.

Dead Space should be a crime. It's just inconceivable that a brand new IP can come out, nailing a perfect mixture between science fiction and survival horror, and have nary a fault in sight. What happened to the good old days when a game had to go through growing pains until it finally reached a level of perfection? Oh well, at least nobody can hear you scream in space, because otherwise people would hear you wailing like a little baby.

There aren't many games out there that I'm so amazingly good at that I honestly feel I could hold my own against the best of the best. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast, however, is one exception to the rule. I logged so many hours into that game. The big rumor today is that Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 might be heading to the PS3 and Xbox 360, which means the ultimate fighting experience might be getting a new release on life, and more and more competition to hopefully start happening online. It's still a rumor, but chances look pretty high.

A teaser trailer was released not long ago, but this is the complete trailer, continuing to show more CG cutscenes after the teaser ended. Officially titled Halo 3: Recon, the game will feature a new hero by way of a UNSC Recon Marine. The game will feature a new campaign, maps, etc. I'm a bit torn on the idea of a side-story featuring a character that isn't Master Chief and one who is supposed to do recon work on the Covenant, but I'll give Bungie the benefit of the doubt for now.

I guess this is what I get for ordering a special edition online. Fans aren't losing too much, because only the special box, fate cards, and collectible Hobbe figure have been done away with. People who buy the collector's edition will still get the exclusive dungeon and Master Chief themed armor and weapon, along with a making of DVD, and the price has been reduced to $69.98. Oh well, the price is nice, but I really wanted a Hobbe figure!

The premise behind Fable II's pub games merging in with the final retail release thrilled many people, but also led many towards the Dark Side, after a glitch was found that would let players amount a vast wealth of money. Stupid cheaters. It seems that the glitch "might" have been planned by Molyneux and those players might have something happen to them in the final game. As someone who has worked hard in the game trying to get money and being several hundred in debt now, I'll take great pleasure in seeing something bad hopefully happen to these players.

I didn't want to post this on the site since so many other gaming blogs were also running with it, but after being stupid enough to click on the link, it deserves a posting for the sheer stupidity of Soulja Boy. I mean, damn, this boy is dumb. The guy spends half the "review" rewinding time and giggling at it like it's the funniest thing in the world. You can catch the video after the link.

If you own an Xbox 360, you've probably experienced the Red Rings of Death at least once...I know I have. For all the times Microsoft claimed the failure numbers were fairly low, it seems that since the beginning - even before launch - Microsoft might've known about the defects that led to the RROD.

For as many quality games as I think the Xbox 360 has coming out, the recent trend of them cutting prices certainly isn't good news. Japan dropping prices is understandable, but lowering them again in the North American market so relatively soon after the last time? So what will be the new prices as of this Friday? Here you go:

Xbox 360 Arcade (no HDD): $199
Xbox 360 60GB HDD: $299
Xbox 360 Elite 120GB HDD: $399

A deer rocket powered by exploding diarrhea. I mean, come on, nuff said right there. What more do I have to tell you about Xbox Live Arcade's newest treasure – Castle Crashers? Okay, fine, I'll talk more on the virtues of this beat 'em up brawler meets RPG fantasy freak fest after the jump. But come on! Exploding diarrhea!

It's one thing for a creator to defend their game from harsh reviews, but it's another to publicly come out and review your own game. Besides Peter Molyneux giving his own game a ranking of 9 out of 10, he didn't even feel it was worthy of a ten. How do you not go ahead and just rate your game perfection?