Editorials
Here Are The Best Games Of The Year, As Chosen By The Bloody Disgusting Staff
It’s that time of the year! 2012 has thrown everything it had at us, including a bevvy of highly anticipated games like Diablo III, Resident Evil 6, and Silent Hill: Downpour — but we made it. Many of us lost friends to the foggy town of Silent Hill, the demon-infested lands surrounding Tristram, or the eerie, deserted town of Night Springs, Arizona. It was tough, but the important thing is we survived. Sure, our social lives took a beating and our wallets are looking particularly thin, but the good news is we have about a month to save up before things pick back up.
In a continuation of our celebration of the glorious year for gaming that 2012 definitely was, the Bloody Disgusting staff has chosen our favorite games of the year. Check them out after the break.
Adam Dodd
Game of the Year: The Walking Dead (360, PS3, PC)
Gamertag: Baby Colada
I can’t say enough good things about Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. It’s difficult to believe the first episode released way back in April, but what Telltale has done since then for storytelling in games, the adventure genre, and episodic gaming as a whole easily makes this my Game of the Year. This has been a great year. 2012 brought us games like Dishonored, Diablo III, and multiple installments in the Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises, but choosing this was a no-brainer (pun intended). I can’t wait to see what Telltale does next.
TJ Taraszka
Game of the Year: Minecraft (360)
Minecraft 360. I know, with a lot of heavy hitters that came out this year, why Minecraft? 143 hours, that’s why. The only other game that comes close is 50 something hours put into Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer, and that is still low compared to Minecraft. There is something about the game that’s magnetic to me. When I’m sitting around thinking of what game to play, and I’m clueless, I always turn to Minecraft. Endless hours of pointless building makes me feel like a little kid playing with Legos and I love it.
David Harley
Game of the Year: Journey (PS3)
Claiming that Journey is merely a game is a huge disservice to thatgamecompany’s follow-up to Flower. From the moment your faceless, hooded character stands up in the desert until the end of your beautiful – and occasionally perilous – trek, Journey is an experience that encourages exploration and discovery and is the closest you will ever feel to living inside a painter’s masterpiece. It’s a game that needs to played multiple times, both with and without a partner, to enjoy everything it has to offer; single player provides a “stop and smell the roses” playthrough without the possibility of a randomly assigned, experienced partner rushing you to the level’s meditation point, but there is nothing more satisfying that chirping your way to your destination while solving puzzles and soaring through the air with a friendly, unknown companion. Using only four buttons, Journey provides a deep and emotional experience that will stick with you months after you finish.
Honorable Mentions: Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS), Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
Brad Miska
Game of the Year: NBA 2K13 (360)
NBA2K13 left my Xbox only for Halo 4, but soon returned. The graphics are a huge step up from previous years, and without a lockout all rookies were ready to go on opening night. The new version also tells you about new additions as you log in, and has a pretty cool professional mode where you can build your own character’s career. By buying it early I also got the All Star Weekend DLC that has an awesome Slam Dunk competition that plays out like Guitar Hero. And while last year we got all of the legendary teams, this year players can peg the 1992 Dream Team with the 2012 Olympic Team. Who’s the best? Duh, of course it’s any team with Michael Jordan on it… And a quick final note, Aliens is my most anticipated game of 2013. If its not my pick next year, I will be incredibly disappointed.
Tom Owen
Game of the Year: Halo 4 (360)
Gamertag: T4CO 2000
I’m sure this is a pretty typical pick and ends up at the top of many “best of” lists for 2012, but I’m going with Halo 4. Halo 2 was the first game I ever played on XBOX Live and for a long time was the foundation for many nights of excessive pizza and mountain dew consumption with friends. During these nerd fests we also made use of one of mankind’s greatest inventions, the Pizzazz. Halo 4 brought the return of all of it, even the Pizzaz was dusted off and put back in service for the first time in years. It’s far from perfect, but Halo has always been my go to game for casual n00b killing, no scoping, tea bagging, stress relieving fun, and I’m glad to have it back.
Jonathan “Sexiest Man O’ The Year Who Also Has A Luxurious Pelt” Barkan
Game of the Year: Silent Hill: Downpour (360, PS3)
Gamertag: Biz Rizzle
I’d have to go with Silent Hill: Downpour, simply because I didn’t really buy a lot of games this year. However, it was also a really solid game that I enjoyed a great deal.
Want more? Check out our FEAR Awards hub! If you’re still patiently waiting to choose your favorite games of the year, stay tuned, as voting for our fourth annual FEAR Awards will open very soon.
Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh
“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream
“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever
“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game
“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin
“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu
“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock
“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel
“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only
“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door
“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.
You must be logged in to post a comment.