Nintendo Wii

Christopher Jordan Dorner Manhunt: 'Freaking the Fuck Out' While Big Bear's Under Siege

Longtime Weekly readers recall "Homegirl Arrissia" Owen from her multiple appearances in Commie Girl, serving as the Robin to the Batman of that former column, Rebecca Schoenkopf (now fighting crime as Wonkette). Owen continues to contribute to the Weekly from her home in Big Bear--the closest home ... More >>

Deer Tick Want You

To be politically aware, frolic in sandals (if you're a girl) and avoid Mitt Romney

STRFKR at the Observatory, Feb. 23, 2012

​ Starfucker The Observatory Feb. 24, 2012 Starfucker was last in Orange County in January, but they might as well never have left.The first of their two-show Southern California mini break from recording left fans cheering their name as they dispersed across the parking lot of The Observatory.

Brent Bushnell of Extreme Makeover Fame Talks at UCI Today About Immersive Gaming

​The next speaker geeking up UC Irvine's Center for Computer Games and Virtual Worlds this evening is a renaissance man when it comes to gaming, Internet start-ups, mobile platforms, online reality television and using casual games to reduce memory loss. He's Brent Bushnell, the engineer and entre ... More >>

5 Most Important Video Game-Related News Stories of 2011

​2011 has come and gone, and the year that seemingly slipped right past us was full of major events--some of which may very change the landscape of the video gaming industry forever. Everything from new a new Nintendo console to the death of a computer pioneer was all crammed into the previous yea ... More >>

Peter Mai, the Best Weekly Culture Writer You've Never Heard Of

Meet our video-game blogger extraordinaire

Top 10 Video Game Posts of 2011

Flickr user Rad Jose​If you're a regular OC Weekly reader and a gamer, our video game writer Peter Mai is probably your hero. Our video game columnist consistently gets hundreds of thousands of page views every week with his insightful and well-written blogs. Which ones were the most popular this ... More >>

5 Video Games With the Worst Bugs of 2011

Wrong kind of bug, Link!​It's not easy to make a video game, and it's certainly not easy to make a game that is free from bugs. Developers only have a limited amount of time to exterminate any game bugs and glitches before it's forced to be released to the world, and oftentimes, there will be a fe ... More >>

5 Video Gaming Characteristics That Are Now Dead (But Were Once Popular)

eBay Seller lukiegames​The way video games are played has changed dramatically over the past decade. What was once considered popular and common in the 1990s seem ridiculous and unplayable to today's gaming crowd. As the art and development of video gaming continue to evolve and refine itself thro ... More >>

2011's Best Black Friday Video Game Deals

​Hey, we all know that video gaming is one heck of an expensive hobby. Considering the daunting amount of great games that are have been released within the past three months, your wallet is going to be begging for mercy if you decide to purchase all of your games at retail price. Luckily for game ... More >>

WINNER'S CIRCLE: Dee Nguyen

[BEST OF 2011: GAME ON!] Owner of Break of Dawn

5 Ways Facebook Has Changed Console Gaming

​Facebook games are on a completely different wavelength than modern gaming on consoles. They're simple, often mindless, and accessible to just about everybody. People who aren't typically gamers have now been introduced to games with a community larger than XBOX Live, or PSN. It did a better job ... More >>

Top 10 Musical Moments in Video Games

Aerosmith's Revolution XThis week, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place in Los Angeles, drawing fanfare and hype across the gaming world. The three-day trade fair is open to only vendors and developers, but it provokes the kind of suspense Apple fans feel before a major Steve Jobs annou ... More >>

E3 2011: 8 Reasons Why You Should be Excited As Hell

​The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is right around the corner, and the entire video game industry is focusing its gaze on what surprises the world's biggest gaming convention has in store. This year's E3, however, is going to be one of those really big, exciting ones that come come around eve ... More >>

Hands-On Review: Everything That I Love/Hate About the Nintendo 3DS

Peter Mai/OC Weekly​I have my hands on the Nintendo's newest handheld, the 3DS. As an update to the Nintendo DS, one of the most popular video gaming devices of all time, the 3DS has a lot of expectations to meet. Promising 3D graphics without the need for glasses, along with a handful of many fea ... More >>

Ten Signs You're an Aging Gamer

​Yesterday was my birthday. That means another year in my life has come and gone, and I'm another year closer to the inevitable grave.Although my life has taken many twists and turns within the span of a single year, one thing remains constant--I still play A LOT of video games.Since I'm a few yea ... More >>

Roosters Fun Bar in Irvine has Grand Opening This Super Bowl Sunday

stock.xchng user kindhelper​ Roosters Fun Bar has been open for 3 weeks, but unless you were stuck waiting behind the train tracks at Sand Canyon and the 5, you'd never know it exists. That's because it's inside that Great Park of RVs called Traveland USA.

7 Racist Video Games You Had No Idea Were Racist

​Racism isn't always obvious. From time to time, a number of blatantly racist video games are released, and everyone goes apeshit. There are rare situations, however, when the racism isn't as obvious. These are the situations in which thoughtless stereotypes are used, or when games touch upon infl ... More >>

The Best Video Games to Burn Off That Holiday Weight Gain

​It happens just about every holiday season.You go to Christmas parties with friends, family and co-workers, and you overindulge in all sorts of festive food. Which is fine because we all do it. When the holiday season is finally over, however, the bathroom scale tells you you've gained a ton of w ... More >>

Seven Reasons Why the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards are Ridiculous

​This Saturday, Dec. 11, Spike will be hosting its 2010 installment of their Video Game Awards. The annual awards show provides a wonderful opportunity for individuals working in the video game development industry to receive recognition for all of their hard work. It's also a interesting chance t ... More >>

3hree Things: On Holiday Shopping And Retail Zombies I Hope To Avoid This Season

Watch out for 3hree Things every Tuesday, where Riley Breckenridge, drummer of Orange County's favorite local alt-rock band Thrice, gives his take on life in Southern California as an OC native.Tis the season to be an asshole jolly. A caveat: I love giving gifts, and love that the hol ... More >>

"You Are Worthless and Weak!": Top 10 GAME OVER Screens

​Death is rarely a funny thing. Dying in the twisted world of video gaming, on the other hand, can often lead to hilarious results. The dreaded "Game Over" screen has been an integral part of gaming since they were first made, and if your failure isn't bad enough, some of the screens really like t ... More >>

5 Video Game Series That Need a Reboot

The Newer and Slightly Less Handsome Dante.​Devil May Cry is getting a slightly-controversial series reboot, as announced during last week's Tokyo Game Show. Whether you're a fan of protagonist Dante's new drug addict look or not, there's no doubt that this series has been long overdue for a fresh ... More >>

10 Video Games Series That Have Not Modernized Well

Video Games have come a long way since its simple beginnings as a missile simulator on a cathode ray. Nowadays, we have photorealistic graphics, motion control, HD, 3D, HDD, and all sorts of crazy acronyms with the letter 'd' in it. Video games are a rapidly evolving medium. While this means that up ... More >>

PROS and CONS: Hands on impressions of the Nintendo 3DS

Peter Mai/OC Weekly​On the third day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, I was finally able to have a hands-on demonstration of Nintendo's newly announced 3DS hand-held system. Although the system exceeded the already high expectations that I had, there were still a number of issues that prevent ... More >>

E3 2010: Nintendo Press Conference Impressions

Chris Victorio/OC Weekly​Nintendo held their annual E3 press conference inside the Nokia Theater this year, and offered a number of surprises for fans and the press. Everything from announcements of new games of their beloved franchises to the unveiling of a new handheld, Nintendo offered somethin ... More >>

Five Most Embarrassing E3 Moments

With the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo approaching in a few weeks, gamers and electronics fans across the globe have a lot to look forward to. During this event, industry giants such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will have the opportunity to show off all of the great products that they have t ... More >>

Five of the Worst Things to Happen to Video Gaming

Video games are great. Whether it is used as a means to bond with friends or as a quick method to relieve stress, there are few entertainment mediums that have the ability to captivate us the way video games have.Unfortunately, there are certain characteristics of video gaming that have completely r ... More >>

Five Ways Nintendo Can Avoid Screwing Up the 3DS

The recent announcement of Nintendo's newest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, has set the internet on fire. However, Nintendo hasn't released a single ounce of information about its next system other than the fact that it'll use 3D without the use of special glasses.Although little is known about the Nin ... More >>

Video Game Shopping for All Stereotypes! Spring 2010 Edition

Gamers know that the best games of the year don't necessarily arrive near the Holiday Season. Previously known for the long months of little or no game releases, spring is now a popular release time frame for some of the industry's most popular titles. Game publishers have learned to avoid the Holid ... More >>

The Five Most Badass Japanese Game Designers

American video game developers have it all: Multi-million dollar development budgets and the world's largest video game market are at their disposal to make some of modern day's best video games. However, they all lack one crucial thing--the rock star charisma of Japanese video game designers. When ... More >>

Dishney: A Very Guitar Hero Christmas

A former Disneyland special effects expert has found his 15 minutes of internet fame with this now-viral YouTube clip of his Christmas decor. Ric Turner has transformed his house to a larger than life television screen, syncing up holiday lights with an actual, live game of Guitar Hero played right ... More >>

Booze News: WineStyles Celebrates A Year at Orchard Hills

Head to the Orchard Hills Village Center in Irvine this Friday, April 3 (5:00pm-10:00pm) and Saturday, April 4 (2:00pm-10:00pm) for WineStyles' first birthday bash.Expect free wine tastings, raffles, gift certificates, complimentary wine-tasting coupons, bottles of wine and accessories--plus live mu ... More >>

In the Latest Round of Effects vs. Storytelling, Effects Win Big in 'Monsters Vs. Aliens'

[Game On] With 'Guitar Hero: World Tour,' a Series Shreds Its Momentum

[Game On] The Evolution Is Being Televised: Alas, 'Spore' Isn't the Leap You've Been Led to Believe

[Game On] Gold Metal, Tarnished: French Laugh In the Face of Video Games As Sport

This Week in the OC Weekly

[Game On] Atari's 'Alone In the Dark' Is Scary for All the Wrong Reasons

[Game On] Baroquen Spirit: Atlus' 'Baroque' Imagines Eternal Life in Gaming Limbo. It Isn't Pretty

[Game On] Geek Chic: No More Heroes Is Hip, Bloody and Indispensable

Let Self-Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz puts his arms around his world

CD Review

Various Artists, Well Deep: 10 Years of Big Dada (Big Dada)

Game On

Plumb tuckered out: A breathtaking journey through space revives Super Mario

Shred Cred

WEB EXCLUSIVE! Shred Cred: You wanted the best—you got the best: Guitar Hero III

Game On

Fun With Fluids: The Revolution will be televised—and plenty addictive, too

Game On

Bang Bang for Your Buck: Five great games for $60—Shoot first, Ask questions later

Game On

Down in Flames: Lair's fire-breathing dragon is just a big turkey

Convention of horrors

I should have known better. Years of Comic-con attendance have taught me that geek-convention faux pas 101 is to show up late and somehow expect you'll be able to get inside quickly. True, I had overslept, and the fact that the FANGORIA WEEKEND OF HORRORS convention was being held at the "Burbank Ai ... More >>

I Hate People

Poor, pitiful pearl goes to OCMA