Combining game consoles and emulators, the Retrode 2 is a device that lets you play SNES and Genesis games on your computer. It's a USB device that accepts SNES and Genesis cartridges and controllers, and uses them with any emulator program. When not in use, it folds up into a little clamshell box. It's kind of magical, as far as we can tell.

It's hard to say why you would be playing on a computer, in an emulator, when you have the cartridge and controller handy. Perhaps you want to be able to use save states or other emulator niceties. You might just want to take a bunch of screenshots. Whatever the reason, we like having the option! It'll be available January 23 for 65 euro or $85, depending on your region.

Retrode 2 USB device lets you play real SNES and Genesis games in emulators originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When a solo trip over to the neighboring corporation's top secret vault is too big a job for one person, Syndicate offers four-player co-op to help. Securing that Big Mac secret sauce recipe should be a cinch.

Syndicates get by with a little help from their friends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield 3
The time I've spent with Battlefield 3 this year is only bested by the many, many hours I've spent stalking dragons in Skyrim. The hours with BF3, however, were distinctly more dense, while I shouted at teammates to provide cover fire, slowly inching towards a heavily-guarded objective, or lead the charge on an enemy base from the driver's seat of a large, mobile, metal death box.

It's a crime that Battlefield 3 isn't on our top 10 list, because it's by far the best multiplayer shooter experience available, and it's certainly this year's best (in yet another year with several genre entries, including an Infinity Ward-developed CoD title). The main campaign isn't very good, sure, and the co-op is even less impressive, but the "Battlefield Moments[TM]" you'll experience in multiplayer more than make up for the package's shortcomings. Worried you've been waiting too long and won't be able to compete? BF3 mitigates that with support classes, allowing players of all types to participate. Squad up on Team [JOY]!

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Ben's picks for 2011

Best of the Rest: Ben's picks for 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The little infuriating platformer that could, Super Meat Boy, has surpassed a million sales. The announcement was made late yesterday by Team Meat on Twitter. Super Meat Boy passed the milestone last month, maintaining a healthy sales clip since jumping past 600,000 customers last April.

Super Meat Boy made our top ten games of 2010, deftly leaping into a not-so-deadly fifth place.

Super Meat Boy surpasses 1 million sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To the Moon
Sometimes we play games to ease real-life frustrations, to cure boredom, to slaughter enemies or to participate in a captivating story. To the Moon, developed by Freebird Games, can do all of these things. It doesn't require you to murder any foes, although its very foundation is in death, and it offers a soothing, philosophical story with more depth than its pixelated graphics initially suggest. As a point-and-click adventure, To the Moon is more of an interactive tale than a full-on game, yet it is so engaging that the lack of quests, boss fights or bullets becomes irrelevant.

To the Moon chronicles the last day of an old man's life, but that day includes a Benjamin Button-style adventure through his past as a duo of snarky scientists attempt to change his memories. Why? So that his final wish can come true, at least in his mind, before he dies.

In the end, To the Moon is a beautiful and complex love story and, though I don't want to give the entire plot away, I'll tell you his final wish has something to do with interstellar travel.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Jess' picks of 2011

Best of the Rest: Jess' picks of 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading FIFA 12 finishes year atop UK charts, Old Republic slides way down

FIFA 12 finishes year atop UK charts, Old Republic slides way down originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dead Space 2
I am a passionate man. When Dead Space 2 was overlooked by several of my fellow editors, preventing it from attaining a rightful place in our top ten, I briefly contemplated a multi-city tour. The plan was simple: ring their doorbell, smack them across the face, cross their name off a list and move on to the next deserving victim. My main reason Dead Space 2 deserved a spot in our top ten:

At times, I forgot to breathe.

Dead Space 2 was a game of tension and release. I found myself gasping for air after several scenes, so focused on whatever new necromorph horror was trying to splay me that the part of my brain regulating natural respiration was overridden by the section screaming, "SHOOT IT! SHOOT IT WITH SO MUCH QUICKNESS AND RUN!"

For the sake of levity, if I had it my way, there would have been several moments where protagonist Isaac Clarke pulled out Handi-Snacks, lifted his visor and pouted about whatever danger he'd face beyond the next airlock.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Alexander's picks of 2011

Best of the Rest: Alexander's picks of 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare's Austin studio had some assistance in developing Star Wars: The Old Republic, which co-founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka have described in the past as a collaboration between BioWare Austin, Edmonton, and Mythic. As it turns out, BioWare Ireland is yet another crucial component of The Old Republic's development harem, assisting the game with "multiple dimensions of support," from quality assurance to localization to networking. And that may not be all that the Ireland studio will be up to in the coming years.

"That's where it is right now," Zeschuk told me, before he noted that "over time, we'll see." For now, the Galway-based office is primarily focused on making sure SW:TOR servers aren't crashing and players aren't furious. "It's really a reflection of how important we value the service," Muzyka added. "The commitment as a premium service subscription game is to support it with high quality service every step of the way." BioWare apparently thought that commitment serious enough to bring on approximately 400 new employees to man its Ireland location.

And with initial subscriber numbers still on the rise, it looks like that commitment will pay off, at least in the short term. In the long run, however ... well, let's just say it won't be shocking to see the Ireland studio transform into something more than strictly support.

BioWare Ireland is a 'kind of sister studio' to BioWare Austin, offering various levels of support originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie Royale, the new indie bundle that allows you to pay anything above a minimum (which changes depending on what other people pay), is launching a "New Year's Bundle" of PC and Mac games, which you can pre-order now at a minimum price of $3.99. The trick is that you won't know what you're pre-ordering. It's a "blind pre-order," with only descriptions of the available games given. The identity of the games will be revealed sometime later this week.

"We first started the blind pre-order for Indie Royale for two reasons," Indie Royale co-founder Simon Carless told Joystiq. "Firstly, we did it because the popularity of Indie Royale was crushing our website when we launched, thanks to the 'ascending price' model - although we've improved our systems a lot since then! And secondly, because the price is variable for the bundle, we found our users were stressed about being in front of a computer when the bundle launched." Also, Carless added, "We find that some people have fun guessing the games in the bundle! More power to them!"

Continue reading Indie Royale's next bundle available for pre-order, and we have no idea what it is

Indie Royale's next bundle available for pre-order, and we have no idea what it is originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there's hope for mainstream video games, it's represented by Saints Row: The Third.

Yes, I know, it has dildo bats and treats women like objects and maybe leans a bit too hard on gags aimed squarely at Fratty McKegbeer, but look just beneath the surface and you'll find a game that loves and respects its player.

Saints Row: The Third plays fast and loose with the standards of good taste, but it's never willing to be reckless with your time.

Continue reading Joystiq Top 10 of 2011: Saints Row: The Third

Joystiq Top 10 of 2011: Saints Row: The Third originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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