The upcoming 2009 release of MadWorld has conservatives in a swarm. The game showcases a black and white ambience only disrupted by red swirls of blood that fill the screen during combat. One of these conservative groups is Mediawatch-UK, whose campaign for decency and accountability in the media has a serious problem with MadWorld. This could block Sega’s title from reaching Wii owners in the UK. So, is it suitable that committees like this one ban media content, including video games, or are they overstepping boundaries in defining decency?

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In keeping with the strange tradition of denying audiences easy access to the third installment of series (hey, Final Fantasy and Street Fighter…), the shoot-’em-up arcade favorite, Raiden, has kept its second brother from home view–until now. Why was Raiden III hidden away for twelve long years? Was it too gloriously beautiful, known to blind gamers with its radiance? Or hideously deformed, hunched over a bucket of fish heads and stinking up the attic? Nick looks at Raiden’s deep, dark past, and the reworked PS2 Raiden III, after the jump.

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“Miyamoto” and “Nintendo paydirt” are fundamentally linked. After all, he is the man responsible for Nintendo’s original rise to power with his own innovative ideas. His earlier creations, such as Mario and Zelda, have been responsible for multiple big sellers. Mario in particular has a game in practically every genre in the industry. Including spin-off and sports titles, Mario and his cohorts have been the stars of more than 20 games. Zelda comes in with a comparatively modest total title tally of 13.

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Exhaustion is a gamer’s worst enemy. You know it, I know it, which is why there are so many products loaded with caffeine and sugar to keep you awake and alert. Soda is cheap and good but sometimes, it isn’t enough for late night, long hour gaming. Luckily, there are caffeine-loaded alternatives in different forms to fuel gamers onward into the very early morning.

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I guess The Dark Knight has affected me more than I realized. All I can think about is how badass that movie is, and how it shows that not all sequels are crappy. Growing up I remember so many games that I played for hours without stopping for days and days on end. But whatever happened to those IP’s?! Why did they disappear? So I’ve decided that I have a top 5 list of games that have to have sequels made because their first versions were so badass.
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Even though that filet mignon looks delicious, the real focus is on the Logitech gear, like the specially designed, Wii-specific keyboard and two hot new racing wheels for the fast and moderately furious. Luckily, most of the products Steve gets the lowdown on have a release “in the August time frame,” so if you like what you see–get thee to a shoppery. Hit the jump for the full video, and sweet hardware.

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It looks like Mars and Venus can play together after all. The number of female gamers has grown in recent years, and with the variety of games out there, it’s a wonder that anybody out there is still not playing them. The taste in games may differ between the sexes, but at least the playing field is leveling.

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Who says girls can’t game? SK-Ladies reeled in $13,000 in their North American win in the Women’s Counter-Strike 1.6 Grand Finals, in the ESWC. The ladies put in 20+ hours a week of dedication to prepare for this tournament, in addition to being full-time students and having jobs to supplement their gaming careers. These ladies boot-camped prior to the tournament and were definitely well prepared to bring the “W” home.

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