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Ryan SmithAbout Ryan Smith Ryan Smith is a writer/journalist who recently moved back to Illinois after living in Missouri and Los Angeles for the past decade. A Land of Lincoln (Springfield, IL) native, Ryan won several local and state journalism awards in his five years as a news reporter in central Missouri. His freelance work has appeared in publications such as Relevant Magazine, Vox, and Escape. Ryan has penned multimedia reviews and features for PopMatters since 2005. Features
The Mask of NormalityWhat do you do when you discover a colleague is a killer? Cultural depictions of serial killers help us avoid confronting what we can't abide: that murderers might be as ordinary as the rest of us [9 April 2009] Beyond the Core Gamer: An Interview with Wideload Games’ Alex Seropian"There's huge potential for the market to grow, and the only way we're going to get there is if there are games available that address an audience beyond the core gamer." [3 July 2008] First Person of Shooters: An Interview with Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel"I don't think Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan or any of those guys took it lightly when they became who they were. It was because they were obsessed about something, probably a little crazy and I think I do the same thing." [15 November 2007] E for Some But Not AllI felt at times like a kid at an amusement park on a rainy, drizzly day where the weather scares most people off, so the lines for the roller coasters are practically nonexistent. [31 October 2007] “Technology for the Masses”: An Interview with Nolan Bushnell"The games got too complex and violent. The complexity lost the casual gamer, and the violence lost the women." [27 July 2007] A Final Farewell to ArcadesIt was about a community of like-minded misfits. It was about sticking it to the Man. [16 January 2007] Street Fighter II: The World Warrior: “Here Comes a New Challenger!”In the twilight days of the old video arcades, a coin-op game emerged that changed everything about the way fighting games were played and created a minor renaissance. Ryan Smith reflects back on the heady youth of global warriors, quarter match challengers, and "shoryuken!" with the original Street Fighter II. [12 October 2006] My Own Private EnronHow many more corporate scandals are out there? A former employee at film-ratings firm Veritasiti tells of the day he and his co-workers were let go without warning, amid reports of SEC investigations and bouncing paychecks. [9 October 2006] The Royal Wii?Nintendo may not have said it outright during their big announcement about the price and release date of the Wii, but the video game console war taking center stage this holiday season has as much to do with philosophy as it does Mario and the Master Chief. [5 October 2006] Columns
The Banality of a Wanna Be Robin HoodAs I walked into the payday loan company's office I wondered, Did any of the union welders on the Death Star walk out once they realized what "Project DS" stood for? [16 April 2008] (more Out of Context) The Real Surreal WorldWhy are the most visceral, defining moments in our life often perceived as unreal or dream-like? [28 January 2008] (more Out of Context) Just One of the “Schlubs”A walk on the down and out side, sans music soundtrack and poetic interpretation. [7 January 2008] (more Out of Context) A Fistful of QuartersIf only I could love Ms. Pacman the way I want to love Ms. Pacman. [8 October 2007] (more Out of Context) With Malice Towards FunIn a battle to claim The Simpson's for its own, Fox network's favorite family teetered dangerously close to stealing the heart and soul of Springfield, Illinois, away from the man who saved the Union. [15 August 2007] (more Out of Context) Z-Boys, Cool LosersThe underlying motivation to save Horizons West was about Sticking It to The Man. Us versus Them. Punk culture versus conformist culture. Poor against rich. All, interestingly enough, attitudes heavy in the subtext of the Z-Boys movies. [13 June 2007] (more Out of Context) Slacker or Hero?: A Taste of the Life of a Video Game TesterVideo Game Testers are rather like UN weapons inspectors (and have about as much credibility, now that I think about it). [2 April 2007] (more Out of Context) Las Vegas—The Real Never Never LandIn less than 36 hours, I was rear-ended in traffic by a sleazy local lingerie-shop owner who offered free pot for my troubles; I overcame an early $70 deficit and left the blackjack table with $45 in winnings; and the hotel upgraded me to a swanky top-floor Jacuzzi suite. [6 March 2007] (more Out of Context) Reviews
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2I couldn't help but notice that one puzzle in which you must fit four different shaped blocks in four identically shaped holes in order to open a door was eerily similar to a Fisher-Price puzzle that I once solved at age four. [19 October 2009] 
Shadow ComplexThe best thing to happen to gaming in the last four years is not the Wii. It is XBox Live Arcade. [24 August 2009] 
Sacred 2: Fallen AngelPerhaps there’s just something hardwired in our brains that the hack and slash action-RPG insidiously massages that makes them so damn addictive. [10 June 2009] 
Guitar Hero: MetallicaUnless you're the kind of person who carpools to Ozzfest, has a social circle that dresses all in black and has a fondness for Slayer's “Reign in Blood” -- chances are you're not going to have a big Guitar Hero: Metallica party. And let's face it, this is especially true if you want girls to come. [1 May 2009] 
Afro SamuraiAfro Samurai would be a little too self-serious if it wasn't for Ninja-Ninja, a white-haired, impish character that can best be described as Samuel L. Jackson playing Samuel L. Jackson. [6 March 2009] 
Midnight Club: Los AngelesEven if you're not actually walking around on the streets or going into buildings, the Los Angeles here feels just as fully realized as New York City does in Grand Theft Auto 4. [16 January 2009] 
Gears of War 2Gears of War 2 is a sequel with nearly perfect gameplay sullied by silly, derivative and downright ridiculous story and dialogue. [18 December 2008] 
NBA 2K9If only a hoops game the caliber of NBA 2K9 could have been released in the heyday of pro basketball: the 1980s. [22 October 2008] 
Infinite UndiscoveryAs much as Undiscovery's combat feels fresh, the plot feels like it was something taken from the Generic JRPG Plot discount rack. [8 October 2008] 
Mercenaries 2: World in FlamesThings like plot, moral compasses, characters and dialogue are all secondary concerns in Mercenaries 2. [26 September 2008] 
Guitar Hero: AerosmithDespite a few interesting new things, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith really isn't much more than a Guitar Hero III expansion pack with a thin coat of Aerosmith paint splashed on. [21 July 2008] 
Ninja Gaiden IIIf you're worried that video games are becoming a little too "arthouse" or highbrow, there are always titles like Ninja Gaiden II. [18 July 2008] 
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of DoomThere are so many head-scratchingly puzzling things about this Xbox 360 game that it's hard to know where to start. [23 April 2008] 
Condemned 2: BloodshotCondemned 2: Bloodshot is entertaining enough, but it still feels like it's written by two socially awkward 15-year-old boys who dress in black and listen to a little too much Slipknot. [18 April 2008] 
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: ElementsDark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is the cheesy '80s flick of the modern role-playing scene. [19 March 2008] 
Mass EffectOne of the major themes of Mass Effect is xenophobia and the reasons that certain species hate or mistrust the others. [4 January 2008] 
Beautiful KatamariThe charm that once made the original fun and interesting has worn thin now that the second and third sequels have come around. [19 December 2007] 
ShadowrunShadowrun feels like a briefly entertaining speed bump on the road to Halo 3. [3 August 2007] 
Dance Dance Revolution UniverseHere’s a startling revelation –- flailing wildly on DDR arrows makes you about as much of a real dancer as wearing a red ski mask and jumping off your roof makes you Spider-Man. [14 May 2007] 
CrackdownIf the Grand Theft Auto series is the Godfather of the so-called "sandbox" genre, consider Crackdown to be the Die Hard or the XXX. [19 March 2007] Viva PiñataIt's much easier to stomach the death of a piñata named Buzzlegum12 than the knowledge that my friend Buzz Aldrin the Bee was exploded in the night, causing his delicious candy innards to be flung to the ends of the garden. [2 February 2007] Tony Hawks Project 8Tony Hawk's Project 8 is not a revolutionary game, content to improve slightly on its seven predecessors. [18 December 2006] Marvel Ultimate Alliance"Why not just throw in Paul Bunyan and My Little Pony and be done with it?" [22 November 2006] 
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesLiberty City Stories isn't the bold new GTA game many fans were hoping for. [10 August 2006] 
Urban ReignSadly, you are not required to rescue George W. Bush from angry Louisiana officials or disgruntled military moms in Namco's new Urban Reign. [1 January 1995] 
187 Ride or DieRide or Die is no more harmful than a commercial featuring Snoop Dogg and Lee Iacocca. 
Age of Empires IIIIf you can look past the fact that much of the combat was done with slow-loading, inaccurate rifles by men in gaudy uniforms, you'll find it hard to believe how few games have been made about the era. BlogsConsuming Consumables: Call of Duty: World at War [16 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: Left 4 Dead [14 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: Far Cry 2 [8 December 2008]Moving Pixels: What’s Barack Doing In My Burnout? [29 October 2008]Moving Pixels: It’s That Time Again: The Annual End of the Year Game Glut [15 October 2008]Consuming Consumables: Mass Effect - Xbox 360 [$59.99] [19 December 2007]Consuming Consumables: Project Gotham Racing 4 - Xbox 360 [$59.99] [14 December 2007]Consuming Consumables: The Orange Box - Xbox 360 [$59.99] [2 December 2007]Consuming Consumables: Bioshock - Xbox 360 [$59.99] [22 November 2007] |
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