Best of Member Blogs: From Batman's Fisticuffs To Monkey Island Subtlety

Author: by Staff

Showcasing highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our weblog writers take a fresh look at The Secret of Monkey Island and the combat system in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals. Our favorite blog post of the week will earn its author a lifetime subscription to Gamasutra's sister publication, Game Developer magazine. (All magazine recipients outside of the United States or Canada will receive lifetime electronic subscriptions.) We hope that our blog sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information, check out the official posting guidelines. Here are the top member blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Member Blogs - Critical Essay Series: The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition (Sumantra Lahiri) If you remember LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island as an all-out laugh fest you may want to play it again, as did Sumantra Lahiri. Playing the recently-released Special Edition, he found that it wasn't the obvious slapstick humor that lets the game stand the test of time, but rather the clever, subtle jokes. For his effort, Sumantra will receive a lifetime subscription to Gamasutra sister publication Game Developer magazine. - The World of the 'Sprinks' (Frank Forrestall) In his blog, artist Frank Forrestall shares the concept art that went into a game for Silverback Productions called Gem Troll. Forrestall explains how creating a new fantasy world when you approach that world with a "genuine sense of wonder." - To Counter, Or Not To Counter (Christopher Enderle) Christopher Enderle reckons that Batman: Arkham Asylum was "the first serious shot in what will hopefully be a revolution of a new standard of combat mechanics and design." Here, he sizes up the game's countering system with other recognizable games. - Ideal staff - Extrovert Or Introvert? (Eric Adams) Eric Adams sparked a long discussion on his introductory member blog post by asking if a "gregarious, humorous" person is more ideal to have on staff versus an equally-qualified "introverted and quiet" person. What do you think? - A Dash Of Gank Spoils The Stew (Simon Ludgate) Blogger Simon Ludgate looks at the recently-released Demon's Souls from Atlus and From Software, and takes issue with "ganking" in the game's online mode. Should there have been an option in the game to allow online co-op players to "play in peace"?