GamesRadar - PC Features

Why Pac-Man was light years ahead of its time (Pac Man World 3)

10/09/2009

It was released way back at the start of the 80s. So surely anything worth saying about Pac-Man has been said already? Actually, we don't think so. You may have heard how Pac-Man is gaming's premiere pop culture icon and how he single-handedly pushed electronic entertainment into the big time. But what you haven't heard until now is why Pac-Man is the original Resident Evil. Or why Pac-Man is more like Grand Theft Auto than you could ever ...

65 things that look like Pac-Man (Pac Man World 3)

28/06/2008

Pac-Man's got to be right up there with Mario as one of the most recognisable videogame characters of all time. And because his basic design is simple, you can see him everywhere. Whenever you take a slice of pizza or cut a segment from a cake, he's there. Then the noise starts to go in your head: waka waka waka waka waka ...

Why Pac-Man was light years ahead of its time (PacMan: Adventure in Time)

10/09/2009

The best fake video game movies you'll never see (Pacmania 2 3D)

27/11/2009

We love games. We love films. And most of all, we love a good pun. That’s why we’ve taken some of our favourite movies and games and stuffed them into a giant blender for mighty mash-up results. Ever wondered what would happen if Kratos collided with the Corleone crime family? Or if Sackboy met Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes? Well wonder no more, because we've answered your day-dreaming prayers with the following mash-up movie ...

Guns that don’t shoot bullets (Painkiller)

6/05/2009

“Guns don’t kill people, bullets do.” But do they have to? Not at all, and in fact, this is all the destructive power you’re going to get out of shooting bullets. ...

Painkiller (Painkiller)

8/01/2004

Believe it or not, there are PC shooters out this year that aren't called Half-Life 2 or Doom III. And leading the way in non-sequel action-based FPSers is the intriguingly-titled Painkiller, currently nearing the end of development by Polish coders People Can Fly. We visited them in the somewhat chilly climes of Warsaw to see how the game is progressing and to play through the first few levels.The game marks a return to the roots of FPSing: pure, arcade-style blasting, with nary a whiff of ...

Pariah (Pariah)

20/01/2005

After the huge success of the Unreal series, Digital Extremes have a lot to live up to with their latest first-person shooter Pariah. Especially when claims of an immersive storyline penned by Hollywood writers, compelling first-person action and the ultimate multiplayer experience are bandied about. We talked to James Schmalz, founder and creative director of Digital Extremes, to get the full, gory details: upgradeable weapons, multiplayer map editing... and just what's happening with that PS2 ...

The Top 7... Scariest games you've never played (The Path)

26/10/2009

We fear the unknown. Psychologists have proven that nothing troubles the human mind more, in fact, than that which cannot be predicted. Our phobias of death, darkness and strangers all stem from this single, simple truth. Apparently, so does our predictable taste in horror games. ...

How indie games took on the world (and won) (The Path)

13/07/2009

What happened to gaming? The past two years haven’t been about blockbuster games. The most exciting, most innovative, most playable games aren’t from the usual suspects. Instead, they’re being made by coffee-shop artists who are absolutely outclassing the establishment. Who are these heroes? Where did they come from? How did they do it? And, anyway, what the hell is indie gaming? ...

Top 7... Blatantly sexist game advertisements (PC)

30/11/2009

We suspect it’s very difficult to work in game advertising. Videogames are a scary new artistic medium, and as such, not everyone knows how to market them – even to their target demographic. More than with anything else, videogame ad-makers love to target their audience with sex and sexy imagery, but that’s nothing surprising – advertisers have been using gender dynamics to sell products on TV since the folgers coffee days. ...

All that glitters: A gold farming report (PC)

27/11/2009

For millions of MMO players, there was no love lost. In fact, last July’s widespread report, that the Chinese government had banned gold farming, was met with giddy rapture.

For years, gold farmers had been the worker ants in games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest, trading virtual loot for real-world profit. ...

Rubbish animals that got turned into video game heroes (PC)

26/11/2009

Over the years we've enjoyed steering some of the animal kingdom's most awesome specimens through some pretty awesome games. Banjo the bear. Donkey Kong the ape. Amaterasu the wolf. We've loved them all. But it's not always nature's most magnificent beasts that game makers deem suitable for the role of hero. Some creatures that have made the jump from wildlife to virtual life are little more than food chain filler. And this is those pathetic ...

Best of the Black Friday deals (PC)

25/11/2009

Given the current state of the economy, and the vigor with which store are going after what’s left of your dollar, we’re going to go ahead and declare this post-Thanksgiving Shopstravaganza of November 27th, 2009… The Blackest Friday. Retailers are well aware of your finiancial plight, and are dropping the prices on games so fresh off the press the cellophane is still melty. ...

14 console and PC mods you'll wish you owned (PC)

24/11/2009

Machines metamorphosed into marvellous mutations. ...

The secret shops of Akihabara (PC)

19/11/2009

Whether you’re looking for electronics, hardware, anime, games, or anything remotely geeky, you’ll find it in Akihabara, a bustling shopping district in Tokyo, Japan. Located just north of Tokyo Station, Akihabara is really three towns in one. It’s a haven for tech hobbyists, a paradise for anime fans and gamers, and a popular tourist destination. ...

Fanboys: 8 reasons why they deserve some respect (PC)

17/11/2009

To be called a 'fanboy' is one of the worst insults in gaming. It suggests a misguided person characterised by an irrational devotion to a piece of software or soulless mega-corporation. A person incapable of intelligent thought. A person that is a despised twat.

But wait. Let's cut them some slack for a moment and think what purpose fanboys actually serve (beyond being a dumping ground for derision). We fancied a bit of a challenge, ...

50 iPhone games you need to play (PC)

6/11/2009

Is there anything better than a bag of popcorn, a cushy sofa on which to recline and an iPhone or iPod Touch loaded with games? Well yeah, there is, especially considering what popcorn fingers can do to a touchscreen. But when you’re on a bus on your way to work, being able to punch up a bloody gorefest like Alive 4-ever or kick it through the uprights in a football sim does help while away the commute time. ...

The rise and fall of the mine cart level (PC)

2/11/2009

The art, science, and tragic history of the greatest gaming innovation known to man. ...

Fun projects for your NES (PC)

30/10/2009

There’s a good chance that you’ve got an old Nintendo Entertainment System in your closet or basement. There’s also a good chance that it’s been collecting dust all these years. If you’re like us, that’s because any fond memories of 8-bit gaming on your NES are tainted by the flickering screens and garbled graphics that taunted you every time you tried to load a game. Well, we think that’s a shame. ...

50 3D milestones in gaming (PC)

30/10/2009

All this week our friends at 3D World have been looking at the landmark 3D titles in gaming, starting in the arcades and charting the most cutting-edge advances in 3D technology all the way to the games that we play on home consoles today.

Night Driver (Atari, 1976)

Generally held to be the very first 3D video game, Atari’s Night Driver managed to conjure a 3D experience out of very little computing horsepower by ...