Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

In a universe full of Super Soldiers, gods, mutants, monsters, robots, and just about everything else you can imagine, there is one organization that we can rely upon to keep tabs on all the madness and keep everything, and everyone, in line. That’s the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Division, more commonly known as S.H.I.E.L.D. And for the longest time, one man has been at the center of it all: Nicholas Fury. Nick has been many things during his lifetime: an amateur boxer, a WWII hero, a CIA agent, and a super spy. His most notable job was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. While he may not shoot beams out of his eyes, have adamantium claws, wear a suit of armor, or have the proportionate strength of a spider, he is just as vital, if not more vital to the Marvel Universe, as any of its greatest meta-human champions.
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Created by Mara Brock Akil as a spin-off to her previous TV hit Girlfriends, The Game is a show which examines the lives of three members of a fictional football team and their relationships with the women in their lives. It was originally shown on CW, but it was canceled after 3 seasons. It was then picked up by BET, where a strong fan following gave it a new lease on life in the form of a new season, which aired this past January. Now it seems like it’s going to be game time again, as Strata, the makers of the arcade classics Time Killers and Blood Storm, have once again teamed with Incredible Technologies, makers of the arcade version of Street Fighter The Movie (which fans have regarded as the definitive Street Fighter game due to its digital representation of Van Damme), to bring The Game to Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Sony PSP, PC, IPhone OS, Windows Phone 7, and Android in the form of a one-on-one fighter. Just as they have revolutionized arcades back in the 90s, Strata/I.T will no doubt bring The Game home in the only way to do so: with bloody combat, grisly dismemberment attacks, secret characters who are palette swaps of other characters, and a stripper pole in your bedroom.
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While Interplay’s Clayfighter might not have been the best fighting game of the SNES days, it was certainly the most creative and original. At the least, it’s art style put it head and shoulders above other SFII rip offs. It also had a pretty creative ad campaign, which parodied other fighting games. When a meteor made of clay lands on in a circus, the clay infects the circus employees, transforming them into strange clay creatures based on their own personalities. Among them are an Elvis impersonator, an evil snowman, an blob of clay that can change its shape, and Helga, an opera singer. The animation style is unique, and the action will keep you in stitches. A “Tournament edition” was released, which fixed many of the game’s glitches and added some new play modes. There were a number of sequels released, and a DSIware/Wiiware revival has been planned. The game is available on Virtual Console. It may not be Street Fighter, but it will keep you in stitches the whole time you play it.

Created by Finland development studio Rovio Interactive, Angry Birds is undoubtedly last year’s Plants vs Zombies. That is, a game developed for casual audiences that gets over with mainstream gamers, finding intensive success, to the point of becoming a pop culture icon. Why are these birds so angry? Simple. Green-skinned pigs have stolen their eggs, so now the birds are ready to cause some serious damage to get their revenge. By controlling their slingshot, you launch the birds at huge wooden structures in an attempt to destroy the pigs within. When you complete a level, you gain extra points for eac unused bird and each part of the structure that’s destroyed. As you progress in the game, you get to use birds with different abilities. This is available on Iphone OS and Android (2.1 and up), but the company is seeking to bring it to PSP, Xbox Live Arcade, Wii, Windows Phone 7, and PC. There are also two stand alone spinoffs. Angry Birds Seasons, which contains holiday-themed levels, and Angry Birds Rio, a free entry based on the upcoming film of the same name which sees players trying to free birds who have been kidnapped by poachers. There are also plans for a TV show and movie based on this new franchise. Angry birds is proof that independent games are becoming bigger than ever, and can even give mainstream games a run for their money. It’s only a dollar, so check it out.

Normally, I don’t do Maximum Letdowns (or for that matter $20 GOTWs and Lost Classics) on games that haven’t been released yet, and since I don’t normally purchase bad games just to smash on them, I concentrate on older titles (along with the occasional dud I find as a download). However in this case, I think the premature bashing is more than warranted, as one of my all-time favorite gaming franchises has been ruined.

Ever since it’s origin on the Japanese PC Engine, the Fire Pro Wrestling series has been notable for its huge list of wrestlers (many of which are based on real-life personalities), huge amount of customization options (allowing players to customize everything from wrestlers, to match types, to ring logos), and its realistic (well as realistic one can get for a scripted sport) simulation-like quality. Not anymore. Thanks to Microsoft, the Fire Pro Wrestling franchise is going to become less than a shadow of its former self, and the upcoming iteration will be a complete mockery of the wrestling franchise I once loved.
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Galcon Fusion, created by developer Phil Hassey, is the latest in the Galcon series, a series of games that started as a 1987 PC shareware title and has been remade as a browser game, Iphone app, and a desktop game. Short for Galactic Conquest, Galcon Fusion can best be described as an arcade-style real time strategy game. The object of the game is to use your fleet of ships to colonize other planets in the galaxy while watching out for other players. By capturing planets, you enable them to create more ships, which you then direct at other planets in an attempt to conquer teh galaxy as fast as possible. It’s simple to get into, yet like most casual games, it gets addictive. There are several different modes, including online multiplayer, and you can post your high score to the game’s leaderboards. It’s available on steam, and it’s cheap, so check it out.

Designed by former policeman Jim Walls, the Police Quest series injected a dose of realism into Sierra’s classic adventure game formula. Although the games featured fictional plotlines, the situations players encounter in the games are based on scenarios that Walls had to endure during his years as a police officer. The games require you to use proper police 56procedure when making arrests and handling other police scenarios. The first three games tells the story of Sonny Bonds, a veteran of the police force as he goes to war against drug cartels, biker gangs, and even satanic cults. Police Quest 4 was designed by controversial police officer Daryl Gates, and it was more of a point-and-click adventure as players stepped in the shoes of John Carey, an LA police detective out to stop a serial killer. After 4, the Police Quest series spun off into the SWAT series. The first two SWAT games were billed as Police Quest titles, but when the series became an FPS tactical shooter, it moved away from the Police Quest branding. The first four Police Quest games, as well as the first two SWAT games are available on Gog.com, so if you ever wanted to know what the life of a police officer was like, check them out.

Yeah, everyone is excited about Duke Nukem Forever finally coming out this summer, but until then, we got Serious Sam. Created by Croatian developers Croteam, Serious Sam is a throwback to the early days of the FPS genre, before complex AI, upgradable armor, fancy graphical tricks, or Hollywood-style movie plots. While this high definition remake employs a new graphics engine, it retains the same chaotic shooting action that’s just as fun now as it was back in 2002. As the title character, you travel back in time to stop the armies of the evil Mental. The First Encounter sees you in Egypt while the second takes you to Central America and Medieval Europe. You’ll encounter zany enemies such as headless suicide bombers (who are somehow able to scream) and skeleton horse creatures. If it had a 2D equivalent, it would be Smash T.V, as much of the game involves Sam shooting waves of enemies. Both the First and Second encounter are available in HD form for $20 each, so if you didn’t check out this game the first time, now is a good time to do so.