Welcome, Poweteers, to a brand new original column where we explore the top (and bottom) 5 items we think are relevant to any of a variety of topics that span the imagination. Sit back, read, and respond!

The late Don Cornelius, the creator and the longtime host of the legendary Soul Train, the show which revolutionized black music television. Can anyone do the same for gaming?

This month is Black history Month, which is the 28 (or 29 if its a leap year) days out of the year to recognize the achievements and contributions Black Americans have made towards science, sociology, history, civics, and entertainment. That last one is especially important, as our people have made many advancements in the field of entertainment, and I’m not just talking about Spike Lee and Tyler Perry either. Since before the days of Motown, we have made unprecedented contributions to movies, books, television, video games, and even pop culture in general. Within this legacy is an untapped well of potential for video game companies looking to create the next big gaming hit. There have been attempts to tap into this well before, although with limited success, as seen in this week’s Maximum Letdown. Don’t get me wrong, I love EA’s Def jam fighters and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but they don’t even begin to scratch the surface to what decades of movies, music, and literature can contribute to video-gaming, and don’t even mention crappy ‘thugsploitation’ games like 25 to Life and 187 Ride or Die. This list features 5 properties that are either created by Black Americans, or feature Black Americans in leading roles. I even give suggestions to what platforms they can be released on, as well as possible pre-order bonuses/downloadable content. Hey, if they can make games out of Desperate Housewives, then they can make games out of anything.
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I had really high hopes for this game. Obviously it wasn’t going to be the next Madden out the gate (or even NFL Blitz), but there was a lot to like about it, and for the right reasons. For one, it’s development team features several black female programmers, and the developer, Nerjyzed Entertainment is headed by a black female CEO. The company’s mission is to produce games which promote the more positive aspects of minority cultures. While BCFX is a good note to start on, it tends to fall flat during the execution.

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When Nintendo reported two straight quarterly losses in early 2011, followed by a less-than-stellar initial release of its new 3DS handheld console, it didn’t take long for the naysayers to begin spelling the company’s doom.

This is a familiar dance. It started in the ’90s, when Nintendo’s veneer of dominance started cracking in the face of competition with the Sega Genesis. Or maybe it was the decision to abandon the CD format for the Nintendo 64 when Sega and Sony made the leap. Or perhaps it was because, even with the GameCube, no Nintendo console had sold better than its predecessor — that is, until the release of the Wii.

However, despite calls that Nintendo abandon its hardware ambitions — even with the new wrinkle of the ever-rising iOS platform — there are plenty of reasons why Nintendo would never, could never, and should never stop making TV or handheld consoles.

Here are the top five:

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GOW II started and ended on a pretty intense note, so naturally, stakes were high for the follow-up, which would be Kratos’s PS3 debut. When we last left Kratos, he was leading the titans in a war against the gods of Olympus, who had betrayed him in the title. As you can imagine, things get crazy from the get-go, and players will be on the edge of their seats to see how the saga ends. The gameplay doesn’t depart much from the previous titles, and that’s a good thing. You even get to keep the relics you found in GOW II: The Wings of Icarus and Apollo’s Fleece. Don’t you hate it when you play a sequel starring the previous game’s protagonist and you lose all the cool stuff they had without explanation? You’ll also gain a host of new weapons, each with a magical power attached to it. Series staples such as quick time events, orb upgrading, and even the sex minigames return. God Of War III once again cements Kratos’s status as one of gaming’s biggest action heroes.

Seeing as how the cast of Street Fighter will go head to head against the cast of Tekken in a month, this week’s lost classics takes a look at another crossover, similar to the GiJoe/Mortal Kombat “crossover” from 2 weeks ago. This time, not only does Street Fighter meet Mortal Kombat, but it also crosses over with Wing Commander and Savage Dragon. No, Savage Dragon didn’t take on Shang Tsung nor did Ryu and Sub Zero take on the Kilarthi. Instead, this was a rather subtle crossover involving a mysterious character that showed up throughout TV adaptations all 4 franchises. What? You thought this was a video game? If only it could be.
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Yes, I know I’m asking for heat by covering what is perhaps the least loved Final Fantasy title since 7. However, despite it’s linearity, the game’s story is every bit as epic as the previous entries in the series. Final Fantasy XIII takes place within a place known as Coccon, a sky city which floats above a larger world known as pulse. The mysterious gods who keep Cocoon afloat have the ability to mark various humans, making them into thier servants. These servants, called L’Cie are given a task to complete. If they do, they turn into crystals. If they don’t, they become mindless monsters. A cruel government purges citizens who are suspected to be L’Cie, supposedly sending them to the Pulse. In actuality, they are being killed off in mass exterminations. The main character in this story is a woman named Lightning, whose sister was one of the L’Cie. In true Final Fantasy fashion, you run into other people, each with their own stories and complex relationships.
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Welcome, Poweteers, to a brand new original column where we explore the top (and bottom) 5 items we think are relevant to any of a variety of topics that span the imagination. Sit back, read, and respond!

MAKE SURE NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN.

I think there are some toons worth adapting. Either because they’d work just as well or work even better in live action. I’ll tell you why, and I’ll even try to tell you who should play them. [Read the rest of this entry…]

As a huge fan of the Underworld series of movies, I took in it’s latest instalment, Underworld Awakening, this week. I generally enjoyed this movie, and while it’s tone was a bit of a departure from the films that came before it, it still works quite well with the rest of the franchise. Kate Beckinsale seems like a vampire herself, as she is still as lovely as she was years ago when this series began.

The film takes place 12 years after Underworld Evolution, after a human cleansing of Vampires and Lycans leaves both species struggling to fight extinction. With the plot centering around fighting powerful companies, engineered creatures and general ass kicking, the movie is reminiscent of a Resident Evil film, though still unique in it’s own way.

My main complaint about the movie would be it’s length. With a total run time of only 88 minutes, and long credits that are probably about 10 of those, the film itself wraps up after about an hour and twenty minutes. With the first film weighing in at over two hours, 133 minutes for the director’s cut, this is a bit disappointing.

Keep reading for more thoughts which will include some spoilers.
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