The Need for Speed series has had its ups and downs when it comes to the gameplay. That being said there has always been one consistent positive: the cars. With an uncanny ability to give players the chance to sit behind realistic representations of their favorite real life cars, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is likely to be no different. Below you’re going to find the top ten cars I’m excited for in the newest game, based solely off their real life counterparts. With the Need for Speed crew’s attention to the most minute of details this time around, I’m sure this list wont change at all once I play the game itself.

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Gamers have come to recognize many different elements of video games as simple staples. We know we need to be able to save at some point. We know that being unable to heal our characters would make most games brutally challenging. We also, every now and then, want to find a bunch of hidden items. Still, the implementation of such nigh-necessities has actually become a bit of a problem. When games are so ultra-realistic that we are truly meant to be lost within them, stumbling upon a giant glowing save point can be an almost jarring experience. Listed below are seven frustrating game mechanics that ought to be refined or removed.

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The power button on a console is a beautiful thing. Ready to get out of your game? Get up and hit that button. And really, you don’t even have to do that. All three of our current systems allow you to unplug from the Matrix from the comfort of your couch. But of course, you might want to shut that baby down for other, more…dire reasons. Reasons like starting a brand new game. And that’s okay! Sometimes you just need a fresh start. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what compels us to begin from a blank slate? Here are the top five reasons I’ve found that inspire us to put our current game to pasture and start anew!

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This has been a monumental year for gamers and gaming. We’ve had titles released that will live on for years to come, titles that have refined gaming in as-yet unheard of ways, and titles that have proven themselves despite criticism and hype. With this in mind, here’s my top ten list, in no real particular order, of things that developers, publishers, and even players can learn from 2009.

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The goddess of groove. The baroness of beats. The, er, well, you get the picture-I’m quite fond of music and rhythm games. Considering PaRappa the Rapper was my first taste of hot, steamy next-gen graphics (way back when), it’s only natural that my insatiable lust for all things musical began back then. And before the PS1, there was Tempo for the Genesis that incorporated musical motifs. It seems I was born to appreciate the more melodious notes of gaming. While I do enjoy every type of game out there, there’s a special place in my heart for those that get me flailing around on a dance mat or belting out tunes in front of friends and family. That’s why it gives me great pleasure to bring you my top ten music and rhythm games of all time. But everyone and their brother either owns or has played Guitar Hero or Rock Band, so don’t expect to find them on here.

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Like an abundance of women in the real world who rub us the wrong way (myself not included!), there are female characters who grind my gears excessively. Whether it’s because of their idiotic comments, abrasive personalities, or overall uselessness, I can’t stand these girls. Bear in mind you won’t see Princess Peach or Navi on this list — it’s a well-established fact that they’re some pretty obnoxious broads. So, without further ado, here are ten of the most annoying women in video games, at least from my experience. Your mileage may vary. No, Lara’s not on the list. I just get tired of looking at her.

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Since the beginning of video games, developers have worked harder and harder to create a more fulfilling experience for the player. Better graphics, sound, and better stories are huge contributing factors to the amount of entertainment derived from the medium, but any gamer knows that how the game plays can make or break any potential fun factor.

Early video games had very simple controls and game mechanics. Even as the NES redefined what video games were like in the mid-eighties, most titles at the time involved the player running to the right and jumping over, dodging, or destroying obstacles. As obstacles and levels became more complex, so did the hardware to support new goals, and new gameplay mechanics became not only a necessity, but a big way to draw the player further into the game.

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Back in the day, the SNES and Sega Genesis pretty much ruled. There were a few in-between consoles that some people may have been fortunate enough to experience, (Neo-Geo, TurboGrafx-16) but I was not one of them. I was the Super Nintendo kid. To me there was nothing better then popping in a game (known today as “loading”) of Donkey Kong Country or Super Mario Kart. I still cry today thinking about some of the games my parents traded away, or ones I had stolen from my collection. It has dwindled down now to a mix of popular titles, and classics that some people may have never heard of.

The other day as I rummaged through YouTube and its amazing content, I came across users who had playlists of music from the 16-bit days. Like I said earlier, I was the SNES kid so I didn’t recognize any of the Sega music outside of Sonic the Hedgehog games, but the SNES music made me weep in nostalgia. The SNES games had some very memorable music, some more than others of course. After questing my way through YouTube, I have come up with a list of 10 pieces that are memorable to me, and that I think other gamers will remember and enjoy as well.

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