If you’re a new gamer or a video game veteran, you probably have at one point made a list of your favorite games – games that moved you, vexed you, or rewarded you for all the hours you spent battling them. These days, new games get almost as much press and advertising as new movies, so it’s easy to forget about the classic games that in some cases inspired the glitzy new ones. With that in mind, here are a few old games to revisit or discover for the first time.

Rocket Ranger

Published by Cinemaware, a still extant company that had its heyday in the 1990s, “Rocket Ranger” was loosely based on old World War II movies. As the game’s protagonist, “Rocket Ranger,” you strategically battle the Nazis, trying to prevent their spread across Europe. The game mixes strategy with several first-person action mini-games, where you’ll have to do things like punch out a Nazi guard or shoot down a zeppelin. The combination of strategy, clever writing and sense of humor make Rocket Ranger a fun addition to any classic game library. Part of the game’s music is even available as a free ringtone for your phone, since a lot of the tunes are very catchy.

It Came From the Desert

Another 1990s release from Cinemaware, “It Came From The Desert” is another game based on monster movies from the 1940s. You play a scientist who has traveled to a small, desert town to investigate some strange reports. Soon, you find that the town is suffering an infestation from giant ants, and it’s up to you to save the day. The game combines action sequences with genuinely challenging strategy and timing, as you struggle to fight off the ants while trying to convince the mayor and other townspeople that the ant threat is real.

As an excellent tool to teach wise financial management, a Prepaid Credit Card is a fine resource. They are similar to other types of cards one can use to make purchases, and they share many identical benefits. A prepaid card includes the Visa logo and is accepted at countless locations globally, making access easy to your money. A key difference that makes a prepaid card worth consideration is the ability to load the card with a direct deposit of your paycheck. The concept of owing a credit card company for the money you borrowed, or paying pricey late fees is a thing of the past.

What’s that? No bills to pay? Well, no, the idea is that as you load your money onto the card, putting you in control of your finances. Typically, credit cards let you borrow their money and if you lose your job or have a sudden reduction in income, you’re in big trouble. You’d see a rapidly rising balance, pricey late fees and constant phone calls from collections. This situation can wreak havoc with your credit score, affecting your ability to rent an apartment, get hired at a new job, or purchase a vehicle to get around town.

To avoid any potential hassles, it’s a good practice to get in the habit of paying for possessions before you take ownership. A prepaid credit card makes this process simple. The card also allows for the utilization of best practices, such as a convenient method for paying bills, online ordering of products, and disposing of the need for carrying too much cash. These sorts of amenities from a credit card are essential in today’s fast-paced world.

Remember, a prepaid credit card is a great way to build good credit, so your choice should be an easy one. Go prepaid credit card today!

Word is out that Hollywood screenwriters David Weisberg and Douglas Cook (responsible for blockbusters such as Double Jeopardy and The Rock) are set to bring the videogame Darkest of Days to the big screen. Hotshot producer Joe Roth is said to be behind the project.

Adapting a videogame for the big screen has always been an exciting project, but some videogame fans don’t know how to feel about this latest adaptation yet–given the fact that the game is not exactly garnering positive reviews in the gaming world.

The plot of the game revolves around a soldier named Alexander Morris who is fighting in the Civil War. When he is wounded, he is rescued by a man who takes him to a futuristic portal called Kronotek. Apparently, the people at Kronotek have found a way to make time travel possible, allowing them to protect history at all costs. Morris is then invited to participate in this cause by helping protect people who have key roles in history.

Despite the potential of the game’s premise, many gamers found themselves questioning the game’s plausibility especially since the main character does little to question the unusual situation that he finds himself in. The mechanics of the game are not much better. The players spends long stretches of time walking and the weapons are poorly designed.

There is no doubt that gamers are hoping that the skills of the screenwriters and producer combined will turn Darkest of Days a better movie than it was as a game.

If you’ve been anticipating the release of Final Fantasy XIII since you’ve heard of its inception then you don’t have to wait long anymore. The release of the game is bound to be one of the hottest launches in the videogame industry especially now that it has been announced that it will be heralded by an event.

On March 8, an event called the Final Fantasy XIII Experience will be celebrated in San Francisco. If you’re a hardcore fan of the entire Final Fantasy franchise then this is one event that you don’t want to miss.

Guests will have the chance to be the first ones to play the game. Trailers and artwork will also be featured in the event. You will also have the chance to meet the designers, developers and other creative masterminds behind the game. A raffle will also be held where lucky winners will receive various Final Fantasy prices.

Square Enix announced that 200 of its members will have the special opportunity to attend this event. On top of that, members that already have Bronze Tier memberships will have a chance to enter a special sweepstakes. 50 winners from the sweepstakes will have the chance to attend the actual launch party of the game.

Do you ever wonder who writes the summaries and descriptions on the boxes of the videogames that you buy? Well, it’s no other than the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, also known as the ESRB.

Basically, it is the ESRB’s job to provide objective synopses, objectives and other game information in the game boxes and on their official website. However, ESRB’s objectivity was recently questioned when they released the summary of Dead or Alive: Paradise.

The folks over at ESRB seem to take an opinionated stand when it described DOA: Paradise as a creepy and raunchy game where players can watch scantily clad women frolicking at the beach. According to the review, the game also provides other activities where the player may attempt to win the favors of these women in hopes of getting closer to their company. The review also stopped short of bashing the game when it states that DOA: Paradise mostly involved “creepy voyeurism” and portraying women in an imprudent way.

Even though there are no laws that mandate ESRB to maintain objectivity in their reviews, the organization thought it would be better to just revise the whole thing. The newly revised description describes the game as strictly for mature players as it contains mature subject matter such as gambling, nudity and other sexual themes.

One thing everyone knows about Video Games: they cost a lot of money. A truly great video game library is often out of reach. Despite that, you want a collection that covers everything: casual games, multiplayer games, challenging games, and time consuming games. Follow the steps outlined below, and a great library of video games will be yours.

First, check your games for the following things, on a scale of 1-4:

1.    Replay Value – If you have played the entire game, how fun is it to play again?
2.    Multiplayer Value – How many players can play at once?
3.    Time Played – How much do you play it? For casual games, an hour is quite a bit. For an RPG, an hour is practically nothing.
4.    Contribution to Collection – if you have all of the Final Fantasy games, but don’t like FF-V, it doesn’t make sense to get rid of it.
5.    Total Enjoyment – how much do you, personally, like the game?

If a game comes out between 5 and 10, you can probably get rid of it (unless it got a 4 in one of these categories). When you get rid of a game, trade it in somewhere so you can use it to get other games you want.

When you go to buy games, keep the above criteria in mind. In addition, consider the following:

1.    How old is the game? If the game is new, it doesn’t make sense to buy now. Wait, and get it when the price gets cut.
2.    Have you played the game? If you haven’t, rating Time and Enjoyment is difficult. Talk to friends who have played, or borrow it.
3.    What niche in your library will the game fill? If you already have six multiplayer games, but only one casual game, take that into consideration.

In all parts of life people try to insinuate themselves, to pass themselves off as something they aren’t. Twenty years ago, this was most common with the “Jocks.” The “only” way to get a girl was to convince her that you were athletic and into sports. Now, though, the trend seems to have reversed. “Jocks” are seen as buffoons, and “Nerds” are the group that everyone wants to be part of.

As a result, if you are a gamer, you will run into a person from time to time that isn’t really a gamer but is trying to pass themselves off as one. While they may just be new, it is also possible they are either trying to get the girl, or trying to infiltrate the group for their own diabolical schemes. Either way, being able to determine whether he is a real gamer is an important skill.

First, check for mixed up terminology. Just as a fake Jock wouldn’t really know the difference between a goalie and a goal kicker, a fake gamer will have difficulty with the difference between an FPS and an RTS. This is the most common error.

If they pass the vocabulary test, ask them about their favorite games. Listen for different time periods: most gamers have an old game they loved, and a newer game they have recently discovered.

If you find yourself doubting at this point, fear not: more indicators exist.

Do they wear a sports jersey? Track pants? A Baseball cap? They’re probably fakes.

Do they drink Mountain Dew, crack jokes about different games, or rave about Firefly? They’re probably legit.

Do they talk about Sex and the City, what shoes they absolutely have to have, or which city has the best seafood? The jury is out, keep checking up on them.

Although most people believe that Dungeons and Dragons is the first role-playing game, they are incorrect. In 1966 the Society for Creative Anachronisms, or SCA, was established. The group formed to protest against the vulgarity of the 20th century. They published a “how-to” guide in 1968 and had fully established their first three “kingdoms” by the end of 1969. This was the first real attempt to develop the act of playing specific roles for the entertainment of the individual.

Then, in 1974 Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, two avid War-games players, decided to attempt to use their war-gaming figures on an individual level, and have each player run a single character. They developed and sold the game Dungeons and Dragons. Since then, this game has gone through several evolutions, and is currently in its Fourth Edition (which is actually something like the sixth or seventh iteration, depending on how you count).

Early Dungeons and Dragons was a very imbalanced game; the fighter and the wizard were by no means equal at any point, as the fighter excelled in early levels and the wizard (if he lived long enough) was supreme at higher levels. Steve Jackson sought to correct this issue, and developed a new and massive system, GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System), in 1986.

Many critics of these systems see them as system based, while the emphasis should be on the story and the players roles. White Wolf Studios created Vampire: The Masquerade, to be a story-oriented system, significantly simplifying the rules and forcing the players to act and describe details in order to fulfill objectives.

Finally, Indie Gaming has grown to a new height. These are games developed and published by small companies, often given away or sold at very low mark up, such as Cheap Ass Games.