First, here's a reminder to check out Rorie's "Giant Fire Bomb Side Chat" post on the forums! If you want to learn about the plans for GOTY next week or when merch will be restocked, this is the post for you! For anyone that was a fan of Vinny's forum posts about the site's plans at the start of the pandemic, it is definitely worth a read as well.
For those still confused about GOTY 2021 content, it will debut from the January 24th and will continue through the 30th. As a result, there will not be a Community Spotlight next week. Most likely I will have a JAM PACKED Spotlight on February 5th! Speaking of staff content, Armed and Rangerous is back and the series' return features a special guest in the form of Stephen Fu! With that in mind, let's jump into the "good stuff!"
Tweets
The Xbox 360 version of Age of Booty is on sale now for 99 cents. In case you needed a reason to drink a lot of rum.
— Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) January 22, 2022
These were brought up at the tail end of this weeks @giantbomb podcast, patches Activision sent in the 80's to "Pro Gamers" had to go seek them out.
— Richard Perez (@SkinnyShips) January 20, 2022
fromhttps://t.co/5OMp4gqpRl pic.twitter.com/DfWV4moy9Z
I had to do a double take when I saw the windjammers video @giantbomb @GBDudersFeed pic.twitter.com/pCrv58IAHC
— Nica2Nica (@trueNica) January 20, 2022
Recently added some more weird ass platforms to the @giantbomb wiki.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) January 19, 2022
Apparently the Memotech MTX is what they built Kelly LeBrock with, so that's enough qualifications for me.https://t.co/OmTBKwrku9 pic.twitter.com/EYHLBHm8Ak
Little slow, but it gets the job done. pic.twitter.com/VvcdNsQhaM
— Drastic Actions (@drasticactionSA) January 17, 2022
VERY GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS VIDEO HAS AGED INCREDIBLY POORLY.
— dest (@KingMild) January 20, 2022
DAVE LANG, 8 YEARS LATER, PROVEN INCCORECT. WE GOT WINDJAMMERS 2 BAYBEEE pic.twitter.com/GqZI5AV1XL
Videos/Clips
Run For The Hills Fan Intro (By: @manburger)
Manburger decided to put their video editing skills to use and make a "fan intro" for Run For The Hills! Definitely watch it to the end to get the maximum amount of joy!
Community-Created GOTY Content!
Author's Note: Hey everyone, this will likely be the last time I have a dedicated section to user-created GOTY section on the Spotlight. With the end of January right around the corner, as well as the site's official GOTY debuting soon, it seems right to have this be the last week to structure the Spotlight like this. For those that end up publishing their GOTY blogs and lists after the fact, don't worry, I will still include them in the normal blog and list sections of the Spotlight!
GOTY Lists
- Best Games of 2021 (That I Played) (By: @devoureroftime)
- My Personal Top 10 Games of 2021 (By: @camitalo)
- 2021 Sure Went By Quickly (By: @bigevil1987)
- Best of 2021 (By: @sleepinglesson)
- Top 8 Games Of 2021 (By: @tom_omb)
- Top 10 OLD Games I Played In 2021 (By: @tom_omb)
- GOTY 2021 Top 10 (By: @bruno0091)
- GOTY 2021 (By: @grandmarshal)
- GOTY 2021 (By: @adamwd)
GOTY Blogs
Top Ten 2021-Hell Year 2 Suffering Cont... (By: @brotherbran)
BrotherBran took to Giant Bomb to write about the games from 2021 they enjoyed playing the most! Read all about the games that got them through "Hell Year #2."
ALLTheDinos' Favorite Games Of 2021 (By: @allthedinos)
Card games, multiplayer shooters, racing games and more are in a fight to the death on ALLTheDinos' 2021 GOTY blog on Giant Bomb! Discover which game ended up on the top spot of their list by using the link.
ValorianEndymion's GOTY 2021 Extended Cut (By: @valorianendymion)
ValorianEndymion didn't feel entirely satisfied with how their 2021 GOTY blog and list ended. So, they have taken to Giant Bomb to look at ALL OF THE GAMES they played last year! Read all about their gaming highlights and lowlights!
GAMES, 2021 (By: @mccash4gold)
MCCash4Gold discusses EVERY GAME they played in 2021 on their latest blog on Giant Bomb! Read which ones they loved and hated and discover why they think 2021 "wasn't it" for video games.
Activities
Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Gorogoa Discussion Thread. Unmarked Spoilers Permitted! +
The Pedestrian Is The Second Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Game. Target Date 1/31/2022. Mark All Spoilers! (By: @bigsocrates)
The FIRST EDITION of the Unofficial Community Game Pass Book Club is UP NOW! Join the SPOILER-FILLED discussion about Gorogoa using the first link above!
Speaking of the Unofficial Game Pass Book Club, congratulations to The Pedestrian for being the second game picked for the community activity! Get the details on how you can join the fun the second time around!
Blogs
Go! Go! GOTY! 2021: Game 7: Cloud Gardens +
Game 4: Loop Hero (By: @mento)
Mento is a user that commits 100% to everything they do on the site. As you can see, they are continuing their series of blog posts that look at a smattering of indie games and determines if they are worthy of coming up during GOTY talks. This week, they discuss Cloud Gardens, No Longer Home, and Loop Hero!
Game Pass Gambols 4: Nobody Saves The World. I Want To Transform Into Someone Who Likes This More. +
Game Pass Gambols 3: Mighty Goose. Run 'n Gun 'n Honk. +
[Serious] Mighty Goose, Clubhouse Games, And Intellivision's Own Statement Of Facts Show Why Amico Won't Work. (By: @bigsocrates)
bigsocrates continues to examine games available on Game Pass and this week checks out Nobody Saves the World and Mighty Goose! Read both blogs to see if they recommend either! Finally, bigsocrates discusses the current situation between Ars Technica and Intellivision, why the Intellivision Amico continues to make them laugh, and why they are erring towards the belief the console will not work.
YO! 2021 Was An AMAZING Year For Visual Novels! (By: @zombiepie)
Moderator ZombiePie looks back at 2021 and reviews why last year was an AMZING YEAR for visual novels! Read why they think titles like Bustafellows, one night, hot springs, and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are worthy GOTY candidates!
What's the Greatest Video Game: Old Man's Journey +
What's the Greatest Video Game: Dicey Dungeons (By: @imunbeatable80)
imunbeatable80 has TWO new episodes of their "What's the Greatest Video Game" blog series! One is for Old Man's Journey and the other is for Dicey Dungeons! See which of the two ranked better on their list of games they have played!
Ranking of Roguelikes #3: Dicey Dungeons (By: @laughingman)
Speaking of which, laughingman has the latest episode of their "Ranking of Roguelikes" blog series and this episode is all about Dicey Dungeons! Read why they think it's a fun experience ruined by pure randomness.
Age of Discovery I: The Campaign (By: @gamer_152)
Here's part one of Gamer_152's three-part deep dive into Halo Infinite. They are talking about everything from the missing planks of the story to why that grapple is so damn cool.
Discussion Threads
Xbox Agreed To Acquire Activision Blizzard (By: @bigsocrates)
So... Microsoft looks like it's about to buy Activision Blizzard for $70 billion. Feel free to share your reactions to the news on the Giant Bomb forums. Is this a great pick-up for Microsoft? Is this bad news for consumers?
Anybody Else Disappointed In Microsoft? Considering Cancelling My Game Pass Sub Now (By: @anywhereilay)
Likewise, with the deal officially "official," what are your feelings about Microsoft as a company? As your opinion of the company and its attempts to "turn a new leaf" been impacted by its purchase of Activision-Blizzard?
Hitman 3 - Roadmap For 2022 (New Maps & Stuff) (By: @glots)
Calling all Hitman 3 fans! Have you seen IO's Hitman 3 "Roadmap for 2022?" What do you make of Elusive Target Arcade or the new Freelancer Mode? How much more content do you reasonably expect the game to get with IO busy making a James Bond game?
Father of PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, Unimpressed With Concept Of Metaverse And VR (By: @monkeyking1969)
Have any of you read over Ken Kutaragi's comments about VR? Are you surprised they are not impressed by the concept of the Metaverse? Should anyone care about what he has to say?
Anyone Poke Around At The Rando Small Dev Games On Switch? (By: @mrangryface)
Are there any Giant Bomb users out there that have checked out the small indie games and indie game developers for the Nintendo Switch? Do you think things are getting better for smaller developers? Also, which titles do you recommend?
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection Launch Trailed Discussion Thread (By: @gtxforza)
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection just got a launch trailer! How do you think the package is looking? Are you excited to re-experience Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for PlayStation 5 or PC?
Windjammers 2 Launch & Discussion Thread (By: @selbie)
Are there any users out there that have checked out Windjammers 2? For those that have, how do you feel about the graphics and gameplay changes? Join the community conversation NOW!
WWE 2K22 Launch Trailer & Discussion Thread (By: @bigsocrates)
The first trailer for WWE 2K22 dropped recently and a lot of users are expressing concerns about the game's animation and graphical quality. If you agree, or possibly think the game looks good, join the community conversation!
Cars Or Motorcycles - Which One Do You Prefer In Video Games In General? (By: @gtxforza)
To those of you that play racing games, why do you think most people prefer cars to motorcycles? Are there any cyclists that prefer the look and feel of driving virtual motorcycles out there.
Do People In Your Area Say "Post-COVID" When Referring To Present Day? (By: @bisonhero)
Here's an important but serious topic, but how is everyone reacting to the term "post-COVID?" How have you processed how others talk about the current state of the pandemic and society's next steps?
Remember Stadia? (By: @yosus89)
It has now been over two years since the Google Stadia launched, but what are you thoughts about the cloud gaming service and device now? The platform's ecosystem seems to have a small but dedicated community, but is that enough?
User Reviews
- @retrogimp played Dead Island: Definitive Edition on a whim and reviews why they think the game's format and progression still hold up for the most part. Also, they played the game primarily single-player.
- @mrcropes review on Lake assesses its fusion of traditional point & click adventure and free-roaming driving sim. Check out if they enjoyed it using the link!
- @cle718 was initially skeptical of Yakuza: Like a Dragon's switch to turn-based JRPG combat but they share in their review of the game why they were "sold" before the end of the first chapter.
- @danryback's retro fighting game reviews RETURN with a review of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! Read why they think it was a massive misstep for the series!
Wonderful Wikis
As indicated in the Tweets section, the Giant Bomb wiki database just got a little bit more "quirky." We have added a handful of more obscure video game platforms and devices to the database! If you know anything about these particular platforms, please, add your knowledge to the appropriate pages!