12 Most Epic Video Game Moments of 2018
Excellent games and unbelievable moments were everywhere in a gaming year that started strong and never let up. Enduring franchises delivered on their long-awaited promises, surprise independent gems blew us away, and masterpieces wowed us with moments that won’t soon be forgotten!
As another incredible year in gaming comes to a close, join us in looking back at those epic moments that helped to make 2018 an astonishing year for everyone. BUT BE WARNED, there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for some of the the biggest and best games of the year, so come back later if you’re not ready. For everyone else, let’s go down the the list of the most epic gaming moments of 2018!
Inside One of the Best Arcades in Japan – Game Center Mikado
Arcades may have died out in much of the world, but in Japan, arcades are still a huge part of gaming culture. One of my favourites is Game Center Mikado in Tokyo – it’s a great place to dive into legendary fighting games and retro classics in a relaxed atmosphere.
Mikado is a couple of stops from Shinjuku in Takadanobaba, a district that’s famous for being the place that Osamu Tezuka chose for his iconic character Astro Boy to be “born.” JR trains play the theme song when they stop at this station, and there are a couple of large murals of Tezuka’s work outside the station.
Game Center Mikado is just around the corner, on an unassuming alley that runs along the train line. This two storey arcade has been one of the central locations for Tokyo’s fighting game scene for more than a decade (it was opened in 2006 but has been in its current location since 2009), playing host to regular tournaments and known for high level play. It’s also – unlike the many Taito Game Stations and Club SEGAs around the country - privately owned.
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DC’s Superheroes Should Be the Greek Gods of the Movies
DC Comics has some of the most iconic and celebrated heroes in the history of storytelling. Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman are just a few of the most notable staples in the pantheon of popular culture, and have left an enduring legacy for so many of us. They fit a role not unlike what the Greek gods did in Ancient Greece; we look up to them, we admire them, and when we tell stories, we put some of the finest aspects of our culture and ourselves into them. In essence, we hold them to the highest of standards.
However, they are not infallible. (And neither were the Greek gods, by the way. Zeus had more dalliances than James Bond, and he was married!). And the manner in which DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. have handled these titans of popular culture on the silver screen in recent years hasn’t been perfect either. Sure, Aquaman is a step in the right direction, as was Wonder Woman before it, but for many fans like myself, it feels like these films should be creating big-screen versions of the characters that are akin to the Greek gods of the 21st century.
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What We’re Playing Over the Holidays
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. On the last episode of the year we're discussing what we'll be playing over the holidays and celebrating the Daemie Awards. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.
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12 Christmas Horror Movies You Need to See
Every year, people watch and rewatch Christmas movies that remind them of simpler, sweeter times, and which espouse wholesome messages about togetherness, family, and other old-fashioned Christmas values. But there's another tradition that doesn't get nearly as much screen time... the tradition of Christmas horror.
Go back a century or so and Christmas was as associated with ghost stories as anything else. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was hardly an aberration, and stories about otherworldly events on December 25 were rampant. Nowadays they're considered a niche in the motion picture genre, but even so there are plenty of filmmakers who love using the holiday as an ironic or subversive backdrop for horrifying events.
The Lion King: Disney Trademarked ‘Hakuna Matata’ and People Are Not Having It
As Disney prepares to release its remake of The Lion King next year, it is also starting to receive some pushback from those who are upset with its trademark of the Swahili phrase "Hakuna Matata."
As reported by Deadline, Zimbabwean activist Shelton Mpala has started a change.org petition that urges Disney to "relinquish its trademark of the phrase, which is commonly used in eastern and southern Africa and loosely translates to “no problems” or “no worries.""