Gaming Links
Reviews and
Articles
History, Criticism and Theory
Game Publishers and Developers
Gaming Communities and Fan Sites
Game Resources (Cheats, Codes, Walkthroughs)
Online Gaming and Free Games
Emulation
Reviews and Articles
GamesFirst!: http://www.gamesfirst.com
Another review site, with a larger amount of additional critical articles and other
informational sources on the gaming industry in general than is normally found on strict
game review sites. While it does not reach Gamasutra.com’s level of critical inquiry
or technical expertise, it does provide a consistent level of commentary on each title
featured on the site. The commentary tends to be a bit more lucid and clear than in other
sites of its type. A great site for creating a chain of gaming sites and literature about
the video gaming world.
Gamasutra: www.gamasutra.com
Gamasutra stands as one of the most accesible and usable online trade magazines about the
gaming industry and gaming development in general. Not only does Gamasutra provide much
more technical information about the game development field, the forums and other
interfaces allow for direct contact between game developers and other interested members
of the gaming community.
Among the most fascinating features of the site is the post mortem
column, where game developers are allowed, and encouraged, to openly comment on the
development process of some of the most notable games on the market. These postmortems
often reveal many of the difficulties inherent in game design and allow for open anf frank
discussion on many of the most important issues in the field. Most postmortems spend their
time speaking as to what went wrong, when, and why, and what would be changed if the game
were to be reinvented again. Gamasutra also includes guest commentary on other gaming
events, symposiums, and conferences. These provide insight not only into technical
developments in gaming software and process, but also create dialogues into gaming issues
and development questions. Gamasutra also provides a host of links to other gaming sites
and contact information for other gaming sources.
Blues News: http://www.bluesnews.com/
One of the original news and review index sites, Blues News has been around since, I don't
know, 1995 or something? It's an old boy of gaming site, and still one of the most read
and most useful sites for information about PC gaming. Included are links to reviews,
articles, and previews around the Web, forums, lists of LAN parties, and much more.
Video Game News: http://www.videogamenews.com
Another major index site, VGN publishes its own news and reviews, as well as providing a
thorough index of the latest and greatest videogame stuff on the Web. Well-organized and
updated continually, this is an excellent site for keeping up.
Game Rankings: http://www.gamerankings.com
Covering all platforms, Game Rankings is a unique kind of index site. Not only do they
write their own reviews and link to other reviews on the net, but they do it in a way that
is pure pleasure to browse. With a couple of clicks, you can find every major review of
any game you'd like. Streamlined and thorough, Game Rankings is definitely a site that
should be in your Faves.
CoreMagazine: http://www.coremagazine.com
This online magazine is devoted to video games. The magazine, edited by Dane Baker and
Dennis Day, publishes news, features, reviews, previews, columns, and interviews. There
doesn’t seem to be much of anything unique about the magazine, but site is fairly
maneuverable and professional.
GameCritics.com: http://gamecritics.com
The brother site of WomenGamers.com, this web site provides links to news articles
relating to gaming and the video game industry published on other online web sites and
journals, like CNN.com/TECH and computerandvideogames.com. Reviews are written by Chi Kong
Lui, Ben Hopper, Brad Gallaway, and Dale Weir, the featured writers on the site. Each
review has a numerical rating (out of ten) and a detailed article evaluating the plot,
characters, and graphic structure of each game. The authors also include consumer advice
that recommends each game to different types of consumers and list books, movies, games,
and music that relate thematically to the game reviewed.
WomenGamers.com: http://womengamers.com
Proclaimed the largest women’s gaming site on the Internet, this site comes complete
with programming and game reviews, articles, and interviews. Although much of the
information on the web site is gender-based research, the site also contains comprehensive
information on video gaming in general, including market trends, social issues in gaming,
and much more. This site is pretty big but definitely worth the time.
GameGal: http://www.gamegal.com
This site contains reviews of a wide array of video games, American and International,
console and PC, and articles on gaming companies, products, software, and gender issues in
gaming. A majority of the games reviewed on the site are based on female protagonists but
not exclusively. The site also provides links to other web pages that provide video game
news. A unique section of the site is the GameGal’s Game Guide where the site
organizes games according to five gaming types: Hardcore Game Gal, PC Princess, Newbie,
Brainiac, and Console Queen. Each category has a gamer type description, a list of
appropriate games, and purchase information.
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Gaming Communities and Fan Sites
Strategy Planet: http://www.strategyplanet.com/
A site dedicated to strategy games, this is a good place to go for any information about
RTS, turn-based, or any other kind of strategy game. Reviews, forums, and articles make
this a real strategy community.
Wargamer: http://www.wargamer.com/
Wargamer is another genre-specific site for fans of, well, war games. Any and all genres
of war games are covered in reviews, articles, previews, and links to coverage on other
sites.
Twin Galaxies: http://www.twingalaxies.com/
The "Official Electronic Games Scoreboard," Twin Galaxies has been keeping track
of gaming records, scores, and hosting competitions for the past 20 YEARS. That's right,
they began in 1981 in an arcade, and have fully cemented their authority to dole out the
accolades to the greatest gamers around. They continually sponsor contests, and host
forums, as well as publishing articles and interviews about and with incredible gamers.
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Game Resources (Cheats, Codes,
Walkthroughs)
GoCheat: http://www.gocheat.com
A massive cheats and codes site, GoCheat can get you in touch with whatever info you need
to pass a level or get the most replay value out of your game. Affiliated with most of the
really high quality cheats sites on the Web, there's really no need to look anywhere else.
GameFAQs: http://www.gamefaqs.com
This site is a huge clearinghouse for information about games on all systems, including
arcade titles. Featuring discussion groups, FAQs, codes, and walkthroughs of just about
every game ever made, GameFAQs probably has more than you really need.
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Online Games and Downloads
The Station: http://www.station.com
Sony's gaming site offers lots of free gaming options via the web. You can play Jeopardy,
Trivial Pursuit, and a bunch of other games in multiplayer. You can also play Flash games
for free, including deathmatch and space fighter games. In addition, the Station is the
home of Everquest and the future home of the Star Wars Galaxies MMPOGs.
Yahoo! Games: http://games.yahoo.com
This collection of games is continually growing and features one of the biggest online
communities to support it. The games are basic parlor and traditional board games,
including Chess, Go, Checkers, Backgammon, card games, and trivia games. This site also
supplies fantasy sports venues, and all the games are free.
WorldWinner.com: http://www.worldwinner.com
It's not a gambling site, but you can wager money here. Play either for free, or pay the
entry fee into one of their numerous tournaments. Because the games are based on skill,
you aren't gambling, but that doesn't mean you'll win every time. Competition is stiff in
games like Chess, Brickout (a clone of Breakout), Word Cubes, Solitaire, and the like.
Shockwave.com: http://www.shockwave.com
A great hypermedia site, Shockwave.com also features some really fun games. These games
range from basic parlor games, to community oriented online versions of Pictionary, to
arcade games like Sinistar, Robotron and Joust. Check out the Shockwave First Person
Shooters for a real kick.
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History, Criticism and Theory
Gamasutra: www.gamasutra.com
Gamasutra is also one of the forerunners of true videogame criticism. Their Postmortems
and other critical articles are crucial reading for anybody interested in the subject.
The Dot Eaters: http://www.emuunlim.com/doteaters/
This is an excellent history of gaming site, illustrated nicely and easy to navigate. The
Dot Eaters is a must-read for anybody interested in the history of gaming.
The Computing Museum: http://www.computingmuseum.com/
This is the "Museum of Dead, Gone, and Obsolete Computers." You can find out
about any computer system of days gone by here, including hardware statistics, images, and
summaries of popularity and usefulness. A very entertaining site, it's mind-boggling just
how many dead and gone computer systems there are.
Spectrum Screens: http://www.zxscreens.i12.com/zxscreens/
This site hosts a collection of load screens from a huge number of computer games. Many
games feature different load screens for different systems, and links are included to game
music and other data.
Girls of '64: http://www.heechee.net/c64/girls/zzframes.htm
This site offers a wide array of Commodore 64 games for adults. The C64 was well-known as
an adult gaming machine, and games like Samantha Fox's Strip Poker and Blue Angel 69 were
very popular. The C64 and its cousin, the Commodore Amiga, were both also known for their
ability to reproduce images and sounds, creating a trading community for pictures and
sound files.
Pong-Story: http://www.pong-story.com/
This is the story of Pong, aka Tennis, and released in about a million iterations and
revisions. In-depth and very detailed, this site sports great illustration and good
writing.
Chronology of Game Theory: http://www.econ.canterbury.ac.nz/hist.htm
As becomes apparent upon entering into the world of Game Theory proper, it is mostly
related to economic concerns. This timeline is also slanted toward the use of game theory
in economic fields, but provides some great bibliographic information nonetheless.
Game Theory Society: http://www.gametheorysociety.org/
Founded in 1999, this society works to promote the use and development of game theory in
all fields, not just economics. There's not a lot of information on the site, unless
you're interested in joining or subscribing to either of their print journals, Games
and Economic Behavior (GEB) and the International Journal of Game Theory (IJGT).
Developium: http://www.developium.com/
This site caters to folks who want to develop electronic games. It has articles, forums,
links, and resources to help aspiring game designers at all levels of expertise.
Loonygames: http://www.loonygames.com/
This site has been on hiatus for a year now, but the archives are intact and very
interesting. With a mid-range of seriousness and academic propulsion, and a whole lot of
savvy and knowledge of gaming, these articles will make you laugh and think.
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Emulation
Classic Gaming: http://www.classicgaming.com/
This is one of the best known emulator and ROM sites. Here you can download various
emulation programs (including MAME and other prominent programs) and ROMs for classic
arcade games. The historical content of the site is good, but takes a backseat to the
active enjoyment of classic games.
Retrogames: http://www.retrogames.com/
A robust emulation site, here you can find message boards about emulators and ROMs, as
well as download a large variety of PC and console emulators.
Bleem!: http://www.bleem.com
A commercially available PlayStation emulator, Bleem! has been released for the PC to
enable computer users to play PlayStation games. The latest version of the program, a
PlayStation emulator for the Dreamcast, has been plagued by legal issues and delays.
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Game Publishers & Developers
EIDOS.com: http://www.eidos.com
EIDOS is the distributor, along with Ion Storm, of such popular and cutting edge games as
Tomb Raider, Dakatana, and DEUS EX. The site not only provides the traditonal game info
and ordering information, but also provide more detailed links to fan sites, music
accompaniments to games, and other enhancements to the gaming experience.
EA.com: http://www.ea.com
EA is one of the most productive gaming companies in business today, with games spanning
from traditional sports simulators, like NASCAR Racing, to the increasing popular SIMCity
and other character simulators. EA.com has a wide variety of game demos available online,
as well as links to more game-related sites and other information.
Capcom: http://www.capcom.com
The publisher of amazing games like Resident Evil, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Mega Man, and a slew
of other titles, Capcom is a long-time fave development company. Known for their signature
art style and furious action games, Capcom is definitely worth a visit.
Activision: http://www.activision.com
Activision has been another mainstay of American gaming companies for ages. With such
major hits as Quake, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Tenchu: Stealth Assasins, not to mention
a list of classic games longer than a baby's arm, Activision continues to be one of the
most profitable and exciting companies around.
Rockstar Games: http://www.rockstargames.com
A relatively new company, Rockstar has made a splash with their PS2 games Oni and
Smuggler's Run. This company has, perhaps, the best graphic design out there right now,
and their website features some cool mini-games.
Squaresoft: http://www.squaresoft.com
This development/publishing house has set the standard by which all other RPGs are judged.
Known for beautiful graphics and quality RPG titles, Squaresoft is a major player in the
console gaming world.
Blizzard: http://www.blizzard.com
Known for their Diablo and Starcraft franchises, Blizzard has created some contemporary
gaming classics that are still fan favorites.
GOD Games: http://www.godgames.com
A rebellious little publishing house, GOD (Gathering of Developers) Games is one of the
successful upstarts of gaming. Known for recent titles such as Duke Nukem, Oni, and
Serious Sam, GOD Games has a tendency to let small development houses see their dreams
come true.
Konami: http://www.konami.com
This Japanese game publisher migrated to the US a long time ago, and they've continued to
publish great games. Known most for their Metal Gear series, they've also been a major
player in the arcade realm with games like Dance Dance Revolution.
Nintendo: http://www.nintendo.com
Perhaps the oldest game publisher and console manufacturer, Nintendo began in the 19th
Century making playing cards. Now they are a well-known games company, with characters
like Mario and Donkey Kong in their employ and a history of making really good titles.
Sega: http://www.sega.com
Long known as a console system and game producer, Sega has recently switched gears
drastically to focus solely on software creation. Their in-house development teams are
some of the best, and titles like Sonic, Seaman, Shenmue, and many more have guaranteed
Sega a place at the top of the developer/publisher list.
Sony: http://www.playstation.com
The wild success of the PlayStation, and the much hyped PS2, has guaranteed Sony a slot in
the long list of game publishers and console system manufacturers. Great titles like Ape
Escape, Spyro, and Gran Turismo have made their first-party games highly desireable.
Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com
Long known as a PC games publisher, Microsoft recently made the jump to the console realm
with the announcement of the Xbox, due Fall 2001. Their previous game classics include Age
of Empires and Combat Flight Simulator, but the Xbox will undoubtedly spawn a whole new
line of great titles for the software giant.
Oddworld: http://www.oddworld.com
Oddworld Inhabitants have developed two games in their "Oddysee" series, and
have been nominated for an Academy Award because of the quality of their cinematic
segments. The writing in their games in impeccable, and the long-awaited Munch's Oddysee
will be a major launch title on the Xbox this fall.
Lionhead Studios: http://www.lionhead.com
Peter Molyneaux's development house, Lionhead Studios has made a splash on the gaming
scene with the release of their first game, Black and White. Molyneaux is also known for
other games, such as Populous and Syndicate Wars.
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