Silence Speaks Volumes: Metal Gear Solid V's Invasion System and Elimination of Game/Story Dissonance

 This article discusses the online component of Metal Gear Solid V and contains no plot spoilers for the main game.

In my Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain review, I declared it to be my favorite game of the year, in spite of a few snags and some dangling plot lines. I touched briefly on the game's built-in online mode (separate from Metal Gear Online, which is essentially a separate game), an optional system in which players can build Forward Operating Bases to mine resources, house staff, and speed up research development/combat missions. After a base is built, it's open to invasion by other players at any time (with a cool down period) whether you're currently playing or not; if you're not there to defend it live, you'd better hope you've put enough resources into your AI guards to defeat the invader.

Your soldiers, your resources, and your standing in the world stage are all at risk, and even though there's no direct connection to the main game's story, the Forward Operating Base system (FOB) silently delivers a meaningful message on deterrent and disarmament using its gameplay as its story.

A Wobbly History of Pac-Man: Part 1 - Arcade Edition

In this series of articles, we'll be taking a quick look at the weird and wonderful history of Namco's Pac-Man, from his most famous games to his weirdest spinoffs to some completely bizarre merchandise. If you want to learn more, PacManMuseum.com and Jamey Pittman's The Pac-Man Dossier are a good resource for in-depth information, especially in regard to the original title.

I've always been a big fan of classic arcade games. I love most of the well known classics, but I'm equally interested in more obscure titles that never caught on and completely unconventional sequels to successful games. The Pac-Man franchise features all of the above, and spans over four decades of games, many wonderful, many terrible. We begin with his arcade incarnations.

Retro Gaming in the Boston Area

Two of my favorite activities are slowly dying out: Going to arcades and collecting old video games from local yard sales/used stores. Arcades still exist but are absolutely tiny in number compared to what was around only ten years ago, and as time goes by, it's becoming harder and harder for me to find old games at local sales. Gamestop has recently stopped carrying any console games older than the Xbox 360, Funcoland (my store of choice for NES/SNES games during the early 2000's) folded into the Gamestop umbrella long ago, and even reliable places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill almost never have video games in my area these days.

Of course, it's easy to find any old game on Ebay or Amazon if you're willing to pay the price. Same goes for arcade games too, though those prices are quite out of my range. Ordering a game off of Ebay really isn't quite the same as browsing a selection in person, though. I want to take a moment to spotlight some of the businesses that are keeping these nerd dreams alive.

I'm focusing only on my favorite arcades/shops reasonably close to the Boston area. If anyone would like to contribute a guest article for their own area, contact me!

The Top Ten Frogs in Video Games

Readership of this blog has fallen pretty heavily this month, and that can only mean one thing: We need more lists! What draws hits more than Top X Lists? Apparently nothing, if the news sites I read are worth anything. To jump on that bandwagon, I present a truly important Video Game List article: The Top Ten Frogs in Video Games.