Blog Herding: The Best Recent Posts

It’s been a while since we’ve done a round-up of some of the best of the GI.com blogs, so Blog Herding returns with a bevy of interesting, funny, and just plain strange posts from our editors and members of the community. Read on to find out what you’ve been missing.

Buggin' Out: What's Up With The Hoops Games This Year?!
GI’s Matt Bertz showcases some of the ridiculous bugs that have led the developers of NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 10 to rush out patches to fix some of their more egregious errors. It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry, a feeling we Timberwolves fans are well acquainted with.

Impressions: Abbey Road DLC
Game Informer’s resident Mersey Beat scholar, Matthew Kato, gives us his hands-on impressions of The Beatles: Rock Band’s Abbey Road downloadable content. In this blog, Kato ponders the big questions, like “Is this worth $16.99?” and “What the hell was McCartney thinking with ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’?”

What Is That...Thing?!
Matthew Kato helps us unravel the mysteries of The Trophy of the Gilded Frog. This is a treasure more valuable and rare than you could possibly imagine. Warning: Vikings/Packers content may be objectionable to Bears fans.

Rock Band iPhone: I Kinda Dig It
Zune fanboy Nick Ahrens takes Rock Band iPhone out for a test drive, and comes back impressed with the results.

Texts From My Father As He Plays Resident Evil 4
GI’s Dan Ryckert is a wonderful son. How wonderful? So wonderful that he did a blog post compiling the SFW text messages he’s received from his dear father while he tackles Capcom’s Resident Evil 4. It turns out that the patriarch of the Ryckert family is a pretty funny game reviewer. We’d think about replacing Dan with his dad, but since Dan pulled this prank we figure he needs a job because he can’t move back home again.

Another Mind-Blowing LEGO Creation
LEGO obsessive Andrew Reiner clues us in to one of the most amazing things we’ve seen on the Internet since Keyboard Cat. This pop-up LEGO Japanese temple scene is guaranteed to boggle your mind.

CosBlog #4: Dhalsim by KibaB
The fourth in Meagan VanBurkleo’s ongoing series of blogs documenting the cosplay scene shows off reader KibaB’s uncanny recreation of Street Fighter favorite Dhalsim. Eerie! Be sure to browse through the archives for earlier editions of the CosBlog; there’s some impressive stuff there.

Meagan Is A Lame Prankster
Through good times and bad, you can always count on GI’s Joe Juba to be there, mocking you for your failures. He’s basically the real-life Nelson from The Simpsons, forever ready with a well-timed “HA-ha!” In this blog, Joe documents Meagan’s fairly lame attempt at “pranking” Reiner. Well, at least this blog is funny. Sometimes life is about the journey, not the destination. I think Steven Seagal said that.

The[Crafty]Gamer: Jennie Sue
With her blog The[Crafty]Gamer, Game Informer’s Annette Gonzalez showcases some of the arts and crafts that are inspired by gaming. In this edition, video game PR superstar Jennie Sue creates some yummy cupcakes inspired by the iPhone game Rolando. Again, be sure to check out some of the previous entries, there’s some cool stuff there.

Xbox 360 Elite VS PS3 Slim: A Consumer's Perspective
GI community member dbulll620 gives us a well-written comparison of the Xbox 360 Elite and PS3 Slim, detailing the pros and cons of each – as well as some of the hidden costs associated with both systems. It’s a good read, especially if you are on the fence about which system to buy this holiday season.

Sex and Dying in High Society
GI.com moderator Almoshowers questions the mettle of today’s youngsters. Are video games raising a new generation of kids that quit when the going gets tough? Read on to find out. Bonus points for a title that references one of my favorite songs by L.A. punk legends X.

Why I Play, Don't Play, and Am Generally a Quitter
GI user VenerableMonster takes the opposite view of Almoshowers, in a blog that details why he has stacks of games he started but never finished. It’s interesting stuff, and provides some insight into what keeps him playing and what ultimately stops him from reaching the end of some of the best games he’s ever played.

The Case For Retail
GI reader Jake H. blogs about the future of game distribution, and worries about implications for consumers if game publishers and console makers abandon disc-based, retail formats in favor of download-only systems. It’s a well-written and thought-provoking post.

Community Update - 10.24.09
Matt Brooker always keeps an eye out for the best in the Game Informer user blogs, and his periodic updates are mandatory for anyone who wants to stay on top of what’s going on in the community. This recent update once again shows his eye for interesting content.