Or, to be in line with the official language, Starcraft: The Board Game. Yes, it’s real and it’s a Fantasy Flight Games production that you can actually play without a computer. Or a mouse. With your hands and the help of 180 miniatures, quite a few board game pieces and a lot of cards. Really. It’s a proper impressive board game from the leaders in this field. You can actually grab it by following the previous link. Or this one. Apparently it’s been around for quite some time too and I simply cannot understand how I missed such an event. After all, I had been following news on its development pretty closely. Can’t believe I missed the launch… Oh, dear. I’m in shock. Have been even before I watched this pretty amazing (and quite explanatory) video/trailer of the game.

Ok. Better catch my breath here.

Ahh, yes, that’s better. Now, having just ordered the thing, I quite obviously don’t know how it plays, though I’m pretty sure it can’t be anything less than brilliant and ridiculously time consuming. Probably rules-heavy too, as it seems like an attempt at a full blown tabletop, turn-based, emulation of Blizzard’s original Starcraft. All three races have been included, as have a variety of popular tactics (Zergling rush anyone?), 50 or so pages of rules and quite a few victory conditions. Obviously 2-6 players multiplayer is a standard feature too. Joy!

It’s been ages since the last proper Street Fighter sequel, but it seems the wait has been worth it, for Street Fighter IV looks utterly gorgeous in its cel-shaded 3D glory. So, uhh, look at Zangief, gawk at Chun Li, laugh at Dhalsim, smile at Honda, thoroughly examine Blanka, be all impressed by the spankin’ shiny new Guile and generally enjoy those lovely SF4 screenshots we’ve posted all over the place (for your eyes only). Just don’t ask what consoles this will be released for. All I know is you should be playing it at the arcades soon, provided of course you live in Japan or any arcades in your vicinity have survived, and I would dare guessing the game should also be appearing on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Eventually, that is. Actually, a Wii version wouldn’t come as much of a surprise either. Oh, and the game will play in the traditional 2D way. Joy!

Still, for now, all you can do is be patient, lament the loss of the arcades and watch this space for further info. Intently. Till your head starts spinning. Better though, stop watching intently and start working on those fighting skills again. Intently. Playing anything (or everything) from Hyper Street Fighter II - Anniversary Edition to the complete Street Fighter Alpha Anthology on the PS2 should probably do the job. Lacking a PS2, well, you shouldn’t have trouble tracking down a SF copy for your Xbox 360, Dreamcast, PC, C64, SNES, whatever. You can even play Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX on the PSP. Anyway, here are the rest of the screenshots:

[Pssst… To find out what this is post is all about and/or have a look at the first part of this little Desert Island Disks feature, well, click here.]

Diablo II & expansion pack

I wouldn’t really call Diablo or its sequel a true CRPG, but I would definitely describe both of them as extremely addictive, time-consuming, fun and oddly atmospheric games. Oh, yes, and as action heavy hack-and-slash offerings set in a dark fantasy world featuring many nasty little (and pretty huge) devils too. Then there are them randomly generated levels and the huge variety of enemies, weapons, spells, you name it, that make sure the Diablos last more than roughly a dozen of your average FPSs. Obviously Diablo II is the better game, whereas Lord of Destruction a typically brilliant Blizzard expansion.

Heroes of Might & Magic III

I must have wasted quite a bit of my life on this one already, but nevertheless I’m sure I could waste a bit more. Especially if stranded on a bloody island. Heroes of Might and Magic III, you see, a game I usually spell Heroes of Might and Magick for some peculiar reason, is a superb turn-based strategy affair, that’s incredibly simple to get into and incredibly difficult to master. HOMM III is played on three levels (World exploration/strategic - City/resource management - Battlefield/tactical level) and happily excels at each one. Also sports tons of missions to beat. Failing to grab a copy of it, I guess I could settle for the admittedly deeper HOMM V, even though I still prefer my 2D graphics. HOMM IV is just despicable, mind you.

Sensible World of Soccer

Simply the best version of the best footie game ever and something you really have to play on an Amiga to truly appreciate. The pace is just right, the game actually feels like playing -not watching- football, the stylized graphics are pure genius and SWOS goes as far as to provide with an expanded team management bit. Probably needs a classic digital joystick too, you know, for the complete experience. Infinitely replayable, despite the fact I can easily win the Euro Cup with Malta.

TIE Fighter

Wing Commander was great, X-Wing was better and TIE Fighter is simply above anything else. Getting to play the bad guy -with an option for joining the order of the abominably nasty- while flying one of those highly maneuverable though totally shield-less TIE thingies was a fantasy come true and one I’m eager to relive. Happily, I haven’t played the thing for ages either, so I guess it should last me for a good 50-60 hours, what with its training missions, dozens of historic battles and three (if I remember correctly) pretty hefty campaigns.

Tetris DS

Alexey Pajitnov’s masterpiece, besides its billion-selling Game Boy version, has had more re-imaginings, versions, ports and knock-offs than any other game has bytes. As for me, I’ll pick the recent Nintendo DS version. Despite its flaws, Tetris DS offers a fresh look at the game complete with brilliant new visuals and all the classic gameplay. The five extra game modes (no that they are necessary) do add quite a bit to the longevity of the thing too.

Imagine yourself stranded on a tiny salty island of the Pacific with nobody to talk to, no access to the Internet, no way to communicate with the rest of mankind, no pizza delivery, nothing but a super-computer-console emulator thingy that could play each and every game ever. Now, imagine you weren’t an anti-social sociopath. Wouldn’t that be dreadful? Of course it would. You’d hate the place.

Anyway. Having established the setting, would you now be so kind and imagine you were foresighted enough to have brought ten of your dearest games with you so as to, you know, sort of ease the pain of boredom? Great! What would them games be? Too shy to speak, huh? Well, suit yourself dear reader, but here are my Desert Island Disks (CDs/DVDs too), all selected for their endurance.

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV

Not as groundbreaking as its esteemed grandfather, I’ll give you that, but definitely the pinnacle of the ever-evolving Civ series and a game I believe I could play forever. Well, almost. Still, trying to beat it at the toughest setting, experimenting with a variety of tactics, playing the tons of available scenarios (random or not), reflecting on human progress and living out megalomaniac fantasies should be both highly enjoyable and appropriately time consuming. Even in solitude and without multiplayer. Then, should the rescuers really take their time, there’s the excellent editor/modding tools to get creative with.

Elite Plus

Elite was huge, brilliant and a smash hit that all but dominated the home computing scene. It sported gazillions of planets to visit and/or exploit, the option to play anything from a space-pirate to a bounty hounter to a lawful trader and more importantly provided with some rare opportunities at daydreaming. Shockingly, this amazing space-sim-opera of a game hasn’t aged a day. Well, ok, a day. Elite Plus updated the graphics to glorious 16-bit quality and is thus the marginally better game.

Day of the Tentacle

Adventures, most probably my favorite genre, are unfortunately ill-suited for the desert island environment, what with their total lack of replayability. A shame, for Monkey Island would have been so appropriate. Thankfully, though, it’s been over 10 years since I last touched Day of the Tentacle and I’m bound to have forgotten most of the puzzles. Besides, there’s the full version of Maniac Mansion -one of the few Lucasarts games I have never finished- included as a game within a game. Oh, and as far as adventure games go, this is one of the best. Tim Schafer designed it you know.

Football Manager (any version)

Unless you have actually played Football Manager (or Championship Manager as they used to call it before them corporate people got it all mixed up) you just can’t understand the sheer brilliance of this coach/manager sim. It’s the only game that, while being as utterly realistic as it is, can keep you up till 6 o’ clock in the morning chain-smoking yourself to the next division. Or the Championship League finals. If you love football, you’ll love FM. I for one definitely do.

TES IV: Oblivion

This massive first person CRPG that might be slightly shorter than its predecessor, but also manages to offer a more focused story, better graphics, improved AI, more elaborate side-quests and a way more believable world, would be my RPG of choice for the island. Not that it’s so much better than KOTOR or Fallout 2, mind you. It’s just that I’m such a lover of huge fully 3D worlds I can’t resist it. Besides, I usually treat it as a virtual DM and feel like doing some proper role-playing.

…… Stay tuned for Part Two …… Well, here it is!

It’s not every day a new gaming blog hits the web, is it? Oh, really? Sure about that? Well, if you lot say so… Anyway, not every gaming blog is like ButtonSmasher, for ButtonSmasher is …err… different and ButtonSmasher has just opened its particularly virtual gates for your very own computer & video gaming pleasure. So, uhm, stay here, have a first look around, enjoy what’s there to enjoy and let us know what you think about the experience. Or wish us the best. Or, you know, just be nice.

But, I pretend to hear you ask, truly, what will ButtonSmasher be all about? Buttons? Smashing buttons? And if so what kind of buttons? Keyboard, joystick, joypad, Wiimote or mouse ones? Old or new? Will it also sport smashing of other sorts? How about sports? Shorts? Well, ask no more dear newfound friends, for I’m about to tell you what this very blog will be all about. Games. Yes, a shock, I know.

Expect regular updates covering everything from PC gaming and MMOs to retro gaming, to new releases, the Wii, handhelds and them shiny new PS3 / Xbox 360 consoles. Expect reviews, previews, rants, news, random posts and features. Expect the bloody unexpected.

Oh, and “Hello World”.