Stay tuned for a big announcement on Big Head Mode. I hope you are ready for some big changes.

Despite a bad April Fools Joke, at first glance it appears that Big Head Mode really is dead. No one really had anything to say about yesterday’s post, and the apparent slaying of a game idea. But don’t you worry, imaginary readers in my head, it was all in jest. Big Head Mode is actually coming back, and Zombie Trail has merely been put on the shelf for a while. I admit the lull was a bit long. Without any serious number of posts in almost two months, I was about to let Big Head Mode just fade away into Blogger obscurity.

Here’s why I didn’t. First of all, I need to keep up my writing. When I’m not writing, I feel like I become lazy with my vocabulary. Secondly, even though I got sidetracked in March, I do want to complete Zombie Trail, and I do want to blog about it. Finally, and this might be the biggest reason, I want to use the blog as way to prove myself for a new job. I am really starting to hate my current job, and I am looking to find a job in what I love, the Games Industry. I haven’t decided if I want to do Programming, or some sort of Technical Management/PR type stuff. I would love to be able to manage releases and make product decisions, and I would love to represent some game entity for an online community. I hate constantly simplifying it this way, but what Major Nelson does, I think more game companies need. I’m looking at you Nintendo. So, there you have it, the blog is now nothing more than a vehicle to pander my silly ideas, in the hope of impressing someone looking at my resume. Shallow, isn’t it?

So, what’s going to change for Big Head? Not much really. I would like to pick the VC and XBLA posts back up. I would like to bring back “Games I Am Playing” on a regular basis, and even provide some more reviews. I want to do at least one post a day for the month of April, as a way to start the blog back up too. Finally, I hate to beg for comments, but I would really love to know if I have any readers out there.

As you could have probably guess from the infrequency of updates, I haven’t had much time for the ol’ Big Head Mode. Things have been a little crazy in my life. I haven’t even had much time to work on the Year of the Pig Project. I finally started being honest with myself. It’s not a good idea. It won’t make a good game. So, to save all of you from feining interest in it, I am cancelling the Year of the Pig Project, and letting this blog die. Farewell all.

I always get a kick out of which Google searches direct someone to my blog. But according to a recent post from a fellow blogger, I do it to make fun of my readers, and inflate my ego. I had no idea. I really think he is just looking to force an argument. I find them funny not because I am ridiculing the actual search, but because a piece of software guessed someone was looking for my site, when they clearly weren’t. Aside from that, I find all the data to be interesting, not a way to inflate my ego. Well, let’s do something different today. Here are where my readers are from.

United States - 21
United Kingdom - 6
Canada - 4
Germany - 1
Malaysia - 1
Belgium - 1
Netherlands - 1
Sweden - 1

I noticed some more interesting Google searches were used to find Big Head Mode. I guess it doesn’t matter how you get here, so long as you are here. Sorry to disappoint, but I have no entries about cows with big heads or smooth big headed people. Guess you’ll just have to settle for the same old video game drivel.

• Zelda link Gannon funny videos (Google)
• “pokémon diamond and pearl” buggy (Google
• year of the pig art projects (Google)
• Gametap - Elite Beat Agents (AOL)
• nintendo wi recall (Google)
• metal slug 6 rom (Google)
• Sneak King Glitch (Google)
• finetune wii (Google)
• superman fly through rings (Google)
• wii spongebob creature from the krusty krab chart codes (Google)
• glitches for lotr 2 (Google)
• glitches for bully on video (Google)
• smooth big headed people (Google)
• cow with big head (Google)
• “Nobuo Uematsu” iso (Google)

I know New Year’s resolutions get a bad rep because of how seldom they are actually kept, but I do have some ideas for things I’d like to do this year on Big Head Mode. I’d like to secure a domain and have Big Head Mode stand on it’s own. I’d like to be more consistent with columns like “Games I Am Playing” and even bring back some abandoned segments like “Remembering Schlock” and “Remembering A Classic”. But there is one major goal I would like to share with you. In 2007, the year of the pig, I will make a game. Obviously, it’s tempting to sit on the fence and critique games for their lack or innovation and stale nature, but I need to take the next step and try my own hand at it. Also, given my current emplyment status (testing), I haven’t done much coding in a while, so I want to stay in practice. I’ve made games in the past, but they were either ports of an existing game, or something I never finished. This time around, I want to make a complete, original title. Here are the details:

Microsoft has developed the XNA framework to make developing for the PC and Xbox 360 easier. Their major focus is on encouraging indie games. Given this is exactly what I want to do, I will try it out. So my game will most likely be for the PC and the Xbox 360.

Too often I “sprint” with my projects. I work like crazy over a few weeks and then abandon a game, program, or application without ever finishing it. This game will be a fully fledged game, developed from the groundup, tested, and (hopefully) distributed.

I will set monthly goals, and document the entire process on this blog.

I will not use any company’s IP or copyrighted music or art. Not because my goal is to make money off of this (although I wouldn’t mind some), but because I want to exercise and learn my creative boundaries. I am not a very creative person, so this is actually quite a challenge. It will either have to be something I create or public domain.

I will plan on completely finishing the game by the end of the year, to be released on January 1, 2008.

Just to let you know, I have no idea what kind of game I want to make, I am leaning towards games like classic RPGs, puzzle games, or platformers. Simply because those are genres I know very well, but you never know. My very first goal is to completely develop my game idea by the end of January. That entails game design, story, locales, etc. I will try my best to post a report the first of every month, but I may be a few days late.

Well, today is it for 2006. Most likely we will all be watching some sort of electrically powered sphere descending tonight, ushering in a new year. So let’s look back on 2006, what I consider to be, maybe the most exciting year for video games. Here are my favorite 10 games of 2006. Now the requirements were simple, they had to come out in 2006, and they (obviously) had to be a game I played. I don’t have the time to play every good game from 2006, so there are probably some games that belong on this last, that just weren’t played by me. These honorable mentions would be Okami, Final Fantasy V and XII, and Guitar Hero II. Now, let the countdown begin.

10. Tetris DS
I love Tetris. I have fond memories of borrowing my brothers gigantic gray Game Boy just to play it. Luckily, with Tetris DS, Nintendo didn’t just throw together a rehash. First of all, it has a fun retro motif with all the sights and sounds from classic Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. Multiple game modes were added like Puzzle, Touch, Push, and Grab. And the greatest addition of all: Online Play. With Tetris DS, you can play other Tetraheads all over the world.

9. Elite Beat Agents
I kept hearing great things about Osu! Tatake! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game for the DS. Given that the cost to import it would run me about $50-$60, I didn’t jump on it. Luckily, given it’s success in the East, Nintendo gave it the green light for a western remake. Elite Beat Agents features an eclectic mix of American pop that you must touch, drag, and spin to the beat. It takes a little while to get used to the concept and timing, but given the games quirky animation and stories, it’s a pretty fun game.

8. Dead Rising
Leave it to Capcom to completely reinvent a genre they created. Capcom created the surrvival-horror genre with Resident Evil, and given all the similar titles that followed, people love it. GTA is known for inventing the go-anywhere, do-anything mechanic known as sandboxing. Put the two together and you get a fun over-the-top zombie romp. A lot of times putting two successful gaming styles together don’t work very well (*cough, Odama), but for Dead Rising, it definitely works.

7. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
In case you didn’t know, Konami loves to make these 2D Castlevania games for Nintendo handhelds. I believe we are now up to the 5th original Castlevania handheld title that uses the same Metroid inspired 2D exploration style. You’d think that it would be getting old, but Konami knows how to keep the mix fresh. Portrait of Ruin adds to the enjoyable “Soul” system established in Dawn of Sorrow, with a two character tandem control scheme. It allows you to double your strategies and is even organic to the plot.

6. New Super Mario Bros.
Did you know that until New Super Mario Bros. Came out, we hadn’t seen an original 2D Mario game since Super Mario World? That’s right, Mario’s adventures have been relegated to 3D romps and 2D re-releases. That is, until now. It was such fun to play this game. You get all the established things from previous Mario games like Koopas, Goombas, and navigable overworlds. But there is a lot more too. There are mega mushrooms, and mini mushrooms, and a ton of fun random mini-games to play with friends.

5. Final Fantasy III
Another re-release in the top 10? How can this be? Well, Final Fantasy III, is probably the most extensive remake of a game ever. Square-Enix started with an 8-bit Famicom title that was never released in the States, completely rehauled the graphics to 3D, and added a ton of jobs. This, my friend, is no simple re-release. And considering, we’ve never had the chance to play it in the States, I’d consider it more to be a really late release, that was worth the wait. Although FF III, still has remnants of classic RPGs like grinding and linear dungeons, I found it to be very engaging and enjoyable.

4. Gears of War
Despite having just talked about this in a previous post, I will summarize it again. Gears of War completely shuns the established status quo for shooters. Where you would normally be strafing in circles and shooting people, you are now moving from bunker to bunker emphasizing positioning rather than firepower. Does this mean there is less action? No, dear reader, there is all the action you can handle. With your chainsaw-for-a-bayonet deathbringer, you will be knee deep in alien guts, with bullets whizzing over your head. You will not be bored.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The wait for Twilight Princess was intense. Nintendo kept pushing it back, and then made it a launch title for the Wii. Finally, on November 19th, with my newly purchased Wii, I began Link’s latest adventure. Twilight Princess is not perfect, but it is really freakin’ close. Featuring some of the best dungeons in the series, exciting combat sequences, and a wonderful story, I was completely fixated on this game. Although the argument can be made that the Wii controls felt a little like a add-on, it was fun swinging around my Wiimote to slash up enemies.

2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
In case you couldn’t tell, I clearly have a soft spot for fantasy games. I never met a Final Fantasy or Zelda game I didn’t like. (Of course I never met Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, or the Zelda CD-i titles, but that’s another story). Despite my love of of fantastic stories, I had never played an Elder Scrolls game, until Oblivion. Oblivion is one of the most deep, engrossing (non-MMO) games you will ever play. It’s scope is huge, and calling it epic is an understatement. There are cities, guilds, side quests, and dungeons that exist completely independent of the main storyline. As engaging as Oblivion’s environments are, they are equally gorgeous. It’s amazing how great an almost launch title can look.

1. Wii Sports
A free pack-in game at the number one spot? How can it be? I understand that Wii Sports doesn’t have much depth and is not a graphical powerhouse. I understand that Wii Sports could probably run on a last-gen system. I understand all that. But one thing cannot be denied. Wii Sports is fun, and it is changing the playfield of games. Never before has a game had this much mass appeal, this quickly. Wii Sports has been the main fuel for the Wii buzz. Every single person that I have played it with, with even some of them never having played a video game, have enjoyed their experience playing it. After getting my Wii on launch day, I have since taken it to show friends and family. The results have been pretty amazing, I have heard at least 5 people say the words “I am buying one of these”. Wii Sports made the Wii. Without Wii Sports, Wii would probably be doing all right, being simply fueled by sales from gaming enthusiests. But Nintendo’s mission was not to cater to the existing minority of gamers, it was to braoden the market. Guess what? They are doing it. I choose Wii Sports not because of it’s graphics or depth, but because of it’s indelible impact on gaming.

Ever since I signed up for Blog Patrol, I’ve been able to see some pretty interesting statistics about my site. One thing I like to check from time to time, are the keywords that people use to find Big Head Mode. Some people are actually looking for content on the site, but some people seem to just stumble here, apparently, people that like to make fun of people with big heads. So, here are the current top 10 searches that found Big Head Mode.

“CompUSA Final Fantasy XII street date” (Google)
“atlanta wii” (Google)
“metroid prime 3 release day” (Google)
“Zipatoni viral PSP” (Yahoo)
“bigheadmode in company of heroes” (Google)
“”cousin pete” psp google video” (Google)
“make fun of big headed people” (Google)
“GAMECUBE GAMES BIG HEAD MODE” (Google)
“UmJammy Lammy” (Google)

Well, this is post #100, and I hope it’s only the beginning. I really feel that this upcoming console war is going to be the best. Each company has a well defined niche, and they will all be competing for our love and attention. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep posting on BHM. But it’s been fun. I’m sure I’ll keep at it for a while. If you read, feel free to comment on your favorite post so far. By the way, how many readers are out there?

Looks like it’s not just about me anymore. I invited my friend Chris, known as Golddbz2000, to write for the blog. Chris is good friend, and will provide some more insights and perspectives for Big Head Mode. I’ll let him introduce himself. Personal series like “Games I Am Playing” will continue, but now you gotta check the author.