Name: Doug
Bio: Doug Lang is a supernova of human intelligence. He's also a fantastic beer drinker, and somehow manages to have more energy after E3 than anyone else on staff.
Posts by Doug:
Needs More Buttons! How to create an excellent MAME arcade cabinet in many simple steps
January 10th, 2012
Since I was a kid I always dreamed that I could own an arcade machine of my very own. The only problem was that they were expensive, extremely heavy, and had components that wouldn’t last forever, like the CRT monitor or event the power supplies. The idea of a personal M.A.M.E machine intrigued me for years, but had always seemed like such an undertaking to try to create one — not to mention the costs for all the parts, wood, electronics, etc. Being someone who has never built anything more than a wood clock in shop class, I figured a M.A.M.E machine would be relegated to my day dreams rather than a practical reality.
Then for some reason earlier this year, I woke up with the drive to really see how difficult it would be to actually put one together. I had an idea of first trying to create a joystick to play some games on the computer and, if that was successful, take it further. Fast forward 8 or 9 months, and I present to you my personal Arcade machine:
Review: Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
September 11th, 2011
Rounding out the “Summer of MK”, which has been supported with a steady stream of DLC for the smash hit 9th entry in the series, “Mortal Kombat“, we get a final dash of nostalgia with the release of the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection. Is this icing on the cake or a stale reminder of an era long gone?
E311 Hands-on: Ninja Gaiden 3 (Xbox 360, PS3)
June 13th, 2011
Oh, Ninja Gaiden. While you have given me nothing but a frustrated youth, I am somehow still excited to hear news of a new game in your series. My experience with a “modern” Ninja Gaiden is really limited to Dragon Sword on the DS and Ninja Gaiden II on the Xbox 360. Given the series’ notorious history of being quite difficult, I was a bit afraid to approach the Ninja Gaiden 3 demo stations.
The demo opens asking “Normal” or “Hard” mode. Still terrified, I think we all know which one I picked. The game then starts with a cut scene explaining… something, I don’t know, skip skip skip, lets murder things! The first thing I noticed about the game, is that it felt much more “quck-time-y” than I remembered Ninja Gaiden II being. Read the rest of this entry “
E311 Hands-on: Kirby (Wii)
June 13th, 2011
Who would have expected Kirby to get another game for the Wii so soon? While Kirby Wii (working title) looks to be a solid Kirby game indeed, does it also capture the charm of his previous Wii title?
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Living E3 2011: The Video
June 12th, 2011What goes on at E3, behind the scenes? Sure, seeing our ongoing previews, hands-on, and breaking news is enough to give you an idea of the work we’ve been putting into presenting E3, but it doesn’t always get you the gist of how hectic the event can be. Doug and Adam have put together their second video (you might remember this one from a couple years back) detailing their E3 adventure. Yeah, ALL OF THAT HAPPENED IN 4 DAYS. That’s a lot of walking, and even more gaming. Oh, and malnourishment , too.
E311 Hands-on: Super Mario (3DS)
June 12th, 2011
Back at GDC, Nintendo unveiled the first “ground up” 3D Super Mario game for a Nintendo portable, simply titled “Super Mario“. From that game logo, it was clear that Nintendo has gone way back for inspiration… but have they gone too far back?
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E311 Hands-on: Luigi’s Mansion 2 (3DS)
June 8th, 2011
Luigi’s Mansion 2 was a bit of a surprise reveal during Nintendo’s presser, so I took the chance to check it out at the Nintendo booth later this afternoon. As the demo begins, Professor E. Gaad is back and greets you briefly to give some explanation as to why you, Luigi, the petrified second banana, is going to venture into a haunted mansion… again.
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E311 Hands-on: Mario Kart (3DS)
June 8th, 2011
Another Nintendo System, another Mario Kart. On the show floor I was able to get my hands on the demo for Mario Kart for the 3DS, racing two tracks (against the CPU only). The new elements in this iteration look to include some new kart customization, as well as new Air/Land/Sea portions where the kart automatically transforms with the necessary equipment to traverse the terrain. Read: glider for air, submarine under water.
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