Call it a guilty pleasure, but there is something about Spider-Man games that I just can’t get enough of. Spider-Man games have always had a certain “free-roaming” quality to them. Even the platformers like Maximum Carnage on the Super Nintendo, which was a “Beat’em Up” in the vein of Final Fight or Double Dragon. But you still had the feeling that you could move more freely. And the web-slinging has been down-pat and accurate since Spider-Man debuted on the Atari 2600.

The most modern revisions have tempted me in to playing each iteration. Spider-Man 3 and Spiderman: Friend or Foe gave you a huge sandbox to play in. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows gave the game a darker, grittier feel, similar to the X-Men Origins: Wolverine game. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions allowed you to experience Spider-Man spin-off characters who have never had their own games before. I plan to continue that theme in Spider-man: The Edge of Time before moving on to the latest movie tie-in game, The Amazing Spider-Man.

I, for one, can’t wait to sling webs around giant open worlds, free fall, and catch myself with a quick tap of the trigger. These games are fun, and I spend more time exploring than “playing the game.” Call me crazy, but I’m glad they just keep coming – and, of the titles I’ve played, at least, they just seem to keep getting better!

As part of the Carmageddon: Reincarnation kickstarter project reached its goal and then some, the team has been hard at work at a mobile app release of the original game. The iPad one was released a while ago, and today marks the official release of the Android app.

The game plays just as you remember it, sounds, graphics, and all. The touch controls are new, but they work extremely well. You’ll quickly get absorbed and try to find creative ways to win your races faster. Since I’m traveling this weekend, I wanted to recommend a mobile game for our Friday gaming fun, and to mark the release of the Android version of the game, the Stainless Games folks have not only made the Android app free, but the iOS version as well!

Go ahead and download the classic Carmageddon for iOS, or Carmageddon for Android. Get yourself pumped up for Carmageddon Reincarnation, due out later this year. If virtual vehicular manslaughter appeals to you after the sale is over, just remember to keep it in the games – they’re cheap enough. And if you want the ultimate experience you remember from over 15 years ago, check out the $10 Carmageddon Maxx Pack on GoG.

This week Nintendo simultaneously lost Madden NFL 25 on the Wii U, saw prices slashed again at retailers in the UK, and sent a message to your custoemrs begging them to buy the Wii U. This is getting pathetic.

I had a stack of Wii U’s I was planning on making some money on. They didn’t sell. I’m still sitting on some of them. It seems good to know that in 15 years they’ll be a rare treasure that sells well on eBay, especially in a sealed box! Too bad I’m stuck with these pieces of crap for another 15 years.

I’m thrilled with New Super Mario Bros. U, it’s a fun game. But the system is failing, it’s not a secret. It’s Nintendo’s best online service yet and the eStore is just finally starting to take off. The video above shows games that will be launching on the Wii U’s Virtual Console service. But if Nintendo really wants to keep the Wii U on life support until larger publishers and triple-A title games return to the platform, I know how they can keep it going. Release more Virtual Console games!

Nintendo, I don’t want to import my games from my Wii U. It’s absolutely the right move to allow people to do that. And the upgrade process to Wii U sounds great. But where are the games!? If I could turn on my Wii U tonight, and download a bunch of games, I would jump right on it. Super Mario 64, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Street Fighter, even Gameboy games like Metroid II, or Donkey Kong Land II, and classic NES titles like Mega Man III (my favorite), or Darkwing Duck (also: insert obvious Metroid request) – give all of these games to me, and you’ll make a fortune in a day. It seems too much like they want to drag it out and slowly release more and more content, much the way Xbox Live Arcade works, or other online systems. But if the basic formula is to take an existing, old ROM file, drop it into a wrapper that lets me sett it on my TV and my Wii U Gamepad, and upload it to the eStore… then GET ON IT. Make a splash – give users a compelling users to have this console! You’re floundering too much, and it’s frustrating me to near insanity.

I bought several popular Xbox Live Arcade games either when they came out, or after they received great critical acclaim. And then I never got around to playing them.

Whether it was Max and the Magic Marker on Windows Phone, or Bastion on Xbox Live Arcade, I’ve got some catching up to do! Even Retro City Rampage is waiting for me to give it a little more attention! Not to mention I bought the original Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy and never made much progress in those games. Or how about some of the fighting games I bought just for the sake of owning them, like Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Mortal Kombat Arcade, or Marvel vs. Capcom 2! I’ve just got so many games I’ve added to my digital collection over the years that I forget about. Maybe it’s time to spend a nice weekend going through “the collection.” And maybe next weekend I should go through my Steam or GoG account and see what I’m missing out on!?

I walked in to a gamestore a few weeks ago, spent about $7, and walked out with a bag full of games. I still don’t even know for sure if they work, but I think this weekend will be a good one to escape from a few things and play some vintage games. I can’t wait to find out if my “new” copies of Demons to Diamonds, Yar’s Revenge, and Pitfall actually work!

You’re probably familiar with at least two of those, but I’m very excited for Demons to Diamonds because it’s a game that I’ve actually never played before, but I’ve heard good things in the past. I have a few other games I’ve been wanting to play around with, or even just see if my new game cartridges work. This should be a good weekend for an escape from the connected world. Are you planning anything fun?

Okay, sure, I’m a bit of a Wii U nerd. I think the technology is fascinating, but the games are lacking. I haven’t been playing mine for a little while. Then I heard there was a new update available for the console’s firmware, itself. I put the GamePad controller on its display stand and it has sit there long enough to completely drain of life. I didn’t want to power on my console for fear that the update would take ages, much like the update that was available at launch, which I suggested you install early if giving the Wii U as a gift.

Just the other day I decided I would brave the waters and go download the update. To my surprise, I thought that Nintendo may have modularized their updates, as this one was only 30 MB! It downloaded and installed in the matter of a few minutes then I was on my way to playing games. The improvements are supposed to include faster load times when dropping back to the main OS and so far that is all that has been highlighted. I didn’t notice any dramatic difference, though I didn’t time it with a stopwatch, and thought the size might be too small to be true, and as it turns out that may have only been an update to Miiverse. I guess I’ll wait a few more weeks to see if another, larger update comes out. But if this so-called system update that I saw really was the big-deal firmware update, then I’m actually pretty impressed. This is a much better way to do it than making users re-download the whole thing every time there is an update (ARE YOU LISTENING, SONY?).

I’ve talked about Hydro Thunder a few times. But today it’s being used as yet another example of how developers really need to think beyond their current comfort zones when developing today’s games. With companies like Microsoft and others adopting a “pay once, use anywhere” model, you need to be prepared for whatever platform your game is going to appear on.

Although the first thing that may come to mind is being prepared for processing power limitations, what I find an interesting thought is supporting multiple control schemes. Much more care and consideration needs to going in being prepared for any platform. For instance, my Surface RT device acts as multiple platforms. In the game Hydro Thunder alone I can use all 3 primary control models, and even expand upon those.

Games could offer you the option to play with a mouse and a keyboard. Or just a keyboard. Or a USB controller that you’ve plugged in. Or using touchscreen controls. Perhaps even tilt controls. Or any combination of some or all of these, really! Okay, I admit, it might be hard to combine the keyboard and the tilt, but with something like the Surface, although it might be unwieldy, it wouldn’t be entirely impossible!

I find it fascinating that the system can automatically adapt depending on what devices are plugged in to it, and even more impressive that developers are considering these challenges as they release games. You don’t just make up your mind as to the best way to play your game anymore. You need to be more accommodating to the other players and allow them to choose a play-style that fits their needs at the time. I think it is an exciting challenge to have, but a challenge none the less, that adds additional demands and considerations to the game development process. It is undoubtedly an interesting era for gaming.