Rec Room

Cocaine blues

Jags great Jimmy Smith done in by illegal tint and an imaginary friend. Plus, the Nevada Wolf Pack goes down shooting.
Wow. That's all I can say after seeing the mug shot of former Jacksonville Jaguars star wide receiver Jimmy Smith, busted last week on pot and crack charges.

By MATT TAIBBI | April 29, 2009

Deep space

Riddick's sci-fi journey continues
In The Chronicles of Riddick , Swedish designer Starbreeze has it both ways: hardcore gameplay and brisk storytelling not only co-exist but achieve symbiosis.

By MITCH KRPATA | April 28, 2009

Review: The Godfather II

Going against the family
If adapting the Godfather series means stripping it of subtext and amplifying the thuggery, that may be the greatest imaginable indictment of video games as a medium.

By MITCH KRPATA | April 21, 2009

Gag reel

Sit Down, Shut Up needs to take its own advice
The Devil's in the details in Fox's new animated series, Sit Down, Shut Up , but I wish he'd gotten more involved in the main elements as well — like stories.

By DAVID KRONKE | April 14, 2009

Guitar Hero: Metallica

A triumphant return to form
At long last, it seems that Guitar Hero has reached a state of equilibrium.

By MITCH KRPATA | April 15, 2009

Review: Wanted: Weapons of Fate

Over in a muzzle flash
It's hard to say which has a worse reputation: movies based on video games or video games based on movies.

By MITCH KRPATA | April 07, 2009

Post-steroid baseball

Nine questions that will shape the new season
The bunting is hung. The chalk lines are laid out with Euclidian precision.

By MIKE MILIARD | April 02, 2009

Black and white and red all over

The stylish ultraviolence of MadWorld
The most common problem afflicting video games these days is a deficit of imagination. So many releases look alike, sound alike, and play alike.

By MITCH KRPATA | April 02, 2009

Review: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Condensing chaos
Chinatown Wars condenses the highly produced modern GTA experience into a portable form easily digested in small bites.

By MIKE ROUGEAU | March 30, 2009

Review: Resident Evil 5

Bigoted, or just boring?
Is it racist? The question has been plaguing Resident Evil 5 since its infamous trailer debuted at the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

By MITCH KRPATA | March 24, 2009

Review: Killzone 2

Can Killzone 2 save the PlayStation 3?
For fans of the chronically underperforming PlayStation 3, each new exclusive title is a potential savior. The latest great white hope is Killzone 2 , the sequel to a not especially beloved PS2 game.

By MITCH KRPATA | March 17, 2009

Botswana beauty

HBO does Alexander McCall Smith proud
As any fan of traditional mysteries knows, a good detective must pay attention to details. And Precious Ramotswe, the founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, finds that truer than most.

By CLEA SIMON | March 16, 2009

Sports blotter: Steamrolled again

Brian Bosworth gets leveled by John Law, and Marshawn Lynch hops on the Chris Henry express
Brian Bosworth gets a DUI; Marshawn Lynch pleads guilty to a gun charge

By MATT TAIBBI | March 12, 2009

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

Puzzle Quest drifts off course once more
It's appropriate that the new Puzzle Quest game should take place in space. Just like a black hole, it's impossible to resist; you wind up crushed into a subatomic particle.

By MITCH KRPATA | March 10, 2009

Greater-than Sudoku XXVIII

Psycho Sudoku!
Psycho Sudoku!

By PSYCHO SUDOKU | March 12, 2009

The wild bunch

The 15 craziest athletes in Boston sports history
Stephon Marbury is just the latest in a long and illustrious line of Boston athletes whose tenure here was marked by kooky, flamboyant, inscrutable, or bad behavior.

By MIKE MILIARD | March 04, 2009

How weird is Stephon Marbury?

Brace yourselves for the Starbury show, starring Stephon Marbury — perhaps the strangest pro athlete ever to suit up in a Celtics uniform.
In 1994's The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams , author Darcy Frey offers potent evidence that the matchlessly bizarre Celtic Stephon Marbury dates back at least to early adolescence.

By ADAM REILLY | March 10, 2009