One name always stands out when it comes to actors taking on the monsters of our nightmares – Robert Englund. In the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ series, Englund kept us awake as night with a striped shirt and his special glove. – Rob Manuel
The world is full of people who say, ‘But I had that idea first,’ but did they do anything about it? Nope, they sat on their bum dreaming. – Rob Manuel
Videogames based on golf have often been viewed as, to mangle a phrase, a good walk through a virtual world spoiled. Connecting with your virtual golfers has often been as hard for gamers as understanding the sport itself. – Rob Manuel
‘A Valley Without Wind’ takes the idea of dungeon crawls and throws it on its head by casting you as a magic user in this 2D platforming labyrinth of a world. From NPC’s to rescue, spells to learn, and a whole civilization you practically need to build back from scratch, this adventure takes to a new world where few other games dare to go. – Rob Manuel
‘Botanicula’ tells the story of a group of twigs, nuts, and leaves trying to escape with the life essence of a tree in tow before nasties from another world destroy them and everything else in their path. Yes, it’s a point-and-click adventure game, but behind every click, there’s a bit of joy to be found. Bugs sing. Bees dance. – Rob Manuel
To be honest, I was the world’s worst vegetarian. You see – I didn’t really like vegetables very much. I’d spent most of my childhood terrified of them – horrid bland mushy things. It’s only as an adult I realise that part of the problem is my mother’s cooking – she hates using salt and has a tendency to overboil things. Thanks, Mum. – Rob Manuel
My wife – an ex journalist and current TV producer – has a rule that she taught me at the start of B3ta. Does the item make you laugh, or does it make you go, ‘Oh my God?’ If you score on either count, then you have something that is worth sharing. – Rob Manuel
Sometimes we need to step back and understand the power of video games. ‘Dear Esther’ does just that. Through visuals, audio, and narration, this title weaves a story around the player as they explore different areas in the game. – Rob Manuel
High-profile columnists should remember they are in a privileged position. Writing isn’t a dreadfully specific skill – it’s taught to millions via our schooling system. And opinions? Well, I’ve yet to meet people without opinions. – Rob Manuel
‘Sword and Sworcery’ takes you into a world of mystery and music. With sword and shield in hand, the one thing you really need to worry about is getting lost in the vivid pixel artwork. For those of you who have not had the privilege of taking on this journey, truly do yourself a favor and down load ‘Sword and Sworcery’ on the closest PC. – Rob Manuel
One of the most popular games to watch on eSports is ‘League of Legends,’ a game that blends role-playing, managing resources and shouting at your friends. Again, if I had another thousand words, I might be able to scratch the surface of this game, but all you need to know is that gamers love to play it, and even more of them love to watch it. – Rob Manuel
For me, it’s great to see ‘Gateways’ finally make it to the console. Think of it as ‘Portal’ meets ‘Castlevania’ as you try to put together your gateway gun before your lab becomes overrun with nasty enemies. – Rob Manuel
Sometimes a game comes at just the right moment in your life. ‘Flower’ is beautiful, serene, and a bit of sunshine in a gloomy world. I remember going through a rough spot in my life and turning on ‘Flower’ for a little break in the day. You fly through luscious landscapes collecting petals and painting the world with life. – Rob Manuel
One of the great joys of launching your idea on the web is that it’s a meritocracy. The good stuff will rise to the top and find an audience, and you don’t have to impress one idiosyncratic commissioning editor. – Rob Manuel
While the Super Bowl still smashes records for butts in the seats, eSports often run longer and never blinks. There’s no commercial break. There’s no halftime show. From start to finish, someone is going to walk home a champion, and you don’t want to miss a second of it. – Rob Manuel
The scariest part to any story is the sliver of truth you hide in the horror. Sometimes its not about the axe wielding murder, but the fact that he’s lurking somewhere in your basement. Sure, you keep telling yourself that you’ll replace the burnt out light every week. – Rob Manuel
However vile the abuse they receive, media people must remember this is part of the price of getting a public voice. Stay grateful. Don’t kick down, kick up. Criticise power rather than proles. – Rob Manuel
One part puzzle mixed with one part racer with just a dash of art and music just to blend everything together, ‘Dyad’ takes you on a fast-paced trip down a tunnel filled with lights and a shifting list of rules to keep your neurons nimble. – Rob Manuel
In L.A., we have a saying – ‘What do you do?’ It’s less of a question and more of a self-defense mechanism for wayward screenwriters looking to slip you a first draft, or the occasional actor looking to get in on the latest shoot. But I hate the question because of my own answer – I write about games. – Rob Manuel
The difference between you and the funny person on TV is that they acted on their ideas. – Rob Manuel
‘Faraway’ takes only minutes or a couple of bus stops to play. The easy to use touch controls work beautifully on the iPad. This is the game that should come standard on every new iPad. – Rob Manuel