It's been six months since the release of Mortal Kombat X. I've played quite a lot of it, and I've also read all thirty-six issues of the comic book series they released before and after the release of the game. Way back when MKX was announced, I made a list of characters ranked by their likelihood of returning. People seemed to like that, and now that the story of MKX is complete, I decided to put together a report indexing the 70+ characters in the franchise to determine who's still alive, who's dead, and who's...somewhere in between? Death is a fickle concept in the MK universe as we all know.

It should go without saying, but SPOILERS ahead.

The story mode in Mortal Kombat X takes place over the course of the twenty-five years after MK9, but it's generally only two specific time periods. The beginning of the story takes place during the Netherrealm War, which happens shortly after the events of the previous game. After Johnny Cage defeats Shinnok, Raiden locks Shinnok within his own magical amulet and all seems relatively well and good throughout the realms. The story in the game then jumps twenty-some-odd years into the future where some of our favorite heroes now have kids that are becoming adults. The story then focuses on the battle for the throne of Outworld, Quan Chi's quest to release Shinnok once more, and the rise of Cassie Cage as Earthrealm's champion.

The comics do a great job of filling in the gaps and explain why everyone is in the predicament they're in for the second part of the game's story while telling a new story. To be somewhat brief, in order to permanently bind Shinnok within the amulet in a dark dimension, the Elder Gods summon the six pieces of the Kamidogu, which fans will remember from the previous timeline. In this timeline, the pieces are daggers, which have the power to invoke blood magik. Raiden keeps the Orderrealm for himself and entrusts the daggers to heroes of various realms (Earthrealm to Jax, Outworld to Kotal Kahn, Chaosrealm to Shujinko, Netherrealm to Hanzo Hasashi, and the Edenian one was stolen by the Red Dragon). Unbeknown to them all, the blood magik powers had been corrupted by Havik in order to control or possess those cut by one of the daggers via what would be known as "The Blood Code." (I know, right?) The majority of the comics' story revolves around this treachery while introducing characters that "debut" in the MKX game and also including many characters that have yet to show up in the new timeline's games. I'll go into more detail on a per character basis.

The first entry of this series is going to focus on the first half of the characters who have survived the events of MKX saga (including both the game and comics). So, let's get started...

Bo' Rai Cho

Bo' Rai Cho is an Outworlder who now trains Earthrealm warriors in preparation for Mortal Kombat tournaments. He is good friends with both Raiden, Fujin, Sub-Zero, as well as the Shaolin monks.

Comics: Bo' briefly appears by rescuing Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) after Scorpion nearly kills him. Sub-Zero had been possessed by the Kamidogu at the time. He later appears receiving a delivery from Kung Jin. He offers Jin a spot at the Shaolin academy but is refused. Bo' accompanies Sub-Zero to the secret Lin Kuei cybernetic cloneing facility but waits outside until Sub-Zero returns.

Game: Near the end of MKX, Bo' Rai Cho arrives at the Sky Temple looking for Raiden. He fears Shinnok may have returned once again (he's right). While Raiden meditates in the Jinsei Chamber, Shinnok and his revenants attack the temple. Shinnok zaps Bo' Rai Cho with his amulet and says "when he dies," he will serve Shinnok. Raiden comments that Bo' Rai Cho is too resilient for that. So, it would at least appear the drunken master isn't dead yet.

Cassie Cage

Cassandra Carlton Cage is the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade and (by the time of the game) a sergeant in Special Forces.

Comics: Young Cassie and her best friend, Jacqui Briggs, go to a fight club where Cassie faces Frost. The match is interrupted when Jarek and Tasia of Black Dragon clan kidnap both Cassie and Jacqui, then escape through a portal. The Black Dragons are soon confronted by Mavado and the Red Dragon clan, which gives the girls a chance to escape. In the process, Cassie kills Mavado. They're later captured by the Red Dragon and both are corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Cassie, along with the other possessed heroes, attack Sonya and Johnny when they arrive at Shang Tsung's island to save her. When Hanzo defeats Havik, the possession is broken and the heroes return to normal. Cassie and Sonya make amends, which leads to Cassie enlisting in Special Forces.

Game: During the events of MKX, Cassie is the leader of Johnny's special task force, which also includes Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Through the course of the story, she becomes a formidable leader, earns the respect of her mother, and discovers her magical ability inherited from her father. At the Sky Temple, she defeats both Sindel and Kitana on her way to the Jinsei Chamber where she defeats D'Vorah and Shinnok, thus saving both Johnny and Raiden. She and Kung Jin carry Raiden into the Jinsei, which saves Earthrealm from Shinnok's corruption.

D'Vorah

D'Vorah is a Kytinn, which is a race of humanoid insects from a forgotten realm known as Amyek. This realm was conquered by Shao Kahn long ago and merged with Outworld.

Comics: D'Vorah is a devout follower of Kotal Kahn and supporter of his claim to the throne of Outworld. Near the end, she is killed by Reiko on the beaches of Shang Tsung's island when he literally rips her in half vertically. After the battle is over, we see many bugs reconstructing D'Vorah's body in the sand. She rises again just as Sheeva and Kintaro swim onto shore (after their ship was destroyed by Havik's forces) and tells them to follow her to Kotal Kahn's back up supplies. She leads a group including Sheeva, Kintaro, Erron Black, Ferra Torr, and Reptile into Havik's base where they are met by the heroes possessed by the Blood Code. Kotal Kahn nearly kills her but, when Havik dies to Hanzo, the Blood Code breaks and D'Vorah lives. She later appears in the Netherrealm along with Quan Chi and his revenants as they plan how to reclaim the amulet and release Shinnok, thus revealing her true intentions.

Game: As a newcomer in MKX, D'Vorah made big impact on the MK universe. She is the first to support Kotal Kahn's usurping of Mileena's rule, and, when Mileena confronts Kotal, D'Vorah single-handedly kills Baraka. Five years later, she and Cassie infiltrate Mileena's camp in the Kuatan Jungle and D'Vorah kills Mileena as well. Once she and Cassie obtain the amulet from Mileena, Kotal refuses to let Cassie take it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah then steals it without Kotal's knowledge and, later, is able to get it to Quan Chi seconds before Scorpion kills him, which is enough time for Quan Chi to release Shinnok one last time. D'Vorah escapes and is the last line of defense for Shinnok in the Jinsei Chamber at the story's climax. Cassie defeats D'Vorah, but she does not die. When Sonya's team comes in at the end of the battle, she commands the troops to isolate D'Vorah, so she must still be alive.

Daegon

Daegon, and his brother Taven, are sons of an Edenian god named Argus. In the previous timeline, Argus had visions of Armageddon, so he encased his sons in a cave. The plan was they would awaken prior to the events of Armageddon to defeat Blaze. Daegon awoke early and went crazy.

Comics: Daegon is referenced several times as the leader of the Red Dragon clan and the murderer of Kenshi's wife. He appears at the very end of the story, which may actually be post-game, when an armless Goro arrives at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. Goro wants to learn about Onaga's regenerative powers in order to get his arms back. Daegon is reluctant to help him until Goro reveals that he has Kenshi held captive and delivers him to Daegon.

Game: In MKX, Daegon does not appear except for in Kenshi and Takeda's arcade endings. Kenshi and Takeda (along with Taven) hunt down and kill Daegon in their arcade endings, but since that might not be canon (yet), let's say Daegon is alive.

Ermac

Ermac is an amalgamation of souls created by Shao Kahn.

Comics: After the death of Shao Kahn, Ermac devoted themselves to Mileena as she was the decreed successor to his creator. When Mileena sails to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko at the end of the story, Ermac is still by her side. They are both captured by Reiko and Havik along with Sonya, Johnny, and Kotal Kahn. Havik is unable to possess Ermac like the others, so he attempts to absorb the souls of Ermac into Shinnok's Amulet, but is stopped by Takeda. After Havik is defeated by Hanzo, the possession is broken and Mileena immediately implores them to follow her back to Outworld to claim the vacant throne before Kotal has a chance to regroup. Ermac declines and pledges themself to Kotal, who they feel is a true leader.

Game: After some early scenes, which take place before the comics, Ermac stays with Kotal Kahn through the rest of the story. They are last seen when Kotal's forces use a portal into the Dead Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui Briggs defeats Ermac (revenge for her father who lost his arms to Ermac in MK9), but does not kill them. Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei hold off Kotal's forces while Cassie's team heads for the Sky Temple.

Erron Black

Erron Black is a human from Earthrealm who prefers to apply his trade in Outworld. He doesn't just look like he's from the Old West, he is from the Old West. About 150 years ago, he was hired as an assassin by Shang Tsung, who considerably slowed Black's aging as a reward.

Comics: Erron supports Kotal Kahn's claim to the throne of Outworld. He accompanies Kotal and D'Vorah when they use a portal into Special Forces HQ uninvited to ask for help. Erron serves as Kotal's liaison with Kano, who is Kotal's arms dealer. Kotal loses faith in Erron when the Black Dragon kidnap Cassie and Jacqui under his watch, which Kotal believes will cause unwanted strife between Outworld and Earthrealm. He is given a chance for redemption when D'Vorah leads a group of Outworlders including Sheeva, Kintaro, Reptile, and Ferra Torr into Havik's base at the end of the story. Erron is tasked with taking out Raiden, who is possessed by the Blood Code. Raiden nearly kills him, but is stopped when Havik dies, thus breaking the Blood Code.

Game: Erron Black remains loyal to Kotal throughout the story as one of his deadliest enforcers. He nearly executes Rain, but is stopped by Mileena at the last second. He is last seen in the battle in the Dead Woods near the end of the game. When it seems clear that Kotal's team has bested Cassie's, Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save and hold off the Outworlders while Cassie's team heads to the Sky Temple to face Shinnok.

Ferra

Ferra is a small, female warrior who wields large claws and rides atop the hulking brute known as Torr. They are actually the same species, but more on that in a moment.

Comics: Ferra doesn't play an important role in the comic, but she and Torr are seen several times as part of Kotal Kahn's crew.

Game: Ferra and Torr support Kotal Kahn's claim as emperor of Outworld. They both follow him to the end when Kotal enters the Dark Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui defeats Ferra and Torr, but does not kill either. In her ending, it is explained that there comes a time in each of her species' lives when they go into exile and undergo a transformation that takes three Outworld years. Afterwards, a rider is chosen and the cycle continues. It would appear that Ferra may return in the future, as a hulking beast with a rider of her own.

Frost

Frost is a member of the Lin Kuei clan who wields ice powers similar to that of Sub-Zero. In the previous timeline, she turned on Sub-Zero and stole the powerful dragon medallion.

Comics: Frost appears briefly in the comics as an MMA fighter in an underground fight club that Cassie and Jacqui find themselves in. Cassie defeats her in what is supposed to be a deathmatch, but Cassie hesitates to finish her, which is when Jarek and Tasia show up through a portal and eventually capture Cassie and Jacqui. She then appears at the very end of the story arriving at the Lin Kuei temple with a legion of other warriors who are hoping to join the clan. She tells Sub-Zero that Raiden told them there was a tournament being held to find new members, which Sub-Zero had no knowledge of before their arrival.

Game: Frost appears briefly when she interupts Sub-Zero's attempt to make amends with Scorpion. Frost's attempt at assassinating Scorpion is stopped when Sub-Zero freezes her in a block of ice. This scene takes place five years prior to the most recent events in the story, so when Sub-Zero tells Scorpion "Frost is strong, but lacks judgment. I will deal with her.", it is unclear what he intends to do with her.

Fujin

Fujin is the god of wind and one of the protectors of Earthrealm along with Raiden.

Comics: Raiden was obsessed with re-collecting and protecting the pieces of the Kamidogu. Unwittingly, he made it easier for Havik to collect them, and, in the process, Raiden became corrupted by the Cleric of Chaos and served Havik along with a corrupted Cassie and Jacqui. That left Fujin to protect the Jinsei at the Sky Temple and Earthrealm as a whole for a period of time. Fujin gave Takeda his famous bladed whip weapons to aid him on his quest to stop Havik.

Game: Fujin, although not playable, appears in the early events of the game's story as he helps Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors protect the Sky Temple and the Jensei Chamber from Shinnok and Quan Chi's revenants. Thanks to Johnny Cage, they defeat Shinnok and lock him back int he amulet...for a while.

Goro

Goro is the prince of the Shokan race, which are four-armed half-human half-dragon warriors from the underground kingdom of Kuatan in Outworld.

Comics: In a battle with Kotal Kahn, Goro loses all four of his arms to Kotal's sword. Kotal leaves him alive in an attempt to shame him. Instead, it led to Goro's father, King Gorbak, leading an all-out war on Kotal Kahn. When the Shokan retaliate, Kotal Kahn kills King Gorbak in battle. The Shokan council decides a handicapped Goro is unfit to lead and chooses Sheeva as the new ruler. Goro exiles himself and promises to return with a vengeance for those who wronged him. At the very end of the story, which may actually take place after the game's story, Goro arrives at the gates of the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. He seeks to learn about the Dragon King, Onaga, and gains the favor of Daegon by bringing him Kenshi. It is unclear how Goro captured Kenshi.

Game: Goro does not actually appear in the story of MKX. As you can see from the comics, there is a reason he is relegated to being a DLC character in the game.

Jacqui Briggs

Jacqueline Briggs is the daughter of Jackson "Jax" Briggs. As a teenager, she trained and competed in Junior Olympic kickboxing. Her best friend is Cassie Cage.

Comics: Jax never wanted Jacqui to get involved, but of course she does. Together with Cassie, they are attacked by Jarek and Tasia of the Black Dragon clan and eventually captured after running through a portal to Outworld. The Red Dragon clan ends up taken them to Shang Tsung's island where Skarlet, who is allied with Havik, uses the Kamidogu daggers to corrupt/possess Jacqui and Cassie forcing them to fight Johnny and Sonya when they arrive to the island in their quest to save the girls. After they too are corrupted, Jacqui helps Sonya kill Kintaro just moments before Hanzo kills Havik, thus breaking the Blood Code and returning the heroes to their normal selves. When Jacqui returns home, Jax concedes that he can no longer protect his little girl, and decides he must help train her to protect herself.

Game: Jacqui joins Johnny Cage's special task force with Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, and Takeda. Despite her father's wishes, she had gone to Sonya and volunteered to enlist in Special Forces. Near the end of the game, Jacqui gets some revenge on Ermac for what he did to Jax in MK9. Over the course of the story, Jacqui and Takeda form a romantic relationship. At the end of the story, when the team makes it to the Sky Temple to stop Shinnok, both she and Takeda are injured by Kitana, but together they are able to fend off the revenants of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kitana, and Sindel long enough for Cassie to defeat Shinnok.

Jax

Jackson "Jax" Briggs is a cybernetically enhanced former Major in Special Forces. At the end of MK9, he was killed by Sindel and his soul was taken by Quan Chi.

Comics: The comics take place after Sonya, Johnny, and Raiden raid Quan Chi's fortress and free Jax's soul from the sorceror's control. Jax subsequently retires from the Special Forces to live on a farm as a family man. Despite being retired, Raiden entrusts Jax with Earthrealm's Kamidogu. Reiko shows up at Jax's farm demanding the dagger from Jax, but Jax refuses. Reiko demolishes Jax's home and threatens to kill his wife, Vera, and daughter, Jacqui, which leads to Jax handing it over.

Game: A few years after the events of MK9, Special Forces enter Quan Chi's fortress in Netherrealm. Sonya defeats the sorceror, which releases his hold on the souls of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Jax. Raiden cleanses their souls, which returns them to regular human form. Many years later, his daughter, Jacqueline, follows in his footsteps and joins SF against his will, which leads to Jax returning after some convincing from Sonya and Johnny. Jax and Kenshi lead a team into Netherrealm in search of Quan Chi. Jax is able to capture the sorceror and bring him back to the SF camp in Earthrealm. Depending which arcade endings you believe (if any), Jax may end up being killed by either Kano or Erron Black, but whether any of that is canon is yet to be determined.

Johnny Cage

Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor who has inexplicably become one of Earthrealm's greatest heroes. He and Sonya Blade were the only two Earthrealm warriors to survive MK9.

Comics: Sometime after the Netherrealm War, Johnny and Sonya have parted ways. Their daughter, Cassie, a teenager now, is caught in the middle. When Cassie and Jacqui are kidnapped by the Red Dragons, Johnny and Sonya reconcile at least temporarily in order to save their daughter. Johnny, along with Sonya's SF crew, help Kotal Kahn defend his city against the Shokan army, then make their way to Shang Tsung's island, where the girls are being held by Havik and Reiko. To their dismay, Cassie and Jacqui have been corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Johnny, Sonya, and Kotal are captured and their blood is sacrificed by Havik to turn Reiko into a blood god. The Kamidogu daggers are then used to possess Johnny and the others. He helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik. When Hanzo kills Havik, Johnny and the other heroes return to normal.

Game: A few years after MK9, Cage helps lead the defense against Shinnok's assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the Sky Temple, defeats Shinnok, and saves Sonya in the process thanks to his green aura super powers. Not long after, Cassie is born, Sonya devotes her life to Special Forces, Sonya and Johnny split up, Cassie grows up, and eventually joins SF. Johnny puts together a special task force including Cassie, Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Despite getting a cold shoulder from Sonya for most of the story, Johnny plays an integral role in helping Special Forces and Earthrealm as a whole. When Shinnok is released from the amulet by Quan Chi, they kidnap Johnny, likely because Shinnok knows now that Johnny has magical powers that are a threat to Shinnok's plans. D'Vorah encases him in some kind of cocoon in the Jinsei Chamber to torture him, but he survives long enough for Cassie to arrive and defeat Shinnok. At the end, the Cage family is reunited and all seems well.

Kano

Kano is a cybernetically enhanced mercenary, arms dealer, and leader of the Black Dragon clan, which is an offshoot of the Red Dragon clan.

Comics: Kano is first seen infiltrating the Red Dragon's base in search of one of the Kamidogu daggers. He finds Sub-Zero there doing the same. In a fight, Kano uses his knife to give Sub-Zero his famous eye scar. In return, Sub-Zero freezes Kano's eye implant and rips it out of his skull. Later, after the Black Dragon have kidnapped Cassie and Jacqui, Erron Black comments that Kano is going to accidentally kill one of them with eye lasers, but Kano explains he's got a new one now with better upgrades. They are then attacked by Mavado and the Red Dragon. Outnumbered, Kano uses a portal stone to evac, leaving Erron, Cassie, and Jacqui behind. Later, Kano and the Black Dragon join up with Kotal Kahn in the defense of Z'unkahra in the war with the Shokan. Kano drops a nuke on the Shokan, eliminating more than half their army. He demands payment from Kotal afterwards, but is instead imprisoned for his role in kidnapping Cassie and Jacqui, which damaged Kotal's relations with Earthrealm.

Game: Kano, as always, is a double crossing, low life, son of a bitch. When MKX starts, he's been selling intel to Kotal Kahn about Mileena, but is actually setting up an ambush on the new emperor. After failing to assassinate Kotal, Kano gets stabbed through the back by Kotal's dagger after a brief battle. He survives and returns to Earthrealm disguised as a refugee, but is caught by Sonya. She almost kills him but is stopped by Johnny since Kano has info about Mileena and the amulet. We never see him again, so we can only assume he is still alive, either imprisoned by Special Forces or on the run again.

Kenshi

Kenshi Takahashi is an Earthrealm warrior with telekinetic powers who lost his sight when Shang Tsung tricked him into finding an enchanted katana known as Sento. The souls within the sword were released, blinding Kenshi and then were absorbed by the sorceror who left Kenshi to die in the dark. Kenshi survived and wandered the Earth on a mission to eradicate evil.

Comics: After Scorpion's soul was freed from Quan Chi by Sonya and cleansed by Raiden, Kenshi aided Scorpion in subduing his rage and returning to life as Hanzo Hasashi, the great Shirai Ryu warrior. Kenshi accepted a Special Forces mission to infiltrate the Red Dragon, but he was discovered and ran. The Red Dragon clan found Kenshi's wife, a Thai-American woman named Suchin, and his son, Takeda, which brought Kenshi out of hiding. Kenshi arrived in time to save his son, but not his wife. He fled with his son into Shirai Ryu territory, which led his pursuers into a trap. Scorpion arrived and killed Hsu Hao and the rest of the Red Dragon members with him. Kenshi left his son with Scorpion (Hanzo) to train him in the ways of the Shirai Ryu and hide him from the Red Dragon. Still hunted by the clan, Kenshi flees again but is successfully extracted from a battle by Sonya in Pakistan. At the very end of the story, which may be post-game, it is revealed that Goro (now armless) somehow captured Kenshi and has delivered him to Daegon at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krismon Forest. Goro knows that Daegon worships the Dragon King, Onaga, who is said to have regenerative powers, which Goro thinks can help him regain his arms.

Game: Kenshi reunites with his son twenty years after leaving him with Scorpion. At first, Takeda is angry and feels abandoned by his father, but comes to realize why his father made this decision. Kenshi teaches his son how to use his telepathic abilities, then continues to aid Special Forces by leading a squad including Jax and Sareena to capture Quan Chi in Netherrealm. Scorpion is obsessed with killing Quan Chi and leads a raid on the SF camp. Kenshi tries to calm him down, but fails and Scorpion kills the sorceror. The last we see him is when Shinnok's revenants invade the Special Forces refugee camp. Kenshi is defeated along with the rest of SF, but is not dead.

Kotal Kahn

Kotal Kahn is a powerful, Osh-Tekk warrior from Outworld. Their realm was conquered long ago by Shao Kahn and merged into Outworld. Kotal's father, Kotal K'etz, surrendered to Shao Kahn and swore fealty to him. As a reward, Shao Kahn allowed him to keep his portal stone.

Comics: In a flashback to when he was young, Kotal Kahn is furious with his father's surrender to Shao Kahn. His father tells him if we wishes to lead, he must complete a "realmwalk." Kotal ends up finding the Amazon in Earthrealm and becomes worshipped as a god by the Mayans there after he slaughters a band of Spanish conquistadors. His father was not impressed. The Mayans, having adopted many barbaric Osh-Tekk practices, had become doomed by disease from the foreigners they killed. Upon returning, Kotal has no choice but to serve Shao Kahn in his army in Outworld. After Shao Kahn's death, Kotal Kahn leads a rebellion against Mileena's claim to the throne, which is seen in the game. In the early stages of this rebellion, Kotal Kahn is at war with the Shokan and he mutilates Goro, kills King Gorbak, then convinces Kintaro to join him in hunting down their real enemy; Mileena. Kotal, along with D'Vorah, Johnny, and Sonya, sail to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko and Havik. Mileena arrives with Ermac and an army of tarkatan warriors, so an all out battle ensues. Havik defeats them and, after using their blood to summon Shinnok's Amulet, possesses them with the Kamidogu blades. Kotal helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik, and also fights his own friends (D'Vorah & Ferra Torr) when they arrive at the base trying to save him. He nearly kills D'Vorah but Havik's death breaks the Blood Code. With Raiden as mediator, Kotal and Sonya agree to an "The Reiko Accord" that binds them to discuss conflicts between Earthrealm and Outworld before attacking each other. Kotal turns down an offer to protect the amulet because Outworld is still in a state of civil war with Mileena on the loose.

Game: In his rebellion, Kotal Kahn's notable followers include D'Vorah, Erron Black, Reptile, Ferra/Torr, and eventually Ermac. At first, it seems Kotal only wants what's best for his realm, but it soon becomes clear that he seeks more power. After allowing Cassie's team to help him find Mileena, he decides to keep Shinnok's amulet for himself rather than allow Cassie to bring it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah ends up turning on him, which Kotal believes is to join Earthrealm, when she is actually siding with Shinnok. Kotal Kahn invades Earthrealm near the end of the game in search of the amulet and nearly eliminates Cassie's team before Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save. Sub-Zero tells Cassie he will push them back to Outworld to give Cassie time to attack Shinnok, so Kotal is presumably still alive.

Coming Soon!

• The Living (Part 2)
• The Dead (Part 1)
• The Dead (Part 2)
• The MIA

Okay. "Dead" might be a little strong, but there's no denying video game reviews ain't exactly as prominent as they used to be. Times have changed. Maybe things were simpler when a game was good or not based on a purple, sleepy guy or a red psycho. I don't know. I'm not really here to preach about the importance of review scores. I'm just a stats guy. I like charts and graphs with pretty colors. Is that so bad? Well, here at Giant Bomb, we've hit somewhat of a milestone with the 666th review on the site. From Poker Smash to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, that's over seven years of games reviewed not just by the staff, but by users as well. That's right. This data dump isn't just about the staff reviews. There's over 11,500 user reviews for the 666 games that have been reviewed on by the staff, and I didn't forget those!

Just so we're all on the same page, I rounded off the user review scores for statistical purposes. For example, Alex gave Kirby's Epic Yarn a 5. Eighteen users reviewed with an average of 4.28, which means it gets a 4 and therefore the community disagrees with Alex. You're all terrible monsters. Did you even look at that game? Anyway, you'll see why this is important later. Let's get this show on the road.

Alex

Alex's first GB review was Backbreaker on June 11, 2010. Some may say Alex has a reputation for reviewing terrible games. The fact that nearly 20% of the games he's reviewed have zero user reviews may back up this claim. Some say he even enjoys reviewing these terrible games. Who can say? He has issued the most 1-star reviews on the site, but he's also doled out twelve 5-star reviews in his time here, although it has been a while (South Park: The Stick of Truth).

Austin

Austin's the newest reviewer on the site of course, so there's not much to talk about here. But, hey. Users agree with him 100% of the time, so there's that.

Brad

Brad's first GB review was Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which he gave a solid 5 on June 20, 2008. Of the regular reviewers on the site, he has the highest percentage of 5-stars at 22.1%. Brad is also tied with Jeff for the most Nintendo DS and PS3N reviews on the site; a stat that will likely live forever.

Dan

Since joining Giant Bomb, Dan has become somewhat of the site's Nintendo reviewer. He's already reviewed more Wii U games than anyone. That's probably appropriate for a man whose role model is Waluigi. It's also somewhat suspect that Dan's pie chart is a peace sign. Weird, huh?

Dave

Back in the day, Hardcore Dave reviewed some games occasionally. In his nine reviews, he took on some pretty big blockbusters such as Battlefield 3 and Dragon Age: Origins. It's a small sampling, but the community agrees with Dave 66.7% of the time, which is the third highest of anyone.

Drew

Drew hasn't reviewed a game since May 2011. If they ever make another DiRT game, maybe we'll hear from him again. Because users reviewed DiRT 2 a 4.38 and DiRT 3 a 4.22, that means users agree with Drew 0% of the time.

Jeff

At 257 reviews, Jeff is far and away the leader in reviews on the site, but you probably already knew that. Did you know he's reviewed more DSiWare, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade, and Xbox One games than anyone? Yeah...you probably could've guessed that.

Kessler

During his reign as Kingtern, Kessler actually reviewed a few games. He even reviewed one game twice (Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine). You may notice that the community disagreed with Kessler 71.4% of the time, but every time it was because they liked the game more than him.

Patrick

Patrick reviewed twenty-four games (5th most) during his tenure here at Giant Bomb. He championed Dishonored when no one else gave it much attention. Patrick also brought attention to games like Tokyo Jungle and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair when no one else likely would have.

Rorie

Matt took a break from handling the hundreds of your support emails to play and review Dragon Age: Inquisition last year. He gave it a 4 while the community rated it a 3.46, which means we just barely didn't agree with him.

Ryan

From Bully: Scholarship Edition to Assassin's Creed III, Ryan reviewed over 100 games on Giant Bomb. He reviewed more Wii and Kinect games than anyone too. Of the four reviewers with over 100 games under their belt, the community agreed with Ryan the most (61.7%).

Vinny

Vinny hasn't reviewed a game since 2009, but with a new Ratchet & Clank game coming next year, could we see a return? Who can say? He's only reviewed nine games, but the community agrees with him 88.9% of the time, which is the most of anyone. Everybody loves Vinny.

Andy

What? You forgot about Andy? Andy McCurdy was an engineer during the Whiskey Media days and he reviewed World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King back in 2008.

Staff Totals

Yearly

Platform

Community

P.S. - Yes, there's actually 667 now with Super Mario Maker, but I had to delay posting this due to PAX and PAX-related stuff.

Over four years ago now, I started writing guides to help people get the most they possible could out of their PAX adventure. PAX Prime 2015 will be my fourteenth one, but I’ve also seen ten E3s and two Dragon*Cons. So, the idea here is to use that experience to help PAX rookies and veterans alike. Thanks to input from others over the years, I think we’ve got this guide thing down to a science. As such, this version of the guide won’t be a whole lot different from last year aside from some minor updates. But, if you’ve got any suggestions, please post them below.

Seattle

The Washington State Convention Center is a little old and a little small, but it is in a perfect location. Anything you could possibly want to see or do in Seattle is within walking distance (or maybe a short monorail ride). From the moment you get off your plane at SeaTac, you can walk to the Lightrail, pay a few bucks and ride all the way into downtown. At that point, you’re close to all the major hotels, the Pike Place Market, dozens of great places to eat, an arcade, a 5-minute monorail to the Seattle Center (Space Needle and music/sci-fi museums), and, of course, the convention center.

Giant Bomb @ PAX

Your best bet to meet the Giant Bomb crew is the meet-up on Thursday night, but if you missed out on signing up for that or you're not getting into town until Friday (rookie mistake), then these panels are going to be the next best chance. For the GB panel (and any "popular" panel) you're going to need to line up very early if want a good seat. Enforcers will not allow you to line up until the line for the previous panel goes inside, so...do what you need to do to get in actual line as soon as that happens.

For example, the panel that is in the room before Giant Bomb is "Foreplay: Romance in Games." It starts at 6:30 PM, which means their line will go inside somewhere around 6:15 PM. That's when you can "officially" line up for Giant Bomb. And, no, you cannot go to the Foreplay panel and stay in the room. The Enforcers clear the room after each panel. Good luck!

The Enforcers

Enforcers are a legion of volunteers that make PAX run efficiently. It would be a hot mess without them. In the old days, they would don the black. But, now that there are multiple versions of PAX, Prime Enforcers are coated in blue. If you need help with anything, just look for one of them. They’re never too far away. And if they ask you nicely to do something (like move out of an aisle/walkway), please do so.

#PAX

Even if you don’t normally use Twitter, you should sign up just to follow these accounts while you’re at PAX. It’s the best and easiest way to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s going on.

• @official_pax - The important stuff.
• @pax_lines - Updates on theatre/panel lines and when they get capped.
• @rkhoo - The man that makes PAX happen.
• @pax_tourney - News on the dozens of tournaments going on upstairs.
• @paxparties - An unofficial feed for the unofficial parties going on all weekend.

The Packing List

Here's what you need to bring with you especially if you're coming in from out of town.

Money

Most places (including vendors in the expo hall) will take credit/debit cards, but it’s probably a good idea to carry a little cash just in case. And if you need to hit an ATM, do it early in the day as they sometimes run out of money later on.

Backpack

Whatever your style of choice is, bring one. Don’t rely on getting a free bag at the show. They’re often cumbersome and there’s no guarantee you’ll find one anyway. Trust me…carrying a bunch of random stuff you pick up throughout the day is going to suck without a backpack. If it has weight reduction effects, all the better.

Phone & Charger

Duh. You need your phone. But don’t be a dumb and forget your charger and/or wall plug. Pro Tip: Turn your brightness down as far as you can tolerate. Keeping up with your friends at night through texts and/or Twitter is gonna be tough if your phone dies by 2 PM.

Battery Pack

Strongly consider buying an external USB battery pack. It’s been a life saver for me the last couple years. Worth every penny. Plus, if you get an adapter, it'll keep your 3DS and/or Vita truckin' too.

3DS/Vita

You will undoubtedly find some downtime (like waiting in line), and you will never be in a better place for local, handheld multiplayer. And then there’s StreetPassing. Oh…the StreetPassing. I see that green light flashing in my sleep. But you gotta get them puzzle pieces! And the fish! Oh...the fish!

Hand Sanitizer

There will be dispensers scattered around the buildings, but do yourself a favor and toss a little bottle in your bag and use it every time you play something.

Poster Tube

If you can fit it in your luggage, this is a veteran move. You might get a cool poster at PAX. You might even get it signed by Todd Howard. Make sure you have a way to get it home without crushing it.

Trash Bag

Yep. A trash bag. Just throw it in your luggage. Using it for dirty clothes will keep your stank-ass, sweaty socks off of the cool stuff you bring back on the way home.

The Daily List

Here's a few things that you should do every day. Every. Day.

Shower/Deodorant

For the love of Bristlebane, please! It’s not difficult. You're probably paying an arm and a leg for that hotel room you got, so use those amenities.

Eat/Drink

Walking around for eighteen hours a day for four days requires fuel. It may sound crazy now, but you might actually forget to eat and stay hydrated. There’s a ton of awesome places to grab food in downtown Seattle. Try to eat two actual meals a day and carry some snacks for in-between. Alternatively, you could attempt to live on doughnuts for four days. Just don’t get trapped by that Subway on the 4th floor. You’re better than that.

Sleep

Time is precious at PAX, but you can’t go non-stop for 100+ hours. Try to get at least 5 or 6 hours a night.

Get Out

Don’t spend all of your time in the convention center. Get out of there once in a while, get some air, grab some real food, see some of the city, etc.

Be Yourself

There’s a special vibe that envelops PAX. If you’ve ever felt weird or strange about the nerdy things you love, know that you’ll never be in a place with more people that enjoy the same things that you do than you ever will be. So, be yourself. Talk to random people in lines. You’re going to have a blast. Welcome home.

The To-Do List

Now that you've got a checklist of what to bring and some daily advice, here's some tips on how to prepare.

Download Guidebook

Guidebook is the best, easiest way to keep up with all the official PAX info (schedule, maps, announcements, etc.) Plus, @coonce works there now, so you know it’s gotta be awesome.

Gameplan

The schedule is out now, so start making a list right now of the panels you may want to see and any potential games you want to play. Compare your list with your friends and get a rough idea of what you want to see and do. Inevitably, you’re going to have make some tough decisions as multiple things you’re interested in will overlap. Accept the fact now that you can’t see/do everything, but if you go in there with no plan at all, you’re going to be overwhelmed.

http://prime.paxsite.com/schedule

Plan a Backup

Shit happens. Panels get full faster than you thought. Lines get too long to be worth it. The game you wanted to play might actually just be a presentation. Try to have a backup whenever you can. If all else fails, just go spend some more time in…

Indie Megabooth

Arguably the best part of PAX is the slew of indie games available. And, over the last few years, the Indie Megabooth has established itself as a primary feature of PAX. It houses over seventy games from nearly as many developers and you could spend hours there. It’s also great because you can play a bunch of games without waiting too long. If you see an open station, play it! I don’t care what it is.

Escape the Expo

The expo hall is an amazing spectacle. No doubt about it. But, it's also a trap. Get the hell out of there and do some other stuff once in a while. PAX has so much to offer aside from the expo hall and you shouldn’t miss it. Head upstairs to the Classic Console and Console Freeplay rooms. Hunt down the Classic Arcade. Head down the street to the Tabletop arenas. You get the point. Go do stuff.

The To-Don’t List

A couple little words of warning from a PAX veteran. You'll thank me later.

SWAG

We all love free stuff, but seriously…don’t be that guy. Don’t wait in line for 45 minutes to play a game you don’t care about just to get a shirt. And please don’t loiter around a headphone booth hoping to catch an inflatable hat. You will get free stuff without trying too hard, so don’t let SWAG ruin your PAX.

Lines

Okay, lines are unavoidable. If you want to do much of anything at PAX, you’re gonna wait in some lines. But, this is on the “don’t” list simply to help you make good decisions. Do you really need to wait in line for an hour to play Mario Maker when it will be out the next week? Think about it. Do you really want to wait in line for an hour to watch an Assassin’s Creed trailer that will be online Tuesday morning? Time is precious at PAX. Choose wisely.

The Optional List

Three PAX traditions that should not be ignored. Your interest will likely depend on who is involved, so take note.

Keynote

The “Storytime” session is typically a great opening ceremony for PAX, especially for first-timers. But the Penny Arcade Q&A no longer immediately follows the keynote, so unless you're a fan of the speaker, it may not be worth it. This year’s speaker is Kim Swift, who most people will know from Portal.

Music

On Saturday and Sunday night, Benaroya Hall will be rocking late into the night. Whether you know anything about the performers or not, the concerts are a great time especially if you don’t have any other late night plans. Saturday’s lineup includes 7bit Hero, Freezepop, and MC Frontalot. Sunday night, you can see The Returners, Bit Brigade, and The Protomen.

Omegathon Finals

The Omegathon is an elimination tournament that takes place throughout the entire weekend between a couple dozen attendees who were randomly selected prior to the show. The final game is always kept a secret until the very end. It’s usually a great closing ceremony, but it totally depends on the game. I’ve seen some great ones like Vs. Excitebike, Ikaruga, Trials Evolution, and (inexplicably) a stuffed animal crane game. But, I’ve also seen some pure train wrecks like Spaceteam and Cornhole. So, I can’t recommend it as much as I used to, but it still has the potential to be awesome.

PAX. PAX Never Changes.

Except when it does. There’s a few notable changes to PAX Prime this year that everyone who’s been before should be aware of.

1. The Queue Room is gone. The expo hall will now expand into what was the morning queue room, but not to add more booths. The idea is to make wider walkways and generally more space throughout the expo hall, which is a great idea. But, where do we line up then? They’re saying Enforcers will direct you where to go if you come in the main entrance of the convention center, which probably means you’ll be led outside of level four, which is where the overflow area was last year anyway. You can also line up at the annex across the street or at any of the theaters if you plan on going to a morning panel.

2. No stopping in aisles to take photos. This is primarily referring to cosplay. They’re encouraging cosplayers to congregate outside the expo hall for photo ops. Typically, the area around the merch booth on level 4 is popular for this anyway.

3. The registration desk is now at the Grand Hyatt, NOT in the convention center. That means if you did not get your badges mailed to you, you will need to pick them up at the Hyatt. You can do this on Thursday if you get into town early, which will be a lot faster than doing it Friday morning for sure.

<>

Well, that's all I've got. If you have any suggestions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, let me hear it. As always, hopefully this will help some people out and maybe I'll see some of you at PAX. Let me know if you spot my Mii in StreetPass too. I'll probably be the idiot who's most recently played game is the Seattle Mariners logo. Anyway, it's gonna be a blast. Have fun. Just remember...

E3 2015 has come and gone. We learned a lot about video games and ourselves over the past week, and before we get back to normal life (and Batman) I wanted to share some data based on all those trailers that went up during the show. This was the fourth year that I was responsible for handling E3 trailers. As always, it was both fun and hectic. Monday is especially crazy and difficult to keep up, but by Wednesday it's more about finding the smaller/indie games that didn't get any time during the press conferences. By the end, I had uploaded 154 trailers to the site, which is easily the most I've ever done. So, what do you think were the most popular ones? You may be surprised...

Top 25 Most Viewed Trailers

These are the twenty-five most watched trailers, obviously. But, this list isn't entirely fair. Half of the games on this list had promos on the front page, which means they were highlighted in one of the four slots below the big header image. Less than twenty trailers got this special treatment this year, but it still skews the stats.

1. Persona 5 Can't Get Here Soon Enough - (Wiki)
2. Say Goodbye in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - (Wiki)
3. Mighty No. 9 Beats Them at Their Own Game - (Wiki)
4. The Remake of Final Fantasy VII is Happening - (Wiki)
5. Platinum Games + Transformers = Devastation - (Wiki)
6. It's the Return of the Mako in Mass Effect: Andromeda - (Wiki)
7. The South Park Kids Are Back in The Fractured But Whole - (Wiki)
8. The Last Guardian. It's Real. - (Wiki)
9. Washington Falls in The Walking Dead - (Wiki)
10. Summer Lesson is a VR Tech Demo from Tekken Project - (Wiki)
11. Things Get Super Bloody and Splodey in Doom - (Wiki)
12. Super. Hot. Superhot. - (Wiki)
13. You've Been Selected as a Vault-Tec Overseer in Fallout Shelter - (Wiki)
14. Become an Agent of the Reaper in Death's Gambit - (Wiki)
15. The City is Changing Mirror's Edge Catalyst - (Wiki)
16. Dark Souls III is Coming in 2016 - (Wiki)
17. Princess Emily is All Grown Up in Dishonored 2 - (Wiki)
18. Hey, There's a Hoth Level in Star Wars Battlefront! - (Wiki)
19. Cuphead is Coming in 1936 - (Wiki)
20. Guerrilla's New Project is Horizon: Zero Dawn - (Wiki)
21. Mrs. Jensen's Baby Boy is Returning in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - (Wiki)
22. The End Times: Vermintide Brings 4-Player Survival to Warhammer - (Wiki)
23. Eric Pope Hopes Kanye West Tried Harmonix Music VR
24. The First Mother is Finally Coming to North America - (Wiki)
25. Do Rags Ain't Required for Gears 4 - (Wiki)

Top 25 Non-Promo Trailers

So, if we weed out all the ones that got special treatment, here's the list we get.

1. Mighty No. 9 Beats Them at Their Own Game - (Wiki)
2. Platinum Games + Transformers = Devastation - (Wiki)
3. Washington Falls in The Walking Dead - (Wiki)
4. Summer Lesson is a VR Tech Demo from Tekken Project - (Wiki)
5. Super. Hot. Superhot. - (Wiki)
6. You've Been Selected as a Vault-Tec Overseer in Fallout Shelter - (Wiki)
7. Become an Agent of the Reaper in Death's Gambit - (Wiki)
8. Cuphead is Coming in 1936 - (Wiki)
9. Guerrilla's New Project is Horizon: Zero Dawn - (Wiki)
10. The End Times: Vermintide Brings 4-Player Survival to Warhammer - (Wiki)
11. Eric Pope Hopes Kanye West Tried Harmonix Music VR
12. The First Mother is Finally Coming to North America - (Wiki)
13. Kingdom Hearts III is the Eighth Kingdom Hearts Game - (Wiki)
14. Sea of Thieves is Rare's Most Ambitious Project Yet - (Wiki)
15. Fox & Friends Are Back with Star Fox Zero - (Wiki)
16. Everybody's Gone to Rapture Begins at the End of the World - (Wiki)
17. Rare Replay Offers 30 Games for $30 - (Wiki)
18. Freestyle Your Guitar Solo in Rock Band 4 - (Wiki)
19. My Temperature's High in Mad Max - (Wiki)
20. Rico Has Unlimited C4 in Just Cause 3 - (Wiki)
21. Futuristic Racing Has Arrived on Wii U with Fast Racing Neo - (Wiki)
22. The British Have Invaded Street Fighter V - (Wiki)
23. Enter the Midnight Stage in Persona 4: Dancing All Night - (Wiki)
24. The Delightful Chaos That Is Super Mario Maker - (Wiki)
25. Strap On a Morpheus Headset and Hop into One of These Rigs - (Wiki)

Top 25 Most Comments

Here's a list of trailers that generated the most discussion.

1. 118 - The Remake of Final Fantasy VII is Happening - (Wiki)
2. 75 - Persona 5 Can't Get Here Soon Enough - (Wiki)
3. 71 - Say Goodbye in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - (Wiki)
4. 71 - Summer Lesson is a VR Tech Demo from Tekken Project - (Wiki)
5. 60 - Enter the Midnight Stage in Persona 4: Dancing All Night - (Wiki)
6. 55 - Metroid Prime: Federation Force is All About Multiplayer - (Wiki)
7. 51 - The Last Guardian. It's Real. - (Wiki)
8. 51 - Princess Emily is All Grown Up in Dishonored 2 - (Wiki)
9. 50 - You've Been Selected as a Vault-Tec Overseer in Fallout Shelter - (Wiki)
10. 48 - Square Enix is Making Another Nier - (Wiki)
11. 47 - It's the Return of the Mako in Mass Effect: Andromeda - (Wiki)
12. 46 - The First Mother is Finally Coming to North America - (Wiki)
13. 46 - Rare Replay Offers 30 Games for $30 - (Wiki)
14. 45 - Things Get Super Bloody and Splodey in Doom - (Wiki)
15. 45 - Guerrilla's New Project is Horizon: Zero Dawn - (Wiki)
16. 43 - Platinum Games + Transformers = Devastation - (Wiki)
17. 37 - Kingdom Hearts III is the Eighth Kingdom Hearts Game - (Wiki)
18. 35 - Mighty No. 9 Beats Them at Their Own Game - (Wiki)
19. 35 - Washington Falls in The Walking Dead - (Wiki)
20. 34 - The South Park Kids Are Back in The Fractured But Whole - (Wiki)
21. 28 - This Hitman Trailer's Got Styyyyyyyyyle - (Wiki)
22. 27 - Mrs. Jensen's Baby Boy is Returning in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - (Wiki)
23. 27 - Fox & Friends Are Back with Star Fox Zero - (Wiki)
24. 25 - Do Rags Ain't Required for Gears 4 - (Wiki)
25. 24 - Sea of Thieves is Rare's Most Ambitious Project Yet - (Wiki)

Top 25 Most Comments without a Promo

And, to be fair, here's the top 25 list for those without special treatment.

1. 71 - Summer Lesson is a VR Tech Demo from Tekken Project - (Wiki)
2. 60 - Enter the Midnight Stage in Persona 4: Dancing All Night - (Wiki)
3. 55 - Metroid Prime: Federation Force is All About Multiplayer - (Wiki)
4. 50 - You've Been Selected as a Vault-Tec Overseer in Fallout Shelter - (Wiki)
5. 48 - Square Enix is Making Another Nier - (Wiki)
6. 46 - The First Mother is Finally Coming to North America - (Wiki)
7. 46 - Rare Replay Offers 30 Games for $30 - (Wiki)
8. 45 - Guerrilla's New Project is Horizon: Zero Dawn - (Wiki)
9. 43 - Platinum Games + Transformers = Devastation - (Wiki)
10. 37 - Kingdom Hearts III is the Eighth Kingdom Hearts Game - (Wiki)
11. 35 - Mighty No. 9 Beats Them at Their Own Game - (Wiki)
12. 35 - Washington Falls in The Walking Dead - (Wiki)
13. 28 - This Hitman Trailer's Got Styyyyyyyyyle - (Wiki)
14. 27 - Fox & Friends Are Back with Star Fox Zero - (Wiki)
15. 24 - Sea of Thieves is Rare's Most Ambitious Project Yet - (Wiki)
16. 24 - Elite Dangerous is Bringing Its 400 Billion Star Systems to Xbox One - (Wiki)
17. 23 - Futuristic Racing Has Arrived on Wii U with Fast Racing Neo - (Wiki)
18. 22 - Cuphead is Coming in 1936 - (Wiki)
19. 22 - Max's Powers Continue to Prove That Life Is Strange in Oregon - (Wiki)
20. 21 - Super. Hot. Superhot. - (Wiki)
21. 21 - Become an Agent of the Reaper in Death's Gambit - (Wiki)
22. 21 - NHL 16 Has Mascots for the First Time Ever - (Wiki)
23. 20 - The British Have Invaded Street Fighter V - (Wiki)
24. 20 - Chrom Looks Like a Badass in Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem - (Wiki)
25. 19 - The End Times - Vermintide Brings 4-Player Survival to Warhammer - (Wiki)

Press Conferences

Here are the top five most popular trailers from each press conference.

Bethesda

1. Things Get Super Bloody and Splodey in Doom - (Wiki)
2. You've Been Selected as a Vault-Tec Overseer in Fallout Shelter - (Wiki)
3. Princess Emily is All Grown Up in Dishonored 2 - (Wiki)
4. The Imperial City Has Fallen in The Elder Scrolls Online - (Wiki)
5. Feed Your Elder Scrolls Addiction in a Whole New Way with Legends - (Wiki)

Microsoft

1. Dark Souls III is Coming in 2016 - (Wiki)
2. Cuphead is Coming in 1936 - (Wiki)
3. Do Rags Ain't Required for Gears 4 - (Wiki)
4. Sea of Thieves is Rare's Most Ambitious Project Yet - (Wiki)
5. Rare Replay Offers 30 Games for $30 - (Wiki)

Electronic Arts

1. It's the Return of the Mako in Mass Effect: Andromeda - (Wiki)
2. The City is Changing Mirror's Edge Catalyst - (Wiki)
3. Hey, There's a Hoth Level in Star Wars Battlefront! - (Wiki)
4. A Little Twin Magic in Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knights of the Fallen Empire - (Wiki)
5. Unravel is the Most Adorable Thing You'll See at E3 - (Wiki)

Ubisoft

1. The South Park Kids Are Back in The Fractured But Whole - (Wiki)
2. Ghost Recon Returns in the Wildlands of South America - (Wiki)
3. There's a Cat Riding a Unicorn in Trials Fusion - (Wiki)
4. It's a Triple Threat Death Match in For Honor - (Wiki)
5. Get Your Groove Back in Rainbow Six: Siege - (Wiki)

Sony

1. The Remake of Final Fantasy VII is Happening - (Wiki)
2. The Last Guardian. It's Real. - (Wiki)
3. Guerrilla's New Project is Horizon: Zero Dawn - (Wiki)
4. The British Have Invaded Street Fighter V - (Wiki)
5. This Hitman Trailer's Got Styyyyyyyyyle - (Wiki)

Nintendo

1. Fox & Friends Are Back with Star Fox Zero - (Wiki)
2. The Delightful Chaos That Is Super Mario Maker - (Wiki)
3. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is All About Multiplayer - (Wiki)
4. Chrom Looks Like a Badass in Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem - (Wiki)
5. It's Totem Time in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes - (Wiki)

Square Enix

1. The Remake of Final Fantasy VII is Happening - (Wiki)
2. Mrs. Jensen's Baby Boy is Returning in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - (Wiki)
3. Kingdom Hearts III is the Eighth Kingdom Hearts Game - (Wiki)
4. Rico Has Unlimited C4 in Just Cause 3 - (Wiki)
5. Square Enix is Making Another Nier - (Wiki)

The Least Popular E3 2015 Trailer

And, because I know you're going to ask, finishing in dead last is...

And that was E3.

So... PAXAMANIA.com is a thing I made.

For those that don't know, I've been the one updating the community promos that you see at the bottom of the front page for the last few years. As such, I still feel weird about promoting any of my own stuff. The PAX Guide is different because I truly believe that it helps people, but other stuff...it's weird. But, ever since launching this really dumb web site last week, people have been telling me it needs a promo. "More people need to know about this," they said. So, here we are.

Rather than just lazily linking to the site from the promo, I figured I could give some background on the why and the how. On the flight home from PAX East 2015, I came up with the idea of making an unofficial official home page for PAX Wrestling. Then, I realized...I haven't made websites in over a decade. This discouraged me for about 30 seconds until I realized...that's perfect. A site stuck in the 90's? For a bunch of people playing N64 wrestling games? I had to make this happen.

I spent about two weeks finding out whether or not modern browsers would even support my archaic ideas. Does Chrome support frames? It sure does. Can I still format an entire site using only tables? Sure, why the hell not? Then, how many dumb, 90's Internet things can I cram in there? Guestbooks? Check. Web Ring? Check. Under construction gifs? Check. Animated bloody horizontal rules? CHECK!

To add some legitimacy to this ridiculous endeavor, I spent a while time stamping both Rumbles so I could generate some stats and fun facts. If you've seen my blogs here over the last several years, you know I love numbers. The most time-intensive part of course was making all the Superstar pages, but it was a lot of fun. I'd be lying if I didn't question the whole thing while writing some of those. It's difficult to know if you've dialed into right level of stupid. Luckily, most people seem to like it so far. I mean, there's a ticker at the bottom that tells me 13,000 people have seen it. Web counters can't lie, you know. So, if you don't follow Twitter much and haven't seen it yet, please go check out PAXAMANIA.com (or PAXW.co) and let me know what ya think.

If you've got any suggestions, comments, questions, or complaints... lemme hear about it.

P.S. - Make sure to check out the Links page to see some other duders whose work helped make this happen.

P.P.S. - Thanks to @sparklykiss for giving me the idea to make Elisa's page entirely in Spanish.

As always, presented in (mostly) chronological order with little to no explanation or context:

• Rucker Darius
• Dogs Can’t Sneeze
• 20° Pinkberry
• Quesadillas for All
• Limp Bizkit is “Good”
• Hotel Ladders
• Smash Your Car with a Hammer
• Absent Gorilla
• Matt’s Stairs
• Lucky’s Demo Derby
• 93%
• Ryckert Bathroom Follow
• 209
• Beer for B+ Players
• Is it a Coffin?
• Secret Tunnels
• Human Turd
• Time Travel Isn’t Real
• Collusion Machine
• She Should Be Alive
• Burned Baby Hand
• That Convention Chap
• Weekend of Bernie
• Hard Rock Hike
• Phone Slap
• Faneuil Detour
• Brick Red
• South Detroit
• Windsor Sucks
• L337 Puzzle
• Lucha Swery
• WHAT?!
• Hug It Out
• GFB Wolfpac
• Console Version of Rock Band
• Bonus Soda’s So Real
• Lang Looms Above
• ESL Sitting Tournament
• Aiming at Andrew

Gallery

It's been four years now that I've been writing guides for anyone and everyone who wants to get the most out of their Penny Arcade Expo experience. Last year, for PAX Prime 2014, I changed it up a bit, so I'm gonna stick with that format for East this year too (with a few tweaks). If you’ve seen one of my guides in the past, you likely know that I’ve been through ten E3s, two Dragon*Cons, and what is about to be my thirteenth PAX. As I've said before, even with all this personal experience at video game conventions and trade shows, it’s thanks to help from a lot of y’all that I think we’ve got this guide thing down to a science. Even so, if you have something to add or if you have any questions about anything, please post them below.

Boston

I've been to Boston many times even before PAX started coming there, and it's easily one of my favorite cities. If you've been to Prime, but not East, it's gonna be like bizarro world to you. At Prime, the airport is far away and the convention center is in the middle of everything downtown. In Boston, Logan International is a few minutes from the convention center, but it's about a mile walk from there into the heart of Boston where most of the fun stuff is.

If you're landing at the airport, you should almost definitely hop on the Silver Line. It's FREE going into the city from Logan and, if you were lucky enough to get a hotel near the convention center, it'll take you right past most of them. If you weren't so lucky, the Silver Line will drop you at South Station, which is a hub that will get you to basically anywhere else in the city. If you're going to be in town all week(end), throw $10 or $20 on MBTA "Charlie Card" since each ride you take is going to cost about $2.

Check for hotel on Google maps, locate the closest "T" station (it'll be real easy), and work backwards to South Station. Even if you're not a city kid, it's quite simple. If you need help, there's plenty of Boston natives hanging around on the site, so ask away.

Giant Bomb @ PAX

You might spot a Giant Bomb staff member randomly on the show floor (just don't bother them if they're shooting something), but your best bet is one of these panels. There's at least one panel every day of the show that features at least one member of the staff, so no matter what day you're going to be at PAX, you've got a shot at seeing some or all of the Giant Bomb crew in person. Make sure you line up early (especially for the GB panel)!

The Enforcers

Enforcers are a legion of volunteers that make PAX run efficiently. It would be a hot mess without them. In the old days, they would don the black. But, now that there are multiple versions of PAX, East Enforcers are coated in red. If you need help with anything, just look for one of them. They’re never too far away. And if they ask you nicely to do something (like move out of an aisle/walkway), please do so.

They don't always wear armor like this guy to the right. Just most of the time.

#PAX

Even if you don’t normally use Twitter, you should sign up just to follow these accounts while you’re at PAX. It’s the best and easiest way to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s going on.

• @official_pax - The important stuff.
• @pax_lines - Updates on theatre/panel lines and when they get capped.
• @rkhoo - The man that makes PAX happen.
• @pax_tourney - News on the dozens of tournaments going on upstairs.
• @paxparties - An unofficial feed for the unofficial parties going on all weekend.

The Packing List

Here's what you need to bring with you especially if you're coming in from out of town.

Money

Most places (including vendors in the expo hall) will take credit/debit cards, but it’s probably a good idea to carry a little cash just in case. And if you need to hit an ATM, do it early in the day as they sometimes run out of money later on.

Backpack

Whatever your style of choice is, bring one. Don’t rely on getting a free bag at the show. They’re often cumbersome and there’s no guarantee you’ll find one anyway. Trust me…carrying a bunch of random stuff you pick up throughout the day is going to suck without a backpack. Make it at least a 10-slotter. If it has weight reduction, all the better.

Phone & Charger

Duh. You need your phone. But don’t be a dumb and forget your charger and/or wall plug. Pro Tip: Turn your brightness down as far as you can tolerate. Keeping up with your friends at night through texts and/or Twitter is gonna be tough if your phone dies by 2 PM.

Battery Pack

Consider buying an external USB battery pack. It’s been a life saver for me the last couple years. Worth every penny. Plus, if you get an adapter, it'll keep your 3DS and/or Vita truckin' too.

3DS/Vita

Choose your weapon of choice…or dual wield! You will undoubtedly find some downtime (like waiting in line), and you will never be in a better place for local, handheld multiplayer. And then there’s StreetPassing. Oh…the StreetPassing. I see that green light flashing in my sleep.

Hand Sanitizer

There will be dispensers scattered around the buildings, but do yourself a favor and toss a little bottle in your bag and use it every time you play something.

Poster Tube

If you can fit it in your luggage, this is a veteran move. You might get a cool poster at PAX. You might even get it signed by Todd Howard. Make sure you have a way to get it home without crushing it.

Trash Bag

Yep. A trash bag. Just throw it in your luggage. Use it later for dirty clothes, which will keep your stank-ass, sweaty socks off of the cool stuff you bring back on the way home.

The Daily List

Here's a few things that you should do every day.

Shower/Deodorant

For the love of Bristlebane, please! It’s not difficult. You're probably paying an arm and a leg for that hotel room you got, so use those amenities.

Eat/Drink

Walking around for eighteen hours a day for three days requires fuel. It may sound crazy, but you might actually forget to eat and stay hydrated. There aren't a ton of options real close to the convention center. There is a food court on the north side of the convention center, but it's super crowded and generally shitty. There's carnival-type food in the back of the expo hall usually too. But, scope out some of the few nearby locations ahead of time and maybe hit those instead. Try to eat two actual meals a day and carry some snacks for in-between. Alternatively, you could attempt to live on Dunkin for three days.

Sleep

Time is precious at PAX, but you can’t go non-stop for 72+ hours. Try to get at least 5 or 6 hours a night.

Get Out

Don’t spend all of your time in the convention center. Get out of there once in a while, get some air, grab some real food, see some of the city, etc.

Be Yourself

There’s a special vibe that envelops PAX. If you’ve ever felt weird or strange about the nerdy things you love, know that you’ll never be in a place with more people that enjoy the same things that you do than you ever will be. So, be yourself. Talk to random people in lines. You’re going to have a blast. Welcome home.

The To-Do List

Now that you've got a checklist of what to bring and some daily advice, here's some tips on how to prepare.

Download Guidebook

Guidebook is the best, easiest way to keep up with all the official PAX info (schedule, maps, announcements, etc.) Plus, @coonce works there now, so you know it’s gotta be awesome.

Gameplan

The schedule is out now, so start making a list right now of the panels you may want to see and any potential games you want to play. Compare your list with your friends and get a rough idea of what you want to see and do. Inevitably, you’re going to have make some tough decisions as multiple things you’re interested in will overlap. Accept the fact now that you can’t see/do everything, but if you go in there with no plan at all, you’re going to be overwhelmed.

Plan a Backup

Shit happens. Panels get full faster than you thought. Lines get too long to be worth it. The game you wanted to play might actually just be a presentation. Try to have a backup whenever you can. If all else fails, just go spend some more time in…

The Indie Megabooth

Arguably the best part of PAX is the slew of indie games available. And, over the last couple years, the Indie Megabooth has established itself as a primary feature of PAX. It houses around 100 games from nearly as many developers and you could spend hours there. It’s also great because you can play a bunch of games without waiting too long. If you see an open station, play it! I don’t care what it is.

Escape the Expo

The expo hall is an amazing spectacle. No doubt about it. But, it's also a trap. Get the hell out of there and do some other stuff once in a while. PAX has so much to offer aside from the expo hall and you shouldn’t miss it. Head upstairs to the Classic Console and Console Freeplay rooms. Head to the back to the Tabletop arenas. You get the point. Go do stuff. New stuff.

The To-Don’t List

A couple little words of warning from a PAX veteran. You'll thank me later.

SWAG

We all love free stuff, but seriously…don’t be that guy. Don’t wait in line for 45 minutes to play a game you don’t care about just to get a shirt. And please don’t loiter around a headphone booth hoping to catch an inflatable hat. You will get free stuff without trying too hard, so don’t let SWAG ruin your PAX.

Lines

Okay, lines are unavoidable. If you want to do much of anything at PAX, you’re gonna wait in some lines. But, this is on the “don’t” list simply to help you make good decisions. Do you really need to wait in line for two hours to play Bloodborne when it will be out two weeks later? Maybe not. Do you really want to wait in line for an hour to watch a Batman: Arkham Knight trailer that will be online Monday morning? Time is precious at PAX. Choose wisely.

The Optional List

Three PAX traditions that should not be ignored. Your interest will likely depend on who is involved, so take note.

Keynote

The “Storytime” session is typically a great opening ceremony for PAX, especially for first-timers. The Penny Arcade Q&A is once again immediately after this, so if you're a fan of those guys, you should probably go to the keynote to get a good seat. It's one of the few times they don't clear out a theatre before the next event. This year’s speakers are Telltale Games founders Dan Connors and Kevin Bruner.

Music

On Friday and Saturday night, the Main Theatre will be rocking late into the night. Whether you know anything about the performers or not, the concerts are a great time especially if you don’t have any other late night plans. Friday’s lineup includes Super Guitar Bros, Triforce Quartet, and the legendary Paul & Storm. Saturday night, you can see Freezepop, Bit Brigade, and nerdcore icon MC Frontalot.

Omegathon Finals

The Omegathon is an elimination tournament that takes place throughout the entire weekend between a couple dozen attendees who were randomly selected prior to the show. The final game is always kept a secret until the very end. It’s usually a great closing ceremony, but it totally depends on the game. I’ve seen some great ones like Vs. Excitebike, Ikaruga, Trials Evolution, and (inexplicably) a stuffed animal crane game. But, I’ve also seen some pure train wrecks like Spaceteam and Cornhole. So, I can’t recommend it as much as I used to, but it still has the potential to be awesome.

<>

Well, that's all I've got. If you have any suggestions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, let me hear it. As always, hopefully this will help some people out and maybe I'll see some of you at PAX. Let me know if you spot my Mii in StreetPass too. I'll probably be the idiot who's most recently played game is Baseball for Game Boy. Anyway, it's gonna be a blast. Have fun. And...watch out for glass bottles.

2014 was certainly a year. I don't know what else can be said about the ups and downs at this point, but before we wave goodbye and/or give the finger to 2014, I've compiled some data based on the staff reviews once again. If you've been around for a few years, you know I used to do this kind of thing with achievement data and site traffic as well, but unfortunately those features are long gone. Will they return one day? We can only hope. So, despite the decline of the importance of reviews, I went ahead and put this together for the fourth year in a row. I already have the spreadsheet built, so I might as well use it for something, right?

Once again, I've paired this data with some of the best community artwork from throughout the year (plus one old one). The total number of reviews is less than before, but we did have the debut of two new reviewers on the site. But, first, credit where credit is due.

Art Credits

• @humanity's "The Royal Rumble"
• @spacedongle's "Persona 5 Poster"
• @sanj's "Master Tracksuit"
• @dorkymohr's "Scoopslunking"
• @supernormalstep's "Golden Duder (Rorie)"
• @fobwashed's "Dirty Dan"
• @graboids's "Sons of Drewberty"
• @dorkymohr's "Hey Small Business Man!"
• @sanj's "Revolver Oestricelot"
• @metalliccookies's "Bombjammers"
• @monkeyman04's "GB New York (Knicks Logo)"
• @aurahack's "EARS!"

Previous "Year in Reviews"

• 2013
• 2012
• 2011

And, now, let's...do...thiiiiiiiis!

Alex

Brad

Jeff

Patrick

Rorie

Dan

Staff

Stars

Platform (Pie)

Platform (Bar)

Monthly

Publisher

Peace Out, 2014

P.S. - It's 174 days til E3 2015.

Here's a blast from the past. If you were around a few years ago (exactly three years ago to be clear), you may remember a secret collection of cards that were released through the Whiskey Media online store. It was a magical time. A time of big live live shows that were live, big red phones, and baby shaking. How one would obtain one of these cards was hotly debated at the time. Those who did qualify for a card received them in a direct email from one Dave Snider with the user's name emblazoned across the bottom. The real kicker was that it was entirely up to the user to share them with the rest of the community, so some of them were never seen.

Until now...

Now that it's been a few years, Dave sent me a zip file of all of them. So, here they are in all their glory including the likes of Ryan, Norm, Vinny, Ethan, and the Big Red Phone.

And, yes. Luchadeer's last name is Williams. That's canon.

#0001 Jeff Gerstmann

#0002 Will Smith

#0003 Big Red Phone

#0004 Norman Chan

#0005 Ryan Davis

#0006 Benjamin Franklin

#0007 Karen Mills

#0008 Vinny Caravella

#0009 Luchadeer Williams

#0010 Cool Baby

#0011 Ethan Lance

#0012 Patrick Klepek

#0013 Brad Shoemaker

#0014 Alex Navarro

#0015 Mike Tatum

#0016 Melissa Durkin

As always, presented in (mostly) chronological order with little to no explanation or context:

• Sushi Belt
• Matt Solie Favors
• Burger Burger Crab Burger
• Top Pot Run #1
• Fippy
• Long Boxes
• Beyond Victors
• Underground Reunion
• These Sheets Smell Fantastic
• Indie Cats
• Crazy Chris
• Harmonix Doughnut Quicky
• CAH VIP
• Pelvic Sorcery
• Fashionably Late
• Sector PBR
• NToV Strats with @laika
• Photo Day
• Undefeated at 8-player Gang Beasts
• Secret Supper
• What Is Firewatch?
• Star Wars Confirmed
• Traitor Drew
• Russian Bears
• Singapore Canes
• Joining #TeamGFB
• Eat. Sleep. Bop. Repeat.
• Fruity Fruity
• Oh, Collusion!
• Nintendo Delivered Beer
• Fucking Wyoming!
• Hard Rock Rooftops
• Macon with Jake
• Tolkien with Alexa
• Swery Salute
• Muir: "FUCK YOU!"
• Spinning Selfie
• Baker Can Talk
• Smashed by a Kid
• Expo Nomads
• Rejects
• Chinese Traditions
• Tag Me In

(I have hundreds of photos as usual, which I will be uploading over the next few days)