Welcome to the Best of Kotaku, where I round up all of this week's best content.
Up top, the first and last issues ever of Nintendo Power, which, sadly, will not be publishing any more issues. At least they went out on a classy note.
Moving on to our Best Of content this week, we kick things off as usual with a comment from the community.
The Best Comment From The Community
Our favorite comment of this week comes to you from SuperBrother, who approaches a much-discussed article about cheating and Diablo III with compassion and thoughtfulness:
I usually don't go out of my way to defend self professed cheaters but it doesn't seem like a lot of commenters are looking at his from a more critical perspective. Looks like most folks saw the bit about cheating and just decided to lambast her for it. It seems pretty clear that she was getting much, if any emotional fulfillment out of the relationship. Is it that inconceivable that she'd look elsewhere? It's not like they didn't try to fix what they had but regardless, it didn't help.
You can't help the way you feel about a person and if the person you're with is clearly wrong for you or, despite efforts otherwise, things aren't working out, it doesn't seem unreasonable to look for or find someone else. To clarify, I don't usually support cheating but I've seen more than a handful of relationships where it actually seems understandable. Even more rare, would be where cheating is the best option. This doesn't fall under the later but I can see the former.
Style points, too, to SpaceshipForAnts for having a similar, longer response.
Okay, on to some articles!
Getting Up Close and Personal with Square Enix's New Engine Blew My Mind
Richard Eisenbeis is amazed by the level of detail in the Luminous Engine's rendering abilities. More ?
Do Video Games Make Depression Worse?
Phil Owen accounts for studies both against and for video games as a coping mechanism. But does it actually help or make depression worse? More ?
The Best Things In Video Games Are Broken
Tina Amini appreciates all the things you're not meant to do in a video game. More ?
ZombiU: The Kotaku Review
Stephen Totilo finds smart ideas in ZombiU, even if it makes him die a whole lot. More ?
How The Walking Dead Game Could Change The Way We Play
Kirk Hamilton is rightfully a huge fan of The Walking Dead's episodic formula. More ?
The Vita Is A Great System—Too Bad Sony Screwed It Up
Jason Schreier worries that Sony has let the Vita's reputation become tarnished. More ?
Mass Effect 3: Omega: The Kotaku Review
Kate Cox is excited to dive deeper into Aria's character in the latest ME3 DLC. More ?
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition: Everything You Should Know
Jason sums up what's new and old in this enhanced edition. More ?
Crashmo: The Kotaku Review
Stephen is really into blocks. More ?
A Dragon Age III Mystery, A Star Wars Theory And Some Gaming Secrets
Superannuation digs up some information on some announced and some rumored games. More ?
This Drug Is Legal. It's Digital. And It's Supposed To Improve How You Game. I Put It To The Test.
Patricia Hernandez tries out some audio drugs to see how they impact her gaming. More ?
Story Details & Art Leak From Bungie's Next Game, the Sci-Fi Epic Destiny
Luke Plunkett discovers some leaked information about Bungie's next game. More ?
Planetside 2's Art Director and Creative Director Are Answering Your Questions Live
Art director Tramell Isaac and creative director Matt Higby answer your questions live. More ?
The New Lego Lord of the Rings Game Apes Peter Jackson's Movies Brilliantly
We take a look at how many scenes from the LotR films are re-created in the new LEGO game. More ?
YouTuber: I Was Banned From Making Money Because Of An Over-Zealous Fan
Jason talks with a YouTuber who lost his ability to make money because one of his fans tried to game the system.More ?
The Ups and Downs of a Night Out at the Official Zelda Concert
Stephen has mixed feelings about the Zelda concert he attended. Hey, at least it wasn't Bieber.More ?
How Diablo III Told Me My Marriage Was Over
Guest writer Tiffany Claiborne takes a frank look at her failed marriage, and the role video games played.More ?
This RPG Was First Released On Sega Genesis. Now It's Coming To Dreamcast. (And Xbox)
Jason talks with the guys who released a game on Sega Genesis (in 2010 !!), and are now bringing their game to more current consoles.More ?
The Herd Outsider's Guide to the Brony Phenomenon
Mike explains to us once and for all: "What the heck is a Brony, anyway?" More ?