BOOTYs 2012: 5 or Less Best- Audio

Funfact: The audio aspect of a game is 1/3 of the experience. The other 2/3 are visuals and gameplay. In this all-important category, I'll award the five or less best games in a number of eartastic categories. Eartastic?

I heard you like Pokemon...

So we're going to release a new game every year for three years in a row! I guess Nintendo thinks letters are colors now. And the starters continue to get stupider. But on the bright side, it looks like they've spent the whole budget on the Pokemon models. They look good.

Announcing the 2012 BOOTY Categories

Like I said before, this edition of the BOOTY awards is going to be different. Instead of making one long monster post, I'll be doing one for every category by naming the Five Or Less Best games in each category. Below, you'll find the awards I'll be giving out.

Review: Halo 4

Folks, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! The very first game critique, and for Halo 4 no less. Prepare your body.

It's that time of the year again...

Prepare your body for the first ever BOOTY awards on Installed Base. Since the site has been revamped, so have the awards. This year, I'll be breaking it down into "The 5 Or Less Best" in addition to the zany awards you've come to know and love. In the end, only five games will be ranked into the overall Best Offerings Of The Year. Now I've just got to play the rest of the games in this large stack...

Ring in the Apocalypse with this Majora's Mask fan album

You need to listen to this. Like, right now. You survived the end times, now celebrate with this fantastic tribute album to Majora's Mask. There's ten excellent arrangements to be found here, but Theophany, the album's creator, intends to adapt the whole soundtrack eventually. Give it a listen below. You can download it for free, but why would you not support this with a Christmas donation?

STEALER

Here's one to look out for.

Quiz Time: New Super Mario Bros U vs Kirby

Can you identify this level?

I noticed something unusual with all the recent coverage for New Super Mario Bros U. For some reason, Nintendo has decided to adopt the Kirby naming scheme for all the game's areas. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would't be able to tell them apart. Do you know better? Can you identify which of the following words are from New Super Mario Bros and not Kirby?

Water Worlds
A) Orange Ocean
B) Float Islands
C) Sparkling Waters
D) Ice Cream Island

Sky Worlds
A) Meringue Clouds
B) Bubbly Clouds
D) Cloudy Park
E) Rainbow Resort

Grass Worlds
A) Vegetable Valley
B) Acorn Plains
C) Cookie Country
D) Peanut Plains

How about this one?

Sand Worlds
A) Yogurt Yard
B) Layer-Cake Desert
C) Sand Canyon
D) Raisin Ruins

Ice Worlds
A) Frosted Glacier
B) White Wafers
C) Ice Island
D) Peppermint Palace

Forest Worlds
A) Jam Jungle
B) Big Forest
C) Onion Garden
D) Soda Jungle

Underground Worlds
A) Cabbage Cavern
B) Cocoa Cave
C) Rock Candy Mines
D) Radish Ruins

Highlight below for answer key!
C, A, B, B, A, D, C

Return to Morrowind

Well, sort of.

What's Happening: November 2012

Novembers are always nuts. But this year? This year? Completely bonkers. Let's take a look at all the good stuff going down.

Right now: Wreck-it Ralph is now in theaters! It's totally awesome and you should totally see it. What could be more great than a video game movie made by Disney? Not much.