Hottest Stories

By Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo! Buzzlog

Star Wars. Ever hear of it? The film/comic/game/toy franchise is well (maybe too well) represented across the galaxy. The Jabba's share of those products are officially licensed. But every once a while, an independent artist will use the Force to create something rad just for the sake of doing it.

Enter animator Paul Michael Johnson. Johnson, who goes by the handle Otaking77077 online, is working on his own bit of Star Wars-inspired anime. Though he's quick to point out that the work is not (repeat, not) finished, what he has so far is awesome enough to make even Han Solo geek out.

Bioware founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka (Getty Images)Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka are more than just game designers. They're two of the most genuine and talented people in the video game industry.

Together, they built Bioware into a powerhouse development studio and were the guiding forces behind hit games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Mass Effect.

That makes their departure from the video game industry not only a loss to those who worked alongside them, but a big blow to gamers as well.

(Credit: 2K Games)Borderlands 2 is not a game for pacifists. But for those who like combining the loot discovery of Diablo with the guns blazing, shoot-first-never-ask-questions style of classics like Quake or Unreal, it's a match made in video game heaven.

The Gearbox Software game for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 hits stores today and has already charmed critics, who unanimously agree that it's a better game than its predecessor thanks to great writing and strong visual design. With a Metacritic score of 90 -- after 33 publications have chimed in -- it currently stands as one of the most critically-acclaimed games of the year.

(Credit: Nintendo)We're still a good two months out from the official North American launch of the Wii U, but Nintendo's next generation console system is already proving to be one of the holiday's must-have items.

Several major retailers are already sold out of the system online, meaning they've put a halt on pre-orders. Others, it seems, aren't even giving people the online pre-order option, apparently reserving their stock for the launch day stampede.

(Credit: Rovio)Flight is no longer just for the birds.

Yahoo! Games has the exclusive scoop on the gameplay in Bad Piggies, the next chapter in the Angry Birds saga. This time around, you'll play as the antagonistic porkers, but not by mercilessly flinging them at walls.

Nintendo's announcement on Thursday that the Wii U would come in two flavors costing either $300 or $350 instantly sparked a lot of arguments.

Some thought it was too high a number. Some felt it fair. Few, it's worth noting, vowed to boycott the system, so any objections fell short of the ones Sony faced when the PlayStation 3 was initially priced at an astronomical $500.

To help put the matter in perspective, we reached out to some of the industry's biggest analysts to get their take on whether Nintendo has priced the system too high, too low or just right.

It's been five months since the story of Caine Monroy's cardboard arcade touched the hearts of Internet surfers. Now the filmmaker who made the nine-year old famous is hoping that spark of creativity can go as viral as his movie.

Filmmaker Nirvan Mullick introduced the world to Caine, and has stayed in close touch with the young entrepreneur. And fame, it seems, has been good for Caine.

Danger isn't his middle name — it's his last name. That's how dedicated Joe Danger is to his craft; specifically, driving all sorts of vehicles through insane movie stunts.

And while his first game was a blast, his second game looks to go even bigger.

Releasing today on XBLA and already a hit with critics, Joe Danger 2: The Movie straps you into the boots of the determined stuntman as you flip, fly, and flame-out spectacularly while pulling off crazy stunts on different movie sets. Take on your friends with Ghost scores, or build and share your own sick levels. Whatever it takes to put a smile on your face!

Another thing that might put a smile on your face? A free code to play it yourself.