Blog Posts by Ben Silverman

Journey (Credit: Sony/That Game Company)The bustling fall gaming season has arrived, bringing with it countless blockbuster games vying for your ever-dwindling dollars. But at $60 a pop, chances are you're limited to just a few of the year's big releases.

Spent a bit more wisely, however, and that $60 can net you at least four top-notch downloadable console games. Some of the best game experiences of 2012 won't be found in retail stores, but through downloadable game channels like Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network.

The trouble? The online storefronts of XBLA and PSN are often muddled with non-game content or bargain deals for games you don't actually want. Here are 10 that you do.

(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.

If you've spent a lot of time in Azeroth -- and chances are pretty good that you have -- you've likely snapped a screenshot or two chronicling your exploits. And you've probably posted those screens somewhere on the web, too.

What you might not know, however, is that along with those pretty pictures comes a batch of your user data.

(Credit: KHOU-TV)Kids these days, with their video games. And their stolen cars. And state-crossing joyrides. Okay, so this one's actually a bit out of the ordinary.

Houston's KHOU-TV tells the story of Beth Robinson, a 13-year-old girl who lives in Houston and enjoys playing games on her Xbox 360. Beth befriended 12 year-old Dylan, a fellow gamer from Hodgenville, Kentucky. The two would spend hours playing games and hanging out together over the system's Xbox Live online service.

But what started off as a harmless teenage crush turned into a three-day nightmare for the Robinson family.

(Credit: Nintendo)Kirby might not be as famous as some of Nintendo's other mascots, but the pink gumball's got fans. Lots of 'em.

And they made their presence felt at this past weekend's PAX video game convention in Seattle.

(Credit: Capcom)The most famous fighter in video game history might be a little old, but it still packs a wallop.

And lots of Hadoukens.

Believe it or not, Capcom's legendary Street Fighter turns 25 today. While it wasn't the first fighting game ever made (that honor arguably goes to the 1976 coin-op Heavyweight Champ), Street Fighter indelibly altered the genre with its intuitive controls, fantastic animations and deep gameplay. It's had an equally large impact on popular culture, spinning off into movies, cartoons, and even a fancy slot machine.

Not the right Marcus ThomasEA's Madden series prides itself on creating the most authentic football video game experience on the planet. From signature moves to stadium turf to licensed shoes, the game's developers try to nail the look and feel of every inch of the NFL, and for the most part, they do a pretty good job.

Except when it comes to Marcus Thomas.

(Credit: EA Sports)We don't envy the game makers at EA's Tiburon studio. Year after year, the minds behind Madden are tasked with inventing new ways to keep people playing gaming's flagship football franchise. It's a 365-day development cycle each time -- not a lot considering the financial and cultural importance of the series -- and they've been at it pretty much nonstop since the late 80s.

That insane pressure has led to some truly great games, but also a handful of busts.  So which is it for Madden NFL 13?