Todd Hargosh, Testing Director

Todd's columns have appeared in many publications such as GamePro, Electronic Gaming Monthly, PC Gamer, and Electronic Games. Todd is a founding member of GiN and speaks from an "old school" gamer's perspective. Embracing the notions of all classic gaming, game soundtracks, and the original "hardcore style," he also shuns the trends he feels are ruining the game industry, such as the embracement of 3D, the over-saturation of MMOs, and misleading game advertising.

Recent Posts

Not Galactica 1980

By the time this review is up, the Sci Fi channel will be debuting their "re-imaging" of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. Fans of the original 1978 series are already screaming "foul" with some of the changes, most notably the decision to make Starbuck a female. Everyone remembers Starbuck as a cigar-chomping, womanizing hot shot pilot, but from what I have seen in the previews, BG 2003 looks like it deserves a chance. Even the "new" Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) is saying "deal with it." While the backlash from the fanboys might be rapid they should keep in mind that it could … Continue reading Not Galactica 1980

Report To The Dance Floor

Several months ago, in one of my commentaries, I came out of the DDR closet and have been open about it ever since. I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. I'm a DDR addict and I am proud of it. In a more recent commentary, I even had the dilemma of deciding on whether to pick up the latest US DDR title (DDRMAX2, hereafter referred to as MAX2) or to import DDR Extreme (DDRX). After researching the track lists of both games, I decided to give both of them a try, and needless to say I am pleased … Continue reading Report To The Dance Floor

Grand Theft Auto: Springfield

I love the Simpsons. Very seldom do I watch network television these days, but the Simpsons has always been a tradition for me. I even watch it at work when I am closing up for the night, and I even have my own favorite episodes in mind (Some of my favorite episodes include Cape Fear, featuring Sideshow Bob’s ordeal with the rakes, and Bart Sells His Soul, where we hear the sissified Todd Flanders yell out "Ow, my freaking ears!"). On the other hand, I also love the GTA series. Whether it is the open ended gameplay, the engrossing storyline, … Continue reading Grand Theft Auto: Springfield

Nokia N-Gage Fails In Sales

During my last commentary, I gave my opinions of the Jokia Un-Gage and the eventual failure I predicted it would be. Turns out I may have been right all along. In its first week of release, my sources say only 5,000 units were sold in the US, with an additional 500 in the UK. Not only that, but both EB and Gamestop are now selling the Un-Gage at $199, although it is actually due to an instant rebate. Still, even with a $100 price drop, there is no way that the Un-Gage will even have a slight chance against the … Continue reading Nokia N-Gage Fails In Sales

Return of the Payne

A four year development time is usually a kiss of death for a heavily hyped title. (remember Daikatana? And where the heck is Duke Nukem Forever?) Fortunately when Max Payne came out in 2001, the wait was well worth it, as the game was well praised by the masses with its unique Bullet Time gameplay, immersive story, and non-stop action (except maybe for those stupid nightmare sequences). In fact, we gave it our award for Most Innovative title for 2001 for good reason. I wasn’t able to play the PC version until earlier this year, but I took pride in … Continue reading Return of the Payne

Too Complex

Now that the hockey season has officially started, my work as a Sports Correspondent can rest for a while. Sure, ESPN NBA Basketball comes out this week, but considering that it is the first of a massive slew of titles, including SSX 3, Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (back in its purist form after 10 years), and the biggest surprise of them all, an early release of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, there is no time for me to write an NBA report card against NBA Live (then again, I don't care much for basketball, except maybe … Continue reading Too Complex

The Cover Curse

Before Monday, my original concept for this week's commentary was to center on the launch of the Jokia Un-Gage and how poor pre-orders will end up resulting in the biggest gaming flop since the Virtual Boy. However, certain factors come into play when you least expect it. Enter the "Madden Curse." We've all heard about it. Up until the 2000 release, John Madden graced the cover of his EA Sports football franchise. With 2001, star players were used as cover athletes. What first might seem like the next best thing since being on the cover of a Wheaties box has … Continue reading The Cover Curse

GiN 2004 Hockey Report

Last years virtual NHL season saw a new champion emerge in the form of Sega Sports’ NHL 2K3, whose realistic gameplay and newly acquired ESPN presentation was able to overcome the shadow created by EA Sports. EA’s NHL 2003 fell below expectations with gameplay that felt way too arcade-like, and the addition of the "Gamebreaker" feature (used mainly in the NBA Street series) didn’t help much for NHL purists, which was sad considering how I considered the previous NHL 2002 to be a vast improvement on the series. What Madden used to suffer with an "odd year curse" seems to … Continue reading GiN 2004 Hockey Report

F-ing Amazing, but Challenging

Not since Metroid Prime have I been able to enjoy a GameCube title as much as I enjoy F-Zero GX, and yes that even includes Zelda: the Wind Waker. F-Zero was always one of my favorite Super Nintendo titles, even if back then it was basically a showcase of the system’s Mode 7 scaling engine. Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable racer for its time and I still go back to it on my emulators on occasion. Sad to say I never had the opportunity to play the N64 sequel, so I cannot really comment on it, and the GBA … Continue reading F-ing Amazing, but Challenging