Saturday, January 24, 2009

Newgrounds: Everything, by everyone

Newgrounds logoIf you're ever hopelessly bored, there's one place on the Internet that's sure to keep you busy for a while: Newgrounds.com. Newgrounds is a sprawling online mecca of user-created videos, games, and music with something to offer to virtually everyone--and something to offend virtually everyone, as well.

Vampires? Check. Harry Potter? Check. Golf, goths, Jesus, Sonic, horse racing, old folks, noir, Naruto, Stephen Hawking, tentacle monsters, kangaroos, Hanukka, and Bomberman? Check check check check check check check check check yikes check check check.

Just about every genre conceivable is represented in some form at Newgrounds, along with (if you haven't guessed it yet) nearly the entire range of questionable content available. You'll find violence, nudity, foul language, sex, gore, scatological references, political incorrectness, and offensive insensitivity.

Just to name a few.

Fortunately, descriptions and content warnings are given that are (sometimes) accurate, so you'll usually have some warning before watching something that will scar you for life. But sometimes you get blindsided by copulating stick figures. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Newgrounds is a true grab-bag. For everything that is hilarious, there's something nauseatingly unfunny. For everything beautifully created, there's an ugly piece of junk that got slapped together in three minutes. Newgrounds is truly everything, by everyone.

Me? I like it for the video-game-related stuff. Here are just a few of my favorites to get you started:

Dodge Flash game- Dodge. (fast-paced arcade game where you dodge projectiles and turn them against your enemies to survive)


Final Fantasy: About Random Battles Flash video- Final Fantasy: About Random Battles (funny video)



Mega Man vs. Ghosts 'n Goblins Flash game- Megaman vs. Ghosts 'n Goblins (crossover game)



Mega Man vs. Metroid Flash game- Megaman vs. Metroid (crossover game to settle the "Who would win in a fight: Mega Man or Samus?" debate)


Schfifty Five Flash video- Schfifty Five (illogically catchy music video)



Shift Flash game- Shift (Wickedly clever puzzle/platformer game and its sequel--in the same vein as Portal)


Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom Flash game- Super Mario: Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom (epic tragicomedy, episodes One, Two, Three, and Four)

There are so many more. You can blame me if you don't get any work done today.

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