I love a good western, and have been going through a kick lately where I've been watching a lot of the classics in the genre. In just re-viewing For a Few Dollars More, I confirmed something I thought I noticed when I first got the Man With No Name set, which is Clint Eastwood's unnamed character in the movie has a name! On two different occasions he's referred to as something like Manko. Obviously I can't be the first to notice this, but I never have seen it noted before. I guess "the man with an obscure name" just doesn't roll off the tongue the same way.

Speaking of the Man With No Name, the classic 1960s spaghetti western trilogy was obviously one of the prime influences behind the western first-person shooter Outlaws. In spite of the 1997 release's use of the outdated 2D Dark Forces engine, Dumb as a Stick™ AI, and vexing Call the Hintline Again™ puzzles, the game was great fun, at least in part because it was amazingly stylized, with great cutscenes, and the finest voice acting and music I can recall in any game ever. Apparently there are a lot of other fans of the game still out there (at least more than what I believe were modest sales would suggest), as Paleface.net's Petition for an Outlaws Sequel is collecting names to convince LucasArts to create a follow-up. Never fear, western fans, if the petition doesn't work, you can take heart in the reminder passed along by GA-Source that Wanted! The Half Life Western Pack is still in development at Maverick productions, so there's hope yet that we'll be able to round up the posse again.

Link of the Day: The Radiskull & Devil Doll Official Site (newly relocated), now home to episode three of this Flash epic, titled "Radiskull hate snow." Perhaps this does not quite have the genius demonstrated by the previous two, but it's still a worthy sentiment for kicking it in the dead of winter. Thanks Sean "Stitch" Reynolds and Nour Sharabash.