Hey, my ugly mug is back and ready to tell you about why Dragon Age: Origins is looking better than ever. All the videos are (almost) under two minutes and I brought a basket full of screenshots this time! Yowza!

The Approval system is the evolution of the Good or Bad character alignment system that you see in most modern, western RPG’s including Fable 2, Fallout 3 and Mass Effect.

Read the interview with the founders of BioWare here.

The secret spell combos that show up in the game are kind of like mini in game achievements…

Screens!

Ripten TV’s Jonathan Zungre gives his impressions of Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Warioware Snapped and other cool stuff talked about at the Nintendo Keynote at the Game Developers Conference ‘09. Also, check out the photos Joystiq snuck while at the press conference — one below.

“Hey Ladies and Gents, purchase little Jimmy an ice cold Nuka-Cola! It’s twelve ounces of liquid refreshment, tastes great, and scientifically proven to help his skin grow! Yum! The Taste of a Dead Generation!”

Do you cheer when you see things blow up? Well, grab your pom poms because the killers over at the E3 Mercenaries 2 booth showed me the biggest in-game explosion I’ve ever seen. It’s the tactical nuke, and it may make you smile with awesome. Click the link for the boom.

Popping smoke to call in a tactical nuke must be an endgame ability, but World in Flames gives you a bunch of other toys to play on the way. I saw a grappling hook that enables you to sky jack helicopters from the ground and a high end sports car that zips around taking out tanks with a missile launcher strapped to its back. What ever your penchant for destruction, Mercenaries 2 looks to satisfy your inner Michael Bay.

E3 08 bestowed upon us a great gift. Madden 09. With the ability to do backyard-football-like “do-overs” and an emphasis on teaching newer players how to play football, it looks like the Maddenest Madden yet. What more could two Italians straight from the old country wish for?

Actually, I’m only one fourth Italian and Range only works at an Italian restaurant. But i didn’t lie about Madden. It looks fantastic. Capiche?! Have at the video after the jump.

Ripten catches up with with David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake, to talk about writing the screenplay for the upcoming Lost Planet movie and about the nature of heroes in society.  We got heavy!

Range and I got the distinct pleasure to interview professional gamer Livia Teernstra after winning her Dead or Alive round in Mondays quarterfinal of the Championship Gaming Series. One thing Range and I learned is that pro gamers in the CGS are very passionate and invested in their teams and games of choice and Livia is no exception.

Check out Livia and the rest of the Championship Gaming Series at http://www.thecgs.com/.

I recap the Microsoft press conference, highlighting the top 5 crowd-pleasing moments. Click the jump for some first hand E3 Microsoft press conference impressions.

Ripten TV is back and ready to kick you right right in your face-part. I’m here at E3 08 counting down the top 5 crowd pleasing moments of the EA press conference.

Our very own Dan Landis, editor and undefeated arm wrestling champion, challenges a comic book icon to a feat of strength, and Ripten TV gives you a front row seat for all the action after the jump.

We get our hands on Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Vegas II for a little multiplayer action at this years WonderCon in San Fransisco California. Ripten TV gives you our hands on impressions after the jump.

Our second installment of Ripten TV highlights the Star Wars Force Unleashed GDC session hosted by Haden Blackman. The presentation outlined many aspects of the teams growth as well as the struggles and successes during the development of the game. Have at our impressions after the jump.