Inside this week's Couch: Quake and the 80s spawn a monster, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. gets surreal, and GLaDOS invades reality. Check it all out.

Retro Trailer of the Week: Diablo II
The announcement of Diablo III has many of us returning to the previous game, hunting down Andariel and Baal one more time in anticipation.

Here's the trailer that kicked off the most successful title in the series; that short clip that introduced "The Wanderer" for the first time.

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After a bit of a protracted hiatus, the Couch returns. Age of Conan, Grand Theft Auto 4, Team Fortress 2: all these games and more are featured in a variety of impressive and disturbing clips this week. Check it all out.

Snakes on a Building
The Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland has some pretty crafty students, as seen in this video, wherein an entire dorm is transformed into the classic Snake game.


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In this week's edition of Replay, a Couch mainstay serves us a good time, the TF2 Scout picks a fight with Ronald McDonald, and a few interesting mods fill in the holes. Check it all out.

G-Man Video of the Week: You Got Served
After a motion capture experiment went horribly, horribly wrong, Byron Mallett turned lemons into lemonade with this bit of G-Man funkery.

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Ever since the Nintendo generation was born, marketing chiefs have used games as a way to connect a younger demographic. This is nothing new.

What is interesting, however, is the recent spate of advertising aimed squarely at older gamers. Whether it be for automobile or airline companies, soft drinks or sandwiches, ad men are more and more beginning to use video games as a hook to sell serious products.

Join us as we take a look at some examples of game-influenced ads, old and new.

Coca-Cola: Grand Theft Auto
This cheerful take on Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series debuted in 2006.

The conservative side of the Coke machine is shown here, transforming the hardcore realm of Rockstar into a happy land where, coincidentally, everyone drinks cola. Or, as we refer to it, Jack Thompson's wet dream.

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This week on the Couch we've got a sickeningly sweet set of entertaining videos lined up, including another mind-bending Quake 3 recording, a Guitar Hero-playing machine, a GTA flashback, and more. Come on down and join us in the video muck.

Super Mario Bottles
The Super Mario Bros. theme, as played by an RC car clinking along against empty bottles.

Now there's a sentence you don't ever expect to write.

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This week on the Couch we explore the futility of dueling trains in TF2, the extreme latent power of Jigglypuff, and the mind-boggling horror unleashed from a combination of Earthbound and Ronald McDonald. Revel in the madness within.

Retro Trailer of the Week: The Neverhood
Aaron says I'll score mad points with the diehard PC crowd for posting this old trailer for DreamWorks Interactive's claymation-animated adventure The Neverhood. I never did play this one, but I want to now.

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A magical week of replays has lead to this Couch, which includes an impressive Smash Bros. Brawl record, a high-def Unreal Tournament compilation, an off-topic Hillary Clinton ribbing, and more. Check it all out.

A Smashing Home Run
Now coming to the plate, G. Dorf, .254, 23 HR. Don't be deceived by the relatively low number of this record-breaking hit in Smash Bros. Brawl's Home-Run mode, as these Japanese fellows are measured in meters, not feet.

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This week sees a smooth blend of radically varying videos hit the Couch, a fine mixture of Crysis outtakes, Team Fortress 2 strangeness, Nintendo DS musicians, and six-year-old shredders. Take in the full catch.

Retro Trailer of the Week: Dawn of War There is no doubt that the slick introduction to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War sold a few copies for developer Relic. Produced by CG studio Blur, the company has since gone on to create the Warhammer Online trailers for EA Mythic, among other work.

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This week's Couch is a random mix of various oddities, including another TF2 instructional video, a wonderfully nostalgic Final Fantasy trailer, Team Fortress Classic highlights, and the ever-terrifying G-Man. Sit down, relax, and enjoy.

Halo Tricked Out
This is the craziest Halo video you're ever gonna see in Replay Couch. The jump at 1:04 is beyond impressive, and the end is guaranteed to leave you speechless.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

This week's Couch contains a grab bag of videos, including an insane Rock Band performance, a Shogun: Total War murder spree, a little StarCraft CG, and a bizarre Smash Bros. Brawl hack. Check it all out inside.

Impossible Video of the Week: Nearly Perfect Drug
The expert drum part of Nine Inch Nails' The Perfect Drug is a real beast to play in Rock Band, but azuritereaction almost tamed it with this recording. There are a few players ahead of him on the leaderboard, but azurite understands the importance of multiple camera angles to properly to show off the skill it takes to achieve this kind of score.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

Thanks to a bump in Youtube video quality, and the addition of some select HD streaming, this week's Replay Couch is technically the highest quality selection of videos yet. Sort of. Check it all out inside.

Water Sports
ABadFeeling is back with another Crysis video, this time a whimsical romp with dynamic water physics.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

A major challenge has been issued by a Shacker this week, involving one hell of a Quake 3 video. Also: Chrono mania, TF2 sniping skills, and more. Check it all out.

Meet the Chipmunk
Some people think they can outsmart bumburnyak. Then he creates something like this.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

This week it's all about the medic. And Red Alert. And hilarious Twisted Metal outtakes. And Smash Bros., Tribes, and Bubble Bobble. Just get in here.

FYI: I'm Your Medic
This fitting tribute to the under-appreciated medic-classing TF2 masses comes to you from the 5e community, with music and lyrics by the talented Captain Spalding.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

This week we have a solid first page, featuring an impressive Team Fortress 2 highlight reel, a few Valentine's Day primers, and a little Homeworld. The back page is dedicated entirely to live action representations of video games, including Space Invaders, Pacman, Tetris, and Halo. The last one is a doozy.

Chivalry Lives
Valentine's Day is only a few days away, and what better way to celebrate than with a Mass Effect video? Because as we all know, this game is about sweet, sweet love, and also hardcore man-on-woman action. Take this video for example.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

This week we prepare for Super Bowl Sunday with an entire backfield of wacky football replays. As onji says, there is more than one video per Couch.

Video of the Week: Tecmo Bowl Recreations
Tecmo Super Bowl was a fantastic NES cart, and now Toad22484 has proven this with a series of videos that accurately recreate classic football moments within the game. Watch as Matt Bryant nails his 62-yard field goal in pixelated form, followed by Joe Montana and Dwight Clark connecting for their immortalized 1981 NFC championship play known simply as "The Catch." Also: Marcus Allen's Super Bowl XVIII run, and a nasty hit by Sean Taylor in the 2006 Pro Bowl.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

There's no doubt about it--Team Fortress 2 is the Shack community's new favorite pastime. So what better way to celebrate the coming weekend than with a round of Shacker-created TF2 videos? Click through for a showcase of impressive individual efforts, followed by a few samples of what a team full of Shackers sounds like.

One Burning Desire
You don't have to ask Shacker/pyromaniac bcyde whether or not he's ready. He's always ready. Men like him are born ready. Ready to burn things in computer games.

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Want to check out more Shacker exploits? Jump onto the Couch.

Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the full library.

This week's crop is the definition of pain, featuring an endless stream of streaming deaths and taxing, cringe-worthy moments. Enter, sadists, for the entire gruesome display.

Video of the Week: Below the Belt
Fighter Maker 2 looks almost as awesome, and painful, as the original Fighter Maker.

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Welcome to the Replay Couch, where we kick back and watch the best, and worst, of recorded video game history. New to the Couch? Check out the archives.

Today's collection marks the 10th Anniversary of Replay Couch. Like all anniversaries, this is a completely arbitrary occasion, and so we will continue on with little fanfare--other than an outrageous fireworks show to commemorate the auspicious event.

Multiple Mario Manipulation
"Look game! Mario is like trash," exclaims the Google-translated origin site of this crazy video. More Lemmings than Mario, some Japanese genius has apparently hacked the classic Nintendo cart, tossing aside his controller in favor of webcam-captured gestures. When a hundred plumbers drop from the sky, genocide ensues. Who will survive the Five Digit Apocalypse? Find out below.

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It's the first Couch of the new year, and we've got plenty of replayed action lined up to combat a new calendar full of work days--including a homegrown TF2 video featuring one of our very own Shackers. You know what to do: click the link.

Video of the Week: I, BrownyMaster
Team Roomba's first video, featured in Replay Couch 7, caused quite a ruckus. Now the troupe of troops returns with another fine example of hilariously poor sportsmanship in Team Fortress 2. Don't miss the latter half, where Roomba holds class and schools their team in a way you might not expect.

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Here's a quick summary of all this week's feature content, followed by some of the more prominent news items, in reverse chronological order.

Features:

• Unreal Tournament 3 PS3 Quick Impressions
  Chris Remo checks out the PS3 version of Epic's new shooter. Works pretty well, it turns out.
• The Year Ahead: PC Gaming in 2008
  Part one of Nick Breckon's list of anticipated 2008 titles points out every major upcoming release in the PC gaming world.
• Replay Couch 8: Let's Party
  Nick Breckon invites you to join him once again for another installment of Replay Couch--the greatest collection of gaming videos on the Internet.
• Shacknews' Most Wanted Rock Band Tracks
  The Shack staff shows its naivete with baffling music picks. Shacknews editor-in-chief Chris Remo actually has a music degree.
• WorldShift (PC) Preview
  Shacknews editor-in-chief Chris Remo takes a look at Black Sea Studios' WorldShift, which looks like a Diablo-esque real-time strategy game.
• The Year Ahead: Xbox 360 Gaming in 2008
  Nick Breckon's second installment of hot gaming anticipation looks at next year's Xbox 360 releases.
• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Preview
  Shacknews editor-in-chief Chris Remo tries his hand at barbarism with a preview of Funcom's upcoming MMO.

News posts:

• Call of Duty 3 Developer Treyarch Likely Developing New COD WWII Title
• Guerrilla Admits Killzone 2 Shots 'Touched Up'
• Microsoft VP: Halo 3 Surpasses 5 Million Copies Sold, Mass Effect Sells Over 1 Million
• Star Trek Online Dev. Perpetual Sued by PR Firm, Charged with Breach of Contract, Fraud (Updated)
• Valve: New Maps, Fixes, Machinima Tool for Team Fortress 2 in the Works
• Blizzard Confirms 'Unannounced MMO' in Works
• Harmonix: Activision Blocks Rock Band Guitar Compatibility Patch
• Ubisoft Reveals Free Heroes of Might and Magic Web-based Massively Multiplayer Strategy Game
• Game Sales Swell to $2.63B in November, COD4 Takes Top Software Spot
• Activision Responds to Harmonix/MTV Accusations: Harmonix 'Unwilling to Discuss an Agreement
• Metal Gear Solid 4 Includes Metal Gear Online