Caution:  Penny Arcade isn't known for it's clean language or peaceful attatude towards...anything.  All the imported media has been taken down to the usual PG to TV-14 tameness.  But if you click any links in this article be it on your own head.  They loves them some profanity. 

If you call yourself a gamer and consider yourself at all savvy on the webcomic front then you at least know about Penny-Arcade. 

If you don't know about PA then stop reading this right now and go to http://www.penny-arcade.com right now.  Stop, go.   I am not kidding, go there and spend at least 30 minutes, then you can return.

............ 

OK, are you properly schooled in the basis for Gaming humor for the past 9 years?  Good, we can continue.

Crap, now that I made you read the comic I have nothing to really review.  Hmmm, then how about a review of my favorite  PA strips over the years. 

This comic pretty much sums up so many games for me.  I have found myself say "That would have been nice to know 7 deaths ago".  And the cocky "well duh" attatude of the game never makes the 40 minutes wasted on a bad learning curve easier to swallow.

  I appreciate the news posts the PA guys put out though.  They explain that once the skills are learned the game was quite enjoyable.

This one was summed up my feelings on the awkward controller designs over the years.  From the N64s spaceship style controller to the awkwardly designed Gameboy advance(not the SP) none could top the bulky mass that was the Origional XBox controller.  

That is not to say that I didn't love the time I spent with the old girl, but it was like talking to someone who can't master pronouns, fulfilling but at times frustrating.

This one sticks with me, because the whole Red v Blue thing has always entertained and confused me.  The refreshing aspect to Counter Strike was that the sides seemed to have some reason to be fighting, were has R v B never made much sense, in the moments I wasn't beating down dirty blues.  

 This continues to my current obsession with TF2.  Which at least has "Capture the Inteligence" instead of the the classic Flag capturing.  Intel seems something  someone would actually want to capture.

The final comic I would like to link will have to just be a URL because there is swearing in it, and Ed might beat me with a sack of doornobs if I were to expose the young'ins  to undue violence and pottymouthedness.  I prefer to play it safe.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/07/27

This comic prettymuch sums up some of the stigma we wish to change amoug gamers out there. The winney position of the person who wants to win but can't abide that there might be better players out there.  Or perhaps, that when playing a game with an element of luck, luck may not favor them.

So I think these sum up the attatude and willingness to laugh at ourselves that PA represents.  When you have a free afternoon, start from the beginning and save your favorites, they make great desktop backgrounds. A quick pick me up during any long day.  But a BMP edit might be a good idea so as not to offend.