Tasked with imagining a world in which magical assistance and life-giving food can appear totally at random, our smart 'shoppers leveled up and found boosts, shells, and health lurking in all sorts of everyday occurrences. We have all the finalists for you inside, plus overall winner AllThatJuice!

Getting started, ykc (15) had the best interpretation, if a little simple, on a common theme many explored. Crazy Uncle Nic (16) was very industrious, with about half a dozen entries, but his first one was enough for me. HampstaSandwich (8) exploited the Fallout toilet joke to brutal effect with a real-life post-apocalyptic commode.

Racing was an easy target, as explored by Capt. Olimar (5) and sciteach (11). GiantBoyDetective (7) lifts a scene from Parks & Recreation for his masterpiece. arniejolt (3) also came very close to an overall win with this amazing 'shop of Jules and the Team Fortress 2 Sandvich. But AllThatJuice (3) was a clear crowd favorite, catching an F1 racer (I think) at the finish line with a well-timed shell.

Thanks to all who entered. We'll have another contest idea tomorrow.

AirCairo
AllThatJuice
arniejolt
AttorneyAtMusic
Capt. Olimar
Crazy Uncle Nic
GiantBoyDetective
HampstaSandwich
HylianHeroBigBoss
Pan_1da7
sciteach
toolsoldier
uinku
uscg_pa
ykc

2K Sports started an arms race with itself three years ago when it landed Kobe Bryant, the greatest player of his era, for the cover of NBA 2K10. Then it reached into the record books to trump him with Michael Jordan in NBA 2K11—and then grabbed Larry, Magic, and Michael for NBA 2K12. So when basketball fans wondered how NBA 2K13 was going to top last year, their eyes naturally turned to the cover subject.

The real escalation all along was in three all-new modes of play developer Visual Concepts crafted for each of those releases. First My Player, the game's role-playing superstar fantasy, debuted, then came the Jordan Challenge, and then NBA's Greatest, a mode that connected me not only to the game of basketball, but also to the game that past generations loved.

In comes NBA 2K13, with another three stars on the cover, none of them yet hall of famers. This is a game that has considerately backed away from trying to outbid itself, offering a broader-based pitch that includes a much needed control refinement, and presentation that bespeaks the really big name on the box, Jay-Z, who came aboard to serve as the game's executive producer.

That does not mean NBA 2K13 stopped trying. It is, however, maturing into a lifestyle product, which is especially visible in the way you are encouraged to develop yourself as an NBA superstar, and outfit yourself in luxury accessories and slick postgame threads. And in the way you will pay for it all.

The principal modes of NBA 2K13 are now united by "Virtual Currency," which is acquired after every career-mode game and can be spent freely no matter where you earned it. So if you're better at the team game, then winning in the old reliable Association mode can be used to fund your all-star's development so that your guy truly is a horse three weeks after his debut.

Yes, you can rank him up the new-fangled way now—with cold-hard cash if you like. In MyTeam, the game's new fantasy-basketball mode. With enough people playing, matchmaking seems to keep you faced off against comparable squads—a very welcome sight in a game that also worked online on launch day much better than it ever has, some nagging, patch-addressable glitches notwithstanding. But the pay-to-win mechanic still is there; 10,000 in Virtual Currency is yours for $3, and it will buy a lot of talent for your fantasy team or your player. I used it, on a whim, to make a $500,000 contribution to Boston-area schools and boost my rookie's popularity.

I know the amount because I heard the outstanding commentary team of Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr refer to it—at length—in my very next game. For as much as it is pressured to bring in a larger audience and sell them more things, NBA 2K13 does not compromise its well-seasoned, meat-on-bones simulation of a fabulously entertaining sport. At lower difficulty levels, the shooting may now be a lot easier to encourage newcomers. But it's also a lot easier to stop with well-chosen defensive schemes available on your controller's directional pad.

Online, you'll typically see guys who try to run a lot of self-created isolation plays that are easy to clog up with a 2-3 zone defense. Of course, when they figure that out they usually start bombing three-pointers, requiring another adjustment, maybe to pressuring shooters. Active defense, particularly playing passing lanes, remains a difficult art for the novice because the game still leaves little room for subtle movements. There's still a lot of lurching and big-stepping when you're just trying to position a guy off his man's hip. Contextual defense—that is, getting the hands in a guy's face without being told, still requires proximity closer than I'd prefer, particularly if you're trying to play zone.

Sometimes the best way to beat a defender one-on-one is to simply move around him, especially as many humans will overplay the ballhandler. Still, NBA 2K13 has taken the welcome step of splitting its player control between your two hands, which feels more natural. In last year's game, more complex dribbles, spins and crossovers were all on the left stick, using the left trigger as a modifier. Shooting was an unmodified gesture on the right thumbstick. NBA 2K13 sensibly mimics many basketball games before it—NBA Live is unironically referenced by some—by making the left stick your player's general direction of travel and the right his razzle dazzle moves. If you want to shoot with the right stick, you must now pull the left trigger. I usually just hit the square/X button because the timing is more familiar, but it's there.

For basic functions and combinations, it's a more accessible control scheme but NBA 2K13 still does very little to teach it to you, which has historically been this series' biggest shortcoming. You can go through the game's training camp mode if you like, but my RAM fills up way too fast even to remember that a ripover jumpshot is basically the inverse of a stepback jumper. Seriously, go look at the instruction manual and tell me that's not still intimidating. You must learn how to do things in NBA 2K13 the same way you have in the past: By performing them live in competition and developing muscle memory for what worked.

Where more casually knowledgeable basketball fans should spend most of their time is in MyPlayer, the superstar mode where you only have to worry about one guy. In the past this was a very demanding career mode that required some familiarity with spacing and duties in 5-on-5 basketball, and it handed down punishing appraisals of your performance. Now, with the buffed-up shooting and the easier ballhandling, lesser players can be a real demon even off the bench in their first season. If you're unsure how to get into this, just create a shooting guard and park on the wing or cut across the baseline. I did and gobbled up games like popcorn.

MyPlayer is also the mode where 2K Sports really shines among all sports publishers. I wish something like MLB The Show or NCAA Football—the other two best singleplayer career games—did role-playing half as well as MyPlayer. All three have appropriate leveling systems and the means to improve specific skills, but that's just the starting point for NBA 2K13. Your pro has a robust off-the-court lifestyle, from postgame press conferences to shoe contracts and meetings with the team's general manager, and even to reading the chatter in a virtual Twitter-like feed—perhaps copied from Madden but still lively. I loved the between-quarter bumper ads hawking ticket packages that featured my player's face. Some of the conversations proceed haltingly but dammit, they're there, and NBA 2K13 takes every step to immerse you in your athletic fantasy where in other games, you must imagine a lot of it on your own.

It's because the NBA, more than any other professional league in North America, has a recognizable lifestyle attached to it, getting back to the theme of NBA 2K13. And it's why Jay-Z was brought in. Games don't begin, they commence, with impressive opening highight montages that bear his creative thumbprint. 2K Sports always did its soundtracks well, but having one curated by this man is something altogether different, and the rest of the menu presentation serves it. I wasn't happy to see the press book disappear from the postgame menu—it's the package that gave you still shots and replay highlights of nearly everything significant in the game. It was probably cleared out for the Jay-Z presentation, but I can't deny that his influence makes this a true sports entertainment presentation throughout.

If I have any regret about NBA 2K13 it's that it does not have a showcase like 2K11's "Jordan Challenge," or last year's "NBA's Greatest," or that neither even return, unchanged, to this series. Yes, MyTeam is a new mode unto itself, if copied from other Ultimate Team models, but it doesn't command attention the same way that Michael Jordan or the Knicks of Walt Frazier do. Those gentlemen still are in this game. All the historic teams from past NBA 2K editions are here, but having the Dream Team—the greatest assembly of athletic talent in any sport in the world—available only in a play-now mode is kind of like serving filet mignon at a buffet.

The reason we don't have the Jordan Challenge or NBA's Greatest, even as premium DLC, is obvious: 2K Sports is protecting what was thought to be a dead concept in sports video gaming: back catalogue sales. And you should still hang on to those outstanding games if you have them. But the Dream Team deserved better than it got here, especially for all the trouble 2K went to get the bunch back together.

NBA 2K13, as ever, shows an intellectual approach to its subject, a nearly unparalleled virtue in sports video gaming. EA Sports threw in the towel last week, but it bears mentioning that this game would obliterate even my most optimistic appraisal of what NBA Live 13 looked like back in May. Visual Concepts and 2K Sports may have eased the throttle back on what they can promise, but they stand on the gas when it's time to deliver. This still is a game made by people in an arms race against themselves. And we're the winners.

What's happened in the business of video games this past week ...

QUOTE | "Sony has had a miserable generation in the console market."—Rob Fahey, former editor of GI.biz, talking about the harsh lessons Sony has learned and what they need to succeed.

QUOTE | "Consoles have become a barrier to creativity."—YoYo Games CEO Sandy Duncan, developers of GameMaker, talking about the effect of the massive development costs and closed ecosystems of consoles.

QUOTE | "I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last traditional console generation."—Rob Pardo, Chief Creative Officer of Blizzard Entertainment, talking about game design and the future of gaming.

QUOTE | "You won't be seeing our profit being spent on Ferraris and shit like that. Our profits are going back into games."—Lorne Lanning, CEO of Oddworld Inhabitants, talking about an attempt by EA to acquire his studio and why he said no.

QUOTE | "We wish Lorne luck on the game and recommend Lithium for the paranoia and Tourette Syndrome."—Jeff Brown, EA spokesman, commenting on Lorne Lanning's profanity-laced diatribe about how EA tried to buy his company, which EA says never happened.

STAT | 1 billion—Number of monthly Facebook users actively using the service; Facebook has also seen about 230 million Facebook users playing games in the last month.

QUOTE | "I'd written things being slightly grumpy about the way Lara had become. Big boobs and etcetera etcetera."—Rhianna Pratchett, narrative designer on the Tomb Raider reboot, talking abou her work on Lara Croft.

QUOTE | "That's the beauty of the internet; now people instantly broadcast how wrong your opinions are all over the world ."—Frank O'Connor, Halo 4's franchise development director, talking about how Halo 4 development had to deal with an enormous amount of advice.

STAT | $2.30—Value of one share of Zynga's stock after it dropped 20% overnight on news of poor third quarter results; the stock has dropped over 80% from its high point back in March of this year.

QUOTE | "Ubisoft pounces on every market where it can gain ground."—Mike Williams, writer for GamesIndustry International, talking with other journalists about the best video game companies in a fantasy sports style draft.

STAT | 10 million—Number of World of Warcraft subscribers after the release of Mists of Pandaria, up from 9 million before; the expansion has sold 2.7 million copies so far.

QUOTE | "25 years ago I never really imagined that game hardware would evolve this far so quickly."—Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid, talking about the game series, how it evolved and where it's going.

STAT | 12 million—Number of units sold of the Left 4 Dead franchise, according to Valve; Valve continues to support the series, now through Steam Workshop.

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YouTube gaming personality KSIOlajidebt said on Twitter today that he "apologise[s] to the people I may have offended with my 'awkward eurogamer' video. My intent was never to sexual harass." Full story here.

If you're in the mood for next week's big releases there are savings and bonuses to be found for all of them, plus more than 50 other savings and values in this morning's jam-packed edition of The Moneysaver.

Software

• Oct. 9 release XCOM Enemy Unknown (360, PS3) for $59.99 comes with a $15 Gift Card from Best Buy. Amazon matches with a $15 bonus credit but elsewhere it's $59.99 and up without bonus, Best deal for PC is at Green Man Gaming: $45 gets you the game, a $10 bonus credit, the Elite Soldier Pack DLC, and Civilization V. [Dealzon]

• Oct. 9 release Fable: The Journey (360) is $49.99, free shipping from Microsoft Store and comes with a $10 store coupon and Xbox LIVE 1600 points. Elsewhere $50, no bonuses. [Dealzon]

• Oct. 9 release Dishonored (PC download) is $45 from Green Man Gaming. Next best is $60. For PS3 and 360 it's $60 everywhere but starting Sunday Kmart.com will throw in a $15 bonus coupon. [Dealzon]

• Dead or Alive 5 (360) is $44.99 plus $2.95 shipping from Overstock.com. Next best is $59. [Dealzon]

• inFAMOUS Collection (PS3) is $29.99, free shipping from Amazon. Next best is $39. [Dealzon]

• Wipeout 2 (360 Kinect) is $29.99, free shipping from Amazon. Next best is $37. [Dealzon]

• Armored Core V (360) is $19.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $28. [Dealzon]

• Heavy Rain: Director's Cut (PS3) is $15.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $20. [Dealzon]

• Dead Island (PS3) is $15.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $32. [Dealzon]

• Dark Souls (PS3) is $15.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $20. [Dealzon]

• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (360) is $14.99 plus $0.99 shipping from Kmart. Next best is $30. [Dealzon]

• Tekken Hybrid (PS3) is $14.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $25. [Dealzon]

• Sorcery (PS3) is $9.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $19. [Dealzon]

• Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (Vita) is $9.99 plus $3.99 shipping from Amazon. Next best is $22. [Dealzon]

• Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC download) is $27 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard (PC DLC) is $11.25 from Green Man Gaming. Next bests are $36 and $20, respectively. [Dealzon]

• Sleeping Dogs (PC download) is $22.49 from Amazon. Next best is $30. [Dealzon]

• Sid Meier's Civilization V (PC download) is $5.99 from GameFly, where you can also get the Gods and Kings expansion (PC download) for $16.07 and the Game of the Year Edition (PC download) for $9.99. [Dealzon]

• The Darkness 2 (PC download) is $5.99 from GameFly. Next best is $30. [Dealzon]

• Spec Ops: The Line (PC download) is $5.99 from GameFly. Next best is $30. [Dealzon]

• Dreamcast Collection (PC download) is $4.49 from GameStop. Next best is $30. [Dealzon]

• MLB 2K11 (PC download) is $3.99 from GameFly. Next best is $15. [Dealzon]

• Battlefield 3 (PC download) is $8 from GameFly. Next best is $32. [Dealzon]

Hardware

• Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard is $104.99, free shipping from Amazon. Next best is $160. [Dealzon]

• G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 SDRAM is $129.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $170. [Dealzon]

• EVGA GeForce GTX 670 4GB GDDR5 PCIe Video Card is $429.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $460. [Dealzon]

• OCZ 64GB Vertex 4 SSD is $54.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. List price is $100. [Dealzon]

• Asus 24-inch VS248H-P 2ms LED Monitor is $164.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $196. [Dealzon]

• Asus 23-inch VS238H-P 2ms LED Monitor is $145.68 after rebate, free shipping from Amazon. Next best is $179. [Dealzon]

• HP dv7t Quad Edition 17.3-inch laptop with Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM (3rd Gen), GeForce GT 630M, 8GB RAM, Blu-ray Player is $799.99 plus $9.99 shipping from HP. That's $50 off last week's price and it ties the all-time low, last seen in August. [Dealzon]

• Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 20994MU 15.6-inch laptop with Ivy Bridge Quad Core i7-3630QM, GeForce GTX 660M, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD is $849, free shipping from Lenovo. List price is $1,349. [Dealzon]

• Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 209388U 14-inch laptop with Ivy Bridge Quad Core i7-3610QM, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, GeForce GT 640M LE is $749, free shipping from Lenovo. That's lowest ever by $46. List price is $1,599. [Dealzon]

Digital Distribution

The following listing of digital download bargains are grouped by distributor. For more, see Deals4Downloads' roundup.

Amazon
• The First Templar is $9.80, save 67 percent.
• Homefront is $9.99, save 50 percent.
• Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II is $9.99, save 50 percent.
• Dragon Age 2 (Mac) is $13.53, save 32 percent.

DotEmu
• Commandos 3: Destination Berlin is $3.00, save 50 percent.

GameFly
• Battlefield 3 is $10.00, save 75 percent.
• Spec Ops: The Line is $7.49, save 75 percent.
• MLB 2K11 is $4.99, save 75 percent.
• BioShock 2 is $4.99, save 75 percent.

GamersGate
• MegaDrive Genesis Classic Collection 5 is $7.49, save 75 percent.
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition is $9.98, save 75 percent.
• Two Worlds II Castle Defense is $5.98, save 50 percent.

Gametree
• Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Mac) is $5.00, save 75 percent.

Get Games
• Saints Row: The 3rd is $9.99, save 75 percent.

GMG
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary is $1.99, save 87 percent.
• Sniper: Ghost Warrior is $2.99, save 85 percent.
• Battlestations: Midway is $2.99, save 80 percent.
• Gobliiins Trilogy is $2.99, save 40 percent.
• Future Wars is $2.99, save 40 percent.

GOG
• Space Quest 1+2+3 is $3.99, save 60 percent.
• Zork Anthology is $2.39, save 60 percent.

Impulse
• Overlord II is $3.39, save 66 percent.

iTunes Store
• N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (iPhone) is $0.99, save 86 percent.
• MADDEN NFL 12 by EA SPORTS (iPhone) is $0.99, save 80 percent.

Steam
• Metro 2033 is $4.99, save 75 percent.
• Homefront is $9.99, save 50 percent.
• Red Faction Guerrilla is $9.99, save 50 percent.
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is $14.99, save 50 percent.
• Titan Quest is $7.49, save 50 percent.
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition is $9.99, save 50 percent.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard is $13.99, save 30 percent.

Kotaku thanks our coupon partners for providing these and other great deals. Be sure to bookmark and search their Kotaku hashtags (#dealzon, #deals4downloads and #dealtaku) for updates throughout the week. Further, to our friends across the pond and north of the border, check the #ukdeals, #europedeals and #canadadeals hashtags and be sure to flag any deals you might have with that.

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

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Welcome to the Best of Kotaku, where I round up all of this week's best content.

This week's best image is an awesome Battlefield 3 wallpaper, or should I say Cattlefield 3? The wallpaper posted by Redditor SgtQuack was inspired by the Russian Blue that resembles Battlefield 3's poster soldier.

Moving on to our Best Of content this week, we kick things off as usual with a comment from the community.

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The Best Comment From The Community

Our favorite comment of this week comes to you from HellULookinat:

people really need to get over the fact that resident evil doesn't go for scares the way it used to. I mean let's be real, how many installments of one series featuring the same protagonists facing the same menace over and over again should it be before it's all just another day on the job?

if capcom tried to give the series at this point the same feeling of tension as though the characters truly are surprised and frightened by what they are facing it'd be entirely unbelievable.

now it's more like:

Jill: Chris, reports are coming in from France that violent attacks where people have been eaten by......

Chris: Yeah, yeah, I know. And at the end of it we'll find Wesker is behind it all.

Jill: But he's been dead for—
Chris: Bullshit. I'm sure when he was blown to bits in that volcano some parts were regenrated and cocooned in lava bubbles until they matured into individual Weskers, which then each experimented on themselves using variant strains of the new G-Infinity virus.

Albert Wesker(s) is back, and now he can punch through mountains, travel through alternate dimensions, pat his head and rub his stomach at the same time, and and make a mean cheddar jack pasta salad.

Jill: You're right. Suit up.

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Pokémon Black and White 2: The Kotaku Review

Mike Fahey's obsession with catching them all is reignited. More »

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The Coolest Part of Resident Evil 6

Stephen Totilo finds something to like about Resident Evil 6, despite the slew of negative reviews. More »

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Resident Evil 6: The Kotaku Review

Evan Narcisse is disappointed by Resident Evil 6. More »

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This Graphic Novel Shows Why Mermaid Sex Is a Very Bad Idea

Evan talks mermaid sex with the writer and artist of Sailor Twain. More »

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Before You Start… Tips For Playing Resident Evil 6 The Best Way

Stephen offers some advice for those of you diving into Resident Evil 6. More »

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Confessions Of A Teenage Xbox Hacker

Jason Schreier interviews a teenage Xbox hacker. More »

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George Washington as a Bad Guy? It's as Crazy as it Sounds

Luke Plunkett explains—through history—how Assassin's Creed III's newly announced downloadable content might actually make perfect sense. More »

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The Next Paper Mario Reminds Me Why I Cherished Stickers As A Kid

Patricia Hernandez is delighted by childhood memories of cherishing stickers. More »

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The Best Thing Cliff Bleszinski Ever Did…

Evan remembers Bleszinski's biggest accomplishment. More »

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Mists Of Pandaria Is Full Of Video Game And Pop Culture References

Gergo Vas rounds up a ton of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria cultural references and easter eggs. More »

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The Ultimate PlayStation Mobile Launch Game Guide

Fahey plays all the new games on PlayStation Mobile so you don't have to. More »

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It's Time For Japanese Developers To Stop Hoarding Their RPGs

Jason wants to see more JRPGs come our way to our side of the world. More »

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This week I played Super Hexagon in the office of my insurance agent, financial advisor, and attorney, as I settled up matters relating to the sale of a house. That should establish the game's cred as an outstanding time-killer.

It was also outstanding at killing time—that is, erasing your best time, no small consideration in what Stephen Totilo described as the video game equivalent of bull-riding. A glitch in a recent update deleted everyone's high scores. A subsequent fix from developer Terry Cavanagh has fixed the problem and restored the leaderboards. Hooray!

Super Hexagon's Score Erasing Bug Has Been Fixed [Game Informer]

At least not yet, anyway. Today's Off Topic is just a short video that made me chuckle this morning, so I hope you enjoy it in Kirk's absence.

At least there weren't any cats involved! Or were there...

Bonus!

Head over to the Talk Amongst Yourselves forum for more conversations, off and on-topic.

Square Enix, along with many other game publishers, will be descending on the Big Apple next week for New York Comic-Con. And when NYCC starts next Thursday, the company will be letting folks shoot arrows at a target in imitation of the newly-rebooted Lara Croft. If the following is to be believed, these will be real Clint Barton/Katniss Everdeen projectiles:

In addition to being able to get hands-on time with the game, New York Comic Con attendees will have the opportunity to test their archery skills at the TOMB RAIDER Archery Experience. Each participant will let three arrows fly at their own individual TOMB RAIDER themed shooting target which they can then take as a memory of the event. Those lucky archers who hit a bull-eye will receive a limited edition TOMB RAIDER lithograph. The Archery Experience is being supervised by the New Jersey School of Archery.

See, I'm thinking that if these were Nerf arrows, no supervision would be necessary. Sure sounds like live fire to me. But I'm guessing that most arrows won't even reach the target, much less nail it dead center.

If you're not into real-life archery, Square Enix will also have playable demos of Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution at NYCC, as well as announcement of upcoming DLC plans for Sleeping Dogs. And, if any of y'all go and get a bull's-eye, let your friends at Kotaku know, mkay?

The first Razer Blade was not a high performance gaming laptop, nor was it meant to be. It was designed with a balance of portability and power in mind, and the allure of a 17 inch gaming laptop that weighs less than seven pounds was enough for the unit to sell out at every turn, paving the way for a second edition.

The second generation Razer Blade is not quite a high performance gaming laptop, but it's getting better.

Appreciating the original Razer Blade required a dramatic shift in the way I thought about portable gaming machines. Form factor always took a back seat to performance. When the initial Blade specs were revealed alongside the unit's $2800 price tag, I openly scoffed. I could buy a much more powerful laptop for half the price. Aside from the dangerously sexy look I could think of no reason to shell out that much money.

It's amazing the difference four pounds can make.

The average gaming laptop is not a particularly portable thing. It's self-contained, certainly, but I wouldn't slip one into my backpack for a weekend wandering around E3 or San Diego Comic-Con. I tried it once, and wound up exhausted with an incredibly sweaty back. Since then it's been the Macbook Air for me, not a particularly game-friendly system.

The Razer Blade can run games, it's got a 17-inch 1080p screen, it's made of metal and weighs 6.6 pounds. I can carry it comfortably with one hand.

The second revision of the hardware is all of that, only it runs games better and costs a little less.

Externally not much has changed between the first and second versions of the Razer Blade; without looking closely one would be hard-pressed to tell the two apart. First there are the vents on the underside of the system, now wide open as opposed to the shark-gill slits of the original.

The bottom still gets uncomfortably hot to the touch during extended gaming sessions. I'd imagine the vents were modified to keep the more powerful hardware within from burning grill marks on the user's thighs, Burger King style.

The only other significant exterior change is the buttons beneath the Switchblade UI.

They're a raised a little higher and a bit more clicky, making the touchpad a much more viable control option. I still prefer an external mouse, but I'm not incredibly inconvenienced if one isn't available.

Support for the interface's programmable buttons is growing slowly — there are now premade profiles for Battlefield 3, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike Go and Star Wars: The Old Republic. The more support it gets the less gimmicky it feels, but let's face it — it's still pretty gimmicky. I'd drop cash on a slightly smaller version of the Blade with a regular track pad in a heartbeat.

And I still love the damn keyboard. Those flat keys go against everything I've ever believed a keyboard should be, but they are just so damn responsive and easy to hit, just as they were on the Star Wars: the Old Republic Gaming Keyboard Razer put out. I'm seriously considering investing in the non-branded Deathstalker Ultimate just so I can touch them on a regular basis.

The key changes between Razer Blade the first and Razer Blade the second are hidden deep within its striking outer shell. The overly ambitious 250GB SSD drive of the first unit has been replaced with the more reasonable combination of a 500GB SATA / 64GB SSD combo. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has been replaced with a GeForce GTX 660M — not a particularly powerful mobile video card but a step in the right direction.

By far, the coolest upgrade is the processor and Intel Core i7-3632QM 2.2Ghz (3.2GHz with Turbo Boost) — so new that I couldn't write about it a week ago without making Intel incredibly angry. Razer introduced the second generation of the Blade with the tagline "The Beauty is now the Beast". This CPU is what they were referring to. It's blazingly fast, able to juggle several dozen browser windows and various applications without breaking a sweat.

Despite all that power under the hood, the second generation blade still chugged a bit with our standard benchmark games running at the unit's native 1920x1080 resolution with all the bells and whistles enabled.

That Total War: Shogun 2 score made me cringe. The game itself was playable, but not particularly enjoyable. Arkham City didn't give me too much trouble, and frankly I was surprised the Metro 2033 score was so high — it's rather brutal.

Taking things down to 1280x720 made each game much more playable, but I'd rather play games in 1080p on a display that's natively 1080p.

While there's definitely room for the Razer Blade to improve, particularly in the graphics card department, the second generation of the surprisingly portable, seductively stylish gaming laptop is a marked improvement over the original. The $2500 price tag is still too much for my blood, but it's getting markedly more difficult to repackage and return to Razer once the reviewing is done. If the Blade's success continues and Razer's part costs continue to drop, who knows? Maybe I'll flee the country once they get around to releasing the Mk3.