[GameSetLinks is GameSetWatch's daily link round-up post, culling from hundreds of weblogs and outlets to compile the most interesting longform writing, links, and criticism on the art and culture of video games.]

Links, links, and a few more links - and headed by a very nice NPR piece on Crayon Physics, which really is getting a lot of great publicity now that the IGF Grand Prize Winner is finally coming out on PC (and iPhone, come to that!)

Also clear and present within this round-up: Steven Poole on real-life games, the UK Guardian on indie game goodness, 1UP's retro blog on Shooting Watch button mashing madness, and lots more.

Ka pow:

Computer Game A Mash-Up Of Crayons, Physics : NPR
All Things Considered covers Crayon Physics - very neat indeed.

SteveStreeting.com » Blog Archive » Game mechanics I hate
Some good picks: 'There are a large number of gaming staples which fill out our entertainment ecosystem that we’ve come to accept, and even expect. As it happens though, I think some of them should have died out a number of years ago.'

Steven Poole: Nailing it
'The best game I played this month had zero polygons and no particle effects; it was unscripted, cost nothing, and didn’t even require any electricity.'

Stickman, Buccaneer and the whole future of indie game development | Technology | guardian.co.uk
This is an interesting thought: 'It's probably the Valve model, of engaging with - and nurturing - a dedicated home coding community that's going to shape the industry over the next few years.'

1UP's Retro Gaming Blog : The Unofficial Shooting Watch User's Guide
I really regret not picking up one of these button-press-insanity machines at Tokyo Game Show.

Video Games Business & Marketing: Looking for the Good
I think Russell Carroll is on the money here: 'It's not that there aren't good games for the Wii. There are. Lots of them. It's that people hate the Wii to the point that they can't see the good. All they can see the is bad.'