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How a Cheap Handheld Got Me Playing More Retro Games Than Ever

I’ve been collecting retro games since I was a kid, and I still have many of them. For years, though, “collecting” and “playing” were two different hobbies. I’d buy the games, shelve them, and go play whatever new release had just come out. The collection was always going to get played “one day.” To be fair, sometimes they do, just not as often as I would like.

That started to change about a year ago, when I decided to emulate the original Metroid on my computer. I hadn’t played it as a kid, and I knew it was a highly-regarded game, so I felt like it was something that as a gaming hobbyist and creator, I had to beat. And I had an amazing time with it.

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Glitchy, Slightly Odd Animation, and I Couldn’t Stop Playing

You can finish Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in 15-20 hours if you stick to the main story. I played for 68. I went full completionist, collected everything, and played almost the entire game without firing a gun. I also got stuck in scenery more times than I can count, watched a soldier stand at attention while skewered in a trap, and lost hours to one puzzle near the end that nearly drove me mad.

The Great Circle has some rough edges, but I couldn’t put it down.

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Is Mixtape a 10 out of 10? My Review

When I saw Mixtape getting 10 out of 10 scores, I immediately downloaded it. But after I watched a review of it, it didn’t really look like a game, but more of an interactive story or visual novel. That’s not what I was looking for and I immediately lost interest. A few days went by and the reviews kept rolling in calling it a masterpiece, but also lots of division within the gaming community about those high ratings. I figured I had to see for myself.

It took only two days, about 3.5 hours of total gameplay, to finish it.

For me, it’s a 6 out of 10. It’s not a masterpiece, but also a lot more of a game than the angry reviews give it credit for.

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Should You Buy GTA6 on PS5 or Xbox Series X

Rockstar just revealed the official cover art for Grand Theft Auto 6 and also announced that pre-orders start on Thursday, June 25th, 2026.

GTA 6 lands on November 19, 2026, and at first it’s only coming to two places: PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. No PC at launch. If Rockstar runs the same playbook they did with GTA 5 and Red Dead 2, the PC version is probably a year or more out. So if you want to play this on day one, and a lot of us do, you’re choosing between PlayStation and Xbox.

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Disco Elysium Review: A Good Story Buried in Dialogue

A game with a lot of meaning, some darkness and comedy, and way too much dialogue. That’s the short version.

I came into Disco Elysium knowing almost nothing about it, other than that it’s a phenomenal game. People say the game is amazing, it’s unique, dark, and one of best-written games ever. I’ve heard people talking about how they wanted to replay it making completely different choices. I mean, that sounds like a must-play, right?

But after getting started, I was very surprised to see at what kind of game it actually is. A wall of reading. Heavy political and socioeconomic stuff. Race, poverty, ideology.

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The Game Awards 2025: A Recap

The Game Awards were amazing, as they always are. And like every year, it was bigger and better. There were amazing performances and huge game announcements.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won so many awards, like eight of them. Pretty much any time their name came up in the list for an award, you could assume they were going to win it.

After a long (but great) 3.5 hours, I put together a list of the highlights and my favorite announcements from the show, but be forewarned, my list is not exhaustive and is heavily biased toward the kinds of games I actually get excited about.

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Retro Review: Does the Original 1986 Metroid Still Deliver in 2025?

When Samus fell into yet another pit of lava for the twentieth time, I seriously questioned if I had the patience for this game. Yet, thirteen hours later, I’d become a Metroid convert.

I’ve collected several games in the Metroid series, knowing they’re beloved classics, but I never felt compelled enough to play them. I’ve even started the original Metroid a few times in the past but always quit after 15-20 minutes.

I never allowed myself enough time with Metroid to understand its appeal. I figured it wasn’t a game for me. But last week, I decided that I wanted to give this game a chance and see it through to the end.

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Silent Hill: The Short Message – A Brief, Haunting, but Mediocre Journey

Silent Hill is one of the most well-known survival-horror series, known for its dark atmospheres, twisted and creepy monsters, and psychological scares. Oh and fog.

With the massive success of the recent Silent Hill 2 Remake, many gamers (like me) are returning to older games in the series, one of which being Silent Hill: The Short Message, which is free on the Playstation Store.

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Exploring the Maps of Classic SNES Games: My Contribution to Video Game Maps: SNES – Volume 2

When Brian Riggsbee first announced Video Game Maps: SNES – Volume 2, I knew I wanted to be part of it. As a lifelong gamer and collector, the Super Nintendo holds a special place in my heart. The book, which showcases the beautifully detailed maps of some of the greatest SNES games, also includes contributions from writers, game developers, journalists, and other gaming enthusiasts. Each contributor shared their thoughts on a favorite game; its world, maps, or something unique about its design.

I knew right away which game I wanted to write about: Illusion of Gaia.

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Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know and What to Expect

* Originally published on January 16, 2025

Recent updates:

January 22, 2025

  • A retail listing may have announced a 3D Super Mario game and a Zelda remake
  • Nintendo released an updated video showing the controller release buttons

After years of anticipation and speculation, and many leaks in recent months, Nintendo has officially announced the Nintendo Switch 2. The reveal trailer, a brief but captivating two-minute showcase, has confirmed some of the rumors while leaving plenty of room for excitement and speculation.

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