The version 1.5 patch for Cyberpunk 2077 delivers on long overdue promises — I was anxious to return to Night City. The last time I visited things were pleasant. Well, as pleasant as can be in a place overrun with corruption, violence, and debauchery. At the time, December 2020, the talk of the town was about how awful the city, and Cyberpunk 2077…

A community of kind-hearted posters and cover artists builds camaraderie in the comment section — I didn’t start appreciating the music of Pokémon until 2010. The music had always been in the back of my mind when I’d play — themes like the spooky Lavender Town or the heartfelt Ecruteak City were unforgettable — but the gameplay normally took center stage.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s focus on story over competition staved off my controller-heaving ways — I recently destroyed a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. I was playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate when, following a loss to a Shulk player as Ness, I did what’s become something of a semi-annual ritual: I spiked the controller. I’m fully aware what happens when I spike a controller in my…

Heart Machine delivers staple video game tropes in a clean package — There is something to be said for a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Seemingly limitless budgets and popular open-world design would lead you to believe that bigger is better. More side quests, game-altering choices, and deep mechanics are touted as peak game design, with titles like Ghost of Tsushima…

Like so many other naive souls in 2019, I made a new year’s resolution. Usually, I don’t bother with the tradition, instead ascribing to a “live every day like it’s your last” philosophy. But 2020 was different. For me, 2019 was a year of relative stability. After a stretch of…

Wilson’s latest album revisits his back catalog while offering up a wealth of new compositions — I was overcome with nostalgia even before “DIGIFOOD,” started playing. The title track off of chiptune composer Zackery Wilson’s latest compilation album features a signature Sonic The Hedgehog 3 styled title card for the accompanying video uploaded to YouTube. …

Sometimes you just need a little handholding — Though I’ve been playing the Pokémon series since its inception, I’d be lying if I called it riveting. …

Momoko Kikuchi’s 1987 single counterbalances city pop energy with quiet fervor. — What strikes me almost immediately every time I listen to Momoko Kikuchi’s “Glass no Sougen” (Glass Grassland) is just how little the intro sounds like city pop. The 1980s genre is best known for its exciting, if occasionally garish, instrumentation, melding funky brass with nascent drum machines and punchy vocals…

It also aids in an earnest attempt at storytelling in the classic series — Take a trip back in time with me. It’s 1996, and Sega Enterprises releases the Sonic the Hedgehog OVA. The movie opens with the camera panning over the tropical South Island, while a jazzy saxophone loop starts to play. Before we get too far, if you like your reviews…