20 years later, Wario Land 4’s sound room still haunts me

Twenty years after its release, the GBA classic Wario Land 4 remains a fascinating artifact. It’s not only an accomplished platformer that could rival any 2D Mario outing from the same era, but also a clear commitment to developing an aesthetic texture for Wario games that has informed many of Wario’s subsequent appearances. There are […]

Almost 20 Years Later, You Still Can’t Buy No One Lives Forever

An inherent problem with the gaming industry is the intersection between corporate aspirations and artistic ambition. Nobody will deny that games are art – that’s a moot talking point these days. Yet, much like Hollywood, popular music, or practically any other big-budget entertainment industry, big money investors often muck up the creative process. Sometimes, that […]

Months Later, Pokémon Sword & Shield Still Top Japanese Charts

Pokémon Sword & Shield were released at the end of 2019, but they are still selling strong around the world. Pokémon Sword & Shield were released amidst several controversies and concerns about their quality, but these did little to diminish the enthusiasm for the games, partly due to the desire for a console Pokémon experience. According to the […]