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There’s a crucial difference between the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon trilogies: their hub worlds. The former has a world map in the first game akin to Super Mario World where you move your character along linear paths with stopping points signifying levels. The other games opt for one area divided into five sections that…
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…However, it’s important to remember that games with uncommonly strong, masterful design in some areas can overshadow significant flaws, and that’s okay. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an exceptional example. It’s a game riddled with terrible pacing, a disappointing story, lacking bosses, and rehashed content in the latter half…
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Samus Aran has been in retirement. It’s not only been seven years since her last major game (the controversial Metroid: Other M) but also nearly twice as long since her own 2D platforming title. After the general disaster that surrounded Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Nintendo’s long-winded reluctance to approach the legendary franchise makes…
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As I figuratively stepped into the world of Sparc, I could instantly tell it would own up to its inspiration. It unabashedly apes the concept surrounding TRON‘s iconic disc battles but does so with a sense of class and faithfulness that lets you live out movie scenes in the comfort of your own…
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When you go into a fighting game, you expect your character to have a predefined list of moves. It’s just a matter of taking time to memorize them and making out viable combos that prove to be the main learning curves. Once you’ve generally mastered these steps, you observe which…
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I know what you’re thinking, so don’t deny it. It’s easy to judge Smashbox Arena right off the bat. It looks like an HD version of Roblox with an artistic direction guided by the philosophy “let’s throw everything generic at the wall and see what happens.” The visuals are a bear to get past…
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There’s an age-old question that game theorists have long thought futile to answer: What is a video game? No one agrees on the exact parameters or qualifications, but it’s still an important debate that challenges our preconceived assumptions about the medium and what can be classified under it. Back in…
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There is nothing new under the sun, and video games are no exception to this proverbial truth. Titles boldly pioneer new mechanics or ideas yearly, but everyone is inspired in some fashion by video games and other media that have come beforehand. While most attempt to quietly imbue borrowed concepts,…
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Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap sets a precedent for remakes. While the 1989 Sega Master system title manages to hold up itself with a semi-linear world, great enemy variety, and a neat animal-morphing mechanic that were astounding in their time, it’s the mastery in the revised art style and audio department…
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Remakes of obscure titles prompt us to ask a single question: “Why?” They’ll come right out of left field, leaving us bewildered about how there could’ve been any perceivable demand to bring them back with a fresh coat of paint. Whether we’re referring to Flashback, Rez, Shadow of the Beast, or The Legend of…
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hey there. I'm a professional writer and editor. I've got bylines at push square, tech raptor, and game informer. I love stuff like theology, hot tea, rainy days, dragons, star wars, and bionicle.
I put out articles and videos about videogames and other entertainment media in my spare time. if you enjoy my content, anything you can throw my way would mean the world to me. thanks for stopping by!