Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture

2015’s Citizens of Earth was a decidedly mixed experience. Although developer Eden Industries’ procession of pop-culture references, Earthbound-inspired quirk, and ever-growing entourage of recruitable everyday types was occasionally clever, it also suffered from serious executional ...

The term ‘Galápagos Syndrome’ was coined to describe an intriguing situation that emerged with Japanese mobile phones. These wondrously evolved devices were undoubtedly some of the best phones on the market. But they weren’t compatible ...

The shoot ‘em up is one of the foundation genres of gaming, pitting a solitary ship against a legion of enemies. Bolstered by classic titles such as Space Invaders, Galaga, Gradius, 1942, and R-Type, early ...

Occasionally, April Fool’s gags become reality. Famously, that was the case with Street Fighter II’s Sheng Long. Originally a mistranslation of in-game text, Electronic Gaming Monthly tricked readers into thinking it was an actual, unlockable ...

Whether it’s the searing guitar licks that accompany a boss battle in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night or the rhythms of an underground Hyrulian club in Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the ...

Game adaptations of Conan The Barbarian have often struggled. The character’s first interactive outing, 1984’s Conan: Hall of Volta, was an eleventh-hour adaption. Launching alongside the theatrical release of the film, Conan the Destroyer, it ...

With a trio of main iterations and multitude of expansions across a sixteen-year history, the SpellForce franchise has a robust legacy. But despite a bountiful number of outings, the real-time strategy/role-playing hybrid hasn’t truly garnered ...

Combining frilly, goth witches and scaly creatures, Dragon Star Varnir arrives on PlaySation 4, while Octopath Traveler makes a trek on PC. Fortunately, these are just two of the highlights of this week’s new releases ...

Occasionally, the stories behind game development are as interesting as the stories told by games. That’s likely the case for HORGIHUGH, a shooter created by Sasaki “PiXEL” Hide. Described as a “modern retro” title, HORGIHUGH’s ...

Media sequels can fall victim to their own version of middle-child syndrome. Whereas inaugural efforts revel in world-building as well as character backstory, and concluding episodes are elevated by contributing a sense of closure, middle ...