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In the grand pantheon of arcade shooters, few are more prestigious than 1981’s Defender. While the William Electronics-developed coin-op wasn’t an immediate success (creator Eugene Jarvis has blamed the groundbreaking five-button control method), the game proved ...

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 ...

Undoubtedly, Dynasty Warriors it one of gaming’s juggernauts, embodied by a prolific collection of games nearly as massive as China’s own landmass. From the mainline entries, Xtreme Legends expansions, and the Empire offshoots that merged ...

To combat stagnancy in the crime, thriller, and romance genres, the directors of Pulp Fiction, Memento, and (500) Days of Summer shirked chronology. Each film ditched the traditional, linear approach to storytelling, inviting innovation by ...

While Yokohama-based Arc System Works dabbles in other genres, and is behind efforts like Xblaze: Lost Memories and Inferno Climber, the company is undoubtedly best known for their fighting game franchises. Series like Guilty Gear, ...

Rudyard Kipling once wrote that a person can’t have enough “red wine, books, or ammunition”. Although the adage was conceived long before gaming was envisioned, the third element accurately encapultes the thrill of a twin-stick ...

With Mercenary Kings, looks are deceiving. Glimpse a few screenshots and you’ll likely assume that the Tribute Games’ title honors classic run ‘n guns like Bionic Commando and Contra. Certainly, Paul Robertson’s (Scott Pilgrim vs. ...

In an era when Pac-Man fever had yet to infect stateside gamers, Commodore PET users might be found playing MINER!, an excavation simulation that was published in Cursor magazine. Echoing games of the epoch, the purpose of Rod Longfellow’s title ...

Gaming’s early years offered plenty of enthralling duels, with titles like Pong, Combat, Warlords, and Discs of Tron offering bouts of pure competition. While today’s sophisticated fighting games undoubtedly have their merits, occasionally it’s enjoyable ...

When assessing the countless hours I’ve spend cultivating crops in Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and Stardew Valley, an infinitesimal amount of regret can emerge. After all, had I applied the time toward a real-world task, ...