Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture

Although a number of fresh experiences like Life Is Strange: Episode One and Unmechanical: Extended Edition elevate this week’s itinerary of new game releases, there’s also a number of shameless knock-offs. Frenchy Bird transposes Flappy ...

Most game franchises don’t achieve immediate, unreserved success. Instead, properties are conscientiously cultivated, with each subsequent iteration demonstrating a conciliation between developers and fans. Case in point: when Hyperdimension Neptunia emerged stateside in 2011, the ...

One of the ironies of dating sims is that they rarely simulate the complexities of courtship. Routinely, players study the specifics of a potential partner’s personality, before they make decisions based on an anticipated outcome. ...

From Manuel “Manny” Calavera’s  enhanced voyage to the Ninth Underworld in Grim Fandango Remastered, Little Mac’s Wii U homecoming in Punch-Out!!, Riptide GP2’s exodus onto the Xbox One, and the CPU Candidates pilgrimage onto PS ...

If the role-playing output of Square-Enix, Atlus is akin to blockbuster theatrical films, then Kemco’s titles are the direct-to-video offerings of the interactive world. You don’t pick up one expecting dazzling CG-fueled cinematics, technical innovation, ...

Look past the coquettish DLC swimsuits and intermittent instances where ditziness serves as comic relief, and the Atelier franchise reveals its principal virtue: it’s a series that focuses on female empowerment.  From Rorona’s efforts to ...

Between HoneyPop, an American-made dating sim, the release of two visual novels (Sakura Angels and X-Note) and a compilation of the three Double Dragon titles, it looks like PC is the platform of choice for ...

Pundits argue that the medium of anime is teeming in trope. Yet that allegation could be leveled at the creative efforts of any culture; entertainment acts as a transmitter of social norms and practices. Certainly, ...

Much like a respectable bottle of riesling, or Guile’s Theme from Street Fighter II, role-playing mechanics can complement almost everything. A good example of this axiom was found in Defender’s Quest: Valley of the Forgotten. ...

Beyond the usual inventory of new digital titles, ports, and retro games, the second week of January brings a number of other surprises. While the simultaneous release of two visual novels on Steam might be ...