Pokemon Z-A is the latest in a string of examples that if you don’t let everyone complaining ruin something for you, you can have a good time. Gripes are valid but you would have thought Game Freak personally harmed from some of these folks online.

For National Disability Employment Awareness Month at @motherjones.com, I spoke to four disabled federal workers who were laid off about how their old jobs were very accessible—and what the federal government loses out on by having fewer disabled employees. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Hi everyone I paused the cubs game after the top of 1st inning to celebrate the strong start and take the dogs on a walk everything is still all good right 🙃

I had to write more about Ghost of Yotei because I couldn't stop thinking about ecofeminism, women as a deadly force of nature, and Atsu's love for animals. www.gamespot.com/articles/gho...

SCOOP — Pennsylvania prosecutors were alerted to possible voting irregularities by one of MAGA's leading voices against voter fraud. A long paper trail shows Jack Posobiec has been living in Maryland but voting using his parents' PA address for years. From @jsweetli.bsky.social, @slate.com + me:

I let Game Pass Ultimate go in June for the first time since its launch. Can’t say I’m regretting that after today’s announcements 😞

I'm amazed at how many reviews of #Skate are upset it doesn't feel like the same game. It's been 18 years since the series started, and data points to vast amounts of gamers wanting this sort of "free-to-play with optional cosmetics" model.

My great grandpa used to play solitaire every night before bed on his Gateway PC and I always thought “doesn’t it ever get boring?” And here I am, ending every night playing Balatro to wind down. Little pleasures after long days during insane times go a long way.

Check out my interview with three stars from #TwistedMetal that dropped last week! It doesn't read as chaotic as it was, but it was nonetheless a great conversation with these lovely, wonderful actors.

MarCom LinkedIn currently features just 4,000 versions of the same "20 Lessons CEOs Need To Learn from the Cracker Barrel Rebrand Fiasco" post, with every takeaway being "make decisions people will like."

Keep forgetting to post here but please accept me and my son making intense but kind eye contact with all of you and wishing you a happy Tuesday. #dogsky #australianshepherd

A new Jay Som album announcement today really carried me through a lot of nonsense.

As someone who bought the OG Switch on day one and never upgraded, the Switch 2 is really checking every box for me. Even without an OLED screen, handheld mode is gorgeous.

Whenever we’re all not at a Rainforest Cafe, all of us should be asking, “where is the nearest Rainforest Cafe?”

NEW: Women across the country are victims of what’s called coerced debt—and it is ridiculously hard to crack down on. For @motherjones.com, I spent a year+ looking at what happens when an abuser buries someone in debt as a form of domestic violence. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Just finished up an article about the Switch 2 User Agreement and without shilling for corporations, tried to explore why I think our concept of consuming media is broken. Might be a series!

There’s so much bad chaos in this world. @kindafunnyvids.bsky.social is good chaos. The best, in fact.

Oblivion was the first game I truly lost myself in. I can't believe I get to run it back and relive some of my favorite gaming moments with a fresh coat of UE5 paint. That said, @xbox.com, releasing this in the middle of the work day is BRUTAL 😂

Debunked, half-true, and deeply ableist. RFK Jr. knows shockingly little about autism.

Nintendo Game Idea: Toad M.D. Toad is a doctor in a small town, and he makes house calls to residents and needs to make medicine for them by finding ingredients in the town and crafting cures for their ailments. It’s 25 hours of fetch quests, crafting, and the cutest music you’ve ever heard.

After digesting the Switch 2 price tag all day, I'm feeling okay with what I'm being asked to pay, given what was shown. BUT, that's just me. Everyone has a take based on their view of money, hobby investments, etc. It's insane to tell people they're wrong for defining that value for themselves

Another entry of MLB The Show, another year of me abandoning everything else I own to play MLB The Show. MLB The Show 25 review is live for #XboxSeriesX below!

New from me! I spoke with real federal auditors about what an actual audit looks like. Spoiler: what DOGE is doing is not it. "In no uncertain terms is this an audit. It’s a heist, stealing a vast amount of government data.” @wired.com www.wired.com/story/federa...

"Brick by brick, LEGO has collected noteworthy collaborations from popular IP, but Pokemon might be the greatest catch of them all" - an actual sentence I wrote for news coverage of the LEGO x Pokemon partnership.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the exact mix of World and Rise the series needed to continue drawing in newcomers and keeping seasoned hunters happy. A couple of things just don’t gel with me though:

My Twitch harassment/stalking story is live now at Rolling Stone. It’s an intense read but I’m proud of it. Thank you to the women (and man) who spoke to me for this piece. You’re brave and bold and badass! www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

I love that the more streamlined the Monster Hunter series has gotten, the more people find it accessible. Streamlining a gameplay loop and its various mechanics isn't bad or "dumbing down" an experience, IMO. Seeing "Rise" and "World" coalesce in Monster Hunter Wilds is beautiful.

Revisiting SSX Tricky for the first time in over 20 years - would it still hold up? s-rank.blog/ssx-tricky/

I don’t care about the discourse, if you told me we got Avowed-sized game with its quality every few years, I don’t need the massive open-world western RPGs anymore. They’re not sustainable for dev teams and at what point do we accept that they won’t satiate investors or corporate interests?

The @crkd.gg Neo S Fortnite Festival controller works so well for @official-fortnite.bsky.social’s new music mode. Plus at its core, it’s a Neo S: one of the best controllers around. Take a peek at my thoughts below 😇

The @kindafunnyvids.bsky.social Gamescast with @matpiscatella.bsky.social was such a slam dunk. There’s such a place for this kind of perspective on the industry and @gameovergreggy.bsky.social facilitated that discussion in such a digestible way. Data is fun, people!

I have a new @crkd.gg controller review is coming out this week for @phenixxgaming.bsky.social so it seems like a good opportunity to remind y’all the Nitro Deck is the only way I play my Switch in handheld nowadays. When Switch 2 drops, I’m keeping my eyes on one of these for the new console 👀

The Marvel Rivals team laid off after a huge launch and success by every measure. The games industry is infected with a greed and profit-focused business model that has, and will continue to, harm its art and output, but above all, creatives who make all of it happen.

Doing this again on the ol' BlueSky because the timeline doesn't have the right news/politics to entertainment/whimsy ratio. Anyway, I'm a former news/politics reporter turned entertainment/whimsy writer seeking other folks in that game or people who like that stuff! Point me in the right direction!

As a huge Planet Coaster sicko, there’s a lot to love about the next entry in the series. I still feel like some limitations to console play are present, but this feels good from both a gameplay standpoint and as a creative sandbox for theme park fans. My review is live now 😇

I think an underrated element of the “cozy” genre boom is that simplicity in a game mechanic/system is now seen as an attribute, not a flaw. I don’t always want to be challenged when I’m unwinding!

Is there a chance, even a small one, that in five years, we will look back on Microsoft's move to "everything is an Xbox" as ahead of its time? It might be too soon to tell, but December 2024 sales suggest that it is a possibility.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD doesn’t need to exist but hey at this point every good Nintendo game should be playable on the Switch and this is a damn good game. Read my review below!

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is really that good. As a long time apologist for the franchise, it feels like they finally modernized it in the way necessary to expand the fan base. Review is out and linked below 🙏

I'm getting the itch to dive into Magic: The Gathering and I just have such a fear of committing that time and energy to bail in like 3 weeks.

Unable to catch the Xbox Developer_Direct today? Don't worry, I've got you! Both in video and audio form, I've rounded up everything presented in today's show. Video youtu.be/DQLjKbUSjjE Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts shortly!

6 year old me was obsessed with this game on the PS1. Now, [undisclosed age] me is reviewing it 😌 New review for Star Wars: Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles is out now!

As a newer Ys fan, it was an absolute blast checking out this SNES entry, gorgeously remastered for today while keeping all of its charm from decades ago. Review is up now at @phenixxgaming.bsky.social!

Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place Balatro is my safe place

Hey so, the Cuisineer review is almost complete on #xboxseriesx and uh it’s 10000% my type of game. Excited to put words to my thoughts, but Darcy works for now.

A few days a week, I’ve been mixing Fitness Boxing 3 into my activity. It’s not earth-shattering but it is a fun way to get an extra 20 minutes of movement! phenixxgaming.com/2025/01/17/f...

BREAKING: some happy with Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, some unhappy.

I’ve owned a Nintendo Switch since launch, and I’m kicking myself for not getting a Nitro Deck sooner. Check out my review for @phenixxgaming.bsky.social 😇

Me and my friends when any of us does literally anything we perceive as an accomplishment/milestone/completed task. #fruitsbasket

Yeah I’m excited for the Switch 2 alright - the Switch 2 knowing what the hell is going on with the new console.