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With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League releasing, yet another live service game has hit the market. While they are supposedly the bane of proper video game players everywhere, their popularity tells a different story: and studios have caught on. According to a report by Griffin Gaming Partners, 95% of studios are working on a live service game. Ouch. What is live service exactly? The easiest way to explain it is as a game that exploits players through a continuing revenue model. Instead of just shipping a full game with all the bells and whistles, you’re given a backbone experience that is added onto and even changed as time goes on. All this with the aim of selling the players on micro (or even macro) transactions. Games as a service isn’t inherently bad–in fact, I’ve always been a proponent of game developers getting paid well, and that means people have to spend money for the games. However, I’m also a proponent of owning the games you play–and games as a service effectively does away with that. If a game that’s following a live service model dies, the game is usually lost to the ether, only living on in memories, Twitch clips and YouTube let’s plays. While that’s better than nothing, it’s sad that we’re losing this content as time rolls on. These data were collected by Griffin Gaming Partners who surveyed 537 gaming studios around the world. The definition for live service in the study was a little looser than I laid out, however, with their criteria being games that have a regular update schedule for their game. To quote the survey: "Multi-year game development forms production processes and pipelines that are intended to deliver a few key milestones in what is essentially a waterfall process. Production in live services, however, is a constant state of planning & adjusting game parameters to enhance player experience while designing and deploying new features to add new player value.” The report also stated that companies employing live service are looking for faster updates: "Across the industry, live service teams reported their ideal production schedules as weekly to biweekly for live ops cadences and biweekly to monthly for game content updates. In the context of game development, which typically spans multiple years, live service production schedules are moving at breakneck speed."

I hate to say this about my fellow critics, but, what the hell show are they watching? Sure, True Detective: Night Country has some very evocative elements and great atmosphere, but if you look at the bigger picture nothing makes any sense. And with only two more episodes to go, I’m afraid it won’t ever make any sense. Maybe the CGI polar bear that Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) keeps seeing reminds me too much of Lost, and I can’t help but be afraid of loose ends. But as it is right now, all I see are dangling threads with no resolution in sight. Despite its attempts at shoehorning the brilliant first season into its muddied narrative,True Detective: Night Country, has very little to do with the grounded masterwork that every other season of the anthology show has failed to live up to. But Night Country is stepping into ludicrous territory. I know that the supernatural elements aren’t loved by many, but I could actually see past them if Night Country backed it up with a story that made sense. Sure, I’m compelled to see where it goes. But at this rate, I predict it ending in a catastrophic train wreck with a lot of dead main characters–and that’s why the show goes through monumental efforts to make sure that we hate every one of them. From Prior’s (Finn Bennett) nagging wife (seriously, it’s not like there are crazy murders like this every day) to Navarro’s complete lack of care for her partner's consent and constant putdowns. Even if we’re not supposed to like anyone, it doesn’t make the story any more real. Despite the fact that there’s an unprecedented murder at a research facility, the story spends very little time on its extremely interesting premise, and more time threading a convoluted plot. It vacillates between being a gritty, grounded drama to a Twin Peaks style infusion of the supernatural with none of the charm that made that show so endearing. I’ll keep watching despite what I know will be an inevitably disappointing conclusion. However, I’d love to be proven wrong. I just can’t see how the story can come together in a satisfying, cohesive way with the little time they have left. I would have loved to see a show that actually focused on the very bizarre murder at the Tsalal Research Station. But Night Country seems just as happy to spin mysterious yarns that may fail to yield anything of substance at the end.

On Saturday February 3rd, SQUARE ENIX in partnership with AWR Music presented a multimedia orchestral concert: NieR: Orchestra Concert 12024 [End of Data] at the Rosemont Theatre. AWR Music is also responsible for the Distant Worlds concert series, so there’s a history of working with SQUARE ENIX as well as within the Rosemont Theatre. This is also the only date on the tour in the U.S. so Chicago was lucky enough to be the hub of quite the eclectic tour. The touring orchestra was directed by conductor Eric Roth, with original NieR series singers Emi Evans and J’nique Nicole. The performances were enhanced with visual HD projections, game footage and other visuals created and programmed by series director Yoko Taro and composer Keiichi Okabe. Between songs, there was a brand new original audio adventure written by Yoko Taro, featuring audio recorded by 2B voice actor Kira Buckland and 9S voice actor Kyle McCarley. The sold out show was jam packed with fans of the series and orchestra music alike, so the attire ranged from casual to full on formal to even heavy cosplay. It was an exciting evening and the orchestra played over 2 hours of fantastic music from both NieR: Replicant and NieR Automata, including two encores. Classic songs like Amusement Park and Songs of the Ancients were played and the final encore was Kaine (our personal favorite.) One particular star of the show was the limited edition merch, with most selling out by the end. The highlights were limited edition artwork posters, vinyl records, mechanical music boxes and clothing. Another highlight was a surprise appearance by series creator Yoko Taro himself at the end of the show to give a small speech. Overall, the event went off without a hitch and the show was deemed a hit by fans. If you are a fan of the series, there’s no better way to experience the music than this kind of show. A complete package of limited edition art and story combined into a fully unique experience.

Spoilers follow So the last episode of Strange New Worlds was an interesting blend of old and new. It’s Strange New Worlds’ first proper time travel episode, and in (what’s becoming typical) Strange New Worlds fashion it tells an original story in a way that is probably familiar to most Trek fans. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” even addresses some Star Trek timeline questions, using its time travel as an excuse to shift timelines a bit. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” shows off how great of an ensemble cast Strange New Worlds has, focusing on one bridge crew member as she gets caught up in time travel shenanigans. It’s not the first time an Enterprise crew member has found themselves in an alternate future, but that’s exactly what happens to La’an Noonien-Sing (Christina Chong) when she finds herself confronted by a mysterious time-traveler in the Enterprise’s corridors–as you do. Before dying, he hands La’an a device which shields her from the ensuing timeline changing effects. When La’an gets to the bridge she doesn’t find Captain Pike in the chair, but instead Paul Wesley’s Captain James T. Kirk. Kirk seems destined to sit in the captain’s chair of the Enterprise, as we’ve seen in multiple timelines–but doesn’t spend much time as captain here. After a brief confrontation with La’an (who doesn’t exist in Kirk’s timeline) they are both transported to the past to undo whatever changed the timeline. One of the challenges of creating a prequel show is its adherence to established canon. Even so, Star Trek canon has been a little loosey goosey at times. There have been attempts made previously to address and even answer some of those canon questions–like the Klingon/Augment story arc in Enterprise–but those attempts have created their own problems. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” once again pokes at the Trek timeline–and even explains why the Eugenics War didn’t happen in the 90s like we expected. (After all, Voyager had its own time travel episode that showed a notably un-dystopian depiction of the 90’s.) I don’t mind these retcons and canon redirects, and while they serve as interesting discussion points for hardcore fans (like myself), casual Trek fans probably won’t notice or care. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” does use its time travel as a bit of “what-if” character exploration. It shows a softer side of La’an as she explores her burgeoning affection for the alternate timeline James Kirk. This Kirk comes from a time where the Federation doesn’t exist, and the Romulan Star Empire is winning a war of supremacy. The episode even slightly touches on Kirk’s understanding that if they succeed, his own timeline will cease to exist. It’s a lot to balance in a single episode, but “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” pulls it off. It even manages a pretty clever misdirect about a supposed ally who turns out to not only be the enemy, but the very person they are trying to stop–a Romulan who has been tampering with the timeline, which even serves as an explanation why the Eugenics Wars didn’t happen in the timeline previous canon established. Despite Paul Wesley having a physicality more like Jim Carrey than William Shatner, he does pull off Kirk mannerisms surprisingly well. I think the character is well served, and shows a more “by the book” side that a lot of casual fans were unaware of. This includes Kirk’s propensity to bluff his way out of situations–though in this episode that leads to his demise –perhaps because he wasn’t bluffing. It’s a bit of an ironic twist, both to Kirk’s propensity to bluff and get away with it, but also to one of classic Star Trek episodes “City at the Edge of Forever.” That episode has a Kirk trapped in the past who finds love–and whose actions have huge historical ramifications. In this case, La’an is the one having to leave her love behind. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” would be a mess on most other shows, but it manages to balance old style Star Trek into modern television standards. It’s not really “where no man has gone before” in terms of Trek television, but it’s better than a remake, and it has enough new and interesting stories to keep this old Trek fan excited for what’s next.

The vinyl resurgence has been chugging along for over a decade now and there's no denying it: the vintage format is here to stay. However the hobby is an expensive one as turntables and speakers/sound-systems come with a big startup cost. In order to alleviate some of that here are our picks for the best turntables under $300 Budget Tables Under $300 Audio Technica AT-LP3XBT - $250 While the Audio Techinica LP60 has been the bastion of super low budget turntables, their slight step up in the AT-LP3xbt is certainly one to consider. Featuring the ultimate beginner needs like fully automatic function and more advanced features like a counterweight which opens up a world of replacement cartridges, the AT-LP3XBT is the perfect first step for the new vinyl listener. Audio Technica: AT-LPW30TK - $250 The Audio Technica: AT-LPW30TK ditches the more beginner features of the the AT-LP3XBT and replaces them with a wood look MDF plinth and an understated look that will shine no matter your decor. All the slightly more advanced feature are still there and is likely the better way to learn how to use a turntable. U-Turn - 199.99 (and up, which you should absolute consider) The U-Turn is the most basic of the bunch and thats the point. There are no extras or things that could inhibit the sound your looking for. its as pure as a turntable you can get and incredibly upgrade-able from the platter, needle, and more. Fluance RT81 - $250 Fluance is a relatively new kid on the block make stellar starter tables. Everything has exceptional quality, especially when you start going up the models.

Rogue Trooper might be a bit obscure in the states, and that's probably why I didn't realize there were people looking to make an adaptation of the blue-skinned , gun-toting comic book action hero “19” from the storied 2000 AD line of comics. To add to the excitement, Duncan Jones, the man behind Moon, Source Code and the Warcraft movie is helming the animated feature that has been ‘filmed’ entirely using Unreal Engine 5. Rogue Trooper’s story will follow Genetic Soldier 19 and three of his fallen comrades–one stored in his helmet, one in his rucksack and one in his gun–as they embark on a mission to avenge his dead comrades and find out who betrayed them. The film was made at Rebellion Film Studios in Oxfordshire, with Aneurin Barnard starring as 19 along with Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Dunkirk), Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters, Good Luck To You Leo Grande) and Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9, Saltburn), Jemaine Clement (Avatar 2: The Way of Water), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth), Alice Lowe (Black Mirror), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Hugo) and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings). Rogue Trooper is a long running comic series from 2000 AD comics, the same publication that gave the world Judge Dredd. It’ll be great to see what a feature film adaptation of Rogue Trooper will look like, but there hasn’t been much to see beyond a lone teaser image. However, it sounds like the actors portraying the characters may be doing more than just voicing them. Producer Stuart Fenegan commented: “The advancements in Unreal Engine 5 and the inclusion of MetaHuman rigs mean that it is now possible to achieve a very high standard of animation within an indie budget. Working with our amazing partners at Rebellion, Epic and Treehouse Digital we are pioneering and developing a new creative pipeline that will enable independent production of CG animated films.” Rebellion CEO, Jason Kingsley CBE, who is a Producer on Rogue Trooper, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Duncan Jones, who is a fellow British creative visionary and 2000 AD fan with global reach. Rogue Trooper highlights Rebellion’s leading position within the entertainment industries. It has been filmed at our dedicated Oxfordshire film studios and combines beautiful storytelling from our iconic 2000 AD comic book universe with animation and production technology from the video game industry. We cannot wait for everyone to see these incredible stories brought to life on screen.” The Rogue Trooper comic was created by legendary artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Kingsman) and writer Gerry Finley-Day (Dan Dare) and released by British publishers 2000 AD, home to Judge Dredd, Halo Jones and Sláine. Rogue Trooper is produced by Stuart Fenegan (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft, Mute) alongside Jason Kingsley (Dredd, School's Out Forever), Chris Kingsley (Dredd, School's Out Forever) and Duncan Jones. The film is set to complete in 2025.

With 2023 closed, it’s a good time to reflect on some of the things that stood out in gaming. After combing the annals of Steam, we have found the best freebies of the last year. Let’s get into it. Postmouse Postmouse is a 3D Platformer where you play as a mouse being suddenly forced to deliver the mail. Explore the forest and meet all your animal neighbors as you try to find the recipients of the letters. It’s adorable, heart warming and overall well animated. It does have a short run time with some bugginess, but it’s got tons of heart and charm to spare. The Finals A combat based game show where you and a group of friends steal bags of cash from safes posted all over the playing field. Unfortunately, you aren’t the only team trying to grab the cash and bank it for themselves. With lots of gunplay and fully destructible environments, no one match is ever the same. An Arcade Full of Cats A simple game of finding all the cats in a single image, but with a funny story pulling it all together. Cats were interjected at key moments in history to make a more cat friendly timeline, but the cats never wanted to leave, so it’s up to you to find them and bring them home. A pleasant handful of puzzles that do well as perfect bite sized puzzles to entertain you throughout your day. Pineapple On Pizza To explain this game is to ruin this game. It’s a first person exploration game where you experience the culture of a volcanic Polynesian island and its inhabitants in a fairly barebones and clever way. See this through to the end for a good chuckle. SkyIsland SkyIsland is a tilt shifted action adventure like a simplified diablo or Zelda. You get three different melee weapons and a bow and arrow to help Pino fix his broken plane, defeat monsters and return home. It’s well animated with some anime influences and well designed boss battles. Definitely worth picking up. The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog This was originally an April Fool’s joke but ended up being such a lovely visual novel whodunit murder mystery. Sonic and his friends get on a murder mystery dinner party train for a fun birthday party, but there ends up being something more sinister afoot. It’s funny in all the right ways while still making for an interesting premise.

Every passing year TNK Fest rises to the occasion: kicking off the year with amazing shows. The multi-day fest spreads itself across a nice collection of venues (this year included Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Sleeping Village, & Gman Tavern). Each show has a wonderful variety emphasizing on rising acts, both local and nationwide, giving devoted concert goers a taste of the familiar and the new. This year I had the opportunity to see what is likely one of my favorite lineups of the fest with Squirrel Flower, Tenci, and Greg Freeman playing Lincoln Hall. The night kicked off with Tenci, an artist I've been trying to see for quite a while but time has slipped on by me every time. I've been enamored with Jess Shoman's amazing voice since her debut My Heart is an Open Field and that feeling only grew with her sophomore release A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Tender and heartfelt only scratch the surface of Shoman's art which was as enthralling as I hoped. "Two Cups" off her latest is a great example of Shoman and crew's ability to create a mesmerizing track as they all ascend into it's chanting end: "I won’t wait (Fill my cup)". Throughout Tenci's set there was a screen urging the crowd to reach out their alders about supporting the ceasefire in Gaza. Shoman even stopped the set towards the end to add more awareness to the matter. The topic was important for er and the crowd as we all pulled out our phones and together emailed our alders on the matter. While that aside tot he real world may have been odd in another setting, it was exactly what you wanted from an artist like Shoman. Her set continued with the incredible "Sour Cherries" before she introduced her band. Her set ended with a beautiful song I couldn't immediately identify, although the lyrics are still swimming around in my head. While I didn't get to experience "Joy" live, the quality flow of the set more than made up for it. Greg Freeman followed that up with one of the most instantly gratifying sets I've heard. I wasn't keenly aware of Freeman and his sound but with in moments of starting his set I was hooked. Freeman and his band careened into a set full of undeniably catchy jams. Honestly, I'm a bit at a loss to describe their sound. They evoke a lot of alt country sounds, effectively laying them, with some more experimental elements and a heavy dose of old school rock. "Long Distance Driver" feels like a lost Neil Young track as Freeman's voice yearns and howls while his band rages on. It was a sight to see them all work so furiously and cohesively, especially as as Freeman donned a harmonica for "Come and Change My Body". It all came to a head with "Colorado" where the already blisteringly great band blew past any sense of normalcy and lunged into great territory. Made me an instant fan. With two unique band having made their mark on the night it was time for another to change the vibe up again and send the packed Lincoln Hall into new territory. The light dimmed and stayed that way for the majority of Squirrel Flower's set, letting this otherworldly haze settle her and the rest of on the crowd. Ella O'Connor Williams, the main power behind the Squirrel Flower moniker, instantly set the mood of her set with an amazing performance of "i don't use a trash can". The track has origins in the early beginnings of Squirrel Flower but has a completely new breath of life infused into it with its appearance on William's latest album Tomorrow​’​s Fire. Looping her voice over and over on top of itself till the ethereal aura bloomed past the edges of the stage. It was a downright hypnotizing performance. Squirrel Flower followed that with another track off Tomorrow​’​s Fire "Full Time Job". Like the opening track, it laments the mundane world around her. While "i don't use a trash can" does so in a lighter than air way, "Full Time Job" rages as she and the band crank up the raucous quietly of their sound. Williams able to maintain both ends of the spectrum so well while her voice is steadfast in the center, anchoring every one of her songs with it's emotionally deep quality. Most of the songs off Tomorrow​’​s Fire got a spotlight during the set, with only a small handful off Plant (i) & I Was Born Swimming getting some love. But that's to be expected when your last album is as tight and enduring as Tomorrow​’​s Fire. There are just so many powerful songs throughout the album. Take the emotions that swirl in telling your crush how you feel about them in "intheskatepark" where Williams conjures up a saccharine cadence as she sings "thought if I told you slowly/you'd be feeling the same way". Or "Canyon" on the other hand which swells with noisy guitars while Williams gets lost in the spontaneity of a relationship. These songs deserved the spotlight as much as Williams' cover of "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" deserves to cap off as many Squirrel Flower sets as it can. All photos by Julian Ramirez. This post was originally published at Third Coast Review

The movie world is awash with remakes lately. For better or worse, people are taking films we loved and having another go at them, with varying degrees of success. And, at least to the casual observer, it seems like the more beloved the franchise, the worse a remake is received - taking things like the Disney live action movies, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Cats as just a few examples. It’s not even that all these films are bad. But especially with cult classics, it’s hard for lightning to strike twice. Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is such an iconic and impressive performance that it’s hard to separate from Curry himself, and that makes it hard to cast anyone else in the role. Still other filmmakers attempting remakes try to duck around bad production value or impress with lots of unnecessary CGI and lose the heart of the story and the charming nature of the original world built from painted backdrops and foam bricks. Bombastic soundtracks and practical effects get replaced, and you’re left with this uncanny valley feeling of looking at something you’re supposed to recognize and it’s not quite there. All that to say it’s an uphill battle pleasing fans of any genre of films with remakes. It can definitely be done, but it takes impeccable casting, attention to detail and a real love for the source material. That, or Muppets. Recently, the internet has dreamed up the perfect treatment for a cult classic that we at Culture Combine are very protective of ourselves: The Princess Bride. Every so often someone talks about trying to reimagine The Princess Bride, and every time, I shake my head. It’s crazy enough that William Goldman’s book was able to be translated to an amazing film the way it was - it already breaks the lightning rule - but it’s near impossible to imagine anyone else but Peter Falk reading to Fred Savage or Cary Elwes tumbling down a hill and wrestling ROUSes in the fire swamp. NO ONE can recapture the wit, heart, camp, and action of that film… Except maybe Kermit and crew. Recently in a Princess Bride Inconceivableposting group on Facebook, we found something so compelling, it’s taking the internet by storm. A poster named Brian Quintin shared the brilliant concept, crediting the original idea to someone on Tumblr known as komakesthings. By now, you may even have already seen it, but it bears mentioning that The Muppet Princess Bride is probably the only acceptable reimagining of such an amazing cult classic film. Can Muppets swashbuckle? See Muppet Treasure Island. Can Muppets stay true to the original source material and still work their magic to transcend even “straightforward” retellings and become the gold standard for the remake? See Muppet Christmas Carol, which recently took the throne for best Christmas film of all time. And can the Muppets handle incredibly witty comedy and slapstick hijinks? See EVERY MUPPET FILM EVER. What’s even more exciting about this imaginative mashup is that they brought proof of concept, in the form of these amazing mockups. There’s Kermit as the Dread Pirate Roberts/Westley, Piggy as Buttercup, the Swedish Chef as the priest, and the proof of concept even puts a bow on it with Elwes in the great Peter Falk’s role, reading Goldman’s book to Tad. It’s something we didn’t know we wanted until right now, and to be honest, we wouldn’t mind if the magicmakers who still handle Henson’s legacy at least took it for a test drive.

I’m still undecided whether Early Access games are saving video games, or making them worse. Sometimes, however, they just lead to disappointment. Such is the case with Phantom Abyss, a game that I played in Early Access with excitement for the final product–only to be ultimately disappointed. Phantom Abyss is a first person parkour ‘em up set to a vaguely Indiana Jones theme–though sometimes it feels more like Legends of the Hidden Temple. The goal is to maneuver through various randomly configured dungeons (they call them temples), avoiding traps, while employing your whip and dash to escape or progress. It’s definitely one of those games that sounds great on paper, especially with its asynchronous multiplier. See, you’re not actually playing in real-time against other players, but you see other players’ runs as phantoms. The goal is to learn from their mistakes, survive where they didn’t, and take their whips if they perish. It’s not really a race, though it does have that feel–and sometimes certain modifiers benefit from you staying ahead of phantoms. The parkour in Phantom Abyss isn’t the best. It’s not that movement feels bad, it just doesn’t feel particularly fun, either. You have dash, which is probably the most useful movement tool despite the whip being one of the marquee game features. The whip is a little too hyped up. Sure, you can use it to open chests and grapple up walls, but it’s frustratingly janky and unreliable. At first, the dungeons were interesting; the traps I encountered were varied and exciting–until they weren’t. It only took a few hours before I felt like I was running through the same corridors just in different configurations. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of danger in these dungeons. You have to survive spikes, pitfalls, things that’ll fall on your head, darts, etc. And even traps you’ve encountered before might be more dangerous if you’re forced to approach them from less than ideal directions. There are also different modifiers that can help you, but they more often give you more to watch out for–like giant poison spitting heads or laser firing orbs. There isn’t combat in Phantom Abyss, though, so all you can do is (try to) avoid getting damaged. If your health drops to zero, you lose all progress in that dungeon. There is a progression system in Phantom Abyss that lets you upgrade different abilities, which make the challenges in the game ever so slightly easier. You can even unlock different whips with their own inherent abilities that can give you an advantage or even influence your playstyle. However, as much fun as I had parkouring around in the first few hours of Phantom Abyss, I never ended up finding the fun. Each run felt drab and even those clever traps started to see a little same-y, until I felt like I’ve seen everything–and what’s left is to see it in different configurations. Phantom Abyss is definitely an example of a game with a great idea that just doesn’t land. It’s too bad, because a Fall Guys -ish meets Indiana Jones -ish sounds like a great thing on paper. But even with a progression system that beckoned me to keep playing, I tapped out as soon as I discovered that I just wasn’t having any fun. Phantom Abyss is available now for PC via Steam and on Xbox Series S|X,

I wouldn’t be surprised if you hadn’t heard of the Vectrex. In fact, it wasn’t until I managed to buy one at a retro game shop that I actually got my hands on one the first time. It's a classic retro system that's impressive to play. There have been people like Sean Kelly that have kept the Vectrex alive and well and helped it stand the test of time, and now there’s a new shoot ‘em up being developed for it called Neon Hawk. If you’re not aware, the Vectrex doesn’t render scenes in pixels. Instead it uses vector graphics to draw images on the screen. It’s a look that has managed to age gracefully, and definitely reminds you of the early days of home video games. While it’s not a surprise that there is a passionate community out there still making games for the Vectrex, what’s surprising is just how great this game looks, even for a Vectrex game: According to user MJR on the Shmups forum (shmups.system11.org) the game is being developed by an industry veteran that has worked on games like Max Payne 2, Alan Wake and more. The user describes the game as “a rail shooter game, Space Harrier style.” And it looks incredibly impressive for a Vectrex game. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for any updates on this project, and hopefully get a playable build at some point.

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the Best Buy....website... I don't know if you know this, but "girl culture" is having its moment, as it should have long ago. We're finally seeing Barbie blowing out the box office, Mean Girls making everything "so fetch" again, and video games recognizing that "girl gamers" have always been a thing, and giving us collabs with companies like OPI or making our Xbox its own Barbie Dream House. With the success of the incredibly powerful and influential market that is being represented in Barbie, those who celebrate and participate in "girl culture" no matter where or how or what that looks like, are seeing more and more things they just gotta have. Nintendo's already announced its plans for an amazing adventure where Princess Peach isn't just waiting in another castle when it announced Princess Peach: Showtime, at its recent Nintendo Direct, but there's also some fantastic new merch in the lineup, with gorgeous pastel pink Joy-Con being shown off all over the internets ahead of the release. If you're a person who loves all those 'aesthetic' Switch setups or just simply loves all things rose-hued, these are going to be irresistible. There's already so many fun options with Joy-Con and you can mix and match to fit your mood, but it's time for classic pink, and we're going to be clickin' that link and pre-ordering these for sure. And yes, we're probably going to put it on Instagram (with our purple PS5) when we do. You can pre-order these blushing beauties on Best Buy now.