Series: Join The Game : NPR

Alexander Tuerk

How a father's gift brought sense to an uncertain life, from 'Zelda' to 'Elden Ring'

May 13, 2022 • Contributor Alexander Tuerk revisits departed family and the virtual worlds that sustained him in uncertain times.

Review: Playdate console offers pocket-sized gaming, a hand crank and nostalgia

Bright and cheerful, the Playdate fits in the palm of your hand. Keller Gordon hide caption

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Keller Gordon

Review: Playdate console offers pocket-sized gaming, a hand crank and nostalgia

April 18, 2022 • A new handheld console doesn't have the appeal of the Nintendo Switch or the power of the Steam Deck, but it's got nostalgia and novelty galore.

Researchers explore an unlikely treatment for cognitive disorders: video games

A screenshot of Neurogrow, which tests a patient's memory and reaction time as an experimental treatment for cognitive decline. Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab, University of Utah hide caption

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Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab, University of Utah

Researchers explore an unlikely treatment for cognitive disorders: video games

April 15, 2022 • Video games distract, amuse, and inspire. But new research begs the question: can they heal?

Review: Impressive style and story outweigh flawed gameplay in 'Ghostwire: Tokyo'

Villain Hannya, complete with the mask he derives his name from. Tango Gameworks hide caption

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Tango Gameworks

Review: Impressive style and story outweigh flawed gameplay in 'Ghostwire: Tokyo'

March 30, 2022 • A new horror-tinged adventure game delivers stunning visuals and an emotionally resonant story. But lackluster action and sticky controls get in the way.

Valve

Review: Heavy, buggy Steam Deck wins over a Nintendo Switch fan

March 21, 2022 • PC gaming behemoth Valve has rolled out a portable console. While it's heavy and buggy, the Steam Deck has already become a hot item for ardent gamers.

'Shadow Warrior' tries to mend its flawed history with race by recasting its hero

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Flying Wild Hog

'Shadow Warrior' tries to mend its flawed history with race by recasting its hero

March 9, 2022 • A video game franchise that's featured an Asian hero since 1997 has finally cast an Asian actor for the role.

FromSoftware

Review: How I learned to stop worrying and love the deathly delights of 'Elden Ring'

February 23, 2022 • A celebrated game developer known for brutal difficulty and impenetrable storytelling collaborated with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin for their latest title.

Aloy surveys a vista from 'Horizon Forbidden West.' Sony Interactive Entertainment hide caption

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Sony Interactive Entertainment

Review: 'Horizon Forbidden West' brings a personal saga to a primal post-apocalypse

February 16, 2022 • A personal journey underpins a new video game about a post-apocalyptic American West reclaimed by nature and stalked by bestial robots.

With 'Legends: Arceus,' Pokémon becomes a more immersive game

There are plenty of Pokemon to ride on through the land, water, and air in Hisui. Nintendo hide caption

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Nintendo

With 'Legends: Arceus,' Pokémon becomes a more immersive game

February 8, 2022 • But the new release is not all that many imagined it would be. Instead of gorgeous landscapes and towering landmarks, there is a relatively empty world with not much to explore.

(Clockwise) Wildermyth, Forza Horizon 5, Metroid Dread, Deathloop, Psychonauts 2 NPR hide caption

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NPR

The best games of 2021 chosen by NPR

December 18, 2021 • Our poll of NPR staff and contributors produced dozens dozens of favorite games. We've tagged ones that are appropriate for kids, and for those who may be new to the hobby.

The top five video games of 2021 selected by the NPR staff

(Clockwise) It Takes Two, Resident Evil 8: Village, Life is Strange: True Colors, Valheim and Inscryption NPR hide caption

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NPR

The top five video games of 2021 selected by the NPR staff

December 18, 2021 • Our picks for best new games run from the humorous to the horrific (sometimes, both at once!), from tight single-player stories to sprawling online sandboxes.

The top five video games of 2021 selected by the NPR staff

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'Halo Infinite' wows on both single and multiplayer — but needs more legacy features

Master Chief stands tall on the planet Zeta Halo. 343 Industries hide caption

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343 Industries

'Halo Infinite' wows on both single and multiplayer — but needs more legacy features

December 14, 2021 • It's the third shot at a mainline Halo game by video game developer 343 Industries, and it nailed both the single-player and multiplayer offerings that give the franchise its reverence.

The creator of 'Stardew Valley' announces his spooky new game: 'Haunted Chocolatier'

Gamers can practice their chocolate-making arts in Haunted Chocolatier. ConcernedApe hide caption

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ConcernedApe

The creator of 'Stardew Valley' announces his spooky new game: 'Haunted Chocolatier'

October 22, 2021 • The solo developer behind Stardew Valley says he's at work on a new game, all about "magical haunted ghost chocolate." Haunted Chocolatier is already getting fan excitement, but no release date yet.

This Remake Of A Beloved Game Has The Style — But Lacks A Little Substance

Buddies Rindo and Fret fight for their lives on the streets of a strange alternate Tokyo in NEO: The World Ends With You Square Enix hide caption

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Square Enix

This Remake Of A Beloved Game Has The Style — But Lacks A Little Substance

August 4, 2021 • Not a remaster or a reissue, NEO is a genuine sequel to the hit 2007 Japanese RPG that cast you and your friends as fashionable Tokyo kids battling for your lives in a strange alternate world.

Nintendo Makes Some Needed Improvements In 'Skyward Sword HD' (We See You, Fi)

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Nintendo

Nintendo Makes Some Needed Improvements In 'Skyward Sword HD' (We See You, Fi)

July 22, 2021 • Nintendo has released a newly remastered version of the classic Zelda game Skyward Sword — and while it's still a beautiful game, not all of the original's flaws have been addressed.

Mamma Mia! Super Mario 64 Is The First Video Game To Sell For More Than $1 Million

An anonymous bidder won a pristine copy of a 1996 Nintendo Mario 64 for $1.56 million, according to Heritage Auctions. Heritage Auctions hide caption

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Heritage Auctions

Mamma Mia! Super Mario 64 Is The First Video Game To Sell For More Than $1 Million

July 14, 2021 • A copy of Nintendo's Super Mario 64 sold for $1.56 million at auction, breaking the record for most expensive video game. "I was ... a bit blindsided," says Valarie McLeckie of the auction house.

Mamma Mia! Super Mario 64 Is The First Video Game To Sell For More Than $1 Million

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This Farming Video Game Is So Popular, People Pay To Watch Gamers Play It

Farming Simulator is a realistic farming experience — minus bugs, droughts and disasters. Giants Software hide caption

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Giants Software

This Farming Video Game Is So Popular, People Pay To Watch Gamers Play It

St. Louis Public Radio

June 22, 2021 • The video game Farming Simulator has found a loyal and niche audience in the gaming world. This isn't the cheesy Farmville game from years ago, but one emulating the real challenges of running a farm.

This Farming Video Game Is So Popular, People Pay To Watch Gamers Play It

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E3 Event Brought Gamers Some Big News — And A Glimpse Of That 'Zelda' Sequel

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was one of the games players caught a first glimse of at this year's E3. 2K hide caption

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2K

E3 Event Brought Gamers Some Big News — And A Glimpse Of That 'Zelda' Sequel

June 16, 2021 • The Electronic Entertainment Expo isn't quite what it used to be, with several major game developers pulling out over the past few years — but this year's show still managed some pretty big news.

'Biomutant' Is A Beautiful Game, But It Might Be Best For Beginners

Biomutant gives players a beautiful open world to explore. Experiment 101 hide caption

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Experiment 101

'Biomutant' Is A Beautiful Game, But It Might Be Best For Beginners

June 3, 2021 • In this post-apocalyptic vision, you play as a furry little mutant battling and questing through a gorgeous open world. But boring combat and too much hand-holding keep the game from greatness.

New Game 'Never Yield' Is A Speedy, Stylish Side-Scroller With Tons Of Replay Value

In "Never Yield," you play as Wally, a mysterious kid who's stolen an important package Aerial_Knight hide caption

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Aerial_Knight

New Game 'Never Yield' Is A Speedy, Stylish Side-Scroller With Tons Of Replay Value

May 21, 2021 • The new speedrunning game from Detroit developer Aerial_Knight combines a Black cyberpunk aesthetic with clear, compelling mechanics for a game you'll want to play over and over again.

Hear 'Land of the Rising Moon,' from 'Never Yield'

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Today, we're talking about our three favorite video games, which are available to play on the Nintendo Switch and beyond. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

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Angela Hsieh/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three Of Our Favorite Video Games

May 12, 2021 • Sometimes, we dive deep into a new piece of pop culture to grapple with its themes, its relevance and its meaning. But sometimes, you just want us to recommend stuff to watch, read or play. Today, we're recommending three great video games you can pick up and play on the Nintendo Switch and other consoles.

Three Of Our Favorite Video Games

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Channel Your Inner Wildlife Photographer And Chill Out With 'New Pokémon Snap'

In the Pokémon Snap games, you're not capturing mons and forcing them to fight — you're taking pictures of them in their natural habitats. Screenshot by Kaity Kline/Nintendo hide caption

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Screenshot by Kaity Kline/Nintendo

Channel Your Inner Wildlife Photographer And Chill Out With 'New Pokémon Snap'

April 30, 2021 • After years of begging by fans online, Nintendo has released a sequel to the classic N64 game Pokémon Snap — it's a peaceful playthrough that has you taking pictures of monsters, not capturing them.