Series: Join The Game : NPR

Nintendo's 'Super Mario 3D World' Gets Another Chance On The Switch

Super Mario 3D World allows online multiplayer in a beautifully designed environment. Nintendo hide caption

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Nintendo

Nintendo's 'Super Mario 3D World' Gets Another Chance On The Switch

February 18, 2021 • The original Super Mario 3D World was one of the many good Wii U games that never got a chance, because no one bought the console. Now, it's getting a new lease on life as a Switch re-release.

For The Kid In Your Life, 3 Video Games That Play Like Storybooks

Explore Nordic forests (okay, and some monsters) in Röki. Polygon Treehouse hide caption

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Polygon Treehouse

For The Kid In Your Life, 3 Video Games That Play Like Storybooks

January 14, 2021 • Explore alien worlds, Nordic forests, and European countrysides in these point-and-click games — which may not have been designed specifically for kids, but will definitely keep them entertained.

Sweater Design? Gin Rummy? Typing? These Are The Mario Games You've Never Heard Of

Super Mario no Sweater let you design a sweater and send away to have it made for real. Screenshot by Brittany Vincent/Royal Industries Co. Ltd hide caption

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Screenshot by Brittany Vincent/Royal Industries Co. Ltd

Sweater Design? Gin Rummy? Typing? These Are The Mario Games You've Never Heard Of

January 7, 2021 • Everyone who's ever played a video game knows Super Mario Brothers — but did you know Nintendo's iconic goofy plumber also taught typing, dealt gin rummy and even helped program sewing machines?

Run, Die, Repeat: How Roguelike Games Helped Us Get Through 2020

When nothing else works, you can lose yourself in the simple repetition of a game like Into the Breach. Subset Games hide caption

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Subset Games

Run, Die, Repeat: How Roguelike Games Helped Us Get Through 2020

December 31, 2020 • Video games can offer immense, immersive open worlds — but for some players, the small-scale grinding repetition of the games known as "roguelikes" is a better way to pass the time.

In 2020, Indie Games Were A Well-Deserved Distraction

This is not a representation of what 2020 felt like — it's a screen shot from Dead Cells. Motion Twin hide caption

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Motion Twin

In 2020, Indie Games Were A Well-Deserved Distraction

December 24, 2020 • 2020 is almost over — and if you're anything like us, you spent a lot of time this year escaping into video games. Here are five favorite independent games that helped us get through the year.

CD Projekt Red

In 'Cyberpunk 2077,' The Only Truly Punk Move Is Not To Play

December 22, 2020 • CD Projekt Red's hotly-anticipated new game turned out to be a buggy mess — but beyond that, it's just a bad game that doesn't do justice to the gritty, anti-corporate nature of its source material.

'Genshin Impact' Is Free-To-Play Fun — If You Can Resist Opening Your Wallet

Genshin Impact has a huge world to explore, and a surprising amount of content for a free-to-play game. Screenshot by Kaity Kline/MiHoYo hide caption

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Screenshot by Kaity Kline/MiHoYo

'Genshin Impact' Is Free-To-Play Fun — If You Can Resist Opening Your Wallet

November 26, 2020 • The exploration and combat game Genshin Impact has earned some favorable comparisons to Nintendo's Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but like many free-to-play games, it's good at getting you to spend money.

It's Not Easy Porting Games To The Nintendo Switch — But Developers Do It Anyhow

Nintendo's Switch console is less powerful than competing consoles, but offers a more interesting gameplay experience. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

It's Not Easy Porting Games To The Nintendo Switch — But Developers Do It Anyhow

November 19, 2020 • Nintendo has long prioritized interesting gaming experiences over graphical firepower, but the popularity of its consoles means developers are willing to make the effort to rework games for them.

Life Is Hellish Enough — That's Why I Had To Stop Playing 'Hades'

In Hades, you play as the son of the titular deity, battling to escape the underworld. Supergiant Games hide caption

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Supergiant Games

Life Is Hellish Enough — That's Why I Had To Stop Playing 'Hades'

November 15, 2020 • The hit video game about escaping the underworld is immensely popular and irresistibly well-crafted — but despite its promise of infinite content, the replay value begins to fade eventually.

InnerSloth/screenshot by Jason Sheehan

'Among Us,' It's Every Little Space Sausage For Themselves

November 12, 2020 • The social deduction game. where you play a froup of funny-shaped little spaceman trying to uncover murderous impostors among you, originally came out in 2018 — but it's having a real moment now.

'If Found...' Brings A Sincere Story — And Brilliant Visuals — To The Nintendo Switch

The eraser mechanic adds another layer of visual payoff to the game's art direction. Annapurna Interactive hide caption

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Annapurna Interactive

'If Found...' Brings A Sincere Story — And Brilliant Visuals — To The Nintendo Switch

October 29, 2020 • An excellent new visual novel, about a transgender woman returning to her hometown in Ireland, is out now on the Nintendo Switch.

15 Years On, The Lonely Legacy Of 'Shadow Of The Colossus'

This image from the 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus emphasizes the lonely nature of its landscape. Soin Interactive Entertainment hide caption

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Soin Interactive Entertainment

15 Years On, The Lonely Legacy Of 'Shadow Of The Colossus'

October 23, 2020 • Fumito Ueda's moody video game about a young hero wandering a landscape empty of everything except for 16 towering giants originally came out in 2005 — but its loneliness speaks to today's gamers.

Make Love, Not War: Five Years Of 'Undertale'

Fan favorite Sans the Skeleton pops up to tell you about all the terrible things you've done. Toby Fox/Fangamer hide caption

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Toby Fox/Fangamer

Make Love, Not War: Five Years Of 'Undertale'

October 17, 2020 • Undertale, the quirky, pixelated adventure game, became a smash hit when it came out because of its unique mechanism: You can talk to its monsters and show them mercy, rather than killing them.

'Super Mario Bros. 35' Evokes Nintendo's Strained Relationship With Fan Developers

Super Mario Bros. 35 once again brings to mind the influence of Nintendo's fan community. Nintendo hide caption

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Nintendo

'Super Mario Bros. 35' Evokes Nintendo's Strained Relationship With Fan Developers

October 5, 2020 • A new battle royale Super Mario Bros. game — released on October 1st — has re-ignited a conversation about Nintendo's relationship with its most passionate fans.

You Think Your Favorite Video Game Is Hard? Try Speedrunning It

Chris Tomkinson — known online as ShinyZeni — streaming a speedrun of Super Metroid. Courtesy of Chris Tomkinson hide caption

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Courtesy of Chris Tomkinson

You Think Your Favorite Video Game Is Hard? Try Speedrunning It

September 24, 2020 • Speedrunning is the quirky subculture dedicated to playing through video games as fast as is humanly possible, exploiting glitches in game code and advanced techniques to barrel ahead.

Music Heals In 'Sayonara Wild Hearts,' A Pop Album Born In A Video Game's Body

Sayonara Wild Hearts' protagonist assumes her heroic form as masked avenger The Fool. Simogo hide caption

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Simogo

Music Heals In 'Sayonara Wild Hearts,' A Pop Album Born In A Video Game's Body

September 14, 2020 • Sayonara is a dazzling indie game powered by synth-pop and emotional catharsis. In a year of bitter loss and isolation, its existence is a gift.

Remastered 'Tony Hawk' Games Land A High-Scoring Trick

Japanese Olympian Aori Nishimura is one of the new playable characters in Pro Skater 1+2. Courtesy of Activision hide caption

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Courtesy of Activision

Remastered 'Tony Hawk' Games Land A High-Scoring Trick

September 10, 2020 • The very first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games came out two decades ago, for the original PlayStation. Their blocky, flat graphics haven't aged well, but now a remastered version restores their shine.

I Thought A Zoo: Simulated Games For Isolated Times

Your animals will demand your attention in Planet Zoo, just one of several simulation games that might distract you from quarantine. Frontier hide caption

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Frontier

I Thought A Zoo: Simulated Games For Isolated Times

August 17, 2020 • Whether you want to take a break from reality with a zoo, a city, an amusement park, or a hospital full of angry clowns, a simulation game can be just the ticket.

'Fall Guys' Is Candy-Colored Party Battle Fun

The fun of Fall Guys comes in watching its little jelly bean-shaped characters getting whacked around goofy obstacle courses. Mediatonic hide caption

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Mediatonic

'Fall Guys' Is Candy-Colored Party Battle Fun

August 13, 2020 • If you're stressed out by battle royale shooter games like Fortnite, you and your friends may enjoy steering the jelly-bean-esque characters of Fall Guys around an array of goofy obstacle courses.

In The Pandemic Era, This 'Gathering' Has Lost Some Of Its Magic

Players compete in a Magic: The Gathering tournament at Hasbro's HASCON in 2017. Josh Reynolds/AP hide caption

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Josh Reynolds/AP

In The Pandemic Era, This 'Gathering' Has Lost Some Of Its Magic

July 30, 2020 • Magic: The Gathering is a popular collectible card game that's been around for years. But it can be an expensive hobby, and it thrives on in-person play. The pandemic has knocked players for a loop.

Saving The World — But First, A Haiku — In 'Ghost Of Tsushima'

Ghost of Tsushima gives players a gorgeous world to explore, but the game's story is dragged down by flat characters. Sony Entertainment/Sucker Punch hide caption

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Sony Entertainment/Sucker Punch

Saving The World — But First, A Haiku — In 'Ghost Of Tsushima'

July 17, 2020 • Sucker Punch's new samurai combat game gives players a gorgeous open world to explore, haikus to write and enemies to defeat — but the characters can be flat, leading to moments of dull gameplay.

There's One Pleasant Surprise In 'The Last Of Us Part II': Its Depiction Of Judaism

Dina, the love interest in The Last of Us Part II — is a rare bird in gaming: A relatable Jewish character. Sony Entertainment/Naughty Dog hide caption

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Sony Entertainment/Naughty Dog

There's One Pleasant Surprise In 'The Last Of Us Part II': Its Depiction Of Judaism

July 2, 2020 • The fungal zombie apocalypse game is relentlessly grim and wrenching — but there are a few bright moments. One of them is Dina, the love interest, and one of video gaming's rare Jewish characters.