THE BEST Games

The members of Epic Symphonic Rock shared footage from one of their concerts, in which they performed a enveloping, larger-than-life orchestral medley of tunes from the Mario Bros. game franchise. Mega Man fans, they’ve got you covered too.

Arcade1Up specializes in making compact versions of classic arcade machines. Now they’re getting into the digital pinball game, with a 3/4-scale Marvel pinball machine that runs Zen Studios games. It has a 24″ recessed display, a nudge and tilt sensor, haptic flipper feedback, a plunger, and a second screen scoreboard.

Low-Fi is a VR game that drops you into a cyberpunk world clearly inspired by Blade Runner. You play a character who is unable to merge with “The Platform,” a VR simulation where most people live their lives, relegated to performing police duties in the real world. Coming to SteamVR and PSVR, with early access on itch.io now.

Musician Davidlap likes to make unusual noises with his guitar. In this video, he attempts to replicate sounds from a handful of game consoles, including the startup sounds from the upcoming Sony PlayStation 5.

After bringing a distressed, 20-year-old PSone console back to life, Odd Tinkering figured he’d need a controller to go with. Watch as he takes a nasty, yellowed old DualShock controller and miraculously makes it look good as new after a piece-by-piece disassembly, a soap scrub, and a hydrogen peroxide bath under UV light.

Among the many new games announced during the Sony PS5 reveal, Stray was one of the most intriguing to us. Set in the distant future, you take on the roll of a stray cat who must find its way home from a mysterious cyberpunk world filled with robots. Coming to both PS5 and PC in 2021.

Thermaltake’s height-adjustable gaming desk has RGB LEDs all around its perimeter that can be synchronized with other Thermaltake or Razer Chroma products. It has an electric motor, a removable full-length mouse pad, and can hold up to 330lb.

Sony has yet to reveal the pricing or exact release date for its next-gen console, but it’s showing off its sleek architectural design, along with some of the many games which are heading to the console between 2020 and 2022. We also now know there will be a version with a disc slot, as well as one that supports downloads only.

Humble Bundle offers great deals on games, software, and ebooks, while doing good for the world around us. Now, they’ve kicked off a $1 million annual fund to help black game developers produce, market, and distribute their titles via Humble Games. Developers interested in the program can apply here.

’80s kids might remember Atari’s classic Star Wars arcade machine. The sit-down cabinet version always had a line at our local arcade, and it’s become quite collectible, with prices upwards of $7,000. Retro Recipes decided to replicate the machine using parts from 1upArcade’s $400 standup version of the game.

Ratalaika’s arcade game combines the strategic elements of a tower defense game with an old-school platform shooter. As your spacecraft is invaded by aliens, you must use a combination of turrets and handheld weapons to keep your level from being overrun. Available 6.12.20 on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.

The 1994 point-and-click adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky is a cult classic. Now, a sequel is in the works, picking up the story of Robert Foster and his quest to discover the dark secrets of Union City. Naturally, the game’s environments are dramatically richer thanks to modern graphics tech. Coming to Steam and Apple Arcade.

Vocalist Matthew Van Ness has impressed us with his orchestral vocal covers of the Star Wars and Jurassic Park themes. This time, he did something a little different, but similarly entertaining by turning 100 copies of his voice into the choir from the familiar opening theme from the video game Halo.

This cocktail style arcade system is ideal for two-player gaming in both horizontal and vertical orientations. It’s got a 26″ flat screen display, a tempered glass top, and slide-out controller drawers on three sides. Comes loaded with 1162 ’80s and ’90s arcade games, and a pair of swivel stools. Measures 37″l x 28″w x 28″h.

Indie gaming platform itch.io and more than 500 game creators are away access to over $3400 worth of games for anyone who donates at least $5 to their campaign. All proceeds will donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund, and split 50/50.

Basic Fun, the guys behind the portable version of The Oregon Trail, comes another retro-inspired handheld game. This time, we get the educational mystery adventure Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, complete with authentic sounds, graphics, and gameplay, and a case that looks like a tiny computer from the 1980s.

A diminutive version of SEGA’s 8-bit Game Gear handheld. The system measures just 3.1″w x 1.7″h x 0.8″d, and will come in four colors, each with four games. Its 1.15″ screen is so tiny that they’re selling a magnifier called the “Big Window Micro.” Launching in Japan on 10.6.20 for about $45 each. Collect them all!

Namco’s classic ’80s arcade game Pac-Man has made its way into the blocky world of Minecraft. The DLC includes 10 different mazes and the ability to build your own, along with gameplay that roughly approximates the original dot-gobbling action, just in 3D. Available now from the Minecraft Marketplace.

Unlike many other handheld retro systems, the Evercade plays licensed games, rather than pirated ROMs. Games play smoothly on its crisp 4.3″ widescreen, and come in collections on cartridges, another nice retro touch. The Premium Pack includes Atari, Data East, and Interplay carts packed with 8-bit and 16-bit games.

This animated short film plays out like a side-scroller action game, but the level design isn’t just some background scenery. Instead, the story of its protagonist’s tragic past relationship are recalled as she runs through the stages, fueled by a blast of caffeine. From director Hjalti Hjalmarsson and Blender Animation Studio.

“The toilet flushing felt unrealistic.” Bathrooms seem to be a staple of level design in first-person shooters – especially in the horror genre. Over the last several years, Curious Reviewers has compiled a series of video tours of these facilities, and reviewed their visual quality, amenities, and realism.

This upcoming MMO invites players around the globe to build and explore a shared, persistent, and fully-editable universe. You can craft structures and spaceships, and buy, sell, and trade creations. Beyond its civilization-building, players can participate in space combat ranging from one-on-one dogfights to massive battles.

Inspired by the Nintendo GameBoy Color he had when he was a kid, artist and electronics wiz Jiri Praus made a custom version of the handheld, featuring a shiny brass front and a see-through back which exposes its meticulously bent brass wiring. He had to use an emulator instead of original hardware, but it’s still beautiful.

If you can believe it, 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the release of Pac-Man. Numskull Designs is celebrating 4 decades of the dot gobbler with a special edition 1/4-scale arcade machine, a collectible gift set, pin badges, and socks. There’s also a limited-edition mini machine signed by Pac-Mac creator Toru Iwatani.

There have been lots of visual mods to Grand Theft Auto V since it was released back in 2013, but this one takes the cake. By upgrading shaders, textures, models, and rendering techniques, NaturalVision Evolved aims to revamp the game to take advantage of modern graphics chipsets. You can support the project on Patreon.

The sequel to Naughty Dog’s excellent zombie shooter may have been delayed, but it’s looking like it’s worth the wait. Watch as the game’s developers walk us through gameplay refinements, new character movements, and level designs that expand the gameplay dynamics. The game arrives on PS4 on 6.19.20.