Awesome Games

(PG-13: Language) Game consoles and video games have always been expensive – especially when you adjust for inflation. VideoGameDunkey looks back at the history of game pricing, how we got to the $60 price tag for AAA titles, how “free to play” games are anything but, and the wonders of Xbox Game Pass.

These teensy arcade and vending machines come from The Brick Show Shop. In order to avoid licensing issues, the machines ended up with names like “Ms. Dot Man,” “Froggy,” and “Astrobricks,” but we still love them, and have already built a whole arcade for our minifigs to play in.

Nintendo fanboys and fangirls will get a kick out of this medley of console startup music performed by Korean a cappella group MayTree. Nintendo consoles always have had great music, but the GameCube theme is still our favorite.

For 1980s kids, Contra is one of the all-time classic video games. It recently got a reboot with the mobile game Contra Returns, and to celebrate, Devin Supertramp and company created a fun live-action sequence inspired by the run-and-gun shooter.

The last time we checked in on Stray, we were wowed by its environments. Now we have a look at how it plays. In the game, you play a lost kitty who must navigate a mysterious city on a quest to find its home. Along the way, you’ll encounter puzzling obstacles, wave after wave of fast-moving enemies… and furniture to claw.

Arcade1Up adds to its line of 3/4-scale arcade machines with Konami’s 1991 4-player beat ’em up The Simpsons. The cabinet features authentic graphics, a 17″ LCD screen, arcade-quality controls, and supports online multiplayer. It sits on a custom riser and includes a stool and tin wall sign. Pre-orders open 8.16.2021.

Despite their primitive gameplay and rough graphics, we have a fond place in our hearts for the old Atari 2600. Mauri Helme pays tribute to the classic 8-bit console with a 3D voxel art animation, featuring scenes from Pitfall, River Raid, Frostbite, Keystone Kapers, and the oft-maligned E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

RareBird Games created this VR gaming oddity. The game sends players back in time to a Blockbuster-style video store to wander the shelves looking for movies to rent on VHS and DVD. In survival mode, you’ll work to make money for bills and movie rentals, and you’ll even be able to watch some movies inside of the game.

Ever since the SNES game Donkey Kong Country, Nintendo’s big ape has lived in a wooden house up in the trees. Inspired by a fan request, builder Studson Studio made a model of the treehouse, incorporating twigs, dirt, and rocks he found outside to add to the authenticity. The tiny bananas are a nice touch.

God of War’s protagonist Kratos is one of the most iconic characters in video game history. In this video, the very talented Dr. Garuda walks through the process of sculpting a miniature of the character, first by drawing a 2D reference image, bending a metal armature, building his body from clay, then painting in all the details.

Merry Sunday’s unique board game set comes with modular square and triangular tiles which can be arranged to play dozens of different games from around the world. It comes with a 150-page book that explains each game’s layout and rules, a wood and linen-covered frame, along with 216 board pieces and 81 game tokens.

Not to be confused with Elgato’s similarly-named gadget, Valve’s Steam Deck is a powerful handheld gaming PC. Running a custom AMD Zen 2 + RDNA 2 APU, the portable plays all the games in your Steam library smoothly on the go. It has analog thumbsticks, a D-pad, trackpads, triggers, and ABXY buttons built-in. Drops 12.2021

This top-down action game puts you in the shoes of an android bounty hunter who must brawl, shoot, and drive their way through a dystopian future. Players will face off against endless hordes or gangs and corporate baddies as they tear through the neon-lit city. Coming to Steam Early Access 8.11.2021.

Boutique pinball machine maker Spooky Pinball created this sweet limited-edition pinball machine inspired by the classic Japanese Kaiju series Ultraman. The machine is covered with awesome artwork, and has interactive elements inspired by a monster-filled Toyko. Sadly, all 500 of the machines have already been sold.

The xScreen lets you play your Xbox Series S like a laptop. It attaches to the back edge of the game console and needs no HDMI cable or extra power cable. The 11.6″ screen has a 1080p resolution, and the lower part of the unit has integrated stereo speakers and controls for volume and display settings.

This new model of the Nintendo Switch offers the inky blacks, high contrast, and rich colors that OLED displays are known for. It has a slightly larger 7″ OLED screen, a wide adjustable stand, enhanced audio, and a dock with a wired Ethernet port and 64GB of storage. The $349 system drops 10.8.2021 just in time for the holidays.