Awesome Games

One of the most annoying mechanics in RPGs and adventure games is how NPCs send you on ridiculous side missions in order to give you something you need to progress through the main storyline. RDCworld1 pokes fun at this irritating cliché as a player attempts to get some armor and a sword they need to level up.

There’s been a lot of hype and interest in the game Stray, mostly because you get to play the entire game as a cat. The game looks and sounds great too, but it’s far from perfect. Videogamedunkey provides his typical blend of humor and honesty about the game’s presentation, controls, story, and depth.

This guidebook from Red Right Hand Comics teaches you everything you need to create your own pixelated works of art. It offers more than 200 pages of lessons on making sprites, backgrounds, animation, and ideas for an efficient workflow. Both the digital and hardback versions include access to a digital resource archive.

It might cost more than an actual Atari 2600, but this 2532-piece LEGO kit is still awesome. The brick-built 8-bit console and includes a joystick and switches that move. Plug in the Asteroids, Adventure, and Centipede cartridges and enjoy the accompanying 3D vignettes. Slide open the console to reveal a tiny basement scene.

Stylophone expert maromaro1337 performed a medley of the heavy metal music hidden in plain sight in the corridors of the 1990s first-person shooter, DOOM. The game’s soundtrack swiped riffs from Metallica, Pantera, AC/DC, and Anthrax, among others. See how many you can identify without opening your eyes.

There’s something so satisfying about how you reload weapons in video games. In this compilation video by Kommander Karl, he shows how you can use the same method to reload everyday items like a vacuum cleaner, a toaster, and a pencil sharpener. We do the same thing every time we use a caulk gun.

The tilt-shift lens technique is known for making real-world locations look like miniatures. Flurdeh applies the same effect to video games, offering up tilt-shift takes on Fallout: New Vegas, Bioshock Infinite, CyberPunk 2077, and Skyrim and more. We loved watching tiny street fights break out in Batman: Arkham Knight.

After seeing Studson Studios’ model of Howl’s Moving Castle, the guys from Nerdforge were inspired to build a similarly complex new cover for their basic black Xbox Series X. After building a form-fitting wood wrap for the game console, Martina used foam, junk, and toys to create the structure. Hopefully it won’t overheat.

This official LEGO version of big bad Bowser has your princess in another castle. The 12.5″ tall, 2807-piece model features brand new LEGO parts for his spikes and has articulated hands and fingers, a head and neck that move, and a fireball launcher in his mouth. It also interacts with LEGO’s Mario, Luigi, and Peach digital figures.

This unique indie game from Extra Nice challenges players to move through an isometric 3D environment by moving and jumping only in the shadows. It combines elements of platformers and puzzle games with a unique line-art aesthetic. Coming to PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.

NERF and Bungie have truly delivered with this 4-foot-long blaster inspired by the Gjallarhorn rocket launcher in Destiny 2. The limited-edition toy will be available to players who unlock it in the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack by 7.7.22 at 9am PT, with pre-orders starting at 10am. Any remaining units will be available after 7.21.22.

Sony’s new Inzone line offers audio and video gear for hardcore gamers. Their headphone series features clean and modern aesthetics, 360º spatial sound, crystal-clear sound reproduction, long-wearing comfort, and immersive bass. They come in wired (H3), wireless (H7), and wireless noise-canceling (H9) models.

From the makers of Exploding Kittens comes a fun card game with a deceptively simple set of rules. Using the colors and icons on the backs of cards as clues, players must figure out what cards to steal from their opponents to maximize their score. Each game takes about 10 minutes to play. For 2 to 6 players.

We just checked out what is likely the smallest working PS5 console. We now have the opposite – a gargantuan Xbox Series X that’s nearly 7 feet tall. Michael Pick teamed up with ZHC to build and decorate this beast, and yes, it plays games. It’s since been donated to the YMCA Youth and Teen Development Center in Atlanta, GA.

If the past is any indication, Sony will eventually release a smaller PS5. Matt at DIY Perks couldn’t wait, so he got to work stripping down its parts and created his own PS5 Slim. By moving its power supply to an external brick and building a custom copper water-cooling system, he dramatically cut down on its size.

The game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit uses augmented reality tech to let you play racing games with real-world obstacles. Thomas from Mutch Games takes his course builds to the next level. In this clip, he takes us for ride through Banjo Kazooie’s Spiral Mountain along with a bonus Diddy Kong Racing section.

CG and video game animation have gotten very good over the years. But sometimes we long for the simpler and less realistic graphics of classic video game consoles. Hoolopee took footage from the Pixar movie Lightyear, and remade it in the style of the original Sony PlayStation, complete with low-poly, pixelated 3D models.

We’ve learned not to early demo footage to be representative of a game’s final look. But we’re cautiously optimistic that NCSOFT’s Unreal 5-powered Project M will live up to the developer’s goal of creating the kinds of the incredibly realistic characters and environment shown in this trailer. Turn on subtitles.

Justin Roiland’s Squanch Games is showing off its FPS High on Life. The game’s plot revolves around alien drug cartels who figure out that humans contain the strongest drug in the cosmos. It’s your job to stop these deadly beings, with the help of the Gatlians, a race of living guns. That’s two games with talking guns in a week.

Nintendo fans, check out these fun Question Mark Block lamps from Rock City Creative. Each is laser cut from birch plywood and will look great in any geeky setting. They come in 4″ and 8″ sizes with either classic gold or color-changing LEDs. We don’t recommend punching it to see if coins or power-ups come out.

This first-person puzzler owes more than a little to the Portal franchise. Though instead of opening up portals to solve puzzles, the objective is to put objects and the environment back the way it was by reversing time. And instead of Wheatley, you get a sassy talking gun. Coming to Steam, PS4, PS5, and Xbox later in 2022.

This powerful Android gaming system is perfect for emulator fanatics. Its 8-core Dimensity 1200 chip is fast enough to run upscaled PS2 games at 60 fps. What really sets it apart is its magnetic controller modules, which provide separate FPS, MOBA, and Xbox-style layouts. ETA Prime has a great hands-on review.

A compilation of six classic SEGA Dreamcast games, playable on your Windows PC and enhanced for HD widescreen gameplay. The bundle includes Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS Into Dreams, SEGA Bass Fishing, Sonic Adventure DX, and Space Channel 5: Part 2.