D
@vysetron.pixeldie.com
weird game reviewer
pixeldie.com for long form
wackgameboy.zone for every GB/GBC game
https://backloggd.com/u/Vysetron for more words
pixeldie.com for long form
wackgameboy.zone for every GB/GBC game
https://backloggd.com/u/Vysetron for more words
I just don't trust any of the new mario sports games to get the fundamentals right anymore, all of them end up being hinged on specific gimmicks and/or only having one decent mode in a pile of ancillary options
the 64 game just had good tennis! I was excited to play tennis!
the 64 game just had good tennis! I was excited to play tennis!
February 2, 2026 at 10:16 PM
I just don't trust any of the new mario sports games to get the fundamentals right anymore, all of them end up being hinged on specific gimmicks and/or only having one decent mode in a pile of ancillary options
the 64 game just had good tennis! I was excited to play tennis!
the 64 game just had good tennis! I was excited to play tennis!
New post on the zone, in which Jaleco looked at Nintendo's abysmal attempt at baseball and said "someone's gotta do this sport right, get Tose on the horn".
wackgameboy.zone/2026/02/02/b...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/02/02/b...
Bases Loaded (1990)
Jaleco does what Nintendon’t.
wackgameboy.zone
February 2, 2026 at 6:46 PM
New post on the zone, in which Jaleco looked at Nintendo's abysmal attempt at baseball and said "someone's gotta do this sport right, get Tose on the horn".
wackgameboy.zone/2026/02/02/b...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/02/02/b...
New post on the WGBZ! It's Yakuman, a Mahjong implementation (yay!) that only plays 2p (boo!), and is still better than Battletoads.
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/30/y...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/30/y...
Yakuman (1989)
2-man mangan.
wackgameboy.zone
January 30, 2026 at 6:57 PM
New post on the WGBZ! It's Yakuman, a Mahjong implementation (yay!) that only plays 2p (boo!), and is still better than Battletoads.
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/30/y...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/30/y...
legend. I'm a supergreatfriend diehard but rao makes the podium
January 30, 2026 at 12:56 AM
legend. I'm a supergreatfriend diehard but rao makes the podium
How's that beard taste, Dan?
January 29, 2026 at 9:30 PM
How's that beard taste, Dan?
and look, I've spent enough time in religious institutions/administration to know that the rake-stepping is intentional. getting shunned by the out-group and taking that back to the in-group is standard operating procedure
but I'm in the out-group and I still love a self-own no matter how small
but I'm in the out-group and I still love a self-own no matter how small
January 29, 2026 at 4:41 PM
and look, I've spent enough time in religious institutions/administration to know that the rake-stepping is intentional. getting shunned by the out-group and taking that back to the in-group is standard operating procedure
but I'm in the out-group and I still love a self-own no matter how small
but I'm in the out-group and I still love a self-own no matter how small
imagine being so odious that you managed to do tangible brand damage to the Dice Tower
Kirk is a hilarious line in the sand bc it forces people like Sam to type sentences about how tasty boots are while they proceed to step on the rake again and again in full view of god and everyone
Kirk is a hilarious line in the sand bc it forces people like Sam to type sentences about how tasty boots are while they proceed to step on the rake again and again in full view of god and everyone
For reference, Healy has announced he is stepping away from the Dice Tower. It's a heck of a statement.
January 29, 2026 at 4:40 PM
imagine being so odious that you managed to do tangible brand damage to the Dice Tower
Kirk is a hilarious line in the sand bc it forces people like Sam to type sentences about how tasty boots are while they proceed to step on the rake again and again in full view of god and everyone
Kirk is a hilarious line in the sand bc it forces people like Sam to type sentences about how tasty boots are while they proceed to step on the rake again and again in full view of god and everyone
if I did enough paid kickstarter previews in a row my neck would probably do that too
January 29, 2026 at 4:33 PM
if I did enough paid kickstarter previews in a row my neck would probably do that too
oh dude I'd still go back, it just literally didn't work when I played whatever version was on game pass forever ago. if the psychic stuff ends up obviating guns I'll be overjoyed. I actually got a dirt cheap copy for PC in a bundle a while ago, just haven't made the time to start over
January 28, 2026 at 6:56 PM
oh dude I'd still go back, it just literally didn't work when I played whatever version was on game pass forever ago. if the psychic stuff ends up obviating guns I'll be overjoyed. I actually got a dirt cheap copy for PC in a bundle a while ago, just haven't made the time to start over
yeah like I said in the writeup, I didn't get to make it past roughly halfway in that and the combat was my least favorite bit! but I 100% get why a mostly straitlaced multiplayer game was never going to work for their established fanbase
January 28, 2026 at 6:47 PM
yeah like I said in the writeup, I didn't get to make it past roughly halfway in that and the combat was my least favorite bit! but I 100% get why a mostly straitlaced multiplayer game was never going to work for their established fanbase
I'd be inclined to agree, but why so closely mimic its output? and the lack of surface level quality control?
January 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM
I'd be inclined to agree, but why so closely mimic its output? and the lack of surface level quality control?
yeah that's more my point! read the room!
January 28, 2026 at 5:27 PM
yeah that's more my point! read the room!
Play to Z announced an upcoming game and I can't help but suspect a significant amount of AI was involved between a cover with the game's own title spelled wrong, some wonky art, and a summary that looks like it was pasted directly out of GPT complete with emoji'd bullet points
January 28, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Play to Z announced an upcoming game and I can't help but suspect a significant amount of AI was involved between a cover with the game's own title spelled wrong, some wonky art, and a summary that looks like it was pasted directly out of GPT complete with emoji'd bullet points
FBC: Firebreak (@remedygames.com) recently had a free weekend on Steam, and our group enjoyed it so much that we bought 5 copies. I can't speak for how the game was on launch - I wasn't there! - but I can say that I'm excited to hit the showers with my coworkers again.
pixeldie.com/2026/01/28/i...
pixeldie.com/2026/01/28/i...
I finally played FBC: Firebreak, and I’m as shocked as you are that I liked it quite a bit
Life has many builds, fed boy.
pixeldie.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:51 PM
FBC: Firebreak (@remedygames.com) recently had a free weekend on Steam, and our group enjoyed it so much that we bought 5 copies. I can't speak for how the game was on launch - I wasn't there! - but I can say that I'm excited to hit the showers with my coworkers again.
pixeldie.com/2026/01/28/i...
pixeldie.com/2026/01/28/i...
there's also the constant threat of being deemed a waste of codes/resources and being cut from press lists, and given the fragility and rarity of paid critical outlets in the modern landscape that leads to a lot of games being treated with kid gloves even when the readers wouldn't care either way
January 28, 2026 at 4:47 AM
there's also the constant threat of being deemed a waste of codes/resources and being cut from press lists, and given the fragility and rarity of paid critical outlets in the modern landscape that leads to a lot of games being treated with kid gloves even when the readers wouldn't care either way
in my exp it's less that being negative towards a recent release is a problem in and of itself, as much as most readers either read a metacritic summary (if that) and the writers aren't given much room to elaborate beyond hot take territory. consequence of long form being penalized outside of video!
January 28, 2026 at 4:45 AM
in my exp it's less that being negative towards a recent release is a problem in and of itself, as much as most readers either read a metacritic summary (if that) and the writers aren't given much room to elaborate beyond hot take territory. consequence of long form being penalized outside of video!
that's where I found the comment lol
January 26, 2026 at 8:08 PM
that's where I found the comment lol
Reposted by D
A drum worth beating. However much the bottom may have fell out of funding games criticism and non-enthusiast coverage in general, it’s still important to recognize what separated the real deal outlets (firewalls between preview/news coverage and reviews, etc) and influencer coverage.
Game reviewers are woefully unprepared for the conversation about the role they play in the marketing apparatus, doubly so in board games where it's been enthusiast press all the way down, tying their horse to companies' success or failure in a war to balance the scale of positive/negative coverage.
what's highguard?
January 26, 2026 at 6:02 PM
A drum worth beating. However much the bottom may have fell out of funding games criticism and non-enthusiast coverage in general, it’s still important to recognize what separated the real deal outlets (firewalls between preview/news coverage and reviews, etc) and influencer coverage.
there's a reason I've mostly left aside from games I'm personally interested in! I'll play board games forever, but the scene not only neglecting but *rejecting* critical outlets/creators in favor of blatant marketing copy is something I just don't see in other mediums
January 26, 2026 at 6:21 PM
there's a reason I've mostly left aside from games I'm personally interested in! I'll play board games forever, but the scene not only neglecting but *rejecting* critical outlets/creators in favor of blatant marketing copy is something I just don't see in other mediums
I recently saw an ex-reviewer for the Dice Tower state that he/they were releasing reviews based on individual plays of new games, as in they would play games exactly once and record
if you ever doubted what the purpose of most board game coverage was, that should give you an indication!
if you ever doubted what the purpose of most board game coverage was, that should give you an indication!
Game reviewers are woefully unprepared for the conversation about the role they play in the marketing apparatus, doubly so in board games where it's been enthusiast press all the way down, tying their horse to companies' success or failure in a war to balance the scale of positive/negative coverage.
what's highguard?
January 26, 2026 at 6:18 PM
I recently saw an ex-reviewer for the Dice Tower state that he/they were releasing reviews based on individual plays of new games, as in they would play games exactly once and record
if you ever doubted what the purpose of most board game coverage was, that should give you an indication!
if you ever doubted what the purpose of most board game coverage was, that should give you an indication!
played Xia, which we always love. got to teach a 10 year old how to fly into the sun! still the best boxed sandbox to ever do it
talk to me about re;match! the pitch is wild
talk to me about re;match! the pitch is wild
January 26, 2026 at 3:28 PM
played Xia, which we always love. got to teach a 10 year old how to fly into the sun! still the best boxed sandbox to ever do it
talk to me about re;match! the pitch is wild
talk to me about re;match! the pitch is wild
BL always struck me as a fun concept whose inevitable conclusion was something like Destiny 2 (but ideally better? idk), so to see it become what it became always disappointed me
also fuck Randy Pitchford and his ilk
also fuck Randy Pitchford and his ilk
January 26, 2026 at 3:13 PM
BL always struck me as a fun concept whose inevitable conclusion was something like Destiny 2 (but ideally better? idk), so to see it become what it became always disappointed me
also fuck Randy Pitchford and his ilk
also fuck Randy Pitchford and his ilk
people joke about sleep paralysis demons but no one's prepared for the box pushing variety
January 26, 2026 at 3:07 PM
people joke about sleep paralysis demons but no one's prepared for the box pushing variety
New zone post! It's about Boxxle - pure, unadulterated Sokoban with a cover that'll give you nightmares. I kind of hate its guts!
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/26/b...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/26/b...
Boxxle (1989)
Pushing boxes has never made anyone that happy.
wackgameboy.zone
January 26, 2026 at 3:02 PM
New zone post! It's about Boxxle - pure, unadulterated Sokoban with a cover that'll give you nightmares. I kind of hate its guts!
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/26/b...
wackgameboy.zone/2026/01/26/b...
in the same way that teaching players the phrase "gameplay loop" was clearly a mistake, I feel like the avg person should not have access to the words "art direction"
January 26, 2026 at 2:43 PM
in the same way that teaching players the phrase "gameplay loop" was clearly a mistake, I feel like the avg person should not have access to the words "art direction"