Awesome Games

NCSOFT’s upcoming action-adventure game Project M is based on the idea that the universe is a simulation and that every particle is data that can be manipulated by your decisions and actions. The trailer’s intro is performed by an AI-generated version of NCSOFT strategy boss Songyee Yoon, complete with a deepfaked voice.

The Nintendo Gamecube hasn’t been produced since 2007, but it still can play some pretty great games. Maker and modder Peter Knetter took it upon himself to design and build a LEGO Gamecube. After sifting through a sea of blue building blocks, he filled the case with the console’s guts and built a matching LEGO controller.

We’ve heard Radiohead’s In Rainbows played with the sounds of Super Mario 64. Now enjoy another classic alternative album played in Nintendo style. Something is Real put together this epic remake of Nirvana’s Nevermind using the 64-bit game console’s sounds. The chiptune version of In Bloom is something special.

(PG-13: Gore) As crime in Detroit reaches a new high, you are the solution – at least Omni Consumer Products thinks so. OG RoboCop Peter Weller returns to voice the man-machine hybrid in this FPS splatter-fest with a hint of detective work. Coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 9.2023.

Arcade machines are lots of fun, but they aren’t typically living room friendly. Bob from I Like to Make Stuff shows off a piece of furniture that combines a storage unit with a Raspberry Pi arcade, and four sets of arcade controls in a hidden, slide-out shelf. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can buy the plans to build your own.

Classic arcade machines have a big cabinet necessitated by a CRT monitor and multiple circuit boards. Jody Del Bianco’s Plycade embraces modern tech like a flat screen and a compact PC and sets them into a 28mm-thick plywood cabinet for a small footprint and a light, airy design. A wall-mounted version is also in the works.

Serious video game nerds might have heard of the never-released Atari arcade game Akka Arrh. Created by Tempest and Gridrunner dev Jeff Minter, a modernized version has been released for consoles and gaming PCs. Like other Llamasoft games, expect a trippy array of colors and insane swarms of attackers.

Bethesda Softworks presents a new mobile game set in the animated DOOM universe. This fast-paced, top-down shooter has players taking down massive hordes of cute and cuddly demons in familiar locations and with smartphone-friendly single-finger gameplay. Drops 3.21.23, with pre-registration open now.

Software engineer Stephen Rogers aka TheCaptainSpain is developing CoasterMania, a virtual reality/augmented reality game that lets you build tiny roller coasters in your living room. This brief demo video shows off its Line Rider-style gameplay on a Meta Quest VR headset. Enjoy more fun gameplay footage here.

Backyard Resin creates bold and dramatic wood tables with inlays of colored resin, small objects, and artwork. Their Nintendo Switch coffee table is CNC-cut from walnut with colorful resin-filled Joy-Cons, and custom airbrushed artwork based Mario Kart. They also make a Game Boy table with Donkey Kong artwork.

Before you start scratching your head, Tetris doesn’t feature a bunch of animated anthropomorphic puzzle blocks. Instead, it’s based on the true story of the man who invented it, the publisher who discovered it, and the hurdles he faced in licensing it from the USSR for Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld. Coming to Apple TV+ 3.31.23.

French artist MOKA pays tribute to the characters of their childhood by creating virtual trophies of their heads. Among his digital creations are taxidermied versions of Pikachu, Mario, Luigi, Toad, the dog from Duck Hunt, and the ghosts from Pac-Man. MOKA hopes to make real-life versions of these trophies using a 3D printer.

This unique macro keypad features an aluminum and acrylic case based on the shape of the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. It has nine programmable keys, six triggers that look like a D-pad and start/select buttons, along with two clickable scroll knobs. It’s also got RGB backlighting. Available in five color combos.

Caverns of Mars was one of the best games for Atari’s 8-bit PCs. Caverns of Mars: Recharged revamps the downward-scroller with HD graphics, trickier obstacles, new power-ups, destructible environments, local co-op, and global leaderboards. Coming to Atari VCS, Steam, Epic, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on 3.9.23.

Video games have been simulating way that organisms thrive, evolve, and die ever since 1970 with John Conway’s, Game of Life. Over the years, simulations have become far more sophisticated but don’t always produce realistic results. Curious Archive looks at the strange evolution of games that simulate life.

This insane iOS and Android game puts you in control of gigantic ocean vessels that you float down a ramp and send flying into structures with the goal of crash landing into buildings and cities. It kind of reminds us of the addictive Burnout crash modes.

The theme music from Tetris is a big part of what made the video game so popular. Musician JER of the Skatune Network and We Are the Union transformed the classic Russian chiptune into an energetic piece of ska, with its trademark quick beats, layered brass, and organ sounds.

With the success of The Last of Us, HBO has proven that video games can be turned into quality television programming. During his guest spot on Saturday Night Live, TLOU star Pedro Pascal joined the cast of another famous video game franchise turned prestige TV drama, with a little help from Nintendo.

Reimagined Wood Shop has the perfect gift for the video game fan that has everything. This substantial 12″ x 5″ valet tray holds your coins, wallet, phone, keys, and more, all while looking like the classic Nintendo Entertainment System controller. Each one is CNC-carved from a block of solid lumber and comes in a variety of woods.

This first-person puzzle-adventure game takes place inside the brains of a smartphone. It’s your job to solve puzzles, find cheat codes, and decide if the latest OS update should be installed. Available now on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Coming to Nintendo Switch and other PC gaming stores soon.

Wakka Wakka Wakka. The iconic arcade character Pac-Man gets a tribute from TheDominoKing. It took about 10 days to set up all 35,949 dominoes and under a minute to knock them all over. Along the way, the dot gobbler takes out every ghost in the maze before being felled himself.

Taking a hike through the great outdoors can be a relaxing and serene experience. But if you’re squeamish about bugs and other wildlife, you’re better off staying indoors. Thanks to the Molski Brothers’ A Trail Tale, you can experience a hike along the Appalachian Trail without leaving the comfort of your web browser. (Thanks Rob!)

Radiohead’s In Rainbows was some of their most experimental and best work. Now you can listen to the album as if it was the soundtrack to Super Mario 64. On4word created this amazing interpretation of the entire album using the game’s soundfont. It’s available as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp.