James Perkins Mastromarino
Stories
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Arts & Life
Nintendo amps up an old feud in 'Mario vs. Donkey Kong'
The new remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong delivers ace animation and a welcome "casual mode," but its two-player co-op can be more frustrating than fun.
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Arts & Life
Nintendo and Ubisoft revive overlooked franchises in their first games of the year
Gaming giants Nintendo and Ubisoft each released new takes on old series this week in Another Code: Recollection and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. We review what makes each worth exploring.
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Technology
NPR's 24 most anticipated video games of 2024
2024 may not have quite the stacked release calendar of 2023, but Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is right around the corner. Signs also point to Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.
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Arts & Life
The biggest takeaways and full winners from The Game Awards
Baldur's Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 swept the night, while celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Jordan Peele, Timothée Chalamet and Simu Liu added star power to the frenetic Awards show.
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2023's best games — picked by the NPR staff
NPR polled staff and contributors for their favorite games of 2023. The year was marked by record-selling titles and industry shake-ups that included thousands of layoffs.
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Technology
We review 5 of the biggest pieces of gaming tech on sale this Black Friday
From the Atari 2600+ to the Steam Deck OLED to the PlayStation Portal — NPR rounds up the latest and greatest gadgetry from a busy gaming year.
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Technology
'Alan Wake 2' and the year's best horror games, reviewed
New horror game Alan Wake 2 is at once scary, cerebral and silly. But it's just the latest in a long line of prestigious horror titles. We round up our favorites.
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Technology
'Super Mario Bros. Wonder' makers explain new gameplay — and the elephant in the room
Nintendo's first new side-scrolling Mario game in a decade features Dark Souls-style phantoms, trippy flowers, and a pachyderm power-up that had the internet trumpeting.
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Technology
The biggest and best video game releases of the summer
From long-awaited epics like Baldur's Gate 3 to indie darlings like Dave the Diver, NPR staff review this summer's surprise hits and more.
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Technology
A beginner's guide to getting into gaming
Billions of adults and kids enjoy video games every day. But where do you start if you haven't played them before? Here are some beginner-friendly options.