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Insomnic Games’ first installment of Spider-Man back in 2017 accomplished doing whatever a spider can but left out some awesome abilities that Marvel’s main man showcased in other games. These 10 blasts from the Playstation past would give the highly anticipated sequel set for PS5 release on Oct. 20 a strong shot in the Spider-arm. Turning Evil (from Spider-Man: Web of Shadows) Image: Activision Publishing Peter Parker lives by the “with great power comes great responsibility” mantra. Web of Shadows explored an irresponsible, not-so-friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Results proved that it feels good to be bad sometimes. Peter Parker pulls off a black suit well, and whether in gaming with Web of Shadows or “Civil War: Back in Black comics where Spidey finally snaps, great stories are to be had. Symbiote Attacks (from Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions) Image: Activision Publishing Fully embracing Spider-Man’s dark side includes completely weaponizing the black suit. Unfortunately, most Marvel games treat it as either a lifeless alternative skin or a generic power buff. Shattered Dimensions broke the macabre mold by making attacks in the suit unique. Melee became rangier. Players felt the rage the symbiote suit builds. We like Spidey when he’s angry! Rampaging as Venom (from Ultimate Spider-Man) Image: Activision Publishing Who doesn’t want to play as a badass brute with a booming voice and louder explosions? Count us in whenever Spider-Man’s coolest foe appears in a game! Ultimate Spider-Man fed our appetite for destruction by allowing us to devour cars and citizens as Venom. The rampage escalated to attack helicopters as players racked up points for wrecking everything in sight. The simple, arcadey activity fit the game’s vibe. A modern expansion flexing Venom’s symbiote strength in 4K would be sweet. What-If Mode (Spider-Man (2001) from Neversoft) Image: Activision Publishing Imagine fighting for your virtual life against Carnage, when suddenly, his voice rises to Whitney Houston levels. Suddenly, Spider-Man wants to dance with somebody. This urge leads to randomly busting a move on a disco floor or in a toxic lab with Black Cat. These fever dreams become reality after beating the first PlayStation Spider-Man game or entering the “GBHSRSPM” cheat code to unlock the “What-If Mode.” The alternative version of the campaign stuffed the story with cameos, quirky pop culture references, giant bananas, and whatever else most gamers wouldn’t think of. The MCU’s brand of humor matches the game mode perfectly. Co-Op play (from Spider-Man: Friend or Foe) Image: Activision Publishing Double the trouble for AI creates double the fun for gamers. Many of Spider-Man’s best games revolve around supergroups or unlikely alliances. Unfortunately, Insomniac confirmed Spider-Man 2 won’t feature co-op. However, interactions where Spidey gets help from his friends or foes adds variety to the gameplay. Finishing moves (Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects) Image: Electronic Arts Sometimes, if you want the job of knocking out bad guys done right, you have to do it yourself. Spider-Man finishes fights by leaping onto his opponent’s shoulders for 3 punches, flipping in the air, and pouncing onto his opponent as a special move in Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. Save the fatalities for Mortal Kombat, but powerful knockout sequences increase heroic immersion. Crossover Character Challenges When it comes to games and movies, the more Marvel, the merrier. Previous Spider-Man games included surviving Deadpool’s attacks as part of a reality show in Shattered Dimensions and racing the Human Torch in Ultimate Spider-Man. Getting into a snapping contest with Thanos wouldn’t feel so good, but there are endless ways to get Spider-Man involved with guest characters. Pizza Delivery (Spider-Man 2) Image: Activision Publishing Activision took “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” literally by switching Peter Parker from photo taker to order taker. Winning this challenge sent Spidey web-slinging across Manhattan to deliver pizza to strange places in under three minutes. We’ve never heard of a real person ordering pizza in a speedboat. That said, we guarantee you won’t reach your full PlayStation potential until you’ve delivered pizza as Spider-Man. Comic book styling (from Ultimate Spider-Man) Image: Activision Publishing Pop quiz: what year did Spider-Man debut? The year was 1962 — four decades before the first live-action Spider-Man movie. Spidey’s comics told some of the best stories in Marvel history. Ultimate-Spider Man paid homage to the terrific comic book run that spawned the franchise. The story unfolded through comic panels. The artwork resembled graphic novels. Acclaimed Spider-Man comic writer Brian Michael Bendis wrote the game’s story. A similar setup has all the makings of a really cool DLC. Bruce Campbell Narrations (Spider-Man 1, 2, and 3) Image: Shutterstock Who doesn’t want Ash Williams teaching us how to beat up evil forces trying to eat us again? Final Thoughts Swinging away from kidnappers, kingpins, and Kraven doesn’t allow time to look back. Although Spider-Man can’t see what’s behind him, we advise Insomniac to consider the past in order to create the best Spider-Man game yet.

great initial concept buried under poor design and an empty story. Are you familiar with the publisher Annapurna Interactive? If not, you definitely should be. They’ve published some of the best video game experiences I’ve ever had. The Pathless, Outer Wilds, Journey, and What Remains of Edith Finch just to name a few phenomenal games. Unfortunately, you can’t win ‘em all. Despite its strong gameplay concept, Maquette, a first-person puzzle game developed by Graceful Decay, is a staggeringly awful addition to Annapurna Interactive’s otherwise exemplary portfolio. This idea had loads of potential, but Maquette never does anything with it. Let’s talk a bit about that strong gameplay concept. Maquette sees you walking around a few buildings and areas that are connected to a large dome. Underneath this dome, there is a miniature replica, or maquette, of the world you’re exploring. In order to solve the game’s puzzles, you can pick up an object in the world you walk through and place it in the maquette to have an enormous version of that object appear in your walkable world. Likewise, you can place the object out in the main world to pick up an even smaller version from the maquette. This is a marvelous and entirely original idea. I’m sure it was a total pain to try and figure out how to code it all, and the devs should be commended for the concept. Yet, it’s an idea that’s tragically unexplored. This idea had loads of potential, but Maquette never does anything with it beyond boringly simple ideas. Put a bridge over a gap to make a bridge. Put stairs next to something to make a ramp. Put a key in a door. Whoa, leave some ideas for the rest of the industry! Picking up and resizing an object is a real cool five seconds, sure, but the game never hits that initial “wow” moment of discovery ever again. Resizing objects is neat for the first two times you do it, but it never evolves in any meaningful way. I’m not sure how it could either, considering the game only has a few puzzles. This is a shockingly short and content sparse title, and the fact that some levels consist of only one, two, or even zero puzzles makes its price tag feel entirely unearned. What few puzzles do exist, have solutions that are either insultingly simple or so bizarrely convoluted and specific that they would only make sense to the people that created them. What few puzzles do exist, have solutions that are either insultingly simple or so bizarrely convoluted and specific that they would only make sense to the people that created them. I won’t spoil puzzle solutions in this review in case you have a desire to play the game yourself and have run out of ideas for how to be miserable, but I will say that, on more than one occasion, it felt like Maquette was deliberately wasting my time. Having to walk back to the maquette to place and replace objects again and again and again is an absolute slog that’s made even worse when you encounter painfully awful jumping sections. More challenging than finding the answer to any of the game’s puzzles, however, is fighting the completely awful controls. Picking an object up can either stow the object on the bottom of your screen leaving you free to move at your normal pace, or you can pick it up and have it floating in front of you, ready for placement, while walking like your legs have suddenly been made eighty pounds heavier. Fighting the camera was absolute hell when dealing with smaller objects, and it was hell squared when dealing with two objects that were somewhat near one another. In theory, you’re able to swap between these two different states of object holding with the press of a button, but theories are made to be broken. Most of the time the game refused to let me hold anything in the bottom of the screen position, and I’d be stuck walking in ultra slow-mo. This constant issue made me think the act of actually playing the game would be a lot more enjoyable if, I don’t know, there weren’t two separate ways you could hold things? Have an object be placed into “placement mode” and that’s it! No need to add a ball and chain to each foot when we do it either. Half-Life had players picking things up more than eighteen years ago, and that wasn’t even its core gameplay mechanic! It’s whenever I was struggling to simply move an object that the game’s true antagonist would appear: the camera. For reasons that are still baffling modern scientists, Maquette has an insanely aggressive auto-aiming camera. I’d be walking along until my camera sensed an interactable object within my peripheral vision and my view was jerked to look at the object. Yes, Maquette, I see that giant, golden key. Now kindly remove my bridle, thank you. Before you ask, no, there was no way to turn this off in the game’s settings. Fighting the camera was absolute hell when dealing with smaller objects, and it was hell squared when dealing with two objects that were somewhat near one another. Not only would the camera have its own ideas for what object I ought to pick up, but a few times my wrestling with the dastardly foe would cause objects to clip through the floor and remain irretrievable. Happy now, camera? Now neither of us can play. Of course, reloading the game fixed the floor clipping issue but completely resetting a puzzle because the game broke isn’t exactly stimulating. Then again, I’d rather have had to reload the game hundreds of times than endure its blisteringly boring story. Somehow, Bryce Dallas Howard and her husband Seth Gabel were cast as the sole characters in Maquette, and somehow the game’s creators thought this would elevate the entirely meaningless narrative. Said “story” is told via two methods: white text that appears on walls as you walk through the game (similar to What Remains of Edith Finch does but much less impactful, interesting, well-implemented, and not tied to the story in a meaningfully contextual way), and pieces of audio where Howard and Gabel say a whole lot of nothing. Their characters, Kenzie and Michael respectively, are two young people who meet, fall in love, and fall out of love. So we’re told, because like a school without a science teacher these characters have absolutely no chemistry. Of course they’d have to be characters for that to happen. The issue is that they have nothing interesting to say! No aspirations, motives, personality, or any reason to care about them. Add the fact that the story itself has no inciting incident, conflict, or resolution, and you’re left with two people just spewing words at each other. They blandly and awkwardly flirt for twenty minutes, mope around for ten, scream at each other for five, and that’s it. In an interview with Howard and the game’s director, they discussed how the recording for the game took place in a single day and large portions of the dialogue were rewritten in an improvisational way. Oh, believe me. It shows. One of the worst parts about the already vacuous tale is that Maquette really thinks it’s diving into some deep stuff and taking it all way too seriously. Here’s an example: Michael and Kenzie have a sketchbook they both draw in. At one point, we have a line that says, “We sketched things and places. Both real and imagined.” So, you drew? Yeah, when you mentioned you had a sketchbook I assumed that you drew things. Did you also sketch any persons? Then you’d have all the nouns! The verdict in this Maquette review is that the game isn’t worth playing. It’s a shame that it isn’t better, because the initial concept of resizing objects with the maquette is truly unique. However, it’s not explored nearly enough, the game’s puzzles aren’t enjoyable to solve, and the game’s story is an enormous load of nothing. The biggest puzzle in Maquette is figuring out why anyone would want to play it. Maquette Review in a nutshell Pros: ● Nicely done visuals ● Interesting gameplay concept Cons: ● Woefully lacking in content ● Puzzles aren’t fun to engage with ● Puzzles never evolve ● Controls are poorly done ● Auto-locking camera is a nightmare ● Objects can clip through the floor ● Story is mindless and uninteresting Score: 2/10 Reviewer played on Xbox Series X. Maquette is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Well Pikmin fans, you’ve been waiting a long time for this. Yes, Pikmin 4 has finally arrived, and it’s only been ten years since Pikmin 3 was released on the Wii U. Not too long a wait, right? I haven’t been waiting for nearly as long. Having never played a Pikmin game myself, I’m not exactly a fan of the series. I’d always stayed away due to the titles being real-time strategy games — not a genre that I’m fond of at all. Yet, something about the charmingly detailed world Nintendo kept showing off in advertising footage for Pikmin 4 got me intrigued. Now, having given the game a go, I can gladly say that it’s one of my favorite titles in the entire Nintendo Switch catalog. The adorable idea that the Rescue Corps needs rescuing sets the tone for the game’s story which is constantly lighthearted and fun. Set on a distant and hostile world, recurring series character (and regular Super Smash Bros. participant) Captain Olimar has crash landed and is in dire need of rescue. Naturally, the Rescue Corps is on their way. Until they also crash land and become marooned on the planet. Nice flying, folks. Finally, you are sent to rescue the Rescue Corps and, eventually, Captain Olimar. The adorable idea that the Rescue Corps needs rescuing sets the tone for the game’s overall story which is constantly lighthearted and fun. Each character has clearly defined personalities, and hearing them exchange jokes, banter, and ideas at the base camp is always enjoyable. It might feel too long to some, but the game’s tutorial does a nice job of explaining a load of ideas all at once. How to start expeditions, exploring caves, gathering and using resources, and, of course, bossing around the titular Pikmin. Controlling your little plant-like buddies couldn’t be any simpler. Throw them out one by one with the A button, send them en masse with the X button, and call them back to you by moving them within range of your whistle with the B button. It’s that easy. I’m sure what makes it really easy is just how well-programmed the Pikmin are as they never once got lost or did anything that I didn’t want them to do. In fact, I was constantly surprised by how efficiently their AI would find something to do if they were close enough to it. When I started the game, I was mindlessly hurling all of my Pikmin at any problem I faced, but it’s when I embraced the game’s teachings of Dandori that it became tremendously fun. As Pikmin 4 says, “Dandori is the art of organizing your tasks strategically and working efficiently to execute your plans.” Organizing may not be your idea of fun, but you need to try it with Pikmin. Everything you do in Pikmin 4 feeds into its immaculately designed core gameplay loop, and it’s absolutely shining when you’ve got loads of things going. My absolute favorite moments in Pikmin 4 were when I’d successfully divided my Pikmin pals to do a handful of things at once. That squad of red Pikmin are using their fire resistance to destroy a little flame geyser, those blue Pikmin are carrying a pile of raw materials back to the base, and those yellow Pikmin are leveraging their electrical immunity to kill a Bearded Amprat before bringing its corpse back to the base for even more materials. Everything you do in Pikmin 4 feeds into its immaculately designed core gameplay loop, and it’s absolutely shining when you’ve got loads of things going. Now, perhaps you’re thinking, “What was that I just read about a ‘corpse’ in this cute Nintendo game with adorable, little Pikmin?” Yes, that’s one of the game’s most charming qualities. There’s a slightly grim undertone to the battles you and your Pikmin get into. The vast majority of the creatures you encounter would love nothing more than to gobble up as many Pikmin as possible. So, you’ve got to get them first. Nature’s beautiful, isn’t it? This isn’t news to veteran players, but you will lose Pikmin. They get squished, munched, and, if you’re not quick enough to rescue them, drowned, electrocuted, or set ablaze. There’s plenty of the fellers to grow, however, so no matter how badly your heart is wrenched by their tiny cries of anguish or their little spirits that you see floating heavenward, you must press forward. There’s oodles of treasures to discover and collect, Dandori Time Trials and Battles, tower defense missions that are carried out at night, a Piklopedia of endlessly imaginative creatures to fill, and plenty of other stranded explorers to save. With your surviving Pikmin, you’ll find loads and loads to do. There’s oodles of treasures to discover and collect, Dandori Time Trials and Battles, tower defense missions that are carried out at night, a Piklopedia of endlessly imaginative creatures to fill, and plenty of other stranded explorers to save. Yes, more than just the Rescue Corps! It seems that this desolate planet is a hot spot for crash landings, and saving as many castaways as you can will reward you with plenty of side quests, materials, and upgrades for your doggie companion Oatchi. Yes, I’ve saved one of the best parts for last. Along the entire journey, the oddly cute rescue pup Oatchi will provide you with loads of assistance. He can transport things, fight enemies, gather your Pikmin, sniff out objectives, and give you and all your Pikmin a ride. You can even switch between controlling your character and Oatchi to get even more done. Oatchi is, indeed, a very good boy. What isn’t good, is the game’s co-op mode. Player two controls nothing more than a reticle that shoots tiny pebbles, and it doesn’t really add much beyond a way for you to entertain anyone that needs babysitting. However, the game does allow you and a second player to go head-to-head in fun little Dandori battles which are as delightful as they are crazy. Even after the credits roll in Pikmin 4, there’s a bit more to the story and brand new areas to explore. From the delightfully textured world that’s brimming with secrets to the tiniest details, like how your Pikmin will occasionally sing classic Pikmin songs when riding Oatchi, Nintendo has packed the game with enough personality and whimsy that it could easily keep fans happy for another ten years. Of course, we certainly hope Pikmin 5 will come a lot sooner. Pros: ● Fantastic core gameplay loop ● Loads to collect and discover ● Controlling Oatchi and Pikmin is easy and endlessly enjoyable ● An impressively large number of wonderfully designed foes ● A charming story with fun characters ● Hyper-detailed and beautiful worlds to explore Cons: ● The co-op mode is tacked-on and shallow Score: 10/10 Reviewer played on Nintendo Switch Pikmin 4 is available now on Nintendo Switch

I love brawlers. There’s nothing like marching down a city street with a friend or two and beating the hell out of baddies. Lately we’ve seen several new instant classics in this space, but one series has struggled. Double Dragon Gaiden is a new twist on one of the OGs, a genre hybrid engineered to help Billy and Jimmy stand out again. By leaning hard on roguelike-style mechanics, we have a game that looks familiar but plays with a very different vibe. While some ideas are as frustrating as they are unique, there’s a commendable effort at building a bridge between the classic and the contemporary. Double Dragon Gaiden’s roguelike trappings are pretty standard. You pick upgrades between stages, earn a meta currency you can trade for unlocks and continues, and start over from the beginning if you lose. What isn’t standard is how the team at Secret Base shaped and molded brawler conventions to accommodate the roguelike stuff. The central idea powering it all is a meter you’ll be constantly managing in order to do just about anything. Special moves use meter, as well as a tagging mechanic that lets you interrupt enemy attacks to instantly swap characters. Depending on the upgrades you come across in a run the meter can be altered in ways that significantly change your options. Charging speed and skill cost are two examples, with the former eventually letting you string together multiple skills for spectacular combos. Meanwhile if the meter is spent, all you have is your basic attacking and throwing, leaving you noticeably vulnerable. The central idea powering it all is a meter you’ll be constantly managing in order to do just about anything. The meter is paired with a novel gimmick called Crowd Control. If you take out at least three enemies in a short time window, you’ll earn bonus money and a healing item. In addition to looking delicious, the items change and grow stronger the more dudes you take down. The action even comes to a halt entirely to reward you, giving a hilarious gravity to one of the oldest, most mundane videogame tropes. Crowd Control is the best option for healing and money, which may as well come with a giant, Looney Tunes-style “Do This Often” sign. What this does is, essentially, take a foundational aspect of brawlers and smash it, then rebuild it into a dramatically different shape. Positioning has been a crucial element in brawlers since the beginning, but now instead of simply avoiding damage you’ll be working to set up the most efficient meter use possible. And the game does everything it can to make that a huge pain in the ass. On purpose, of course, because roguelike. It’s a vibe fans of Double Dragon and other old school brawlers wouldn’t expect, and it takes getting used to. A huge part of the challenge is punishment. While most brawlers move fast and revel in chaos, Double Dragon Gaiden requires an uncanny care and patience. If you mess up you pay for it big time, especially in the game’s latter half. Many attacks have tons of whiff recovery, you can be stuffed out of most moves, and chaining skills together requires timing and again, positioning. Fumbling means taking damage, losing out on Crowd Control bonuses, wasting meter, and maybe costing the whole run. It’s a vibe fans of Double Dragon and other old school brawlers wouldn’t expect, and it takes getting used to. What gets frustrating is how outclassed you are compared to many enemies throughout the game. They can dodge, they have longer reach, and some have super armor. Being outnumbered is to be expected, but in Gaiden you can get juggled to death even if you try to tag out. Upgrades aren’t literal game-changers like in other roguelikes, so no matter how much money you spend a run can fall to pieces because the game decided you can’t touch the ground. Double Dragon Gaiden runs out of tricks very fast and leans hard on difficulty as the motivator. To Gaiden’s credit, there are several methods of getting through the game even for players who aren’t sickos. There’s a modular difficulty system that lets you tweak a surprising number of variables, and you can spend two kinds of currency to retry if you die. One being the regular money you get from punching stuff, two being a resource you also use to unlock characters and goodies outside the game. If you aren’t a completionist or art gallery enthusiast, it’s an easy choice to make. Even with the mechanical frustrations, I’d probably still have a pretty good time with this game if it weren’t for a bigger problem. Gaiden has four stages, and four bosses. Plus, as you can probably guess, some things that follow. The order you choose the stages changes a few things, such as how long the level is and how the bosses behave. Some of the boss variants have huge differences from the base versions, such as Machine Gun Willy getting a whole-ass helicopter. Wait, that sounds pretty rad, doesn’t it? It feels rad at first, when you realize what’s going on in your first couple attempts. Then, if you don’t simply breeze through like a Pro Gamer, the vibes go sour. Even with the differences, there’s a tangible lack of variety and that doesn’t mix well with Gaiden’s slow pace. The levels only change so much, and the changes themselves are static. Picking Machine Gun Willy’s stage third (I love typing that name out) gets you the same “you picked Machine Gun Willy’s stage third” level every time. But it isn’t just the level designs. Like I went over, the pace is slow. Having a Double Dragon challenge you like this is interesting and distinct, but when you factor in the upgrades, that novelty wears off. You can play as several characters, but their abilities don’t change. Just stats and math under the hood. And on the default settings, while Gaiden is hard that difficulty doesn’t really ramp up until the halfway point broadly speaking. So the gameplay doesn’t change much, it’s slow, the levels don’t change much either, and get pretty long. Roguelikes work because there are so many variables in nearly every part of the game. New weapons or powers, and pools of things like bosses and rooms the games constantly rearrange. You can play The Binding of Isaac a hundred times and each run will be tremendously different. Double Dragon Gaiden runs out of tricks very fast, and leans hard on difficulty as the motivator. So much of my experience was sleepwalking through most of the game, then getting punted around like a hackey sack towards the end. Once I finally won, I was done. I had no reason to keep playing, even though the game clearly wanted me to. Double Dragon Gaiden is an interesting game with a lot of creative ideas. We’ve seen roguelikes and brawlers mixed before, but not nearly as intricately. I could feel that spark of passion as I played. Unfortunately there are some key drawbacks that betray many of those neat ideas and really hamper the experience. From getting slapped out of defensive tags and juggled to death to subsequent runs feeling more and more like a grind, I had less fun the more I played. I love that Arc System Works has been producing cool, experimental games since snagging the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun/River City licenses. This one has a lot going for it, but stumbles toward the finish line. Pros: Unique gameplay concepts that feel fresh and thoughtful Lots of unlockable characters are full of cool newcomers and historical greats Cons: Lack of variety/variables weigh down the good parts Some of the combat mechanics feel unfair and unintuitive Score: 7/10 A copy of the game was provided by the publisher and played on Nintendo Switch. Online multiplayer was not available during the review period. Double Dragon Gaiden launches July 27, 2023 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

You have to think that John Madden rolls in his grave every time a virtual Patrick Mahomes rolls to his left and delivers a 99-yard strike off his back foot thanks to a $200 boost purchased in Madden Ultimate Team. Football simulation seekers and older fans accustomed tp more realistic gridiron features have wanted more from Madden now for some time, and EA has declared Madden NFL 24 a make-or-break effort for the franchise. Here are 24 much-loved features from previous iterations of the game that would be welcomed in the next installment. Mini-Camp Mode Getting Derrick Henry into space against weak side linebackers without pads on concocts the perfect blend of evil and entertainment. Tracking deep balls with Tyreek Hill rapidly and randomly hurled from a JUGS Machine sounds like a grand time! Historic Teams Ever wonder if the 1985 Bears’ defense would transfer its dominance to today’s aerial playstyle? EA begs for money while gamers beg the question. Ultimate Team locks historical players behind a paywall, leaving zero free teams from the past available for play anymore. Created Teams Madden deprives current players of the ability to not just have historical teams, but create user-generated teams that stick outside of franchise mode as well. Custom logos, uniforms, roster builds, and cities combined into a staple of previous Maddens. The feature left several years ago and took a strong replayability hook with it. Quarterback vision Doesn’t it seem goofy that Zack Willson reads the cougars — I mean cornerbacks — as clearly as Patrick Mahomes? Madden 2006’s quarterback cones addressed the flaw. The area of play quarterbacks viewed unobstructed depended upon individual awareness ratings. Peyton Manning enjoyed a clear view, whereas JP Losman morphed into JP Lossman. The vision cone distinguishes the good from the great and factors into forming new strategies to win other than spamming aerial attacks to a favorite target. Madden Cards Madden cards thrilled parties back when performance presided over profitability. Unlimited passing range for one play answered the virtual prayers for an unforgettable Hail Mary. Fumblitis increased fumble chances by up to 75%. Extra Credit even awarded bonus points for sacks and turnovers. Madden offered chances to wager them against friends so games meant more than bragging rights and belly laughs. Tournament Mode Speaking of features fit for wholesome parties, previous Maddens embraced in-house tournaments through quickly customizable brackets. “March Madness” stops with the NCAA nowadays. The NBA 2K series realizes few want to perform this tedious task by hand. Fluid running animations Developers revamped running mechanics to factor in weight and momentum. The realistic push carried the unintended consequences of running animations that don’t always register with the ground properly. Madden 23 Glitches gift many touchdowns from zombified runners contorting through downed contact. Custom Formations Kevin Stefanski’s Philadelphia Eagles innovated quarterback sneak possibilities in 2023, so why can’t players create something new within gridiron guidelines? Madden 2003 nods its head in agreement, but sequels left player-driven playbooks in the past. User-Created Fans Madden 2005 permitted players to make fans with different skin colors, body shapes, props, jerseys, and face paint. Not having to trek to the garage to make fans in 2023 brings cheer. Playing Every Position in Superstar Mode Repressed athletes yearn to translate overweight girth into overpowered gaming as loyal linemen clearing pesky peasants in “King Henry”s ‘Titanic’ path. Gamers not tall for ball might wish to vicariously live through Justin Tucker’s laser-like leg action. Madden denies a full positional plate Madden 2006 and outside of special teams Madden 2007 allowed. Today’s Face of the Franchise menu offers the choice of quarterback, wide receiver, halfback, linebacker, and cornerback. Choosing Created Player’s Parents Superstar Mode sprinted to superstardom if gamers chose a Hall of Fame father and an Olympic mother. Becoming the son of a plumber paid homage to Dusty Rhodes. Hard times fall upon maximizing fun in today’s stripped Face of the Franchise remodel. Starring in Movies No game turns Tom Brady into Tom Cruise. Regardless, Madden 2006 lovers can’t handle the truth about not being able to make movies in Madden anymore. Superstar Mode casted players in roles depending on the created player’s league visibility and agent. Superstardom afforded blockbuster opportunities, while newcomers attempted low-budget indies. A mini-game prompted players to read the script and try to deliver the right lines quickly and accurately to land a role. Nowadays, it’s light effort, no cameras, action! Situation Mode/Madden Moments Want the Falcons to fly on the right side of 28-3 history? Think a user-controlled Marshawn Lynch seals the Super deal by keeping the ball on the ground? EA advises dreamers to think again. Old Maddens and even NFL Quarterback Club 1997 championed situational football, but it’s gone in 2023. Franchise Mode Radio Show Former ESPN Radio personality Tony Bruno hosted a radio show covering league happenings, roasting poor play, and conducting real-life interview segments in franchise mode. The well-received feature meshes perfectly with today’s podcast popularity. ChatGPT boosts scripting possibilities. Team Newspapers Every team used to have unique newspapers highlighting stellar player performances, game results, and league wide trades/statistical leaders. Constant 24/7 consumption killed the newspaper model, but reviving team publications would be a great detail for player immersion. Player Holdouts It’d be dreamy if every franchise player rejoiced with his team every year. Reality dictates that a lack of money, powerful production opportunities, and/or respect causes nightmarish trouble in paradise. Older Maddens attached dynamic morales and contract holdouts to mirror real-life riffs. Advanced Scouting Wannabe general managers watched AI performances in the Senior Bowl and scouted entire draft classes for player comparisons, intangibles, and personality traits. Bidding wars won the services of top scouts. If it’s good enough for PS2 hardware, the PS5 should be able to handle the heavily immersive and realistic worldbuilding. On-Field Referees Few players care to see yellow laundry sully a skillful battle. Returning the people who throw them to viewers’ behest every Sunday adds a basic level of legitimacy missing in Madden since 2019. Fighting for Fumbles Officials, players, and fans recognize the grimy nature of fumble piles that produce equal amounts of dirtiness and excitement. Madden 10 facilitated human dog fights by introducing button mashes in tug-of-war fashion to recover fumbles. Today’s pixelated pigskin bounces as cleanly as a pampered poodle. Helmets Flying After Hits Despite Roger Goodell’s best efforts, hard hits resulting in dislodged helmets still happen. Many sent helmets into digital orbit, especially in Madden 2005 with the hit stick and defensive emphasis. Today’s safety emphasis values technique over thwacking. However, Madden 24 is just a video game and would be a better one if big hits left a realistic imprint. Prominent Rock Music Nothing screams intense experiences like the torrid drum intro of Painkiller, followed by a screeching riff and Rob Halford’s soaring vocals intersecting Banshee and Banal Boulevard. Ozzy Osbourne, Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold, and a host of other popular rock acts lent a helping hand to the game’s decibel dial. Today’s rap-centric soundtrack fails to synchronize with the rush of creating 300-pound defensive linemen’s hit stick highlights. Broken Records Madden curated a thorough record book for years, kept new benchmarks, and alerted players when one was broken in a game ie: passing yards. The feature adds a simple incentive to experiment with different strategies and adds meaning to mundane modes. EA Sports Player Promos “It’s in the game!” Not anymore, but we’d love the nostalgic EA Sports promos from popular players to nestle in our ears again. Ensure that Russell Wilson stays home, though! Bill Belichick We save the best coach for last. Admittedly, this one isn’t EA’s fault. Infamously introverted icon Bill Belichick hasn’t been a member of the NFL Coaches’ Association since 2005. Maybe a new year translates into a new Bill and we’ll see the familiar hoodie and scowl grace the game, filling a virtual void that makes the overall roster seem incomplete each year.

This is definitely going to go great The ESRB (short for Electronic Software Ratings Board) is the video game industry body that governs the age ratings for video games. Anytime you’ve seen “E For Everyone” or “M for Mature”, that was the ESRB rating. Their job is to present the reality of a game and give it a fair rating for parents (or whoever) to know the intended audience of a game. Does it have vulgar language? Is there cartoonish violence? The rating will tell you. So, the ESRB is currently working together with SuperAwesome (a subsidiary of Epic Games) and Yoti (a firm that handles verifications for ages and more) to make a 24-page proposal. This proposal will take the Children’s Online Privacy Act, known as COPPA, to another level. COPPA is well over two decades old at this point. The industry, as a whole, already complies with it. When you do age verification on a game or website, that’s COPPA, for instance. Anything that has to do with protecting kids in a game, it’s probably related back to the act as well. This new proposal would scan the faces of players of a game to determine their age using algorithms. Within the proposal, they assure that all images “are immediately, permanently deleted, and not used by Yoti for training purposes.” For those unaware, the ESRB is, itself, governed by an organization named the Entertainment Software Association. The ESA handles a lot. They’re the people that generally used to run E3, for instance. They also are the ones that accidentally doxxed over 2000 journalists back in 2019. Their press list for E3 2019 had such minimal security that it was easy to download. That list had every attending and non-attending press member that signed up for the event on it. It gave, in plain text, the journalist’s name, email, phone number, and address, to anyone that had it. Of course, it made its way into every internet troll’s hands out there. If you want to read through the ESRB’s proposal, all 24 pages are available through the FTC. Gamesindustry.biz did a much deeper dive into this as well to show its weaknesses. Based on prior endeavors, I’m sure this is going to go great.

The Metaverse is dead, long live the Metaverse. Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg announced the Meta Quest 3 on his Instagram. Alongside his announcement, Meta came in with a full article with more details about the new headset, pricing, and what it means for the Meta Quest 2’s future. So, let’s dig in and break it down. Zuck dropped the news just days before the anticipated announcement of Apple’s headset. It’s theorized that Apple’s big foray into virtual reality could cost as much as $3,000. Yea, there are three zeroes in that number. There’s really no comparison, honestly. But, that’s one way to steal Apple’s thunder. The Meta Quest 3 will be starting at the slightly more affordable $499, meaning higher versions of storage may end up being about $100 more. While it’s also pricey, there’s good news coming for the Meta Quest 2. The older model is getting a price drop on June 4th, back down to $299 for the 128GB model. They make it seem like they’re doing a favor for such a ridiculous price drop. But, that’s the original price of the same headset before they increased it by $100 last year. For those looking to get into virtual reality without giving up a kidney in the process, the Meta Quest 2 has been a mainstay since its debut in 2020. They also stated that they will continue to support the Meta Quest 2 and that a firmware update is incoming to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro that would make it quite a bit faster and perform better. So, what does Meta Quest 3 give us? For those looking to see if it’s worth grabbing the new, more powerful headset, you’re in luck. According to Meta’s article on their website, the Meta Quest 3 will feature “higher resolution, stronger performance, breakthrough Meta Reality technology, and a slimmer, more comfortable headset”. The Quest 3 will offer a next-gen Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm. This headset will be first-to-market for this specific chipset and offers over double the power as the Quest 2’s GPU. It will also offer a pretty seamless experience between virtual and actual reality, taking a more “augmented reality” approach to the surroundings of the user. They use a couple examples, such as playing the virtual board game Demeo at your kitchen table or decorating your actual living room with virtual art. One thing that virtual reality companies have to constantly do is make the headsets more comfortable to wear. Gone are the days of the Virtual Boy or big clunky headsets that weigh you down. Meta has learned from previous iterations for a “40% slimmer optic profile”. They also redesigned the Touch Plus controllers for a more comfortable and ergonomic feel. Hand tracking is immediately supported, as well, with a feature called Direct Touch. Or you can grab the Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers, if you want the all-around, highest end experience. Meta also assured the fanbase that the Quest 3 will launch with full compatibility to the entire Quest 2 catalog. That’s over 500 VR games and apps, currently. The number will likely be even higher by the time of launch. Speaking of launch, we don’t know the launch date for it yet. But, we will know more during the Meta Connect event on September 27. Just after the Meta Quest 3 announcement, they dropped the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase. The over an hour-long video spends about 10 minutes of trailers before the event. Then, it has another 40-minutes with the host, Ruth Bram, showing off new announcements for games. And finally, it wraps up the event for the last 20-minutes doing interviews with various developers of some games presented in the video. Right off the bat, the first trailer shown in the video is No More Rainbows, a game that is already out, a game bent on subverting your thoughts about good and evil and looks incredibly fun. It’s available on all current Meta Quest headsets and will be compatible on the Quest 3. We may have to pick this one up now. Once the show began, we were shown a couple classic, nostalgic titles. Samba de Amigo is getting the VR treatment. Based on the name not being numbered, it seems to be a bit of a reboot to the series, not that it mattered to any lore or anything. Honestly, this series has always been well-liked as a maraca rhythm game. It’ll make for a great VR title. This one is available for pre-order now for Fall 2023. The 7th Guest VR is another classic title coming to the Meta Quest arsenal. As a reimagining of the 1993 classic puzzle game in a spooky mansion, The 7th Guest VR uses full motion capture for the actors in the game and looks like a solid remake of the CD-ROM era game. You can wishlist it now on the Meta Quest store. Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord puts players in the shoes of a Ghostbuster dealing with a mad scientist looking to unleash chaos. You work under the San Francisco HQ for the Ghostbusters and can team up with friends or work solo. Bustin’ in VR makes me feel good. It’s up for wishlisting on the Meta Quest store. There was just an absolute ton of games that they showed off during the event. Some other favorites of ours were Arizona Sunshine 2, UNDERDOGS, and Bulletstorm VR. They also announced that Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR is coming this year. But, we have to wait until the Ubisoft Forward event on June 12th to learn more. Finally, Meta showed off what they consider one of their flagship AAA titles for the Quest, Asgard’s Wrath 2. Taking place after the first game, it pits you, yet again, against Loki. This time, you find yourself in Ancient Egypt, among other settings. Although you face off against monsters and gods, the game seems very Assassin’s Creed or Dishonored at first glance. You can pre-order it now. If you do, they give you the first Asgard’s Wrath on PC VR for free. You also get a “Meta Quest home environment”, and an “exclusive Asgard’s Wrath 2 character bundle to use in POPULATION: ONE”. If you’re into virtual reality and tech, you probably also know about this past week’s Computex 2023 event in Taipei. They showed off a ton of new hardware for computers, gaming, and beyond.

The great part about gaming is the long, vast history that comes with it. Many games are derivative of their predecessors. Everything builds on something that came prior. It’s no different for other forms of technology that are adjacent to gaming. The Raspberry Pi is a neat little device that can be nearly anything you want. In fact, if you want it to be an old school game system, you can. There are a lot of models of the Raspberry Pi since its inception in 2012. One thing that many people do with their systems is making them into retro gaming rigs that can play classic video games. Most people utilize RetroPi software for this. With that said, we scoured the internet to find some of the cooler retro looking cases for different Raspberry Pi. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites. Nintendo Entertainment System for the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ and 4 Model B The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES for short, is as iconic as it gets when it comes to classic gaming. It’s the system that saved video games in the 1980s. It’s Mario, Zelda, and many other iconic games that have endured over the years. It’s some of the best, some of the most frustrating games to ever hit a screen. If you’re looking for a good NES case for your Pi, we’ve got you. We found two great options, depending on your model of Raspberry Pi. If you’re looking for a case for the Raspberry Pi 3 B+, you should check out this system. It comes complete with everything you need to put your Raspberry Pi in and get going. You can pick it up for $29.01. Don’t worry, there is another one for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. It’s a bit pricer at $44.48. Both are by GeeekPi and both cases come with everything from heatsinks to the screwdriver to build the case. Super Nintendo for the Pi 3 B+ and 4 Maybe you want to rock something slightly more 90s for your Nintendo fandom. The Super Nintendo is right up your alley. While the NES is known for being iconic, the 16 bit era is where gaming started to really take shape, with more pixels, more colors, and better sounds. Coming also from GeeekPi, this Raspberry Pi 3 B+ case offers all the same fix-ins as the NES option. But, it does one better. There’s a SNES cartridge that comes with the package. It’s removable and is actually an SD card holder that plugs right into the case for easy storage! You can pick this case up for $35.28. Maybe you prefer something a little more of the Japanese aesthetic. The Super Famicom is the name given to the Japanese Super Nintendo. RETROFLAG offers a great Raspberry Pi 4 model that comes with heatsinks as well. Yes, it also includes a removable Super Famicom cartridge that holds SD cards too. You can pick it up for $45.99. SEGA Genesis for the Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, and 4B The SEGA Genesis was infamously the biggest competitor to the Super Nintendo. Introducing Sonic the Hedgehog and amazing graphics for its time, SEGA was at the top of its game. Sega, as the saying goes, did what Nintendon’t. This case is a bit of a double whammy. Not only is it based on a SEGA Genesis, it’s also made with buildable bricks. It’s not quite Lego, but for only $32.99, this Genesis Brick case can house Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, and the new 4B boards. That’s a great price for versatility and a fun buildable project. The only downside is that it doesn’t include anything additional. You get the 336 bricks for building the case and that’s it. But, it’s cool looking nonetheless! Sony PlayStation for the Pi 4 Let’s move a little closer to the mid-90s. The Sony PlayStation was the king of disc-based gaming. The power and storage capabilities that came with it offered something that nothing prior had before. Everything from Final Fantasy to Spyro the Dragon to Resident Evil made its way to the PlayStation. The RETROFLAG PiStation offers everything you need to make a tiny classic PlayStation, aside from the Pi itself. Built specifically for the Raspberry Pi 4, the PiStation has slots for every port you could need access to without having to open it up. This one will set you back $54.99, but perfection is never free. Atari 2600 for the Raspberry Pi 4 Let’s go back to even before the NES. The Atari 2600 has been the godfather of gaming since the 1970s. It may not be the first gaming console ever, but it’s one of the most memorable and nostalgic. If you’re reading this article, you’re likely familiar with RetroPi already. But, it’s a special software that allows you to turn your Pi into a retro gaming machine. While any of the prior cases would work with it, the custom Atari Raspberry Pi case comes with everything you need to get going on your retro gaming venture. Not only does it come with the case, screwdriver, fan, and heatsinks, but it comes with a full wireless controller. It isn’t a joystick. Though, it does have a black and red color scheme that matches the classic Atari controller. While a bit more on the pricier side of the list at $54.99, this case does come with everything you need to get going. Just add your Raspberry P 4i and it’s got a lot with it. If you like retro games, you may also be into fighting games. While newer controllers are fine to play FGC titles with, you may be looking for a fight stick. We got you covered on our top picks here. We also recently gave some of our thoughts about the various options of adaptive controllers for disabled folks as well.

2023 is shaping up to be a hell of a year for fighting game fans, with the impending release of Street Fighter 6 just under a month away and heavy hitters like Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 12 due out later in the year. Things haven’t been this rosy for fighting game fans since the late 2000s, when we got gems such as Street Fighter 4, Marvel vs Capcom 3, and King of Fighters 13. And despite these franchises being on their nth iteration, it has never been easier getting into them. Street Fighter 6 is more beginner friendly than any other previous entry, and there’s no better way to play a fighting game than with a fight stick (AKA arcade stick). To help out newcomers and returning veterans alike, we’ve put together a list of budget arcade sticks for fighting games that don’t sacrifice on quality. These options won’t break the bank nor will they break during the middle of an online match. The list includes options for most major platforms, including PC, Switch, Xbox Series S/X, and PlayStation 4/5. Qanba Drone 2 Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 Price: $124.99 This entry-level fight stick is a follow up to their popular Drone 1. It features a matte black finish with a lightweight body that looks sleek and makes carrying around to local tournaments easy. Compared to the original, the joystick on the Drone 2 feels better with more audible clicks. The buttons however, are carried over from the original. Other upgrades found on the Drone 2 are the touchpad and headphone jack. Inside the Drone 2, you won’t find Sanwa buttons or joystick, but those can be easily added in later if needed. But something that can’t be modded in later is the odd cable management. While most fight sticks have an enclosed storage compartment for the USB cable, the Drone uses a cubby hole under the wrist rest. It isn’t the best-looking option, but it does the job. Qanba Drone 2 8BitDo Arcade Stick Platforms: PC, Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Classic, Super Nintendo Classic Price: $90 If you have a Nintendo Switch or any of the Classic consoles, the 8BitDo is a great option for only $90. It also happens to be one of the best-looking options with a retro Nintendo styling that will fit right into any 8-bit décor or console. And while it doesn’t come with a Sanwa joystick or buttons, which are the gold standard of fight sticks, the ones it does come with are decent enough. The advantages of the 8BitDo are that it features wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or included 2.4 GHz USB dongle. The latter option allows it to be compatible with the PlayStation Classic and Super Nintendo Classic consoles. At $90, it is one of the best all-in-one wireless options for most consoles, with the exception of the PlayStation 5. Being a wireless joystick, no cable management to worry about! MAYFLASH Arcade Stick F300 Elite Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One/S/X/360, macOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Price: $104 The F300 Elite is the upgraded version of the F300 and comes equipped with Sanwa buttons and joystick. For any fighting game player that will spend hours upon hours leveling up in training mode or playing against real human players, Sanwa hardware offers better tactile response and feel. It’s akin to typing on a high-end Corsair mechanical keyboard with Cherry switches versus a cheap rubber membrane keyword. HORI Fighting Stick Mini 4 Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC (Via firmware update) Price: $50 The HORI Fighting Stick Mini 4 is the cheapest option on the list from one of the best arcade stick manufacturers of all time. As you’d expect from a fight stick with “Mini” in the name, it is one of the smallest options on the market. It also happens to be one of the feature-bare options, with no support for turbo macros or selectable D-pad or analog stick modes. Another downside is non-Sanwa parts and an inability to easily swap out those inferior parts. Cable management is also a pain, with no storage cubby or detachable USB cable. But at $50, it is the cheapest way to get into fight sticks. Brook Fighting Board Platforms: PlayStation 3/4/5, Xbox Series X/S/One/360, PC, Wii U Price: $95 You might be thinking, “That’s an odd-looking joystick”, and you're right! The Brook Fighting Board is not a joystick per-se, but rather a way for you to build your own. If you happen to have an old Mad Catz Fight Stick from the PS3 era for instance, you can get it PS4 or even PS5 compatible by replacing its guts with the Brook Fighting Board. Installation is a cinch using small screwdriver with hex and Phillips bits, along with some electrical tape—no soldering iron needed at all! You can even use an old SNES or Sega Genesis joystick if you happen to have one of those lying around.

It’s been a truism that with every CPU and GPU upgrade, game designers have pushed the envelope and made use of every ounce of performance and then some. But RAM requirements had been holding steady. That’s starting to change. Read the requirements for the newest gaming titles and you’ll see the same increases in CPU and GPU recommendations. That’s natural, because as Intel and AMD produce faster products, game developers do everything they can to squeeze out every ounce of performance. Often, that means pushing things beyond the current generation with anticipation of faster CPUs and GPUs to come. For the last ten years or more, the recommended RAM has mostly held steady at 16GB. That is starting to change. Today, several games are including 32GB of RAM in their recommendations, primarily for running at 4K and/or with ray tracing turned on. Here come RAM hungry games The following are a couple of examples of ultra-demanding games that might make you want to consider configuring your next PC gaming PC with 32GB, or upgrading your existing machine. Returnal Returnal originally recommended 32GB of RAM but took that back when the game was released. The implication is that 32GB is likely a good idea, but it’s a lot to swallow especially with DDR5 RAM being so expensive. Right now, its specifications show the following: Minimum CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB RAM: 16GB DDR4 Medium CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT RAM: 16GB DDR4 Recommended CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT RAM: 16GB DDR4 Epic CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 10GB or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT RAM: 32GB DDR4 Ray Tracing CPU: Intel Core i7-11900K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900K GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6590 XT RAM: 32GB DDR4 Diablo IV This title pushes the envelope when it comes to RAM requirements. Low-end CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8350 GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280 RAM: 8GB Medium CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD Ryzen 1300X GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470 RAM: 16GB High-end CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT RAM: 16GB 4K CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 40 Series for DLSS3, or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT RAM: 32GB Which games benefit the most from more RAM? Even if a game doesn’t require 32GB, many will run much better than with 16GB. This is particularly true for multiplayer games where you can host your own server. In that case, you’ll want as much RAM as possible as you add more players. But that’s not the only kind of game where more RAM is helpful. Games with extremely immersive environments and ultra-high-quality graphics can use more RAM. This depends in part on how much VRAM (video RAM) your GPU has installed, because if a game’s graphics max out VRAM then the overflow goes to normal RAM. Games that use large maps can also take up more RAM. The larger the map, the more elements of the virtual environment that need to be stored. Some games have incredibly large maps that can use as much RAM as you’re willing to throw at them. Examples of games that can use a lot of RAM include Ark: Surival Evolved, Star Citizen, Galactic Civilization 3, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Some of these are older games that have received updates over the years increasing their requirements for the best performance. While you can still get away with 16GB of RAM with most games, if you want to future-proof your gaming PC, then 32GB is the way to go. Can you allocate more RAM to a game? Windows 11 allows you to allocate more RAM to any program that needs it. That’s important if you’re multitasking, that is, if you’re running other applications along with your game. In fact, the more you multitask, the more RAM you’ll need. If you’re a heavy multitasker who also runs high-end games, then 32GB of RAM or more is a wise investment. To allocate more RAM to a game, you simply need to open the Windows Task Manager, select the Details tab on the left-hand side, right-click on the game’s executable, and select “High” under “Set Priority.” That will allocate more resources to the game, including RAM. Note, though, that this means your other background applications will receive less RAM. Again, that argues to add as much RAM to your PC as you can afford. The more RAM, the better (usually) As applications, not just games, become more complex and demanding, the need for RAM continues to increase. There was a time when 8GB of RAM was sufficient, but today, you’ll want to opt for at least 16GB of RAM. If you’re buying a laptop, then you’re probably stuck with whatever amount you buy up front, so plan carefully. Heavy gamers should start considering 32GB as the norm, especially if they multitask. And it won’t be too long before you’ll be required to run with 32GB if you want the best experience.

A few factors influence the gaming laptop experience more than the display. Performance is first on the list – without a fast enough CPU and GPU, frame rates will suffer when you run your preferred games at the resolutions you want and with the desired features turned on. The keyboard is also important, given that it’s one of the most important tools for interacting with the gaming environment, and the mouse is just as important. But without a quality display, the entire gaming experience can be ruined. Poor colors, low contrast and brightness, slow refresh rates – all can contribute to a disappointing experience no matter how fast the laptop. That’s why recent developments in display technology are so welcome. There are several display technologies that have been used in gaming laptops over the years. Those include IPS, TN, and VA. More recently, we have OLED displays making a splash and even more recently mini-LED displays are the latest and greatest. A quick survey of the gaming laptop field shows that IPS, OLED, and mini-LED are the most popular and most important technologies, and so those are the ones we’re going to focus on here. IPS: it just keeps getting better In-plane switching (IPS) displays took over the laptop market in general years ago, and they’re the most popular among all kinds of machines. That includes gaming laptops, where their wide viewing angles, great colors, and potentially high refresh rates are great qualities for gaming. And IPS displays have been getting better over the last few years, with the average display having wider and more accurate colors, higher brightness, and better contrast. The biggest improvement for gamers in IPS displays is in their refresh rates, which is important if you want tear-free and smooth gaming visuals. The higher the refresh rate, the more frames per second the display can show. You can get up to a whopping 480Hz refresh rate on the Dell Alienware X17 R2 and M17 R5. Those are Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) panels at 17.3 inches, and so you’re trading sharpness for refresh rates, and 480Hz is overkill. But more meaningfully, you can easily find 240Hz displays at QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) and higher resolutions. Given how demanding modern titles are, few laptops that will push even 240 frames per second, meaning a 240Hz display is plenty for the vast majority of gamers. See Deals on Dell Alienware Laptops Where IPS displays aren’t the best is in their response time, which usually ranges from between 1ms to 5ms or sometimes more. This matters most to competitive gamers where a slower response time can result in lag that can make a difference between winning and losing a battle. OLED makes for beautiful colors and inky blacks Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays have become more popular in gaming laptops over the last couple of years. Unlike IPS displays, that use light emitting diodes (LEDs) to shine light through liquid crystals, each OLED pixel is its own light source. OLED displays offer spectacularly wide and accurate colors, incredibly deep contrast, and decent brightness (although not always as bright as IPS). See Deals on OLED Gaming Laptops As an example, while the average premium IPS display covers around 75% of the AdobeRGB color gamut, the typical OLED display is closer to 100%. And color accuracy is usually under a DeltaE of 1.0, which is the standard for excellence, compared to the typical IPS display that can be closer to 2.0 (which is still very good). OLED displays also do better with high dynamic range (HDR) content thanks to their contrast, showing off a ton of detail in darker scenes. OLED panels are also available with fast refresh rates, up to 240Hz, with the Razer Blade 15 offering a QHD (2,560 x 1,440) OLED panel running at 240Hz. An additional advantage of OLED is that the technology provides for extremely fast response times, well under 1ms. The combination of high refresh rates and low response times makes for incredibly smooth, tear-free gaming. See Deals on Razer Gaming Laptops OLED displays use more power, and they can theoretically suffer from burn-in, where any static image that’s displayed on the screen can become a permanent fixture. But so far, it seems like burn-in hasn’t been a major problem with laptop displays. Mini-LED brings incredibly high brightness The most recent addition to the stable of gaming laptop displays is mini-LED, a technology that first appeared on Apple’s MacBook Pro. Like IPS displays, mini-LED panels also use LEDs to shine light through liquid crystals. The difference is that the LED lighting zones are much smaller and can be individually controlled. That allows for more contrast (deeper blacks) and mini-LED displays can also be a lot brighter, up to a theoretical 1,600 nits on the MacBook Pro compared to an average of 400 nits for premium IPS panels. Mini-LED displays also offer wider colors than IPS but not as wide as OLED, and they’re also very accurate. Their contrast rivals that of OLED displays, but their brightness is much higher. That makes mini-LED great for HDR content, and the first gaming laptops with the technology were released just this year. Note that mini-LED displays don’t offer the fast response rates of OLED, coming in closer to IPS panels in this metric. A great example is the Razer Blade 16, which has a 16-inch mini-LED dual-display panel that can run at UHD+ (3,840 x 2,400) and 120Hz or Full HD+ (1,920 x 1,200) at 240Hz. The Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 also offers a mini-LED display that runs at QHD+ and 240Hz, with a peak brightness of 1,100 nits and a response rate of 3ms. If you want to run modern games that offer HDR, then mini-LED is the best option. See Deals on Mini LED Gaming Laptops The future is bright The only problem with the dramatic improvement in gaming laptop displays is making the choice between technologies. For the most part, consider IPS the “budget” option and the one that offers the absolute highest refresh rates, while OLED is great if you also want to use your gaming laptop for creative work. Mini-LED is the best option for HDR content and for anyone who simply wants the brightest display.

Acer just announced its most powerful gaming laptop ever, the Predator Triton 17 X. It sports the latest in CPU, GPU, and display technology and starts out at a whopping $3,800. But it’s not alone. Here are a few other examples of the most powerful gaming machines available today. Acer Predator Triton 17 X It’s not just us calling the Predator Triton 17 X, to be available in May, Acer’s most powerful gaming laptop ever. That comes straight from Acer, and it’s no surprise. The machine is powered by the 55-watt Intel Core i9-13900HX, a 24-core, 32-thread CPU with eight Performance cores running at up to 5.4GHz and 16 Efficient cores running at up to 3.9GHz. It can ramp up to 157 watts on demand, making it an incredibly fast CPU. The Predator Triton 17 X can also equip Nvidia’s most powerful GPU, the GeForce RTX 4090 that utilizes the latest Ada Lovelace technology that includes advanced Shader Execution Reordering (SER), Nvidia’s third-generation ray tracing, and DLSS 3 that uses AI to provide better quality and even greater frame rate performance improvement. The machine toes the line between a conservative laptop and a gaming machine, with aggressive venting and per-key RGB lighting but without the ostentatious case design of some gaming laptops. And it’s built around a QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) IPS display running at 240Hz and providing up to 500 nits of brightness. RAM can be configured up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz chips and up to a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD. It’s a fast and attractive laptop that’s well worth its high price. Deals on Acer Gaming Laptops Razer Blade 16 Razer gaming laptops have one of the most iconic aesthetics, with the same black chassis that enjoys the same kind of elegant lines as Apple’s MacBook Pro. It’s a look that works anywhere, and the new Razer Blade 16 ups the screen size just slightly with a new dual mode 16:10 UHD+ (3,840 x 2,400) mini-LED display that runs at up to 120Hz at its full resolution and 240Hz at Full HD+ (1,920 x 1,200). It provides the best of both worlds when it comes to visual performance. Inside you’ll find up to the slightly faster Core i9-13950HX CPU and the RTX 4090, at a hefty price of $4,300. Drop down to an RTX 4060 and a QHD+ IPS display and you can spend $2,700. Either way, it’s an expensive laptop. The per-key RGB keyboard is excellent, as is the spacious touchpad. Performance is excellent and the look and feel are unparalleled among gaming laptops. The Razer Blade 16 offers an elegance that most gaming machines lacks, along with all the performance. Deals on Razer Gaming Laptops Alienware X16 Dell’s Alienware lineup is another iconic brand that melds unique aesthetics with high performance. The Alienware X16 is a prime example, with a thin and light chassis that sports a sleek and modern look. Packed inside is the Core i9-13900HK, a 14-core, 20-thread CPU that’s slower than the HX model in the other machines here but still fast enough for modern titles. You can equip up to the RTX 4090, with 32GB of LPDDR5-6000MHz RAM and 4TB of storage in RAID 0 thanks to two 2TB drives. Two QHD+ IPS panels are available, one running at 165Hz and the other at 240Hz. The Alienware X16 aims more for a sleek chassis than the utmost in gaming performance, and that meets the needs of a sizeable market. It’s not an inexpensive laptop, though, starting at $3,050 and maxing out at $4,000. But if you want a full-size laptop you can more easily carry around, then the Alienware X16 is a solid option. Deals on Alienware Gaming Laptops Asus Zephyrus G14 You can’t build a list of powerful gaming laptops without including AMD. The company’s latest Ryzen 7000 mobile CPUs offer excellent gaming performance, and the Asus Zephyrus G14 is a more portable machine that still packs in tons of power. First there’s the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS, an 8-core/16-thread CPU running at up to a 5.2GHz max boost rate. It’s mated with up to 32GB of fast DDR5-4800 RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. You can also choose up to the RTX 4090, meaning that you’ll get the fastest graphics performance available in a laptop today. And you’ll also enjoy a smaller laptop that’s 0.81 inches at its thickest point and weighs just 3.79 pounds. And its chassis, while not overtly gamer-oriented, features the Asus AniMe Matrix LED panel on the lid that can display text, animations, and more. The Asus ROG Nebula HDR display, a 16:10 mini-LED panel at a QHD+ resolution and offering up to a 165Hz refresh rate. The Zephyrus G14 offers a supremely powerful gaming laptop in a much more portable form factor. We don’t have pricing yet for the most powerful configurations, but it starts at around $1,800 for the AMD CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 4070. So, it’s likely to be less expensive at the high end than some other options on this list. Deals on Asus Gaming Laptops Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Lenovo’s Legion Pro 7i is notable for its attractive pricing, offering a configuration with a Core i9-13900HX CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and RTX 4080 for $2,680. It’s pricier at $3,600 when fully configured with an RTX 4090 and 32GB of RAM, but it performs extremely well at the $2,680 price point. According to at least one review, the Legion Pro 7i punches well above its weight class, providing both creative and gaming performance that competes with machines equipping the faster RTX 4090. And the design is conservative enough to be used in all kinds of environments, including the professional locales where its creative performance can shine. It does have per-key RGB lighting and an RGB “U” light up front to add some panache. The Legion Pro 7i doesn’t offer a mini-LED display as do some other top machines, but its IPS panel is QHD+ at up to 240Hz. It has enough brightness and good enough colors that it can serve as both a gaming and productivity machine. The Legion Pro 7i deserves a place on this list mainly because it can be purchased for a lot less money while still providing great performance. Deals on Lenovo Gaming Laptops This is just the beginning There are plenty of other great gaming laptops coming out in 2023, and so this is just a sampling. As the year progresses, we’ll see machines that are just as fast and offer both OLED and mini-LED displays that provide enhanced gaming experiences. And that’s a great place to be if you’re looking for a new gaming machine.