Bloodstained’s Challenge: When History and Perception Collide

By Peter W. Smorynski Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a game Kickstarted into motion by Koji Igarashi in 2015 as the spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night may be having a public perception problem. This is undoubtedly in part due to the rocky road of its development cycle, which has included several lengthy …

Link’s Awakening 2019: Old Rumors rouse a New Reality

By Peter W. Smorynski The rumors had been rolling in like waves for months…and then, suddenly, the dream became a reality. On February 13, 2018, during their Nintendo Direct, Nintendo lifted the lid on a Nintendo Switch remake of 1993’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the original Game Boy. As "The One More …

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link – How a Black Sheep was a Link to the Future

By Peter W. Smorynski "Link set out on his most adventuresome quest yet…” So begins 1988’s Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES, a controversial entry that has since been dismissed as the “black sheep” of the Zelda franchise—and is just as likely to be found in a list of classic '80s video …

Godzilla’s Gigantic Pop Culture Footprint

By Peter W. Smorynski The ground shakes, buildings tremble, and screams of terror mix with shouts of hope. For over sixty years, all around the globe, there’s only been one monster who can elicit such a contradictory phenomenon. GODZILLA. Recently, I was approached by an acquaintance in academics to comment on how Godzilla affected pop …

Smashing Directly into History – Why Castlevania’s Crossover with Nintendo Matters

Update 12/5/18: Click HERE for Direct-Download Audio Version By Peter W. Smorynski Swish! Crack! Whoosh! Hear that? It’s the sound of a million flickering candles being smashed! Friends, Simon and Richter Belmont from the Castlevania franchise are coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch! Wait, you’re more excited about King K. Rool, …

Mega Man 9: Robotic Recycling or Revival?

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Games!] Is Mega Man 9 being overhyped? There's no doubt it's a must-play game, especially for Mega Man fans, but the buzz about it being among "the best" in the series seems to be crossing the line. As a fan of Mega Man since Mega Man 2 on the NES …

The Revolution was Televised (PART 2 of 2): Toonami’s Broader TV Legacy

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Anime!] As noted in PART 1, from March 1997 to September 2008, Toonami inspired a generation through its positive philosophy and a fresh dose of creativity. However, with the end of this revolutionary action-cartoon block, I've noticed that most major animation news outlets have downplayed or even ignored Toonami's contributions …

The Revolution was Televised (PART 1 of 2): The Toonami Generation

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Anime!] March 17, 1997. Deep space. On the Ghost Planet, the decision was made to fire an experimental cannon. That afternoon, an unidentified object burst through Earth's atmosphere and blazed a luminous trail across the sky. Trying to control the frenzy sweeping the globe, authorities tracked down the UFO to …