Hands on with The Duskbloods Network Test
Hands on with The Duskbloods Network Test
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Hands-On Preview
Published on August 26, 2026 3:42 PM - 17 minute read
A promising online experience that complements last year's co-op focused, Elden Ring: Nightreign, satiating the PvP focused From fans.

I was fortunate enough to get an invite to the Network Test for The Duskbloods on the Switch 2 this past weekend. I was able to embark into the land of dusk over the course of all three days it ran and I walked away excited about what FromSoftware is cooking up here. Like every FromSoftware game, it feels built on the back of the last game, and the influence of Elden Ring: Nightreign is clearly apparent. But interestingly, it also evokes Bloodborne in equal measure, while offering something that feels familiar, but unique.

The Arcade Games of Splatoon Raiders
The Arcade Games of Splatoon Raiders
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Special
Published on August 23, 2026 12:35 PM - 5 minute read
Splatoon's arcade games make a triumphant return in the latest iteration of the series.

One of my favorite things about the original Splatoon was that while you were waiting for an online match to start, you could play a little 8-bit arcade style game.  I even wrote an article about them here.  I missed having them in the sequels, but I can understand why they took them out.  I think most people would rather play in a practice arena doing what they’ll actually do in the match while they wait, and I think some of the extra arcade games were locked behind amiibo figures anyway.  But I still liked them because I’m weird I guess.  So I was pleasantly surprised that the arcade games made a return in Splatoon Raiders!  I don’t even remember anyone talking about them in previews or reviews, so it was a surprise to me!  So I’m going to talk about them here!

Almost Done Too
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Blog Entry
Published on August 22, 2026 4:50 PM - 6 minute read

The digital only 360 titles I played this week.

Almost There...
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Blog Entry
Published on August 21, 2026 5:32 PM - 4 minute read

Meaning, I'm almost done with all my Xbox 360 games. I think there's less than 10 left both digital and physical. Here's what I got to this week.

Looking a Wii Bit Ahead
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Blog Entry
Published on August 15, 2026 2:12 PM - 8 minute read

It's taking me a long time getting through Xbox 360, and probably a while to get through PS3. I may be starting Wii next year at this rate, but I think I'll just keep on going until I get to the present and then start from the beginning again sometime next year. I really want to get through everything I have and weed out the stuff I don't like.

Getting Close To Done 2
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Blog Entry
Published on August 14, 2026 5:52 PM - 7 minute read

And now the digital titles I revisited this week.

Getting Closer to Done
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Blog Entry
Published on August 14, 2026 5:00 PM - 7 minute read

Another mega-batch of games as I forge ahead and try to wrap up my 360 revisit. I'll stick with the physical games first.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die Review
Agent 64: Spies Never Die Review
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Review
Published on August 10, 2026 3:00 PM - 9 minute read
A Rare shooter for the modern era.

It was the summer of '97 - we were on a family vacation in Montreal and went to La Ronde Amusement Park for the day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I was there; a Nintendo Megadome, right inside the park. It was like a dream come true. Even better, it was right before the release of GoldenEye 007, so I got my first look at what would soon become one of my favorite games ever. We played everything we could and left, VHS in hand, promoting some of the upcoming releases, including GoldenEye. There were some other promotional materials too, a dossier that would be thumbed through hundreds of times before we were graced with a copy of the game that Christmas.

Preppin' for PS3
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Blog Entry
Published on August 8, 2026 3:25 PM - 8 minute read

I see the end of my 360 games in sight and so started putting my PS3 games in order for some serious PS3 action in a couple of weeks, probably.

Too Many to Mention
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Blog Entry
Published on August 7, 2026 4:43 PM - 4 minute read

I played a lot of digital titles this week and stuck with almost none of them (no respawns) but enjoyed myself quite a bit. Also some disc-based ones I did stick with a little longer.

Spyro's Adventure
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Blog Entry
Published on August 1, 2026 4:25 PM - 4 minute read

I'm currently playing Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure again for any remaining achievements and to look at my figure collection. Here's an overview of the complete figures for the game.

More 360 Done
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Blog Entry
Published on July 31, 2026 7:24 PM - 7 minute read

Another lot of games I revisited this week on Xbox 360.

Third Console Curse - Part One
Third Console Curse - Part One
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Special
Published on July 31, 2026 6:30 PM - 20 minute read
Is every third console doomed before it launches? Casey explores the curse.

In console gaming, there is a legend known as the Third Console Curse. Most consoles are not successful enough to receive a follow-up. If they are, then a third console is still not guaranteed. It is a hard industry not only to break into, but sustain a market share in. Yet something happens with the third console every time. It fails to meet the company's initial goals. Maybe it still sells fine, maybe the console has a wonderful library of games. Even if that is the case, the company loses market share and is in a worse spot at the end of the console's life than they were going into it. It could be arrogance from success. It could be a lack of perspective from being too used to success. Maybe it's just rotten luck. But it's consistent.

Week of 3tricksy
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Blog Entry
Published on July 24, 2026 2:29 PM - 7 minute read

I had a really good time with Xbox 360, or 3tricksy as I like to call it, this week. This is what I got to in my journey through all my 360 games.

Plowing Through the 360s
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Blog Entry
Published on July 17, 2026 2:34 PM - 10 minute read

Knocked off a bunch more in the 360 collection. I was writing down all the digital only games I wanted to play on 360 and came across a lot of them. I own a lot more than I remember and there are ones I missed as well. This is just adding to my "collection" and making getting through 360 a real chore. I passed my usual burnout on year-long gaming projects a month ago, so I think I'm good for the distance now. Here's this week's plays plus a few buys.

Cary's Best Games of 2026 SO FAR Awards Show!
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Blog Entry
Published on July 16, 2026 12:15 PM - 12 minute read

Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten.  So here’s when those games get their due.  Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed.  And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet.  Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!

Pseudoregalia Review
Pseudoregalia Review
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Review
Published on July 14, 2026 12:09 PM - 8 minute read
Peak platforming with PS1 paint

Even from the outset, Pseudoregalia proves to be a fascinating game. Visually, it's striking - evoking the PlayStation 1 - you won't see many games that look quite like it these days, and few, if any, are able to pull off the style successfully. Similar to a title on the PlayStation, you're dropped into the game without much fanfare and with only the ability to jump. You have no map to help you navigate, no weapon to defend yourself, and compared to later in the game, extremely limited mobility. Exploring Castle Sansa and its surrounding areas will net you a sword and upgrades to it, as well as myriad upgrades to your movement abilities, enabling you to reach more parts of the castle.

Star Fox Review
Star Fox Review
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Review
Published on July 9, 2026 2:30 AM - 9 minute read
When a remake looks and plays this well, it's hard to complain.

The Star Fox series has always been special to me. When I turned 8, shortly after the original game came out, my parents surprised me with it on my birthday. At the time, I remember thinking the 3D graphics were incredible and the game was extremely fun. I was addicted to blasting through space and foiling Andross' plans to dominate the universe. Years on, I remember obsessing over my Nintendo Power issues that showed Star Fox 2 - the new characters and crafts looked amazing. Unfortunately, it wouldn't officially see the light of day until I was an adult, but my Star Fox appetite would soon be satiated with Star Fox 64.

June 2026 Recap
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Blog Entry
Published on July 8, 2026 8:20 PM - 3 minute read

I skip town for a couple weeks and the site looks totally different!

Microsoft Shreds More of the Industry
Microsoft Shreds More of the Industry
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Editorial
Published on July 7, 2026 1:23 AM - 5 minute read
Laying off 1600 employees today and offloading four studios, Microsoft begin restructuring their gaming division.

For years Microsoft hoovered up more and more of the games industry. It was shocking when they purchased Bethesda - a huge third party publisher and development house. By the time they secured the deal to buy Activision-Blizzard, it was much less so, and it was clear that Microsoft believed they could buy all the properties they needed to make GamePass a success. It didn't take long to see that their strategy wasn't working.

Last Week's Plays
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Blog Entry
Published on July 6, 2026 10:45 PM - 3 minute read

Revisited this week on Xbox 360:

No Respawns
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Blog Entry
Published on June 27, 2026 3:02 PM - 5 minute read

In revisiting my collection, I'm trying to keep it brief by not respawning unless I can't resist it. I restarted many times in Space Invaders Extreme, for instance. I wanted to respawn in Minecraft, but didn't. Sometimes I just want to leave something for later. Going back to one I've 100% completed is kind of downer. So these are this week's revisits. 

We Adore the PS4 Part 2: Biggies and Indies
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Blog Entry
Published on June 26, 2026 12:31 AM - 11 minute read

In the last part of my PS4 tribute blog, we looked at the games I enjoyed on the PS4 that were classic collections or remakes.  And on this one, we’ll look at the more AAA titles (well as AAA as I get anyway), as well as the indie titles on the opposite end of the spectrum.  Like I said before, most of these games you can enjoy on other platforms, I just played them on PS4.

Just Like 2011
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Blog Entry
Published on June 24, 2026 3:00 PM - 10 minute read

Here's my "waiting for a car repair" blog about the 2011 games that I played relatively close to release date in order of Metacritic rating for that year. Also, I'm just noting the system I played the game on, not all available systems. 

2010 Was Splendid
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Blog Entry
Published on June 23, 2026 8:55 PM - 9 minute read

It's fun to go down the Metacritic [MC] list, so I'm doing it again for the stuff I played in 2010.