Chris Trottier

I don’t like Etrian Odyssey II HD on Steam Deck.

Actually, I hate it.

Which is too bad because it’s a Japanese-made first person dungeon crawler. I should be all over that. But as it turns out, this game is a perfect storm of design choices that I plain loathe.

My least favourite aspect of dungeon crawlers is character customization. I hate naming characters, adjusting stats like so, and configuring their jobs. It makes me feel like I work in HR. Which is why I, whenever I can, randomize that stuff so we can get to the the dungeon crawling.

Etrian Odyssey II offers no defaults, doesn’t even give your characters a name. And why do I even have to name my party?

You’re not automatically given your quest at the beginning of the game. You have to tediously visit the proper authorities so they tell you.

And once you finally start questing, you are told… your job is to make maps.

Ugh.

I don’t want to be a cartographer. It doesn’t thrill me to select the proper icons. Or stare at boxes that need to be detailed.

Now this game originally came out on Nintendo DS, which gives some context for why this game mechanic exists. Back then, people were itching to do something with their stylus. And the second screen was a good place to display a map.

But on Steam Deck, you’re stuck with one screen in landscape mode. If portrait mode was allowed, at least we’d have something akin to a DS experience.

And this gets me to the next aspect about Etrian Odyssey II that I don’t like. The first person view only lets you see the scenario. You can’t see enemies in front of you. You’re walking by around and then—BOOM!—you’re in a battle.

I don’t mind this experience with typical JRPGs but when I already have the stressing of building a map, well, I’d at least like to see what’s in front of me. Because if I have to be so god damn precise with the cartography, why can’t I at least map out the enemy encounters?

Etrian Odyssey ain’t for me. I’m sure it’s for someone else, and that’s fine. But this one doesn’t give me thrills.

New sport idea:

It’s MMA, but the winner gets the right to scalp Pokémon cards on Facebook Marketplace.

With Screamer now getting a modern reboot, it’s worth celebrating the original.

When it came out in 1995, it was basically the PC’s answer to Daytona and Ridge Racer. That is, it was a full arcade experience right on your desktop. And it was incredible.

I’m thrilled this franchise is getting revived.

Why are cocoa beans never on time?

Because they’re always chocolate.

I’m sick and tired of all these Subaru ads that follow me everywhere on the Internet.

Okay, the cars are interesting.

But I don’t own a dog, I’m not going camping, and I don’t even know what Provincetown has to do with anything.

Whenever I’m in a woman’s clothing store, it’s always awkward because the retail workers have to talk to me, ask me why I’m there, and my response is to always point at my wife and daughter to say, “I’m with her.”

I don’t mind shopping with my family. I’m the sanctioned opinion giver.

But having to have a conversation with everyone else is weird.

Malls ain’t dead.

At least not in Vancouver. These are centres for great eats, wonderful toys, and electronics.

And of course, tea. So much exceptional tea.

The world famous Vancouver bolo bun.

Just picked up two exceptional PSP games.

Why does Belgium have so many good songs?

What the hell is in their water?

“Le Banana Split” is such a bop.

https://youtu.be/sJZ1G0e5bWU

Serenade for the Dead

**Verse 1**
I had a vision
Of naked mermaids
Singing melodies
Under the moonlight
Voices resounding
Intoning the tale
Of a young man shot to death on the beach

**Chorus**
Under tide, they make me right
Dress me up in borrowed light
Cold mouth, nothing said
All their songs inside my head
Hands that I can never feel
Turn me into something real
Not a man, not a name
Just a body in their song

*Verse 2**
This young man
Of cigarette smoke swagger
Who lost all his savings on baseball odds
Discovered he never had any friends
Then had his blood drained into the ocean

**Chorus**
Under tide, they make me right
Dress me up in borrowed light
Cold mouth, nothing said
All their songs inside my head
Hands that I can never feel
Turn me into something real
Not a man, not a name
Just a body in their song

**Verse 3**
When his pale white body
Washed from the shore
Mermaids found he had a beautiful corpse
With naked frustration
They kissed his lips
Could only desire him through serenade

**Bridge**
Don’t wake me
Don’t break me
I’m better this way
No heartbeat
No daylight
Just voices that stay
You found me
You kept me
Where I couldn’t be
Now drown me
In something
That sounds like me

**Chorus**
Under tide, they make me right
Dress me up in borrowed light
Cold mouth, nothing said
All their songs inside my head
Hands that I can never feel
Turn me into something real
Not a man, not a name
Just a body in their song

I’m a monarchist only in the sense that I believe a head of state should have no political power.

And that goes for presidents that want to be kings too.

Animal Crossing now has a native PC port.

It’s not official. So it’s only a matter of time before Nintendo takes it down.

https://steamdeckhq.com/news/animal-crossing-native-pc-port-on-steam-deck/

All right, fine. You made me do this.

Here’s Angine de Potrine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ssi-9wS1so

I’m sorry, but 32-bit iOS is now retro.

And it’s going to take work to preserve the platform.

https://youtu.be/1Y1r4IlMjbs

Wow! Talk about a hot mess!

This woman was $4.5 million in debt, and thought that killing her husband would net her $4 million—and that she’d be able to run away with another man to boot.

But then she has the chutzpah to write a book about recovering from grief—which she didn’t even write herself, she hired a ghostwriter.

So of course the prosecutors used that book against her.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kouri-richins-convicted-9.7131332

This is a shocking story.

Krafton CEO Changhan Kim reportedly used ChatGPT while planning the removal of the Subnautica founders in order to avoid paying a $250 million bonus tied to the release of Subnautica 2.

According to the court’s findings, Krafton then attempted to delay the game’s release in order to evade that payout.

The judge ruled that this conduct was intentional.

As a result, the court ordered Ted Gill to be immediately reinstated as CEO with full authority over the project. In corporate disputes, executives who are fired typically seek financial damages. Courts almost never order reinstatement through “specific performance.”

The ruling also equitably extended the bonus deadline. Krafton’s attempt to avoid the $250 million payment by delaying the game therefore backfired. The creators now have additional time to qualify for the full amount.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bombshell-judgment-demands-krafton-immediately-reinstate-ousted-ceo-and-return-his-authority-over-subnautica-2

So here’s the demo for Prettiest Girl Alive.

I hired a band off Fiverr to make this a poppy summer jam. And they did an impeccable job. Just nailed everything I wanted this song to be.

It really is the musical equivalent of ice cream, which is exactly what I was aiming for.

But what do you think? Should I record a final, more polished version?

@atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org

I dabble in songwriting. So I want to share the rough draft and then the finished product.

First, I had an idea for a melody. And as soon as it came into my head, I had to sing it a cappella on Voice Memos.

As soon as I sang it, I realized this could be a sweet sugary summer jam. So I composed the lyrics for Prettiest Girl Alive:

**Verse 1**
Neon on the street
Ice cream in your hand
Sugar on your lips
I barely understand

**Chorus**
Prettiest girl alive
Ice cream, summer night
Cold sugar on your smile
Streetlights burning bright
Vanilla on your tongue
Cherry on your grin
Whole world fading out
When you lean in

**Verse 2**
Chocolate on your sleeve
You laugh at the mess
Cherry on the spoon
I try not to guess

**Chorus**
Prettiest girl alive
Ice cream, summer night
Cold sugar on your smile
Streetlights burning bright
Vanilla on your tongue
Cherry on your grin
Whole world fading out
When you lean in

**Bridge**
Two cones dripping slow
Bench by the park
Your laugh ringing out
Bright in the dark

**Verse 3**
Maybe just a night
Maybe something more
But every melting drop
Feels worth waiting for

**Verse 3**
Napkins on the ground
You steal one more bite
Sugar on your grin
Everything feels right

**Chorus**
Prettiest girl alive
Ice cream, summer night
Cold sugar on your smile
Streetlights burning bright
Vanilla on your tongue
Cherry on your grin
Whole world fading out
When you lean in

I next had to figure out what I wanted this to sound like. At first, I wanted to make this a power pop song similar to “Teenage Kicks* by The Undertones. But that didn’t work.

Then I realized, “Why not just make this an unapologetic pop song?” After, I’m literally comparing a woman to ice cream flavours. Just own it.

I then contracted a band of Fiverr to record a demo. And the result is the most sugary summer pop jam I’ve ever made.

Because Mastodon doesn’t allow you to post two MP3 files, I’ll show you the demo version in the next post. But for now, here’s the rough draft a cappella.

I was in the badminton club bar, drinking Corona Zero. There were three bottles beside me, and I ordered one more.

This older lady—who wouldn’t mind her own business—walked up to me, said, “You’re a disgrace. You need to stop drinking and get back into shape.”

And I was like, “Whatever, I’m going to the gym in a half hour anyway.”

So some time elapses. I decide, okay, I got to stop being lazy, and hit the gym.

I walk in, put 260 on the bar, get ready for a deadlift.

And who’s in the corner doing a stretch? The lady chewing me out in the bar.

Then I do my lift off the ground, hold it for a good 15 seconds. Do eight more reps. And with the last lift, during those 15 seconds, my eyes meet the lady’s. So I nod at her.

Her eyes go wide like saucers.

I don’t know what the big deal is. But then I realize, “Wait a minute. She saw me down four beers. And she didn’t notice they were non-alcoholic.”

That’s when I realized I’m now a legend to that lady.

Good. I’m glad a new GPU company is entering the market to compete with Nvidia and AMD.

Prices for GPUs have been out of control and it’s time that the mainstays stop squeezing the consumer while they pursue AI hyperscalers.

“B-b-b-but they’re Chinese!”

Yeah, and where are the new North American, Japanese, or European GPU companies?

https://www.tipranks.com/news/amd-nvda-stocks-slip-as-a-new-gpu-competitor-enters-the-market

My heater broke down on the one day it snows in Vancouver. 😐

The latest fad is “churning and burning”.

This is when you churn butter while going for a jog at the same time.

Which one of you is already doing this?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/how-to-churn-butter-while-running-9.7127209

Time to talk about this week’s exciting new releases!

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! – similar to Earth Defence Force but it’s a boomer shooter. And it’s got that Starship Troopers license, so we’ll see what happens.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321780/Starship_Troopers_Ultimate_Bug_War/

The Hero of Destiny was killed by the final boss – an action RPG where the hero dies at the beginning, so the NPCs have to get together to pick up the slack. Visuals have a low-poly PSX aesthetic.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4364210/The_Hero_of_Destiny_was_killed_by_the_final_boss/

Crimson Desert – an open world action-adventure with fantasy elements. This is a huge AAA title from the same folks who made Black Desert—but it’s a single player game, not an MMO.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3321460/Crimson_Desert/

DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH – A PlayStation game, directed by Hideo Kojima, that’s coming to PC—which might be one of the last single-layer PlayStation games to ever come to PC.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3280350/DEATH_STRANDING_2_ON_THE_BEACH/

RUSHING BEAT X: Return Of Brawl Brothers – a revival of the Jaleco beat-‘em-up series, which includes both Brawl Brothers and Rival Turf. Features 2.5D graphics, not pixel art.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2488290/RUSHING_BEAT_X_Return_Of_Brawl_Brothers/#app_reviews_hash

Excoverse – a 3D hack-‘n-slash action RPG with anime aesthetics and a fantasy theme.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3039230/Excoverse/

The greatest—and most hilarious—political rebuttal I’ve ever read.

And yes, this is real. It’s a joint reply from the Tla’amin, Klahoose, K’ómoks and Homalco Nations over a local MP getting up in arms over First Nations land acknowledgements.

We need more “Chillax, Bud”.

This Norwegian PSA about enshittification is absolute gold.

It is pure art.

https://youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ

When my daughter was born, I made a commitment to her:

I would raise her to listen to vinyl.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand why I felt this was important. And certain people on the Internet said I was being cruel to my child for making her listen to my music. But it’s been 12 years of listening to vinyl almost every day of her life.

Through this experience, what I’ve come to understand is that this isn’t about music in and of itself. It’s actually about many things at once.

Having a time where we talk to each other. Sharing an experience. The ritual of holding the sleeve, touching the record, then carefully placing the needle to the groove.

But most of all, it’s about realizing that culture is often tactile, not ephemeral. And each record is a memory. A moment in her life.

Sometimes when she discovers her own music—gets excited about a band—I tell her, “Let’s go buy the vinyl”. Then we listen to it for a solid week. And we come away realizing this is a part of our lives.

And funny enough, this happens quite often. We’re sometimes in a supermarket, a tune comes on, and my kid goes, “Hey, I remember that song! We have that album! I was in grade 5 when we heard it!”

RE: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/898338bc-a1af-4e38-87ec-3f3d7a014905

Here’s what Gen Z really needs to appreciate about now:

Never has it been so easy to experience culture from around the world. You can see what’s going on in Kenya, South Korea, and Brazil. What’s more, you can talk to these creatives right now—and they’ll talk back.

Just the other day, I started a conversation about Oceanhorn 3, a Zelda-like game made in Finland. Then the devs started popping in, talking about their experiences making the game. That was pretty neat.

And it’s not something that would have happened in the 90s.

RE: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/57abccd0-e9ca-458f-a4f6-1478887b59e3

Two years ago, 32GB of RAM cost me $100. Now it’s $400. By now, I thought that 64GB of RAM would be standard. But instead, new laptops will have to do with 8GB. RE: https://turtleisland.social/users/csgraves/statuses/116172177623833820

This is the funniest Steam Deck accessory I’ve ever seen! Don’t get me wrong. I understand why this keyboard/stand exists. It has a practical function. But imagine sitting down at Starbucks. The room is full of normal laptops. Clean lines. Thin aluminum. Civilized. You unzip a case that looks like it contains military hardware. Out comes a handheld gaming console. Then a keyboard. Then a clamp. You assemble it in stages like you’re preparing to launch a small satellite. Click. Lock. Adjust angle. Tighten mount. The joysticks loom over your Word document like twin anti-aircraft turrets. The ABXY buttons shimmer with the promise of violence. You begin typing your gentle coming-of-age novel. Every paragraph is written beneath a D-pad. Someone glances over, expecting Elden Ring. Instead they see you carefully crafting a metaphor about autumn leaves. You nod solemnly and continue Chapter 3. When the barista calls your name, you detach the entire contraption in reverse order like a NASA rollback procedure. You pack away the clamp. You holster the console. You slide the keyboard into its sheath. You leave behind only confusion. No one knows if you were coding, gaming, or coordinating a drone strike. You were writing poetry.

There is nothing good about war.

Not a single thing.

Physical media is making a comeback.

I’ve never stopped buying physical media. I still have all my CDs, DVDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, and cartridges. So I guess I’m ahead of the curve.

But I have a love/hate relationship with it.

On one hand, I have tremendous value looking at my shelf full of media. It says something about me and a little bit about my life. Not just my taste, but also what I aspire towards.

And there is something nice about using all of this on vintage electronics. Yesterday, I bought a VHS. I popped it into my VCR and watched it on my tube TV.

On the other hand, all this stuff takes up space. As time goes on, I find myself having to be more and more choosey about what I bring home. Sometimes I look at my stuff and go, “Do I really need this?”

Which is why I gave away five of my physical games to my local video game shop yesterday. I figured it was time for someone else to get joy out of it.

So as the younger generations think about acquiring more physical stuff, I keep thinking, “How do I keep only the stuff that truly means something to me?”

https://fstoppers.com/film/why-physical-media-making-comeback-among-younger-generations-722024

The R36S handheld console is so impressive!

I own Tetris on Game Boy. Playing on the original platform is a struggle. The original screen is muddy and lacks a backlight.

But on the R36S, it is a revelation. The display is crisp and vibrant. The music sings.

It looks similar to an original Game Boy. But it’s better. And for C$55, when it comes to gaming, this is the best bang for your buck.

RE: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/5ae6dbc9-d28e-4c23-ad54-57857f406056

Hey Apple fans, what do you think of EverCrisp? Just bought it at the store, and I’ve never had one before.

Okay. First impressions.

Spec sheet: cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji. So basically flagship-tier crunch architecture paired with long-term sweetness stability. On paper that already sounds like a maxed-out configuration.

Unboxing experience. The skin has this clean, premium finish. Deep red with subtle speckling. Feels dense in the hand. No hollow spots. Weight distribution feels intentional. This is not a budget apple.

Now performance.

The bite response time is instant. Zero lag. The crunch is sharp and high-decibel, like the chassis is reinforced. It doesn’t compress, it fractures. Structural integrity is on another level. I was not prepared for that.

Then the sweetness profile boots up. It’s not flat sugar. It’s layered. High Brix, but balanced. There’s acidity running in the background keeping everything optimized. No overheating, no syrupy overload. Just sustained output.

And here’s what’s wild.

I looked it up. This thing launched in 2017 and it’s still considered top-tier. That’s longevity. That’s long software support energy. Meanwhile I’ve been eating older “models” that peak early season and degrade fast. Mushy by month two. Battery health at 78%. EverCrisp apparently holds in cold storage for months and still benchmarks high on crunch retention.

That’s insane.

Honeycrisp on its own? Incredible display, but inconsistent durability. Fuji? Solid battery life, maybe slightly conservative performance curve. EverCrisp feels like the refined generation where they solved the trade-offs. Peak snap plus endurance.

And now I’m looking at the rest of the apples in my kitchen differently.

Why did I tolerate soft textures? Why did I accept muted flavor? This feels optimized. Like someone finally integrated the hardware and software stack instead of mixing random components.

I genuinely thought apples were just apples.

No. This is a different class.

If this is what late-season performance looks like, I’ve been living in the wrong ecosystem.

I found the rogue-like card game that really speaks to me.

Now I like Slay the Spire and Roguebook. It's good solid fun.

Yet Shogun Showdown is the absolute best.

Look at this footage I’m sharing. Gives you a little taste of the strategy. Yeah, the levels are procedurally generated. But this is a game of skill.

And look at those pixel graphics. Listen to that stellar soundtrack. This has a one-of-kind feel.

It took me 10 hours to reach the final boss. Believe me, it took wit and guile—and just a little bit of grit.

Shogun Showdown has a 96% positive rating based on 3,301 reviews. And yeah, it deserves that rating.

Rumour is that a Steam Deck OLED price hike is coming.

Which shouldn’t surprise everyone given the rising price hikes of RAM and SSDs.

But sure sucks that four-year-old hardware is now more expensive than ever because of AI.

Xbox was never just a console. It was a defensive move.

Bill Gates saw Sony pushing PlayStation into the living room and understood the risk. If the console became the center of home computing, Windows lost strategic relevance. In 1999, Microsoft even tried to buy Nintendo to secure that ground and was rejected. Xbox was the fallback. Control the box under the TV or risk losing the OS on the desk.

The current reality is that there’s no “big 3” but a “big 4”. Valve, of course, being the 4th. And I mention this because, funny enough, Valve is a reaction to Microsoft.

Microsoft is an odd duck in that Xbox, the platform they put lots of effort in, lags behind its competitors. Windows, the platform they neglect, is the market leader in the PC gaming space but is slowly having its share eaten by Valve. And Valve, to add insult to injury, have successfully “consolized” PC gaming.

Interestingly, Gabe Newell had a huge hand in the popularity of Windows as a gaming platform, and Xbox indirectly, because he was the dude to discover Doom had a bigger install base than Windows 3.x. So he helped port Doom to Windows 95.

Ultimately, this is why I don’t think Microsoft can afford to abandon Xbox. Abandoning Xbox is not just abandoning console gaming. Because within Microsoft, Xbox serves a specific purpose.

Xbox keeps devs inside Microsoft’s ecosystem. It keeps DirectX as a gaming standard. It keeps Windows as the default gaming OS, and anchors Game Pass as a cross-platform service.

The reason I say Valve is Microsoft’s primary competitor—not Sony or Nintendo—because they control the default PC gaming storefront. And through this, they’ve introduced technology that directly threatens Microsoft:

• Steamworks APIs
• Proton compatibility layer
• SteamOS (Linux-based)
• Steam hardware

Valve has reduced dependence on Windows.

The Steam Deck runs Linux. Proton allows Windows games to run without Windows. That is the first credible consumer-scale challenge to Windows as the default PC gaming layer. For decades, PC gaming meant Windows. Now it increasingly means Steam.

If Xbox disappears, Microsoft hasn’t just ceded the console market, but the PC market as well. Because without Xbox, Game Pass loses hardware leverage, DirectX weakens in relevance, and Steam becomes even more dominant. Potentially, it could mean devs optimize for SteamOS first, not Windows.

This directly harms Windows.

Oh my God! A new New Zealand Story is getting released tomorrow!

And apparently Commodore (remember them?) has had a hand in getting this on the market.

I’m not sure how I feel about the graphics, but I’m glad this old franchise is getting a sequel.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4193730/THE_NEWZEALAND_STORY_Untold_Adventure/

Listen, I would love for Xbox to be spun off from Microsoft.

Microsoft demands 30% profit margins from Xbox. Which doesn’t make for good art. And it’s no surprise this is a big reason why they closed studios and laid off devs.

But Xbox is a really valuable brand amongst consumers. And what happens to Windows should Microsoft spin off their gaming division?

I, myself, stayed on Windows longer than I wanted to simply because of its stellar game library.

And gaming is important for Windows long-term survival because Valve is investing big time in Linux, and this has resulted in growth for Linux on the desktop.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-should-be-spun-off-from-microsoft-expert-says/1100-6538398/

The reason why I personally don’t play mobile games is because of Steam Link.

I have an RTX 3090 in my living room. I can stream games from my PC to my phone, play them at high settings, and it won’t kill my battery.

And I’m not the only one who’s opted for streaming PC games over playing native mobile games. This is becoming a big business for Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft.

RE: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/15513364-4cb4-49bf-be54-5ed910049850

Why I think mobile gaming has stopped growing, and actually shrunk when you consider inflation:

1. Attention is limited – smartphones and tablets are the most generalist of generalist devices, which means mobile games compete with WhatsApp, TikTok, ChatGPT, etc.

2. Lack of games that incentivize deep attention – on PC and console, you have games that can keep you busy for hours, sometimes even days; and the biggest mobile games are momentary distractions, not immersive

3. Free-to-play is now nagware – you start a mobile game, then you’re peppered with ads, are always pushed for micro-transaction and loot crates, and sometimes you have to pay to win

4. Performance kills battery – technically, you could create a AAA title for mobile, but that would mean your smartphone dies within an hour or two—and it’s a bigger deal to have your smartphone run out of power than your laptop or SteamDeck

5. Live service market is saturated – this is true across the board even for PC and console, but it’s even more true for the mobile market where titles like Roblox reign supreme, and few people will stop playing Roblox to try something new

RE: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/b4a300b3-de71-47fc-9fa3-fb80da4de1e7

Bombshell report! I didn’t see this coming!

PC gaming is growing. I knew that was happening. Console gaming is growing too. But what’s shocking to me?

Mobile gaming stopped growing.

It’s peaked. The audience on smartphones and tablets is static, which is forcing devs to squeeze as much revenue as possible from the same players. Which is why mobile gaming has only increased revenues by 1%.

And we’ve seen this story before. When devs chase short term profit over long term growth, it does not bode well for mobile gaming.

This isn’t the received wisdom, how the established narrative goes. But facts are facts. Mobile has reached its apex.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/mobile-revenue-remained-flat-across-2025-but-pc-gaming-sees-another-record-year-sensor-tower-state-of-gaming-2026

Huh. I just remembered that I also have Final Fantasy I on the NES.

https://atomicpoet.org/notice/B3gde9ZfjUGyryskK0

Shogun Showdown is such an addictive game, and you’ll lose hours on this.

Do you like fighting? Do you like cards? That’s what this is about.

You always start with two cards: arrows and swords. But as you defeat opponents, you gain more cards with more powerful abilities, with the option to upgrade the.

This is a turn-based rogue-like deck builder. Which means it’s a pensive affair, all about strategy—but each level is randomized.

Plus there’s something about being a pixelated samurai hanging around in the Japanese countryside. And the soundtrack, full of traditional instrumentation, makes me feel like a badass.

Considering Nvidia’s earnings, the AI bubble—if it’s a bubble—has not burst.

And trust me, nothing would warm my heart like cheaper RAM and storage prices. But alas, this isn’t happening.

Considering US foreign policy, I have my doubts it will happen because the Trump administration is betting big on robotics (therefore AI) revolutionizing American manufacturing.

But when it comes to robotics, they are clearly behind China—so there’s bound to be more spending on AI.

I’ve been using Steam for 13 years, and I’ve been completely oblivious about loot boxes.

I know badges, cards, and inventory exist but I’ve never understood their use.

But just the other day, some random dude messaged me about a trading for a card. They seemed quite desperate about that, and I thought that was weird.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/new-york-sues-video-game-developer-valve-says-its-loot-boxes-are-gambling-2026-02-25/

iPod Classic has a better library than Virtual Boy.

Right now, there’s a lot of nostalgia for the Virtual Boy. However, only 14 games were ever released on the Virtual Boy in North America, 22 worldwide. “

Meanwhile, no one thinks of iPod Classic as a gaming platform. And for good reason: the focus was on music.

However, 32 games were released for the iPod Classic. Many of them were quite good too.

So let’s compare Virtual Boy’s library to the iPod Classic’s library.

Virtual Boy:

1. 3D Tetris
2. Galactic Pinball
3. Golf
4. Innsmouth no Yakata
5. Jack Bros.
6. Mario Clash
7. Mario’s Tennis
8. Nester’s Funky Bowling
9. Panic Bomber
10. Red Alarm
11. SD Gundam Dimension War
12. Space Invaders: Virtual Collection
13. Space Squash
14. Teleroboxer
15. V-Tetris
16. Vertical Force
17. Virtual Bowling
18. Virtual Boy Wario Land
19. Virtual Fishing
20. Virtual Lab
21. Virtual League Baseball
22. Waterworld

iPod Classic:

1. Phase
2. Sonic the Hedgehog
3. A Flight to Remember
4. Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
5. Bejeweled
6. Block Breaker Deluxe
7. Brain Challenge
8. Bubble Bash!
9. Bum: Rags to Riches
10. Cake Mania 3
11. Chess & Backgammon Classics
12. Crystal Defenders
13. CSI: Miami
14. Cubis 2
15. EA Mahjong
16. Lost: The Game
17. Monopoly
18. Ms. Pac-Man
19. musika
20. Mystery Mansion Pinball
21. Naval Battle: Mission Commander
22. Pearls Before Swine
23. Peggle
24. Poker Master
25. Pole Position: Remix
26. Real Soccer 2009
27. Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes
28. Spore Origins
29. Star Trigon
30. The Abominable Snowman
31. The Sims Bowling
32. Zuma Deluxe

The best game on Virtual Boy is Virtual Boy Wario Land. If there’s a reason to get a Virtual Boy, this is it.

However, the best game for iPod Classic is Phase. It’s a rhythm game that allows you to play music that’s stored on your iPod. And it’s made by the same devs that created Guitar Hero. Every song is a new custom challenge, delivering something unique.

Having experienced both Wario Land and Phase, I have to say that Phase is better.

Virtual Boy’s biggest genre was puzzlers, which included 3D Tetris, Panic Bomber, V-Tetris, and Virtual Lab. However, only 3D Tetris was released in North America.

Meanwhile, iPod Classic had Bejeweled, Peggle, and Zuma Deluxe. I believe these puzzlers are superior compared to what was on Virtual Boy.

What about RPGs? Virtual Boy has SD Gundam Dimension War, which was only released in Japan. Meanwhile, iPod Classic has Crystal Defenders, a spin-off of Final Fantasy developed by Square Enix. There’s also Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, an iPod Classic exclusive likewise developed by Square Enix.

Galactic Pinball is well-liked on Virtual Boy. But I got far more enjoyment out of Mystery Mansion Pinball on iPod Classic.

I will admit that Virtual Boy has more and better sports games with Nester’s Funky Bowling, Mario’s Tennis, Virtual Fishing, among others. iPod Classic only has Real Soccer 2009 and The Sims Bowling.

Virtual Boy has no board games. Yet iPod Classic has board games with Chess & Backgammon Classics, Monopoly, and EA Mahjong.

Finally, Nintendo just officially released Zero Racers, a “lost” F-Zero spin-off. Since it just appeared this year, I’m not sure it counts. If we do, this is Virtual Boy’s only racing game.

iPod Classic has Asphalt 4: Elite Challenge and Pole Position: Remix.

So what’s the takeaway here? Platforms with branding often fall short. And platforms which we don’t regard as “gaming” systems often have stronger libraries than the ones branded for gaming.

Yesterday, SPACE INVADERS: Deck Commander was just delisted from Steam, which means you can no longer buy it—it’s gone forever.

Now I’m shocked because I’m a Space Invaders fan, and yet I have never heard of this game until it was gone. Apparently, I’m not the only one because the Steam page shows six reviews.

Development was started in 2024, was supposed to be released in 2025, yet never left Early Access. They were never able to attract enough funding to finish the game.

Unlike typical Space Invaders, this was not a straight up fixed screen shooter. Instead, it was a deck-building competitive card game. While a single player mode was available, they were advertising a PvP online mode.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3060310/view/521990850610203731?l=english

Back in the 2000s, I had this big ambition to buy all the best albums ever made on vinyl. This was when vinyl was cheap and you could get albums at flea markets for $1. But then Millennials started believing that vinyl sounds better on CD—even though this is technically untrue—so the price of vinyl skyrocketed and they gave away all their CDs. So now I buy the best albums of all time on CD for $1 at flea markets.

Seeing how Google, Meta, and Reddit are voluntarily giving DHS information about anti-ICE accounts, it’s pretty important to build social media infrastructure outside the USA. https://gizmodo.com/reddit-meta-and-google-voluntarily-gave-dhs-info-of-anti-ice-users-report-says-2000722279