Yearly Archive:: 2021
Oct 13 2021
Hoa Is a Relaxing Adventure through Nature
It’s beyond argument that electronic games are a form of artistic expression. From the visuals, to the musical accompaniment, to especially the gameplay itself, everything in a game has the capacity to elicit an emotional response. And yet, somewhat ironically, the experience created by a quality…
Oct 12 2021
Being Autistic, Seeing Myself Represented in Media Is Not Always a Good Thing
If you spend time in certain geeky communities—especially those that aren’t primarily white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, nondisabled, neurotypical, etc.—you’ve probably heard discussions about representation in media. A lot of us simply don’t see ourselves reflected in the books we read,…
Oct 11 2021
A Reintroduction to the Wild World of Card Collecting
Card fight!
Back in May, Target pulled trading cards from its stores after a fight broke out over them at a store in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The trading card industry has been experiencing a surge like nothing it’s seen in years—the demand is so high that PSA, a prominent grading service, closed its doors…
Oct 11 2021
Super Animal Royale Is a Worthy New Entry in the Genre
Combining “battle royale” and “free to play” has the potential to result in a greedy combination filled with venomous microtransactions, but Super Animal Royale manages to avoid such pitfalls and offer a heck of a great time while doing it.
If you’ve ever played a battle…
Oct 10 2021
2D Con 2021 Succeeds in a Pandemic Limbo Year
Did you know Minnesota has a professional competitive Call of Duty team? I didn’t, until I saw the table of free swag the Minnesota Røkkr were giving out at the entrance to the arcade at 2D Con. Oh, the things you can learn from conventions that social media algorithms just can’t replace.…
Oct 10 2021
This Week in Geek (10/11/21–10/17/21)
Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, October 11, to Sunday, October 17.
Virtual Events
9th Annual Cine Latino
What: Movies
When: Monday, October 11, through Thursday, October 14
Where: Virtual event
Cine Latino is a film…
Oct 07 2021
2D Con Announces 2D Con: Unplugged
The Minneapolis-based summer gaming convention 2D Con has announced a smaller and more relaxed sister event coming in January, focused especially on tabletop gaming and hosted at the Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington. Dubbed 2D Con: Unplugged and limited to only 300 guests (the website lists 200 registrations…
Oct 06 2021
Venom: Let There Be Carnage Leans into the Buddy-Picture Dynamic
There was potential in 2018’s Venom. It was clear there was something here that wasn’t as present in other Marvel and Marvel-adjacent pictures. It was the scene of Eddie Brock jumping into the restaurant lobster tank and eating live lobster. It was the comedic back-and forth between the cynical Eddie…
Oct 04 2021
Daniel Craig Says Farewell to Bond in No Time to Die
Of the 25 total entries in the franchise, no run of James Bond movies has been more daring, questioning, and brimming with deconstruction as that of the Daniel Craig era. Launching into the role with 2006’s Casino Royale, he reshaped the character for the millennium. And unlike the other James Bonds,…
Oct 04 2021
Axiom Verge 2 Is Another Unique Entry in a Crowded Genre
Axiom Verge was a Metroidvania game that I loved for its unique spin on a classic genre. Though clearly influenced by Metroid, the way it allowed players to mess with the assembly of levels was a new way to explore that I had never seen before. The genre is defined by a large map that the player gradually explores…