Author: Vincent Mahoney

Vincent is a game reviewer, graphic designer, illustrator and insurance agent: He wears many hats, but none of them properly cover his bald spot. His long-term goal is to publish a comic of the story he and his wife created together. He grew up playing action-platform games such as Super Mario, Metroid, Mega Man, Contra and Castlevania, but discovered his love for RPGs through Super Mario RPG and Final Fantasy VI, then embarking upon a quest to play every RPG he possibly can. At over 200 RPGs and counting the quest is not going so well, and there are buster swords, giant cats, eight virtues and personae appearing to him in his sleep. Please send help.

Spectacular Shmuping Yesterday and Today

This week our intrepid Save State gamer tries out two very different Shmups from two eras of gaming. First up is the classic Sigma Star Saga from the Gameboy days, followed by Black Skylands on Steam, which is still in early access but is already pretty fun to play.

Valheim: Masterful Combat and Survival With a Viking Twist

It’s crafting and exploration week at GiN with another spotlight on a survival game. Today we are looking at Valheim, one of the most exciting open world survival titles where you can craft and build almost anything from a Viking ring fortress to a Taco Bell.

Loving Poetry and Pokemon: Doki Doki Arti-chokey

Our intrepid Save State columnist plays two very different games this week. First he lets out his inner beast in a Pokemon Unite battle royale. Then he indulges his sensitive side with a little poetry reading with the girls from the Doki Doki Literature Club.

Enjoying Some Classic Gaming with a Modern Twist

This week our intrepid Save State columnists enjoys two classic games. The first is a true classic, a decades old platformer named Braid. The second is a brand new game called Dark Deity that harkens back to a Fire Emblem type of game that no longer exists.

Save State Enter the Evolving Metal Units

This week our intrepid Save State columnist goes deep into his Steam library to find some real diamonds in the rough. He battles brutal enemies in Metal Unit and goes back to the Gameboy glory days in the quirky but cool Evoland.

Diving Delights in Superb Subnautica: Below Zero

Although a little bit shorter than the original, Subnautica: Below Zero improves on the already amazing original game in a lot of ways. There is much more land this time around, constant cold to battle, and of course miles of dangerous and delightful underwater vistas to explore.