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.

The 8BitDo Pro 3 Packs a Retro-Styled Gamepad With Modern Muscle

The new 8BitDo Pro 3 controller blends GameCube era nostalgia with cutting edge features like Hall effect triggers, swappable buttons and rock-solid performance on the Nintendo Switch. For platformers, retro games and Nintendo classics, this may be the best controller around.

Slaying Dragons and Clearing Backlogs in Seventh Dragon III

In this Save State column, Vincent Mahoney dusts off a sealed copy of Seventh Dragon III: Code VFD for the 3DS and discovers a hidden gem of a JRPG.

Street Fighter 6 Delivers a Knockout Port for the Nintendo Switch 2

Capcom’s legendary brawler makes a surprisingly smooth leap to Nintendo’s newest console. With crisp visuals, fast performance and all the modes intact, Street Fighter 6 proves it can take the fight on the road, going portable without pulling any punches.

Save State Keeps on the Borderlands

As Borderlands 4 hits the shelves, Save State’s Vincent Mahoney takes us on a nostalgic detour through the greatest guns, gags and growing pains that the amazing looter shooter series has offered us over the years.

Donkey Kong Bananza Brings the Big Ape Back After 26 Years

Packed with bananas, fossils and Pauline’s charming character arc, Donkey Kong Bananza blends destructible terrain, clever transformations and lighthearted exploration into a joyful collectathon adventure that is nostalgic, fresh and extremely fun.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Breathes Fresh Life Into the Series

With its focus on relationships, village building and a smooth combat system, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a natural evolution for the series. The Switch 2 version has strong characters, an emotional story and welcome streamlining without losing what makes the franchise special.

Save State’s Life Lessons: 5 Things Video Games Can Teach Us

From hoarding virtual items to asking for instructions twice, video games are more than just entertainment. They are surprisingly practical life teachers. In this whimsical Save State column, Vincent Mahoney takes us through five lessons learned from games, county fairs and the occasional horse bite.

Chaos Emeralds for Everyone: Save State Revisits Sonic Adventure 2

What do busted freezers, Sonic the Hedgehog trading cards and retro Dreamcast adventures have in common? They all collide in this week’s Save State as Vincent Mahoney dives back into Sonic Adventure 2, a title that still delivers speed, style and chaos in 2025.

Descenders Next Balances Mountain and Snowboarding Action With Extreme Sports

Descenders Next takes the extreme downhill biking concept of the original and swaps in mountain and snowboards for a roguelike ride across random trails. While the controls take some getting used to, overall, it’s a ride worth taking.

Save State Investigates a Bright Yellow Challenger to the Switch Pro Controller

This week Save State’s Vincent Mahoney tests out the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth, a Nintendo Switch friendly gamepad with a slick dock, solid performance and just enough differences to stand out from its counterparts.