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.

Campus Life Sim Commences With Great Ideas but a Rough Launch

Players have plenty to do in Campus Life, including attending classes, studying, working part time jobs and managing hunger and mood. But technical problems and a lack of refinement will keep enrollment down for this simulated school and life simulation, at least until they fix up the campus.

Save State Celebrates the Spooky Season With Two Unique Horror Adventures

Save State’s Vincent Mahoney writes about two quirky and unsettling horror adventures just in time for Halloween. From avoiding accidents in Don’t Pee to surviving suspicious guests in No, I’m not a Human, this Save State entry serves up thrills, chills and a healthy dose of paranoia.

Strange Antiquities Delivers a Rainy Mystery Full of Occult Puzzles

Running an occult curio shop in a rainy town sounds cozy until the artifacts start whispering, your customers bring increasingly odd requests and your sanity sags. Strange Antiquities offers challenging puzzles, creepy charm and plenty of mystery for fans of deductive adventures.

Borderlands 4 on Steam Proves the Series Still Has Plenty of Firepower

Even with its share of bugs and quirks, Borderlands 4 proves there’s still nothing quite like vault hunting with a friend. The latest chapter in Gearbox’s long-running looter-shooter saga offers explosive fun, and a few fast fixes could make it even better.

Save State Deals a Winning Hand With the Voice of Cards Trilogy

From the mind of Yoko Taro and the art of Kimihiko Fujisaka comes an RPG series that feels like a tabletop session brought to life. Save State’s Vincent Mahoney writes about Voice of Cards this week, and how the trilogy’s world is depicted through the medium of cards.

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.