The unfortunate thing about The Last of Us getting a gazillion remakes is that it's being forgotten how much of a technical marvel the original PS3 game was. We really got to see the endgame of PS3 where the Cell CPU architecture was pushed to its limit. This is a game console from 2006

Yesterday, Google chose to remove Doki Doki Literature Club from the Google Play Store. Their explanation is that the game’s content violates their Terms of Service in its depiction of sensitive themes. DDLC is widely celebrated for portraying mental health in a way that meaningfully connects deeply with players around the world, helping them feel heard, understood, and less alone on their journey. Managing to achieve that—making a truly meaningful difference by using the power of fiction to connect to others—is what I’m most grateful for. It inspires me every day to keep making cool new things, things that can really reach others, especially those in need of connection. DDLC is available on many different major platforms, including iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and more. We’re continuing to do everything we can to find a path forward for getting DDLC reinstated on the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, we’re also looking into potential options for alternate methods of distribution on Android devices. We worked hard to bring DDLC to Android, and we’ve gotten to see so much love and enthusiasm from passionate Android users over these past few months. Thank you so much to the community for continuing to express your love and support for DDLC through the years. We’ll keep you updated on the future of DDLC for Android. - Dan Salvato and the Serenity Forge Team

A statement regarding the removal of DDLC from the Google Play Store:

Mostly custom tooling. The role involves brainstorming/designing primarily particle-based effects that work within a set of highly specific technical constraints, emphasis on efficiency. We design in a prototype environment for me to later port the effects' logic/algorithm into a custom game engine.

Bluesky-exclusive outreach: I'm looking to contract a technical artist with a specific passion for applying math to create mesmerizing visual effects, e.g. shaders, particle effects, or other demoscene-like displays. Please feel free to spread the word and send portfolios/examples via reply or email

The poor technical artist who spent 1,000 hours getting lighting and materials to work and now has to spend another 1,000 hours wrangling a semblance of visual consistency out of the AI beauty filter that Nvidia paid their boss 5 million dollars to market

I had to go to this party at a bar for like networking or whatever but it's so loud and I just want to play Melee please send foxes

At GDC with a Melee setup, anyone tryna play

Uh actually, as a coffee aficionado the more proper terminology is "Vessel of Joseph"

This is awesome. I'm curious about the wireless linking, if any changes were required or they just emulated it as-is. Given how much physical link cable sucks to emulate due to expecting perfect data integrity, it warms me to imagine their esoteric wireless support staying relevant 20 years later.

Don't give unsolicited advice to neurodivergent folks, it's oftentimes a big trigger of negative feelings due to a lifetime of them enduring people trying to "fix" them with misguided suggestions

I think I remember you plugging this game during your AGDQ Phantom Hourglass run as well. I'll be sure to check it out at some point

I'm writing a blog post about the Nintendo DS era. What are some games you feel used the stylus in especially creative, bold, or joyful ways that centered the whole gameplay experience around it? For example, WarioWare: Touched!, Trauma Center, and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

A page from the Pokemon Gold Prima Strategy Guide book showing Feraligatr misspelled as "Feraligtr"

Out of curiosity, I was looking around at old Pokemon print material to see if Feraligatr was ever spelled "Feraligator" and that the name was simply shortened in-game due to the character limit. Then the Prima Strategy Guide delivered what feels like a punchline aimed exactly at my specific musing

Unexplored things:

- Most items don't work, but Exp Candy works on the null Pokemon, so maybe other obscure usable items have some effect too.
- Can we get a free Pokemon anywhere while in this state? One NPC gives Bronzor from fragments. Maybe pick starter but skip rival fight and farm fragments.

The hard part: Requires handheld speed glitch. Connect a second controller while not docked, and tilt both left sticks diagonally for a speed boost. Push up-left into the wall, then swing up-right to launch. Every 2 tries, run back to the grass or the game will think you're stuck and warp you home.

Getting onto the beach ledge: Multiple methods from the slope shown. I did it in a couple minutes by rapidly wiggling the stick back and forth while running across the slope to maintain speed. An alternate method is the (already-known) handheld speed glitch, explained below for the next trick.

Getting behind the fence: Get onto the rock as shown. Then, while pushing forward into the rock, slowly angle the stick right until your character is walking as slow as possible to the right. If all goes well, they will pop up and over the rock.

I discovered a new, unpatched method of escaping without a starter in Pokemon Scarlet on Switch and Switch 2. (Old save/load displacement method was presumably patched.) Detailed instructions in this thread, as well as some things I haven't yet tried but would like to find out if they're possible.

A mockup of a Jeopardy board question that reads "Konami's depiction of Count Dracula iconically called this type of person "a miserable little pile of secrets"

Age verification?

All your base are belong to us

Here are the kinds of sketches I'm giving to my sprite animator for Magicore on a regular basis. Using phrases like "Whiplash her spine like a noodle" and "that downwards power pose chibi magical girls do" and "0-10-50-90-100 motion curve". Really a language that only humans can actually understand

Very vague memories, but I remember there being "Bound" maps which were like dexterity challenges to get a unit through a survival obstacle course, and a Risk map that was some kind of tactical strategy game. At least 11-year-old me thought those were some cool ones.

Eh, I think they're going to follow it up to ride the momentum of the movie. IMO, the Wonder DLC is their "out in time for the movie" project (for those inspired to play Mario after watching the movie), but they'll ride the movie marketing wave straight into some big news to capitalize on visibility

I think Mario Maker 3 will be announced during some upcoming "Mario 40th Anniversary Direct", probably as we approach the premiere of the Galaxy movie, so unironically it could be upon us yet

Thanks for playing, it was a fun watch and I'm really glad you guys had a good time with it!

I have another theory about the SNES eject button. As you know, NES front-loader cartridge slot was a common point of failure due to bending, so the SNES eject button ensures a gentle lift w/ no lateral bending force.

Now, the handle on the GameCube—completely useless, but it just has to be there.

Steam SDK does have "stats" for devs to track that info internally. IMO it can be fun for players to see some of that data with public achievements. The problem again lies in implementation, where devs can't really choose which achievements "deserve" a fanfare over others, without lots of extra work

IMO, the problem is that third-party API (e.g. achievements) is a late, obligatory step in game development, so the goal is to get it working, not to craft player experience around it. It'd fall on Valve to help inform when and how achievements should be triggered. But expectedly, they're agnostic.

I like achievements, but I'm not a fan of the expected implementation for them. Getting a pop-up e.g. the exact instant I get the final hit on a boss takes me out of the moment. I know I can just disable the notifications, but I still don't like how it's become the default experience in gaming.

This is interesting to think about. Gunpei Yokoi made Game & Watch after supposedly seeing a bored person passing time by pressing buttons on a calculator. Unbelievably, G&W games have responsive action and satisfying feedback. They make it fun to press buttons.