siegarettes

smoke signals from chicagoland

various pieces from throughout the years 

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a history lesson in competitive puzzles

A look at the secret competitive history of Puyo Puyo and Tetris, and how Sonic Team’s mashup turns them into a fresh take on fighting games. 

Nioh brings a ballet of breathtaking violence

An analysis on how Nioh takes the careful, measured structure of the ever popular Dark Souls, and turns it into a fast and lethal whirlwind of folklore violence. 

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed turned the mascot racer into serious competition

A look at how SEGA and Sumo Digital’s kart racer draws on the history of competitive arcade racers to create a unique, seriously competitive game that’s big on SEGA fan service. 

Chronicles Of Teddy makes music into a language

A look at Chronicles of Teddy, a Zelda 2 inspired game that turns its ocarina style instrument into a way to speak to the world. 

VODKA, HERCULES, SLIDESHOW EYES

A short piece of fiction inspired by moments within STALKER Call of Pripyat. Originally published here

Breathe soft.

My hands shake. I’ve wandered aimlessly. Entering a building built into the side of a hill, I find out its filled with the walking corpses of other STALKERs. Still half sentient, they fire off at me. I return their gestures.

Five dead. Or redead perhaps. I bandage the collection of holes the shotguns have put in me. I’ve survived. Again. I continue on. A derelict building is on my way to the next crash site. Possibly the remains of a school. There is an incline that cuts into the earth. Man made. I’ve heard rumors that some STALKERs have gone missing there.

A jeep is collapsed on the near side of the incline, a sure attractor of radiation. I take a swig of vodka to prepare my system for it. As I approach the building I hear rummaging. A glimpse of movement. Bandits. They don’t look to be the reasonable kind either.

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