By Ronald Gordon

Hello and welcome once again to the Roundup, where we gather articles written by Members and Interns alike to spread the word about their fine work! This time around we’ve got news of the first ever Second Person game, the new TMNT game from Strange Scaffold, Mario Kart World and its hollow excitement, SEGA wants you to make Like a Dragon games, Unions & Layoffs in the Gaming Industry, Donkey Kong Bananza and so much more! 

To start us off, Zhya Colon, our journalism student at the Lab School for Finance and Technology, wrote about the breathtaking story of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo’s efforts to keep the Legend of Zelda franchise fresh has bred many innovative ideas, including reusing the classic top down format of classic TLOZ games in a new and improved light. As she explores one such example of the franchise’s flexibility, Zhya gushes over the story as she writes, “There are small similarities between this game and past Zelda games story wise, one similarity being bringing Zelda back to her silent princess ways. In Tears of The Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, Zelda talked but Echoes offers a Zelda with no dialogue. Somehow, that adds more into the story. Not knowing Zelda’s thoughts or feelings makes me feel as I’m more easily slipping into that role. Having Link stay silent in most Zelda games also adds this feeling of connection between the player and the character.” In the fall, she’ll be the editor in chief of her high school newspaper. Zhya’s insights are impactful and genuine, putting everything she’s learned both in and out of our program to good use. 

Jatin Gundara brings news of Strange Scaffold’s righteous TMNT: Tactical Takedown. Diving into the realm of strategy games, TMNT: Tactical Takedown offers a rambunctious look into the ninja fighting tactics of the turtles. Jatin relates his enjoyment, stating “Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed my time with TMNT: Tactical Takedown. As a fan of the series, and having played through numerous iterations of the Turtle’s adventures over the years, this offering is valuable for what it is. Easy to pick up and fun to figure out, TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a fun way for players to get more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a relatively concise package. And while it may lack the depth of other strategy games and the raw flair of other TMNT games, when taken out of the limitations of genre and IP, it still shows the player a good time.”

As a longtime Nintendo Superfan, Isaac Espinosa seeks to answer an important question, is Mario Kart World worth its price tag? Unfortunately, for those interested in purchasing the Switch 2’s launch title, his answer reads as follows, “The short answer is ‘no,’ although Mario Kart World does bring a lot to the franchise.” Mario Kart World sports a ton of glitz and glamour, yet Isaac found that despite its looks the game lacked a vital part of the Mario Kart experience: creative spirit. The biggest disappointment comes from the Free Roam mode, which Isaac references as he writes, “No NPCs to interact with, no truly important rewards to incentivize you to complete the missions, not even an indicator to tell you how many of these missions are in the world! Even the P Switches  scattered across the map, which give you tough missions to complete, result only in a sticker you can put on your car. You drive past so many different cars, finding unique pathways to explore the courses and all the costumes to collect for the cast, but it just… feels so empty, as if Free Roam was an afterthought, meant to pad out the content of the game. This assessment is supported by the fact that Free Roam doesn’t even have a primary menu prompt like every other mode in the game. Considering that Free Roam was heavily promoted in advertisements for World, it shouldn’t be this half-baked.”

“You can’t run. You can’t see. And no one is coming to save you.” The opening line to Khloe Wilkerson’s Out of Sight review is as chilling as the game itself, “That’s the terrifying reality of Out of Sight, a short but unforgettable horror-puzzle game that skips the usual jump scares and loud shocks for quiet, creeping dread.” As a horror game portrayed through the second person, a rare if not non-existent sight in the world of gaming, Out of Sight doesn’t just scare its players, it unsettles them. Khloe highlights its unnerving features, stating “You don’t just watch Sophie’s story—you live it. The heart of the game is a clever, simple mechanic: Sophie can only ‘see’ when she’s holding her teddy bear, Teddy. In this first-person mode, you can look around, plan your moves, and spot dangers. But Sophie can’t interact or solve puzzles while holding Teddy. To try to escape, you have to put Teddy down on special purple blankets scattered around the mansion. Then the camera switches to a third-person perspective, showing Sophie moving blindly, trusting Teddy’s eyes’ from a distance.”

Karoline Castillo-Troncoso explores the versatility of Shadow puppetry in Projected Dreams. While it may be a simple game of solving puzzles through shadows to most, Projected Dreams features a very strong blast from the past in its story. After finding a reference to her own childhood, Karoline had this to say “The Furby, the Russ troll doll with pink hair, the handheld water ring toss toy with buttons – seeing these in the game brought me back. Exhibiting toys and other objects that players are sure to recognize from their childhoods, as well as depicting familiar family dynamics and relationships, allows players to feel more emotionally invested in the plotline. That’s not only due to the fact that the narrative is relatable, but also because players are able to recognize themselves in the characters depicted during gameplay. It’s almost like it’s not just a visit to Lisa’s childhood, but a visit to ours, as well.”

Kimari Rennis returns to write about the masterpiece that is Death Stranding 2: On the Beac. Kimari reveals, “I needed this. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is an incredibly fun and engaging game produced with a movie-like quality that, because it’s a game, extends far beyond the hour and 45 minute standard.” Hideo Kojima’s ‘Walking Simulator’ Death Stranding became a world wide phenomenon over the years, truly embodying the absurdity that comes from a Kojima game. Luckily, for the fans out there that can handle it, this throughline of zany storytelling continues even stronger in the second game. Kimari describes the feel of the game perfectly, writing “Kojima Productions has excelled in delivering an engaging third-person, action-adventure game set in a world that’s divided and isolated not because of hate, but out of fear of a phenomenon that threatens their very existence. There’s so much at stake in this isolated world complemented with a story about taking on the tall order of restoring unity and hope no matter how large or minor, found family and fatherhood, allowing oneself to break down and feel the real weight of a desolate world, revenge and undying hate that persists beyond the grave, and people in world that’s a dystopia yet grounded in something that makes us ultimately soulful and human.”

For his New York Times column, founder Harold Goldberg speaks about Donkey Kong Bananza, the first DK game in 20+ years, writing “A gorilla surfs on a slick disc of ice. A purple talking rock transforms into a 13-year-old girl. A giant blue eel reveals he’s a music aficionado. There’s a lot going on in Donkey Kong Bananza.” The Switch 2 brings with it not only a brand-new addition to Mario Kart but also revives a series that’s been long overdue for another installment. Donkey Kong Bananza serves as a revitalization of the DK series, giving us a much more personal & almost human version of the awe-inspiring ape. Harold references Bananza’s many touchups, writing “In the 44 years since Nintendo introduced Donkey Kong to arcades as a barrel-rolling character with resting ape face, the wild beast has gone through quite the metamorphosis. In this lavishly animated extravaganza, he displays some human attributes and a penchant for mining gold. He listens. His eyes grow big and, sometimes, he appears to empathize. But mostly, he’s the muscle that pounds, digs and slaps like the Incredible Hulk in fur, oversized necktie and ragged britches.”

In a surprisingly wholesome change of pace, Stephen Totilo brings news of Sega splitting the profit on Like a Dragon games in Roblox. Roblox is renowned for its plethora of game modes, custom maps, and fan games, with thousands of games on the platform being dedicated to another IP. Yet rather than discourage any sort of fan games being made for their franchise, Sega and some others want to encourage more creative projects, and even get the creators paid for their work. Stephen mentions this as he writes, “Roblox announced today the launch of a new ‘License Manager’ tool that is designed to allow rights-holders such as Sega to solicit and accept submissions for user-made Roblox games and experiences that use famous characters and franchises. Through a new interface, companies such as Netflix, Lionsgate and Sega are offering terms and revenue splits for what could be a wave of new, authorized fan-made games, as Roblox lets people channel their inner THQ.” It’s a terrific thing to hear about, studios that most know and love going out of their way to engage the everyday creative, and even provide monetization for their work. 

AI: The Somnium Files is a fantastic series for all. But Giovanni Colantonio (who has now moved to Polygon), is rightfully upset at how the series refuses to let go of this unsavory gag. If a game is fortunate enough to get two or more iterations, there’s bound to be some sort of Easter egg or running joke prevalent. Take the Saints Row series, previous to the reboot characters would ask the classic line “Did you do something with your hair?” to hint at the player character changing throughout the games. Although some call backs aren’t always tasteful, as Giovanni mentions many such occasions present within No Sleep for Kaname Date, a new installment to the AI: The Somnium Files series. Despite giving the game its credits thanks to story and gameplay, Giovanni laments, “But the more things change, the more they very much stay the same. The writing contains the same flood of juvenile jokes that has made previous games so difficult to grind through at times. Even with a truncated runtime, Date still finds time to go to the Lemniscate Entertainment Offices and starts mercilessly flirting with the secretary with comically enormous breasts. My issue isn’t even with the jokes themselves; this year’s excellent Promise Mascot Agency is just as lewd, and it’s a hoot. It’s more just that I wish the series would get some new material. How many times do I have to hear Mama talk about her big ‘balls?’” 

It’s no secret that the games industry is currently struggling, layoffs are prevalent, and developers & studios are being shut down left and right. Earlier this month, Xbox announced that they had laid off over 9000 employees from various teams across their company, meaning even the pillars of gaming are experiencing hardships in this ever-evolving facet of entertainment. In these trying times, Chris Jones of the Lords of Gaming brings up a thoughtful suggestion to those in the industry: form a Union! While it may not seem like much on paper, being in a union could help keep many small companies afloat, especially with everything regarding publishing and payment trying its hardest to sink those who are trying. Chris speaks personally on this, mentioning his experience as a union rep as he writes, “So I’ve been a union representative at my job for around 9 years at this point. While the gaming industry is a whole different beast than my job, there are benefits, in my opinion, for having unions in gaming. Some of these are pretty easy, such as protecting workers from exploitation. Union contracts can limit mandatory overtime, which we know as crunch, and ensure fair pay for all levels. This would include multiple levels, such as QA testers, artists, and writers. These groups are the people who are often treated as disposable. It doesn’t have to be relegated to them. Unions in gaming can also provide stronger protections during layoffs, including severance, transparency, and better job security, which we will talk about shortly.” As a passionate gamer and writer for the Lords of Gaming, Chris only wants to see the industry thrive, and offers many insightful tips on how you can start/join a union, so definitely check out his article if you’re interested! 

Beyond The Circle

Jeff Bakalar, once a part of the Circle but now working with Giant Bomb, is making his very own Webcomic called “What Lies Below the Lillies.” After partnering with a webcomic publisher called Storygrounds, Jeff got to work adapting a story he had written a while ago into a more interactive experience. “What Lies Below the Lillies” is a nostalgia filled trip of mystery and intrigue following the story of a Peace Officer and a Park Ranger tasked with solving a missing persons case. It’s already on the front page of Storygrounds’ site, and there are plenty of chapters to get into if you’re looking for a new comic to peruse, it’s worth the read!

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member & Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

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