By Ronald Gordon 

Hello, and welcome back to the Roundup, a column which gathers up articles written by members and interns alike to give them a shoutout! This time around, we’ve got news of Harold Goldberg’s “The Skinny,” Reggie Fils-Aimé in the Hall of Fame, Park Ranger Simulator, Apple Arcade’s Retrocade, Minos the puzzle game, Potential Fallout 5, The NYC Video Game Festival, and so much more!

To start us off, I’d like to wish Laszlo the Wondercat, the Critics Circle’s mascot and personal friend of our Founder Harold Goldberg, a gracious farewell. While I may not have known Laszlo as closely as Harold or Helen, I had grown accustomed to seeing him on our End of Year holiday cards or on the occasional visits I’d make to the Goldberg-Pfeffer residence. He was aloof and sly but a proud feline nonetheless, and I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to live with such an interesting cat. Rest in Peace, Laszlo!

Member of the Circle Board and former President of Nintendo America Reggie Fils-Aimé has just been inducted into the Consumer Technology Association Hall of Fame! After nearly two decades of service to the games industry, Reggie has been recognized for his exemplary work as a champion of Nintendo’s innovations and a true gamer at heart. Congratulations Reggie, you definitely deserve the praise!

I’d like to highlight something I’ve personally worked on, a movie review for the Exit 8 film! It was an amazing time being invited out to the Alamo Drafthouse for the official pre-screening, and I left the theatre feeling a change somewhere deep in my heart. The same feeling may not be there for everyone, but I believe that anyone looking for a fantastic rendition of a shockingly simple game should watch Exit 8! 

“The Skinny” is Harold Goldberg’s first ever novel, putting the reader through the lens of immigrant Stan Kaminski in a gritty rendition of 1990s New York City. After spending a lifetime within the games industry as a Journalist, Harold couldn’t help but include inspirations and references from some of his favorite games. In a blurb he wrote for release day, he writes, “Alan Wake, L.A. Noire, Grand Theft Auto III and IV, and The Last of Us Part II are just some of the game narratives that inspired ‘The Skinny.’” If you’re interested in an absolutely chilling noir story, buy your copy of “The Skinny” today!

Our newest Intern Linette Marte may not be an avid puzzle gamer, but Minos gripped her with its engaging narrative. The story of the Minotaur is always an interesting one, and Minos doesn’t shy away from the deeper story that is a man slowly becoming the monster within the labyrinth. While taking the mantle of Daedelus and building the labyrinth to defend against monsters, Linette regrets watching Asterion’s slow descent into madness as she writes “You also take control of a character named Daedalus in which you can change the paths of the labyrinth itself, leading you to guide enemies into traps you’ve placed. As you venture through levels, you get more insight on the ongoing story between Asterion and Daedalus. Daedalus acts as a father figure for Asterion as he guides him through the depths. Asterion later turns into the famous minotaur as the game progresses, and realizes that he is a beast, yet Daedalus still believes there is a small part of humanity in him left, even if he’s stuck in this dark labyrinth away from the much of light and sound he knew from the world beyond the maze. He slowly descends to his monstrous nature the deeper you go.” 

“If you are a gamer who misses the feel of old-school arcades, Retrocade might be exactly what you’re looking for.” The first line of Mary Ellis-Ryan’s review tells all, Retrocade, a new Apple Arcade addition full of nostalgia, is everything a fan of the classics could ask for! There are tons of games on Apple Arcade, but not many of them capture the familiar feeling of an arcade machine from the early 80s. Retrocade seeks to fix that for a lot of people, introducing arcade originals to anyone looking to experience the past from their pocket. Retrocade seeks to replicate the old-school arcade experience from the comfort of home, which Mary Ellis mentions as she writes “What instantly scream’s arcade? The red joystick! In several of the arcade games, there’s a joy stick which you use to control movement, digital versions of the ones on actual machines. It’s an impressive addition because it looks almost real enough to grab and it times perfectly with your movements.” 

After questioning what other professions would look like, Karoline Castillo-Troncoso got to experience one such profession: the outdoorsy life of a Park Ranger! Surrounded by beautifully rendered trees and greenery, Karoline found herself restoring hiking trails, studying flora and fauna, and living life as a Ranger in Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator. The game taught her many things, the most important being when she writes, “While appreciating themes of nature preservation and sustainability, I think the developers did an excellent job at depicting the need to slow down. We live in a fast-paced society where individuals are conditioned to crave instant gratification. We want everything right here, right now. But Ranger’s Path illustrates the beauty of building intentionally and soaking in the goodness that every season has to offer.”

Stephen Totilo covers an interesting story about Panic, a publisher that received very interesting mail. There’s almost a mountain of horror stories about people who’ve gotten all sorts of terrible packages delivered through the mail, but you’d likely never expect a game publisher to share some of these stories. From a recipe for peanut butter cookies to even a dead fly, Panic’s mailbox has been filled with fan mail thanks to a wholesome initiative they began in 2024. Totilo references his talk with Panic’s head of marketing as he writes, “Since mid-2024, Panic had been receiving bundles of mail from players of several Panic-published games, including the British comedy Thank Goodness You’re Here and the South American adventure Arco, as well as users of the Playdate. The mail has arrived in piles, turning part of Panic’s office in Portland, Oregon into what the company’s head of marketing, Kaleigh Stegman, told Game File ‘feels like a Christmas mailroom.’ It’s all the result of a customer rewards program that has turned unexpectedly rewarding for Panic and its game makers themselves, as fans send expressions of their appreciation for Panic’s games.” 

Ashley Bardhan, newest Circle Member and senior writer for GamesRadar+, talks about the potential for Fallout 5 from the words of Obsidian’s Veteran Designer. It’s been many years since Obsidian helped release Fallout: New Vegas to the world, and it’s been at the top of many people’s lists for just as long due to its unforgettable narrative and worldbuilding. Fans have always pondered why a New Vegas 2 never happened, and Bardhan seeks to answer these questions through an interview with Obsidian’s developer Chris Avellone. From her talks with Avellone, Bardhan references, “Avellone, who served as a senior designer on New Vegas in 2010, reminisced to YouTuber TKs-Mantis in a chunky new interview about the time ‘we still thought we’d be able to do New Vegas 2, or whatever the title would be’ at Obsidian, along with vague plans for a Fallout New Orleans. Avellone now says, with a little bitterness, that those thoughts about New Vegas 2 ‘quickly evaporated,’ and he doubts Obsidian would return to the project any time ‘in the next six years, at least – if ever.’ But he still has hope for New Orleans.” With Fallout 76 reaching its eighth year in live service, and Bethesda’s newest Elder Scrolls title on the horizon, perhaps there could be an opportunity for a brand new Fallout project. 

Beyond the Circle

It’s that time of the year again for the Second Annual NYC Video Game Festival! After last year’s extraordinary performance, New York City is ready once again to showcase games born and bred in the city streets, as well as the talented competitors attending its DOE campuses. Expect not only the renowned Minecraft Battle of the Boroughs competition, but also separate competitions for Valorant & League of Legends, showcases of indie games from NYC based developers, installments from industry champions like ASUS ROG, National Esports Association, and so much more! Tickets are only $10 right now, so if you’re looking for a good time and a chance to support the gaming industry of NYC, check out the NYC Video Game Festival on May 9th! 

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

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