Super Nintendo World, which opens Friday at Universal Studios Hollywood, is a wholly unique and unforgettable new addition to the theme park. It brings Nintendo’s colorful worlds to life, allowing visitors to move through the space — speckled with Thwomps, stacks of Goombas, spinning Koopa shells, and other iconic characters...
House of the Dragon won’t mess up Dunk and Egg or any other Game of Thrones spinoff
Game of Thrones had a profound effect on the television industry — especially for the folks working at HBO. In the years since the show’s 2019 finale, the cable channel became a linchpin in Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans for the Max streaming service with instruction to expand not only the...
For fans, dressing for the Barbie movie completes the Barbie fashion experience
Even before I got to the theater, I saw the pink. One or two people in bright pink outfits isn’t unusual in a crowded space, but it became clear as I walked toward the movie theater that the pink-clad group I was following wasn’t alone. Dozens of people sporting pink...
Invasion’s big season 2 alien needed to be both blobby and emotionally grounded
The world as we know it is on the brink of collapse in Invasion season 2 — but fortunately for humanity, Mitsuki Yamato (Shioli Kutsuna) isn’t going down without a fight. The Japanese space engineer has taken center stage in Invasion’s second season, repeatedly going head-to-head with a hive-mind creature...
In the year 2000, everyone wanted a female James Bond
In the early to mid-2000s, the coolest main character was a female spy. TV brought Alias’ Sydney Bristow to young adults and Kim Possible to kids. Charlie’s Angels was rebooted for film. And in games, Joanna Dark became the heroine of Perfect Dark, the spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007. The...
I talked to a swordmaker about the coolest swords he makes
Weapons maker Sabersmith is a unicorn, according to general manager Mark Lienhart. Founded in the 1990s by Tim Lawler, the manufacturer does all of its own work in its well-equipped 15,000 square-foot facility located in Sunfield, Michigan. That makes it the single largest manufacturer of 100% American-made swords in the...
Star Trek: Discovery tore itself apart for the good of Star Trek’s future
If you were to jump directly from the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery to its finale — which just debuted on Paramount Plus — the whiplash would throw you clear out of your seat like your ship had suffered an inertial damper malfunction. Since its first two chapters premiered...
Anita Sarkeesian is shutting down Feminist Frequency after 15 years
Anita Sarkeesian is tired. It’s been more than 10 years since Sarkeesian first released Tropes vs. Women in Video Games on YouTube; it’s been 15 years since Sarkeesian’s oldest video and the start of what’s now known as Feminist Frequency. Over the years, she and her team created several groundbreaking...
The secrets to gaming gravity
“Find the fun.” Game development’s common refrain can manifest as the creation of a new game mechanic, the refinement or combination of existing mechanics, or making something simple — like jumping, flying, and fighting — feel great. Even falling. In games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and The Legend of Zelda:...