Features archive :: Snackbar Games
Commentary and podcasts
Other opinion pieces and conversations from the Snackbar Games crew.
- Get in the holiday spirit with these festive game levels
- Persistent games vs. the backlog: an ongoing struggle
- The Pioneer LaserActive: Nasty, brutish and massive
- The Ouya may have flopped, but its spirit lives on
- Progress Report: The best and worst of Q1 2015
- Happy holidays from the Snackbar Games crew!
- Roundtable: Why we’re thankful for games in 2014
- Roundtable: Our favorite games of E3 2014
- Opinion: On Sunset Overdrive and overwhelming power
- Is Goat Simulator the most important game of the year?
From Pixels to Polygons
In From Pixels to Polygons, we examine classic game franchises that have survived the long transition from the 8- or 16-bit era to the current console generation.
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Dragon Quest series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Rayman series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Tales series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Ninja Gaiden series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Fire Emblem series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Donkey Kong series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Final Fantasy series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The SimCity series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Grand Theft Auto series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Metroid series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Mario Kart series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Civilization series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Mega Man series
- From Pixels to Polygons: Shin Megami Tensei series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Super Mario series
- From Pixels to Polygons: Sonic the Hedgehog series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Legend of Zelda series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Street Fighter series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Metal Gear series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Kirby series
- From Pixels to Polygons: The Castlevania series
The Games That Weren’t
This series examines unreleased games, looking at what they could have been and what exactly went wrong along the way.
- The Games that Weren’t: Propeller Arena
- Games that Weren’t: Ender’s Game: Battle Room
- The Games that Weren’t: Star Fox 2
- The Games that Weren’t: Baldur’s Gate III
- The Games that Weren’t: Sonic X-Treme
- The Games that Weren’t: Steambot Chronicles 2
- Games that Weren’t: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
- The Games that Weren’t: Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting
- The Games that Weren’t: StarCraft: Ghost
- The Games that Weren’t: Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
- The Games that Weren’t: Shenmue III
- The Games that Weren’t: Project LMNO
- The Games that Weren’t: Armada 2: Exodus
- The Games that Weren’t: EarthBound 64
- The Games that Weren’t: Capcom Fighting All Stars
- The Games that Weren’t: Mega Man Legends 3
- The Games that Weren’t: Stargate SG-1: The Alliance
The Spelunky Adventures
Andrew Passafiume learns the ins and outs of Spelunky, and maybe just a bit about himself, in this series.
- The Spelunky Adventures: Bats are the worst
- The Spelunky Adventures: My skin is crawling
- The Spelunky Adventures: Praise the powerful Kali
- The Spelunky Adventures: Respect the shopkeepers
- The Spelunky Adventures finale: Olmec’s comin’
Hunter’s Notes
In Hunter’s Notes, Chris Ingersoll aims to provide the insight and advice needed to understand the ins and outs of Monster Hunter and become immersed in its world.
- Hunter’s Notes: Welcome to Moga Village!
- Hunter’s Notes: Combinations, items and you
- Hunter’s Notes: You are what you wear (and eat)
- Hunter’s Notes: It’s dangerous to go alone!
- Hunter’s Notes: Information is the best equipment
My Favorite Game
In the My Favorite Game series, get to know us better as staff writers share the game they love most and why.
- Andrew Passafiume’s favorite: Metal Gear Solid 4
- Chris Ingersoll’s favorite: Mega Man 2
- Eric Albuen’s favorite: Dance Dance Revolution
- Justin Last’s favorite: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Jeff DeSolla’s favo(u)rite: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
- Brad Woodling’s favorite: NBA Jam (1993)
- Henry Skey’s favo(u)rite: Chrono Trigger
- Shawn Vermette’s favorite: Final Fantasy VI
- Chris Rasco’s favorite: Super Mario Bros. 3
- Erik Twice’s favorite: Team Fortress 2
- Chris Dominowski’s favorite: Kingdom Hearts
- Graham Russell’s favorite: Paper Mario
- Lucas White’s favorite: Dragon Quest IX
- Coury Carlson’s favorite: Phantasy Star
- Ryan Dunn’s favorite: Portal 2
Flashback
Erik Twice looks at old games and determines just exactly what makes them tick.
- Flashback: Grobda’s little tanks take on big problems
- Flashback: Rastan has abundant brawn, some brains
- Flashback: Micro Machines has small cars, big appeal
- Flashback: Strider’s deceptively tough, delightfully cool
- Flashback: Berzerk and a different state of mind
- Flashback: The bizarre world of Sexy Parodius
- Flashback: Ristar’s ideas reached further than most
- Flashback: Game Boy’s Pokémon TCG is broken, fun
- Flashback: Simple, subtle strategy in Seven Kingdoms
- Flashback: The House of the Dead has B-movie appeal
- Flashback: Motocross Maniacs’ compelling simplicity
- Flashback: Neverhood shouldn’t have been, was anyway
- Flashback: Consider the sum of Transarctica’s parts
- Flashback: Space Harrier’s a model of Suzuki precision
- Flashback: The subtle, solemn, divisive world of Myst
- Flashback: Four kB is all you need for an Adventure
- Flashback: Spread the joy of games with Rod Land
- Flashback: Ghouls, Ghosts, Goblins’n punishing revision
- Flashback: Metal Gear 2 is pure, distilled stealth action
- Flashback: Brutal or brilliant, Druaga leaves a mark
- Flashback: Race under the bright skies of OutRunners
- Flashback: This platformer’s charms aren’t a Gimmick
- Flashback: Every choice is crucial in Total Annihilation
- Flashback: Xevious, the deliberate arcade-style shooter
- Flashback: Welltris, a mind-bending 3D Tetris variant
- Flashback: Volfied’s a chaotic game of calculated risk
- Flashback: Battle Circuit, a forgotten Capcom gem
- Flashback: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood’s rich legacy
- Flashback: SimCity 4’s urban planning is serene chaos
- Flashback: Uniracers lets you be a racing rockstar
- Flashback: Figure out a way in The Incredible Machine
- Flashback: The arcade horror of Sinistar
- Flashback: Heading into the wild, free Wasteland
Snackbar Speculator
The staff does its best to predict game industry happenings.
- Speculator: E3 ’15 predictions lightning round results!
- Speculator: E3 2015 predictions lightning round!
- Speculator: E3 2014 prediction challenge results!
- Speculator: Predicting the Big Three’s E3 happenings
- Speculator: Our futures are revealed in Tokyo
- Speculator: Planting the seeds of change
- Speculator: Countdown sequence initiated
- Speculator: When will we see a new Mass Effect?
- Speculator: When will we beg, borrow or steal?
- Speculator: Down to business in a fresh new season
- Speculator: 2012-2013 (and lightning round!) results
- Speculator Lightning Round: The Big Three at E3 2013
- Speculator: A new Xbox unveiled (with today’s results!)
- Speculator: Is it time to once again don the Varia Suit?
- Speculator: Gentlemen, start your next-gen engines
- Speculator: Online, on down the line
- Speculator: The devil’s in the details
- Speculator: Tweeting teaser photos just ’cause
- Speculator: Will a year of transition mean PS4 ports?
- Speculator: How will we control the new PlayStation?
- Speculator: After auction, it’s Time to Have Questions
- Speculator: Does something wicked this way come?
- Speculator: Touch fuzzy, get dizzy, touch fuzzy again
- Speculator: A new generation of unlikely encores?
- Speculator: Cloudy skies and crowded streets
- Speculator: Borders, presidents and a new Republic
- Speculator: The future of games is wide open
- Speculator: Time for a system update
- Speculator: Sequel Watch 2012, part whatever
- Speculator: Princes, dragons and thieves return?
- Speculator: A look into our Fabula Nova Crystallis ball
- Speculator: Console wars, mascot wars, regular wars
- Speculator: When and how will you Wii U?
- Speculator: A new season means time to start fresh
- Speculator: We have an E3 ’12 Lightning Round winner!
- Speculator Lightning Round: E3 conferences 2012
- Speculator: Is an on-contract 360 on the horizon?
- Speculator: Will the Kinect take on a starring role?
- Speculator: What will the next PlayStation be?
- Speculator: Out with the new games, in with the old?
- Speculator: Will the heroes in a half-shell return?
- Speculator: Will 2012 be the Year of the Vita?
- Speculator: Will Psycho-Notch 2 dreams be a reality?
- Speculator: What’s the future of Microsoft hardware?
- Speculator: Please, sir, could we have some more?
- Speculator: Ringing in 2012 with some rumor resolution
- Speculator: An edition of epic proportions
- Speculator: Deciphering the Xbox’s unclear future
- Speculator: Doom, gloom and a new challenger
- Speculator: Tuesday morning’s all right for fighting
- Speculator: Our scoops come straight from the Sorcery
- Speculator: Are we nearing an Epic comeback?
- Speculator: The zombies are coming
- Speculator: Biometrics, ports and other shenanigans
- Speculator: Time for a sequel announcement?
- Speculator: Something something Capcom, something something
- Speculator: The Last Story’s final chapter?
- Speculator: Is the Wii U for just you?
- Speculator E3 results: Ahead of the pack
- Speculator Lightning Round: E3 2011
- Snackbar Speculator: Alien Factory
- Snackbar Speculator: The next generation
- Snackbar Speculator: System specs
- Snackbar Speculator: You shall not (online) pass
- Snackbar Speculator: Dance party!
- Snackbar Speculator: Timing issues
- Snackbar Speculator: Limbs of War
- Snackbar Speculator: Waiting to Inhale
- Snackbar Speculator: The future is later
- Snackbar Speculator: A new beginning
- Snackbar Speculator: Wintry mix
- Snackbar Speculator: Going Pachter
- Snackbar Speculator: Tales of Localization?
- Snackbar Speculator: Sony phones it in
- Snackbar Speculator: Death of the arcade
- Snackbar Speculator: Opening the Tomb
- Snackbar Speculator: Vanilla-where?
- Snackbar Speculator: Zombie Duke
- Snackbar Speculator: Sequel Spam
- Snackbar Speculator: The pulse of the industry
- Snackbar Speculator: Remake Raiders 3DS
- Snackbar Speculator: Back from E3
- Snackbar Speculator: The Last Hu-rrah
- Snackbar Speculator: Prepare for Launch
- Snackbar Speculator: One, 2, E3, 4
- Snackbar Speculator: LittleBigPlans
- Snackbar Speculator: Thinking with Portals
- Snackbar Speculator: F.E.A.R. Itself
- Snackbar Speculator: Latest Developments
- Snackbar Speculator: Nintentions
- Snackbar Speculator: Before the fall
- Snackbar Speculator: Well…ESPN360 is taken.
- Snackbar Speculator: Houses divided
- Snackbar Speculator: Re-re-re-redesign?
- Snackbar Speculator: Back to the Future
- Snackbar Speculator: Objectionable Content