The Daily Daze

Like the disjointed levels in a video game, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is more akin to a collection of scenes--each one fun, funny, and action-packed...but barely tethered to a greater whole. In other words, the story is thin and the script is non-existent much like how the Mario games tend to be. Does this make the film a missed opportunity? Or rather, as Mario-creator Shigeru Miyamoto has said...

The Grand Theft Auto franchise has always been controversial. Violence, misogyny, theft and bloodshed...it was the ultimate power trip for those feeling trapped by the mundanities of modern life. But now, GTA 6 is coming, slated for a 2026 release...and more than carnage and nihilism comes a different kind of outrage. Of the game's two playable stars, one is Lucia, a tough-as-balls gal--the first...

The gaming industry loves reboots, remakes, redos—any so-called classic from the past that can generate some easy cash. But though these rereleases supposedly honor what came before, they often do the opposite, serving only to obscure all memory of the originals.  It’s a rewriting of history, essentially, with the original development teams, scripts, art, and musical scores all lost in the wake of...

Nintendo can't seem to do wrong these days, and its press unveiling of the Switch 2 should have been another glorious moment for the golden company. But just when everything seemed perfect, the Big N got greedy: expensive games, blank game cards, upgrade fees, and iffy backwards compatibility is killing a lot of that consumer goodwill. Should people buy a Switch 2 at launch...or wait for Nintendo...

The Sonic Trilogy--or, "Hollywood's Sonic" as coined by some--has always presented a rather, er, different spin on the classic character. More than cool and shrewd, this blue dude is young and playful and, really, just very lonely. But now, as of this third cinematic outing, the hedgehog's found himself a human family and a gang of furry kin--a team, so to speak, to take on the latest global threa...

The Arduboy is famous for bringing back Nintendo's Game Boy 8-bit style of gaming, albeit in a credit card-size form factor. In 2016, the gadget was both cool and chic--unique and boutique. In 2025, however, can the tiny machine still survive against newer handhelds built for more power and prestige? Note: As of 1/23/25, the system is currently on sale for $59.00 on the Arduboy website: Arduboy FX...

Gaming has entered the doldrums--a downturn in the art form where companies struggle to produce anything of worth...or even new. Playing safe is now the strategy...but if remakes are our unfortunate future, why not at least redo the games people missed the first time around? We don't need more Sonic or Mario. We need more Dragon Valor, more Einhander, more Haunting Ground! For more new musings on...

The brawler is certainly a genre of classics, from Final Fight to Castle Crashers. And recently, the category has enjoyed a certain return to glory with all sorts of new entries suddenly appearing on scene. And yet, is this really a comeback, a true return from the dead? Or is the beat 'em up fated to fade once this little fad, this little trend, runs its course and ends again? Visit lostnostalgia...

Princess Peach seems to be the maiden of a thousand faces. Who is she, really? The sweet, serene princess of classical, Marian sensibility? Or the hot-blooded battle maiden always happy for action? Is she gentle? An innocent soul? A girl in need of a champion? Or does she save herself, needing no hero…not even the stalwart Mario? In this episode, by means of Nintendo’s Super Princess Peach DS game...

Unlike film and book preservation, video games are always under attack; often, ironically, by their very makers. Once again, the ESA's cabal of Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and like-minded tyrants have united to strike down a ROM preservation website--this one being Vimm's Lair, an esteemed gaming curation destination brimming with the industry's storied past. What's more, it's one of the last. This epis...

Sega's Genesis (Mega Drive) and Nintendo's Super Nintendo - they were the topic of every school debate in the early '90s, but decades later, these rival machines STILL trigger passionate reactions in dedicated fans. Which system really was "the best?" Usually, it depends on who's being asked, but hindsight never lies. Looking back, one system was great...but the other became timeless. One was mone...

Sonic the Hedgehog is still a gaming superstar, but his games appeal to different audiences. Some prefer his classic 2-D excursions; others like his more free-roaming adventures. And yet, the complaints are rife for either approach: "2-D Sonic can't do anything new/3-D Sonic misses the point!" Are these naysayers being unreasonable...or might they have a point? Might they be noticing...a certain i...

The "switcheroo" or "body swap" is an oft-repeated trope in cartoons, books, and film...but the premise stems from a singular source. After author Mary Rodgers imagined a daughter swapping bodies with her pretty mother, a new franchise--nay, a new genre--was born. Today's show examines the freaky franchise five times over: 1 book, 4 films. Are they kitschy classics or simply kitsch?  Some are defi...

One’s imagination is precious--it's the tool one uses to visualize the spoken, the inferred, the otherwise unseen. But do modern games, what with their HD photorealism...rob people of this fundamental, very human ability? Maybe games don't need to be quite so...on the nose. Visit www.lostnostalgia.com for more old-school goodness. Thanks to Decktonic for the tune.

Nintendo loves remaking and remastering its ancient games, including the 2024 rerelease of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. But with all the reboots and redos, why doesn't the Big N bring back the ape's best--the Game Boy's phenomenal Donkey Kong '94? Isn't it time to revisit this tragically neglected classic? Please visit www.lostnostalgia.com for more critical thought and retrospection on all things vinta...

For nearly 29 years, Charles Martinet had provided Nintendo's Super Mario with his iconic voice. All the "wahoos" and "mama mias" came courtesy of the actor's style and invention. In a very real sense, Martinet was Mario; he'd become the face of the world-recognized star. And that, perhaps, was exactly the problem. In 2023, The Big N "retired" Martinet in favor of an unknown performer with little...

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a huge hit, but the fans must decide--does it support, or subvert, the character's lore and legacy? Mr. Pacario compares the film with Mario's (once?) accepted origin, examining the complements and contradictions between the classic canon and its big-screen counterpart. The fairy tale versus the blockbuster, essentially... Swing by www.lostnostalgia.com for more thou...

The illustrious Studio Ghibli is one of the industry's preeminent leaders in theatrical anime, and standing at its center is the legendary animator and director, Hayao Miyazaki. Indeed, his name is almost synonymous with the studio itself thanks to his many mesmerizing films, from the whimsical My Neighbor Totoro to the sometimes grim and violent Princess Mononoke. But one work stands apart from h...

Not known for its shooters, the Super Nintendo still hosted one of the greatest shoot 'em ups of the 16-bit age--the inimitable Pocky and Rocky. The game's obscure status, however, meant that millions missed experiencing this sublime romp...until now, that is. Thanks to developer Natsume, the series returns as Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, a remake/sequel hybrid ready to be played by a new generation...

Early anime lovers from decades ago know of Project A-KO--it was one of the 1980's great anime films, serving as both an introduction for new fans of the medium, and a brave, farcical sendup for those already well-acquainted with the art form. But, years later, does this brash fantasy of beautiful, superpowered school girls raining destruction across a picturesque cityscape still entertain? Still...

After Sonic the Hedgehog's first film became a big hit with the movie-going public, the Blue Blur returns for the inevitable sequel. Does it surpass its predecessor...or does it sink like so many sequels before? (If only Sonic could swim!) Thanks to decktonic.com for the theme music.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600...is it really the worst game of all time? Did it really spark the downfall of Atari? Should its creator, Howard Scott Warshaw, be blamed for almost tanking an entire industry? Here, Mr. Pacario explores these very questions, analyzing the tricky particulars--the arguments for and against--Mr. Warshaw's role in what is now deigned The Great Video Game...

Video games are often loved as much for their sweet music as their (hopefully) engaging gameplay, a truth this particular episode is anxious to illustrate! 22 amazing tunes await the avid listener in what might be the most ambitious Great Gamer's Quiz yet! In 20 seconds (more-or-less), gamers will try to identify some legendary melodies. Or...they can simply kick back and enjoy the beautiful balle...

Once again, portable gaming systems are becoming all the rage, and the Arduboy FX might be the most unique among the current deluge of handheld entertainment. The size of a credit card--yet packing over 200 games and apps!--this little device pays tribute to Nintendo's Game Boy, yet fully embraces the can-do spirit of the modern gaming scene. So, is it worth a purchase? Mr. Pacario provides his an...

Limited Run Games, or LRG, became celebrated for converting rare and digital-only games into physical editions, then selling them in "limited" quantities to anxious collectors. At least, that's how it was supposed to go. But now, as LRG grows bloated on the goodwill, and cash, of a swarming fanbase, some are questioning the company's manipulative methods and marketing practices. Could this noble e...