It’s The State of Gaming Podcast, Popzara’s in-depth look at what’s shaking up the gaming landscape delivered on a monthly basis. Listen as hosts Cory Galliher and Nate Evans guide you through the best, worst, and everything else making headlines and headway in the world of interactive entertainment. The biggest games of the month include: Metal Slug Tactics, Tetris Forever, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, Mario and Luigi: Brothership, Slitterhead, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Lego...

Retro collections are all the rage these days, and it’s not hard to see why. With so many huge budget blockbusters failing to grab the zeitgeist, micro-transactions galore, and an shocking lack of memorable new franchises being created it’s no wonder many gamers - including many who never stepped foot in a real arcade - would be turning to classic games from a bygone era.

When watching musicals, you have to buy into a certain level of delusion on screen, otherwise you’ll just be scratching your head for two hours. Likewise, if musicals were absolutely literal, it would be preposterous for any sane character to sit there without questioning why everyone around them knows the words and dance moves to a brand new song that’s never been heard before.

My earliest awareness of Pharrell Williams’ music came circa 2004, but in the most obscure way possible. Despite producing some of my favorite tracks from the likes of Usher, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and No Doubt, Pharrell, along with his production team The Neptunes, wasn’t the name I had attached to these zeitgeisty songs.

I’ve been a fan of The Smurfs ever since I saw The Smurfs and the Magic Flute as a kid in the early 1980s. While there’s been plenty of Smurfs games released on all sorts of platforms, most of them have been duds until recently with hits such as Smurfs Kart and even last year’s The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone.

Once again, Amazon has waited a full three years to update their flagship Kindle Paperwhite e-Reader with a host of improvements that improve the experience over the still-incredible 2021 model. I’m sure even the most diehard book enthusiasts would be amazed at just how competitive - and innovative! - the world of E Ink e-Readers has become in recent years, and we’ve started to see industry-leader Amazon finally take notice.

One thing longtime Michael Connelly fans should know before diving into The Waiting, which is being marketed as a Ballard and Bosch adventure, is that the “Bosch” could mean one of two characters; retired LA detective Harry Bosch, easily the writer’s most popular character, or his daughter, Maddy Bosch, now working as a patrol officer in the LAPD but dreams of following in her (in)famous dad’s grizzled footsteps. Last year’s Resurrection Walk, which heavily focused on Harry Bosch and Mickey...

BenQ is back at it with their MOBIUZ EX321UX Gaming Monitor, an updated follow up from the prior EX3210U model I covered a while ago and called one of the best premium PC game displays at the time. Upon first glance, I thought there was a mistake with shipping because it almost looks identical, but the similarities are only skin deep as this dedicated single-player monitor has been elevated to the next level.

After reviewing the Reolink Battery Doorbell, I couldn’t wait to see what other security devices the company would come up with next. I didn’t have to wait long as our friends there sent over the Reolink Altas PT Ultra 4K Wireless Security Camera that makes watching over your property as easy as possible.

PC power supplies (PSU) are often an overlooked component that practically does all the heavy lifting for your system, basically it’s the heart of any desktop computer whether you’re building something essential or a raw gaming beast with multiple GPUs attached. Enter Super Flower, a brand that you probably never knew by themselves but is actually a manufacturer that discreetly works behind the scenes as an OEM supplier for other recognized companies known to charge a premium for their labels.

PC power supplies (PSU) are often an overlooked component that practically does all the heavy lifting for your system, basically it’s the heart of any desktop computer whether you’re building something essential or a raw gaming beast with multiple GPUs attached. Enter Super Flower, a brand that you probably never heard of by themselves but is actually a manufacturer that works behind the scenes as an OEM supplies for other companies known to charge a premium for their labels.

It’s Popzara’s Movie Time! Halloween Spooktacular!, our yearly dose of creepy movie mayhem to help make the holidays extra sweet and double-dangerous. The theme for this year’s ghoulish goulash of frightful fun is Terrifying Tots!, i.e. films meant for kids that were unintentionally (or intentionally) scary, leaving impressions for all the wrong reasons. Our regular hosts “Embalmed” Ethan Brehm and “Nasty” Nate Evans are joined by “Sadistic” Susana Bojorquez for an extended look at a batch of...

For a series titled the Legend of Zelda, we don’t typically see much of the titular princess. Our hero has always been Link, with Zelda working behind the scenes in one way or another.

Blood, guts, and Christmas-themed horror rarely end with a worthwhile combination, and unfortunately, in the case of Terrifier 3, the tinsel-draped streak continues. It’s a jolly, corpse-filled romp with little to say and, if we’re being honest, not much care in saying it.

Ever since one of my cousins showed me her Ring doorbell where you could always see what’s in front of her place, I’ve always wanted to grab a doorbell camera for myself. Thanks to our friends at Reolink, I was given the opportunity to check out the Reolink Battery Doorbell.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since Diablo IV came on the scene and gave players the power to slay demons and explore the land of Sanctuary with their buddies. As with Diablo III, it was only a matter of time before an expansion would come along, which brings us to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred.

The Switch! It's old! Games that have to include it in their development tend to be worse from a graphical and performance standpoint because of its lack of power! I've said it a billion times and, alas, I'm probably going to have to say it a billion more. That said, at least this makes for a great surprise whenever a previously Switch-locked game makes it to a platform with a little more open space to roam.

I’ve been wanting and meaning to pick up a rice cooker for quite some time now, but could never find a solid one without paying hundreds of dollars for it. Well it looks like Toshiba has finally answered the call for a budget friendly device that’s reliable with their Toshiba Electric Rice Cooker.

For most of the English speaking (and reading) world, 2022’s Talk to My Back was likely the first time they experienced the comics of Yamada Murasaki, a manga artist few had read (even in Japan) known for her work in the style known as gekiga, or manga designed for mature readers. Like Offshore Lightning, Saito Nazuna’s short story manga released last year, it was an important work that helped introduce a genre of manga that had been criminally underrepresented in English until now.

I recently got back from my first trip to Tokyo, and boy, are my arms tired. Wait, that's not how that joke goes, is it? Well, regardless, it was a fantastic experience that I'd recommend to anyone.

The Joker is one of the most iconic and complex villains in comic book history. From Cesar Romero’s campy portrayal to Heath Ledger’s chilling performance, we've seen many interpretations of the Clown Prince of Crime.

As much as I like Lilo & Stitch, something about the 2002 Disney movie always feels a bit off to me. Sure, it has a very non-Disney sense of irreverence that I can appreciate but it’s also a bit difficult to warm up to the blue alien serving as one-half of the title duo.

Your Popzara Pals celebrate 40 years of Autobots and Decepticons waging war across the galaxy - and our imaginations - as our own Cybertronian warriors Nate Evans, Chris Mitchell, and editor-in-disguise Sebastian Stoddard assemble in epic cybernetic roundtable chat about two animated features that perfectly everything we love about Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the rest: 1986’s Transformers: The Movie and 2024’s Transformers One. Listen as the gang discusses how Hasbro and Marvel were able to...

Metroid? Castlevania? Mash them together and you’ve got Metroidvania, two great tastes that taste great together with a name that lets you know exactly the type of adventure you’re about to have. But is there a word for the ever-growing world of Contra clones that attempt to capture the magic of Konami’s run ‘n gun platformer? We’ve got Roguelikes, Soulslikes, how about Contralike? Nah, but considering how closely most of them stick to the formula, maybe Contra Clone is enough.