The best way to play a classic yet dated '80s RPG.

If I had come across Phantasy Star when I was younger, I think my recent visit to the Algol solar system would have been a lot rosier. Originally released in America on the Master System in 1988, Phantasy Star was one of the better console RPGs of its era. The turn-based combat was solid, the first-person dungeon-exploring was engaging, and the story was good even though it suffered a little bit from the limitations of the Master System.

Remember wanting to go to the restaurants with the cool arcade games?

As a kid, going out to eat always seemed like a minor special event. I loved ordering food that was probably terrible for me but tasted great. That alone was probably enough for some kids. Other kids, myself included at times, were also persuaded to go to the eateries that provided the coolest toys. However, one thing that drove me to a few local places was their arcade games.

Maybe the Poké Ball Plus is a bad controller, but if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

The control methods of Pokémon Let’s Go deserve to be called out for being limiting and restrictive. Little to no customization exists here and the only way to play the game without any motion controls is handheld-only. All of these controls seem to be in service of the gimmicky addition to Let’s... Read more...

A Diablo neophyte gets taken in by the action-RPG wiles of the Switch port.

It’s not that I wrote Diablo off over the years, it’s that it wasn’t really convenient for me to play. I dabbled with Diablo II at some point in the early 2000s, but after a few enjoyable hours, my non-PC-playing preferences dictated attention elsewhere. I’d hear exuberance over the forthcoming Diablo III but it wasn’t something I paid any mind to. I was fine in my game-playing existence without Diablo in it.

Donald reflects on the passing of the man who helped him in ways immeasurable.

Michael Cunningham, better known online as "Macstorm", passed away today (August 25) following a two and a half year long battle with stomach cancer. Michael was the operator of Pocket Console, and served as the editor in chief of RPGamer for many years.

Nintendo World Report extends condolences to Michael's family and friends, and the staff at RPGamer.