Video Games

True or false: Was Donkey Kong's name a mistranslation?

True or false: Was Donkey Kong's name a mistranslation?

It's amazing to think that we might not have some of the beloved Nintendo characters we do today if it weren't for Popeye. In an effort to quickly put something together that would help get rid of some unsold arcade cabinets, Shigeru Miyamoto came up with the idea for a...

What are the blocks in Tetris called?

What are the blocks in Tetris called?

There are few things more satisfying than locking in that perfect piece and clearing a few lines in Tetris. Originally developed in the '80s, we can thank Nintendo for bringing this game into our lives — for the original Game Boy alone, it sold over 35 million copies. But after licensing...

Nintendo’s original Game Boy had how much battery life?

Nintendo’s original Game Boy had how much battery life?

For less than the original price of a Game Boy ($89.99), I now have a device that's preloaded with over 5,000 retro games, has a 4K screen, and that I can take anywhere I damn well please. But while there were technically such things as mobile games, the...

What animal was Crash Bandicoot originally supposed to be?

What animal was Crash Bandicoot originally supposed to be?

The mark of a great home video game system is a great mascot — Mario and Sonic proved just how important a mascot is during the Console Wars, and Sony knew this was the case when they were gearing up to launch the PlayStation. Developers working on the platformer that was...

Where did Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft get her name?

Where did Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft get her name?

There are some iconic names in video game history: Mario Mario, Master Chief, Donkey Kong, Solid Snake, etc. — and Lara Croft clearly belongs on the list of iconic pixelated heroes. It's not a question I find myself asking often — apparently, someone having the same first and last name is totally...

How old is Joel in season 1 of HBO’s The Last of Us?

How old is Joel in season 1 of HBO’s The Last of Us?

I remember the days when translating a video game into anything other than a video game generally ended up with disastrous results. Anyone who saw the Street Fighter movie from 1994 can back me up here. But recently there's been this weird phenomenon where movies and TV shows based on...

What was the best-selling Nintendo 64 game of all time?

What was the best-selling Nintendo 64 game of all time?

If we're talking home video consoles based purely on bits, it's hard to argue with the sheer computing power that was the N64. Well, if you're comparing it to the original 8-bit NES, at least. You have to give credit to Nintendo for always sticking to their guns. When everyone...