At the humble age of 3, TJ ran away from his parents during a vacation in Colorado. They found him in an arcade, standing on a chair, playing Neo Geo's World Heroes. Years later, TJ has a passion for video games across most all genres and is particularly interested in the cultural shifts and trends of video game development. When he's not playing around on PCs and consoles, he's writing creatively and working on short stories and ideas for novels or checking out bad movies with a few friends over a few drinks and some laughs, whichever comes first.
T.J. Denzer
The Great Switcheroo of Metal Gear Solid 2
It was on this day in 2001 that we jumped in expecting another adventure with our favorite spy-soldier Solid Snake, and instead were shocked to find a game that cast him supporting alongside newcomer Raiden.
How GoldenEye 007 Made the Console FPS Relevant
It was on this day in 1997 that Rare released GoldenEye 007 exclusively for the N64 and opened the discussion on both the market of console shooters and the more “realistic” approach that would culminate in numerous hit franchises later on.
5 Best Xenomorph Video Game Appearances
The Xenomorph of Alien franchise fame has been around for several decades and in that time, it has become a practically unavoidable science-fiction horror icon. Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece set an amazingly high bar in terms of atmospheric set and sound design with the addition of gruesome set pieces and masterful monster appearances that would haunt viewers’ dreams for decades. It’s only natural with such an explosively popular franchise and widespread fanbase that video game developers would want to get their shot at portraying that license. Indeed, the Alien franchise has seen its share of video game adaptations across the many years since the release of the original.
10 Best Hack n’ Slash Video Games
Hack n’ Slash games are a relatively flexible genre in gaming. One could argue that any game where you’re swinging a sword can be a hack n’ slash. That’s not enough though. The fact is that when you’re playing one, you know it. It’s undeniable. Your blood gets pumping, your hands get tight, and every breath is a moment of anticipation for the next slayable challenge in the game. Hack n’ Slash games are renowned for their ability to bring high-octane fun to players everywhere, even if the actual gameplay can be a bit shallow sometimes. That said, these games are the apex of action-packed.
10 Best Fighting Game Sequels
This list has the cabinets we go looking for in the arcades or our go to games for offline and online combat and bragging rights in our living rooms. These are the round twos of round twos. These are our 10 Best Fighting Game Sequels.
10 Best Video Game War Heroes
When the world is against them, they don’t flinch. Perhaps more than any other, these characters explore the full depths of loss, triumph, tragedy and glory. These are the 10 Best Video Game War Heroes.
10 Worst Video Game Reboots
No matter how you cut it, there are reboots out there that just crush our hopes and dreams and drag their legacies through the muck. This list contains the most unfortunate of them; the Ten Worst Franchise Reboots.
10 Best Mortal Kombat Characters
One way or the other, these characters set themselves apart for the foray of fierce fighters and make themselves known to us as some of the best NetherRealm Studios has to offer. These are our 10 Best Mortal Kombat Characters.
A Konami Without Kojima: The Impossible Made Real
When I read the first rumors about Hideo Kojima leaving Konami, I, probably like many others, dismissed it as absurd. In my mind, Konami without Hideo Kojima was an impossibility. If Konami was a body, Kojima has undoubtedly been the face.
10 Worst Movie Video Games
Whether it's trying to meet a deadline in time with the release of a movie or trying to cash grab on the success of an established product, ventures at adaptation have all too often produced some of the worst games ever seen.