I was very late to the Nintendo Switch party. While everyone was enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, I was saving up money and waiting for a sale or a price drop. However, as more and more games kept releasing, that money I had set aside dwindled until it became nonexistent. For a while I started thinking I’d never get a Switch, but with games like Metroid Prime 4 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 on the way, I knew I couldn’t give up on the dream. So, as soon as 2019 hit, I pulled from my savings account and finally made the jump.

Having spent a little over a month with the console, I’m confident enough to talk about it. In this article, I’m going to grade five different aspects of the Switch (the games, the hybrid console gimmick, the online functionality, the battery life and the storage space) before giving it an overall rating. I’ll also be adding a tip to every section for those who are planning to get a Switch themselves, so be sure to check those out in order to make that first day setting things up as painless as possible. With that in mind, let’s get started!

​Five years ago, two friends sat down to talk about games using the PlayStation 4’s new Live From PlayStation feature. Little did they know that half a decade later they would have one of the most loyal and positive communities on Twitch, and that their dedicated group of viewers would help make a dream a reality.

If you’re here, there's a good chance you already know who Andrew is. Not only is he one of the co-hosts of The Level Up Show, the weekly gaming talk show that made The Level Up Network into what it is today, but Andrew is a genuinely awesome guy who recently quit his job to begin streaming full-time. While that is usually a big choice, it's made even bigger by the fact that Andrew also has a family to support. It is certainly an understatement to say that making this change to full-time streaming is a bit risky, so before it happens,  I wanted to get Andrew's thoughts on the journey so far, the excellent community that he’s brought together, and everything that’s about to happen when his journey finally kicks off on January 14th.

​Fallout 76 is Bethesda’s most controversial launch in years. It contains many of the same flaws present in the other Fallout games, only to a greater extent. When combined with some new issues and a multiplayer focus that a large portion of the fanbase found disappointing, both critics and fans gave the game mediocre reviews. The game’s weak critical reception has impacted its sales, with Fallout 76 already being dropped to $40 for Black Friday deals. Some gamers wanted 76 to fail and are happy to see it having such a rough launch (a stance I find to be truly pathetic), whereas other players are simply disappointed in how the ambitious game turned out. Then, there are those that expected a typical messy launch from Bethesda and are enjoying the game despite its lack of polish. I didn’t truly dive into the game until this weekend, but based on everything I had read about it, I was curious to see where I’d fall on it.

After playing Fallout 76 all weekend, I have my answer...

Written by Rick Warren / gfn21​

It’s been just under a year since I last wrote about PlayStation’s trophy system. Given that it’s such a huge part of gaming for me, I wanted to discuss it again, so... here we are. Last time, I talked about how Trophies were the best achievement system in gaming, and how easy it was to get addicted to earning trophies because of that. While I still stand by that outlook, it’s worth noting that even the best systems can be flawed.
 
On the off chance that someone from Sony is reading this, know that this is nothing but constructive criticism from someone who has dedicated a huge part of their life to getting trophies. I love hunting for them whenever I’m playing games, and I only want that hunt to get better. Without further ado, here are some key things I’d like to see addressed. ​

With the Venom trailer having been released a few weeks back and plans for Spider-Man villains like Black Cat and Morbius to get their own movies, Sony’s Marvel universe is coming whether we want it or not. I’ve always been a member of the latter group, as the prospect of a universe based on Spider-Man’s villains just isn’t that appealing to me. Yes, the characters are incredible, but they’re mainly incredible because of Spider-Man and the relationship they have with the iconic, friendly neighborhood hero. Without him, the universe just cannot work. The movies will fall flat, and the universe will crumble before it comes close to reaching a big payoff moment, just like Amazing Spider-Man failed to end its trilogy and introduce the Sinister Six. Further, these movies remove possibilities for villains to appear in the MCU alongside Tom Holland’s brilliant version of Spidey.
 
That said, I still think there’s a solution to the problems. There is something that Sony can do to fix this universe before it even begins, and to win over even those like myself who don’t like the concept... ​

When embarking on the journey that was the 18 movie rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had more than just Infinity War preparation in mind. I wanted to find out, definitively, how each movie ranked for me. In this article, I’ll be sharing a list for every phase, building up to the ultimate 18-film list at the end. Take a look at my list, and be sure to share yours afterwards!

When comparing the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the previous groups of movies, it’s hard not to be impressed. When Civil War dropped, Marvel Studios began a hot streak and they haven’t stopped since. Every movie in Phase 3 is excellent, with the introduction of new heroes like Doctor Strange and Black Panther, as well as the return of Marvel’s biggest star: Spider-Man. There is so much greatness in this group of movies, and I’ll be talking in detail about what makes them so great to me in this article. ​

The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was filled with some of the highest highs and lowest lows of all the movies. The “weak villain” problem became an epidemic here, infecting the majority of the phase. Still, the MCU persisted, and it’s here that Kevin Feige and the rest of the minds behind the universe began to take risks and establish their style. Today, I’m taking a look at each movie in Phase 2. Why not join me?

10 years ago, Iron Man released and changed comic book movies forever. It planted the seeds for a series of movies that would sprout into a universe full of classic moments and blockbuster successes. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is incredible. It has taken the characters from the books we read as kids and translated them perfectly into excellent live action film after excellent live action film. I started watching and loving these movies when I was a kid, and as an adult, I couldn’t be happier with the fact that I’m still doing the same. With Infinity War closing in, I started a rewatch of the entire MCU. I’ll be talking about each movie from Phase One in this article, comparing my original score with my current one and explaining why the numbers have/haven’t changed. Give it a read! ​

This is it; the last top five. For over 8 months, each Friday I’ve shared everything from my favorite games of all time to my own ideas for superhero games. Easter eggs, endings, soundtracks, art styles... it’s all been covered. Sure, I could keep going (maybe I’d write a list on weapons or start doing lists about specific series, like one on Uncharted setpieces) but I feel like I’ve done every list that I truly want to do. It’s time to move on to something new, but before I do, one last top five: my most anticipated games.​

Over four years ago, I was spending the night doing the same thing as always: playing games. At some point I took a break and browsed Live from PlayStation, looking for something to kill time while I ate dinner and waited for friends to sign online. Eventually I landed on something called “The Level Up Show”, having no idea that what I was about to watch would have such a positive impact on my life. Years passed by, with new people who shared the same passion for gaming and all the news in the industry finding the show and joining in on the discussion. I kept making more friends as the channel grew, and I’ll always be thankful for that. There’s something special about this community that made us all stick around. Maybe it’s all the excellent hosts that have been a part of the Network over the years. Maybe it’s the great production quality (seriously, the amount of work Andrew puts into everything deserves so much praise) or the level of interaction with the viewers. Maybe it’s the viewers themselves, the running jokes or amazing extra life events. I can never pinpoint one exact reason, because I don’t think there is one; I think it’s all the things above and more.
 
I love this community, and before I stop making these top five lists, I wanted to share my favorite moments from these past four years. ​

From double rainbows to NPCs with arrows in their knees, just about every game is packed with references and hidden details. Some are simple, others are complex, but all are fun. With this list, I'll be sharing my absolute favorite easter eggs - give it a read and share yours in the comments below!

Written by Jose Gonzalez

While I started gaming in the SNES/Sega Genesis era, I didn’t become molded into a gamer until the Nintendo 64/PlayStation 1 generation of gaming. 
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While I chose to go with the N64 and my brother chose the PlayStation, I still shared experiences on the console once I got my own, granted it was the PS One mini variant. I played anything from sports games to RPGs and adventure games when I had the PS1 (sadly, I never got the chance to play the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy or the original Tomb Raider games). With the exploration of remasters and remakes coming to the PS4 and the PS2 on PS4 section era containing its’ selection of games, the old guard isn’t being phased out as quickly as you think.  If I had things my way, here are at least 5 games and/or franchises from the PlayStation 1 era that I think deserve the remaster/remake treatment on the PlayStation 4.