The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion just turned 15 years old, which begs the question: Does Oblivion still hold up in 2021? No, but also yes.
Sam Martinelli
Sam Martinelli
Sam has been playing video games since his earliest years and has been writing about them since 2016. He’s a big fan of Nintendo games and complaining about The Last of Us Part II. You either agree wholeheartedly with his opinions or despise them. There is no in between.
A lifelong New Yorker, Sam views gaming as far more than a silly little pastime, and hopes though critical analysis and in-depth reviews to better understand the medium's artistic merit.
Twitter: @sam_martinelli.
In this edition of Punished Notes, I talk the genius of Bowser’s Fury, delve into The Medium’s stunning tech, and celebrate my washer/dryer.
Just a few hours into my first-ever playthrough of Dragon Quest XI, I felt a sense of comfort and relief reminiscent of fond childhood memories, despite never playing a Dragon Quest game before. Turns out, it’s a nostalgia not for classic JRPGs, but rather a simpler time in gaming overall.
Welcome to the first post in our latest series, “Punished Hall of Fame.” In these pieces, writers at The Punished Backlog induct some of their favorite titles into this site’s own prestigious Hall of Fame. In this inaugural edition, Super Nintendo classic Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest will be the very first inductee.
It’s a fresh year, meaning out with the old (aka terrible) and in with the new! As with years past, here are my gaming goals for 2021.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: 2020 sucked. This year’s games were mostly great, and some in particular helped me get through some dark times, but the world is still a mess. That said, I want this list to be mostly a positive experience for anyone reading it. Here’s a Game of the Year tier list of every 2020 game I played.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales embraces the quotidien of NYC life. Unfortunately, it also avoids most of the social issues tied to this status quo.
For this edition of Punished Chat, we discuss the differences between PC and next-gen consoles, and what this means moving forward.
With the re-release of several Mario titles for Switch, you may wonder where to begin. So here’s every Super Mario All-Stars games, ranked.
In this edition of Punished Notes, I cover Treachery in Beatdown City, the new Battletoads, the Tony Hawk remake, and sweaters. Enjoy!