Marc Normandin
@marcnormandin.bsky.social
Newsletters on retro video games and sports labor, regular at The A.V Club and Baseball Prospectus. Editor at FOX Sports. he/him
https://retroxp.beehiiv.com
https://marcnormandin.com
https://www.avclub.com/author/marc-normandin
https://retroxp.beehiiv.com
https://marcnormandin.com
https://www.avclub.com/author/marc-normandin
Pinned
Past meets present: Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Before there was Sonic the Hedgehog, there was Alex Kidd.
retroxp.beehiiv.com
It's pretty easy to see how Alex Kidd in Miracle World failed to live up to Sega's hopes that it would be as popular as Super Mario Bros. I don't mean that as a negative, though, more that the latter was designed for a mass audience, and Miracle World was specifically for the weirdos [complimentary]
Reposted by Marc Normandin
WITH THAT SAID, if any editors still want to commission this hmu. It’s a good and timely piece that I haven’t seen written anywhere else.
I’m working on a deep dive of t.A.T.u.’s music & its connections to the Winter Olympics, from Sochi to Milano Cortina, & the connections that music has to anti-LGBTQ+ resistance at the Games & in the host countries. I even interviewed my father-in-law, who wrote & produced t.A.T.u.’s album.
February 18, 2026 at 9:48 PM
WITH THAT SAID, if any editors still want to commission this hmu. It’s a good and timely piece that I haven’t seen written anywhere else.
Reposted by Marc Normandin
If you don’t read old stuff you’ll never discover that people in the olden days had the same thoughts and feelings and dreams and anxieties you do, sometimes articulated differently, sometimes exactly the same way. You are never truly alone in anything and old writings are a neon sign telling you so
Meanwhile, on threads, which actually is like what people on twitter think bluesky is like, a "teacher, author, poet" speaks...
February 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM
If you don’t read old stuff you’ll never discover that people in the olden days had the same thoughts and feelings and dreams and anxieties you do, sometimes articulated differently, sometimes exactly the same way. You are never truly alone in anything and old writings are a neon sign telling you so
Knew what this was the second I saw the video but also was hoping I was wrong
JT Toppin's knee nooooo
February 18, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Knew what this was the second I saw the video but also was hoping I was wrong
16 major programs, huh? more like 1K992
VIDEO GAME NEWS:
As previously reported by Extra Points, Season 5 of NBA2K, which starts 2/20, will include current MBB and WBB athletes from 16 major programs.
It's the precursor to 2K getting more involved in college basketball IP and projects.
IP will be in MyTeam and MyCareer:
As previously reported by Extra Points, Season 5 of NBA2K, which starts 2/20, will include current MBB and WBB athletes from 16 major programs.
It's the precursor to 2K getting more involved in college basketball IP and projects.
IP will be in MyTeam and MyCareer:
February 18, 2026 at 8:04 PM
16 major programs, huh? more like 1K992
Reposted by Marc Normandin
Reposted by Marc Normandin
One of the main reasons Tokimeki Memorial can feel obtuse to people playing it now in 2026 when it didn't to Japanese players in 1994 is you're not playing with the manual and info cards, which explicitly spell out the game's entire calendar and all major events so you can plan runs in advance.
I'm older than you so I can confirm that they came with a little book that had the tutorial in it and you read it on the way home
February 18, 2026 at 3:08 AM
One of the main reasons Tokimeki Memorial can feel obtuse to people playing it now in 2026 when it didn't to Japanese players in 1994 is you're not playing with the manual and info cards, which explicitly spell out the game's entire calendar and all major events so you can plan runs in advance.
The reason the league has been running out the clock at every opportunity, by the way, is to be able to wield the lack of time as a weapon
In a statement provided to ESPN, a WNBA spox calls the WNBPA's proposal "unrealistic & would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams. We... are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players & generations to come.”
February 18, 2026 at 2:31 PM
The reason the league has been running out the clock at every opportunity, by the way, is to be able to wield the lack of time as a weapon
Reposted by Marc Normandin
“why do you hate technology” as though “technology” were some discrete entity divorced entirely from the context of what it does and what it creates, rather than a category so broad as to constitute reality itself
February 18, 2026 at 1:47 PM
“why do you hate technology” as though “technology” were some discrete entity divorced entirely from the context of what it does and what it creates, rather than a category so broad as to constitute reality itself
Reposted by Marc Normandin
“When will the left be excited about tech?” Brother, wait until you hear about mRNA vaccines.
February 18, 2026 at 1:51 PM
“When will the left be excited about tech?” Brother, wait until you hear about mRNA vaccines.
Appreciate the specific angle taken by this from the start. Difficult to trust anyone whose primary goal is "be ludicrously wealthy"
I wrote about LeBron James' Israel comments. The article starts with me quoting an article I wrote 22 yrs ago about the aspirations of a 19 year old LeBron and then I look at how the 41 year old James ended up compared to his hero Muhammad Ali. Also, I feel old AF. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Why LeBron James Ignores Genocide and Stands With Israel
The basketball great once said he wanted to be like Muhammad Ali. He can’t do that and shrug off Israeli war crimes.
www.thenation.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Appreciate the specific angle taken by this from the start. Difficult to trust anyone whose primary goal is "be ludicrously wealthy"
Reposted by Marc Normandin
The @shutdownfullcast.bsky.social is up, just realizing with horror that Apple Podcasts auto-generates transcripts now
February 18, 2026 at 12:57 PM
The @shutdownfullcast.bsky.social is up, just realizing with horror that Apple Podcasts auto-generates transcripts now
Nothing like an "out for delivery!" notification that does not result in delivery and then when you check the next day the tracker basically says "hey I don't know either"
February 18, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Nothing like an "out for delivery!" notification that does not result in delivery and then when you check the next day the tracker basically says "hey I don't know either"
Reposted by Marc Normandin
Sorry to get radical but I don’t think it’s my job or yours to embrace, accept, understand - and certainly not to use - the thing being sold to us as AI. I don’t like any part of it, so I won’t. I’m missing out? Good, that’s what I want. You’re worried about me missing out? That’s fuckin weird, man.
February 18, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Sorry to get radical but I don’t think it’s my job or yours to embrace, accept, understand - and certainly not to use - the thing being sold to us as AI. I don’t like any part of it, so I won’t. I’m missing out? Good, that’s what I want. You’re worried about me missing out? That’s fuckin weird, man.
That Margot Robbie quote is very funny because it boils down to "I don't think critics have emotions"
February 18, 2026 at 12:02 PM
That Margot Robbie quote is very funny because it boils down to "I don't think critics have emotions"
Reposted by Marc Normandin
They only say this when the movie sucks. I’m sure she’s plenty smart and she just makes bad movies as a choice.
February 18, 2026 at 11:53 AM
They only say this when the movie sucks. I’m sure she’s plenty smart and she just makes bad movies as a choice.
Reposted by Marc Normandin
The men of the NBA get about 40% of total revenue.
Women are asking for 27.5% of total revenue.
This statement by the WNBA is simply not believable.
They need to explain clearly how a share of revenue below anything the men of the NBA have ever received would result in huge losses.
Women are asking for 27.5% of total revenue.
This statement by the WNBA is simply not believable.
They need to explain clearly how a share of revenue below anything the men of the NBA have ever received would result in huge losses.
In a statement provided to ESPN, a WNBA spox calls the WNBPA's proposal "unrealistic & would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams. We... are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players & generations to come.”
February 18, 2026 at 4:33 AM
The men of the NBA get about 40% of total revenue.
Women are asking for 27.5% of total revenue.
This statement by the WNBA is simply not believable.
They need to explain clearly how a share of revenue below anything the men of the NBA have ever received would result in huge losses.
Women are asking for 27.5% of total revenue.
This statement by the WNBA is simply not believable.
They need to explain clearly how a share of revenue below anything the men of the NBA have ever received would result in huge losses.
JT Toppin's knee nooooo
February 18, 2026 at 10:48 AM
JT Toppin's knee nooooo
Reposted by Marc Normandin
The Rays have traded Junior Caminero
February 18, 2026 at 2:16 AM
The Rays have traded Junior Caminero
Reposted by Marc Normandin
I'm so tired of the players bending over backwards to seem reasonable to some imaginary audience, when everyone with eyes can see that the league is screwing them over.
Nneka: The players’ revenue share proposal started at 40% and is now 28%. But, “the league’s first proposal had the player share at less than 13, and they’re still stuck at 14.5… So, to come back six weeks later, and that’s still where they’re at doesn’t demonstrate a sense of urgency from them.”
Nneka Ogwumike calls out Adam Silver, WNBA over latest CBA comments
Nneka Ogwumike was confused by some of Adam Silver’s comments at NBA All-Star weekend.
highposthoops.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:11 AM
I'm so tired of the players bending over backwards to seem reasonable to some imaginary audience, when everyone with eyes can see that the league is screwing them over.
Amish Paradise
you are all fools the REAL music question that will cause intergenerational warfare on bluesky is actually: what is weird al's signature song?
February 18, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Amish Paradise
Reposted by Marc Normandin
catherine 2 confessional preview:
February 18, 2026 at 12:44 AM
catherine 2 confessional preview:
Reposted by Marc Normandin
If anybody on here is even pondering voting for Stephen A. Smith to be president, let's set up a boxing match I can knock some sense into you legally
Stephen A. Smith: "We wouldn’t have a border crisis under my watch."
"We ain’t defunding any police… There’s gonna be more."
It's with much regret I foresee the inevitable, he's running
"We ain’t defunding any police… There’s gonna be more."
It's with much regret I foresee the inevitable, he's running
February 17, 2026 at 10:14 PM
If anybody on here is even pondering voting for Stephen A. Smith to be president, let's set up a boxing match I can knock some sense into you legally
Oh come on man
Tony Clark is expected to WHAT
February 17, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Oh come on man
Reposted by Marc Normandin
what if i told you, through the power of forensic analysis, we are closer than ever to knowing the exact Far Side cartoon that is making Sting smile in this iconic photo. 🧵 👇
February 17, 2026 at 5:18 PM
what if i told you, through the power of forensic analysis, we are closer than ever to knowing the exact Far Side cartoon that is making Sting smile in this iconic photo. 🧵 👇