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
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. 🧵 👇
Amazing that we get these reports of baseball teams coming to pre-agreements with literal international children and then MLB is like "well there's only one solution to enforcing rules we already have in place, and it's an international draft that further erodes any negotiating power the kids have"
February 17, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Amazing that we get these reports of baseball teams coming to pre-agreements with literal international children and then MLB is like "well there's only one solution to enforcing rules we already have in place, and it's an international draft that further erodes any negotiating power the kids have"
Tony Clark is expected to WHAT
February 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Tony Clark is expected to WHAT
I just looked directly at the boxscore for Richmond @ George Mason from last night and Jesus Christ. What the hell happened there. The winning team shot 29%.
February 17, 2026 at 2:17 PM
I just looked directly at the boxscore for Richmond @ George Mason from last night and Jesus Christ. What the hell happened there. The winning team shot 29%.
I am more convinced every day that the solution to tanking isn't punishments or lottery changes, it's getting rid of the draft entirely
February 17, 2026 at 1:44 PM
I am more convinced every day that the solution to tanking isn't punishments or lottery changes, it's getting rid of the draft entirely
Reposted by Marc Normandin
It's been observed by people paying closer attention that 100% of instances of this label on this site have been applied manually by a person with admin power and not as an automated response to a context trigger. BBS forum mod tantrum filter button. See if it's set to Hide or not in your settings.
If you want to see posts from cool people on here, go to @moderation.bsky.app and turn off this label
February 16, 2026 at 11:39 PM
It's been observed by people paying closer attention that 100% of instances of this label on this site have been applied manually by a person with admin power and not as an automated response to a context trigger. BBS forum mod tantrum filter button. See if it's set to Hide or not in your settings.
Reposted by Marc Normandin
I would not bite my Olympic gold medal, I would fit the entire thing into my mouth
February 16, 2026 at 9:18 PM
I would not bite my Olympic gold medal, I would fit the entire thing into my mouth
Now I'm no expert but that seems Bad
Steam Decks are out of stock for the reason we thought: RAM shortages.
February 17, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Now I'm no expert but that seems Bad
This figure skater has magician facial hair when you take into account the outfit but I'm not sure if that helps or hinders him with the judges
February 17, 2026 at 1:48 AM
This figure skater has magician facial hair when you take into account the outfit but I'm not sure if that helps or hinders him with the judges
One of the things this game does exceptionally well is teach you how this kind of game even works. Great STG
Gunvein, one of the standout games from the international danmaku renaissance of the last several years, is discounted on PC for the first time in years, and on Switch for what might be the first time ever
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/gunvein-switch/
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/gunvein-switch/
Save 50% on Gunvein on Steam
Gunvein is a dynamic, aggression-based bullet hell shoot em up where you use lock on lasers, charged weapons, bombs & hypers to overwhelm the enemies before they overwhelm you.
store.steampowered.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:47 AM
One of the things this game does exceptionally well is teach you how this kind of game even works. Great STG
[Joe Girardi shows up on my TV during the Oklahoma State women's game] wait hold on a second
February 16, 2026 at 8:30 PM
[Joe Girardi shows up on my TV during the Oklahoma State women's game] wait hold on a second
Reposted by Marc Normandin
the impossible number of games that release on Steam every day has been discourse for years
why would anybody want to play a game nobody could be bothered to make
why would anybody want to play a game nobody could be bothered to make
Unity says its AI tech will soon be able to 'prompt full casual games into existence'
Unity says its AI tech will soon be able to 'prompt full casual games into existence'
Company CEO Matt Bromberg claims AI will empower non-coders and seasoned developers alike.
www.gamedeveloper.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:27 PM
the impossible number of games that release on Steam every day has been discourse for years
why would anybody want to play a game nobody could be bothered to make
why would anybody want to play a game nobody could be bothered to make
Seeing that Preller is the second-longest-tenured GM in MLB is one of those things that checks out out still feels wrong
February 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Seeing that Preller is the second-longest-tenured GM in MLB is one of those things that checks out out still feels wrong
Reposted by Marc Normandin
Reposted by Marc Normandin
I have a very simple and straightforward two-step plan to Save The Video Game Industry:
Step 1: Globally eliminate the concept of a classed society and redistribute all surplus resources among the populace, permanently enshrining social ownership of the means of production.
Step 2: Ridge Racer 8.
Step 1: Globally eliminate the concept of a classed society and redistribute all surplus resources among the populace, permanently enshrining social ownership of the means of production.
Step 2: Ridge Racer 8.
February 16, 2026 at 12:47 AM
I have a very simple and straightforward two-step plan to Save The Video Game Industry:
Step 1: Globally eliminate the concept of a classed society and redistribute all surplus resources among the populace, permanently enshrining social ownership of the means of production.
Step 2: Ridge Racer 8.
Step 1: Globally eliminate the concept of a classed society and redistribute all surplus resources among the populace, permanently enshrining social ownership of the means of production.
Step 2: Ridge Racer 8.
Crushed it
Dinner plan is:
-Slice of fresh rosemary gruyere bread with an orange-almond butter.
-Butternut corn chowder
-Lemon, leek, and pea risotto
-chicken breast with smoked paprika, manzanilla, and golden raisin pan sauce, served with a butternut mash
-Slice of fresh rosemary gruyere bread with an orange-almond butter.
-Butternut corn chowder
-Lemon, leek, and pea risotto
-chicken breast with smoked paprika, manzanilla, and golden raisin pan sauce, served with a butternut mash
February 16, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Crushed it
Reposted by Marc Normandin
can they pop it back in, or?
February 15, 2026 at 5:36 PM
can they pop it back in, or?
Reposted by Marc Normandin
at an indie game event in the Mission in SF some guy came up to me and asked me and my friend "what are you building?" and i said "we're more into destroying" and he just kinda stared blankly at us for a split second and then walked away. it is so easy to short-circuit these people's brains
Token Anxiety
i think i mostly echo this for myself. with so much that can be done, i often feel like i *should* be doing something, always
i think i mostly echo this for myself. with so much that can be done, i often feel like i *should* be doing something, always
February 15, 2026 at 5:24 PM
at an indie game event in the Mission in SF some guy came up to me and asked me and my friend "what are you building?" and i said "we're more into destroying" and he just kinda stared blankly at us for a split second and then walked away. it is so easy to short-circuit these people's brains
Sorry, Lindsey Vonn has had four surgeries on her leg this week and will have more?
February 15, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Sorry, Lindsey Vonn has had four surgeries on her leg this week and will have more?
Reposted by Marc Normandin
It's time for more Xenosaga Episode III!
This week @nocartridge.bsky.social and I find out if love can bloom in the Military Industrial Complex.
Also, Shion's Girlfriend gets an Evil Girlfriend.
And everyone gets a cutscene, as this game takes its time going anywhere...
youtu.be/jf-MhpY7sec?...
This week @nocartridge.bsky.social and I find out if love can bloom in the Military Industrial Complex.
Also, Shion's Girlfriend gets an Evil Girlfriend.
And everyone gets a cutscene, as this game takes its time going anywhere...
youtu.be/jf-MhpY7sec?...
Let's Play Xenosaga Episode III - 04
YouTube video by Dia Lacina
youtu.be
February 13, 2026 at 7:07 PM
It's time for more Xenosaga Episode III!
This week @nocartridge.bsky.social and I find out if love can bloom in the Military Industrial Complex.
Also, Shion's Girlfriend gets an Evil Girlfriend.
And everyone gets a cutscene, as this game takes its time going anywhere...
youtu.be/jf-MhpY7sec?...
This week @nocartridge.bsky.social and I find out if love can bloom in the Military Industrial Complex.
Also, Shion's Girlfriend gets an Evil Girlfriend.
And everyone gets a cutscene, as this game takes its time going anywhere...
youtu.be/jf-MhpY7sec?...
See?
It's official, Miami (OH) is the only good men's basketball team, the rest are frauds
February 15, 2026 at 2:17 AM
See?
Kate's dad is in town, we'll eat dinner at her mom's tomorrow, and that means I'm cooking. Because it's me I decided to do a five-course deal where I'll also bake fresh bread, make a flavored butter, and made chicken stock and chicken broth today for use in dishes that need those things tomorrow.
February 15, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Kate's dad is in town, we'll eat dinner at her mom's tomorrow, and that means I'm cooking. Because it's me I decided to do a five-course deal where I'll also bake fresh bread, make a flavored butter, and made chicken stock and chicken broth today for use in dishes that need those things tomorrow.
Reposted by Marc Normandin
Had a dream that there was global panic about the world running out of oxygen, Nintendo was the only video game company to make a statement about it, and the internet collectively spent its final hours on Earth debating whether Nintendo was being genuine or not
February 14, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Had a dream that there was global panic about the world running out of oxygen, Nintendo was the only video game company to make a statement about it, and the internet collectively spent its final hours on Earth debating whether Nintendo was being genuine or not
Reposted by Marc Normandin
If I had to bet on the main thing that has radicalized people against "ai," and I am talking about the way that branding is CURRENTLY BEING USED, not whatever specialized ML utility you may have found for it, it would be in apps and tech they already use being made worse and/or inoperable by it
February 14, 2026 at 9:04 PM
If I had to bet on the main thing that has radicalized people against "ai," and I am talking about the way that branding is CURRENTLY BEING USED, not whatever specialized ML utility you may have found for it, it would be in apps and tech they already use being made worse and/or inoperable by it
Reposted by Marc Normandin
can you imagine how fucking annoying it would be to be the like. 12th best person in the world at ski jumping. like you can’t STOP going to the competitions right? but you’re going to get 12th. your mom flew there
February 14, 2026 at 7:40 PM
can you imagine how fucking annoying it would be to be the like. 12th best person in the world at ski jumping. like you can’t STOP going to the competitions right? but you’re going to get 12th. your mom flew there