Jon Irwin
@winwinirwin.bsky.social
Writer/Teacher.
Words in Kill Screen, Paste, Men's Health, The Atlantic, Billboard, Variety, Washington Post, Inverse and more.
https://about.me/jonirwinis
Words in Kill Screen, Paste, Men's Health, The Atlantic, Billboard, Variety, Washington Post, Inverse and more.
https://about.me/jonirwinis
I just sat in my car to see if this was her real name or if my car’s radio was hallucinating. She’s real! Incredible.
November 19, 2025 at 10:46 PM
I just sat in my car to see if this was her real name or if my car’s radio was hallucinating. She’s real! Incredible.
Let this be a reminder that in Wii Fit Plus, you could attach the Fit Meter to your dog’s collar and upload its steps into their very own doggy profile in the game
November 18, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Let this be a reminder that in Wii Fit Plus, you could attach the Fit Meter to your dog’s collar and upload its steps into their very own doggy profile in the game
Most retro filters don’t really do it for me, but there’s something about the one from @digitaleclipse.bsky.social for the original Mortal Kombat (Arcade) that puts me back at Tel-Twelve Mall in Southfield, MI.
The Legacy Kollection is a remarkable achievement. Such an important moment, told well.
The Legacy Kollection is a remarkable achievement. Such an important moment, told well.
November 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Most retro filters don’t really do it for me, but there’s something about the one from @digitaleclipse.bsky.social for the original Mortal Kombat (Arcade) that puts me back at Tel-Twelve Mall in Southfield, MI.
The Legacy Kollection is a remarkable achievement. Such an important moment, told well.
The Legacy Kollection is a remarkable achievement. Such an important moment, told well.
So Metroid Prime 4 has a hub world-like desert called Sol Valley that connects a bunch of its areas...
I'm thinking Vanpool had a role to play in all this
I'm thinking Vanpool had a role to play in all this
November 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM
So Metroid Prime 4 has a hub world-like desert called Sol Valley that connects a bunch of its areas...
I'm thinking Vanpool had a role to play in all this
I'm thinking Vanpool had a role to play in all this
I’m doing what I can.
November 14, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I’m doing what I can.
Always on the cusp of the latest & greatest, I picked up Madden ‘18 (PS4) in a Clearance bin at a used book store, primarily to play Longshot, the in-engine story mode co-written by a guy I had pizza with once. @adriantoddzuniga.bsky.social
It was great! If Madden was just this I’d be all over it.
It was great! If Madden was just this I’d be all over it.
November 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Always on the cusp of the latest & greatest, I picked up Madden ‘18 (PS4) in a Clearance bin at a used book store, primarily to play Longshot, the in-engine story mode co-written by a guy I had pizza with once. @adriantoddzuniga.bsky.social
It was great! If Madden was just this I’d be all over it.
It was great! If Madden was just this I’d be all over it.
Ready for TumbleSeed: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition whenever you are, @aeiowu.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Ready for TumbleSeed: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition whenever you are, @aeiowu.com
Happy Nintendo-Acknowledges-Digidrive-Day to all who celebrate.
November 4, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Happy Nintendo-Acknowledges-Digidrive-Day to all who celebrate.
Happy Halloween from the…
October 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Happy Halloween from the…
I am onboard with this new development
October 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I am onboard with this new development
If this describes us, know that I’ll always cherish you
October 29, 2025 at 11:47 PM
If this describes us, know that I’ll always cherish you
Was going to highlight an important passage from the excerpt, but the point is students should be expected to read whole books, not excerpts—so the least you can do is read the whole excerpt
slate.com/life/2025/10...
slate.com/life/2025/10...
October 28, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Was going to highlight an important passage from the excerpt, but the point is students should be expected to read whole books, not excerpts—so the least you can do is read the whole excerpt
slate.com/life/2025/10...
slate.com/life/2025/10...
Was perusing this November 2005 issue of Game Informer, found a preview for a game I was sure got cancelled, then found out, no, it came out and now people are trying to sell it for $200+. Okay.
www.ebay.com/itm/25650346...
www.ebay.com/itm/25650346...
October 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Was perusing this November 2005 issue of Game Informer, found a preview for a game I was sure got cancelled, then found out, no, it came out and now people are trying to sell it for $200+. Okay.
www.ebay.com/itm/25650346...
www.ebay.com/itm/25650346...
This is a good read & I especially like the idea that many Sony games aren’t stories but *have stories.*
But I wish more modern critics would be less apologetic. I see this phrase—“There’s nothing wrong with this”—all the time, immediately after examining why there’s *something wrong with this*
But I wish more modern critics would be less apologetic. I see this phrase—“There’s nothing wrong with this”—all the time, immediately after examining why there’s *something wrong with this*
October 21, 2025 at 3:57 PM
This is a good read & I especially like the idea that many Sony games aren’t stories but *have stories.*
But I wish more modern critics would be less apologetic. I see this phrase—“There’s nothing wrong with this”—all the time, immediately after examining why there’s *something wrong with this*
But I wish more modern critics would be less apologetic. I see this phrase—“There’s nothing wrong with this”—all the time, immediately after examining why there’s *something wrong with this*
Shocking numbers from the latest Game Business by @dringo.bsky.social:
Look at the downloads-to-revenue ratio of Super Mario Run and Pikmin Bloom.
This is why mobile will always be ruled by microtransactions.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...
Look at the downloads-to-revenue ratio of Super Mario Run and Pikmin Bloom.
This is why mobile will always be ruled by microtransactions.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...
October 16, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Shocking numbers from the latest Game Business by @dringo.bsky.social:
Look at the downloads-to-revenue ratio of Super Mario Run and Pikmin Bloom.
This is why mobile will always be ruled by microtransactions.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...
Look at the downloads-to-revenue ratio of Super Mario Run and Pikmin Bloom.
This is why mobile will always be ruled by microtransactions.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...
Let the Switch 2 generation be the one where we finally get a follow-up to the most underrated of the Wii _____ titles
October 16, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Let the Switch 2 generation be the one where we finally get a follow-up to the most underrated of the Wii _____ titles
As a dad to two kids, aged 6 and 8, this represents the sum total of my creative ambition during their 45 minutes of allowed screen time
October 14, 2025 at 9:01 PM
As a dad to two kids, aged 6 and 8, this represents the sum total of my creative ambition during their 45 minutes of allowed screen time
Great discussion of retro games in the modern market on @dringo.bsky.social’s latest.
Also: someone track down this story and give it its due as a proper feature.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...?
Also: someone track down this story and give it its due as a proper feature.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...?
October 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Great discussion of retro games in the modern market on @dringo.bsky.social’s latest.
Also: someone track down this story and give it its due as a proper feature.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...?
Also: someone track down this story and give it its due as a proper feature.
open.substack.com/pub/thegameb...?
A glance at my inbox shows how two platform holders are framing their lineups: Microsoft is selling a service & access to a bounty of games; Nintendo sells one game at a time (or in the case of Galaxy 1+2, two games).
One focuses on Quantity, the other on Quality.
One focuses on Quantity, the other on Quality.
October 2, 2025 at 4:25 PM
A glance at my inbox shows how two platform holders are framing their lineups: Microsoft is selling a service & access to a bounty of games; Nintendo sells one game at a time (or in the case of Galaxy 1+2, two games).
One focuses on Quantity, the other on Quality.
One focuses on Quantity, the other on Quality.
What do you mean, Nintendo is releasing a two-pack of games just 5 years after releasing a port of the first game, but not the second!? Madness I say! My how they've changed! Their greed knows no bounds!
(Donkey Kong - 1983 / Donkey Kong Classics - 1988)
(Donkey Kong - 1983 / Donkey Kong Classics - 1988)
October 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
What do you mean, Nintendo is releasing a two-pack of games just 5 years after releasing a port of the first game, but not the second!? Madness I say! My how they've changed! Their greed knows no bounds!
(Donkey Kong - 1983 / Donkey Kong Classics - 1988)
(Donkey Kong - 1983 / Donkey Kong Classics - 1988)
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
September 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
The wrong speech is being suppressed.
September 18, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The wrong speech is being suppressed.