Video Game Deep Cuts: Shantae's Epic Poly Bridge Kombat Life

[Great to see commissioned illustrations in articles - in this case by Sonny Ross for Polygon.]

Somehow, someway, we’re still putting Video Game Deep Cuts on Substack, folks. Particularly this week, with all that’s going on, it feels weird to be putting out a newsletter about video games. But I had the links already, you can read it if you like and… see you next week?

- Simon, curator

• Poly Bridge 2 (PC, Switch) is an enjoyable looking sequel to the physics-tastic bridge building simulator. 📽

• Sludge Life (PC, Switch) is a first-person lo-fi open world game with a lot of weird, grungy character. 📰

• Wondered why there’s no other Paper Mario-style cutout art/lite RPG games? Bug Fables: The Everlast Sapling (Switch, PS4, Xbox, previously on PC) did too, & it’s being very well received. 📰

• Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC) is new story & character DLC for MK11 📰which includes Shang Tsung (!) & Robocop (!!).

• Shantae & The Seven Sirens (iOS, PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox) is a well-reviewed full release of the latest (formerly Apple-exclusive) 2D character platformer. 📰

• This 6-part deep dive into Epic Games (from the Epic Games Store to Fortnite) is very long, but pretty much unmissable. 📰

• The debut of Umurangi Generation (pictured), a first-person photography game where you can document a ‘world on fire’, seems… apposite. 📽

• From farming to trucking to bus driving, why do millions play games that replicate regular jobs in forensic detail? 📰

• Did you think anyone could do a 3 hour 18 minute review of the Final Fantasy VII remake? Well, Tim Rogers did, & it’s typically entertaining. 📽

• The definitive history of Magic: The Gathering’s Commander game format. 📰

• Controlling sewing machines with a Game Boy? Now someone has emulation working for it. 📰(Check out his full article archive, including GB fish sonar.📰)

• This untold history of Arkane Studios documentary is stupendous, including much detail on canned games like Half-Life spinoff Ravenholm. 📽

• The McDonalds MMO (pictured) was totally a thing that existed. 📰

• Sega collectors, did you know about the miniaturized Sega grand piano you can use MIDI files on, ‘player piano’ style? 📽

• How the makers of Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection dug up a long-lost, unreleased game. 📰

• A Louis Theroux-ish investigation into virtual world Second Life’s most expensive brothel. 📽

• Why Fortnite’s and Apex Legends’ top players keep colluding to stay close to the top of the rankings. 📰

• Giving the Game Boy Color two identical screens 📽- inspired by someone doing the same thing 📽to a GBA SP. (And let’s not even talk about ‘I made the Game Boy longer for no reason’ 📽, lol.)

• Talking to Respawn about the storytelling & lore in Apex Legends - interesting to see narrative woven into ‘seasons’ of big-budget multiplayer shooters. 📰

• How Runescape is helping Venezuelans to survive in 2020 by virtual ‘gold farming’ for much-needed cash. 📰

Thanks for reading, and see you - I presume - next week.
Simon.