There are times when an older movie feels like it could have been made yesterday. 1989's Do the Right Thing -- one of Spike Lee's very first films -- is just such an offering. Based in the racially-mixed Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn during one hot summer day and night, Do the Right Thing is ...
2020-06-11 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Dice rollin'.
2020-06-11 00:47:51 +0000 UTC View Post
We are officially in the age of the ubiquitous multiplayer shooter. It's no longer about how many new games devs can get out the door (unless you're in the Call of Duty orbit); instead, it's how long and how well devs (and publishers) can support their games that have already been released. Desti...
2020-06-09 22:12:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Here in America, a cop's murder of an unarmed black man has temporarily torn our society asunder. It's caused peaceful mass protests around the country, and the situation has occasionally fallen into outright rioting and looting as well. In other words, we're experiencing a period of substantial ...
2020-06-05 16:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
We've been recording KnockBack week-in and week-out for more than two years, and while we tell lots of stories about our time with video games, TV shows, movies, toys, and much more, we also include mentions of some very important people: Our childhood friends. These folks aren't just random char...
2020-06-05 05:45:33 +0000 UTC View Post
We've waited for long enough, it seems: On June 4th, Sony is finally gonna show first and third party PlayStation 5 games for the very first time. And we couldn't be more excited. This week's episode of + is dedicated to the showcase, with 10 predictions for the event. As always, we went to you -...
2020-06-01 03:19:50 +0000 UTC View Post
We've somehow made it 100 episodes, and it's all thanks to you, our precious listeners. To celebrate our auspicious milestone, we thought we'd do something a little different: Answer 100 minutes worth of listener questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas. You can find that at the end of ...
2020-05-29 23:24:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Nintendo is undoubtedly best-known for its long-running, ubiquitous franchises: Mario, Zelda, and the like. But sprinkled in the mega-selling mixture are games that sold far less, but have earned their own level of reverence. EarthBound -- launched in 1994 in Japan and 1995 in the US -- is one su...
2020-05-28 18:04:31 +0000 UTC View Post
With its fledgling PS4 franchise Nioh, Koei Tecmo's internal dev Team Ninja has found success with what is, in many ways, a Dark Souls clone. But perhaps that's selling studio director Fumihiko Yasuda's squad a tad bit short, because before Nioh -- in between Dead or Alive games, and even a voyag...
2020-05-26 16:57:45 +0000 UTC View Post
We're getting close now. Really close. Compelling rumors are now circulating (along with some vague words from Sony's CEO himself) that PlayStation 5's official reveal is close on the horizon, and may happen in just a few weeks, along with the first showcase of Sony's first party, next-gen offeri...
2020-05-22 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Did Disney's Star Wars trilogy end with a loud bang or a resounding thud? It depends on who you ask, of course. But just late last year (in 2019), the new galactic journey that began with Episode VII ended with Episode IX, and the results were about as divisive as you'd probably imagine. Mired by...
2020-05-21 16:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Just what is a Definitive Edition of a game? Hell if we know. But Matty tries to get to the bottom of it.
2020-05-21 05:52:27 +0000 UTC View Post
While Persona 4 Golden was arguably Vita's most beloved games, the series didn't hit true mainstream, western success until Persona 5 came to PS3 and PS4 several years ago. Now, with Persona 5 Royal -- 2020's best-received PS4 title, exclusive or otherwise -- developer P Studio and publisher Atlu...
2020-05-19 16:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post
When it comes to Ghost of Tsushima, Sony-owned Sucker Punch has the distinct honor of delivering PlayStation 4's very last first party AAA exclusive. Yet, there's no doubt that both the publisher and developer of the 13th century samurai adventure have been pretty quiet about it, which raised som...
2020-05-15 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Do you know the definition of insanity? After playing 2012's Far Cry 3, you just might. While this open world FPS series began inauspiciously enough under the direction of none other than Crytek, it's when Ubisoft brought the shooter franchise in-house that it truly began to shine. And it perhaps...
2020-05-14 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Last week was pretty eventful for PlayStation's two primary competitors. On one hand, you had the Inside Xbox third party event, and on the other, word about a meteoric Nintendo first party success. Today's lengthy episode of + is dedicated to both of these topics. First, we comb through each and...
2020-05-12 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
The hunger for next-gen information is palpable, and with this week's Xbox event, it seemed like Microsoft was keen on going first in some sort of substantive way. Instead, most fans were left confused by their showing. But there's good news for us here in PlayStation Land, because concentrating ...
2020-05-08 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
For Americans, the year 1776 is sacred. It isn't the year the American Revolution started (that's 1775), nor is it the year it ended in victory (that's 1783). Instead, '76 represents the year the US declared its independence from England, changing the course of domestic and global history alike f...
2020-05-07 16:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Matty does what Colindon't.
2020-05-07 03:49:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Unlike 2019's Resident Evil 2 Remake, this year's Resident Evil 3 Remake has been a divisive product, a game that has as many detractors as supporters. While RE2R was largely faithful to its source material and provided players with a decently-long campaign and lots of replay value, RE3R strays q...
2020-05-05 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostHey All,
I hope you're doing well (all things considered), and that you're staying safe.
Over the past week -- since the catastrophic The Last of Us: Part II leaks occurred -- two members of our community have gone well out of their way to spoil parts of the game for other people...
Our shifting podcast schedule couldn't have possibly come at a better time, because it just so happens that the last seven days (or so) in the gaming industry have been among the most news-packed in recent memory. For starters, The Last of Us: Part II has a new release date, but such a revelation...
2020-05-01 16:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
This week's episode of KnockBack is a special one, not only because of its subject matter -- the 1982 Steven Spielberg smash-hit film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial -- but because our guest host this week is none other than Dagan's wife, Helene. E.T. was, is, and will likely always be one of the mos...
2020-04-30 18:06:35 +0000 UTC View Post
At $60 a pop, a new AAA video game is no small investment, especially when projects these days are rarely released in tip-top shape. By resisting buying new titles at launch, though, can we force better outcomes for all of us? Or do we (as enthusiasts) simply lack the fortitude to effect real cha...
2020-04-28 16:01:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Back in March, the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to Doom 2016 launched in the form of Doom Eternal. Chock-full of fluid combat and lovely graphics -- all buttressed by a buttery framerate and metal soundtrack -- Doom Eternal is a truly wonderful game. It's both fun and funny; indeed, it's an abso...
2020-04-25 05:11:38 +0000 UTC View Post
The Powerpuff Girls might seem like an unassuming piece of animation... yet it's anything but. Nestled within the soul of Cartoon Network's hit show is a surprising amount of depth, an amalgamation of influences ranging from anime to gaming to old superhero TV shows. The result is one of the most...
2020-04-23 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Run, Chris, run!
2020-04-22 19:33:35 +0000 UTC View Post
That face in the thumbnail? That's the face of your doom. It's also the face of a bizarre patent Sony filed for a robot that can experience PlayStation games right alongside you. What does it mean? We don't exactly know, but we're definitely afraid of it. Also: A new Bloomberg article talks much ...
2020-04-21 16:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
If you didn't know, I (Colin) wrote a video game. It's called Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure, it's currently on PS4 and Vita, and thousands of you were kind enough to buy it. Barry (the developer) and I are incredibly grateful. Thing is, writing a video game was a really unique experien...
2020-04-17 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Comedian and actor Mike Myers has always been a bit of an enigma. The hilarious Canadian made his bones on Saturday Night Live and drew international acclaim for his Wayne's World skits and films, but it was 1997's James Bond spoof Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery that might be his mos...
2020-04-16 16:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post