bestnerdlife

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This CSL USB Gamepad is the worst videogame controller ever

The number of ways to play a modern videogame is almost limitless. There are amusing motion controls, multitudes of musical instrument-shaped plastic, or maybe just a good ol’ wired controller. Press a button, flick a switch, spin a wheel. Whilst these methods aren’t always the most effective, none of them are as torturous as using the CSL USB Gamepad SNES. This device easily earns the “worst…

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PC Building Simulator (PC) - The Review

I’m gonna be honest. I was very late to the party when it came to building a computer for the first time. When I was learning, my research mainly included out-of-date books from charity shops. I also worked on as many beaten-up hunks of junk from the local scrap man that I could. In what felt like no time at all, I had gone from knowing very little about the inner workings of PC to being able to…

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The uniquely weirdest Nintendo Switch accessories of all time

With the newest console on the horizon, there’s no doubt that the production of accessories for the original Nintendo Switch will be ramped down at some point. Even though most Nintendo Switch games will be backwards compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, many accessories won’t. Like most Wii accessories, many of these fun little bits of plastic will be condemned to the garbage bin of time. That…

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An Interview with SporkTank

Creating Batography seems like it was a real family affair for SporkTank founder Martin Stradling. Released in time for the Lunar New Year 2025, it was a way for him to introduce his younger cousins to the world of game development. Starting as a small side project while working on his upcoming game, Rita, it then found a life of its own. It stars a cute and cheeky little bat on a mission to…

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Batography - The Review (PC)

For many cultures, the moon is a thing of mystery and beauty. For the curious little bat in Batography, it is a celestial body that they really, really want to take a full-fletched photo of. This short, bite-sized game lets players run, climb, glide, and snap toward that modest goal. And best of all, it’s completely free to download on Steam! Primarily created by solo developer Martin Stradling…

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Continue Arcade brings nostalgic gaming to Plymouth

For those readers who don’t know, I have a great love for arcade machines. I’m very proud to own an Arcade1Up Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine, and Arcade Paradise is my 2022 Game Of The Year. When I discovered that Continue Arcade was opened in the Plymouth city centre, I knew I would enjoy it immensely. A bustling retro-inspired arcade experience is exactly the type of thing Plymouth needs. It’s a…

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AT Games Mega Drive - The Review

As a fan of retro gaming, I have a fairly sizeable collection of physical games. And they all take up a huge amount of space. This is where a small mini-console filled with digital versions of some of those games could be really helpful. Enter the AT Games Mega Drive mini-console. This plug-and-play device has 81 games built in. A good portion of that number is a selection of “arcade”…

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Legacy of Kain Evercade game unboxing

Some links on this page may be affiliate links As a person who adores physical media, I very much like the Evercade. After my initial impressions, I have just been more and more impressed by what the people at Blaze Entertainment are doing. They have been releasing retro-themed hit after hit. And one of those recent (at the time of writing) hits is the Legacy of Kain Evercade duology released on…

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Gori Cuddly Carnage Review

Even though Gori Cuddly Carnage released in 2024, my first hands-on experience with this cuddly little cat was in 2022. Back then I attended a Wired Productions media event and was able to sample the array of games on offer. One of those games was Gori Cuddly Carnage! I was able to play through the vast majority of the first level. And it was definitely a highlight of that particular day. But has…

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The CRKD Nitro Deck revitalised my love for the Switch

As the Nintendo Switch steadily ages, it seems unavoidable that the included Joy-Cons will at some point develop stick drift. Thanks to a bad manufacturing choice by Nintendo, their otherwise revolutionary controller system feels like a ticking time bomb. And sadly for me, that bomb has gone off. My original left Joy-Con has started malfunctioning. The control stick is moving on its own. And the…

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My first week with the Meta Quest 2

Although I’ve had a passing interest in Virtual Reality before now, nothing has quite hooked me in quite like my new Meta Quest 2. Sure, I’ve tried using the original PSVR. Which, looking back, was a convoluted mess of wires that bound me to the Playstation 4. And sure, I’ve tried a few games in VR at game events like WASD Live. These never really gave me a clear indication of what VR could be.…

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Exeter Anime & Gaming Con May 2024

After receiving a press pass for the Bristol event back in 2023, I was once again afforded one for the recent Exeter Anime & Gaming Con. Only this time, my wife had one too. With that in mind, I’ll also be incorporating her opinions into this article as well. So, let’s talk about this event! Walking the floor First, our initial thoughts – it felt smaller than the one in Bristol. In particular,…

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A 24 hour trip to WASD Live 2024

I ask you dear reader; is there a better way to spend a Saturday in London walking around a big, bustling building filled to the brim with brilliant video games? Brobably – er – I mean, probably not! In my humble opinion at least. Which is why I spent a full 24 hours travelling to, attending, and then coming back from WASD Live 2024 at The Truman Brewery in London. The day in question – Saturday…

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SteelSeries QcK Medium Mousepad Review

According to the packing of the SteelSeries QcK Medium Mousepad, this brand is the #1 choice in eSports. Which is quite the claim. At first glance, it looks like a standard fabric gaming mousepad. So what makes this mousepad so special? And what justifies me spending £10.99 at my local Game UK store? Well, the microwoven cloth surface is apparently good for optical and laser sensors. And the…

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Slipspeed Collector's Edition Unboxing

We can all pretty much agree that 2020 was an absolute dumpster fire of a year for un-named reasons. However, I did a few things in that year I would deem pretty cool. One such thing was pre-ordering the IBM MS-DOS floppy disk game bundle otherwise known as Slipspeed Collector’s Edition. A retro collector’s edition This particular collector’s edition is a Bitmap Soft production. Both the coding…

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I bought an Arcade1Up Arcade Machine!

The year is 2024. Which means I’m 35 years of age. Yeah…I’m getting old. Which is fine. I’m okay with that. Even though I think I’ve lived a fairly fulfilling life so far, there are still items on my bucket list that I want to do. And this year, I’ve decided I’m going to be ticking some of those things off. Which is why I bought myself an Arcade1Up arcade machine! Nostalgic? Let’s be clear –…

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Plymouth Brick Festival March 2024

Lego is an enduring favourite for people of all ages, and nothing makes this more apparent than seeing a Lego-themed event drawing big crowds. And the Plymouth Brick Festival I attended in March 2024 brought in the crowds. And more importantly, those throngs of people were well-managed by the event staff. In my experience at least. There were loads of people there, but it wasn’t an overwhelming…