Alex Rowe

Two of My Favorite Retro Games Got a Lavish New Remaster I just wish Microsoft didn’t own them

Heretic and Hexen are two of my favorite games, and they're back! But supporting them also means supporting one of gaming's most frustrating companies. I wish Microsoft didn't own so much stuff. xander51.medium.com/two-of-my-fa...

The Razer BlackShark V3 Is The Year’s Best Gaming Headset A total rebuild of an icon

My review of the new Razer BlackShark V3 is now live! Its wireless system is so fast it left everyone else behind. I love it. xander51.medium.com/the-razer-bl...

The Only Important Thing About Gaming Mice No, it’s not the number of RGB lights!

Another "cut through the marketing noise" piece from me this morning, this time about gaming mice! xander51.medium.com/the-only-imp...

Razer’s Branding Is Weird What’s the real difference between X, HyperSpeed, and Pro models?

A short rant paragraph from an upcoming headset review I'm working on turned into this 1800-ish word thing I just posted. Enjoy! xander51.medium.com/razers-brand...

My Favorite Switch 2 Game Upgrade (So Far) A tiny portable miracle takes a generational leap into the stars

So it turns out that the Switch 2 Edition of No Man's Sky is *very good,* with just a couple of little things I hope they'll iron out in future patches. xander51.medium.com/my-favorite-...

Nintendo Fixed the Goofiest Switch Accessory And they probably owe a secret thanks to Sony for the idea

I wrote up some quick thoughts on the new Switch 2 version of the Joy Con Charging Grip. I never thought I'd be a fan of this thing! xander51.medium.com/nintendo-fix...

Donkey Kong Bananza Is a Perfect Blend of Tech and Design And it has my favorite map system

My article about how cool Bananza's map system is turned into a full-blown praise fest for the entire game. It's so good. You should probably play it! xander51.medium.com/donkey-kong-...

I finished Bananza...or did I? — World Bolding The end is only the beginning.

Here's the link, if you're curious! www.worldbolding.com/home/2025/7/23/i-finished-bananzaor-did-i

I just rolled credits on Bananza, and to celebrate I updated my neglected personal website. As a bonus for people who click on my random blog (which I've linked in the below post, as one does), I've also included a free link to read one of my recent Medium stories about Logitech's newest headset.

Have You Truly Experienced Headphones? The eternal debate: closed versus open ear cups

I've officially changed sides in the most timeless of headphone debates. xander51.medium.com/have-you-tru...

The Coolest Games of 2025 That Aren’t Owned by Microsoft I can no longer support Xbox in any capacity

I updated my work-in-progress favorite games of the year list to remove any trace of Microsoft. Learn why in my new story! Also Bananza is great! medium.com/@xander51/th...

I Miss the Golden Age of LEGO Games But it might have been unsustainable

I finally tried out the Switch port of 2013's LEGO Marvel Superheroes, and it made me nostalgic for the prolific era of LEGO titles. It was a great dose of gaming comfort food...but it may have also come at a huge and unfortunate human cost. xander51.medium.com/i-miss-the-g...

The Best Forgotten Cute 3D Platformer An unlucky tale of picking the wrong publishing partners?

I know that I should be thinking about Donkey Kong...but I had to replay New Super Lucky's Tale first! xander51.medium.com/the-best-for...

If you want to hear some legendary gaming dudes read out a list of Asterix and Obelix game titles, then you should check out this week’s @p1podcast.com. I think “Slap Them All” is a surprisingly decent brawler.

Logitech’s New G522 Headset Suffers From One Major Flaw The best wireless mic gets saddled with a bizarre tuning choice

I've reviewed Logitech's newest wireless gaming headset, the G522. It would be the year's best, but it got one big thing wrong. xander51.medium.com/logitechs-ne...

Xbox Game Pass Was a Huge Mistake Entertainment shouldn’t be disposable

I think Xbox Game Pass was the actual original bad decision that led to the destruction of the brand. It destroyed the very concept of value in exchange for making a number go up. xander51.medium.com/xbox-game-pa...

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Has a Big Value Problem Do we really need this many $100 headsets from the same company?

I bought a SteelSeries headset to check out right before they launched a better, cheaper version. Come learn from my mistake! xander51.medium.com/the-steelser...

The Nintendo Switch 2’s Four Coolest Little Surprises Small details matter when you’re using something for years

I've spent a month using the Switch 2. It's obviously a great place for Nintendo games, but it also gets some key "little things" right. xander51.medium.com/the-nintendo...

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 Almost Learned From Past Mistakes I’ve fallen back down the EDF hole after four years away

I've returned to Earth Defense Force after four years away, to once again reckon with the weird pile of stereotypes that is World Brothers. xander51.medium.com/earth-defens...

Microsoft Has Once Again Set Fire to Their Xbox Division I’m bummed about Perfect Dark

I'm officially upset at Microsoft for cancelling Perfect Dark. So much so that I wrote about it. Anyone still holding out hope that Xbox cares about games or gaming hardware should probably reconsider that opinion. xander51.medium.com/microsoft-ha...

The Rise and Fall of the Incredible THX AAA Headphone Amplifier Tech hype cycles come for everything

Today I'm in a coffee shop, lamenting that even the best-ever headphone amp got swallowed up by the weird marketing hype of the consumer tech industry. xander51.medium.com/the-rise-and...

I Blinked, and Arcade Racing Came Back! Nintendo proves the market all over again

The arcade-racer-heavy launch of the Switch 2 has me feeling nostalgic about the genre as a whole. xander51.medium.com/i-blinked-an...

The Exact Moment Hideo Kojima Lost Me A brilliant “auteur” served with a side of uncomfortable misogyny

I won't be playing Death Stranding 2, as Kojima lost my fandom ten years ago. He probably should have lost everyone. xander51.medium.com/the-exact-mo...

I Was Wrong About the Nintendo Switch 2 Does anyone want a camera on a stick?

Here's my "review" of the Nintendo Switch 2 after using it for a few weeks. It's a great little piece of hardware and *some* of my concerns were wrong. Yes, I used my Toad screenshot for this that I also posted on Threads the other day. I will not apologize. xander51.medium.com/i-was-wrong-...

Weekend Guilty Pleasures: My Secret Favorite Wild West Game The first title I finished on my new Switch 2

The first game I finished all the way to the credits on my Switch 2 will almost certainly surprise you. I'm hoping to write more of these guilty pleasures articles in the future! xander51.medium.com/weekend-guil...

FBC: Firebreak Is a Crushing Disappointment I’m suddenly very worried for the future of Remedy Entertainment

FBC: Firebreak is probably the worst high-profile game of the year. Yes, I'm aware of MindsEye. This is more disappointing to me because of the connection to Control. xander51.medium.com/fbc-firebrea...

I Totally Love the Switch 2’s Headset Options Nintendo’s new console makes beautiful sounds

The Switch 2 fixed all of my audio complaints about the original console. xander51.medium.com/i-totally-lo...

The Best Forgotten Mario Games For those who want less karting and more jumping

While I wait for Nintendo to announce a new Mario game (and release Bananza), I've been playing these older games instead. xander51.medium.com/the-best-for...

The Switch 2 Is Already a Cozy Game Paradise Two awesome launch titles and legacy improvements

If you like cozy games, then the Switch 2 is your new favorite platform. xander51.medium.com/the-switch-2...

Microsoft seems way too excited about their “new” ROG Ally with plastic handles slapped onto it. The 11 minute video they released is dramatic corporate vomit. It makes the Switch 2 look even better than it already did, and I say that as someone who still owns and uses an original 2023 Z1X Ally.