Justin Skiles-Contributor

Staff Writer

Contributor

March, 2024
Nintendo, Indie Games, Pokemon
  • 101
    articles
  • 161
    Features

Page 5

About Justin Skiles

Justin Skiles is a writer from Richmond, VA,and is a lifelong lover of games and stories. He holds a BFA in Game Design and Creative Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he honed his appriciation for the craft behind the games. When not playing or writing, he can often be found with his cats or appriciating a good Netflix binge.

Industry Focus

I have two areas that I've found mself retuning to. I've been a Nintendo fan so long it's hard not to focus my efforts talking about them, but I also deeply care about narrative content and storytelling in games. The interactivity offers so much narrative potential that stories just don't have elsewhere.

Favorite Games

I've been crazy about the Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon series, for as long as I can remember. As I've grown, of course, I branched out into less child friendly experiences, and have become a huge Fallout fan. I also find myself returning to the Hitman World fo Assassination games pretty frequently too.

Favorite Console

I'm partial to the N64 and Gamecube eras, but probably have some bias since those were my first consoles. Although I probably have the most hours logged on my 3DS. I still return there pretty offten. I've also been known to spend a good amount of time on my PC.

Latest

A LEGO Zelda Game Feels More Likely Now, But It Would Have a Big Choice to Make
A LEGO Zelda Game Feels More Likely Now, But It Would Have a Big Choice to Make

Zelda fans would love to see the franchise enter the LEGO games catalogue, but before that can happen, there's one big decision to be made.

1
Pokemon Unite Faces its Own Version of a Pokemon GO Problem
Pokemon Unite Faces its Own Version of a Pokemon GO Problem

Pokemon Unite has been a surprise hit that isn't slowing down anytime soon, but as it keeps growing, it will soon face a very familiar problem.

3
Pokemon Legends Z-As Premise Might Not Have Room For One Great PL Arceus Feature
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Premise Might Not Have Room For One Great PL: Arceus Feature

Pokemon Legends: Arceus was full of inventive new features, but Pokemon Legends: Z-A might need to leave one of them behind.

1
Pokemon Legends Z-A Might Be the Perfect Game to Inherit a Scarlet Violet Innovation
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Might Be the Perfect Game to Inherit a Scarlet/Violet Innovation

Evolution plays an important role in Pokemon, so the evolution of one game mechanic from Scarlet and Violet would feel perfect in Legends Z-A.

4
Pokemon Legends Z-A Needs To Avoid One Violet Mistake for Any New Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Needs To Avoid One Violet Issue for New Pokemon

Pokemon Legends: Z-A will likely introduce new Pokemon, but with its futuristic setting, Game Freak needs to be careful not to repeat past mistakes.

4
Marvel 1943 Rise of Hydra Shouldn't Take the Easy Route with Captain America's Gameplay
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Shouldn't Take the Easy Route with Captain America's Gameplay

Captain America will play a massive role in Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, but the game needs to pay close attention to how the character will play.

Pokemon Legends ZA Could Feel More Traditional Than Legends Arceus Battle Wise
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Feel More Traditional Than Legends: Arceus Battle-Wise

Pokemon Legends Z-A already feels very different from Legends Arceus, and based on certain reveals, its battles might feel more familiar to fans.

Avowed's Party Camp Feature is Begging for a Classic Fantasy Trope
Avowed's Party Camp Feature is Begging for a Classic Fantasy Trope

Tropes aren't always welcome in games, but Avowed's Party Camp provides the perfect excuse to use a classic trope to great effect.

Pokemon Legends ZA Needs a New Use for Lumiose City's Most Iconic Landmark
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Needs a New Use for Lumiose City's Most Iconic Landmark

With Lumiose City confirmed to be the setting of Pokemon Legends Z-A, its most important landmark might need to be reimagined to fit in.

LEGOs New Legend of Zelda Set Makes a Great Case for One New Zelda Game
LEGO's New Legend of Zelda Set Makes a Great Case for One LEGO Zelda Game

LEGO's new Great Deku Tree set could provide a glimpse into what a LEGO Legend of Zelda game might look like.

Palworld's Free Pal Alliance Sticks Out Like a Sore Thumb
Palworld's Free Pal Alliance Sticks Out Like a Sore Thumb

Palworld's enemy factions give players insight into life on the Palpagos islands, but the Free Pal Alliance is far from meeting its potential.

Overwatch 2 Abandoning Hero Mastery Gauntlet Final Nail in Coffin for PvE
Overwatch 2 Abandoning Hero Mastery Gauntlet May Be The Final Nail in The Coffin For PvE

Overwatch 2's hero mastery gauntlet mode will be removed at the end of the current season, which sounds like bad news for PvE missions.

Avowed's Gimmick Builds Need to be Fun if not Viable
Avowed's Inevitable Gimmick Builds Need to Be Fun if Not Viable

Avowed's new combat system is sure to come with gimmick builds, and they must be fun, even if they're not powerful.

Overwatch 2 Could Address Criticisms by Bringing Back Feature-1
Overwatch 2 Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone By Bringing Back an Overwatch 1 Feature

Overwatch 2 has its share of fan criticisms, but the return of an Overwatch 1 event might be just what the game needs to win players back.

Pokemon PokeRogue Explained
Pokemon: PokeRogue Explained

PokeRogue is a new Pokemon fan game unlike any before it, bringing in players of all ages while also offering some interesting mechanics.

Clockwork Revolution's Worldbuilding
Clockwork Revolution's World-Building Could Be a Game-Changer

Clockwork Revolution promises to tell a mind bending story, but with the right worldbuilding, the game could become a high point of the industry.

animal crossing new horizons house interior with bear villager
There's One Real-Life Activity That Would Be a Lot More Fun in Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing has become a game about self-expression, and one activity seems like a perfect opportunity that the game is sorely lacking.

haunted chocolatier screenshot business interior with ghosts
Haunted Chocolatier Has the Ingredients For a New Kind of Reputation System

ConcernedApe's Haunted Chocolatier might be able to create a brand new type of reputation system, boosting its appeal to RPG fans.

tales-of-kenzera-character-eyes-closed
What to Expect From Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Upcoming metroidvania game Tales of Kenzera: Zau is set to bring players an experience unlike any other, and it plans to achieve that in a few ways.

overwatch-2-kiriko-april-fools
One Change Could Help Overwatch 2's April Fools' Updates get the Love They Deserve

Overwatch 2's April Fools' event has been a huge win for the game, but one small change could get people talking about the next one even more.