Niko Balkaran-Contributor

Staff Writer

Contributor

August, 2023
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism
PS5, Destiny 2, Pokemon
  • 97
    articles
  • 97
    News

About Niko Balkaran

Niko Balkaran is a freelance writer from the USA who currently contributes to the news section of The Best War Games. He has always been interested in covering video games and the entertainment industry and was inspired by Superman and Lois Lane to join the ranks. Niko has experience writing long and short-form features, reviews, and news. He also has written and produced audio and video broadcast pieces that were reported on air.  

Niko is an avid Destiny 2 player, having over 1900 hours in the game. He is drawn to this franchise because he loves Bungie's worldbuilding and storytelling. He has also yet to find another FPS game where shooting guns feels so good. His other video game franchise of choice is Pokemon. Some of his fondest memories include spending hours training his Pokemon to take on Winona in Pokemon Emerald and hunting for Suicune in Pokemon Crystal.

Favorite Games

Niko tends to try a variety of games across genres and platforms. Some of his recent favorites include Destiny 2, Hades, Final Fantasy 16, Diablo 4, Persona 5, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Tales of Arise, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Baldur's Gate 3, and Bloodborne.

Favorite Console

Niko's favorite console is the Game Boy Advance SP—specifically, the Groudon Red edition. Niko spent many nights avoiding his homework and studying for various exams as he explored the expansive worlds in Pokemon Emerald, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Golden Sun, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. 

Proudest Gaming Achievement

Over the years, Niko has racked up several gaming achievements that he is proud of. However, none comes close to one of his very first, which involves defeating Whitney's Miltank in Pokemon Crystal. After progressing through the game easily, for the most part, using correct typing, Niko encountered that behemoth of a Pokemon that required several batteries to conquer. 

Latest

Palworld resources in base-1
Palworld Player Shares Useful Tip to Transfer Heavy Resources Without Being Encumbered

A Palworld player shares an ingenious method for moving heavy resources in the hit Pocketpair title without being encumbered.

PS Vita Switch console and Steam logo
PlayStation Vita Game Jumping Ship to Nintendo Switch and Steam

A remaster of a PlayStation Vita game visual novel game will soon be arriving on the Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Spy x Family Forgers
June 28 Will Be an Exciting Day for Spy X Family Fans

June 28 is shaping up to be an exciting day for fans who enjoy the slice-of-life manga and anime sensation Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo.

Pokemon GO items and gym
Pokemon GO Update Adds Helpful New Features

In a new update, Niantic adds two useful quality-of-life features to Pokemon GO that were highly requested by the community for years.

Destiny 2 Guardians in Crota's End
Destiny 2 Fans Want Three Long Overdue Armor Sets Added in The Final Shape

Some Destiny 2 players are hoping that Bungie adds three particular armor sets to the game when The Final Shape launches in June.

Palworld base with different Pals working
Palworld Player Reveals Useful Feature to Add When Building a Base

A Palworld player believes that other gamers should add a practical feature to their bases, as it has the potential to be very useful.

Elden Ring Tarnished and Melina at Site of Grace
Wild New Elden Ring Hack Is Letting Cheaters Ride on Flying Bugs

An unlucky Elden Ring player invades another gamer’s world only to come across a hacker flying around on a bug in the FromSoftware title.

Palworld tree and fire environment
Palworld Fan Designs Their Own Grass-Type Pal

An artistic Palworld fan designs a brand-new Pal that looks like it could fit right in with the rest of the creatures in Pocketpair’s hit game.

Palworld players riding Pals in water
Extremely Lucky Palworld Player Catches Jormuntide With a 0.03% Catch Chance

A lucky Palworld player catches the high-level Water and Dragon-type Pal, Jormuntide, despite having an extremely low chance of doing so.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Cloud riding a Segway
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Getting an All New Storyline

Square Enix reveals that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be getting an all-new storyline when the highly anticipated title launches next month.

The Witcher 3 screenshot
The Witcher 3 Is Getting a Direct Sequel, But Not as a Video Game

Fans of The Witcher 3 will soon get a chance to experience another adventure with Geralt of Rivia in a direct sequel to the game.

The Last of Us 2 Firefly sign
The Last of Us 2 Was Originally Going to Kill Off a Major Character

The recent release of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered reveals that Naughty Dog originally planned on killing one important character.

Palworld landscape
Visit This Palworld Location for a Lot of Coal and Ore

An intrepid Palworld explorer shares a convenient location where players can find ore and coal, two precious resources in the game.

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