Sam Machkovech

Sam Machkovech

Contributor

Sam Machkovech is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant based in Seattle, WA. He has been writing about the intersection of art and technology since 1996, and he became a nationally syndicated video game critic before graduating high school. He has since written for American Airlines, Ars Technica, The Atlantic, Billboard, Edge UK, Game Developer, Polygon, The Stranger, and more, and he has appeared on programs including BBC World Service, Digital Foundry, Marketplace, and This Week in Tech. His favorite video game, by a longshot, is Picross 3D Round 2.

Latest articles by Sam Machkovech

Link staring out at the skies in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
One week of Switch 2 backwards compatibility: The good, the bad, and the bilinear-filtered ugly

By Sam Machkovech Published

Now Playing Now Playing | Diving into the must-plays and everything that falls short

Now Playing
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom screenshot showing princess Zelda, a blonde woman with elf-like ears, trapped in a sheer magenta crystal
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom review – "A refreshing, magic-filled retool of the Link's Awakening engine"

By Sam Machkovech Published

Review

Review
Balatro
Exploring Balatro's hype, its ingenious twists on poker, and its mysterious creator

By Sam Machkovech Published

Opinion Interview | "I'm sure I'm not done with this game," says Balatro's anonymous, humble designer

Opinion
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
How Arzette turned Zelda's biggest joke into something to laugh with, not at

By Sam Machkovech Published

Interview Interview: In conversation with the creator of a one-time joke that transformed into a four-year project

Interview
Analogue Duo console with controller
Analogue Duo review: "This modernized TurboGrafx-16 needs a bit more gas"

By Sam Machkovech Published

Review The Analogue Duo might be one of the best way to play Turbografx-16 and PC Engine games today, but a few compatibility quirks keep it from greatness.

Review
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Deluxe's destination: What the end of Mario Kart 8 means for the series

By Sam Machkovech Published

Opinion Opinion | The chequered flag is out for now, but what's next in line for the longstanding kart racer series?

Opinion
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Fable
    1
    After Forza Horizon, Fable devs wanted to prove "we could cut it in a different genre," lead says: "There was a little bit of pride"
  2. 2
    Valve devs "can't believe we get away" with such small updates for Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike, ex-writer says
  3. 3
    "The craziest numbers I've seen in 17 years working at Blizzard": WoW Forever devs seem genuinely shocked the beta is so popular as they explain why their MMO servers keep breaking
  4. 4
    Brad Pitt to return for World War Z sequel from Conclave director
  5. 5
    As Final Fantasy Resonance drops its gacha baggage, another JRPG dev doing the same thinks it's "wonderful" these live-service games will be preserved

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