1UP Features

Don't Be Afraid Of PC Gaming
If you're curious about the PC as a gaming platform, here's why you shouldn't hold back.

The Definitives: Six Remakes That Left the Originals in the Dust
When tweaking a game helps it reach its pinnacle.

Digital and Nontraditional: Breaking Down Ouya, Steam Box, And Other New Wave Systems
What makes each of these systems unique, and what factors will result in their failure or success?

Policenauts and Hideo Kojima's Adventure Game Roots
Why you should care about the non-Metal Gear side of Konami's biggest star.

A Lamentation on the De-Evolution of Video Game Localization
Video game localization took years to crawl away from "prooving the justice of our culture," only to slide back to where we began.

Outside It's America: A BioShock Infinite Interview
We speak to writer Drew Holmes about Infinite's fascinating alternate reality.

Artorias of the Abyss and a Worthwhile Return to Lordran
From Software's DLC gives Dark Souls veterans a valid excuse to replay one of 2011's best RPGs.

Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning Quarterly Performance Report
How does a new farmer fare in a season of Natsume's latest?

The New Ice Age: A Lost Planet 3 Interview
The creative leads of Capcom's next ice planet adventure talk design, combat, and Dead Space.

The Deceptive Beauty of Atari Box Art
How a bit of creative marketing goes a long way.

Cover Story: Odds 'N Ends
This week, 1UP takes you to the island of forgotten stories.

Cover Story: Why We're Excited About 2013
This week, 1UP looks forward to what's primed to be an amazing year in gaming.

1UP's Favorite Games of 2012: XCOM Enemy Unknown
One of the most intense tactical experiences you'll ever play.

1UP's Favorite Games of 2012: The Walking Dead
How Telltale made me care about someone other than myself.

1UP's Favorite Games of 2012: Journey
A transcendent adventure and one of the defining experiences of this generation.

1UP's Favorite Games of 2012: Mark of the Ninja
Delving into the creation and inspirations behind one of the year's best games.

Cover Story: 1UP's Favorite Games of 2012
This week, we celebrate the experiences that brought us the most enjoyment this year.

The Essential 100, No. 1: Super Mario Bros.
The most important game ever made, as chosen by the 1UP staff and community!

The Essential 100, No. 2: Dungeons & Dragons
How a tabletop adventure system defined video games.

The Essential 100, No. 3: Street Fighter II
An inimitable experience that perfectly embodied the essence of video gaming.

The Essential 100, No. 4: Tetris
Where organizing different block patterns never gets old.

The Essential 100, No. 5: Super Mario 64
Nintendo's evolutionary leap will never be replicated.

The Essential 100, No. 6: Grand Theft Auto III
Rockstar revolutionized the industry by bestowing players with the gift of freedom.

The Essential 100, No. 7: Halo: Combat Evolved
How a gruff space soldier led the west's charge to reclaim the console gaming market.

The Essential 100, No. 8: Final Fantasy VII
How Square's lightning in a bottle finally made RPGs cool.

The Essential 100, No. 9: Doom
id's masterpiece taught us that doing it first isn't as important as doing it best.

The Essential 100, No. 10: Wii Sports
Nintendo's pentalogy of mini-games made the world stand in attention.

The Essential 100, No. 11: Pong
The game that defined the DNA of the medium.

The Essential 100, No. 12: Dragon Quest
The game that redefined the term "role-playing game."

The Essential 100, No. 13: Pac-Man
Namco's breakthrough arcade hit tapped deep into the human psyche with nothing more than a little yellow circle.

The Essential 100, No. 14: The Legend of Zelda
Explore a land full of unique discoveries in a non-linear adventure, and then tell your friends all about it.

The Essential 100, No. 15: World of Warcraft
Blizzard radically redefined MMOs and brought a niche genre into the mainstream.

The Essential 100, No. 16: Metal Gear Solid
This sneaky PlayStation game showed the world that 3D games could deliver Hollywood-caliber entertainment.

The Essential 100, No. 17: Pokemon
Nintendo's portable adventure managed to escape our pockets and invade the entirety of popular culture.

The Essential 100, No. 18: Space Invaders
A true zeitgeist, Space Invaders defined the medium forever.

The Essential 100, No. 19: Half-Life
Valve transformed the concept of story in video games by reminding us that the game should always come first.

The Essential 100, No. 20: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Why the current generation of consoles really began in 2007.

The Essential 100, No. 21: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Nintendo proved the possibilities of 3D adventure by relying on a rock-solid formula.

The Essential 100, No. 22: Mortal Kombat
The game which helped change the industry by making politicians see red.

The Essential 100, No. 23: Wolfenstein 3D
id Software introduces first-person-shooters to the world, and gives Hitler the chance to die all over again.

The Essential 100, No. 24: Quake
Competitive, mod-friendly 3D shooting rocket jumped its way into our hearts.

The Essential 100, No. 25: GoldenEye 007
Rare's 1997 hit proved the possibilities for first-person shooters on consoles.

Cover Story: 1UP's Essential 100, Part Four
You vote, we wrote! The 25 most important games of all time, according to you.

The Month of the Alien Will Soon Be Upon Us
Do Dead Space 3 and Aliens: Colonial Marines pay fitting homage to the horror classics?

There Doesn't Have to Be a Game Over
How some developers skirt around the concept of death.

With Strange Aeons: Planescape's Deathless One
We examine what happens when even video game death dies.

Permadeath: The Best Terrible Decision You Can Make
The case for risking everything on one life.

A Dream Deferred: When Sega Got Out at the Right Time
The bittersweet story of the Dreamcast's hasty exit, and why it was probably for the greater good.

How Mega Man Got Into a Brawl with Chun-Li
We chat with two of the people responsible for next week's unexpected new Mega Man game.

Six Games Where Death is a New Beginning
When "game over" doesn't necessarily mean "goodbye."