Hello everyone, I am back with a big multi-project update. There is a giveaway happening, I have a new book project going on now, and the next Retro Game Zine issues are right around the corner with some of the biggest contributors yet!

Podcast Update & Giveaway!

The Pixels and Polygons podcast joined the Soundstone Network (soundstone.network) at its launch, and I am contributing some items to the big promotional giveaway. There are only 3 days left at the time of this writing, so if you want to win a $200 gift card for the video game platform of your choice along with a package of my 32 Bit Library books and Retro Game Zine issues, check it out!

You can gain entries by subscribing to our podcasts, following our social media account, and more. Give it a look and share it with a friend. It is free to enter, so you’d be weird not to, right?

You can share this original skeet for an additional entry:

Beat ‘Em Up Vol 1 Now on Kickstarter!

My next book project is live on Kickstarter, and funding is through 6/8. You may remember this project from earlier in the year when I had to cancel it 48 hours before it ended. I needed to address some potential concerns over the representation and usage of some intellectual property, and I did!

Revised and revived, Beat ‘Em Up punches and kicks its way through the classic genre with a deep dive into key franchises in each volume. In volume one, look at the development history, game details, regional differences, classic magazine coverage, and more of the Final Fight franchise. Future volumes will look at other classic series like Streets of Rage, Fighting Force, and more.

You can back the project today and read more about it at the link below:

Retro Game Zine 008, 009, & 010! Coming Soon!

After the Beat ‘Em Up campaign ends, the next Retro Game Zine campaign will begin! This should come as no surprise to regular backers; it is a monthly zine, after all. These next three issues have some of the biggest collaborators to date.

 In Issue 008, I have Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedian Mike Druker (@mikedrucker.bsky.social‬) contributing an original article. He recently wrote the amazing book “Good Game, No Rematch.” Contributing to issue 009 is a podcaster, writer, and teacher, Sean Douglass (@seandouglass.bsky.social‬) and fellow podcaster Dave Jackson (@@tftblpod.bsky.social‬). Finally, contributing to issue 010 is the talented writer of PaRappa the Rapper from Boss Fight Books, Mike Sholars (@mikesholars.bsky.social‬)! Ry-Spirit continues to provide cover art for each issue.

Check out the preview page and get notified when it launches right here:

I was also able to ship out my postcard Review-of-the-Month yesterday for Patreon supporters. If y’all didn’t know that was something, I will share it with you now. It is a $5-a-month tier over at Patreon.com/darrenhupke, where I send you a postcard with a gaming screenshot on one side and a written review on the other. It is the shortest monthly gaming periodical you can buy! That $5 supports me and helps offset the web hosting costs of PixelsandPolygons.net and the podcast hosting. Thanks to all the supporters so far, and if this sounds interesting, you can sign up now to get the next card in a few weeks!

That is a lot happening in the Pixels and Polygons world. This is a one-person operation producing the podcast, writing and designing the books, and publishing the monthly zine. I do it because I love it, and I can only continue to do it because of the support of people like you reading this. Thank you!

If you have enjoyed anything I have done, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Good Reads, subscribe to the podcast, and leave a review on whatever platform you listen on, or just tag me and share that you enjoyed it online! Word of mouth helps, as I don’t do any online advertising. Thanks again, everyone!

-Darren Hupke
@darrenhupke.bsky.social 
https://linktr.ee/darrenhupke